Here is the English translation of the provided text, preserving the original wording, style, structure, and atmosphere as closely as possible:
"Because that's where what we need is," Qubert replied.
"Corvin hides his dirtiest secrets precisely there."
"Wendigos, his insurance. No one, not even him, will go into the bunker if they know there are berserkers inside."
Ethan clenched his fists.
"Maria knew and didn't even try to explain anything to me. And still went alone. And I… I didn't even know what she was getting into. I'm definitely getting there and finding out what's what!"
"And what are we going to do if we meet one?" Ethan asked.
Flash looked straight at him.
"Running won't work like in those popular 90s movies."
"We fight if we have to. I've got silver bullets."
"Bruno has a sledgehammer with silver coating."
"Gideon has his own little tricks."
"You…" Flash paused.
"You'll cover the rear and spot them first—shout."
"You shouldn't engage in combat…"
Ethan nodded, even though everything inside was tightening.
"Got it."
Qubert smacked his lips.
"And one more thing. Wendigos smell fear better than blood."
"If you're afraid, it will find you first."
Ethan forced himself to exhale.
"Okay. I'm ready."
Flash stood up.
"Then let's get ready."
"Ten minutes and we move out."
"Gideon, you're on morphine and antibiotics."
"Bruno, weapons."
"Ethan, flashlight and Maria's notebook."
"It might come in handy."
They gathered in silence.
Each of them knew this wasn't just an expedition. This was a risk so great that even vampires didn't go there.
When they left the hideout, the door closed behind them with a quiet click.
The corridor ahead was dark. Pulya went first, sniffing the air.
Flash walked second, hand on the knife handle.
"If you hear the rustle of wings or a growl, don't shine white light into their eyes."
Ethan walked last.
The flashlight trembled in his hand.
"If I back out now, it will all be for nothing. Maria went there for her research. That means I'm going there too!"
"And if those creatures are there… I hope nothing happens to us…"
The tunnel sloped downward. The air grew heavier. The smell of mold was replaced by the scent of old blood.
Pulya growled.
Flash raised his hand.
"Quiet…
We're already on their territory."
They walked in silence for almost half an hour.
The tunnel gradually widened, the ceiling rose, finally allowing them to stand upright.
The red light of Ethan's flashlight slid along the walls, pulling out of the darkness broken bricks, rusty pipes, faded 80s graffiti that here looked like ancient runes.
Sometimes old rails appeared, a narrow-gauge track, long abandoned, overgrown with moss and cobwebs. The water underfoot no longer squelched but quietly trickled in a thin stream down the center of the tunnel, reflecting the red light in tiny sparks.
Every step echoed off the walls, but they tried to step quietly. Pulya moved ahead, her steps almost soundless, only her ears constantly turning, catching sounds no one else could hear.
Bruno supported Gideon; he no longer groaned, but every step clearly cost him effort, his breathing heavy and uneven, like a man fighting pain.
Flash walked second, slightly ahead of the rest, hand resting on the knife handle, fingers periodically clenching, betraying tension. Ethan brought up the rear, feeling cold sweat run down his back despite the icy air.
The flashlight in his hand shook not from fear, though the sensation came from muscle fatigue.
Flash suddenly slowed, raised his hand, everyone stopped instantly, as if on command. Silence hung, only water dripping somewhere ahead.
"Listen," he said quietly.
His voice was even, but it carried a tension that hadn't been there before.
"We're already in their zone. It gets worse from here. And I want you to know what you're dealing with."
"These aren't the vampires you've seen up top. These creatures are the worst of them all."
Ethan gripped the flashlight tighter.
"You… have you met them before?"
Flash stopped and slowly turned.
"Yes. Once."
He paused, staring somewhere into the darkness behind Ethan. It seemed he wasn't seeing the tunnel walls, but something else, a memory that burned from within.
"Her name was Isabelle. We were partners for six years. She was better than me, faster, smarter, braver.
We came down here after one fugitive vampire who stole archives. We thought it was routine work.
We caught up with him in an old hall, similar to this one. He was already dead, torn apart. And then we heard a crash and the scrape of claws.
He came out of the passage, huge, gray, eyes like two red lanterns. Isabelle managed to fire a silver bullet into his chest.
He didn't even notice, just grabbed her with one hand and… tore her apart.
I saw her scream, saw him rip pieces off. I kept shooting, but he was too fast.
I only managed to strike the knife into his neck. Severed the head, but she was already dead."
A heavy silence fell, like concrete overhead.
"Sorry," Ethan said quietly.
Flash shook his head.
"Don't apologize.
Just don't repeat my mistakes."
Bruno nodded, his voice low like a rumble.
"Okay…"
Gideon remained silent, but his hand gripped Bruno's shoulder harder, as if drawing strength from the gesture.
They moved on, but the air now felt even heavier, as though Flash's story had begun to frighten the group. Ethan walked, staring at Flash's back, and his thoughts wouldn't calm.
"He lost his partner here, in this darkness. And I lost Maria up top, in an alley. Only he found a way to keep living with it. And me? If we meet that thing… will I be able to not freeze? Not run?"
A few minutes later the tunnel opened into a small chamber, once a storage room or technical bay. In the center stood an old metal table covered in dust and cobwebs.
Nearby, an overturned chair, several empty tin cans, a torn sleeping bag.