When the word “filer” comes to mind, an image surfaces of a man in a bowler hat with a cane, cautiously peeking out from behind an advertising placard. Attitudes toward filers have always been distrustful and contemptuous—toward people who, by the nature of their work, deal with something improper.
By nature, a person is curious, and therefore often eavesdrops and peeks at others—but he cannot stand it when people start watching him. Especially if the watched person has his own sins, and the surveillance is carried out by professional filers. The latter have not died out like mammoths; they’ve only changed a little.
That’s because, since ancient times, no one has yet invented a better (and most importantly, simpler) way to obtain reliable operational information…
…Employees of “external surveillance” from Nesterov’s crew turn out to be privy to the secret plans of a Siberian thief-in-law, Rebus. Thinking over what to do with the information that’s fallen on them, they don’t suspect that a hunt is already on for them. Rebus’s people kidnap an “external surveillance” employee, challenging Nesterov’s team. The crew accepts the challenge—now the object of the hunt is the thief-in-law himself. The outcome of this race is completely unpredictable, and the price they’ll have to pay may turn out to be exorbitantly high…