Чужой
V
Ifthere’snothingreallywrongyou’llneverheartheendofit’
’Tryhimagain.’
Lambertthumbedherowncommunicator.’Kane..Kane.Goddamnit,answerus!’
’Keeptrying.’WhileLambertcontinuedtocall,alternatelypleadingandthreatening,Dallasreachedacrosstheshaftopeningandexaminedthecable.Itmovedeasilyinhishand.Tooeasily.Hetugged,andametreoflinecameupinhisgraspwithouttheexpectedresistance.
’Line’sslack.’Heglancedbackather.
’Hestilldoesn’tanswer.Can’torwon’t.Doyouthinkhecouldhavegoneandunhookedhimself?Iknowwhatyoutoldhim,butyouknowhowheis.Probablythoughtwewouldn’tnoticeatemporaryreductionincabletension.Ifhespottedsomethingandwasafraidofthecablegettingsnaggedornotreaching,Iwouldn’tputitpasthimtogoandunlatch.’
’Idon’tcarewhathemight’vefound.Idocarethathedoesn’tanswer.’Dallasadjustedthewinchmotor,switchediton.’’Toobadifitupsetshim.Ifthere’snothingwrongwithhimorhisequipment,I’llmakehimwishhehadunhooked.’
Aflipofanotherswitchandthewinchbegantoreelincable.Dallaswatcheditintently,relaxedalittlewhenhesawthelinesnaptautafteracoupleofmetreshadbeenrewound.Asexpected,thecableslowed.
’There’sweightontheend.Itcaught’
’Isithookedonsomething?’
’Can’tbe.It’sstillcomingup,onlyslightlydifferentspeed.
