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第12节

rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第12节

小说: rstacy.doomsdaywarrior 字数: 每页4000字

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 Rona and Rock let fly their arrows; each hitting one of the beast's huge eyes。 But the arrows just bounced。 〃Rona … head for cover in the rocks; I'll lead it away。〃 With that admonition; the twenty…first…century warrior took off at a lope。 The giant swine started pawing the ground; it lowered its head like a bull。 Then it took off after him; like a freight train chasing a stray cat。
 〃Rock;〃 Rona yelled; 〃be careful。〃
 Rockson was being careful。 He had made for a second outcropping of sharper; tumbled rocks; and now dove in among the boulders; rolled into a crevice。 He removed his shotpistol from his holster and took the safety off。 Just in time。 The giant swine screeched to a stop and leaned its steamy snout down into Rock's hiding place。 Its huge tongue licked down at the Doomsday Warrior。 Naturally; he fired。 Point…blank。
 The lower incisors and molars of the beast exploded into chalky fragments tinged with red; and the X…pattern of explosive pellets peppered the sinewy red throat beyond。 But the thing didn't die。 It pulled back; startled by the blast。 Then it charged against the rocks; almost burying Rockson in a shifting mass of granite。 He managed to extricate himself and; not anxious to be buried in the next attack; he took off again。 Rockson was firing over his shoulder when the opportunity presented itself。 Two of his frantic shots hit dead center in the snout of the beast; sending out sprays of nostril meat and blood; but it just sneezed and then continued the chase。
 The shotpistol empty。 Rock flung it back; the beast swallowed it without changing pace。 Rockson spotted Rona a hundred feet ahead; running fast; but not as fast as Rockson; and he soon caught up to her。 〃Pour it on; girl;〃 he gasped out; 〃I couldn't stop it。〃
 〃Rock; how about my smoke bombs?〃
 〃Smokebombs? Hell; use them; Rona; quickly。〃
 Rona was already reaching into her belt pouch。 She tossed a handful of the small glass cylinders behind her。 The pop…pop…pop of the shattering glass was music to Rockson's ears。 The thundering hoofs of their immense pursuer stopped。 There was a great cloud of putrid…smelling black smoke behind the two runners now。 An enormous sneeze reverberated in the cold air。 Imagine what that stuff smells like to its sensitive nostrils。 Rock thought。 That ought to stop him for a while。
 But a while was a mere five or six seconds。 Enough for the Freefighters to gain a hundred feet; but then the terrible thundering hoofs started ing again。
 Rockson could see the tangle of brambles that he hoped was the encampment wall ahead。 He yelled; 〃Freefighters; set the Liberator rifles on full automatic; we've got supper ing up behind us … don't spare the gunpowder。〃
 Rockson's rear end was now less than twenty feet ahead of the razor…sharp tusks。
 
 
 CHAPTER 10
 
 〃Did you hear that?〃 McCaughlin said; snapping up from where he crouched feeding another stick into the low campfire。 〃Look; over there!〃
 Detroit saw where he was pointing; and heard more clearly what Rockson was yelling。 〃Quick;〃 Detroit exclaimed; 〃Aim high; don't hit our friends。 Shoot!〃 Frantically they lifted their rifles。 Chen; wanting accuracy; set down his tripod mount for steadiness atop the small rise; they all fired on full auto at the beast。
 The big guns spoke a thousand throaty words。 The simple statement could not be ignored。 It said; 〃Death to big pigs。〃
 A shuddering series of impacts on the pig knocked it to the ground。 Splattered pieces of smoking meat and shards of bone matter flew over Rock and Rona as they dove over the brambles to their friends。 All the Freefighters' uniforms were coated with a rain of red blood。 A pulsing bit of pig brain…matter splashed into Scheransky's hands as he tried to cover his face。 Rockson; too; was thoroughly reddened by the rain of blood。 They kept firing for a while … just in case!
 Rona jumped across the hollow; and grabbed the Doomsday Warrior into her arms。 〃Oh; you great big hunk of a man;〃 she said; kissing his red…stained face over and over … everywhere。 〃You saved me。 You lured the thing to you; you did it to save me。〃
 When she finally let go; Rockson smiled; 〃Not exactly。 I wanted pork chops for supper; that's all。〃
 Before the roaring cooking fire had died to red coals in the early darkness; the smell of roast pork spread through the valley。 The fattiest meat was given to the ravenous wolf…dogs; who had endured so much and gotten them over eight hundred miles already。 The Rock Team went to their sleeping bags with a warm glow in their bellies … especially after the Scot passed around his Glenlivet。 〃It's a hundred and six years old; laddies; so don't ye spill a drop。〃
 〃Now; that's old scotch。〃 Detroit said; swigging down a large portion。 Danik had a restorative slug too。
 〃Save some for the Russkies;〃 said Scheransky; taking the bottle。 〃I prefer vodka; but defectors can't be choosers。 I'll make do。〃 He too took a swig。 And so did the rest of them。 Rona finished it off in two glugs; and wiped her mouth; tossed the bottle into the brush。
 〃Now; that's a woman you got there。 Rock;〃 said McCaughlin。
 The next day's trek was an uneventful passage over gently rolling snow under pink cirrus clouds。 Rockson; stopping the group at midafternoon; used the navigation devices that Schecter had provided; and also used the toy sextant that Dutil had figured angles and distance with。 He announced that they were well out on the rolling plains of Arizona。 Some divine power must; they reasoned; be favoring their quest。
 The citizen of Eden had been extraordinarily quiet。
 He was sitting up on Rock's sled; watching the scenery go by。 Rock; hoping he wasn't getting sick again; spoke to him。 〃You all right; Danik?〃
 〃Wonderful。 It's so beautiful; that's why I'm quiet。 This land is so beautiful。 What is there to say in the face of such beauty?〃
 〃I guess we Americans take for granted the majesty of the countryside; Danik。 It's a good thing someone es along once in a while to tell us what we have。 So we notice it more。 So we appreciate it。 You know it was all almost pletely destroyed a hundred and five years ago … when the two superpowers fired their ICBMs at one another。 The ignorant bastards almost destroyed it all。〃
 〃Stafford plans to finish their evil handiwork … make this beautiful world a no…man's land;〃 Danik said sadly。 〃I hope we can stop him。 God; I pray that we can stop him。〃
 After nearly one hundred miles more; all against a fierce icy wind; the party of bold adventurers were beginning to doubt the directions given by the note…book。 They should have reached the next landmark … the tall teepee…shaped building。 Still; there was nothing to do but go on。
 They were ten miles further along than the note…book indicated; and all were depressed and feeling hopeless; when Danik himself shouted the good news: 〃There it is; the whale rock。 We are on the right track。〃
 〃Thank God Run Dutil's notes were accurate at least to the direction; if not to the distance;〃 Rock uttered with relief。
 Recalculating their path taking into account the navigational error of two degrees and ten miles; Rockson headed the bone…weary squad off again to the south。 And after two more hard hours fighting winds and driven snow; they came upon a crumbling highway town。 There in the middle of the rust spots in the snow that had been Buicks and Toyotas and Oldsmobiles over a hundred years ago; was the giant teepee。 It had the look of a new building。 〃We buried two panions behind it;〃 Danik said softly。
 〃It must be some sort of plastic;〃 Rockson said。 〃Plastic lasts longer than concrete。 Keep the dogs back; Detroit; e with me; I want to make sure no one is in there。 It looks so spiffy; I don't trust it。〃
 The team members held their sleds back behind some tumbled boulders; and Rock and the bull…necked black Freefighter walked cautiously forward; guns drawn; inspecting the many windows in the five…story bright…orange…and…yellow 〃teepee〃 for any movements。 〃Keep an eye on that mesa behind the building;〃 Rockson said。 〃There's a thousand places a man with a rifle could hole up in those rocks。〃 Detroit nodded。
 The sign over the door; a ten…foot…high red plastic affair; said TOMAHAWK INDIAN STORE; save now; 50% off Indian Jewelry。〃
 〃Good; we're in time for the sale;〃 Detroit whisperingly joked。
 Rockson and Detroit cautiously entered the giant replica of an Indian dwelling。 Light sifted in from outside through high windows。 Tumbled chairs; smashed tables; precious items of beaten silver and turquoise … necklaces; rings; bracelets … lay unmolested in glass cases。 But other glass counters by the rusty cash register were smashed。 〃They kept candy by the register;〃 Rock said; bolstering his shotpistol。 〃In the weeks after the nuke war; any kind of food was precious … much more precious than jewelry。〃 A quick survey found the place uninhabited。
 It was a good place to stay for the night; for there was an old Franklin stove actually still in one piece。 They gathered firewood … smashing the dried wooden counters of the soda fountain for fuel。 Soon the immense teepee had blue…white smoke ing out its top; and the Freefighters and the man from Mexico were sitting around eating their pemmican and pork stew。 M

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