Phantom Prospect - Alex Archer [81]
“Dammit!”
She couldn’t stay there. She wondered how far she would have to throw her sword to score a hit on the guard above her at ten o’clock.
No time like the present to find out, she thought.
The first thing she did was lean out and lay down a rain of fire at the two-o’clock position. Then she dropped the gun and summoned the sword. She rolled out and came up into a crouch before hurling the sword like a javelin up at the catwalk.
She ducked and rolled back behind the cover again, laying her hands on the submachine gun. Annja came up and fired two rounds at the two-o’clock position, barely aware that the firing had stopped from the ten-o’clock position.
She risked a look and saw that her sword had impaled the guard. He was dead, with the sword jutting out of his chest.
Another volley of bullets made her duck back down.
It seemed there was only one guard left.
Annja came up again, fired long and then ran for the safety of the overhang. She rushed into Cole’s arms, almost tackling him as she did so.
“Jesus, Annja, you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“I saw you throw the sword. Incredible.”
“Save it for later,” Annja said.
He stopped her. “But what about the sword? Don’t you need to get it back? You can’t just throw it away like that.”
Annja laughed. “Don’t worry about the sword. It takes care of itself and always comes home. Kinda like a boomerang.”
“Interesting.”
Annja eyed the expanse of open space in front of them, and scanned it carefully, but didn’t see anything that would bar their way. “I think we’re clear,” she said.
“You sure?”
Annja nodded. “I think that was the last major obstacle. What sub do you want?”
Cole hesitated. “I’d opt for the normal-looking one, actually. Too many bad memories of being swallowed by a shark. I don’t think I’d enjoy the ride back home.”
Annja nodded. “Okay, let’s go for it.”
She and Cole dashed for the dock. They made their way down a set of metal steps that led to the mooring area. Annja could see the detail on the two sharks as they drew abreast of them. Floating as they were in the water, they didn’t seem nearly as frightening as they did when they were actually moving through the water.
Incredible, Annja thought. “That’s damned impressive,” she said.
“Maybe we can get one as a souvenir,” Cole said. “I don’t see any guards anywhere.”
“Neither do I,” Annja said. “Let’s get aboard and get this thing started.”
She climbed aboard and started untying the ropes that held the submarine to the dock. She heard the engine start up and then switch off.
Annja’s stomach knotted.
Not now, she thought, don’t tell me we’re having mechanical difficulties. That’s the last thing they needed.
“Cole?”
He didn’t respond and Annja heard the engine start to turn over again and then fall dead.
She finished untying the moor lines and scampered over to the conning tower entry point. “Cole?”
Annja climbed over the edge and then dropped down into the main portion of the sub itself. She heard noises from the engine room and moved through the hatchway. “Everything okay now?”
Cole was nowhere to be seen.
But two guards aimed their guns at Annja.
Behind them, in the captain’s chair, sat an older man with white hair tinged with red streaks. He looked pleased.
“Welcome, Annja Creed. It’s so nice to have you here with us.” He smiled at her. “Now, listen to me very carefully. I won’t hesitate to shoot you, but I would prefer not to. If you stand very still you might even live to enjoy the next few minutes of your life. Imagine that.”
32
Annja looked at the man and frowned. “You must be Henderson.”
He smiled. “Thornton Henderson III at your service. And I must say it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Where’s Cole?”
“You mean the lad who came scrambling down here with the intent to steal one of my submarines?”
“Yes.”
“He’s a bit tied up at the moment,” Henderson said. He snapped his fingers and one of the guards moved to the side just enough so Annja could see Cole on his stomach with his hands tied behind him.
She looked back at Henderson. “You shouldn’t have