The Rising Sea (NUMA Files 15)

“See anything?” Kurt asked.

“No, but I hear something,” Joe said.

A second later, Kurt heard it, too. A motorboat racing their way. It came out of the darkness, detectable only by the white bow wave, until the lights came on at the last second.

Akiko leaned over as she pulled alongside. “About time you came back,” she said. “A girl could drown out here, waiting in the rain.”

Kurt helped Nagano into the boat; Joe climbed in behind them. Before they could move, fiberglass began exploding around them as rifle shots from the island came their way.

Dropping flat onto the floor of the boat, Kurt shouted to Akiko, “Kill the lights! Get us out of here!”

She reached up, gunned the throttle and turned the wheel. The boat spun and leapt forward, but the onslaught continued.

Kurt felt a bullet scrape his arm. He watched the windshield shatter and the marine radio explode as a shell hit it dead center. The transom and the back end

of the boat took a dozen hits or more before they finally drove out of range.

Akiko kept the throttle open.

“Everyone okay?” Kurt asked.

Nagano nodded. Joe was bleeding from a flesh wound on his thigh but was otherwise unhurt. Akiko picked fiberglass shards out of her hair.

The boat continued on, putting distance between them, the warbots and the gunmen on the island, but smoke was pouring from the motor housing. They made it a mile or so before flames erupted from beneath the cowling.

“Shut it down,” Joe called out, grabbing a fire extinguisher.

Akiko pulled the throttle back to zero and the boat began coasting. It continued to slow until its momentum was used up.

Joe lifted the engine cowling and doused the flames with a fire extinguisher. One look told him they were stuck. “That’s not fixable.”

“Now what?” Akiko said.

Kurt turned toward the mainland. The sky was beginning to lighten over Nagasaki. Dawn was almost upon them.

“You two stay here,” he said to Akiko and Nagano. “Wave down any passing ship you see. Joe and I are going to swim for it.”

“It’s a full mile to shore,” Akiko said.

“At least,” Kurt said. “Let’s hope the tide is with us.”

56

SHANGHAI

IT WAS still dark as Paul and Gamay walked across the vacant plaza of the People’s Square in central Shanghai.

“This was once a racetrack for horses,” Mel told them. “But the Communist Party didn’t like gambling, so they put an end to that and made it a park.”

“How appropriate,” Paul said, “considering we’re about to bet our freedom on a long shot.”

They continued across the park and approached a government building. It was unofficially known as the Oyster because the lower levels were hidden from view by a graceful curve of concrete and glass, which one had to pass under before approaching the front doors.

There was no hesitation. All the important decisions had been made. All that remained was to see how things played out. They arrived at the door, waiting patiently as Mel used her credentials to placate the guard outside the building.

“Why don’t I go in alone?” Paul said. “If it goes badly, you two still have a chance to escape.”

Gamay shook her head. “For better or for worse, remember?”