"David Robbins - Blade 9 - LA Strike" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robbins David L)

"Oh, boy. Here we go again," Lobo muttered. "Here comes the speech."

The giant straightened and placed his brawny hands on the hilts of his Bowies. "IтАЩm real tired of having
you give me grief all the time, Lobo."

"WhoтАЩs giving you grief, Blade? All I did was drop the lousy magazine and you jump on my case."

"If that happened in a combat situation, youтАЩd be dead," Blade noted. "Why do you think we spend so
many hours on the firing range? Why do we spend so much time on the mats practicing our hand-to-hand
fighting skills? For the fun of it?"

Lobo sighed and glanced at his five companions, all of whom were regarding him critically. He faced the
giant. "Look bro. WeтАЩve been all through this a dozen times already. IтАЩve got the routine down."

"Do you?"

"WhereтАЩs the beef, anyway? I pull my fair share of the load around here."

Blade stepped up to Lobo. "The beef, Lobo, is that I donтАЩt intend to lose another member of this team.
The reason I make you practice and practice is so youтАЩll stay alive when weтАЩre out in the field.тАЩ

"I know thatтАФ" Lobo began.

"Then try harder," Blade stated sternly, "or IтАЩll send you back to Clan with a note explaining that you
have the mentality of a six-year-old."

"You wouldnтАЩt."

"Try me."

"Chill out, dude. I gave Zahner my word IтАЩd stick this out for the whole year. If you send me back early,
I wonтАЩt be able to hold my head up in public."

"ThatтАЩs your problem," Blade said. "Shape up or IтАЩm shipping you out."
Lobo shook his head and muttered, "Boy, what a grump."

"I heard that."

Turning, Blade studied the other members of the Force, wondering how many would still be alive when
their tour of duty was over.

The Freedom Force had been the brainchild of one of the leaders of the seven factions comprising the
Freedom Federation, factions that had banded together under a mutual defense treaty simply to ensure
their self-preservation. Scattered pockets of civilization on an insane world, the Federation was devoted
to maintaining a vestige of order and culture when all about them lay ruins, abandoned cities and towns,
and the savage Outlands where the survival of the fittest was the unwritten law of the land, a legacy of
humankindтАЩs ultimate folly.

World War Three.