"HARRISON, Harry - 08 - The Stainless Steel Rat Sings The Blues (V1.0)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

"The penalty for theft in the Mint is death. The trial takes place after the
execution."
CHAPTER 2
I am still young-and it did not look like I was going to get any older. My
dedication to a life of crime had led to a far shorter lifespan than could
normally be expected. Here I was, not yet twenty years old. A veteran who had
fought in two wars, had been imprisoned and drafted, who had been depressed by
the death of my good friend The Bishop, been impressed by Mark Forer the great
Artificial Intelligence. Was that it? Had I had it? No more to life than that?
All over.
"Never!" I shouted aloud, but the two guards merely gripped my arms the harder
and pushed me along the corridor. A third armed guard went ahead and unlocked
the cell door, while the one behind me prodded my kidneys with the barrel of his
gun.
They were good and they took no chances. They were big and mean and I was small
and lean. Shivering with fear, I was crouching even lower. Once the cell door
was open the guard with the keys turned towards me and unlocked my handcuffs.
Then gasped as my knee caught him in the stomach and knocked him back into the
cell. At the same time I grabbed the two guards beside me by the wrists, crossed
my arms with a single spasmodic burst of effort that pulled the two of them
crashing together; their skulls bonked nicely. At the same instant I lashed
backward-catching the fourth guard on the bridge of his nose with the back of my
head. Everything happening at approximately the same time.
Two seconds ago I had been bound and captive.
Now one guard was out of sight, groaning in the cell. Two more holding their
heads and howling, the fourth one clutching a bloody nose. They hadn't been
expecting this: I had.
I ran. Back the way we had come and through the still open door. Hoarse, angry
cries were cut off as I slammed it shut, locked it. The thick panel shook as
heavy bodies thudded against the other side.
"Got you!" a victorious voice shouted and rough hands grabbed me. He could not
know by touch that I was a Black Belt? He found out the hard way.
Eyes closed, breathing easily, he just lay there and made no protest as I
stripped him of uniform and weapons. Nor did he thank me when I draped my burlap
robe over his pale form, hiding his black lace undies from prying eyes. His
clothes were not too bad a fit. Not too good either with the cap tilting forward
over my eyes. But it would have to do.
There were three doors leading from this room. The one that I had locked was
pounding and bouncing in its frame: next to it was the one that we had come in
through. It didn't take much intelligence to use the unconscious guard's keys to
open the third one.
It led to a storage room. Dark shelves, filled with nameless objects, vanished
away into the distance. Not too promising but I was in no position to choose. I
executed a quick leap back to the entrance door, unlocked it and threw it open,
then dived ahead into the storage room. As I closed this final door behind me,
even before I could lock it, there was a mighty crash and screams of anger as
the assaultees finally broke the door down.
Misdirection wouldn't last long. Run past the shelves. Hide here? No-there would
be a thorough search. A door at the far end, bolted on the inside. I opened it a
crack and looked at the empty room beyond. Opened and stepped through.