"Keith Laumer - Bolos 5 - Old Guard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

Toman took her hand and held it tightly for a moment, then released it.
тАЬMaybe youтАЩll find some other way of being effective.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩll see. Good-bye, Toman.тАЭ
тАЬGood-bye, Dahlia.тАЭ
The colonel stood waiting for a couple minutes still, until he confirmed that Dahlia had found a seat and was
settled in. With a short wave he then turned away and headed for the Bolo that waited patiently for him, next to the
ramp. A pack of tractors that had been waiting for the Bolo to clear the ramp now were invading the cargo hold to
ferry its remaining contents to several flatbed trucks nearby.
After he had escaped earshot from the passengers, Ishida removed his fieldcomm from his belt and activated it. It
was already set at Brigade battle channels.
тАЬHow are you doing, Chains?тАЭ He called.
тАЬFully operational, Commander,тАЭ replied a baritone voice from his earphone.
тАЬHow тАЩbout you, Quarter?тАЭ
тАЬWaiting the return of the shuttle, Commander,тАЭ replied a charming voice with a distinct British accent.
тАЬThat might be a couple hours, Quarter. Hold tight. Until then, though, I want both of you to probe every
wavelength and log every emitter that you can around this planet. Find out what their defenses are like, and where
theyтАЩve broken down.тАЭ
тАЬThis may cause alarms to be triggered,тАЭ said Chains.
тАЬGood,тАЭ replied Toman cheerfully. тАЬI hope that it does. As always, route all complaints to me.тАЭ
тАЬYes, Commander. Shall we remain at Low Alert Status?тАЭ
 тАЬFor now. No point in distracting you if their security array is operating correctly. Oh, by the way, keep tied into
its frequency. I want you two watching things.тАЭ
тАЬWe will, Commander,тАЭ Chains replied. тАЬThe Starveil tower is requesting that I proceed to their military hangar
area. Do you wish to enter first?тАЭ
тАЬYeah, open up. I need to log a report and make some calls.тАЭ
тАЬOpening hatch. Will Kaethan be visiting us, again? I would look forward to seeing how your son has grown.тАЭ
Memories of KaethanтАЩs visit to the 39th Lancers temporary headquarters on Point Hermes flooded him with
conflicting emotions. It had been twelve years ago, when Kaethan was fourteen, just after his mother had died. His
sister Serina had just become eighteen and she wasnтАЩt sure that she could take care of him. It was a difficult time, and
Toman decided not to reflect on it at all.
тАЬMaybe. IтАЩll tell him that youтАЩd like that.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs been a long time.тАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ Toman sighed. тАЬIt has.тАЭ

At midday, it was dark and raining fiercely, and Captain Kaethan Ishida had his sunglasses firmly stashed in his
belt pouch. On a sunny day, the chalk white dunes of the Fort Hilliard Firing Range almost glowed with heat and
blinding light. The sands blew over the landscape from the forty kilometers of the Alabaster Coast that stretched
along the ocean to the west. Soldiers of the Alabaster Guard wore dark sunglasses as unofficial trademarks of their
unit, though the glasses were absolutely necessary equipment for when the skies were clear. This would hardly be a
problem today, but at least on a clear day you could actually see the firing range.
тАЬAlmost ready, Kaethan.тАЭ
Kaethan didnтАЩt respond to the warning, but instead kept looking out into the rain from their concrete reinforced
bunker. Judging from past experience, Walter Rice would be тАЬalmost ready,тАЭ typing madly on his computer, for
another couple minutes. And their past experience stretched as far back as elementary school. There was no hurry.
A brief surge of rainfall caused a light spray to splatter through the slit window that stretched the entire forward
length of their bunker. The captain turned his face away, shielding his green eyes. His short, jet-black hair had dried
quickly after his sprint from his vehicle to the bunker, but would remain damp as long as he stayed where he was.
The cool spray was refreshing to Kaethan, who had begun to grow weary of the heat wave that the Telville area had
been experiencing lately.
The bunker that the two men were in was small and brightly lit. Kaethan was dressed in a dark metal-blue uniform