"Mel Odom - London 01 - Exodus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Odom Mel)

Thomas stood in the shadows of St. PaulтАЩs Cathedral. He kept the stone wall to his back as he turned to
face his hellish opponent. If he hadnтАЩt been walking so close to the structure, the demon probably would
have taken him on its first pass instead of missing by inches.
 The trees blotted out some of the moon, blunting the full moonlight that would have made him easier to
see in the night. The heads-up-display (HUD) inside ThomasтАЩs helmet made the adjustments to bring his
opponent into sharp relief.

тАЬLock,тАЭ Thomas commanded.

Instantly the computer-augmented systems built into the armor tagged the demon. Even as the creature
flew away, the helmтАЩs viewplate kept it marked, tagging it with a blinking red triangle that indicated
direction. Digital numbers relayed the distance between the demon and Thomas.

тАЬTarget locked.тАЭ The computerтАЩs voice was that of ThomasтАЩs father, copied from records Thomas had
of Tregarth Cross before heтАЩd died. The voice was the most calm Thomas had ever heard.

All around Thomas, his fellow warriors fought and died. Dozens of Templar littered the ground already,
their armor beaten and broken and shredded. Hundreds more would join them before morning came.

When High Lord Patrick Sumerisle, the Grand Master of the Templar, had called them to action tonight,
none of them had believed they would survive. In fact, survival would have meant failure.

Even though heтАЩd prepared all his life to shed his blood to protect the world from the demon hordes, as
his father and grandfather before him had, Thomas still hadnтАЩt been prepared to watch his
brothers-in-arms die. His own likely imminent death left him shaken despite his grim resolve, but the
bloody carnage that lay where brave men and women he had known had once stood attacked his very
faith.

And they had died. Singly, andтАФnowтАФen masse.

As the demon came at him, Thomas threw himself to one side, hitting the ground and rolling back to his
feet. The armor thudded against the ground, absorbing the shock so that he barely noticed the impact.

The Blood AngelтАЩs claws raked the cathedralтАЩs stone side, unleashing a torrent of sparks, and its wings
rustled above Thomas. Wheeling, Thomas brought the great broadsword up before him. Emerald-green
energy, a blending of NanoDyne technology and arcane forces, sparkled along the blade.

The demon flapped its leathery wings and heeled over, coming back on target with the speed of a
swooping falcon. The bigger ones, and more powerful, had taken out some of the British special forces
jets within hours after the Hellgates had opened two weeks ago. Thomas had watched in helpless horror
as the aircraft had dropped into Central London and taken out whole city blocks. Only carnage and
rubble had remained.

Come on, you blackhearted hellspawn. TonightтАЩs a dance of death, and devil take the hindmost.

Thomas knew heтАЩd never live to see morning. TheyтАЩd known thatтАФall of themтАФwhen theyтАЩd left the
Underground to bring a final battle to the demons that had invaded their earth.

But Thomas hadnтАЩt been able to turn away, not even knowing that. He was a warrior. More than that,
he was a Templar, a knight who had pledged to follow the Rule. He was Seraphim of the House of