The Complete Hammer's Slammers, Vol. 2 полностью

Broglie slid his body between Des Grieux and the major. Broglie was fast, but Steuben's pistol was socketed in Broglie's ear before the tanker's motion was half complete.

"I think Sergeant Des Grieux and I can continue our discussion better without you in the way, Mister Broglie," Steuben said. He didn't move his eyes from Des Grieux.

The White Mice hadn't bothered to remove the pistol from the holster on Des Grieux's equipment belt. Now Des Grieux knew why.Nobody could be that fast . . . .

"Sir,"Broglie rasped through a throat gone dry."Warriordid destroy both the Rep firebases. That's what took the pressure off here at the end."

Broglie stepped back to where he'd been standing.

He looked straight ahead, not at either Des Grieux or the major.

"You've named your tankWarrior, Sergeant?" Steuben said. "Amusing. But right at the moment I'm not so much interested in what you did as I am in why you disobeyed orders to do it."

He reholstered his gorgeous handgun with a motion as precise and delicate as that of a bird preening its feathers.

"You got some people killed, you know," the major added. His voice sounded cheerful, or at least amused."Your lieutenant and his driver, because nobody was dealing with the shells from Hill 504."

He smiled coquettishly at Des Grieux. "I won't blame you for the other one. Hawes, was it?"

"Hawes, sir," Broglie muttered.

"Since Hawes was stupid enough to leave his position also," Steuben went on. "And I don't care a great deal about Federal casualties, except as they affect the Regiment's contractual obligations."

The pause was deadly.

"Which, since wehavewon the battle for them, shouldn't be a problem."

"Sir," Des Grieux said, "they were wide open. It was the one chance we were going to have to pay the Reps back for the three weeks we sat and took it."

Major Steuben turned his head slowly and surveyed the battered Federal encampment. His tongue wenttsk, tsk, tskagainst his teeth.

Warriorwas parked alongside Broglie'sHoney Girlin the center of the hill.Warrior's bow skirts had cracked as well as bending inward when 170 tonnes slammed down on them. Kuykendall had earned her pay, keeping the tank moving steadily despite the damage.

Des Grieux's gaze followed the major's.Honey Girlhad been hit by at least three buzzbombs on this side. None of the sun-hot jets seemed to have penetrated the armor. Broglie had been in the thick of it, with the only functional tank remaining when the Reps blew their way through the bunker line . . . .