[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
from the Kalashnikov assault rifles held by the three men standing in the
Page 122
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
center of the tunnel.
There was a fourth man, kneeling, hand pressed to a bloody wound in his left
shoulder.
All of them looked as though they had their origins south of the Grandee, and
all wore the black uniforms of the General's men. A red stripe down the pant
leg was the only splash of color, from the black berets to the black
steel-tipped boots.
Part of Ryan's combat mind analyzed the fact that the quartet had done
extremely well to chill the two Navaho as quickly and efficiently as they had,
since the attack must have come as a total surprise.
But the main part of his brain was concerned with taking out the armed men as
fast as possible.
The passage wasn't all that wide, and J. B. Dix, at his heels with the Uzi,
wasn't
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...Deathlands%2022%20-%20Rider,%20Re
aper.html (245 of 288) [12/29/2004 12:16:20 AM]
Axler, James - Deathlands 22 - Rider, Reaper able to open fire immedi-ately.
The AKs began to swivel toward Ryan as soon as he appeared, and he dropped to
one knee, firing with the SIG-Sauer, seeing two of the General's men go
spin-ning away, dropping their blasters.
But the third dived to one side, trying for the cover of a pile of old packing
cases, firing as he went down. The fourth wounded man was no immediate threat
and didn't enter into the mathematical equations of lethal fighting.
Ryan winced as a stream of 7.62 mm rounds poured from the full-auto
Kalashnikov, ricocheting and sparking from the stone walls.
But the gunner had already used some of the 3o-round mag on the two dead
Navaho, and the hammer quickly clicked on an empty chamber.
"Stay down, Ryan," J.B. snapped, able now to bring the Uzi into play. The
powerful submachine gun had a fire rate of six hundred and fifty rounds per
minute at a muzzle velocity of around four hundred meters per second.
The Armorer poured half a mag into the pile of boxes, a spray of white
splinters erupting into the cav-ern. There was a single short cry of pain from
the man who had used the crates for cover. As the boxes fell, the body flopped
lifelessly to the side, the Kalashnikov clattering on the stone floor.
Ryan put a single full-metal-jacket round through the head of the helpless,
kneeling man, the tumbling bullet exploding his skull like a smashed melon.
Nobody else had a chance to fire. The remaining six Navaho stood in the
stillness, looking in disbelief at their two dead comrades and the four
corpses of the
General's men. The air was smoky, tasting of cordite.
"They died well and very bravely," said Sleeps In Day. "Four of the enemy to
accompany them into the dark beyond."
Ryan turned on the Navaho. "You stupe bastard! They died pointlessly and could
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...Deathlands%2022%20-%20Rider,%20Re
aper.html (246 of 288) [12/29/2004 12:16:20 AM]
Axler, James - Deathlands 22 - Rider, Reaper have gotten us all chilled. They
might as well have swallowed their own blasters for all the good they did. I
took out three and J.B. wasted the other one. Your people died for fuck-ing
nothing."
Sleeps In Day drew a broad-bladed knife from his belt and thrust it toward the
white man's stomach. But Ryan had seen the attack coming and taken a step
back, shooting him once through the center of the chest.
The powerful handblaster kicked him three stagger-ing paces backward, until he
tripped over his own feet and went down, dropping his own gun.
"Shit," Mildred breathed.
The other five Navaho stood paralyzed at the shockingly sudden burst of
Page 123
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
violence upon violence.
"Don't," Ryan warned, covering them with the SIG-Sauer. "Don't make it worse."
"No time for talk," J.B. said. "Shooting'll bring men like blowflies to fresh
horse shit." He paused, staring straight at Ryan. "Might have to "
Young Pony Runs started to lift his single-shot mus-ket. "It was badly done
to& "
he began.
"Yes!" Ryan said.
He, J.B. and Jak were ready and opened fire almost 'together in a devastating
explosion of death, delivered at point-blank range.
Jak's Magnum boomed and blew away two of the Navaho. The Uzi, set now for
single-shot, ripped into two more while Ryan's SIG-Sauer put down Young Pony
Runs.
The bodies were still falling, the echoes of the shots rolling around the
cavern, when Jak called a warning. "Someone coming this way, fast!"
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...Deathlands%2022%20-%20Rider,%20Re
aper.html (247 of 288) [12/29/2004 12:16:20 AM]
Axler, James - Deathlands 22 - Rider, Reaper
Doc stood motionless, his jaw gaping, the ponder-ous Le Mat drooping in his
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]