[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
headphones still poured out the thin sound of a song about a dock on a bay.
"Ryan." Her voice was the faintest whisper.
"What is it?"
"I'm done, Ryan."
At least four bullets had hit her, dead center in her chest, and Ryan knew it.
It would be absurd and dishonest to pretend she would be okay.
"Are you in pain?"
"Not bad. Numb. Mebbe I'll be gone 'fore it fuckin' starts."
"Could be."
Another burst of fire from the others ripped into the lockers and walls around
Quint. There was no reply at all.
"Ryan, think you'll ever get to see Sukie again?" asked Hun.
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...olocaust%20-%20Laurence%20James%2
Page 57
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
01.0.html (104 of 179) [12/24/2004 11:18:20 PM]
d9
It was a moment before he figured out who she was talking about. Then he
remembered. Sukie was the pretty little girl who'd joined War Wag One from War
Wag Three just before the shambles of Mocsin. He recalled that Hun had been
paying some attention to her.
"If I see her, Hun, I'll tell her. Take it easy, now."
Hunaker was wearing her new black satin blouse with green leaves embroidered
on it. The blood didn't show on it at all.
"Don't shoot no more. Keeper says to put up the blasters. Keeper says he'll
yield."
Ryan Cawdor stayed where he was, shouting to the old man, "Gun first, Quint.
Then you, hands high as you can get 'em."
Nothing happened for some seconds. Then: "Keeper says how can he trust you?"
"Do it. You have my word nobody'll ice you. But throw out the gun first."
There was a tiny sound from Hunaker, and Ryan looked back to where she was
huddled.
"Hun? Hun, can you hear me?"
There was an unmistakable stillness to the green-headed girl, and Ryan knew
she was gone.
Krysty was close behind him. "Dead?"
"Yeah."
"Don't like to think of her dyin' like that, kind of on her own."
Ryan looked around and saw there were tears glistening at the corners of the
girl's
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...olocaust%20-%20Laurence%20James%2
01.0.html (105 of 179) [12/24/2004 11:18:20 PM]
d9
eyes. "We all have to, you know."
"You swear you won't hurt Keeper? You done for poor, sweet Rachel and little
Lori."
"That murderous old slut blasted the kid," shouted Henn.
"Didn't have to chill Rachel."
"Come out, old man," yelled Ryan, the pistol rock steady in his right fist.
"Swear I'm safe."
"You're safe, Quint. Come on, before we come and gun you out of there."
Now they were all standing, all pointing their blasters at where Quint was
cowering. Even Doc had finally appeared, clutching the Le Mat cannon in both
hands.
"Here's the gun," yelped Quint, tossing the Heckler & Koch on the floor. It
skidded and bounced, finishing up a yard or two from Ryan's feet.
"Watch the bastard," warned J.B., who was right behind Ryan. "Could have a
hider up his sleeve."
"Yeah. Watch him."
"Keeper's comin' out. Ally, ally oxen free. Don't shoot poor old Keeper. He
had to do it. Rules is rules and the law's the fuckin' law, ain't it? You
understand, don't ya?"
"Move it!" shouted Ryan, feeling his anger rising. He'd liked Hunaker. She'd
been a friend for about three years.
"You promised the Keeper," mumbled Quint, cringing as he left his cover.
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...olocaust%20-%20Laurence%20James%2
01.0.html (106 of 179) [12/24/2004 11:18:20 PM]
d9
His sequinned jacket flashed, gaudy and cheap. The heel had broken on the
Page 58
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
woman's boot he wore, and he limped, his hands trembling in the air. A thread
of spittle dangled from his thin lips, and he was shaking like an aspen in a
hurricane.
"Promised Keeper," he repeated.
Ryan put a 9-mm bullet between the deep-set eyes, sending the old man crashing
backward, arms flailing, mouth dropping open in shock.
Ryan bolstered his pistol, not even bothering to watch the death throes of the
last
Keeper of the Anchorage Redoubt. A man didn't get up when he'd been rained on
with a 9 mm through the forehead at twenty paces.
"Turn off the vid and Hun's music," he ordered. "Drag those two stiffs out of
here.
J.B.?"
"Yeah?"
"We'll move out tomorrow. First light. Get all the maps you can. Take Finn and
Okie and get some buggies serviced and fueled up. Henn, you and Krysty take
charge of stocks of food, pyrotabs, spare snospex, ammo, grens, thermals," he
said, ticking off items on his fingers as they occurred to him.
"What may I do to be of service, Mr. Cawdor?" asked Doc, struggling to force
the big pistol into its holster.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]