"Simon R. Green - Hawk and Fisher 1 - Hawk and Fisher" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Simon R)

Hawk nodded. "That'll bring out the crazies. Though how anyone has the energy
even to plan a crime in this heat is beyond me."

"You do realize this is probably nothing more than a wild goose chase, don't
you?"

"Not again, Isobel, please. The word is he's hiding right here, at the end of this
street. We have to check it out."

"Three months," said Fisher angrily. "Three months we've been working on that
child prostitution racket. And just when we're starting to get somewhere, what
happens? The word comes down from Above, and we get pulled off the case to
go looking for a vampire!"

"Yeah," said Hawk. "And all because we raided the Nag's Head. Still, I'd do it
again, if I had to."


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Fisher nodded grimly.

The Nag's Head was a hole-in-the-wall tavern on Salt Lane, just on the boundary
of the Eastside slums. The upper floor was a brothel, and the word was that they
were interested in acquiring children. Cash in hand, no questions asked. Child
prostitution had been illegal in Haven for almost seven years, but there were still
those with a vested interest in keeping the market open. Like many other places,
the Nag's Head kept itself in business by greasing the right palms, but one man
had made the mistake of trying to buy off Hawk and Fisher. So they had paid the
place a visit.

The bravo at the door tried to bar their way. He was either new in town, or not
particularly bright. Hawk gave him a straight-finger jab under the sternum. The
bravo's face went very pale and he bent slowly forward, almost as though bowing
to Hawk. Fisher waited till he was bent right over, and then rabbit-punched him.
The bravo went down without a murmur. Hawk and Fisher stepped cautiously
over him, kicked in the door, and burst into the Nag's Head with cold steel in their
hands.

The staff and patrons took one look at them and a sudden silence fell over the
crowded room. Smoke curled on the stuffy air, and the watching eyes were bright
with fear and suppressed anger. Hawk and Fisher headed for the stairs at the back
of the dimly lit room, and a pathway opened up before them as people got
hurriedly out of their way. Three bravos crowded together at the foot of the stairs
with drawn swords. They were big, muscular men with cold, calculating eyes
who knew how to use their swords. Hawk cut down two of them with his axe
while Fisher stabbed the third cleanly through the heart. They stepped quickly
over the bodies and pounded up the stairs. The upper floor was ominously quiet.