"Eric Nylund - Paladin Blake and The Secret City" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nylund Eric)

fire, but still aloft.

The Corsair banked, slowly climbed, and headed southwest.

Paladin began to dive towards his brother. His Devastator's canopy-starred by bullet holes-
exploded inward, and bits of glass slashed his cheek. Paladin looked about wildly and saw
tracers spitting from the other Corsair at nine o'clock.

He ignored Matthew, righted the Devastator, and headed toward the immediate threat.

The Corsair turned to face him. A head-to-head attack? Paladin's Devastator was outgunned
against the Corsair's .50-calibers. He couldn't out-shoot him; he'd have to out-fly him.

Paladin cut the throttle to half and let the Corsair close. A half-mile out, it opened fire.

Stupid. Matthew was a pilot of unparalleled cunning, but he apparently hadn't passed any of
that skill on to his wingmen.

Paladin pulled back, started to climb, then cut the throttle. He stalled and dropped like a
rock-he fought the stick to keep the nose pointed straight up. The Corsair rushed over him.
Paladin rammed the throttle to full power; the engine roared to life, and slowed his fall.

He fired rocket number three. A trail of smoke connected the two planes-followed by a
brilliant flash as the rocket impacted on the Corsair's undercarriage. The Corsair's port wing-
severed at the fuselage-fluttered away in freefall. What was left of the Corsair plummeted to
the ground.

Paladin quickly shoved the stick forward, sending his plane into a shallow dive before
leveling off-another few seconds and his unconventional maneuver would have been
unrecoverable.

He exhaled, trying to relax. The fight wasn't over. He still had to deal with Matthew.

He nosed his plane south, and followed the stream of black smoke from his brother's plane.

The remaining Corsair attempted to evade as best as it could, trying not to let Paladin's line
up on his six. Matthew wasn't going anywhere, though. A smear of oil fanned out from his
plane's nose and along the wing.
Paladin cut his throttle back to a quarter power and easily caught up.

Matt's voice crackled over the radio. "Nice trick with the rocket, little brother," he chuckled
and coughed. "You did it. You got me." There was a burst of static, then, "Now you're going
have to finish me, too. You're not taking me in alive."

Paladin clicked off his radio, and then dropped behind the Corsair.

He had to take him out. If he didn't, Matthew would keep bootlegging...and worse, he would
keep killing. He was just another pirate that had to be shot down, or every death Matthew
caused from now on would be on Paladin's conscience, too.