The Subway by Valeria Shmagun

- I will not joke with you, morons!
Each of you theoretically is already a corpse, so behave yourself as quietly and as possible in order to prevent your fast necrosis, - he said loudly, firing at the young man’s already dead body a couple of times.
What a day, ha?! Blood is almost everywhere now. And just a little bit earlier I was worrying of complete nonsense.
The stable rolling of the subway car, as it usually happened, calmed me down and put me in a kind of blissful trance, allowing me to go deeper into myself and fantasize about much more pleasant things than the soldier’s boots, which are currently terribly uncomfortable for my small legs. Which happiness was not to be tormented by the worn down to blood on yesterday’s obstacle course foot.
For example, about palm trees! Why not? Beautiful trees, which with their ragged, long leaves attract passers-by closer to their constant companion - the sea. Oh. Now I’d really want to rush off to the beach somewhere, even if to a river - I’m silent about the ocean! But not now, as it turned out, you are not really supposed to rest in the last year of the Academy of Internal Affairs. They only drive even more aggressively than usual, because "the country needs defenders, and not such a limp meat with the code name "mattresses", like all of you, morons!" And when you are a fragile-looking girl, you can only hear about the lack of discrimination on the news. Although there is a plus - the military uniform sits perfectly on me. Such a consolation, but ...
Why then did I subscribe to these epaulettes? Yes, I went in the footsteps of parents - this, we can say, is our family business. Father and mother served, just like grandfathers and great-grandfathers, so my elder brother and I went to the proud profession of defending the fatherland. Not because they forced us, and not even because it is now quite prestigious - no. Just when you grow up in such a family, then respect for military affairs arises from early childhood, as does the desire to become no less cool than relatives.
In general, such a pedigree only added more problems to the Academy - they say, protectionists, they don’t need to do anything with such parents. Yes now! It’s not only that they are being driven to school, but also a whole military training ground at home. As my grandfather said when I acted: “Just try to stain our name! I’ll send you right away to the marine fleet - you will find out what the expression “sickening life” means.”  No, he is kind, but for his honor he will break anyone through the knee. Whole lieutenant general!
But so far you can forget about study and service. Now, in this dungeon, there is no need to worry about anything. That’s why I love the subway - despite the huge number of people around me, here I really feel freedom, at least mental.
As always, before the next stop at the station, the train accelerated a little; the noise began to grow, filling me with all my thoughts. Calmness has been restored, I can continue to imagine the cool sea breeze wrapping my shoulders, heated by the sun, in its refreshing safe hug.
When the doors of the carriage habitually shut, releasing a crowd of people cradling in different manners and replacing them with new fleeting guests along the way, I did not pay much attention to this. Why - I still have ten stations to drive so precisely, which means that there is no need to pay attention to the voice informing that the metro museum is located here - all the words have long been studied as a keepsake.
I began to dance a little uncontrollably to the beat of the music that sounded in my headphones at the moment so loud that I could not even hear my own breathing. Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack. Usually I prefer rock, but I don’t happen to be against jazz and blues either.
Some guy in a leather jacket shook my shoulder, pushing me a little to the window of the car, away from the bulk of the people who, as I already noticed, began to scream about something. They are panicking. Time to take out your headphones and listen.
- Hey, what happened? - I asked the guy who turned out to be very pretty even to my very demanding look.
- How could you not notice? It seems like some kind of terrorist act, but isn't yet clear. At the last station, those guy in masks by Guy Fawkes, like from “V means Vendetta”, came in and started offering to take some leaflets with the inscription “Tu nobiscum, aut contra nos?”, Something in Latin, I think. Those who took them have just been released, and we stayed, without a clue what they want us to do - he shook his blond head, staying surprisingly calm in this situation. His pronunciation of Latin was terrible, so I could not translate immediately.
Only now I remembered that I was really poked with some kind of leaflet under my nose, but, as usual, I just waved it off - I thought it was some goods advertising. But what will happen next? Indeed, the masked men — those whom I could see — there were about sixteen people. And the worst part — that they were very well armed, driving people to the center of the carriage and reassured those who were especially violent. But what do they ...
The train braked sharply, which led to a falling crowd of people swearing so much and hard that I, as a decent and well-mannered girl, felt embarrassed. I’m lucky since the same handsome man held me, not allowing me not aesthetically at all to comb with my nose into a dirty future.
“Thank you,” I nodded to the stranger.
My thoughts were still tormented by that very phrase. So familiar! I once was interested in this ancient language, I must remember.
- Yes, anytime. I`m Mark, by the way - the guy extended a hand to shake, smiling heartily.
It was so strange to smile at someone while around the hysteria of some people reached ultrasound. But he seems to be good, so I shook his big hand.
- I`m Marissa, very nice to meet you, - I smiled in response, it's nevertheless better than to look at what was happening in the car, but then the lights went out - it was obvious that a power outage could be used to stop the car.
At the moment when everything around was dark and the shocked passengers finally calmed down, I finally could remember:
“Tu nobiscum, aut contra nos?” - “Are you with us, or against us?”
Sounds not very comforting. And around the real chaos again resumed. People were scared in earnest, which, of course, the terrorists did not like. Shots rang out and someone screamed. A large lantern brought on. It would be better if the darkness continued to cover us. Two young bodies illuminated the glare of the lantern too well - apparently, they were a couple, forcing everyone in the subway to remember the words of, I believe, the leader:
- I will not joke with you, morons! Each of you theoretically is already a corpse, so behave yourself as quietly and as possible in order to prevent your fast necrosis, - he said loudly, firing at the young man’s already dead body a couple of times.
Well, the jokes here are really out of place. Now I’m really tensed - the worst thing is that I don’t know their goals and what they will demand (and I think they will) from the government and law enforcement agencies, which, I hope, should already be informed of what is happening.
Maybe try to quietly call my brother? Oh hell! The network does not catch.
For an entire hour, nothing really happened. I tried to catch a signal while talking with Mark, someone panicked, someone cried quietly, someone apathetically continued to read my favorite book.
- Heeeeelp! They will kill us all, we are in the subway on the way to the N-station! - at the end of the car, a woman in a business suit screeched into the receiver, attracting the attention of not only passengers, but also the invaders, who immediately grabbed her by taking the phone and pointed a gun at her.
What a fool! Where does such distrust of the police come from, they would have known it without her by now. If you already got through, it would be better if you spoke quietly about the attackers - how many, what weapons, how many are dead. And so stupidly yelled in vain, in fact, signing yourself a death sentence.
- Hello, on duty. I need someone of a higher rank, be kind and remember, I’m holding the same hysterical thing on the fly, and if you don’t call anyone more influential in a minute, I’m afraid that there will be less loud bitchs in the car, - the leader laughed into the phone, starting count: - sixty, fifty nine,..
That is disgusting! So unfair! A minute is too little. There is only a duty help desk, not a headquarters. If only someone was at least among the majors! I wonder what happens in other cars?
The tension was growing. I did not know how to save a girl without loss - if I stepped up, there would  be both of us killed. And the leader counted out the last seconds.
- Six, five, four ... Oh hello, Lieutenant Colonel Grace, what an honor that you finally deigned to go down from Olympus closer to the people!” Hahahaha. What do I want? Oh, what are you, lieutenant colonel! I am not a selfish person. What do WE want - you should have asked. Everything is simple, so I repeat - let the hostages find out how much the life of a whole train of people costs - the masked man began to look like a real psycho, all the while bursting with some kind of terrible laugh.
Grace? Can not be! It cannot be that my brother was on the other side. Does there such a coincidence exist?
- So, people, we want just a little bit of public execution for a small list of thirty scum from the top of the government, otherwise I will become bored, and in this case someone will suffer, - he laughed out loud again, leaning his head back.
Max answered something into the phone. The crazy extortionist, with a bored grin, bowed his head to the side, like some kind of bird of prey, and squinting one eye, examined the victim shaking with fear through the scope of his weapon.
- Oh, Lieutenant Colonel, you are soooo boring, so know, that the woman will die precisely because of you,” - the leader laughed, throwing the pipe on the floor and crushing the boot with his toe, then grinning, he turned his eyes back to the woman who had turned white crying in fear.
- Well, bird scammer, ahahahaha, but you are a woodpecker! Say hi to the wordless world! - He shouted, again exploding with a convulsive laugh.
What can I do?! I must not allow this death! No one should die anymore!
I physically felt how he slowly started to pull the trigger.
What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do ... He’s bored, right?!
-  Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.
What do you say?
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.
Yes, it never occurred to me to start singing a recently heard song that first came to mind. He was bored - yes, please, have fun, sir, Mr. crazy! In any case, I turned his attention to myself, distracting him.
- Why are you beginning to yell, you fool? - shouted one of the masked men, who was standing closer to me, and aimed the gun at me.
I did not stop. The main thing is self-confidence! Well, to hell with that, I don't really sing very much and I don’t remember the text at all - improvisation is our all. So I also started to dance a little, shaking my hips.
-  Come on, Nail, let the girl sing, it’s all the more fun, we have nowhere to hurry, - the leader grinned, forgetting about the woman and completely turned in my direction, even began to clap to the beat - which, given the gun in his hands, was not quite safe.
If you want to live, you will be a monkey. My business is to give more time, and fast enough brother and the police will come up with something there, that is not the first time they have encountered such a problem.
Woman, oh woman, don’t treat me so mean,
You’re the meanest old woman that I’ve ever seen.
I guess if you said so
I’d have to pack my things and go.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.
What do you say?
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.
Now baby, listen baby, don’t ya treat me this-a way
Cause I’ll be back on my feet some day.
And then it happened - I realized that I did not know the text further, so I shut up, frantically trying to remember the words, while the main invader began to frown. But, fortunately, today is my day, as Mark began to sing along in a well-set voice:
Don’t care if you do 'cause it’s understood
you ain’t got no money you just ain’t no good.
Well, I guess if you say so
I’d have to pack my things and go.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.
What do you say?
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.
Glory to heaven, the song was successfully sung. The madman continued to applaud. Only ... right after that there was an awkward silence. What to do next?
A new acquaintance (let us get out and I’ll kiss him for this for sure!) began to sing the next song that I knew very well - Pharrell Williams - “Happy”.
It might seem crazy what I am about to say
Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break
I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space
With the air, like I don’t care, baby, by the way.
In general, the next hour went hard, but fun, if it's possible at all in this situation. I already began to wheeze, and the guy seems to be a musician in life - a beautiful voice and a taste for music. I almost love him already!
On the last lines of “Castle of Glass” Linkin Park (Chester Bennington will always live in these lines), when I was ready to fall from a shortage of breath, something happened that we all waited for so long - finally the force began to actively save us.
They saved us quickly, professionally, without fatalities, but with the wounded - the criminals fired back.
What a joy to be silent! And more water. They started to take us out of the car. Mark and I held hands - somehow we got used to each other, and it was more convenient and reliable to walk, yet the subway tunnel is not the best place for walking, I often stumbled and did not fall just thanks to the support of a new friend.
Finally, at the exit of the subway, I saw a familiar figure - well, of course, Max was here, but he was hardly expecting to see me, judging by how his eyes had widened when I approached. At first he grabbed me in an armful, hugging me, then he told me of - and for no reason!
Only after a long tirade of the dangers of transport in general, he noticed my companion, who somehow still held my hand. Brother's eyes flashed. The only sister should not go to some crook! He is my owner. But Mark was lucky - one of the leaders of the rescue operation approached us, Max's friend Arthur, I am not familiar with him, but he is a cheerful type.
- Do you know what your sister did there to pair with this guy? They arranged a concert for these crazy people! Concert, Max! She began to sing to them! Oh, I can’t, ahahahahah! - He laughed, simultaneously respectfully patting Mark and me on the shoulders, making me frown every time.
- Mari, that’s just a facepalm, - the brother covered his face with his hand, but his shoulders were trembling with laughter.
- Hey, don`t judge me - what I could, I did! - I pouted, having fun inside.
- Yes, she really did well. She saved the woman who called the police, - a new friend praised me, introducing himself to my brother: - I`m Mark, by the way, and I seem to steal your sister from you now on, - the blond smiled, pulling me closer to him.
I cannot catch a break.