"Robert E. Vardeman - Battletech - Mechwarrior - Dark Age 03 - The Ruins Of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vardeman Robert E)

cockpit. Fast.

If he didnтАЩt take out theEnforcer soon, he would roast in his own BattleMech.
 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html




Austin stopped, then bent slightly at the waist to present as small a target as he could. He swiveled about
and took in as much as he could with his undamaged peripheral sensors. Although his tracking readout
didnтАЩt show it, he knew Dale was on his six. TheEnforcer stalked him, waiting for the perfect shot that
would disable him. Dale wouldnтАЩt go for the kill. He would humiliate first by immobilizing theCenturion
and then coming over to place a heavy metal foot on the toppled carcass while trumpeting his victory on
all broadcast frequencies.

Better to be destroyed than to endure such disgrace.

AustinтАЩs mind raced. He felt sweat tickling at the edges of his neurohelmet and running down his chest.
Panic now and he would lose. Austin had rushed Dale and gained a small advantage earlier. Dale would
expect him to go lick his wounds now.

Austin repeated his earlier audacity. Feet working the pedals, he swung theCenturion around, watching
for theEnforcer .

You expected to catch me from behind,Austin thought when he saw theEnforcer approaching fast.
Teeth clenched with determination, Austin fired another decade of missiles directly into the ground in
front of Dale, sending up fresh sprays of debris. The curtain of hot cinders twisted crazily in the dying
sunlight and worked to dissipate any laser beam coming his way. He didnтАЩt know for certain if Dale was
even shooting at him.

AustinтАЩs chancy tactic worked. The missiles had ripped open a hole in front of theEnforcer , and Dale
had blundered into it. Austin checked his earlier mapping and saw that his foe had fallen into a tunnel ten
meters underground.

Which way will you run?he wondered. Austin knew Dale wouldnтАЩt pop back up into another barrage.
He would use the tunnel to shift position and return to the surface some distance away before renewing
his attack.

Austin followed theEnforcer тАЩs heavy seismic thumping as it moved to his right. Kicking theCenturion
to a ground-devouring stride, Austin gauged distances and fired another salvo ahead of Dale, hoping to
collapse the tunnel roof on theEnforcer .

He kept up his relentless advance even after he saw his LRMs had led Dale too much. A new hole to
the surface opened where the missiles exploded, but the rest of the tunnel was blocked. Austin readied
his weapons. He would get one perfect shot and no more.

Jump jets flaring, theEnforcer lifted from the hole. Austin fired with all he had. Missiles crashed into the
other тАЩMech, but Dale had not been caught unawares. He jumped upward, all weapons blazing.

As if it were his own arm, Austin screamed when a laser slashed through his тАЩMechтАЩs right arm and took