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

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The first man out of the deuce-and-a-half was a man who had been with
Ben since the dream of the old Tri-States was first discussed. He'd
fought with the Rebels for years, until being severely wounded and
forced into retirement a few years back. He'd been homesteading up near
the Tennessee border when the rabble came pouring across. Ben's rage
came rushing back.

"Gene!" Ben said, shaking the man's one good hand. The other hand had
been blown off several years back. Ben looked at the man. "What can I say?"

"Good to see you, General. We never expected anything like this. They
came pouring across the borders like ants toward honey. They killed my
youngest boy. Shot him down as he ran to the house to warn us we were
being attacked. I had to leave him in the backyard. There was no time to
get the body." There were tears in the man's eyes. He wiped them away
with the back of his hand. "I don't know what happened to my oldest
daughter, Marie, and her husband. They were fighting a rear-guard action
so Rose and me could get away with the grandkids. I think they bought
it, General."

Ben nodded his head, not trusting his voice to speak.

"Goddamn lousy trash and street crap," Gene continued. Then he smiled
very grimly. "I circled around and caught me one of them." He lifted his
left arm, showing Ben the double prosthesis hook where his hand used to
be. "I used this on the son of a bitch. Didn't take him long to spill
his guts-literally."

"Are you coming with us, Grandpa?" a young girl with a bloody bandage
around her head called.

"I'll be along, sweetie," Gene told the child, smiling at her. "You go
with the soldiers." He turned back to Ben. "She thinks her mother will
be returning. I don't.

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William W. Johnstone

Anyway, General, there were four gangs that hit my place, among many
other homes. Those other survivors told me what happened to them and
their loved ones. Raped, tortured, mutilated. No racial crap here,
General. They were a mixed bag. The leaders are Ray Brown, Carrie
Walker, Tommy Monroe, Dave Holton. They were heading for our old Base
Camp One. Going to hold it for somebody. The guy I caught said he didn't
know who. And if he did know, it died with him."