by Radclyffe
an image to appear.
“Cams boat, Blair asked hoarsely. “Cams boat should still
be there, shouldnt it? Paula?
For the first time in her life, Paula ignored the first
daughter. Renée was on the boat that had suddenly
disappeared. The thought sent a momentary surge of panic
through her and she went completely blank. Then, as if
changing a channel in her mind, picture after picture snapped
into view and came sharply into focus. Beirut, the Cole, the
World Trade Center, the Pentagon. A field in Pennsylvania.
Not one life. Not hundreds of lives. Thousands and more to
come, she knew. And her part to play was here, today, and it
would never be about one life again. Not even the life of the
woman she loved.
“Theyre there, somewhere, and well find them, Paula
said steadily, because she had to believe it. “Mac, get me a
picture of
whats going on out there and an open line to Renée Savard.
“Yes maam, Mac said, his voice rough with strain. “Ill do
that.
* * * * *
“Theres debris in the water, Savard shouted over the roar of
the engine.
Cam leaned over the railing, narrowing her eyes against the
icy spray and staring at the shiny black surface of the water.
“Whos got the wheel?
“Donaldson. I need to be out here. Savard raised the radio
cradled in her hand. “Ill direct him.
Cam didnt argue. She doubted she could get Savard to go
back inside, and she didnt have the time or inclination to
persuade her. One hundred feet in front of them a geyser of
flame spouted into the air, the engine fuel from Valeries and
Henrys boats burning. She should have expected something like
this. Matheson would be a fool to leave a weak link like Henry
alive, and Matheson was no fool. Henry had underestimated
him, and so had she. She would not let Valerie pay for her
miscalculation. She kicked off her shoes, shrugged out of her
holster, pulled her badge off her belt, and pushed everything into
a bench locker.
“You cant the water is 40 degreesCommander?
“Tell Donaldson to head for the flames and to get all the
lights focused off the bow. Move ahead slowly. Christ, we dont
want to hit her.
“Commander
“Shes in the goddamn water, Renée, and Im going to get her out.
Savard shouted orders into the two-way. As the boat
corrected
course, Cam flung her head back, furiously trying to clear
her vision. Oily smoke roiled from the flaming hulls,
obscuring the surface of the water. The boats were no longer
tethered to one another and huge sections wallowed in the
waves. Burning fragments the size of refrigerators drifted as they
slowly sank.
“There! Savard pointed off to their right. “The
dinghy!
Cam jerked around and followed Savards arm. A capsized
inflatable rubber dinghy bobbed on the water.
“The explosion probably upended it, Savard cursed.
Cam stepped up onto the railing and dove into the water.
* * * * *
“Im getting something now, Chief, Mac said urgently as
he continued to rapidly type. “Itll just take a second to redirect
the satel ite focus.
“Get me in as tight as you can. Paula turned at a sound
behind them. Hara stood in the doorway. “All clear?
“Yes maam. Everything is quiet. She glanced toward the
monitors but said nothing.
“Run status checks every five with the team leaders, Paula
directed.
“Yes maam. Ill take point on the shore.
“Good. Paula bent forward, peering at the monitor as if that would
make the fuzzy images clearer. Without warning, the screen cleared
and a sharp black- and-white image of a burning boat came into view.
Blair caught her breath, momentarily disoriented by the eerie sensation
that she was watching news footage, the kind of images that were
ubiquitous and somehow mind-numbing. But she felt anything but
numb. Her nerve endings burned, and it felt as if her entire body were
twitching. A red haze of fury and panic threatened to skew her vision,
and she had to blink to focus.
“Can you tel whose boat it is? she
asked.
“Not yet, Mac answered. “Wel have a slightly wider field in just here,
theres another vessel. His voice drifted of as a partial y submerged,
smoking boat came into view. “Weve got at least two vessels hit. He
touched his ear and frowned. “Its Tanner requesting permission to
begin search and rescue.
Stark shook her head. “No. We dont know that whoever sent the first
missile doesnt have another one ready to go. The commanders boat
is out there somewhere. Until we contact her, we keep this locked
down. Tel Tanner to maintain her position. She is not to pursue any
unknown vessel.
Mac relayed the
order.
“They might need help, Paula, Blair urged. “What about the Coast
Guard? “No. This is a Homeland Security operation. We dont
involve anyone else. “What if Cams boat was hit too?
“If we confirm that, Paula said, “Il send a team out
from here.
“How long can they last out there, if theyre in the water? Diane
asked.
Paula didnt answer. Instead she said, “Find them for me,
Mac.
* * * * *
Cam didnt think shed ever been so cold. It was the kind of cold that
went so deep it was an ache inside of her. She didnt think about the pain
but just swam arm over arm in the direction where shed seen the
dinghy. Valerie had been in it, she knew that shed been in it. Henry was
dead. Shed ordered him shot. Valerie was the only one who could have
launched the dinghy.
Her clothes were sheets of ice dragging her down. Her arms and
legs were heavy. It was hard to move. So much smoke. Black acrid
stinging smoke that singed her already swol en throat and clouded
her eyes with tears and salt. Cold.
Her hand struck an object and she tried to grab it, but it floated
away. She rubbed her face against her frozen sleeve. The dinghy. A
wave crashed over her head and she went under. It was a relief to be out
of the smoke. Her throat felt momentarily soothed until she reflexively
took a breath and water flooded her lungs. She gagged, vomited, then
clawed her way to the surface. She broke through and sucked in a
lungful of tainted air. Coughing, she tried to swim and managed only to
keep her head above water. Then she saw it again. The dinghy. From
somewhere deep inside, she found another ounce of energy. Valerie was
there, she knew she was there. Valerie had launched the dinghy.
Cam pushed herself toward it. She had sent Valerie out here alone. She
would not let her die alone. She found the nylon rope that circled the
dinghy and tried to hold on to it with frozen fingers. When it popped
away from her she gave up trying and sluggishly circled it, her muscles
slowly turning to lead.
For an instant
, she thought she imagined the white form floating next
to the dinghy. When she reached out, her fingers were too stif to grasp
the ghostlike figure. Closer now, she could make out Valeries wrist
wedged underneath the encircling rope on the rubber life raft. She had
tethered herself to it somehow.
“Valerie, Cam croaked. She got a mouthful of water and spat it out
angrily. “Valerie!
Cam struggled to release Valeries wrist from the twisted lines. The
instant Valeries arm slid free, she started to sink beneath the surface.
Cam couldnt grip her clothing, but she managed to get an arm around
her waist and pul ed her against her body.
“Valerie, its Cam. Swim. You have to swim.
Cam couldnt tell if she was breathing or not, and for a fraction of
a second she felt the way she had when Blair had been exposed
to a potential y deadly toxin. The floodgates she kept securely
locked against loss and despair broke open and the pain was so
crippling she was momentarily paralyzed. They went under
together, Valerie clasped in Cams arms.
* * * * *
“Command One, do you read, Felicias voice fil ed the
room. “Felicia, Mac cried. “Status. Status report. Are you
“ engaged in search and rescue. Any sign of
incoming?
“Negative. Mac switched channels and the original wide-
angle view came into focus. “Advise evacuate area as soon as
possible.
“Roger, as soon as rescue is complete. Do you have
visual?
Mac turned to Paula who was staring at the speakers as if
she were trying to see through them to Felicia and the others.
“Felicia, this is Stark. We have debris from two
vesselsno
survivors identified.
“Thermal scans? Felicia asked sharply.
“Nothing, Mac said, “but if Valeries in the water, shes
probably too cold already.
“We have two in the water. Do you read?
Two. “Who? Paula inquired urgently.
Blair didnt need to hear the answer. She already knew.
* * * * *
Cam didnt have the energy to fight. The cold in her bones
had dissipated, and so had the pain. Her body was strangely
heavy, yet weightless at the same time. She couldnt see, but the
sharp smoky sting in the air was gone. She wasnt in the
air. She was underwater.
She was underwater, and Valerie was with her. Valerie
wasnt moving. What had Blair said to her? Shed made her
promise something. Cam was so tired and it was so hard to think.
Promise me. Promise me you wont sacrifice yourself for
her.
Thats right. She had promised Blair. Promised her not to die
for
Valerie.
A surge of adrenaline shot through Cam, electrifying her.
Shed promised not to die for Valerie, but she hadnt promised to
let her die. What had she said? No one was going to die. She
tightened her grip on Valerie and kicked. The surface seemed very
far away.
And then she felt itValerie was kicking too. Neither one of
them was going to give up without a fight.
* * * * *
“Macs got a thermal body pattern in the water, Felicia announced,
hurrying from the cabin to join Savard on deck.
Renée strained to see through the smoke, arcing the floodlights
back and forth. “Over theretwo in the water, twenty yards off
to the right. Help me lower the life raft.
“Im coming with you. Donaldson can handle the
boat.
Renée nodded and between the two of them they unlashed the life
raft from its deck moorings, disengaged the lock on the pul ey,
and swung the small boat out over the water. Felicia hit the
switch for the motor and as the inflatable raft lowered
automatical y, she grabbed two PFDs from a nearby locker. She
tossed one to Renée and pul ed hers on.
“There are two more clipped inside the raft for them.
Felicia swung her leg up and over the railing. “Lets get them the
hell out of the water.
“Great idea, Renée shouted and fol owed her over the side
and down the ladder.
Felicia started the motor and propel ed the boat toward the area
of the last sighting. “Do you have them?
“No! Renée leaned as far over the front of the raft as she
dared, gripping the handholds. “Head further to your right.
There wait.
Yes! There!
“Be careful, Felicia shouted as Renée braced her legs against
the side of the raft, released the handholds, and leaned over the
side. Felicia set the motor to idle and clambered forward, joining
Renée. Together, they grabbed for Cam, whose head and
shoulders were just visible above the water next to the raft.
Even in the flickering red light from the scattered fires still
burning amongst the debris, her face looked deathly pale.
“Commander, Renée shouted as she reached down with
both arms. “Can you grab on to me?
“No, Cam gasped. She pushed Valerie forward. “Take her first.
Felicia and Renée grasped Valeries inert body under the arms
and
pulled her into the raft. She wasnt moving and appeared
unresponsive. When Renée looked back into the water she
saw Cam go under. She dove in, grabbed Cam around the
waist and pul ed her back to the surface. Shaking water from
her eyes, she saw Felicia leaning down and pushed Cam into her
arms. Then she fumbled for the rope around the edge of the
raft and final y managed to hold onto it. Together she and
Felicia pushed and pul ed Cam into the raft. Final y, Felicia
grabbed Renées arm and Renée managed to lever herself up
and onto the floor of the life raft.
“Commander, Renée gasped. Cam lay curled up against
the opposite side of the raft. Valerie was stretched out between
them.
“The commanders conscious, but I dont think Valeries
breathing, Felicia shouted, hurrying back to rev the engine. “We
need to get them to the boat.
Renée scarcely noticed as the smal , crowded raft tossed and
spun from crest to trough and back up again. Kneeling beside
Valerie, she opened her blouse and pressed an ear to Valeries
breast. She heard a distant heartbeat but she couldnt detect any
movement of her chest. Cupping Valeries chin, she tilted her head
back, covered her nose with her opposite hand, and sealed her
mouth to Valeries. As she blew into her lungs, all she could think
was that Valerie was cold. Cold as ice. Cold as death.
“Come on, Valerie. Come on. Renée blew another
breath. “Breathe. Goddamn it. Breathe. She felt the barest
flicker as Valeries chest rose beneath her hand and she hurriedly
pressed her cheek to Valeries breast again. This time the
heartbeat was slow and even fainter than before. Far slower
than it should be. Frantical y, she yel ed over her shoulder,
“Shes breathing, but Im not sure for how long. Hurry up or were
going to lose her!
* * * * *
“This is Staff Sergeant Donaldson reporting, Donaldsons
voice announced through the speakers.
Paula straightened up abruptly. “Where is everyone
else?
“The agents are engaged with resuscitation efforts, maam. I
have the conn, and we are returning to base.
“Status? Paula snapped.
“Two casualties.
“Put that launch right up on the beach below our location. Do
you copy?
“Loud and clear.
Paula signaled to Mac as she spoke and he nodded, murmuring
instructions into his radio. “DonaldsonETA?
“Ten minutes.
“How badly are they hurt? Blair said, standing so close to
Stark she could hear her rapid breathing. “Are they burned?
Behind her, she heard Diane groan softly.
“Whats their condition? Paula asked.
“Major hypothermia. Thats all I can tell you, maam.
“Roger that. Bring them home, Donaldson.
“Yes maam. Ill be pleased to do
that.
As Paula instructed Mac to call the marina for
additional resuscitation equipment, Blair grabbed Dianes arm and
dragged her toward the door. “Come on. We need to get fires
going in the bedrooms and fill the bathtubs. Were going to
have to get them warmed up.
“Shouldnt we call for an ambulance or something? Diane
asked, hurrying along beside Blair.
“No time, Blair said, taking the stairs to the second floor on
the run. “The most critical thing for an exposure victim is to get
them warm as quickly as possible. Blair stopped outside
Dianes bedroom. “Are you okay?
Diane stared at her as if she were insane. “This is a nightmare
and
I keep praying Ill wake up. But until I do, Ill do anything I have
to. Im not going to let her die.
“Dont worry, Blair said grimly. “No one is dying
tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I t was too dark for Blair to see exactly what was happening on the
beach, even with the floodlights on the boat spotlighting the people
swarming al over it. When she had at empted to run down in search of
Cam, Paula had informed her that both she and Diane were confined to
the house until further notice. Blair would have argued, but that only
would have delayed Paula in organizing the teams to get Cam and
Valerie up to the house. She was acutely aware that Paula was doing
everything possible to take care of the injured, even though she had to be
crazy with worry over Renée.
Despite understanding the reasons behind the protocols, Blair couldnt