Soon the scum will clear off.
But, for now, I'll play host!
- Anything else?
- Take it easy for the moment.
They're reliable guys.
They're responsible,
you say the word, and that's it!
No going back!
Of course, they're
black-arsed scum,
but they deliver the goods bang
on time and never screw you!
And you know some major
players down there?
Come on, Ivan!
I'm Alexander Matrosov!
Well, I might have some
business for you, Matrosov.
Hey, scumbag!
Get us some more vodka,
and get us some nibbles...
Look, skinny's conked out.
He was a funny guy,
Alexander Matrosov.
He was buying heroin from
the Chechens and taking it to Russia.
We got very drunk
in the restaurant car.
I saw straight away
he was a con-artist.
I didn't tell him anything,
just checked him out...
Arriving in Vladikavkaz!
Do you want the ticket receipts?
Hello? Can I speak
to Alexander Kardanov?
Yes, Kardanov.
They'd talked a lot of rubbish
to John in Moscow.
There was no big shot ex-KGB guy
who exchanges hostages.
The guy said he was an FSB Major.
He knew we were coming
and was waiting.
When I met him I knew we'd
landed in a right mess.
But what was I supposed to do -
turn round and go home?
You were prepared
to kill, even then?
Journalist, you go off to play pool
back in Moscow.
What's your goal? To pocket
some balls, in order to win.
Well, this is war, this is...
Sergeant, what're you getting
so worked up for him about?
Comrade Major, it's not my money,
so I couldn't care less.
But ten percent is steep.
He hasn't got much as it is.
Gugaev knows how much we've got -
any less and he won't let her go.
He'll either rape her or cut
her ears off - I know.
And we're late - only four days left.
The ten percent isn't for me.
There's my people,
the people in Chechnya.
It's a big operation -
an illegal operation, Sergeant.
What if we said 50,000?
I wouldn't be sitting here, Sergeant.
What are we haggling for?
You've got the money with you?
Who carries that kind of money,
Comrade Major?
What guarantees can you give?
Serious people in Moscow
gave you my number, Sergeant,
and I don't give out IOUs.
You've no choice, Sergeant. Without
me you're screwed, got it?
Day after tomorrow,
we meet here. I'll bring the money.
There's one condition -
I go with you.
We'd got tails everywhere.
I noticed when I got our bags
from the station.
Guys watching, gangster faces,
harder than our Siberian guys.
They weren't looking for me -
they didn't need me.
And John was in the tram.
So the game was on...
Listen, where're you from?
Nizhny Tagil.
Almost my neck of the woods.
I'm from Tobolsk.
- In for much longer?
- Five months.
- Conscript?
- On a contract.
Been to Chechnya?
What do you think
we're doing here?
What do you want?
I really need to get into Chechnya.
Give us some help...
I'm here for the first time,
we never went in from this side.
Always through Mozdok.
I've got no idea here.
If I got over the border,
I'd find my way from there.
Leave something behind
over there?
I was captured over there.
I've been in civvies for a month,
but I've got a debt to pay.
Tell me who I've got to talk to
and whatever I've got I'll...
- Well, what have you got?
- What do you need?
What size do you take?
What've you got in here?
Nothing worth thieving!
That's a joke, right?
What're you looking at?
Is that it then?
Stay down! We'll be going
through their border now.
Don't sweat it - they're our guys
on the post.
See you round, guys!
You guys are totally fucking mad!
Tourist!
I'd noticed that he was
filming everything
mumbling to himself,
but so what?
When he spoke to me,
I understood, but otherwise...
But shooting a film? You've told me,
but I never would've guessed...
They're about to kill his
woman, and he's filming.
They're strange.
It's funny - in English "to film" and
"to shoot" are the same word - "shoot".
I didn't know. He told me later.
Anyway, we went on,