"Steve Perry - Matador 5 - The 97th Step" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Steven)

see his fists and boots as they battered the stunned slaver, who tried vainly to draw
breath. Five, eight, twelve strikesтАФhands, elbows, knees, heelsтАФfast, and harder
than would have seemed possible from a man his size. The thuds seemed distant,
the feel of flesh and bone under his blows unreal. The slaver tried to cover, but
every time he moved his hands and arms to one spot, he revealed another. Ferret
worked with trained instinct, choosing his targets for maximum damage. Three

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seconds. Four. FiveтАФ

The mue, big and strong as he was, took it for six seconds before he fell, only
semiconscious. He would live, but he was damaged enough to need a few days in
a medical kiosk. Had he not fallen, Ferret would have kept pounding until he
exhausted himself, and that would have been no small time.

Still in the red haze, Ferret bent and snatched up the strap. Behind him, one of the
slaver's party stood, reaching for a bottle to smash Ferret.

The strap seemed to coil around his hands on its own. When it was wrapped
tightly, leaving only a few centimeters slack, Ferret screamed. The strap tightened
and became like the string of some instrument. The leather cut into his flesh.
There was a sharp huml as the strap stretched, found its breaking point, and
snapped, a dull, almost wet pop. It did not seem possible that a man could do such
a thingтАФhebi was much too strong for that. Much too strong.

Behind him, the slaver's friend put the bottle back onto the table, and licked
suddenly dry lips.

"A good idea, friend," Stoll said.

Ferret turned, to see the fat man standing nearby, pointing the hand wand loosely
in the direction of the slaver's table.

Stoll said, "You done?"

Ferret nodded, feeling the adrenaline ebb. "Almost." He turned to the slave. "Go,"
he said. "You have a few minutes. Find a cool or hit the lanes, whatever your
bent." Ferret glanced at the slaver on the dirty pub floor. "It's the only chance
you're likely to get, you copy? If you stay with him, he'll probably kill you for
this."

The boy nodded dumbly. He knew. He darted for the door. Ferret watched him go.
Maybe he could figure a way off the wheelworld. The Confed kept a tight fist

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 Perry, Steve - The 97th Step