mreilly.icestation-第24部分

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　As　he　did　so；　however；　a　strange　thing　happened。　
　For　a　brief　second；　Riley　could　have　sworn　that　he　heard　Kirsty　speaking　to　someone　on　the　bridge　above　him。　
　〃Help　the　diver；　Wendy。　Help　the　diver。〃　
　Riley　blinked　to　himself。　Must　be　hearing　things。　
　
　Down　in　the　pool；　Schofield　thought　it　was　all　over。　The　two　killers　on　either　side　of　him　were　closing　in　as　they　circled；　shutting　off　any　possible　escape　route。　
　Suddenly　one　of　them　seemed　to　break　out　of　his　circle　and　swing　around。　Schofield　swallowed。　He　was　ing　round　for　the　kill。　
　The　killer　turned　in　a　slow；　wide　arc　until　he　was　pointing　right　at　Schofield。　His　body　was　only　a　foot　or　so　beneath　the　surface；　and　his　high　dorsal　fin　sliced　easily　through　the　waves　in　the　pool。　He　was　moving　at　such　powerful　speed　that　he　created　a　rolling　bow　wave　in　front　of　his　submerged　black…and…white　head。　
　The　bow　wave　raced　across　the　water；　on　a　collision　course　with　Shane　Schofield。　
　Schofield　looked　around　himself。　There　was　nowhere　to　go　this　time；　no　weapon　to　use。　
　Out　of　sheer　desperation　he　pulled　out　his　Desert　Eagle　pistol；　raised　it　above　the　water。　
　If　it　had　to　e　to　this；　he　thought；　then　it　had　to　e　to　this。　
　The　killer　charged　toward　him。　
　And　then　suddenly　a　black　missilelike　object　plunged　into　the　water　right　in　front　of　Schofield's　face；　right　in　between　him　and　the　killer　whale。　
　Whatever　it　was；　it　was　so　sleek　that　it　entered　the　water　with　barely　even　a　splash；　and　once　in；　it　zoomed　away　from　him　at　phenomenal　speed。　
　Both　killers　saw　it　instantly　and　immediately　lost　interest　in　Schofield。　Even　the　one　that　had　been　charging　at　him　only　seconds　before　abruptly　altered　its　path　and　raced　off　in　pursuit　of　this　new　quarry。　
　Schofield　was　stunned。　What　had　it　been？　It　had　looked　almost　like　a。。。　a　seal　of　some　sort。　
　And　then；　miraculously；　a　Maghook　dropped　into　the　water　right　in　front　of　him。　
　Schofield　grabbed　it　before　it　sank　and　immediately　looked　upward。　Up　on　the　bridge　he　saw　Book　Riley　lying　on　his　belly；　with　one　arm　stretched　out　underneath　the　bridge。　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　Maghook　and　suddenly　felt　a　new　lease　on　life　e　over　him。　
　Just　then；　a　small　pointed　black　head　popped　up　out　of　the　water　right　in　front　of　him　and　he　fell　backward　in　surprise。　
　It　was　Wendy。　Kirsty's　little　Antarctic　fur　seal。　
　Her　cute　red　collar　glistened　with　wetness；　and　her　soft　black　eyes　looked　right　into　his。　If　it　was　possible；　Schofield　could　have　sworn　that　the　little　seal　was　smiling…having　a　ball　of　a　time　swimming　around　in　the　pool；　evading　the　less　agile　killer　whales。　
　Then　he　realized。　Wendy　must　have　been　the　object　that　had　dived　into　the　pool　in　between　him　and　the　charging　killer　whale。　
　Suddenly　Wendy's　head　snapped　left。　
　She'd　heard　something；　sensed　something。　
　Then　she　gave　what　looked　like　a　final　happy　nod　to　Schofield　before　she　ducked　back　under　the　water　and　sped　off　down　the　length　of　the　pool。　
　She　swam　fast。　Speeding　just　underneath　the　surface　of　the　water　like　a　tiny　black　torpedo。　Cutting　left；　ducking　right；　and　then　disappearing　suddenly　as　she　dropped　into　a　steep　vertical　dive。　No　sooner　had　she　moved　than　three　black　dorsal　fins　appeared　behind　her　and　immediately　gave　chase；　before　they　themselves　vanished　beneath　the　surface　in　hot　pursuit。　
　Schofield　took　the　opportunity　and　swam　for　the　nearest　edge。　He　was　three　feet　from　the　deck　when　a　sudden　surge　of　water　rocked　him　and　he　rolled　in　the　water　as　the　giant　body　of　one　of　the　killers　swept　past　him　at　a　frightening　speed。　Schofield　immediately　tensed　for　another　fight；　but　the　whale　just　barreled　past　him；　in　search　of　the　elusive　Wendy。　
　Schofield　breathed　again；　swam　forward；　and　grabbed　hold　of　the　deck。　He　climbed　up　out　of　the　water　and　saw　the。　battered　ejection　seat　lying　crumpled　on　its　side　on　the　deck　in　front　of　him。　Then　he　turned　around；　surveyed　the　chaos　around　him。　
　Sarah　and　Abby　were　long　out　of　the　water　and　were　now　hurrying　into　the　tunnels　of　E…deck。　Not　far　from　them　were　Rebound　and　Mother。　Rebound　was　kneeling　over　Mother。　He　appeared　to　be　applying　pressure　to　a　wound　of　some　kind　on　Mother's　leg。　
　On　the　other　side　of　the　pool　Schofield　saw　the　two　surviving　French　mandos；　also　safely　out　of　the　water。　Soaking　wet；　they　were　just　getting　to　their　feet　on　the　deck。　One　of　them　saw　Schofield　and　began　to　reach　for　his　crossbow。　
　Just　then；　a　sudden　movement　caught　Schofield's　eye　and　he　turned　and　saw　a　familiar　black　shadow　whipping　down　the　length　of　the　pool。　
　Wendy。　
　Three　larger　black…and…white　shapes　raced　through　the　water　behind　her。　The　killers　in　pursuit。　
　Wendy　was　travelling　at　tremendous　speed；　just　below　the　surface。　Her　flippers　would　occasionally　sweep　backward　with　a　powerful　stroke　and　then　fall　in　by　her　sides　so　that　her　body　remained　as　streamlined　as　possible。　She　looked　like　a　bullet　shooting　through　the　pool；　alternately　appearing　and　disappearing　in　the　murky　red　clouds　that　stained　the　icy　water。　
　She　was　heading　for　the　deck；　for　that　part　of　the　deck　on　which　the　two　French　mandos　stood。　And　she　wasn't　slowing　down。　
　In　fact；　it　looked　to　Schofield　like　she　was　picking　up　speed　as　she　sped　toward　the　deck　with　the　three　black…and…white　specters　racing　through　the　water　behind　her。　
　Schofield　then　watched　in　amazement　as；　within　a　meter　of　the　deck；　Wendy　suddenly　launched　herself　out　of　the　water。　It　was　a　flat；　graceful　leap；　and　she　landed　smoothly　on　her　belly　on　the　deck　and　slid　forward　a　full　three　meters。　
　She　slid　right　past　the　two　bewildered　Frenchmen　standing　next　to　her。　
　But　she　didn't　stop　there。　No　sooner　had　she　stopped　sliding　than　she　was　up　on　her　foreflippers　and　galloping　as　fast　as　she　could；　away　from　the　water's　edge。　
　For　a　fleeting　instant　Schofield　wondered　why　she　would　do　that。　Surely　once　you　were　out　of　the　water　you　were　safe　from　the　killers。　
　And　then　Schofield　discovered　why　Wendy　did　what　she　did。　
　Like　a　demon　rising　from　the　depths；　one　of　the　pursuing　killer　whales　roared　out　of　the　water　and　hurled　its　massive　body　up　onto　the　deck；　landing　on　the　thick　metal　grating　with　an　enormous　crash。　The　huge　whale　slid　fast　across　the　deck；　carried　forward　by　the　weight　of　its　own　inertia。　It　rolled　smoothly　onto　its　side　as　it　moved；　so　that　its　jaws　opened　vertically；　and　then；　with　almost　effortless　grace；　it　caught　one　of　the　Frenchmen　in　its　mouth　and　bit　down　hard。　
　The　big　animal's　sliding　movement　stopped　and　it　ground　to　a　halt；　with　the　French　soldier…screaming　madly；　blood　pouring　from　his　mouth…held　tightly　within　its　jaws。　The　whale　then　began　to　shuffle　its　enormous　frame　awkwardly　backward　along　the　deck。　After　a　few　moments；　it　reached　the　edge　and　fell　back　into　the　water；　taking　the　screaming　Frenchman　down　with　it。　
　Wendy　had　known。　You　weren't　truly　safe　from　the　killers　until　you　were　well　clear　of　the　water's　edge。　
　The　six　people　remaining　on　the　deck　understood　at　once。　
　Get　away　from　the　edge。　
　Schofield　saw　Gant　join　Rebound　on　the　other　side　of　the　pool。　Saw　them　both　hurriedly　pick　up　Mother　by　the　shoulders　and　start　to　drag　her　away　from　the　edge。　As　they　did　so；　Schofield　caught　a　fleeting　glimpse　of　Mother's　lower　body。　The　bottom　half　of　one　of　her　legs　was　missing。　
　At　that　moment　there　came　a　sudden　resounding　whump！　from　behind　Schofield　and　he　felt　the　deck　beneath　him　shudder　violently。　He　spun　instantly；　faced　the　pool；　and　saw　the　smiling　face　of　one　of　the　killer　whales　sliding　across　the　deck　toward　him！　
　The　whale　slid　across　the　deck　fast。　
　Schofield　was　still　on　his　knees。　
　The　whale　rolled　onto　its　side；　opened　its　mouth　wide。　
　Schofield　dived　away　from　the　massive　creature；　saw　the　battered　ejection　seat　lying　on　the　deck　four　feet　behind　him。　If　he　could　just　get　to　it　and　leap　over　it；　he'd　be　safe。　He　scrambled　across　the　deck　on　his　hands　and　knees；　toward　the　big　ejection　seat。　
　The　whale　kept　ing。　Fast。　
　Schofield　clawed　at　the　deck；　crawled　as　fast　as　he　could。　Not　fast　enough。　He　wasn't　going　to　make　it。　
　He　wasn't　going　to　be　able　to　get　over　the　ejection　seat　in　time。