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

the same day."

тАЬWhat about the personnel at the base?"

тАЬJust a skeleton crew. My people took care of them about two hours ago."

Ben sighed, his pain momentarily forgotten. тАЬAll right, Hec. But this commits us past the point of no
return; your people aware of that?"

тАЬYes, sir. To a person."

тАЬGood luck, Hec."

Ben slowly removed the headset and handed it to the operator. The young man looked at him, questions
in his eyes. тАЬFrom now on it's open warfare, isn't it, General?"

тАЬYes, it is, son. It sure is."

Chase stuck his head in the tent. тАЬNow will you get your ass back to bed?тАЭ he shouted.
****

тАЬI know what you're thinking, Ben,тАЭ Jerre said, when Ben was once more in bed.

He looked at her. тАЬOh?"
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тАЬYou're wondering if you're doing the right thing. You're thinking some of those agents were just kids
when the bombings occurred; they might not even remember what it was like before. And some of them
might not really go along with Al Cody and President Addison, but they're just doing their jobs."

тАЬYou do have a way of getting inside my head,тАЭ he said dreamily, half asleep.

тАЬI should,тАЭ she smiled. тАЬAfter all, you screwed me when I was only nineteen, you dirty old man."

тАЬSo am I doing the right thing, Jerre?"

тАЬYou know you are, Benj,тАЭ her words held a hollow, echoing sound as he drifted off into sleep.

He was remembering how they met, ten years back...
****

He had seen her walking slowly down the roadтАФtrudging was more like itтАФjust north of Charlottesville,
Virginia. It was just a few weeks after the world had exploded in germ and nuclear warfare. Frightened,
she had jumped across a ditch and hurt her ankle. Ben found himself looking down the barrel of a small
automatic pistol.

He had finally convinced her he meant her no harm, and she allowed him to look at her ankle, finally