"What about a boat?" Alexei nodded toward the lake. "Your uncle has a boat. We could…"

"Steal it?" Dinara smiled bitterly. "Why not. After what he did, it would be fair."

They decided to wait until deep night, then sneak to the pier and take the boat. Until then, they remained in the coastal thickets, watching Ermek's house.

Close to midnight, a black SUV pulled up to the house. Several people got out, among whom they recognized Karabaev. The oligarch quickly ascended the veranda and entered the house.

"This doesn't look good," Alexei muttered. "Looks like Karabaev decided to personally control the situation."

Half an hour later, the SUV left, taking Ermek with it.

"Now," Dinara said decisively. "While no one's there, we need to take the boat."

They quickly descended to the pier. The boat turned out to be a small motorboat, powerful enough to cross the lake quickly. Alexei, who had some experience operating such vessels, quickly figured out the engine.

"Full tank," he reported. "We'll have enough to reach Karakol."

Dinara untied the ropes securing the boat, and they slowly moved away from shore. When they were at a sufficient distance, Alexei started the engine, and the boat slid across the dark water, leaving a foamy trail behind.

The night was moonless, stars hidden behind clouds, which worked in their favor—they were difficult to spot from shore. They kept at a distance from the shore, but close enough to see the lights of coastal villages.

"What will we do next?" Alexei asked, shouting over the engine noise. "We don't have Rustam's book, no detailed information about the treasure…"

"We have the medallion," Dinara replied. "And something else."

She took a small notebook from her jacket pocket.

"I wrote down some of grandfather's stories when I visited him last summer. Not everything, of course, but the main details about the treasure's location and the 'Key of Solomon.'"