"Shadowrun - Secrets of Power 02 - Choose Your Enemies Carefully - Rober N Charrette" - читать интересную книгу автора (Charrette Robert N)

barely reaching the far wall before her limbs failed
her. She found herself on the floor, not knowing
whether she had made any noise in falling. There was
no sound of eager ork-bashers rushing up the stairs.
Maybe her collapse had been silent. Maybe they would
not think to look in this room. Maybe she could go
back to her old life.

This squat was an awful place to die. Huddled and
heartsick, she waited. If she had had the strength, she
would have cried.

From the other side of the door she heard the soft
scuff of a cloth sole. Someone had found her hiding
place. Faintly, she heard the sound of the lurker sniff-
ing the air. It was an animal sound, like that of a
hound on a scent. After a moment the noise stopped,
then she heard a brief scrape of clawlike fingernails
scratching the wood near the top of the door. There
was a brief return of the sniffing sound, then all was
quiet again.

There was no reason to believe that the lurker had
left. Perhaps he was patiently listening at the door,
waiting for her to make the movement that would be-
tray her. If she'd had the strength, she would have
crawled out the window and taken her chances on the
crumbling facade. A week ago she would have been
strong enough to scale the wall to safety. Now, her
muscles were too weak. Only her fear was strong.

She knew she had not fooled them when she saw the
doorknob begin to move. It turned slowly, as if the
lurker himself was afraid. Afraid of sudden movement
that might frighten his prey. Predators moved that way;
slowly and with deliberate care.

She began to think that she had guessed wrong about
the nature of her hunters. Gangs made a show of their
kills. This sneaking caution wasn't their style. They

CHOOSE YOUR ENEMIES CAREFULLY 7

wouldn't be worried about disturbing any squatters in
the building. They would just barge in and, if they had
picked the wrong apartment, barge right out again.
This stealthy approach argued a hunter who did not
wish to disturb any residents. Deciding that she was
not being stalked by ork-bashers gave her no relief;
there were worse, far worse, hunters that stalked the