"William W. Johnstone - Ashes 13 - Fury In The Ashes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

"Ask."
"With your almost total lack of combat experience,
why did you choose to be a part of a combat team?"
"Honestly?"
"That's the only way around here. You'll learn that."
"To try to understand you people. See what motivates you.
Ever since the Great War, I've heard about the
Rebels and Ben Raines. How you defied the
government and carved out the Tri-States."
"We were looking for peace, Linda. For a place where
we didn't have to lock our doors and live behind bars
and chain locks and elaborate security systems.
The United States wouldn't offer us a place-and
they could have-so we built one of our own. It worked,
and the government couldn't stand it. No one went
hungry, no one was homeless, everybody had
a job, no one was denied medical care, every child got
a good education, and the life expectancy of thieves
and punks and thugs and rapists and murderers was about
fifteen minutes. The United States government
couldn't stand our success. They destroyed the
Tri-States, but they couldn't kill the dream. We
just fought on."
"And you've been fighting ever since."
"That is correct. And we won't quit until
we've won." He smiled at her. But his eyes were
still unreadable.
Linda knew, somehow, at that moment that what Beth
had told her was true. This was a very dangerous man.
Dangerous not only because of his skill with weapons, but
because thousands of men and women would follow him
unhesitatingly through the gates of Hell in
pursuit of their dream.
Was she one of them? She wasn't sure.
"Lamar Chase gives you high marks," said Ben.
"He says you're a fine nurse."
"That's a crusty old man. But I like him.
Isn't he a little old to be out in the field?"
"Lamar will die out in the field, Linda. I long
ago ceased attempting to put him back in research
at our base camp. Just as he has given
up trying to tie me down to a desk or to make me
stay behind the lines."
"You enjoy it, don't you, General?" she asked
softly. "The fighting, the violence?"
Ben did not have to give that much thought. "I let myself
get out of shape for a time, Linda. I was making
lots of money and drinking too much. That was years
back, when the world was more or less functioning; that is
to say, when governments were still able to produce