"Jerry Pournelle - 01 - Janissaries" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pournelle Jerry)

the Agency had borrowed men from anywhere they could get them.
Galloway handed the bottle back to Parsons, who raised it in a mock toast.
тАЬHereтАЩs to us. There are damned few left.тАЭ
тАЬTheyтАЩre taking their own sweet time about com-ing,тАЭ Rick said.
тАЬAfraid of us.тАЭ ParsonтАЩs voice was a mocking lilt in the dark.
тАЬSure,тАЭ Galloway said. But they well might be, he thought. WeтАЩve broken more
than one Cuban mercenary outfit. With any help at all from the politicians who
put us out here in Sainte Marie, weтАЩd have won. At that it was a near thing. What
was it Wellington said about Waterloo? A near-run thingтАФas near a thing as
youтАЩd ever hope to see. Well so was this, but the difference is itтАЩs us who lost it.
Officially they were volunteers, and received no direct support from the United
States at all; but most of the men were veterans of the US Army, and the CIA had
brought them in. The Cubans and Rus-sians had made no secret at all of their aid
to the other side.
тАЬI got headquarters,тАЭ Sergeant Elliot announced.
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 JANISSARIES


тАЬMirabile dictuтАЭ Parsons muttered.
Rick crawled over to the radio. Perhaps prayers are answered after all, he thought.
There was more automatic weapon fire from the south, and a mortar bomb
dropped in fifty yards downhill. Rick estimated the enemy at less than a mile. It
wouldnтАЩt be long now.
тАЬGalloway here,тАЭ he told the microphone. тАЬCan you get us the hell out of here?тАЭ
тАЬNegative.тАЭ
The single word was a death sentence. Rick started to say that, then thought better
of it. They knew. тАЬWhy not?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm sorry, Rick.тАЭ Galloway recognized Colonel BlumfeldтАЩs voice. Blumfeld was
one of the men whoтАЩd talked him into volunteering for this mission. тАЬWashington
has canceled all support. Highest level. IтАЩd send the choppers anyway and to hell
with my career, but I donтАЩt have any to send. They came and took them away.тАЭ
тАЬThey?тАЭ
тАЬHigher command.тАЭ Blumfeld sounded unhappy. Rick thought he damned well
ought to be unhappy. тАЬYour orders are to surrender,тАЭ Blumfeld said.
тАЬBat puckey. The Cubans will have us in a show trial as mercenaries,тАЭ Rick said.
тАЬThen theyтАЩll shoot us.тАЭ
тАЬThey say they wonтАЩt.тАЭ
тАЬSure. Colonel, are you sending me any support? Anything at all?тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ
тАЬThen go to hell.тАЭ Galloway handed the mike to Sergeant Elliot, then went back
to where Parsons stood.
Parsons listened with a half-smile that barely showed in starlight. Then he took
out his wine bot-tle. тАЬWe had a good run,тАЭ he said.
Rick reached for the bottle. тАЬIтАЩll drink to that.тАЭ
тАЬAnd now what?тАЭ
Rick shrugged. There were few choices. They were white men in a black country.
Rick had always been quick to learn languages, but even he hadnтАЩt enough of the
local patois to do more than buy groceries. They would be spotted easily
wherever they went.