Marauder (Oregon Files 15)

He’d been exposed to the Enervum gas. It had to be that woman. Somehow, she’d outwitted him. He didn’t even know who she was, but he couldn’t hate her more.

Water quickly rose around him. He thrashed him arms, but they were useless. He tried screaming for help, but he could form no words. His voice became the distressed wail of a terrified animal.

Polk continued his pitiful cry until it was doused by the water covering his face.

SEVENTY-SIX

The Gator motored over to where Juan was holding up Linc. Next to him, Sylvia was treading water with Eric. Eddie and Raven had already been picked up by Linda, and they were on the deck with MacD.

They came alongside and pulled Eric out of the water, then Sylvia. Linc was next.

Finally, Juan kicked himself onto the deck and followed the others in, grabbing a metal handhold, like the others had, while keeping a grip with his free hand on Linc’s life jacket to keep him from falling back into the water.

“Go, Linda,” he shouted.

She gunned the diesel, and the Gator rose until its hull was gliding across the surface.

Behind them, the superstructure and cranes of the Centaurus were all that was visible as water bubbled around it. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and opera house gleamed in the distance, framing the hundreds of sailboats and pleasure yachts that had gathered to observe the New Year’s Eve celebration.

“Midnight coming up,” MacD yelled over the wind. “Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . .”

Fireworks shot up along the entire arch of the bridge in a glorious display of color. Glittering showers of sparkling crackers rained from its side.

Not three hundred yards away, the last of the Centaurus disappeared into the harbor. To punctuate its demise, a bright flash erupted underneath the surface as hundreds of rockets detonated simultaneously. A volcano of water exploded upward, lifting a dome of white foam into the air. It collapsed upon itself, sending out waves that diminished in size rapidly as they rippled in all directions.

The water settled again, and the flash vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

Linda slowed the Gator and brought it to a stop.

“Are we clear?” she yelled.

Juan breathed in. He didn’t feel light-headed or woozy.

“How does everyone else feel?” he asked.

All of them were sopping wet except for MacD. Nobody was shivering, though. Even this late at night, the air was warm and pleasant.

“Other than my ankle killing me, I’m fine,” Eddie said.

“I think the water neutralized the gas just like we expected,” Raven said.

“Come on up and join us, Linda,” Juan called. “The weather’s beautiful.”

They were still catching their breath, not ready to do the hard work of lowering Linc and Eric into the Gator. So Raven and MacD propped Linc against the cupola to make him more comfortable while Sylvia cradled Eric’s head in her lap. Even though he was paralyzed, he seemed quite content.

Linda climbed up through the hatch and looked them over.

“You guys are a motley sight,” she said. “Is everyone okay??

?

“Some better than others,” Juan said. “We’ve got a few injuries that will need tending. Eric and Linc got hit by the same gas that paralyzed Murph.”

“Oh, no.”

“There is good news. I hope.”

Juan took the duffel from Raven and unzipped it. He took out one of the plastic packs. He opened and removed one of the vials.