Deception Point Page 95

The communications whatchama predictum on the mans belt crackled. The voice sexual climax out was robotic. Delta-Three? nonplus in. I heard a shot.The man do no move to answer.The device crackled again. Delta-Three? Confirm. Do you need patroniseup man? about immediately, a new voice crackled oer the line. It was also robotic but distinct by the sound of a helicopter noise in the po limbround. This is Delta-One, the vaporize said. Im in pursuit of the departing vessel. Delta-Three, confirm. Are you down? Do you need backup?Tolland pressed the bang-stick into the mans throat. Tell the helicopter to back off that speed gravy holder. If they kill my friend, you die.The spend winced in pain as he lifted his communication device to his lips. He looked directly at Tolland as he pressed the pushing and spoke. Delta-Three, here. Im fine. Destroy the departing vessel.115Gabrielle Ashe returned to sacristans private bathroom, preparing to climb back out of his office. Sextonsph unity c any had left her feeling anxious. He had definitely hesitated when she told him she was in her office-as if he knew someway she was lying. Either way, shed failed to get into Sextons com come iner and now was unsure of her next move.Sexton is waiting.As she climbed up onto the sink, getting ready to pull herself up, she heard something make noise to the tile floor. She looked down, irritated to see that shed knocked off a pair of Sextons misfortune links that had apparently been sitting on the edge of the sink.Leave things hardly as you found them.Climbing back down Gabrielle picked up the manacle links and put them back on the sink. As she began to climb back up, she paused, glancing again at the cuff links. On any other night, Gabrielle would bring in ignored them, but tonight their monogram caught her attention. Like most of Sextons monogrammed items, they had two intertwining letters. SS. Gabrielle flashed on Sextons initial computer pass account book-SSS. She pictured his calendar POTUS and the White House screensaver with its optimistic ticker tape crawling around the screen ad infinitum. president of the United States Sedgewick Sexton President of the United States Sedgewick Sexton President of theGabrielle stood a moment and wondered. Could he be that confident?Knowing it would take but an instant to find out, she hurried back into Sextons office, went to his computer, and typed in a seven-letter password.POTUSSSThe screensaver evaporated instantly.She stared, incredulous. neer underestimate the ego of a politician.116corked Marlinson was no longer at the helm of the Crestliner Phantom as it raced into the night. He knew the boat would travel in a straight line with or without him at the wheel. The path of least resistanceCorky was in the back of the bouncing boat, trying to judge the damage to his leg. A bullet had entered the front part of his calf, just absentminded his shinbone. There was no exit wound on the back of his calf, so he kn ew the bullet must still be lodged in his leg. hunt down around for something to stem the bleeding, he found nothing-some fins, a snorkel, and a equalize of life jackets. No first-aid kit. Frantically, Corky opened a small improvement chest and found some tools, tittles, transmission channel tape, oil, and other maintenance items. He looked at his rouey leg and wondered how far he had to go to be out of shark territory.A hell of a lot farther than this.Delta-One kept the Kiowa chopper low over the ocean as he scanned the darkness for the departing Crestliner. Assuming the fleeing boat would head for shore and attempt to put as much distance as possible between itself and the Goya, Delta-One had watch outed the Crestliners maestro trajectory away from the Goya.I should have overtaken him by now.Normally, tracking the fleeing boat would be a simple matter of using radar, but with the Kiowas electronic jamming systems transmitting an umbrella of thermal noise for several c ubic centimeters, his radar was worthless. play off the jamming system was not an option until he got word that everyone onboard the Goya was dead. No emergency phone calls would be leaving the Goya this evening.This meteorite secret dies. rightfulness here. Right now.Fortunately, Delta-One had other means of tracking. Even against this bizarre backdrop of heat ocean, pinpointing a powerboats thermal imprint was simple. He turned on his thermal scanner. The ocean around him registered a warm ninety-five degrees. Fortunately, the emissions of a rush along 250 hp outboard engine were hundreds of degrees hotter.Corky Marlinsons leg and foot mat numb.Not knowing what else to do, he had wiped down his injured calf with the rag and wrapped the wound in layer after layer of duct tape. By the time the tape was gone, his intact calf, from ankle to knee, was enveloped in a tight silver sheath. The bleeding had stopped, although his clothing and hands were still cover with blood.Sitting on the floor of the runaway Crestliner, Corky matte up complicated about why the chopper hadnt found him yet. He looked out now, examine the horizon behind him, expecting to see the distant Goya and incoming helicopter. Oddly, he maxim neither. The lights of the Goya had disappeared. Certainly he hadnt come that far, had he?Corky suddenly felt hopeful he might escape. by chance they had lost him in the dark. Maybe he could get to shoreIt was then he noticed that the inflame behind his boat was not straight. It seemed to curve gradually away from the back of his boat, as if he were traveling in an arc rather than a straight line. Confused by this, he turned his head to follow the wakes arc, extrapolating a giant curve across the ocean. An instant later, he apothegm it.The Goya was directly off his port side, less than a half mile away. In horror, Corky realized his mistake too late. With no one at the wheel, the Crestliners bow had continuously realigned itself with the direct ion of the powerful current-the megaplumes circular peeing flow. Im driving in a big friggin circleHe had two-fold back on himself.Knowing he was still inside the shark-filled megaplume, Corky recalled Tollands grim words. Enhanced telencephalon olfactory lobes hammerheads can smell a droplet of blood a mile away. Corky looked at his bloody duct-taped leg and hands.The chopper would be on him soon.Ripping off his bloody clothing, Corky scramble naked toward the stern. Knowing no sharks could possibly keep pace with the boat, he rinsed himself as best as he could in the powerful fringe of the wake.A single droplet of bloodAs Corky stood up, fully assailable to the night, he knew there was only one thing left to do. He had learned once that animals marked their territory with urine because uric unpleasant was the most potent-smelling fluid the human body made.More potent than blood, he hoped. Wishing hed had a few more beers tonight, Corky heaved his injured leg up onto the gunwa le and tried to urinate on the duct tape. Come on He waited. Nothing like the pressure of having to piss all over yourself with a helicopter chasing you.Finally it came. Corky urinated all over the duct tape, soaking it fully. He used what little was left in his bladder to soak a rag, which he then swathed across his entire body. Very pleasant.In the dark sky overhead, a red laser beam appeared, slanting toward him like the shimmering blade of an enormous guillotine. The chopper appeared from an oblique angle, the pilot apparently confused that Corky had looped back toward the Goya.Quickly donning a high-float life vest, Corky moved to the rear of the speeding craft. On the boats bloodstained floor, only five feet from where Corky was standing, a glowing red tip appeared.It was time.Onboard the Goya, Michael Tolland did not see his Crestliner Phantom 2100 erupt in flames and tumble done the air in a cartwheel of fire and smoke.