Atlantis, page 4
part #6 of Dane Maddock Series
“Do you keep office hours, Pastor?” Willis asked.
“Why?”
“Because, when this is over, I just might drop by and teach you some manners. Keep your appointment book open.” Willis gunned the engine, drowning out the man’s sputtered retort.
Tam kept her eye on the pastor as they drifted away. If he wanted to shoot them, there was nothing they could do but duck, and she wanted to be ready. Thankfully, the man settled for staring daggers at them until they were out of sight.
They collected Matt and the woman he’d rescued, a Hooters girl who declared him her hero and offered to give him her number. While Matt searched in vain for pen and paper, they continued on until they came upon a group of survivors gathered on the roof of a local bar.
“Oh man, not Sloppy Joe’s.” Matt raised his hands in dismay. “Best joint in town underwater.”
The survivors atop the building welcomed the newcomers, particularly the Hooters girl, who was already eying one of the men on the roof. Their charges now safe, Tam decided they should continue to look for others who might need help, at least until they ran low on fuel.
They continued their search, finding victims, but few survivors. They passed two more churches, both packed with refugees. They were considering trying to make their way to safety when they caught sight of two men clinging to a child’s inflatable raft and struggling to keep their heads above water. Here, floating debris choked the streets. They had scarcely closed the gap between them and the struggling swimmers when a diver surfaced near the two men.
“Thank God!” one of them cried. “Can you help my partner? He can’t hold on much longer.”
Something glinted in the sunlight and the man fell back, clutching his throat as a curtain of scarlet poured from the gaping wound below his chin. He treaded water for a moment, the disbelief in his eyes evident even at a distance, and then he sank. Still clutching the boogie board, his partner managed only a startled cry before the diver’s knife flashed again and the second man disappeared beneath the water.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tam shouted. The diver jerked his head in her direction, and then disappeared beneath the water. Tam gaped at the empty space where, moments before, two cold-blooded murders had been committed before her eyes. The world had gone mad. “Get after him!” she shouted to Willis.
“He could be anywhere,” Matt said.
“Just go that way.” She pointed to the spot where she’d last seen the diver. After a few minutes of searching, though, they had to give it up as a bad job. The man was nowhere to be found. “Dammit.” She pounded her fist into her palm.
“Sorry,” Matt said. “There are just too many places he could have gone.”
“It’s not just that. He made me cuss, and I had a three day streak going.” She sighed. “Well, another dollar in the jar.”
“You might want to add a few more dollars.” Willis pointed down the submerged street to a boat speeding toward them. A man stood in the bow. At first, Tam thought he was pointing in their direction. Then a bullet smacked the water a foot from their boat, and she heard the report of a rifle.
They were being attacked.
“Something strange is happening up on the surface.” Dane checked the readouts on the display in front of him.
“How so?” Still distracted by the bells and whistles of this new craft, Bones sounded disinterested.
“I’ll skip the details and just say I think Key West has just been hit by a tsunami.”
That got Bones’ attention. “No freaking way! Corey would have let us know about any warnings.” Corey, their crew’s resident techie, was minding the shop back at their temporary headquarters.
“I’ll bet you a bottle of Dos Equis.” Dane wouldn’t mind losing that bet, but he knew better. His heart sank at the thought of his home being struck by such a disaster. And then he thought of Matt, Willis, and Tam. “Say, do you know what Tam and the guys had planned for today?”
“Besides bitching about us getting first crack at the sub? They were going to… Holy crap. They were going for a run somewhere around the pier. She’s been ragging Willis about his conditioning.”
“I’m taking over. See if you can raise Corey on the radio.”
Bones made several attempts to reach their friend, but failed. “He’s got to be okay. He’s minding the radio, so he wouldn’t be down on a bottom floor.”
“He probably lost power,” Dane said as the sub sliced through the water, headed for the dock. As they approached, he gradually brought the sub to the surface.
“Up periscope.” Bones tapped a button and an image of Key West appeared on their monitors.
Dane groaned. The island, or at least this part of it, lay under a good eight feet of water. The topmost portions of buildings rose above the churning surface, and all around, people sat perched on roofs or leaned out of second-story windows to witness the disaster.
“What do we do?” Bones asked.
“Let’s see if we can get closer. Maybe we’ll run into the others.” Dane felt the conspicuous absence of conviction in his voice, and he tried to force down the rising doubt. “They’ve been in worse situations than this. I figure they’re partying on a rooftop somewhere.”
He grew concerned as they made their way into the city and began to navigate the flooded streets. He wasn’t sure how far he dared take Remora. The sub was small and maneuverable, but the streets were choked with debris and submerged vehicles. If they found themselves stranded, at least they’d have a chance to try out some of the special features.
“Hey, check this out. An external mic!” Bones exclaimed. A moment later, a cacophony of noises filled the cabin: rushing water, people shouting… and gunshots. “What the hell? Surely nobody’s looting when the water’s this deep.”
“I don’t know,” Dane said. “Let’s find out.”
Chapter 6
“Listen up!” Wills shouted over the whine of the engine and the crackle of gunfire. “When we round the corner up ahead, there’s an office building with a broken window. I remember passing it. I’m going to swing in close and you two are going to jump in there. I’ll draw them off.”
“You can’t outrun them.” Matt stole a glance back at the boat that followed in their wake. “They’ll catch you in no time.”
“I don’t need to outrun them. I just need to draw them off of you and then I’ll swim for it.”
“Without diving gear? You’re crazy. I won’t allow it.” Tam grabbed for the wheel. “Let me.”
Willis gave her a level look and held on to the wheel. “I know you’re the boss, but this time, neither one of you needs to argue with me. I’m the only one of the three of us who can pull this off.”
“I hate it when he’s right, but of the three of us, he’s by far the best swimmer.” Matt turned to Willis and gripped his friend’s shoulder. “If you don’t make it back in one piece, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“You just fire up the barbecue and have me some ribs and a cold one waiting. Now, you two better be quick about it. Don’t let them see you.”
They approached the corner at a rapid clip. At least, rapid for the glass-bottom boat. As they turned and swung toward the gaping window, Tam and Matt moved to the edge of the boat and tensed to spring.
“You first, and be quick about it,” Matt said. “One… two… three!”
Tam flung herself through the window, tucked her shoulder, and rolled out of the way as Matt followed on her heels. He landed at an awkward angle and hit the floor with a thud.
“That sucked.” He rolled over and drew in a deep breath.
“Get up. We need to help Willis.” Tam didn’t wait for him, but dashed through the empty room and out into a hallway. To her right, she spotted the door that led to the stairs. With Matt hot on her heels, she dashed to the top floor, the fourth, and hurried along the hallway until she found the room closest to the corner of the building. Inside, she spotted what she’d hoped to find: a heavy wooden desk. “Help me turn this over.”
Matt bared his teeth in a predatory grin. Clearly, he understood what she had in mind. Together, they flipped the massive desk over onto its smooth top.
“You ready?”
“Just like football practice.” Matt put his shoulder to the desk and they pushed, gaining momentum until the desk slammed into the floor-to ceiling window. The sturdy grass cracked but did not shatter.
“Again,” Tam huffed. They repeated the maneuver two more times. The first time send a spiderweb of cracks splaying across the glass. The second time, the glass shattered, leaving a gaping hole four feet high. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
Matt peered around the edge of the window frame. “Here they come. “Let’s do it.”
The boat rounded the corner, traveling as fast as the tight quarters would permit. Its momentum forced the craft to swing wide, bringing it right up to the side of the building where Tam and Matt waited. She caught a glimpse of the armed man in the bow. His eyes were locked on Willis. Slowly, he raised his rifle.
“Now!” Tam said. They threw their weight against the desk. It slid forward, teetered on the edge, and then plummeted down onto the unsuspecting men. It struck the boat near the stern with a resounding crash, taking a chunk out of the boat’s side and eliciting cries of alarm as the boat tipped hard to port, taking in water over the damaged section. It didn’t, however, sink, and a hail of bullets answered their improvised bomb. Broken glass scoured their exposed flesh as they dove away and scrambled out into the hall.
“What do we do if they send men in after us?” Matt said as they dashed for the stairwell.
“I don’t know. Hide and pray, I guess.” It galled Tam to admit it, but she could think of no better plan.
“Is that Willis?” Dane looked at the boat that filled his screen as it churned through the debris-filled water, coming right at them. Sure enough, their friend stood at the wheel, jaw clenched. As he piloted the boat, he stole the occasional glance back over his shoulder. He appeared to be running from something. And he was alone. “Where are the others?”
“Maybe they’re in that other boat down the way?” Bones said.
In the distance, a second boat appeared. And then an odd thing happened. A desk came tumbling down from an upper story of a nearby building, and smashed into the corner of the boat. After a moment of shock, the passengers raised weapons and sent a barrage of bullets up at the building from which the desk had been dropped.
“I think we’ve got our answer,” Dane said. Up ahead, the gunfire ceased and the second boat roared off in pursuit of Willis. Two men took potshots at him as they pursued the glass-bottom boat. At their rate of speed, they’d catch up with Willis quickly.
Just then, Willis spotted their sub and slowed down.
Dane flipped on the two-way audio. “Need a lift?”
“I’m trying to draw them off of Tam and Matt!”
“You won’t last long. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Dane hastily outlined his plan, then took the sub down as far as he dared.
“Think it will work?” Bones asked.
“We’ll know soon enough.”
“You two, into the building and find whoever dropped that desk!” Karl shouted. The men obeyed immediately, and Karl gunned the engine as soon as they were clear of craft. Though the debris in the water slowed their progress, he felt confident he’d catch the glass-bottom boat quickly. Three of them, armed, against one man was fine odds. One fewer witness, and an undesirable for good measure. He smiled as the gap closed between him and his quarry. It was a fine day on the sea. Beside him, Abel and Henry fired off a few shots.
“Looks like he’s slowing down, sir.” Abel pointed at the boat ahead of them.
Sure enough, the glass bottom boat drifted to a stop. The pilot, a tall, black man, had apparently lost control, and the craft slowly rotated until it faced them broadside. The pilot spared them one panicked glance, then dropped down into the bottom of the boat.
“Broken down or out of fuel, I gather. It doesn’t matter. He is ours.” As they approached the foundering craft, Karl slowed their own boat and ordered his men to exercise caution. He assumed the man they pursued was unarmed, but there was no need to make a mistake.
“Where is he?” Abel leaned over the starboard rail and narrowed his eyes.
“Hiding, no doubt. You and Henry will board his boat and root him out. I’ll cover you.”
With a loud thump, their boat shuddered and a high-pitched grinding sound filled the air. “What the hell?” A whirring blade sliced through their hull. They gaped as it tore a ragged line across the bottom of the boat. What could do such a thing?
Panicked, Henry fired off two shots at the protruding blade, adding two holes to their already damaged craft.
“Stop it, you idiot!” Karl began working the controls, trying to break free of the blade before they sank. When they began to take on water, Abel and Henry grabbed buckets and bailed. Above the sound of the cutting blade, the engine roared and, with a jerk, they started moving in reverse. The blade disappeared, but the damage was done. They’d be lucky to get away before they sank. They needed to get to the church, and get there unseen at that.
As Karl turned the boat about, an alien-looking metal claw appeared over the port bow, clamped down on Abel’s head, and plucked him out of the boat. Abel screamed in terror and fired his AK-47 with wild abandon. Henry went down, clutching his stomach as a seeping flow of crimson spread across his midriff.
Karl let loose a stream of curses and gunned the engine, hoping extra speed would help keep the craft afloat until he could get away. He spared no more than a single glance at the building where he’d left his other two men, but didn’t slow down. There was no time. If he stopped for them, the boat might sink, or, worse, whoever… whatever had attacked them might catch up. Right now, the only thing he wanted was to get as far away from this disaster as possible.
“This had better work,” Matt grunted, the strain evident in his voice. “I don’t think I can hold myself in place up here much longer.”
“Shut up. I hear them coming.” Tam had little confidence in her plan, but, as improvised attack plans went, it wasn’t the worst. She stood just outside the door that led into the darkened stairwell and listened as the footsteps drew closer. Thinking they had nothing to fear, the men who pursued them weren’t making any effort to keep quiet. Tam didn’t care if they were arrogant or just plain stupid, either was a point in her favor.
The sounds grew louder until she was sure they were almost upon them. This was it. Whispering a quick prayer, she dropped to one knee as she heard a loud thud and a shout of surprise as Matt dropped down onto the man in the lead. By pressing his hands and feet against the stairwell walls, he’d managed to climb up to ceiling level and wait until he could take their pursuers by surprise.
Before either man could react, Tam squeezed the lever on the fire extinguisher she’d taken off the wall nearby. She heard another surprised shout as gas filled the stairwell. She emptied the canister and then flung it into the cloud, then rolled aside as bullets flew through the open doorway.
“Come after me,” she whispered to herself. “I dare you.” She clenched her fists, ready to spring. She’d have to get the drop on the gunman, and that was an iffy proposition since she and Matt had just sprung an ambush on them, but it was her only hope. Every nerve alive, every muscle tensed, she readied herself to spring.
Another burst of gunfire rang out.
And then silence.
She waited, not daring to breathe. Her heart pounded out a steady beat.
“I’m okay.”
She sagged with relief at the sound of Matt’s voice. “What took you so long?”
“You try wrestling a gun away from a guy and knocking him out before his buddy shoots you. Of course, I knocked him out after I shot the other guy. Now, help me haul this dude out of here.”
“Not bad,” Tam said as they dragged the unconscious man out of the stairwell and into the nearest room. “I don’t think your crew mates give you enough credit.”
“Please. I’m a Ranger. I eat SEALs with barbecue sauce.”
“If you say so.” Tam smirked. “I’m going to grab the other guy’s rifle and make sure he’s dead.”
“Oh, he’s done, but check if you like.” The semi-conscious man was already beginning to stir, and Matt took a step back and trained the procured rifle on him. By the time Tam returned, their captive was awake, if not fully alert. He gazed up at them with hate-filled eyes, but he didn’t move.
“Who are you?” she asked.
No reply.
“How hard did you hit him?” she asked Matt, who shrugged. “Okay, dummy. You don’t know your own name, so how about telling me why you’re out there shooting at people instead of saving them?”
“You can’t talk to me like that.”
“I believe I just did. What’s the problem? Mister murderer don’t like taking orders from a woman?”
“It’s not murder. It’s a cleansing.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the man blanched. Faster than Tam would have thought possible, he sprang to his feet and ran, not at her and Matt, but for the closest window.
“Stop!” she called, but the man flung himself against the glass, which shattered on impact. He flew out into open air and disappeared from sight. She ran to the window and looked down, where their prisoner of seconds before now floated in the water, his head caved in on one side. He had struck the top of a lamppost just before hitting the water.
“So much for questioning him,” Matt said. “What do you think he meant by a cleansing?”
“I don’t know for sure.” Tam felt cold inside. “But I think we’d better figure it out.”
“I think I squeezed his head too hard. He looks pretty out of it to me.” The man Bones had snatched out of the boat using one of the sub’s remote appendages lay atop an awning just above water level, held fast by the remote arm. He’d lost his weapon, and now stared up in disbelief at the sub’s high-density cutting blade, which hovered inches above his chest.
