"Peter W. Prellwitz - Book 02 - Shards" - читать интересную книгу автора (Prellwitz Peter W)

frozen struggle of man-to-man combat. They were in front of me, about ten meters distant. Away from
the hover. Jamison might be new, but he had his priorities right. I just hoped he would live long enough
to receive the compliment.

Jamison was in a bad way when I came upon the little group. He was on his knees, being held by the
throat. His main attacker had his arm raised for the killing blow. The second one was scrambling for a
plasma rifle that had fallen. Jamison's attacker was the immediate danger. I pulled my boot knife and
engaged.



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I slammed my foot against the side of his left knee and knocked his left hand from Jamison's throat just
as his right arm came slashing down. He screamed as the knee buckled and tore. I stepped between the
two, and he screamed again as his descending right arm impaled itself on my extended blade. Leaving
the knife transfixed in his gushing forearm, I stepped around him, using him as a shield from his friend's
attack, and shouted at Jamison to get down. The wounded man had his gun holstered, and I couldn't tell
what type it was. I took a big chance and drew it, hoping it was a slug gun. I wouldn't have time to wait
for a charge. The second man was aiming his now charged rifle.

For the second time in as many minutes, I was a lucky girl. Projectile based, and standard NATech issue.
Holding it in my left hand, I brought the heavy gun up along his back as he slumped, snapped off the
safety, and fired.

The slug was a little high, but not too high. The man with the rifle, just a blurry outline in the bucketing
rain, jerked back as if tugged hard by a rope, dropping the gun. He probably dropped it involuntarily, but
that still made it his smartest move yet. I was about to fire a second-and final-time, but didn't need to
when the rifle fell free. Keeping an eye on both men, I knelt beside Jamison, who was lying on his back.

"Are you all right, Charles? Are you wounded anywhere?тАЭ I ran my free hand over him, looking for
injury. He stared up at me, oblivious of the attention.

"You ... you just killed those two. You took them out like they were recruits."

"Maybe they are recruits. Anyway, they're not dead.тАЭ I raised my voice so they could hear. тАЬUnless they
want to push their luck.тАЭ The nearest one wasn't going to; he was too busy clutching his left knee with
his left hand and holding his heavily bleeding right forearm against his body. The other one was lying
very still.

Charles had some cuts and bruises but was otherwise unharmed. Leaving him to tend to his former
attacker, I checked on the rifleman. He was alive, but wouldn't be much longer. I knelt beside him, and
he looked up at me.

"Wasn't too smart, waiting for the rifle to charge, was it?тАЭ He coughed blood.

"No, it wasn't.тАЭ I took his hand and he smiled.

"Taken out by a little girl! I suppose it's just as well I don't make it. The guys would never let me live it