"Steve Perry - Aliens 03 - The Female War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Steven)

What the hell.
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Wilks looked over the group they had assembled and nodded. Everyone here had field experience,
with the exceptions of Jones, the medic, and DunstonтАФalthough he taught hand-to-hand combat in the
dojo where they all now stood or sat in small groups, talking. And Dunston looked as if he knew how to
handle himself.

Brewster, Carvey, Moto, Adcox, and Captain McQuade were all marines and had fought on Earth
at the beginning of the infestation.

Ana Moto was a thin, sad-looking woman with long features and a bright laugh. She was also the
only surviving member of a special task force assigned to spot alien nests on Earth before things had
gotten bad. She laughed at something Adcox said to her and Billie; the three young women stood
together in one corner of the room.

Everyone had arrived early, with the exception of Falk, who walked into the dojo exactly on time.
Ripley hadn't mentioned why he had changed his mind, just that he would be coming after all.

Wilks watched Falk nod at Ripley when he entered, and noted that the big man looked exhausted.
He suspected that Falk had decided to go after watching the military 'cast, and figured that he had known
one of the soldiers. Just a hunch. Falk sat apart from the others in one of the plastic chairs and stared at
the scuffed foam floor. He looked like a man in pain.

Leslie smiled at him from across the room, where she was talking to Ripley and Maria Tully, a
friend of hers. Tully was skilled with computers and had lost family on Earth; she would be the electronics
tech.

Wilks had mixed emotions about Leslie. On the one hand, he wouldn't have minded having her
along, for personal reasons. On the other hand, his expectations of surviving the mission weren't all that
high. Ultimately he was glad she wasn't going; he didn't want anything to happen to her.

Wilks smiled back at her. After meeting with Billie and Ripley in the bar, he had gone to Leslie's
quarters to discuss her part in their mission. Although she wouldn't be making the trip, her role would still
be a major one in helping them get transport.

The room grew quiet as Ripley walked to the front to stand next to him. Billie left her group to join
them, although they had both agreed to let Ripley run the session; she was a natural leader, and it was her
idea anyhow. Wilks was glad somebody else was in charge for a change. Made things easier on him.

"Well," she began, "you all know why you're here. I'm Ellen Ripley, this is Wilks and Billie. Each of
you has had certain useful experience, which is why you among the dreamers have been chosen. You
have felt the alien presence, the queenтАФand it's time we did something about it."

Ripley had everyone's full attention; Wilks hoped that they'd still be listening after they heard the
bad news.

"Before we work on the specifics of our mission, we need to let you know some of the obstacles