Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [99]
No one was there.
She armed the explosive.
“What are you doing here?” A man carrying an assault rifle was coming down the stairs behind her.
“I was looking for Archer. He told me to stay in the cabin, but I—”
She hurled the explosive with all her force into the galley, whirled, and hit the floor, covering her head.
The galley exploded with a force that shook the ship and blew the ceiling. She heard the man on the stairs grunt with pain.
Debris was flying like bullets in all directions. She felt a stinging on her leg but didn't uncover her head to look. Better her leg than her skull. Seconds later she cautiously raised her head. The man on the stairs was lying in a heap on the floor, blood pouring from his forehead.
The shaking had stopped. The other crewmen would be coming to investigate. She had to hide or get out.
Out.
The galley was roaring with flames. She'd be cooked if she stayed down here.
But she could hear the shouts and orders of the men on the deck. She'd walk right into them as she climbed the steps. She was no commando and she wanted to live. Better to hide, as Nicholas had told her.
Okay, wait. She grabbed the assault rifle from the man lying on the floor and ducked behind the steps. Not that she could see what good the weapon would do her. Hell, she didn't even know how to work an assault rifle.
Well, this was obviously the time to figure it out.
Two of Archer's men were running toward the stairs leading to the lower deck.
Kelby aimed and fired. One man down. The other man whirled with a curse, his gun drawn.
Kelby shot him between the eyes.
There was one more crewman. Where the hell was he?
Jesus, black smoke was pouring out of the open door.
He ran toward the stairs.
He couldn't see anything. Smoke stung his eyes. “Melis!”
No answer.
He started down the stairs. “Melis!”
“Don't come down here. I'm coming up.”
“Thank God.” It wasn't only smoke that was stinging his eyes. “Do you need help? Are you—”
“I need new lungs.” Melis was coughing as she came up the stairs. She tried to breathe. “Mine are burning up.”
“Archer?”
“Dead.”
“Stay here. There's one more crew member to account for.”
She shook her head. “Down . . . there.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded at the weapon in her hands. “I took this from him.”
“Get your breath. I've got to go see if Nicholas is okay.” He took off at a run for the bridge.
Get your breath?
That was easier said than done, Melis thought as she leaned against the rail. She felt as if her lungs were seared. She went to the rail and took several shallow breaths. That was better. Now try a deep breath—
“What a bad little girl.”
She whirled to see Archer leaning against the doorjamb. His face was blackened by smoke and he was covered with blood.
But there was a gun in his hand.
She jerked to the side as he pulled the trigger.
The bullet went past her cheek.
She lifted the assault rifle. Aimed quickly but carefully. Fired.
He screamed as the bullets tore into his groin. The gun fell from his hand as he fell.
She kept firing. And firing. And firing.
“I think he's out of commission, Melis,” Kelby said gently. He was standing beside her and holding out his hand. “And you're ricocheting a hell of a lot of bullets off everything around him.”
She had run out of bullets anyway, but she didn't give up the weapon. “I didn't know how to shoot it. So I just held down the trigger.”
“It was effective enough,” Nicholas said. “My God, I think you've blown his nuts off.”
“It's what I intended. I couldn't think of anything more fitting. Are you sure he's dead?”
Kelby went over and looked down at him. “I'll be damned, he's still alive.”
Archer's eyes opened and blazed at Melis. “Bitch. Whore.”
Kelby lifted his gun. “But I think it's time he said sayonara.”
“No,” Melis said. “Is he in pain?”
“Big time.”
“The wounds are fatal?”
“Yes, some of those bullets tore into his stomach.”
“How long will it take him to die?”
“Could be thirty minutes. Could be hours.”
Melis slowly walked toward