Doomsday Contract [antikvár]

Chapter 1 The foiir men sat in miserable silence, sweating in the white Cougar that shimmered in the Nevada air. Ahead, the black tarmac road wound between sandstone cliffs that gave the name to Stonewall Pass, before falling away to the barren wastes of the desert below. It was noon, hotter than the dungeons of hdll, and death was only a whisper away. 'Here comes the chopper,' said the driver, squinting up into the harsh light. The others made no move, content to wait until the chattering of rotor blades enveloped them. The man beside the driver was tall and thin, his face pinched, glistening with a sheen of perspiration that gave his features a coppery cast. In the rear were two who might have been brothers, except that they had never met before this day. They were squat, heavily-muscled men, with small eyes and flat, empty faces. Their hair was brown, thick and untidy, and they each wore PVC overalls with a coating of a silver, metallic substance. The trousers were tucked into short rubber boots, and at the wrists the garments were tightly fastened. The two men sat in stolid silence, the heat beating at them, broihng them unmercifully in their heavy suits. A small sandstorm blew around the car, spattering it with grit and pebbles. The driver stretched and opened the door, collecting the Walther PPK from the seat before climbing out and moving towards the heUcopter which had settled beside the road. He was a tall, lean, agile man with fair hair, strongly moulded features and penetrating blue eyes. The mouth was wide, firm, and the lines around it suggested an easy-going and cheerful nature. But at this moment, in this place, Lee Corey was in no mood for laughter. The helicopter was a small, fast 206 Jetranger, and as Corey approached a man in a black flying suit stepped out and stood waiting for him. The rotors whispered softly above his head, but he paid them no heed. He was a tall, lithe man with large, powerful hands and black hair beginning to