tc.patriotgames-第119节

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　　　　〃What　the　hell！〃　the　spotter　said。
　　　　Paulson　flipped　the　rifle's　safety　off　and　centered　his　sight　on　the　man　who　had　just　fired；　killing　two　men　　but　whom　had　he　killed？　He　could　shoot　only　to　save　the　lives　of　friendlies；　and　the　dead　men　had　almost　certainly　been　bad　guys。　There　weren't　any　hostages　to　be　saved；　as　far　as　he　could　tell。　Where　the　hell　are　they？　One　of　the　men　near　the　cliff's　edge　appeared　to　shout　something；　and　the　others　ran　to　join　him。　The　marksman　had　his　choice　of　targets；　but　without　positive　identification；　he　couldn't　dare　to　fire　a　shot。
　　　　〃e　on；　baby；〃　Jackson　said　to　the　engine。　The　motor　was　still　cold　and　ran　unevenly　as　he　shifted　to　reverse。　The　boat　moved　slowly　backward；　away　from　the　beach。　Ryan　had　his　Uzi　trained　on　the　other　boat。　The　man　there　appeared　again；　and　Ryan　fired　three　rounds　before　the　gun　stopped。　He　cursed　and　switched　magazines　before　firing　a　number　of　short　bursts　again　to　keep　his　head　down。
　　　　〃Men　on　the　cliff；〃　the　Prince　repeated。　He'd　taken　the　shotgun　and　had　it　aimed；　but　didn't　fire。　He　didn't　know　who　it　was　up　there；　and　the　range　was　too　great　in　any　case。　Then　flashes　appeared。　Whoever　it　was；　they　were　firing　at　the　boat。　Ryan　turned　when　he　heard　bullets　hitting　the　water；　and　two　thudded　into　the　boat　itself。　Sissy　Jackson　screamed　and　grabbed　at　herself；　while　the　Prince　fired　three　rounds　back。
　　　　Robby　had　the　boat　thirty　yards　from　the　beach　now；　and　savagely　brought　the　wheel　around　as　he　shifted　the　selector　back　into　drive。　When　he　rammed　the　throttle　forward；　the　engine　coughed　again　for　one　long；　terrible　moment；　but　then　it　caught　and　the　boat　surged　forward。
　　　　〃All　right！〃　the　aviator　booted。　〃Jack　　where　to？　How　about　Annapolis？〃
　　　　〃Do　it！〃　Ryan　agreed。　He　looked　aft。　There　were　men　ing　down　the　ladder。　Some　were　still　shooting　at　them　but　missing　wildly。　Next　he　saw　that　Sissy　was　holding　her　foot。
　　　　〃Cathy；　see　if　you　can　find　a　first…aid　kit；〃　His　highness　said。　He'd　already　inspected　the　wound；　but　was　now　in　the　stem；　facing　aft　with　the　shotgun　at　the　ready。　Jack　saw　a　white　plastic　box　under　the　driver's　seat　and　slid　it　toward　his　wife。　
　　　　〃Rob；　Sissy　took　a　round　in　the　foot；〃　Jack　said。
　　　　〃I'm　okay；　Rob；〃　his　wife　said　at　once。　She　didn't　sound　okay。
　　　　〃How　is　it；　Sis？〃　Cathy　asked；　moving　to　take　a　look。
　　　　〃It　hurts；　but　it's　no　big　deal；〃　she　said　through　her　teeth；　trying　to　smile。
　　　　〃You　sure　you're　okay；　honey？〃　Robby　asked。
　　　　〃Just　go；　Robby！〃　she　gasped。　Jack　moved　aft　and　looked。　The　bullet　had　gone　straight　through　the　top　of　her　foot；　and　her　light…colored　shoe　was　bathed　in　dark　blood。　He　looked　around　to　see　if　anyone　else　was　hurt；　but　aside　from　the　mere　terror　that　each　felt；　everyone　else　seemed　all　right。
　　　　〃mander；　do　you　want　me　to　take　the　wheel　for　you？〃　the　Prince　asked。
　　　　〃Okay；　Cap'n；　e　on　forward。〃　Robby　slid　away　from　the　controls　as　His　Highness　joined　him。　〃Your　course　is　zero…three…six　magnetic。　Watch　it；　it's　going　to　get　rough　when　we're　out　of　the　cliff's　lee；　and　there's　lots　of　merchant　traffic　out　there。〃　They　could　already　see　four　feet　of　chop　building　a　hundred　yards　ahead；　driven　by　the　gusting　winds。
　　　　〃Right。　How　do　I　know　when　we've　arrived　at　Annapolis？〃　The　Prince　settled　behind　the　wheel　and　started　checking　out　the　controls。
　　　　〃When　you　see　the　lights　on　the　Bay　Bridges；　call　me。　I　know　the　harbor；　I'll　take　her　in。〃
　　　　The　Prince　nodded　agreement。　He　throttled　back　to　half　power　as　they　entered　the　heavy　chop；　and　kept　moving　his　eyes　from　the　pass　to　the　water。　Jackson　moved　to　check　his　wife。　
　　　　Sissy　waved　him　away。　〃You　worry　about　them！〃　
　　　　In　another　moment　they　were　roller…coastering　over　four…　and　five…foot　waves。　The　boat　was　a　nineteen…foot　cathedral…hull　lake　boat　of　a　type　favored　by　local　fishermen　for　her　good　calm…seas　speed　and　shallow　draft。　Her　blunt　nose　didn't　handle　the　chop　very　well。　They　were　taking　water　over　the　bow；　but　the　forward　snap…on　cover　was　in　place；　and　the　windshield　deflected　most　of　the　water　over　the　side。　That　water　which　did　get　into　the　back　emptied　down　a　self…bailing　hole　next　to　the　engine　box。　Ryan　had　never　been　in　a　boat　like　this；　but　knew　what　it　was。　Its　hundred…fifty…horse　engine　drove　an　inboard…outdrive　transmission　whose　movable　propeller　eliminated　the　need　for　a　rudder。　The　bottom　and　sides　of　the　boat　were　filled　with　foam　for　positive　flotation。　You　could　fill　it　with　water　and　it　wouldn't　sink　　but　more　to　the　point；　the　fiberglass　and　the　foam　would　probably　stop　the　bullets　from　a　submachine　gun。　Jack　checked　his　fellow　passengers　again。　His　wife　was　ministering　to　Sissy。　The　Princess　held　his　daughter。　Except　for　himself；　Robby；　and　the　Prince　at　the　wheel；　everyone's　head　was　down。　He　started　to　relax　slightly。　They　were　away；　and　their　fate　was　back　in　their　own　hands。　Jack　promised　himself　that　this　would　never　change　again。
　　　　〃They're　ing　after　us；〃　Robby　said　as　he　fed　two　rounds　into　the　bottom　of　the　shotgun。　〃　'Bout　three　hundred　yards　back。　I　saw　them　in　the　lightning；　but　they'll　lose　us　in　this　rain　if　we're　lucky。〃　
　　　　〃What　would　you　call　the　visibility？〃
　　　　〃Except　for　the　lightning〃　　Robby　shrugged　　〃maybe　a　hot　hundred　yards；　tops。　We're　not　leaving　a　wake　for　them　to　follow；　and　they　don't　know　where　we're　going。〃　He　paused。　〃God；　I　wish　we　had　a　radio！　We　could　get　the　Coast　Guard　in　on　this；　or　maybe　somebody　else；　and　set　up　a　nice　little　trap　for　them。〃　Jack　sat　all　the　way　down；　facing　aft　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　engine　box　from　his　friend。　He　saw　that　his　daughter　was　asleep　in　the　arms　of　the　Princess。　It　must　be　nice　to　be　a　kid；　he　reflected。　
　　　　〃Count　your　blessings；　mander。〃
　　　　〃Bet　your　ass；　boy！　I　guess　I　picked　a　good　time　to　take　a　leak。〃
　　　　Ryan　grunted　agreement。　〃I　didn't　know　you　could　handle　a　shotgun。〃
　　　　〃Back　when　I　was　a　kid；　the　Klan　had　this　little　hobby。　They'd　get　boozed　up　every　Tuesday　night　and　burn　down　a　nigger　church　　just　to　keep　us　in　line；　y'know？　Well；　one　night；　the　sheetheads　decided　to　burn　my　pappy's　church。　We　got　word　　a　liquor…store　owner　called；　not　all　rednecks　are　assholes。　Anyway；　Pappy　and　me　were　waiting　for　them。　Didn't　kill　any；　but　we　must　have　scared　them　as　white　as　their　sheets。　I　blew　the　radiator　right　out　of　one　car。〃　Robby　chuckled　at　the　memory。　〃They　never　did　e　back　for　it。　The　cops　didn't　arrest　anybody；　but　that's　the　last　time　anybody　tried　to　burn　a　church　in　our　town；　so　I　guess　they　learned　their　lesson。〃　He　paused　again。　When　he　went　on；　his　voice　was　more　sober。　〃That's　the　first　time　I　ever　killed　a　man。　Jack。　Funny；　it　doesn't　feel　like　anything；　not　anything　at　all。〃　
　　　　〃It　will　tomorrow。〃　
　　　　Robby　looked　over　at　his　friend。　〃Yeah。〃
　　　　Ryan　looked　aft；　his　hands　tight　on　the　Uzi。　There　was　nothing　to　be　seen。　The　sky　and　water　merged　into　an　amorphous　gray　mass；　and　the　wind…driven　rain　stung　at　his　face。　The　boat　surged　up　and　down　on　the　breaking　swells；　and　for　a　moment　Jack　wondered　why　he　wasn't　seasick。　Lightning　flashed　again；　and　still　he　saw　nothing；　as　though　they　were　under　a　gray　dome　on　a　sparkling；　uneven　floor。

　　　　They　were　gone。　After　the　sniper　team　reported　that　all　the　terrorists　had　disappeared　over　the　cliff；　Werner's　men　searched　the　house　and　found　nothing　but　dead　men。　The　second　HRT　group　was　now　on　the　scene；　plus　over　twenty　police；　and　another　crowd　of　firemen　and　paramedics。　Three　of　the　Secret　Service　agents　were　still　alive；　plus　a　terrorist　who'd　been　left　behind。　All　were　being　transported　to　hospitals。　That　made　for　seventeen　security　people　dead；　and　a　total　of　four　terrorists；　two　of　them　apparently　killed　by　their　own　side。
　　　　〃They　all　crowded　into　the　boat　and　took　off　that　way；〃　Paulson　said。　〃I　could　have　taken　a　few　out；　but　there　just　wasn't　any　way　to　figure　who　was　who。〃　He'd　done　the　right　thing。　The　sniper　knew　it；　and　so　did　Werner。　You　don't　shoot　without　knowing　what　your　target　is。
　　　　〃So　now　what　the　hell　do　we　do？〃　This　question　came　from　a　captain　of　the　State　Police。　It　was　a　rhetorical　question　insofar　as　there　was　no　immediate　answer。
　　　　〃Do　you　suppose　the　good　guys　got　away？〃　Paulson　asked。　〃I　didn't　see　anything　that　looked　like　a　friendly；　and　the　way　the　bad　guys　were　acting　。　。　。　something　went　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃Something　went　wrong　for　everybody。〃
　　　　Something　went　wrong；　all　right；　Werner　thought。　A　goddamned　battle　was　fought　here。　Twenty…some　people　dead　and　nobody　in　sight。
　　　　〃Let's　assume　that　the　friendlies　escaped　somehow　　no；　let's　just　assume　that　the　bad　guys　got　away　in　a　boat。　Okay。　Where　would　they　go？〃　Werner　asked。
　　　　〃Do　you　know　how　many　boatyards　there　are　around　here？〃　the　State　Police　Captain　asked。　〃Jesus；　how　many　houses　with　private　slip's？　Hundreds　　we　can't　check　them　all　out！〃　
　　　　〃Well；　we　have　to　do　something！〃　Werner　snapped　back；　his　anger　amplified　by　his　sprained　back。　A　black　dog　came　up　to　them。　He　looked　as　confused　as　everyone　else。

　　　　〃I　think　they　lost　us。〃
　　　　〃Could　be；〃　Jackson　replied。　The　last　lightning　flash　had　revealed　nothing。　〃The　bay's　right　big；　and　visibility　isn't　worth　a　damn　　but　the　way　the　rain's　blowing；　they