dk.solesurvivor-第63部分

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　　The　storyteller　hesitated。
　　'Now。'
　　Managing　to　surrender　with　arrogance；　the　storyteller　threw　the　gun　as　if　disdaining　it；　and　the　weapon　thudded　into　the　sand　at　Joe's　feet。
　　The　saviour　with　the　。44　said；　'Pick　it　up；　Joe。'
　　As　Joe　retrieved　the　pistol；　he　saw　the　new　arrival　use　the　Desert　Eagle　as　a　club。　The　storyteller　dropped　to　his　knees；　then　to　his　hands　and　knees；　but　did　not　go　all　the　way　out　until　struck　with　the　pistol　a　second　time；　whereupon　he　ploughed　the　sand　with　his　face；　planting　his　nose　like　a　tuber。　The　stranger　with　the　。44…a　black　man　dressed　entirely　in　black…stooped　to　turn　the　white…maned　head　gently　to　one　side　to　ensure　that　the　unconscious　thug　would　not　suffocate。
　　The　agent　with　the　knee…smashed　face　stopped　cursing。　Now　that　no　witnesses　of　his　own　kind　were　able　to　hear；　he　sobbed　miserably　again。
　　The　black　man　said；　'e　on；　Joe。'
　　More　impressed　than　ever　with　Mahalia　and　her　odd　collection　of　amateurs；　Joe　said；　'Where's　Rose？'
　　'This　way；　we've　got　her。'
　　With　the　disabled　agent's　sobs　purling　eerily　across　the　strand　behind　them；　Joe　hurried　with　the　black　man　north；　in　the　direction　that　he　and　Rose　had　been　heading　when　they　were　assaulted。
　　He　almost　stumbled　over　another　unconscious　man　lying　in　the　sand。　This　was　evidently　the　first　one　who　had　rushed　them；　the　one　who　had　fired　a　gun。
　　Rose　was　on　the　beach　but　in　the　inky　shadow　of　the　bluff。　Joe　could　barely　see　her　in　the　murk；　but　she　seemed　to　be　hugging　herself　as　though　she　were　shivering　and　cold　on　this　mild　summer　night。
　　He　was　half　surprised　by　the　wave　of　relief　that　washed　through　him　at　the　sight　of　her；　not　because　she　was　his　only　link　to　Nina　but　because　he　was　genuinely　glad　that　she　was　alive　and　safe。　For　all　that　she　had　frustrated　and　angered　and　sorely　confused　him；　she　was　still　special；　for　he　recalled；　as　well；　the　kindness　in　her　eyes　when　she　had　encountered　him　in　the　cemetery；　the　tenderness　and　pity。　Even　in　the　darkness；　small　as　she　was；　she　had　an　imposing　presence；　an　aura　of　mystery　but　also　of　consequence　and　prodigious　wisdom；　probably　the　same　power　with　which　great　generals　and　holy　women　alike　elicited　sacrifice　from　their　followers。　And　here；　now；　on　the　shore　of　the　night　sea；　it　was　almost　possible　to　believe　that　she　had　walked　out　of　the　deeps　to　the　west；　having　breathed　water　as　easily　as　she　now　breathed　air；　e　to　land　with　the　wonderful　secrets　of　another　realm。
　　With　her　was　a　tall　man　in　dark　clothes。　He　was　little　more　than　a　spectral　form…except　for　masses　of　curly　blond　hair　that　shone　faintly　like　sinuous　strands　of　phosphorate　seaweed。
　　Joe　said；　'Rose；　are　you　all　right？'
　　'Just　got　。　。　。　battered　around　a　little；'　she　said　in　a　voice　taut　with　pain。
　　'I　heard　a　shot；'　he　worried。　He　wanted　to　touch　her；　but　he　wasn't　sure　that　he　should。　Then　he　found　himself　with　his　arms　around　her；　holding　her。
　　She　groaned　in　pain；　and　Joe　started　to　let　go　of　her；　but　she　put　one　arm　around　him　for　a　moment；　embracing　him　to　let　him　know　that　in　spite　of　her　injuries　she　was　grateful　for　his　expression　of　concern。　'I'm　fine；　Joe。　I'll　be　okay。'
　　Shouting　rose　in　the　distance；　from　the　bluff　top　beside　the　restaurant。　And　from　the　beach　to　the　south；　the　disabled　agent　replied；　calling　feebly　for　help。
　　'Gotta　get　out　of　here；'　said　the　blond　guy。　'They're　ing。'
　　'Who　are　you　people？'　Rose　asked。
　　Surprised；　Joe　said；　'Aren't　they　Mahalia's　crew？'
　　'No；'　Rose　said。　'Never　saw　them　before。'
　　'I'm　Mark；'　said　the　man　with　the　curly　blond　hair；　'and　he's　Joshua。'
　　The　black　man…Joshua…said　something　that　sounded　like；　'We're　both　in　finna　face。'
　　Rose　said；　'I'll　be　damned。'
　　'Who；　what？　You're　in　what？'　Joe　asked。
　　'It's　all　right；　Joe；'　Rose　said。　'I'm　surprised　but　I　probably　shouldn't　be。'
　　Joshua　said；　'We　believe　we're　fighting　on　the　same　side；　Dr。　Tucker。　Anyway；　we　have　the　same　enemies。'
　　Out　of　the　distance；　at　first　as　soft　as　the　murmur　of　a　heart；　but　then　like　the　approaching　hooves　of　a　headless　horseman's　steed；　came　the　whump…whump…whump　of　helicopter　rotors。
　　
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　　Having　stolen　nothing　but　their　own　freedom；　they　raced　like　fleeing　thieves　alongside　the　bluffs；　which　soared　and　then　declined　and　then　soared　high　again；　almost　as　if　mirroring　Joe's　adrenaline　levels。
　　While　they　were　on　the　move；　with　Mark　in　the　lead　and　Rose　at　his　heels；　Joe　heard　Joshua　talking　urgently　to　someone。　He　glanced　back　and　saw　the　black　man　with　a　cell　phone。　Hearing　the　word　car；　he　realized　that　their　escape　was　being　planned　and　coordinated　even　as　it　was　unfolding。
　　Just　when　they　seemed　to　have　gotten　away；　the　thumping　promise　of　the　helicopter　became　a　bright　reality　to　the　south。　Like　a　beam　from　the　jewel　eye　of　a　stone…temple　god　angered　by　desecration；　a　searchlight　pierced　the　night　and　swept　the　beach。　Its　burning　gaze　arced　from　the　sandy　cliffs　to　the　foaming　surf　and　back　again；　moving　relentlessly　toward　them。
　　Because　the　sand　was　soft　near　the　base　of　the　palisades；　they　left　shapeless　impressions　in　it。　Their　aerial　pursuers；　however；　wouldn't　be　able　to　follow　them　by　their　footprints。　Because　this　sand　was　never　raked；　as　it　might　have　been　on　a　well…used　public　beach；　it　was　disturbed　by　the　tracks　of　many　others　who　had　e　before　them。　If　they　had　walked　nearer　the　surf；　in　the　area　where　higher　tides　had　pacted　the　sand　and　left　it　smooth；　their　route　would　have　been　as　clearly　marked　as　if　they'd　left　flares。
　　They　passed　several　sets　of　switchback　stairs　leading　to　great　houses　on　the　bluffs　above；　some　of　masonry　pinned　to　the　cliff　lace　with　steel；　some　of　wood　bolted　to　deep　pylons　and　vertical　concrete　beams。　Joe　glanced　back　once　and　saw　the　helicopter　hovering　by　one　staircase；　the　searchlight　shimmering　up　the　treads　and　across　the　railings。
　　He　figured　that　a　team　of　hunters　might　already　have　driven　north　from　the　restaurant　and　gone　by　foot　to　the　beach　to　work　methodically　southward。　Ultimately；　if　Mark　kept　them　on　the　strand　like　this；　they　would　be　trapped　between　the　northbound　chopper　and　the　southbound　searchers。
　　Evidently　the　same　thought　occurred　to　Mark；　because　he　suddenly　led　them　to　an　unusual　set　of　redwood　stairs　rising　through　a　tall　box　frame。　The　structure　was　reminiscent　of　an　early　rocket　gantry　as　built　back　when　Cape　Kennedy　had　been　called　Cape　Canaveral；　the　spacecraft　gone　now　and　the　architecture　surrounding　a　curious　void。
　　While　they　ascended；　they　were　putting　no　additional　distance　between　themselves　and　the　chopper；　but　it　continued　to　approach。　Two；　four；　six；　eight　flights　of　steep　stairs　brought　them　to　a　landing　where　they　seemed　horribly　exposed。　The　helicopter；　after　all；　was　hovering　no　more　than　a　hundred　feet　above　the　beach；　which　put　it　perhaps　forty　feet　above　them　as　they　stood　atop　the　bluff…and　hardly　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　to　the　south。　The　house　next　door　had　no　stairs　to　the　shore；　which　made　this　platform　even　more　prominent。　If　either　the　pilot　or　the　co…pilot　looked　to　the　right　and　at　the　bluff　top　instead　of　at　the　searchlight…splashed　sand　below；　discovery　could　not　be　avoided。
　　The　upper　landing　was　surrounded　by　a　six…foot…tall；　wrought　iron；　gated　security　fence　with　a　sharply　inward…angled；　spiked　top　to　prevent　unwanted　visitors　from　gaining　access　by　way　of　the　beach　below。　It　had　been　erected　long　ago　in　the　days　when　the　Coastal　mission　didn't　control　such　things。
　　The　helicopter　was　now　little　more　than　a　hundred　yards　to　the　south；　moving　forward　slowly；　all　but　hovering。　Its　screaming　engine　and　clattering　rotors　were　so　loud　that　Joe　could　not　have　made　himself　heard　to　his　panions　unless　he　shouted。
　　There　was　no　easy　way　to　climb　the　fence；　not　in　the　minute　or　two　of　grace　they　might　have　left。　Joshua　stepped　forward　with　the　doorbuster　Desert　Eagle；　fired　one　round　into　the　lock；　and　kicked　the　gate　open。
　　The　men　in　the　helicopter　could　not　have　heard　the　gunshot；　and　it　was　unlikely　that　the　sound　was　perceived　in　the　house　as　anything　more　than　additional　racket　caused　by　the　aircraft。　Indeed；　every　window　wa