"Bud Sparhawk - Bright Red Star" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sparhawk Bud)

scared."

"What did you do then?" I stepped around a huge boulder and wondered if it would be easier, and faster,
to wade in the stream instead of through the woods on either side. Hunter was close by my side now in
this narrow section.

"After it got quiet, I snuck out and found Paw and the boys laying on the ground. Paw was bleeding bad.
I tried to stop it, but it wouldn't stop. Then he went to sleep and didn't move for a long time. I got hungry
waiting for the rescue ship Paw said would come." That explained the jelly and jam jars—just what a little
girl would like to eat. "Are you going to bury Paw and the boys?"

"Burial wastes time—something we can't afford," Hunter said sharply. Down, he signaled as a shot
ricocheted off my chest armor.
I dropped immediately, instinctively tucking Becky underneath to protect her. Hunter slipped to the side
and disappeared. I switched to infrared and made out fuzzy heat forms in the brush a dozen meters
ahead. The muzzle of a rifle was glowing heat-bright from the shot he had taken. None of the forms
moved.

I waited. Silent. Becky groaned and wiggled feebly. "It really hurts," she said. Her voice was muffled.

"Wait," I whispered, waiting for Hunter to get into position.

"Let her up," a man's voice barked from behind me. "Move easy now. I got you covered."

I pushed up, allowing Becky to crawl out before I came to my feet. The man took a step back. "Huh,
you sure are a big one." He peered closer. "Ugly, too."

"He's come to rescue us, Mister Robbarts," Becky said, "lie's got another soldier with him." Becky's
voice sounded strained. I glanced at her and saw the blood. Damn, had his shot hit her?

I noticed the heat signatures of two more men in the brush; one behind Robbarts and another somewhat
farther back. I had no doubt all were armed and all too ready to shoot. That made six in all.

"You shot Becky," I said calmly. "She needs help."

'The hell with her," Robbarts said nastily. "Her damn family's been nothing but trouble. Killed one of my
boys, they did. Let the little bitch bleed."

"They're going to take us away in a ship," Becky said in a rush. "That's why we're going to your place.
The field's a place they can land."

Robbarts didn't answer her directly. "That true, soldier? You got a ship?"

I really didn't like this man. "Nobody, nothing, could find a trace of the boat we came in. Becky's the one
who said there'd be a rescue ship."

"Ain't no damn ship taking me or my people off our land," Robbarts spit, ignoring what I had said. "We're
going to hold on to this place come whatever. This'll be a damn nice place for me and mine after the war
moves on."