Asaro, Catherine The Veiled Web

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bodyguard nodded and accelerated again. The truck ahead of them had sped up some,
but not enough to avoid a collision. If they tried to pass, they would probably go off the
cliff. Although a low rail bordered the road, it didn't look anywhere near strong enough
to hold an armored car moving at anything more than a few miles per hour.
Lucia twisted around and saw the truck only a few meters away, its speed almost equal
to that of their car. It closed the gap more, closer, almost touching
With a shuddering jolt, the truck hit the Mercedes.
Even with the speeds of the two vehicles almost matched, the force of the strike shoved
the Mercedes into a swerve. Hands clenched on the wheel, Hammad fought to regain
control. The tires screeched as they skidded across the road. The car clipped the rail, and
a sickening crunch of metal vibrated through its frame. A section of the rail hurtled
down into the ravine.
The truck behind them was matching their speed now, but the one in front had begun to
slow. A man leaned out the window on the passenger's side of the forward truck. For
one instant Lucia's mind refused to recognize the gun he held. Then he fired and she
snapped back to reality. He held either an AK-47 or its sibling, the AKM. The gunman
didn't try to break the bulletproof glass of the Mercedes; instead, his rifle bursts hit the
front tires and hood. He was aiming to disable rather than kill.
In the front seat, Yassine had activated the gun ports that pierced the car's armor. A
small computer screen on the dashboard showed his target, the truck ahead of them.
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Catherine Asaro - The Veiled Web
From the computer's display, Lucia saw that the car had guns installed as part of its
armor. The computer linked to the ports, rotating them so Yassine could aim in any
direction. He fired at the sniper in the truck ahead, forcing the man to withdraw.
Hammad braked again, struggling to pace the car between the other two vehicles: too
slow, and the truck in back would hit them; too fast, and they would hit the one in front.
Lucia and Rashid sat rigid, he gripping the front seat, she with her fists clenched in her
lap. The vehicle in front continued to decelerate, forcing the Mercedes to slow as well,
while the truck behind them kept pace. As the cars slowed, Lucia realized they would
soon have no choice but to stop.
As they went into a curve, the driver of the forward truck either misjudged his speed or
changed his strategy. He took the curve too fast and braked abruptly. Left with no
choice, Hammad slammed on his own brakes. But it wasn't enough. The Mercedes hit
the truck and fishtailed, the back of the car smashing into the cliff. The force of it flung
Lucia into the door and threw Rashid against her. A second impact wracked the car
from behind, with a scream of twisting metal that filled the air. Lucia and Rashid were
slammed backward and then rebounded forward, onto the floor. A series of scraping
noises followed, along with the crackle of collapsing metal.
Then it was quiet.
Dazed, Lucia huddled on the floor, wedged between the back and front seats. She tried
to move and pain shattered her numb cocoon of shock. The door had crumpled,
jabbing an edge of metal into her arm. Blood soaked the sleeve of her blouse. A waft of
air rustled her hair, telling her that somewhere the car had broken open. Groaning, she
tried again to move, but a weight kept her pinned on the floor. Rashid. He had fallen on
top of her and lay motionless now. Lifeless? She couldn't tell if he still breathed.
Explosions shattered the silence. No, not explosions. Gunfire. Distant, then here at the
car, like thunder that cracked right after lightning, with no time lapse between the two.
Had Lucia been able to speak, she would have cried out. Whether shock or injury made
her mute, she didn't know, but no sound came out of her throat.
More gunfire split open the day, followed by a grunt from the crushed front seat.
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Catherine Asaro - The Veiled Web
Silence again.
Straining to breathe, Lucia tried to move Rashid's body. With no warning, another
explosion sounded, this one almost on top of the car. Dazed, Lucia realized someone
had just set off a charge. A concussion wave vibrated through the door, accompanied by
a blast of heat and a smell like firecrackers. Then someone yanked open what remained
of the door. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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