"William W. Johnstone - Ashes 02 - Fire In the Ashes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

тАЬYou doubt it? Oh, my dearтАФhow naive you are. I have seen human beings reduced to madmen, every
inch of skin stripped from themтАФand still they lived, praying to die. I have seen ... ah ... I do so hate to
be crude ... various objects forced into a man's anus; have you ever seen what happens to a man when a
thin, hollow piece of glass is inserted into the penis and then the penis is tapped lightly with a club? The
pain is excruciatingтАФso I'm told. But we don't need to go into all that sordid type of truth-seeking, do
we, dear?"

She spat in his face.

тАЬOh, my dear,тАЭ Hartline said, wiping the spittle from his cheeks. тАЬNow you've made me angry.тАЭ He
looked at Victor. тАЬOne more time, Vic-baby: the name of your cell leader."

Victor shook his head.

Hartline looked back at the young woman.

тАЬI'll never tell you,тАЭ she said.

Hartline leaned his head down and kissed one nipple, running his tongue around the nipple, thoroughly
wetting it. He straightened up and placed the cattle prod on Rebecca's breast. тАЬOne of you will,тАЭ he said.
****

тАЬWhat are we to do?тАЭ Senator Carson asked President Addison. тАЬThis nation cannot endure a civil war."

тАЬI don't know, Bill,тАЭ Aston said, drumming his fingertips on his desk. тАЬIt's a personal thing between
Cody and Raines. Cody's brother was killed in Tri-States. How much support do I really have, Bill?"

The old senator sighed. He had been in the Senate longer than any man still alive: since 1960, sliding in
on Jack Kennedy's bandwagon. He had seen much, this old aging liberal. Back during the bombings, and
immediately thereafter, he had been presumed dead. But he had been vacationing in the mountains of
North Carolina when the rumors of war had first surfaced. He had elected not to return to Washington
when he learned of the military's taking control of the nation just hours before the nuclear and germ
warfare blew the world apart.
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тАЬDamn little,тАЭ Carson finally replied. тАЬI have never, in all my years serving the people, seen such a drastic
shift in the feelings of my colleagues. I ... can't get through to them that we cannotтАФmust not тАФallow this
to erupt into a civil war. They just won't listen."

тАЬI'll give you odds Weston Lowry has something to do with it."

тАЬNo takers, Aston. I see his fine devious hand all over this. I warned you, Aston; I urged you not to pick
that bastard."

Aston shrugged. тАЬI had to do something to placate the law-and-order boys,тАЭ he explained. тАЬHell, Bill,
you know that.тАЭ He met the older man's level gaze. тАЬThey really have the votesтАФin both houses?"