CHAPTER 109

Thomas didn’t think. He tore his eyes from where Jim had gone down, snatched the flare pistol from his belt, aimed at the searchlight under the helicopter, and fired.

The flare left the gun with a dull whup and the smoke trail of a bottle rocket, and for a moment nothing happened, so that Thomas thought he had missed or fired a dud. He was patting his pockets for another flare to jam into the gun when the helicopter burst into a red and white light. The shot had gone straight into the hold where the soldier was sitting, and its phosphorescent explosion was like a grenade. The helicopter jerked in the air, its rotors scything through space as it kicked sideways, and then something blew inside, and the flare light was eclipsed by a burst of orange that became a fireball. The helicopter seemed to stall in the air, losing its shape as part of the tail was flung aside, and then it was falling.

Thomas rolled, flinging himself as far as he could as the wreckage crashed through the trees toward him. Then there was another explosion and for a second he couldn’t think or feel and didn’t know if he was untouched or dying. Then he was up again, pulling Jim to his feet, screaming at Kumi to follow. She moved fast, apparently unhurt, but Jim had been hit twice and by the savage light of the burning helicopter, Thomas could see that his eyes were flickering.

“Stay with me,” he shouted. “Stay awake. Try to walk.”

And shouldering a good deal of the priest’s weight, he pressed on into the brush.

 
They moved slowly and Thomas was sure that it was only the chaos of the helicopter crash that had slowed their pursuers down. Without the chopper, they might even have decided to wait till dawn before continuing the hunt. That suited him just fine.

At the edge of the cove they settled in a grassy hollow. Jim lay back. He was still conscious, but only just. One bullet had gone through his left arm just above the elbow. The arm was probably broken, but it was the other bullet, which had gone through his shoulder, that worried Thomas. The exit wound was low under his arm, and God knew what damage it had done inside. He was struggling for breath and had probably taken some damage to his lungs. For all Thomas knew, he was dying.

He ran to the sub and retrieved the emergency kit. Kumi, who had always been better at such things, took it, applied antiseptic to the wounds, and bound them tight to stop the bleeding.

“I don’t know what else to do,” she said.

“This is good,” Jim managed. “Thanks.”

Kumi gave Thomas a look and her eyes were brimming.

“Sorry,” said Thomas. “I thought if I got you out . . .”

“They would have killed us anyway,” said Jim. “It was the right thing to do. I’m grateful.”

“Now what?” said Kumi.

“How many guards are on the Nara?” said Thomas.

“None,” she answered. “The crew are locked belowdecks. The captain is dead.”

Thomas exhaled.

“So?” said Kumi. “Your plan?”

“I figure we use the sub,” said Thomas.

“We can’t all get in it,” she said.

“Then leave me here,” said Jim.

“We can all get in if one of us gets on,” said Thomas.

“What do you mean?” said Kumi.

“I get in with Jim,” said Thomas, bracing himself. “You sit astride it and we make for the Nara.”

“And I’m supposed to breathe how?” she hissed.

“We’ll only submerge enough to stay out of sight. A foot or two at most. You’ll have your head above water.”

“How come I get to sit on the outside?” she demanded.

“I know how to pilot the thing,” said Thomas. “And Jim’s blood will attract sharks.”

There was a moment of silence broken by a snort. Jim was laughing.

“Now there,” he said, his Irish brogue thickening suddenly, “is a sentence you don’t hear everyday.”

Kumi looked from him to Thomas.

“Okay,” she said. “But we’d better be fast. It will be light soon.”

Thomas was getting up, but then stopped.

“What about Parks?” he said.

Jim blew out his breath. “We can’t get him out by ourselves,” he said. “If we can get aboard the Nara and reach port, we can send the authorities. Our getting out of here is his best shot.”

He sank back, exhausted from the exertion of speaking. Thomas nodded.

“Let’s go,” he said.