Patriot games - Tom Clancy [264]
"Cease fire! Cease fire! They're buggin' out," Breckenridge called. "Anybody hit?"
"Over here!" someone called to the right, where the women were.
Ryan followed the Sergeant Major over. Two Marines were down, one with a flesh wound in the arm, but the other had taken a round right through the hip and was screaming like a banshee. Cathy was already looking at him.
" Mendoza, what's happening?" Breckenridge called.
"They're heading out-wait-yeah, they're moving east!"
"Move your hands, soldier," Cathy was saying. The Private First- Class had taken a painful hit just below the belt on his left side. "Okay, okay, you're going to be all right. It hurts, but we can fix it." Breckenridge reached down to take the man's rifle. He tossed it to Sergeant Cummings.
"Who's in command here?" demanded Captain Mike Peters.
"I guess I am," Robby said.
"Christ, Robby, what's going on?"
"What the hell does it look like!"
Another truck arrived, carrying another six Marines. They took one collective look at the wounded men and yanked at the charging handles on their rifles.
"Goddammit, Robby-sir!" Captain Peters yelled.
"Terrorists. They tried to get us at Jack's place. They were trying to get-well, look!"
"Good evening, Captain," the Prince said after checking his wife. "Did we get any? I didn't have a clear shot." His voice showed real disappointment at that.
"I don't know, sir," Breckenridge answered. "I saw some rounds go short, and pistol stuff won't penetrate a boat like that." Another series of lightning flashes illuminated the area.
"I see 'em, they're going out to the bay!" Mendoza called.
"Damn!" Breckenridge growled. "You four, get the ladies over to the dispensary." He bent down to help the Princess to her feet as Robby lifted his wife. "You want to give the little girl to the Private, ma'am? They're going to take you to the hospital and get you all dried off."
Ryan saw that his wife was still trying to help one of the wounded Marines, then looked at the patrol boat in front of him. "Robby?"
"Yeah, Jack?"
"Does this boat have radar?"
Chief Znamirowski answered. "They all do, sir."
A Marine lowered the tailgate on the one pickup and helped Jackson load his wife aboard. "What are you thinking, Jack?"
"How fast are they?"
"About thirteen-I don't think they're fast enough."
Chief Bosun's Mate Znamirowski looked over the seawall at the boat Robby had steered in. "In the seas we got now, you bet I can catch one of those little things! But I need someone to work the radar. I don't have an operator in my section right now."
"I can do that," the Prince offered. He was tired of being a target, and no one would keep him out of this. "It would be a pleasure in fact."
"Robby, you're senior here," Jack said.
"Is it legal?" Captain Peters asked, fingering his automatic.
"Look," Ryan said quickly, "we just had an armed attack by foreign nationals on a U.S. government reservation-that's an act of war and posse commitatus doesn't apply." At least I don't think it does, he thought. "Can you think of a good reason not to go after them?"
He couldn't. "Chief Z, you have a boat ready?" Jackson asked.
"Hell, yes, we can take the seventy-six boat."
"Crank her up! Captain Peters, we need some Marines."
"Sar-Major Breckenridge, secure the area, and bring along ten men."
The Sergeant Major had left the officers to their arguments while getting the civilians loaded onto the truck. He grabbed Cummings.
"Sergeant, take charge of the civilians, get 'em to sick bay, and put a guard on 'em. Beef up the guard force, but your primary mission is to take care of these people here. Their safety is your responsibility-and you ain't relieved till I relieve you! Got it?"
"Aye, Gunny."
Ryan helped his wife to the truck. "We're going after them."
"I know. Be careful. Jack. Please."
"I will,