"Charles Ingrid - The Sand Wars 06 - Challenge Met" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ingrid Charles)

do. I can't tell you what you want me to say. I don't know you anymore—"

His name wrenched out of her, leaving her throat clenched in pain.

His face paled. "I'm sorry," he said. "I really am. They tell me I'm
supposed to go retrieve the head of the Walker sect. I've got a lot to get
ready. If you'll excuse me…"

"Then you're still going after Colin?"

"I'm a soldier. This is my assignment. I don't have any choice."

"No," she said, and turned away blindly, unable to face him any longer.
"And neither do I." She bolted from the lab and knew he would not call her
back.



Vandover Baadluster snared her at the corridor's bend. His hand came
out and caught her wrist. He blocked her instinctive kick and she stood,
breathing hard. She strained at his hold, then paused, wild-eyed, at his
restraint.
 "Leave me," she said, voice low and deadly.

"Regardless of what you think and feel, I am not responsible for what
happened to Jack Storm."

"You killed him!"

"Someone did, yes, I think we agree on that. But Pepys has other hands
that do his dirty work from time to time." Baadluster's pasty face took on a
glow. "It's not in my scheme of things to have Storm decommissioned just
when we need his peculiar talent most."

She noticed then that there were no Thraks or other Knights about. The
minister had had the wing cleared. She stilled in his grip. "What do you
want from me?"

"I think it safe to say I want the same thing you want: not to send a
reborn, innocent man out into a maelstrom of difficulties and war that he is
only half aware of."

"And how do you propose to cure the situation?"

Baadluster smiled, his thick lips compressing. "I suggest we send you
with him, dear Amber, to guard his back."

"I'd sooner ally with a Milot berserker than conspire with you."

His eyebrows arched and his icy fingers tightened about her wrist. She