"William W Johnstone - Ashes 22 - Chaos in the Ashes (txt)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

stayed behind ..."

A loud groan went up from the batt corns.

"I know, I know," Ben said. "That means no shelling, no softening up
with mortars and artillery. We do it eyeball to eyeball, down and dirty.
I know you all well, and I know I speak for everyone here when I say
that none of us wants to hurt a child." He shook his head. "But this is
war and that is certainly going to happen. Probably before we get past
our first skirmish. There is nothing I can say here that will prevent
it, or ease the personal pain when it happens. Ah ..." He sighed. "Words
fail me here. What can I say to you? That we're fighting for our land?
Yes, we are. But probably many of the people we'll be up against lived
here before we came along. And don't think I haven't thought about that.
With the exception of the gangs of punks and the criminal element we'll
be facing, there are no clearly defined good guys and bad guys; no black
hats or white hats. We're all wearing gray, so to speak. I've spoken to
Rebels who have told me they have brothers and sisters

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and aunts and uncles and cousins out there facing us. This is not going
to be a pleasant campaign-for any of us. At least not until we cross
that Mississippi River and face Simon Border and his forces. Then we can
start kicking ass the Rebel way. Any questions?"

There were none.

"All right, people. Let's do it."

Since the Rebels were deep inside their own territory, they hit no
trouble spots die first day out. It was noon of die second day before
the Scouts, ranging miles ahead of the main column, radioed back to get
ready for some trouble.

Corrie grimaced at the speaker and lifted the mic. "What sort of
trouble, Far Eyes?"

"The kind we don't handle very well," the scout said. "Hang on. I'm
trying to sort all this out."

"What the hell is she talking about?" Ben asked. In die Rebel Army, any
woman who could make it through die rugged training of special
operations groups such as die Scouts became a part of that unit. But
there was no slack cut because of gender, and no bullshit was tolerated
from the men once diat female proved her metde. The Rebels had proven
years back that women were just as effective as men in combat.

Ben and team were riding in a large, completely modified van that seated
six comfortably. The van had been bullet-proofed. A truck carrying their