"Michael Marshall Smith - Dying" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Michael Marshall)

and tugged him backward. He was kicking and shouting and I almost couldnтАЩt hold
him. Ng square up to Hye.
тАЬExplain,тАЭ he barked.
тАЬFuck you.тАЭ
тАЬExplain,тАЭ Ng repeated, face twitching, тАЬOr this goes very high indeed.тАЭ Hye
looked at him with contempt.
тАЬI have ordersтАЭ he said, тАЬFrom higher than you know. I have orders to protect
the population.тАЭ
тАЬWhose orders?тАЭ I shouted, preparing to pull rank. I have papers for this sort
of eventuality, though this was the first time it had arisen. Hye ignored me.
тАЬIf any animal exists,тАЭ he said to Ng, тАЬit will be diseased. The population no
longer has immune responses to many of these diseases.тАЭ
тАЬBullshit,тАЭ Miranda said. She sounded a lot tougher than I had. тАЬThere were
virtually no animal diseases that could . . .тАЭ
тАЬThe population will be protected.тАЭ
NgтАЩs face was about a foot away from the other officerтАЩs, and he was staring
at him with hatred.
тАЬWho gave you these orders?тАЭ
тАЬNeed-to-know basis.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt believe you, Hye. I donтАЩt believe in these orders. I believe you want
to hunt.тАЭ
 тАЬHeтАЩs right,тАЭ Chen said suddenly, too calmly. тАЬNgтАЩs right. This fucker wants
to be the last hunter. He wants the last trophy.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs off,тАЭ I said. тАЬWeтАЩre going home.тАЭ Miranda stared at me.
тАЬWe canтАЩt. I saw something.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe.тАЭ Then there was a small explosion and we all started shouting at each
other. If there was anything here itтАЩll be on the moon by now, hiding under a rock.
ItтАЩs off. IтАЩm not finding something for this fucker to shoot it.тАЭ
тАЬYou will find it,тАЭ Hye said, turning to look at me for the first time.
тАЬNo.тАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ he said, and moved one hand slightly. Silently, ten guns were raised.
We walked in silence down the first side road. Ng walked a few yards behind.
His shoulders were set, and he walked by himself. Behind walked the soldiers. Some
of them spoke softly to each other every now and then, and there was the occasional
laugh, but mostly they were as silent as before. I hated them, completely, utterly, and
quietly.
тАЬWhat did you actually see?тАЭ Chen asked eventually. Miranda sighed.
тАЬIt could have been shadow. It looked as if something moved. About three
feet high. ThatтАЩs all I saw, and I barely saw that.тАЭ
тАЬDog?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬNo.тАЭ
Chen looked up at her. I hoped for his sake that she wasnтАЩt mistaken.
There was nothing to be seen in the side road. We turned round at the end and
walked back up it, and then crossed to the other side and did the same. Then we
moved down the central strip and did the next road. There was still enough light to
see, but I reckoned we only had about another hour.
Halfway down the next road I turned to find Ng on my shoulder again.
тАЬThe light will be going soon,тАЭ he said.
тАЬI know. ItтАЩs over, IтАЩm afraid. ThereтАЩs no way we can traipse through all the
buildings in time. Even if we could, even if there is an animal, itтАЩs not going to show