"Simon R. Green - Haven 06 - Bones of Haven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Simon R)

Hawk and Fisher looked at each other, and then back at the Governor. "If it's as serious as all that,"
said Hawk, "why are you wasting time talking to us? You need somebody with real power, like the
God Squad, or the SWAT team."

The Governor nodded quickly. "The God Squad have been alerted, but at present they're busy coping
with an emergency on the Street of Gods. I've sent for the Special Wizardry and Tactics team; they're
on their way. When they get here, I want you two to work with them. You've both worked with the
God Squad in the past, you have experience coping with supernatural creatures, and you have a
reputation for salvaging impossible situations. And right now, I'm so desperate I'll grab at any straw."

There was a brief knocking at the door, and it swung open before the Governor could even ask who it
was. A woman and three men filed into the office and slammed the door shut behind them. The woman
fixed the Governor with a harsh gaze.

"You sent for the SWAT team. We're here. Don't worry, we've been briefed." She looked at Hawk and
Fisher. "What are they doing here?"

"They'll be working with you on this," said the Governor firmly, trying to regain control of the
situation. "The God Squad's been delayed. These two officers areтАж"

"I know who they are." The woman nodded briskly to Hawk and Fisher. "I'm Jessica Winter, team
leader and tactician. My associates are Stuart Barber, weaponmaster; John MacReady, negotiator; and
Storm, sorcerer. That takes care of introductions; anything more can wait till later; we're on a tight
schedule and time's running out. Let's go. Sit tight. Governor; you'll have your prison back in a few
hours. Oh, and if any more Guards arrive, keep them out of our way."

She smiled briefly, and hustled her people out of the office before the Governor could work up a reply.
Hawk and Fisher nodded to him and hurried out after the SWAT team. Jessica Winter led the way
down the corridor with casual confidence, and Hawk took the opportunity to surreptitiously study his
new partners. He knew them all by reputation but had never worked with any of them before.

Winter was a short, stocky woman with a determined, friendly manner that reminded Hawk irresistibly
of an amiable bulldog. She was in her early thirties and looked it, and clearly didn't give a damn. She'd
been through two husbands that Hawk knew of, and was currently pursuing her third. She moved and
spoke with a brisk, no-nonsense efficiency, and by all accounts could be charming or overwhelming as
the mood took her. She was dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, topped with a chain-mail vest that
had been polished within an inch of its life, and wore a sword on her hip in a plain, regulation issue
scabbard. She'd been with the SWAT team for seven years, two of them as leader and tactician. She
had a good if somewhat spotty record, and preferred to dismiss her failures as learning experiences.
Given that her team usually wasn't called in until things had got totally out of hand, Winter had built
up a good reputation for finding solutions to problems at the last possible moment. She also had a
reputation for convoluted and devious strategies, which Hawk felt might come in very handy just at the
moment. He had a strong feeling there was a lot more to this situation than met the eye.

He glanced across at Stuart Barber, the weaponmaster, and felt a little reassured. Even walking down
an empty corridor in the midst of friends and allies, Barber exuded an air of danger and menace. He
was a tall, powerfully-built man in his mid-twenties, with arms so tightly muscled the veins bulged
fiercely even when his arms were apparently relaxed. He had a broad, brutal-looking sword on his hip,
in a battered leather scabbard, and wore a long chain-mail vest that had been repaired many times, not