"William W Johnstone - Ashes 32 - Destiny in the Ashes (txt)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

"I don't know about you guys," Reno said to the rest of the group, "but
I get awfully nervous when men with stripes start offering me
extra-special food. It usually means we're gonna get some news that
might otherwise ruin our appetites."

Hammer Hammerlick nodded his agreement as he took a seat on the other
side of Anna. "Never known it to fail," he said.

"Aw, you boys are just too suspicious," Coop said with an easy smile.
"Nothin's going on in the world right now. Ben's just being nice to us
'cause we did so good in the last little fracas. Isn't that right, Ben?"

"Not exactly," Ben said, a serious look on his face.

"Uh-oh, now the ax drops right on our necks," Jersey said, glaring at
Coop as if it was his fault.

Beth, the statistician, and Corrie, the radio tech, both took their
seats, their eyes fixed on Ben.

"%u want to eat first, or hear the assignment first?" Ben asked the team.

"Hell, give us the bad news first," Coop said. "I never could eat when I
was worried about something."

"Since when?" Jersey asked, her eyebrows raised. "I've never seen you
lose your appetite, not even when you were up to your neck in slime in
that jungle a few years back."

"All right, maybe that's so, but I don't enjoy it as much when I'm worried."

26
"Go on, Ben," Reno said. "Give it to us straight."

Ben nodded and began to fill them in on the situation in the U.S., with
Claire in danger from an assassination attempt by El Farrar and his men.

"You really think they'll be able to get to her?" Reno asked. "I'd bet
as paranoid as Osterman is, especially after her own cabinet tried to
kill her, she's got a pretty good detail of men in place to protect her."

Ben grinned. "The best protection in the world can't stop an assassin
who's willing to die to kill his target," he said. "We only have to look
at history to bear that out."

"So, you're gonna send us in to help protect the woman who's declared
war on us several times?" Coop asked.

"In short, yes," Ben answered.