"Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins - Left Behind Series 8 - The Mark" - читать интересную книгу автора (LaHaye Tim)

where he was or that he would not be returning until at least late that same evening.
Neither could he determine whether Albie was all right. He would have to simply
land, using his alias with the tower, and hope Albie was waiting for him up on their
computers. “She wouldn't be in the system yet,” he was told, “even if she were
here.”
“You're not swiping bar codes on the badges of employees as they are admitted?”
“They're not actually being admitted, Director. Everybody goes to triage, the living
are treated, and the dead pronounced. Cataloging them is low on the priority list, but
we'll eventually get everyone logged in.”
“How will I know if she's there?”
“You may come look, but don't interfere and keep out of the way.”
“Where's triage?”
“As far east as you can go from our main tent. We try to start 'em in the shade of
three tents, but we're out of space and they're in and out of there as fast as we can
move 'em.”
“Mostly sunstroke?” David said.
“Mostly lightning, Director.”
David left messages on Annie's phone and tried every other source he could think of
that might know her whereabouts. Medical Services was too busy to look her.
“Tower to GC chopper! Do you copy?”
“This is GC chopper, Kankakee,” Rayford said, trying to cover that he was rattled.
“My apologies. Asleep at the stick here.”
“Not literally, I hope.”
“No, sir.”
“State your business.”
“Uh, yeah, civilian under the authority of Deputy Commander Marcus Elbaz.”
“Mr. Berry?”
“Roger.”
“Deputy Commander Elbaz asks that we set your mind at ease about your phone.”
“Roger that!”
“Cleared for landing to the south where he will meet you in Hangar 2. You can
appreciate we're shorthanded here. You can handle your own securing and
refueling.”
Ten minutes later Rayford asked Albie how long he thought he could keep up the
ruse on the GC. “As long as your comrade Hassid is in the saddle at the palace. He's
a remarkable young man, Rayford. I confess I had to hold my breath more than once
here. They were tough, short of personnel as they are. I had to go through two
checkpoints.”
Rayford squinted. “They let me in without a second glance, and I hadn't even
contacted the tower.”
“That's because you're with me and a civilian.”
“You convinced 'em, eh?”
“Totally. But I have to hand it to your friend. Not only does he have me on the
international GC database with name, rank, and serial number, but he also has me
assigned to this part of the United North American States. I'm here because I'm
supposed to be here. I check out better than most of the legitimate GC personnel.”
“David's good,” Rayford said.
“The best. I blustered and acted impatient and pretended they would get in trouble if
they detained me too long. But they were unmoved—until the second checkpoint
ran me through the computer and reached David's database. Someday he'll have to