"LaHaye, Tim - Left Behind 11 - Armageddon" - читать интересную книгу автора (LaHaye Tim)

"Nothing. George doesn't think I ought to rotate the scope. It's facing west at ground level. I'd love to elevate it about six inches and let it give me a three-sixty."
"He's right, babe," she said. "You know it's got that whine when it moves. Anybody out there could hear it."
"I don't think anybody is out there," Buck said, pull-ing away and rubbing his eyes.
She sighed. "Want a chair?"
He nodded and returned to the periscope. "Could have been an animal. Maybe the wind."
Chloe pressed a chair behind his knees and guided him into it. "That's why you should just let me-"
"Oh no," he said.
"What?"
He put a finger to his lips and pulled out the walkie--talkie. "George," he whispered. "Six, seven, eight, nine. Nine uniformed, armed GC directly above to the west."
"Doing?"
"Not much. Kicking at the vents. They look bored. Maybe something caught their eye on the way by."
"Vehicles?"
"I'd have to raise or rotate."
"Negative. Any more?"
"Can't tell from this angle. No more coming past. Only three left in sight now."
"Listen for engines."
Buck sat silent a moment. Then, "Yeah, there's one. And another."
"I hear 'em," George said. "Must be leaving. Can I come over?"
"Tell him no," Chloe whispered.


What palace personnel Rayford could make out in the eerie sepia-toned landscape through the cockpit window appeared to be in agony. Chang had told him that the people writhed and moaned, but a jet screaming onto the runway also clearly terrified them. They had to think it was about to crash, as some had on runways 3 left and 3 right.
It was as if the people had given up trying to see. Any-one near the Gulfstream IX had stumbled in the darkness to get away from it, and now they huddled here and there.
"That has to be Chang," Rayford said, pointing to a slight Asian hurrying toward them and gesturing wildly to open the door.
"Let me get that, Miss Naomi," Abdullah said, unstrapping himself and climbing past her. As he pushed the door open and lowered the steps, Rayford saw Chang turn to a small group of men and women in dark jumpsuits feeling their way along behind him.
"Keep your distance!" he shouted. "Danger! Hot engines! Leaking fuel!"
They turned and hurried away in all directions. "How did it land?" someone shouted.
"It's a miracle," another said.
"Did you all remember rubber-soled shoes?" Chang said, reaching to help them off the plane.
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Wong," Abdullah said.
Chang shushed him. "They're blind," he whispered. "Not deaf."
"Chang," Rayford began, but the boy was shyly greet-ing Naomi. "All right, you two, get acquainted back at the ranch. Let's do what we have to and get out of here."


"Should I change?" Buck said when he saw Sebastian in fatigues.
"Nah. I always wear these on watch. Let me have a look." He peered through the periscope. "Nothing. Want to raise and rotate it, Buck?"
"Be my guest."
"Clear. False alarm."
Chloe snorted. "Don't be saying that to put me at ease. At least nine GC were out there, and for all we know there were more, and they'll be back."
"Hey," Sebastian said, "why not assume the best and not the worst?"
"Maybe I am," she said. "Priscilla and Beth Ann sleep through this?"
He nodded. "I might not even tell Priss, so I'd appreci-ate it-"
"If I didn't either? Makes sense, George. Let the little woman carry on, oblivious to the fact that it's time to move," said Chloe.
"Move?" Buck said. "I can't even imagine it."
"Then we sit here and wait till they find us, which they may already have?"
"Chloe, listen," Buck said. "I should have let you take a look at those guys. They weren't even suspicious. They were probably talking about how this used to be a mili-tary base. They weren't tense, weren't really looking. They just saw the vents and checked them out, that's all."
Chloe shook her head and slumped in a chair. "I hate living like this."
"Me too," Sebastian said. "But what're our options? GC found an enclave of people without the mark yester-day in what's left of LA. Executed more'n two dozen."
Chloe gasped. "Believers?"
"Don't think so. Usually they'll say if it's Judah-ites. I got the impression it was some militia holdouts, some-thing like that."