The story "Ambush"

The image blinked and settled. The camera of the main review was aimed at an impressive view of a stump with roots emerging from the ground. Apparently, once they tried to uproot him, but, having waved, they threw it away. From the rear, a stump was covered by an improvised fence from the rusty backs of Soviet iron beds, behind which grew a neat row of low black currant bushes.

Seismic sensors heard rhythmic shaking of the soil receding - the rear-view camera confirmed the hunch — the host put me on the number and went farther.

What place? We load satellite map, we impose GLONASS coordinates ... Central Russia, suburb of Kamensk-Uralsky, Dvizhenets-1 collective garden. Here we have not hunted. I wonder what kind of mouse? Small, probably, judging by geography. But ahead of time you should not relax.

Let's check the connection ... The connection is fine, five more in positions in the house 5-7 meters away from me - two in wait for the vents under the veranda and three in the rooms. All successful hunting.

It was already twilight. It was not long to wait. From the roots of the stump a small gray mouse jumped out. She stopped, sniffed, ran toward the house and disappeared under the porch. I put the route on the map and discard the rest. But to what an unsuccessful position I got - and to the house far and before the hole in the roots of the stump. I won't catch a single one - you need to stand at the mouse road.

The terrain ahead is rough, and the battery is only a third full (when was the last time you charged me, master?), The probability of not getting high is high. But staying here, I’m guaranteed not to take a single rodent - I’ll still have to move.

* * *

The trajectory of movement seemed to be optimal and safe - I almost completely built it along human paths, but for half an hour I have not been able to get out from under some kind of frail bush halfway through. The nervous buzz of my servos could be heard even in the house. They hinted to me transparently - don't make noise, scare the mice. Well, what can you do, stuck tightly on level ground.

It remains only to turn on the heating of the bait and hope that the increased odor will cause the mouse to change the usual route, the blessing I have at least a little passed in the right direction. The heating element, of course, will quickly finish the remaining battery, but there is no other way out. The drop in power eliminates the use of a stun gun, you have to use a less humane shock-pressing mechanism. The cocked spring will be able to strike the bracket itself, even when I go into forced sleep mode.

* * *

Merry company poured out of the car. It was warm, sunny and cottage shashlik promised exceptionally pleasant impressions.

- I propose to stay right in the meadow opposite the house - suggested Cyril, acting as the owner of the site.
“You have mice there, and I am in sandals,” Lenka objected, “it's better in the house.”
“As if they can't run into the house,” said Rinat.
- You can not be afraid of mice, yesterday I set up 6 clever mousetraps - 5 of them threw off the message of success. It remains only to collect them. - Cyril said confidently, adding for reliability - I’m generally in shale, I can even walk barefoot, in this weather walking barefoot on the grass is the nicest thing.

Since there were no new objections, a picnic area was approved, and the unloading of the car began. Cyril also went to remove the mousetrap from combat duty. First of all, he confidently walked to the area between the house and the old stump, where he threw the last mousetrap yesterday.

* * *

Rinat, putting a bag of coals on the porch, heard a short click on the left and, turning his head, he saw Cyril jumping on one leg and the damned clever mousetraps turned on.