«IN THE CIRCLE OF KUNDUZ» Page #17

SIDOR:

(To Rust and Mongol with annoyance)

Such a case! By again.

I was already hoping to get to know the French madams more closely.

And then we look at the local khanums in the eyes through the mesh of the burqa, and by their bare heels we determine their years and prettiness. And also

(pause)

by a sinful deed, we drag the corpses.

(he sniffs at the camouflage again and turns his nose away)

That's the trouble — it doesn't wear off!

69. EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE — IT'S GETTING LIGHT

The foggy haze dissipates, the scouts notice vehicles abandoned by the rebels in the lowlands: two UAZ-469 all-terrain vehicles, KAMAZ and TATRA trucks.

SEREDA:

(by order)

Vikulov! Take 4 fighters, anti-tank mines from the rebel warehouse, blow up all their equipment to hell.

Lieutenant Vikulov, Sidor, Koster, Kostyan, Strela are descending into the hollow under cover from above. All the equipment of the rebels is on the move. Vikulov, with a squint, stubbing out his cigarette, turns to Sidor, Koster, Rust Strela, Kostyan.

VIKULOV:

We will not mine equipment, but a narrow passage in the gorge! Why ruin the equipment in vain!

Vikulov points the fighters to the places inside and outside the narrow neck with a width of 3.6 meters, where anti-tank mines should be installed. Fighters do everything, Vikulov orders.

VIKULOV:

Everyone leaves the hollow!

Sereda orders the scouts to blow up the entire arsenal in the caves, food warehouses, disable power sources, medical equipment of the hospital.

70. EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE — DAY

The scouts take with them four Frenchmen with wounded rebels, begin climbing to the top of the mountain. They reach the top. The reconnaissance company, including Sidor, Kostyan, Rust, Strela, Kostyan, Mongol, are waiting for the arrival of helicopters, sitting on the sidelines, lit a small fire.

Mongol takes out a harp and, putting it to his teeth, begins to make theurgical sounds: hey-ya, oh-ya, ai-ya, ai-ya. From the top of the mountain, friends see a beautiful Marmol.

In the distance, chirping helicopters appear, scouts are taken from the height along with prisoners.

71. EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE. GORGE — DAY

TITLE:
MARMOL. MOUNTAIN GORGE, THE NEXT MORNING.

The rebels returned to the area for the surviving vehicles. Five armed rebels, unaware of anything, dive into the UAZ-469, start the engine. A powerful explosion occurs, the car is thrown into the air, the bodies of the rebels are torn to shreds.

72. EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE — DAY

TITLE:
MULLAH GHULAM VILLAGE, KUNDUZ PROVINCE, JUNE 1986

Military transport convoys are constantly moving along the highway. The crew of the BMP-2 combat vehicle with Sidor, Rust, Strela, Mongol, Kostyan, Koster and other scouts, following the order of the commander of the reconnaissance company, Captain Sereda, stands at a checkpoint in a dangerous section of the Kunduz—Faizabad highway, in order not to allow the rebels to infiltrate the highway, mine, make fire raids.

The BMP-2 of the scouts is installed close to the mud-brick buildings of the village of Mullah-Gulyam. Commander of the BMP-2 Rust, driver-mechanic Pavel Grishin, gunner-operator Semyon Negoda, tarjimon (translator) Azim Akhmedov, friends – Sidor, Kostyan, Koster, Strela, Rust, Mongol. The friends have already served in Afghanistan for almost a year and a half. There are fields of wheat between the armor and the village. Harvesting is underway, the sun is mercilessly scorching + 42C.

In the high thick of the golden field, the bent backs of 2 adult Afghans appear sporadically and disappear again, they diligently reap with a sickle, tie the ears into sheaves. This is a bearded, wrinkled-faced man of about fifty, a hunched old woman with a colorful cloth sling on her back over her shoulder, there is a baby there. From time to time, the Afghan and the old woman straighten up, take their hands on the loins and wipe the sweat from their faces, continue the harvest. 2 boys of 8- and 10-years old help them in the field, they skillfully stack sheaves into piles. Casting unkind glances at the Shuravi sitting on the armor at the edge of their field, the Afghans continue to work.

KOSTYAN:

(to Rust)

Yes, our visit clearly did not please them!

Rust gets out of the commander's hatch, removes the headset.

RUST:

(serene)

What to do?!

(pause)

Guys! Sereda ordered to dig in!

Warned, the site is dangerous, we must be prepared for the deterioration of the situation. Therefore, the trenches are swarming in full growth.

73. EXT. THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE — TWILIGHT

The crimson glow of sunset. The head of the family, Afghan SHERAGI, completed the harvest day, gathered courage and, accompanied by 2 young sons, goes to Rust, who was sitting on the ribbed sheet of the transmission compartment of the BMP-2.

Sheragi considered Rust the main one, timidly approaches Shuravi's armor. Rust's silver portable transistor SANYO at this time is playing the song "Vernissage" performed by V. Leontiev and L. Vaikule. Rust sees in front of him a dehkan Sheragi — taller than average, lean, swarthy, with bright green eyes, a thick, gray-streaked beard, in a light brown turban faded in the sun, a pale-yellow perukhan, where white wavy streaks of sweat stand out. RUST muted the sound of the transistor, got up according to oriental etiquette, and greeted the Afghan first.

RUST:

AsSalamu Alaikum!

Sheragi skips Rust's greeting.

SHERAGI:

(visibly nervous)

You will start shooting towards the village, you will burn all our bread. As a result, we will starve to death!

In agitation, Sheragi grabs his beard with gnarled, shaking fingers, wipes tears from his eyes with a piece of turban hanging on his shoulder.

SHERAGI:

I have four children:

three sons, one of them is disabled, a baby girl - they were orphaned after the death of their mother during childbirth, and an old woman. Give us at least 2 days to complete the harvest.

Sheragi has finished but does not receive a promise from Rust that the shuravi will not open fire. Sheragi waved his hand with hopelessness, walked away in resignation.

STRELA:

They can't do it in two days!

KOSTYAN:

(with conviction)

That's for sure!

RUST:

(thoughtfully)

And what if we still take a chance?! We will discharge the magazines from the tracer cartridges and replace them with regular ones.

We will open fire in case of urgent need and not on the field.

SIDOR:

(excitedly)

Rust, this is a whim!

You know – if there were no disturbing fire at night, we risk letting the rebels get close.

Yes, and the probability of falling asleep will increase a lot.

With shooting, it's quieter, both for the guard and for the sleepers! And in general, — how do you imagine it: they will shoot from other cars, but we have peace and quiet?! The company officer will immediately smell something amiss. Finally, there may be a danger that the dushmans will choose our site to break through to the highway.

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