"Thomas E. Sniegoski - Sleeper 1 - Sleeper Code" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sniegoski Thomas E)

sleeper’s direction.

The sleeper stared into the deep black hole of the muzzle. Calculating the seconds it would
take for the killer to aim, for the signal to travel from his brain to the finger now poised on the
trigger.

Just enough time for him to strike first.

The sleeper plunged the eight-inch blade into his attacker’s heart as he dove to the left. The
pistol fired repeatedly at where he had been standing a second ago.

The messenger tried to remain standing, but the effort was too much, and he dropped to
his knees. He was dying.

The sleeper moved closer, gazing into the eyes of the man as his life force left him. He had
expected more from this adversary, this professional killer.

The messenger slumped sideways to the ground, a wheezing sound escaping his lungs as he
struggled to hold on to his last breath.

Squatting beside the dying man, the sleeper reached down to the assassin’s belt, removing
a small communication device from its leather case.

“This is Sleeper One,” he said casually into the device. “Exercise complete.”

There was a brief period of silence, then, “Very good, sleeper one,” came the reply.
“Proceed to the extraction zone.”

The sleeper let the walkie-talkie slip from his grasp. Remembering his injury, he inspected
the wound on the side of his hand made by the garrote. He’d need to see a doctor on his return
to the base.

He hoped this would be the last test; he was growing tired of these exercises. After all,
killing had become second nature to him.

So natural, he could do it in his sleep.




CHAPTER 1
«^»
 HAWTHORNE, MA JUNE 8, 2005

At first there is nothing.
Silent black oblivion enfolding body and soul—and then, an instantaneous spark of awareness.

It’s like suddenly coming into being in the deepest part of the ocean—so far down that not even
the sun burning in the sky can pierce the impenetrable blackness. And as your sense of self grows, you
emerge from the bottomless pocket of black, daring to rise, swimming up through the sea of ebony