"William W. Johnstone - Ashes 14 - Courage In The Ashes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

тАЬWeтАЩll start PT in two days, Ben,тАЭ Dr. Chase said. тАЬFirst we take physicalsтАФstarting in the morning.тАЭ
He pointed a finger at Ben. тАЬAnd youтАЩll be the first in line.тАЭ

тАЬI wouldnтАЩt have it any other way,тАЭ Ben said with a smile.

Chase stood up and looked around the large room in the old courthouse that Ben was using for his HQ.
тАЬAnd you boys and girls,тАЭ he said, eyeballing all the unit commanders, тАЬwill be next in line after General
Raines. Tomorrow morning. 0700 hours. Sharp.тАЭ

The doctor turned to leave the room. BenтАЩs words stopped him.

тАЬOf course, Lamar, youтАЩll take a physical, too. And if you donтАЩt pass it, youтАЩll be sent back to Base
Camp One with the rest of those who flunk.тАЭ

Lamar glared at Ben, knowing that Ben had just sandbagged himтАФagain. тАЬNo one said a damn word
about anybody being sent back to Base Camp One, Raines. I believe тАШlimited dutyтАЩ was the phrase you
used.тАЭ

тАЬAhhh,тАЭ Ben said. тАЬRight you are, Lamar.тАЭ

Chase, who was in his seventies, stomped out of the room.

Ben Raines and Lamar Chase, friends for as long as any Rebel could remember, had been playing
one-upmanship for years.

It usually ended in a tie.

тАЬWeтАЩre moving toward Northstar March 15?тАЭ BenтАЩs daughter, Tina asked.

тАЬRight. And that date is not to be repeated again. ItтАЩs just about two thousand miles fromSeattle to the
Alaskan border, and weтАЩre going to be facing hostiles all the way up. Flyovers confirm that a lot of
people are living just across the border inCanada . The planes were fired upon. ItтАЩs going to be a very
interesting trip,тАЭ he added dryly.

тАЬDan, the first contingent of your Scouts will pull out a week ahead of us. Right now, letтАЩs start shaking
the cobwebs out of our systems, people. Pass the word that playtime is over.тАЭ

тАЬMe olтАШ bones is a-achinтАЩ awready,тАЭ General Ike McGowan said, standing up and looking like a bear.

тАЬTheyтАЩll be aching more three days from now,тАЭ the mercenary, Colonel West, told him with a grin.

The Russian general, Striganov, whacked him on the back. тАЬCome on, Ike, letтАЩs us middle-aged men
show these kids a thing or two.тАЭ

Laughing, the two men, who had once been bitter enemies, left the room.

BenтАЩs son, Buddy, who looked like he ate anvils for lunch, walked to his fatherтАЩs side. тАЬYou watch that
knee, Father,тАЭ he cautioned him. тАЬYou havenтАЩt been that many weeks out of surgery.тАЭ
 Ben smiled. тАЬItтАЩs fine, son. Better than itтАЩs felt in years. I should have had surgery done on it a long time