Loe raamatut: «Gunpowder, money and a glass of red», lehekülg 2
– Looks like the finish line.
– Who is first? – curiosity did not let go of Jorge.
– The guy groaned. Yes, he came first.
Pablo returned to the table, asking Massimo:
– Is it always this hot there?
– Every day.
– Your neighbors are funny.
After the coffee in the cups ended, and with it the talk about the latest news, Jorge turned to Massimo:
– Listen, it’s only thanks to you that we are not behind bars, but you, on the contrary, got into such shit because of us.
Pablo continued:
– Yes. Forgive us. It’s Jorge’s and my fault. We were supposed to leave with the proceeds from the cash register, but instead we decided to also open the safe.
Pablo pulled out a package from his back pocket.
– In general, we decided not to divide everything into equal parts. The total was 1,940. Jorge and I each kept 420 for ourselves; before that, we gave a hundred to Aunt Barbara’s attending physician so that they would move the line and perform the operation a couple of months earlier. They said that it would be impossible to move the queue by more than two months and that was the maximum. And this is the rest – Pablo said, placing the remaining money in front of Massimo.
Massimo put his hand to the stack of bills and pushed them into the center of the table.
– Hey-hey! What are you doing? – Jorge almost shouted.
– In short, I didn’t even suspect that you somehow helped with my aunt. So this action of yours is more valuable to me than money.
– Yes, that goes without saying. Just take yours. You’re without funds.
After much convincing from his friends, Massimo said:
– Listen, guys, I’ll take it only on one condition. I won’t be able to help you until the probationary period expires. One year will pass and you can count on me.
Massimo said the last phrase firmly, decisively and with enthusiasm.
Pablo spoke indignantly:
– Of course. Forget it. We’ll manage somehow ourselves. We’ll hold out for a year. Just take it. The main thing is, as soon as they start to run out, you let us know, and we’ll give you more. In general, whether you say it or not, we will still throw it in at the first opportunity. We don’t abandon our own people.
– Thank you, guys. I do not forget.
Jorge replied:
– And you forget it. That’s an order!
Laughter filled the kitchen.
They left the apartment and spent the whole evening until late in a bar called «A glass of red». The owner was a stocky forty-two-year-old Cuban named Murillo, with whom Massimo had a special relationship. He often visited the establishment and took a place at the bar, where he and Murillo had heart-to-heart conversations. This has been the case since early childhood. From the age of eight Massimo was a special customer at the bar. Here Murillo constantly treated him to soda or fruit cocktail. If Massimo undertook to carry out some errand, took an order home, ran to the grocery store for another package of napkins, helped collect empty bottles from tables, Murillo paid him generously for this, fed him a hamburger or a hot dog, and in addition offered him a free choice of any drink. The bar was located half a block from Massimo’s house. In the evenings and on weekends, the establishment was always full of customers, and during the day it was a quiet and peaceful place, a time when you can sit at a table with a plate of fried chicken, potatoes and a full glass of beer or Coca-Cola. But in the evening, vodka, wine, rum, whiskey, cognac and other alcohol are consumed, so actively approaching the moment of separation of the brain from the rest of the body.
By morning Massimo had slept well and a very atypical day began for him. The first thing he decided to do was tidy up the apartment. In the absence of Aunt Barbara, chaos reigned inside on a universal scale. He washed the floors, wiped dust wherever it could accumulate, collected and took out the trash, washed the dishes, washed and put some clothes in their places. It soon dawned on him that he would never do laundry by hand in the future. This decision was fueled by the amount that Jorge and Pablo gave.
Massimo went to the door of the neighboring apartment. After the first ring, Lorenzo opened the door. He had an apple in one hand and a short-barreled revolver in the other.
And yet he followed Massimo’s advice.
– Hello.
Clutching the apple, which had been bitten several times, in his teeth, Lorenzo put the revolver behind his back in his jeans, extended his hand and said, taking the apple out of his mouth:
– Salute.
Without further delay, Massimo got down to business:
– Listen, Lorenzo, I know you don’t sell anymore, but can you tell me where I can get a washing machine inexpensively?
– Just a moment.
Lorenzo went somewhere deeper into the apartment. He returned half a minute later with a piece of paper, handing it over and saying:
– Here. Call this number. Just ask Rodrigo. He is a first-rate nit, but he will help solve the issue about washing machine.
– What did he do?
– What do you mean?
– Well, you said he’s a nit.
Continuing to stand on the threshold, Lorenzo said, waving his hand:
– Forget it. Former competitor.
Manuela’s voice came from the apartment:
– Who are you talking to?
– Okay – said Lorenzo. – Sorry, I have an emergency there.
– Thank you – Massimo said goodbye, after which he heard Lorenzo’s loud voice even before he closed the door:
– How many more times to repeat!? Shut up and take off your panties!
During the day, a used washing machine was delivered to Massimo’s apartment, but in very good condition. The workers provided free services for connecting to sewerage and water supply. Rodrigo himself turned out to be not such a nit. He offered to sell Massimo the faulty washing machine for parts for ten percent of the cost of the one he brought. Massimo agreed without hesitation. In a couple of starts, he washed all the dirty laundry.
Towards evening the apartment took on a neat appearance. Massimo visited the grocery store and shopped for the week ahead.
For a week he went to the hospital every day. Every day he took Aunt Barbara strawberry peanut ice cream, which was her favorite. In the evenings, Jorge and Pablo dropped in to visit him. Following a certain ritual, they invariably, according to a set schedule, went to have fun in local latitudes. On weekends, Jorge occupied his father’s Volkswagen and they had the opportunity to get out of Little Rome to travel around other areas of the city.
On the ninth day after the trial, Massimo had his birthday. He bought a small cake at a pastry shop, which he took to visit his aunt. By seven o’clock Pablo and Jorge appeared on the threshold of the apartment. From the very beginning, fanfare thundered, after which, with congratulatory words, Pablo shook the birthday boy’s hand, pushing three $100 bills into his palm. Jorge gave a marble money box in the shape of Jesus with a lid at the bottom. Massimo later found another three hundred under the lid.
The birthday has passed. The next morning, Massimo was getting ready to go to the hospital. Aunt Barbara had an operation scheduled for nine o’clock. He was already planning to leave when someone rang the doorbell. Massimo turned the key twice and pulled the door out. Pablo stood in front of him. His T-shirt was stained with fresh blood. It was the blood of Jorge, whom he struggled to hold, keeping his hand on his neck. He dragged him three floors up the stairs and who knows how many more to the house.
In a hurry, Massimo helped drag Jorge inside and then slammed the door.
Jorge lay on the couch, wincing in pain from the open wound left by a twenty-five-caliber shot in his left shoulder.
– What happened!? – Massimo asked, feeling his heart begin to beat in his chest against his ribs.
The apartment was filled with Jorge’s loud, painful moans.
With a shaky breath, Pablo replied:
– His… his father was robbed yesterday when he was driving home from work. We… found out what kind of scum it was… We caught him and started pressing him. Who knew this SON OF A BITCH had a gun!
– Where was it?
– Three blocks from here.
Massimo looked at Jorge, who was doubled over in pain, and asked, spreading his arms:
– How did you drag him?
– This scum stole the car, which we took back. DAMN! We thought we would return it to the father!
Massimo froze for a moment. His face froze, retaining a grimace of fear. His next question sounded frighteningly wary:
– And where is it now?
Pablo’s response came without delay:
– At the entrance.
Massimo rubbed his face with his palms, but was still able to snap out of his stupor. First of all, he rushed to get bandages and alcohol. While the wound was being treated, Jorge’s moans intensified slightly. Having felt the hole on the back side, Massimo was convinced that the bullet had gone right through. He hastily sealed both holes with several layers of vapor barrier tape.
– Didn’t you see the cops? – asked Massimo.
Pablo replied, still in shock:
– No. But this bastard took someone’s car and chased us.
Massimo did not react at all to Pablo’s words until he glanced at the floor. His eyes ran along the trail of blood smeared on the floor, which was visible from the very threshold. Massimo rushed to the exit and looked out into the corridor. A few seconds of silence were followed by the sound of a door slamming shut. He went into the kitchen, took a knife out of the drawer, then went to Pablo.
– What does he look like?
Pablo was sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the sofa. For some time, with tension, he examined the blade clutched in Massimo’s hand, and then, swallowing a lump of saliva, he said:
– I’m with you. I won’t let you in there alone.
As soon as Pablo lifted himself off the floor, Massimo pressed his friend’s shoulders and said:
– He saw you. But he doesn’t know me.
It didn’t take long to persuade Pablo. He told Massimo about the thick black beard of impressive length, short hair, red and white checkered shirt and glass eye. He pulled a Makarov pistol from his belt.
Massimo said, shaking his head:
– Keep it for yourself.
Massimo walked out the door, having previously asked Pablo to lock himself from the inside. Drops of blood could be seen all over the corridor. There were no residents of the house. Someone’s footsteps were heard somewhere on the stairs. A few seconds later, the figure of a Mexican living on the floor above appeared. He went up to his room. Massimo looked at him and moved towards the stairs, pressing the blade to the inside of his forearm. As he approached the stairs, he noticed traces of blood on the steps. His feet passed the last step to the second floor. Empty. A familiar voice came from somewhere below:
– Thank you.
The sound of a door slamming was heard.
Massimo continued to descend with leisurely steps. Having descended half the stairs between floors, a stranger by name, but familiar by appearance began to climb in front of him. It was the man with the glass eye. With his other eye – his own eye – he peered at the crimson traces on the steps, following them. He looked to be about forty. Noticing a boy walking towards him, he examined Massimo for several seconds without taking his eyes off. The look was insolent and caused bad feelings inside. He held one hand close to his back and the other dangled in a natural position.
Having gotten half a meter closer to the man, Massimo turned to him:
– Do you have a cigarette?
The man with a strong movement pressed his hairy hand to Massimo’s shoulder. He pushed him away with his palm. Massimo was noticeably turned around by this push. A little more and he would have hit his back against the wall. He noticed how tightly the stranger’s hand was pressed to his upper thigh, and the handle of a pistol protruded next to him behind his jeans.
It was the right moment. Massimo unfolded the handle of the knife in his palm. The man was already seven steps above him. Comfortable height. Very comfortable. With a sweeping movement, the tip of the blade Massimo cut the Achilles tendon, immediately after which the man froze in place. Massimo took advantage of this and thrust the wide blade into the back of the thigh of the same leg. With his free hand, the stranger managed to pull out the pistol from behind his back. The man screamed at the top of his lungs, spreading his jaws as far as possible and exposing his teeth. Massimo crept up from behind, hastily pulled the pistol out of the man’s hand and covered his mouth in order to muffle his scream. He pulled the blade from the thigh and brought the blade sharply to the stranger’s neck. The blood-covered steel began to slide across the skin and burrow deep into the throat, cutting arteries. For the first few seconds, the splashes scattered around, hitting the wall and railings. A powerful crimson stream gushed out from the cut. Blood flowed down the steps.
Under the influence of reflexes, Massimo pushed away the stranger, who stubbornly refused to fall, clinging to the railing. Massimo picked him up by the leg and threw him over the railing. The stranger flew down the flight of stairs, colliding with the tiles at the end of the path, causing blood to splash several meters around.
Massimo rushed back in a hurry, but soon became stuck in place, remembering the pistol that had his fingerprints on it. He began to return and stopped a few meters before the place where the weapon lay. Someone came out into the corridor and shouted something obscene, and then added:
– Lola! Call the police!
From the stomping, it became clear that the one who shouted ran down the stairs, from where fresh screams were heard, even more hysterical.
Taking this opportunity, Massimo jumped out, picked up the pistol and ran up the steps, returning to the apartment.
Having reached the door, he wanted to knock with all his might, but he remembered his hands stained with blood. He pressed the bell button with his chin. Pablo opened the door. Massimo ran into the kitchen like a bullet, threw the knife into the sink, then ran into the bathroom. There he found a rag, soaked it generously and ran into the corridor to wash away the traces of blood left by Jorge’s wound, which led to his apartment.
It was great luck. No one appeared in the corridor during those half a minute.
Massimo returned to the apartment. Pablo locked the door and hurried to Jorge, who was trying to say something through unceasing moans.
His hands hung over the bathtub. Drops of blood flowed from the fingers to the bottom, dissolving in a weak stream of water. Massimo somehow wet his hands under the tap, from under which water flowed into the bathtub, heading towards the sewer hole. Hands were shaking. His lips and chin were trembling. He closed his eyelids and held his breath in an attempt to slow down his pulse, suppress the surge of adrenaline, calm the trembling of his limbs. From powerlessness, Massimo collapsed onto the tiles, pressing his back against the wall. The blood was still racing through the body, the heart was rushing out, and the thoughts were confused.
The phone rang in the living room. Massimo heard the bell only the sixth time. He went to the bedside table, wiped his hands on his T-shirt and picked up the phone. To someone’s question from the other end of the line, Massimo answered in a trembling voice:
– Y… yes.
He didn’t make another sound. His eyes, staring somewhere at the wall, maintained their position, and only the eyelids gradually began to twitch, falling lower and lower with every second. The corners of the mouth widened as much as possible. Massimo bared his teeth, his eyelids closed, and the telephone receiver slipped from his hand. His legs could not bear the mental burden. He knelt down, pressing his hands to his face. The eyes disappeared under the fingertips with poorly washed away traces of blood. The room was filled with loud crying, accompanied by a cry of despair.
The call was from the hospital.
2. BIRTH IN THE WORLD
The owner of the bar, Murillo, helped with the search for a doctor who has nothing against treatment without insurance and is able to maintain absolute secrecy. He properly treated and stitched up the wounds. For a month, he came every day to give an injection. These were antibiotics. For the first week, Jorge had to regularly swallow painkillers.
Massimo said goodbye to Aunt Barbara. In addition to him, Pablo, Murillo and lawyer Kurt Miller arrived at the cemetery. Jorge’s father, Sergio Gomez, arrived a little late. He expressed his deepest condolences and informed Massimo that he could turn to his family for help at any time.
Without any questions or discussions, Pablo voluntarily spent most of his savings on paying for the services of a funeral agency even before Massimo began to bother about the funeral. Among other things, he ordered a tombstone with a beautiful epitaph.
The loss turned out to be much greater than others might have thought. Massimo did not leave the apartment for more than three weeks, and when he left it, the reason was the desire to visit his aunt’s grave. Then another couple of weeks in blank walls and absolute silence. In Massimo’s mind, the family consisted of two people. He didn’t remember his parents well, but Aunt Barbara replaced them and became that same family for him. Now she is gone, and with her the whole family is gone. Massimo had barely turned eighteen when the very next day he was left alone. Discouraging feelings did not let go of him for a long time. He didn’t think for a second about the man who robbed Sergio Gomez, who also wounded Jorge. That incident was the first murder for Massimo. His hands were now covered in blood, but this did not bother his conscience at all. The mind was in the grip of completely different thoughts.
Three months have passed since Aunt Barbara passed away. Massimo rarely left the apartment, and even less often – from the house. If he left the house, then his walk was limited to a minute’s walk to the nearest supermarket, where each of his purchases was, to put it mildly, modest. Massimo’s appetite completely disappeared. Most of what he ate was brought by Pablo when he came to visit. In view of this, even going to the store was a rarity for Massimo.
Now that Jorge, who had recovered from his injury, came to visit with Pablo, Massimo cheered up a little. He was pleased to see Jorge who did not frown in pain and was devoid of defects in his gait.
It didn’t take them long to persuade him. A shift occurred in Massimo’s head. He himself wanted to go out and take a walk around the area. The appearance of a healthy Jorge in front of him seemed to start blood flowing through his veins.
The first thing they did was visit the cinema. There, in one of the halls, the second part of «Dirty Harry», filmed three years earlier, was shown. But this film has no statute of limitations. You can watch it ten years later and do it for the hundredth time. Clint Eastwood was cooler than ever. Cool, fearless, vigilant; It will get anyone out of the ground. The guys were sitting in the last row. While watching, in passing, Jorge said that it would be nice to take an example from this guy. If you do everything like Dirty Harry, you will conquer any peak. And Jorge also hinted that they should also acquire the same deadly tool. The.44 caliber Magnum shot no less powerfully than it looked from the outside.
The next point after the film show was the nearest cafe. Massimo greedily swallowed two plates of chicken cutlets with deep-fried potatoes, three glasses of Coca-Cola and two hundred grams of chocolate ice cream. Pablo and Jorge were not surprised by such an appetite.
After a hearty lunch, the whole trio boarded the train, which headed towards the coast. Less than an hour later, Massimo, Pablo and Jorge were sitting on a bench on the embankment. The weather was sunny and clear. A light breeze was blowing. The view was enchanting. Calm ocean waves covered the wet sand, palm leaves swayed faintly in the wind, and crowds of sunbathers filled the beach. Some fried their bodies under the rays of the sun, others kicked a ball in a noisy company. The main part floundered in the ocean. Sun loungers, towels, straw hats and drinks with plastic straws were everywhere. Behind the benches, on one of which the boys were sitting, runners in sunglasses often rushed by. Pablo’s attention was caught by a girl of about twenty-five running by.
– Look, look – Pablo noticed in a hurry. – What luxurious standards…
He spent a long time devouring the runner with his eyes, examining her bare parts of the body, which were hidden under a thin layer of sweat, covered with the attractive glare of the daytime sun, until the girl disappeared from sight.
Pablo turned around and continued:
– I heard a couple of months ago that a new island was being developed a few kilometers from here.
– And what? – asked Massimo.
– And the fact that nudists began to develop it.
– Are there nudists in these places? – Jorge was surprised.
– That’s what I’m talking about.
Pablo began to develop his thought in an unexpected direction:
– Briefly speaking. One man owns a small yacht and takes tourists around the open waters. So, he found a new part-time job. Every Thursday and Sunday, he takes clients to this island who were looking for a free beach to sunbathe in the nude. After some time, he himself began to sunbathe in what his mother gave birth to, so that, so to speak, he would join the rest of the world. And the boat remains unattended. He simply drops anchor and leaves with everyone else. I saw this yacht. It has high sides, so it won’t swim close to the shore. And now the most interesting thing that I learned is that these perverts leave all their clothes and valuables on the yacht before leaving. It’s like they’ve been doing this for a long time, they know each other, they’re all one friendly bunch and they trust each other. I would ignore this story, but a whole crowd leaves their belongings unattended. They collapse on the sand and do not move until sunset.
– Continue – said Jorge, intrigued.
– There is a boat station nearby. I still have enough left from my savings. We can rent one high-speed motor boat, I’ll find out where this island is, and we’ll drive there. The island is empty. Until recently it was uninhabited.
Massimo suddenly intervened:
– We’ll need oars. The last two hundred to three hundred meters the roar of the engine can be heard.
– Listen, Massimo – said Pablo. – Actually, I wanted you to, well, stay on the backup, with a good view on the second boat somewhere to the side. In case one of the nudists moves, you would give a signal. I do not want to risk. You’re on probation…
Massimo interrupted him sharply:
– I don’t care. Look at him – pointing to Jorge, who sat between them. He was lucky last time. He might not be sitting here right now. It’s too risky for two. Where is the guarantee that while we rob, no one will get on the board and that none of them will have a gun or a knife, as then? If suddenly someone among us gets wounded, at least it will be easier for two of us to drag the wounded. And then, I’m already tired of sitting around doing nothing. I won’t go and bend my back for pennies. And so I spent my whole life in poverty. Enough.
Pablo and Jorge thought for a long time, could not decide for a long time, but in the end they decided not to resist the will of their friend.
– Do you have any clothes with a hood, a cap or something like that? – Pablo asked Massimo.
– No.
– Basically, it’s no problem. I’ll grab mine.
They shook hands.
Four days have passed. At noon it was already hot July weather – the most suitable for nudists to go to a closed party.
Massimo and Jorge were standing near the parking lot in front of a cafe. On Jorge’s shoulder hung a backpack with equipment for the case, which he checked several times. There was a pier about fifty meters away. After an hour of waiting, they noticed Pablo approaching in a motor boat. They walked along the pier and at the very end went down to the boat. Inside, as planned, were two oars that Pablo had rented from one of the fishermen at the boat station. He put the engine at low speed and taxied away from the shore, around the breakwater. Jorge unzipped his backpack and then pulled out a gray cap and sunglasses for Massimo. Jorge shook out the remaining contents at his feet, grabbing the bottom of the backpack. The contents included three pocket knives, five rolls of vapor barrier tape, two plastic bags, binoculars, several towels, some clothing and three spent pistols with loaded magazines: one.25-caliber and two.45-caliber.
The boat continued to sail very slowly until all three of them had finished covering the inscriptions on the sides with tape, so that if something happened, no one would be able to identify this boat. Pablo stepped on the gas. Half an hour later a dot appeared on the horizon. After another five minutes, the figure of an island with trees began to emerge.
Soon Pablo slowed down. At Massimo’s request, he turned off the engine. Then the two of them began rowing with oars, gradually going around the island. Fifteen minutes later the opposite shore appeared. Jorge took his binoculars and began to scan the shore. About a hundred meters from the shore, he saw a passenger yacht with the inscription «Peterson» on its side. Jorge’s face contorted. His lower jaw dropped back as he turned the binoculars slightly to the side.
– Well, what’s there? – asked Massimo.
– O-O-O-O-O… Wow.
– What do you see? – Pablo repeated irritably.
Jorge responded in a shocked tone:
– I have never seen so many asses before. – A couple of seconds of delay. – But there’s plenty of nasty stuff too. Crap. There are a lot of old bastards here too. Damn!
– Is there something wrong? – asked Massimo.
Jorge responded in a reserved manner, sharply lowering the binoculars:
– There are as many naked female breasts as there are phalluses. I won’t be able to sleep after this.
Several dozen lovers of exotic tanning appeared before his distant eyes.
– Give it to me – said Massimo, snatching the binoculars.
He examined the beach, simultaneously describing the picture:
– There is a small pier there. It is located just on the edge of the beach. The yacht is standing there, on the side closest to the beach. We can sail up from the other side and moor at the opposite end of the pier. The dimensions of the yacht will easily cover our boat. Nobody will notice us.
– Is there anyone on deck? – asked Pablo.
– I don’t see anyone. If anything happens, we do as planned.
After a short pause, Massimo threw the binoculars into Jorge’s hands and said:
– Let’s row.
The two of them took up the oars. Their boat sailed along the shore so that the view of the vacationers was blocked by the massive yacht.
In about ten minutes the boat had already sailed close to the pier. Jorge remained on guard. Massimo and Pablo each took one pistol, a plastic bag and a knife. Using the oar, Jorge moved the boat a little closer to the edge of the pier so that Massimo and Pablo could climb to the surface without sinking into the water.
– Hey, hey – Pablo whispered indignantly, turning to Massimo. – Where is the cap? Cover your face. Forgot about your criminal record?
– Don’t be hysterical – Massimo retorted, continuing to move forward.
Crouching down, they began to climb the ladder. It was quiet on deck. Pablo rushed through the passengers’ belongings, and Massimo crept into the captain’s covered cabin. There he found a safe. But only a lazy person could call it a reliable storage facility. The safe was made of aluminum, and the lock was one of the cheapest. In such a lock, the tongue simply rotated in a circle when the key was turned. There was no spring or horizontal bolt made of solid steel. Massimo inserted the blade of a knife between the door and the frame, and began to hit the lock tongue through the crack with the edge of the blade. On the second attempt, the mechanism bent under pressure. Inside were documents for the ship, a notebook and some photographs. These are all things that were of no value. And among the more significant objects, Massimo discovered a gilded cigarette case, the contents of which he poured onto the deck; a box with some rare coins and other things from the bottom of the ocean, and a stack of bills from the day’s earnings. Taking with him money, coins and the cigarette case, Massimo went to help Pablo.
Pablo worked promptly. By that time, he had already dug up six gold chains, eight gold and five silver rings, four of which had precious stones; He also took out seven wristwatches, three pendants, an ivory smoking pipe with a carved design, a miniature lady’s mirror in the shape of a heart, eight wallets and about a thousand dollars, which lay in pockets without wallets. With the appearance of Massimo, the volume of loot increased significantly. To this were added eleven purses, fifteen hundred dollars from pockets, ten gold chains, ten rings, four pendants, nine wristwatches, a pearl necklace, an aquamarine bracelet, three pairs of earrings, a rosary, a fountain pen and the latest issue of Playboy.
Inspecting the volume of loot, Pablo suddenly thought:
How many perverts come here to bask their genitals in the sun!?
They hurriedly threw everything into a plastic bag indiscriminately, and when they had collected everything, they began to tie the bag at the lowest point above the contents. After the knot was tied, the bag was turned inside out, as if placing the contents in the second layer of the bag. Having finished with the first plastic bag, they placed it in a second identical one, trying to leave as much air inside as possible.
While Massimo was hastily tightening the second knot, a woman’s voice was heard from behind:
– Pablo?
Seized by a sudden rush of fear, they looked around. Behind them stood a naked blonde girl of about eighteen. Her feet were hidden under a layer of wet sand. She stood motionless, her eyes bulging. When her pupils awkwardly stumbled upon the pistol lying near the robbers, her body seemed to surrender to the embrace of total paralysis. The rustle of the plastic bag stopped. Deathly silence fell on the deck. The girl’s chin trembled and her knees began to shake. After a few agonizing seconds, she barely moved her right foot back a few centimeters, starting to back away.
