The Judas Strain - James Rollins [108]
Ryder yanked her another three feet up.
Monk emptied the remainder of his clip, another three rounds, discouraging anyone’s approach. That should keep everyone back.
He was wrong.
The swordswoman appeared again and leaped to the top of the rail, like a gymnast mounting a balance beam—then she leaped straight up, sword pointed high.
Lisa screamed.
8:47 P.M.
THE BLADE SLID past her boot heel, sliced through her jeans, and bit deep into her left calf.
Then the sword fell away, succumbing to gravity.
Lisa stared between her toes. Surina landed on the balcony deck and stepped deftly away. She didn’t even glance back up.
Ryder drew Lisa higher yet again.
Out of reach.
Lisa lost sight of the balcony, pulled beyond the curve of the hull. Hugging the rope, she trembled and shook. Blood poured down her leg and into her boot.
She spotted Monk to one side climbing back up to the railing.
Moments later, someone grabbed her shoulders and dragged her bodily over the rail. She fell to the deck, still shaking. Ryder appeared, unwrapping a head scarf that had fallen around his neck.
“This is going to hurt,” he said, but it sounded far away.
He took the scarf, wrapped it around her burning calf, then swiftly tugged it tight. Pain bloomed through her, earning a strangled gasp from her. But the agony broke through the threatening shock.
Sound returned from out of the hollow well down which it had fallen.
Ryder helped her stand. “We have to go. They’ll be up here any bloody moment.”
She nodded. “Fine…go…yes.”
It wasn’t Shakespeare, but Ryder understood. He shouldered her up while Monk helped Susan. They were all drenched.
They set off toward the stern of the boat.
“Where…?” she asked, hobbling as fast as she could.
“We’ll never make my boat,” Ryder answered. “They’ll have the stairs and elevators covered.”
Confirming this, an alarm began to wail, sounding deep in the ship, then exploding out to the decks.
Monk pointed over the rail and down. “The public tender dock,” he said. “An hour ago, when I checked for any guards at your private launch, I spotted one of the pirates’ blue speedboats tethered down there, unmanned and abandoned.”
“The tender dock lies just as many decks down.”
Monk drew them in a limping group to the midship rail. He leaned out. “Not if we take a more direct route.”
He pointed down.
Lisa craned over. She could just make out the protruding end of the tender dock. A speedboat with an outboard motor was moored there. It must have been used to shuttle pirates between their small village and the ship.
It seemed unguarded.
“We jump?” Susan asked, dismayed.
Monk nodded. “Can you swim?”
Susan nodded. “I’m a marine biologist.”
Lisa balked. They were a good fifty feet above the water. Shouts echoed in the direction of the bow. Monk glanced at Lisa’s leg, then up to her face.
She nodded. No other choice.
“We’ll have to go as a group,” Monk said. “One big splash will draw less attention than four.”
They climbed over and held themselves steady on the rail.
Monk leaned farthest out. “Ready.”
Nods all around.
Lisa’s stomach churned, her leg throbbed. Pain made her see stars in the dark water, brief flashes of electric streaks.
Monk counted down, and they all leaped.
Arms flailing for balance, Lisa plunged feet first. She had done some cliff-diving in the past. Still, when she struck the water it was like landing on hard-packed dirt. The blow impacted her entire frame. Her knees buckled—then the sea gave way. She shot deep into the warm water. After the chill of the rain and wind, the lake felt like a welcoming bath.
Her momentum slowed, braking further with her arms out.
Then she was rising. She kicked and stroked back to the surface, breaking through with a gasp. All around, rain pebbled the water. Winds spat in contrary gusts.
Treading water, Lisa spotted the three others. Monk was already headed to the boat.
Ryder helped Susan. He glanced over to Lisa.
She waved him to the boat.
Her boots and sodden clothes