Part 7 (2/2)

There were another twenty men in the a.s.sault boat, and they went about their ch.o.r.e of adjusting racks for Wiley and the girl, saying very litde as they did. Then the hatch was closed and secured.

Nika lost her footing as the straps were adjusted, and fell against Wiley.

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I.

As she did, Wiley felt the sting of an injection.

He stared at his arm where she had touched him, trying to convince himself he had imagined it. Why should she inject him? And what would she inject him with? The second question remained stuck in his mind like a splinter of ice refusing to melt

The engines bellowed and the a.s.sault car lifted into the air. Wiley could feel the back and forth movement as it maneuvered to avoid col- liding with the other boats.

Then there was a faintly pink fog filling the boat, smelling of rotting hay and unripe apples. Wiley could see that the fog came from something on the girl's bdt, from a strangely wrought cylinder Wiley had a.s.sumed was a piece of jewelry.

The Navy men noticed the fog about two sec- onds before they collapsed. One moment they were standing at their posts, and then they crum- pled like marionettes with cut strings.

Wiley held his breath, expecting to lose con- sciousness at any moment.

The a.s.sault boat began to yaw.

Nika unfastened the catches other rack and hurried toward the pilot's station. She dragged the pilot from his chair, dumping him on the deck before sliding into place. She grabbed the control bar with both hands, fighting to bring the

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Chelsea Quinn Varbro

a.s.sault boat back on course. Her eyes flicked over the instrument panel with the habit of

familiarity.

Staring at her, Wiley asked, ”Who are you?”

”Get out of the rack and give me a hand,” she

said. 'We've got to get clear of this place as

quickly as possible.”

”What's going on?” Wiley fumbled with the

rack harness. ”What did you do to them?”

”Poison gas. I gave you the antidote before,”

she said, watching the forward screen with

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