Deception Point Page 92

Through the darkness, a staccato burst from the nose of the chopper sent a torrent of bullets chewing across the Goyas fibreglass deck, chew uping a root across the stern. Rachel dove for underwrite too late and felt the searing slash of a bullet graze her arm. She hit the ground hard, then rolled, scrambling to ingest behind the bulbous vaporific dome of the Triton submersible.A thundering of rotors set moody overhead as the chopper swooped past the ship. The perturbation evaporated with an eerie hiss as the chopper rocketed out over the ocean and began a wide deposit for a second pass.Lying trembling on the deck, Rachel held her arm and looked back at Tolland and Corky. Apparently having lunged to cover behind a storage structure, the two men were now staggering to their feet, their eyes scanning the skies in terror. Rachel pulled herself to her knees. The entire world suddenly seemed to be moving in slow motion.Crouched behind the transparent curvature of the Triton sub, Rachel looked in panic toward their only means of escape-the Coast Guard helicopter. Xavia was already climbing into the choppers cabin, dementedly waving for everyone to get aboard. Rachel could see the pilot lunging into the cockpit, wildly throwing switches and levers. The blades began to turn ever so slowly.Too slowly. hastinessRachel felt herself standing now, preparing to run, wondering if she could make it across the deck before the attackers made another pass. butt joint her, she heard Corky and Tolland dashing toward her and the restraining helicopter. Yes HurryThen she saw it.A hundred yards out, up in the sky, materializing out of empty darkness, a pencil-thin beam of red light slanted across the night, distinct the Goyas deck. Then, finding its mark, the beam came to a stop on the side of the waiting Coast Guard chopper.The foresee took only an instant to register. In that horrific moment, Rachel felt all the action on the deck of the Goya fuzz into a collage of sh apes and sounds. Tolland and Corky dashing toward her-Xavia motioning wildly in the helicopter-the stark red laser slash across the night sky.It was too late.Rachel spun back toward Corky and Tolland, who were running full speed now toward the helicopter. She lunged superficial into their path, arms outstretched trying to stop them. The collision felt like a train destroy as the three of them crashed to the deck in a tangle of arms and legs.In the distance, a photoflash of white light appeared. Rachel watched in disbelief and horror as a perfectly straight line of exhaust fire followed the path of the laser beam directly toward the helicopter.When the Hellfire missile slammed into the fuselage, the helicopter exploded apart like a toy. The concussion wave of heat and noise thundered across the deck as fucking(a) shrapnel rained down. The helicopters flaming skeleton lurched backward on its shattered tail, teetered a moment, and then fell off the back of the ship, crashing into the ocean in a hissing cloud of steam.Rachel closed her eyes, unable to breathe. She could hear the flaming wreckage gurgling and sputtering as it sank, being dragged away from the Goya by the heavy currents. In the chaos, Michael Tollands voice was yelling. Rachel felt his effectual hands trying to pull her to her feet. But she could not move.The Coast Guard pilot and Xavia are dead.Were next.111The defy on the Milne Ice Shelf had settled, and the habisphere was quiet. Even so, NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom had not even tried to sleep. He had fatigued the hours alone, pacing the dome, staring into the extraction pit, running his hands over the grooves in the giant charred rock.Finally, hed made up his mind.Now he sat at the videophone in the habispheres PSC tank and looked into the weary eyes of the President of the linked States. Zach Herney was wearing a bathrobe and did not look at all amused. Ekstrom knew he would be significantly less(prenominal) amused when he learn ed what Ekstrom had to tell him.When Ekstrom finished talking, Herney had an uncomfortable look on his face-as if he supposition he mustiness still be too asleep to have understood correctly.Hold on, Herney said. We must have a bad connection. Did you just tell me that NASA intercepted this meteorites coordinates from an emergency radio transmission-and then pretended that PODS prove the meteorite?Ekstrom was silent, alone in the dark, willing his body to awake from this nightmare.The silence clearly did not sit puff up with the President. For Christs sake, Larry, tell me this isnt accreditedEkstroms mouth went dry. The meteorite was found, Mr. President. That is all thats relevant here.I said tell me this is not trueThe hush swelled to a dull roar in Ekstroms ears. I had to tell him, Ekstrom told himself. Its going to get worse before it gets better. Mr. President, the PODS failure was killing you in the polls, sir. When we intercepted a radio transmission that mentioned a sw elled meteorite lodged in the ice, we saw a chance to get back in the fight.Herney sounded stunned. By faking a PODS husking?PODS was going to be up and running soon, but not soon enough for the election. The polls were slipping, and sexton was slamming NASA, so Are you insane You be to me, LarryThe opportunity was staring us in the face, sir. I contumacious to take it. We intercepted the radio transmission of the Canadian who made the meteorite discovery. He died in a storm. Nobody else knew the meteorite was there. PODS was orbiting in the area. NASA needed a victory. We had the coordinates.Why are you telling me this now?I thought you should have sex.Do you know what Sexton would do with this information if he found out?Ekstrom preferred not to think more or less(predicate) it.Hed tell the world that NASA and the White House lied to the American people And you know what, hed be decentlyYou did not lie, sir, I did. And I will step down if-Larry, youre missing the point. Iv e tried to run this government on truth and decency Goddamn it Tonight was clean. Dignified. Now I find out I lied to the world?Only a small lie, sir.Theres no such thing, Larry, Herney said, steaming.Ekstrom felt the tiny room shutting in around him. There was so much more to tell the President, but Ekstrom could see it should wait until morning. Im sorry to have woken you, sir. I just thought you should know.Across town, Sedgewick Sexton took another hit of cognac and paced his flat with rising irritation.Where the hell is Gabrielle?112Gabrielle Ashe sat in the darkness at Senator Sextons desk and gave his computer a despondent scowl. disable Password Access DeniedShe had tried several other passwords that seemed likely possibilities, but none had worked. After searching the office for any unlocked drawers or stray clues, Gabrielle had all but given up. She was about to leave when she spotted something odd, shimmering on Sextons desk calendar. Someone had outlined the date of t he election in a red, white, and downhearted glitter pen. Certainly not the senator. Gabrielle pulled the calendar closer. Emblazoned across the date was a frilly, glittering exclamation POTUSSextons luxuriant secretary had apparently glitterpainted some more positive thinking for him for election day. The acronym POTUS was the U.S. Secret Services code chassis for President of the United States. On election day, if all went well, Sexton would become the new POTUS.Preparing to leave, Gabrielle realigned the calendar on his desk and stood up. She paused suddenly, glancing back at the computer screen.Enter Password_She looked again at the calendar.