mreilly.icestation-第71部分

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　359　feet。　358　feet。　
　〃A…ha；〃　Renshaw　said　from　the　other　side　of　the　bell。　
　Schofield　turned。　Renshaw　was　standing　in　front　of　a　small　TV　monitor　that　was　attached　to　the　wall　high　up　near　the　ceiling。　Renshaw　clicked　it　on。　〃I　forgot　about　this；〃　he　said。　
　〃What　is　it？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃It's　another　of　old　Carmine　Yaeger's　toys。　You　remember　the　old　guy　I　told　you　about　before；　the　guy　who　used　to　watch　the　whales　all　the　time。　Do　you　remember　I　told　you　he　used　to　watch　them　sometimes　from　inside　the　diving　bell？　Well；　this　monitor　is　another　one　of　his　video　feeds　of　the　station's　pool。　Yaeger　had　it　installed　so　he　could　watch　the　surface　of　the　pool　while　he　was　underwater　in　the　bell。〃　
　Schofield　looked　up　at　the　small　black…and…white　monitor。　
　On　the　screen　he　saw　the　same　view　of　E…deck　that　he　had　seen　when　he　was　in　Renshaw's　room　earlier。　The　view　from　the　camera　on　the　underside　of　the　retractable　bridge　on　C…deck；　looking　straight　down　on　E…deck。　
　Schofield　froze。　
　He　saw　people　on　the　screen。　
　SAS　troops　with　guns。　Snake　still　cuffed　to　the　pole。　And　Trevor　Barnaby；　pacing　slowly　around　E…deck。　
　And　there　was　one　other　person。　
　There　on　the　deck；　down　at　Barnaby's　feet；　having　his　feet　tied　up；　was　Book　Riley。　
　
　〃All　right；　hoist　him　up；〃　Barnaby　said；　once　Nero　had　finished　tying　the　Maghook's　cable　around　Book's　ankles。　
　Somebody　else　had　already　splayed　out　the　Maghook's　rope　and　tossed　its　launcher　over　the　retractable　bridge　on　C…deck；　creating　a　pulley…like　mechanism。　
　Nero　took　the　launcher　from　one　of　the　other　British　mandos　and　wedged　its　grip　between　two　rungs　of　the　rung…ladder　between　E…deck　and　D…deck。　Then　he　pressed　the　black　button　on　the　launcher　that　reeled　in　the　rope。　
　As　a　result　of　the　pulley　mechanism…the　rope　being　stretched　taut　over　the　bridge　on　C…deck…Book　was　suddenly　lifted　off　the　deck　by　his　ankles。　His　hands　were　still　cuffed　behind　his　back。　He　swung　out　over　the　pool　and　dangled　helplessly…head…down…in　the　air　above　the　water。　
　
　〃What　the　hell　are　they　doing？〃　Renshaw　asked　as　he　and　Schofield　stared　at　the　black…and…white　monitor。　
　On　the　monitor　they　could　see　Book　dangling　directly　beneath　them；　hanging　from　his　own　Maghook　out　over　the　water。　
　At　that　moment；　the　diving　bell　rocked　slightly；　and　Schofield　grabbed　the　wall　to　steady　himself。　
　〃What　was　that？〃　Renshaw　said　quickly。　
　Schofield　didn't　have　to　answer　him。　
　The　answer　lay　right　outside　the　windows　of　the　slow…moving　bell。　
　Several　large　dark　shapes　rose　through　the　water　all　around　the　diving　bell；　their　distinctive　black…and…white　outlines　all　too　familiar。　
　The　pod　of　killer　whales。　
　
　They　were　heading　up　toward　the　station。　
　The　first　dorsal　fin　pierced　the　surface　of　the　water；　and　a　murmur　went　up　among　the　twenty　or　so　SAS　troops　gathered　around　the　pool　on　E…deck。　
　Book　was　still　dangling　upside…down　above　the　pool。　He　saw　it；　too：　the　enormous　black　outline　of　a　killer　whale　gliding　slowly　through　the　water　beneath　him。　He　began　to　wriggle；　but　it　was　no　use…his　hands　were　firmly　cuffed；　his　feet　firmly　bound。　
　His　dog　tags　began　to　slip　over　his　head。　A　couple　of　seconds　later　they　dropped　off　his　chin　and　plonked　down　into　the　water　and　sank　fast。　
　Barnaby　watched　the　killer　whales　from　the　poolside　deck。　〃This　should　make　things　very　interesting。〃　
　At　that　moment；　one　of　his　corporals　came　up　to　him。　It　was　the　same　corporal　who　had　reported　to　him　before。　〃Sir；　the　Tritonal　charges　are　all　set。〃　
　The　corporal　offered　Barnaby　a　small　black　unit　the　size　of　a　thick　calculator。　It　had　a　numbered　keypad　on　it。　〃The　detonation　unit；　sir。〃　
　Barnaby　took　it。　〃How　are　the　outer　markers　looking？〃　
　〃We　have　five　men　stationed　along　the　outer　perimeter　monitoring　the　horizon　with　laser　range　finders；　sir。　Last　check；　there　was　no　one　within　fifty　miles　of　this　place；　sir。〃　
　〃Good；〃　Barnaby　said。　〃Good。〃　
　He　turned　his　attention　back　to　the　pool　and　the　American　Marine　hanging　helplessly　above　it。　
　〃Gives　us　a　little　time　for　some　R　and　R；〃　Barnaby　said。　
　
　〃Jesus；　can't　this　thing　go　any　faster？〃　Schofield　said　as　he　stared　at　the　depth　counter。　It　ticked　slowly　downward　as　they　rose　through　the　water。　They　were　still　190　feet　from　the　surface。　Still　at　least　seven　minutes　away。　
　Schofield　watched　the　image　of　Book　on　the　screen。　
　〃Shit！〃　he　said。　〃Shit！〃　
　〃Mr。　Nero；〃　Barnaby　said。　
　
　Nero　pressed　a　button　on　the　Maghook's　launcher；　and　suddenly　the　Maghook　began　to　play　out　its　rope　and　Book　began　to　descend　toward　the　pool；　headfirst。　
　The　water　beneath　him　was　choppy。　Killer　whales　sliced　through　it　in　every　direction。　Suddenly　one　of　them　rose　above　the　surface　beneath　Book　and　blew　a　spray　of　water　out　of　its　blowhole。　
　Book's　head　descended　toward　the　water。　He　was　one　foot　above　it　when　he　jolted　to　a　sudden　halt。　
　〃Mr。　Riley！〃　Barnaby　called　from　the　safety　of　the　deck。　
　〃What？〃　
　〃Rule　Britannia；　Mr。　Riley！〃　
　Nero　hit　the　button　again　and　Book's　head　and　upper　body　plunged　underwater。　
　
　No　sooner　was　Book　underwater　than　a　line　of　sharp　white　teeth　whooshed　past　his　face。　
　Book's　eyes　went　wide。　
　There　were　so　many　of　them！　Killer　whales　all　around　him。　A　slow…moving　forest　of　black　and　white。　The　whales　seemed　to　prowl　around　the　water。　
　And　then　suddenly　Book　saw　one　of　them　spot　him；　saw　it　turn　suddenly　in　the　water　and　e　at　him…at　speed。　
　Book　hung　there；　upside　down　in　the　water；　totally　exposed；　unable　to　move。　
　The　killer　charged　at　him。　
　
　The　SAS　mandos　cheered　when　they　saw　the　enormous　dorsal　fin　of　the　killer　make　a　beeline　for　the　submerged　Marine。　
　In　the　diving　bell；　Schofield　was　glued　to　the　monitor。　
　〃e　on；　Book；〃　he　said。　'Tell　me　you've　got　something　up　your　sleeve。〃　
　
　Book　shook　his　hands　behind　his　back。　The　cuffs　wouldn't　budge。　
　The　killer　came　at　him。　
　Fast。　
　It　opened　its　jaws　and　rolled　onto　its　side　and…　
　…slid　past　him；　brushing　roughly　against　the　side　of　Book's　body。　
　
　The　SAS　mandos　booed。　
　
　In　the　diving　bell；　Schofield　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief。　
　Behind　him；　Renshaw　said　softly；　〃It's　over。〃　
　〃What　do　you　mean；　it's　over？〃　
　〃Remember　what　I　told　you　before。　They　stake　their　claim　with　the　first　pass。　Then　they　eat　you。〃　
　
　Book　screamed　with　frustration　under　the　water。　
　He　couldn't　get　his　hands　free。　
　Couldn't。。。　get。。　。his。。。　hands。。。　free。。。。　
　And　then　he　saw　the　killer　whale　again。　
　It　was　ing　at　him　a　second　time。　The　same　whale。　
　The　killer　whale　powered　through　the　water；　faster　this　time；　moving　with　purpose；　its　high　dorsal　fin　cutting　hard　through　the　chop。　
　Book　saw　its　jaws　open　again；　and　this　time　he　saw　the　white　teeth　and　the　pink　tongue　and　as　it　came　closer　and　closer　his　terror　became　extreme。　
　The　killer　whale　didn't　roll　sideways　this　time。　
　It　didn't　brush　past　him　this　time。　
　No；　this　time；　the　seven…ton　killer　whale　plowed　into　Book　with　pulverizing　force；　and　before　Book　even　knew　what　had　hit　him　the　big　whale's　jaws　came　crashing　down　around　his　head。　
　
　Inside　the　diving　bell；　Schofield　stared　at　the　monitor　in　silence。　
　〃Holy　Christ；〃　Renshaw　breathed　from　behind　him。　
　The　image　on　the　screen　was　absolutely　horrifying。　
　A　fountain　of　blood　spewed　out　from　the　water。　The　whale　had　crunched　into　Book's　suspended　body　and　consumed　his　entire　upper　half。　Now　it　was　shaking　the　corpse　violently；　trying　to　wrench　it　free　from　the　rope…like　a　great　white　shark　grappling　with　a　piece　of　meat　hung　out　over　the　side　of　a　boat。　
　Schofield　didn't　say　anything。　
　He　swallowed　back　the　vomit　welling　in　his　throat。　
　
　
　
　Down　in　the　cavern；　Montana　and　Sarah　Hensleigh　stared　at　the　screen　above　the　keypad。　Gant　had　left　them。　She　had　gone　back　over　to　the　fissure　she　had　found　at　the　other　end　of　the　cavern。　
　Hensleigh　stared　at　the　screen。　
　
　24157817　_________________________　
　ENTER　AUTHORIZED　ENTRY　CODE　
　
　〃It's　a　way　in；〃　she　said。　
　Eight　digits　were　already　displayed　on　the　screen。　24157817。　Then　there　were　sixteen　blank　spaces　to　be　filled　in　with　the　entry