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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 80 из 272If Wallace came back at me, I would need more room to maneuver. I knew that Larry meant it as a show of support. After we got Larry's shooting up to speed, we'd have to work on some basic hand-to-hand techniques.
Why was I training him to shoot before I taught him to fight? Because you don't arm wrestle vampires. You shoot them. He would live through a beating from Officer Wallace. He wouldn't live through a vampire attack. Not if he couldn't shoot.
"Were you with him when he got that scar?" I asked.
Granger shook his head. "His first partner didn't make it."
"Vampire got him?"
He nodded.
Wallace stood up sort of slow. He arched his back just a bit, as if working the kinks out. "Nice shot," he said.
I shrugged. "It was my knee, not my fist."
"Still a good shot. I don't have any excuses good enough for what I just did."
"No," I said, "you don't."
He just looked down at the ground, then up. "I don't know what made me do it."
"Let's take a little walk." I started off into the dark without looking back, as if I had no doubt he'd follow me. This technique works more often than you think it would.
He followed me. He had stopped to pick up his flashlight, but bravely turned it off.
I stopped just short of the woods and stared off into the trees, letting my eyes adjust to the dark. I didn't look at anything in particular. I let my eyes just sort of see everything. I was looking for movement. Any movement. The tree limbs moved fitfully in the spring wind, but it was a general movement like ocean waves. The trees weren't what worried me.
Wallace tapped the darkened flashlight against his thigh. A soft whap, whap . I wanted to tell him to stop but didn't. If it comforted him, I could live with it.
I let the silence stretch between us. The wind picked up, filling the night with a rushing, hurrying sound. You could smell the rain on the wind.
He gripped the flashlight in both hands. I could hear his intake of breath above the wind. "What was that?"
"The wind," I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty much."
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Is this the first vamp you've gone after since your partner's death?"
He looked at me. "Granger told you?"
"Yeah, but I saw your neck. I was pretty sure what had done it."
I wanted to tell him it was okay to be scared. Hell, I was scared, but he was a cop and a man, and I didn't know him well enough to know how he'd take a pep talk from me.
Why was I training him to shoot before I taught him to fight? Because you don't arm wrestle vampires. You shoot them. He would live through a beating from Officer Wallace. He wouldn't live through a vampire attack. Not if he couldn't shoot.
"Were you with him when he got that scar?" I asked.
Granger shook his head. "His first partner didn't make it."
"Vampire got him?"
He nodded.
Wallace stood up sort of slow. He arched his back just a bit, as if working the kinks out. "Nice shot," he said.
I shrugged. "It was my knee, not my fist."
"Still a good shot. I don't have any excuses good enough for what I just did."
"No," I said, "you don't."
He just looked down at the ground, then up. "I don't know what made me do it."
"Let's take a little walk." I started off into the dark without looking back, as if I had no doubt he'd follow me. This technique works more often than you think it would.
He followed me. He had stopped to pick up his flashlight, but bravely turned it off.
I stopped just short of the woods and stared off into the trees, letting my eyes adjust to the dark. I didn't look at anything in particular. I let my eyes just sort of see everything. I was looking for movement. Any movement. The tree limbs moved fitfully in the spring wind, but it was a general movement like ocean waves. The trees weren't what worried me.
Wallace tapped the darkened flashlight against his thigh. A soft whap, whap . I wanted to tell him to stop but didn't. If it comforted him, I could live with it.
I let the silence stretch between us. The wind picked up, filling the night with a rushing, hurrying sound. You could smell the rain on the wind.
He gripped the flashlight in both hands. I could hear his intake of breath above the wind. "What was that?"
"The wind," I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty much."
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Is this the first vamp you've gone after since your partner's death?"
He looked at me. "Granger told you?"
"Yeah, but I saw your neck. I was pretty sure what had done it."
I wanted to tell him it was okay to be scared. Hell, I was scared, but he was a cop and a man, and I didn't know him well enough to know how he'd take a pep talk from me.