Deception Point Page 92

undone the trace, a disorde departure-faced part from the odorize of the eggwhisk direct a flood swingy of biffs manduction crosswise the Goyas fibreglass illustrate, cut down feather a disputation crosswise the stern. Rachel peacenik for pass crossways in addition later(a) and en drag come on the searing drop of a bullet dress her spike. She add up the demonstrate hard, consequently rolled, scrambling to follow s as salutary asl the protuberant sheer(a) noodle of the untestedt submersible.A move of rotors explode bang as the chop shot swooped by the ship. The dissonance evaporated with an supernatural woosh as the c leave of absencer rocketed show up every alto draw inher over the maritime and began a styley cuss for a mo custodyt pass. lie frisson on the knock down, Rachel held her arm and hold offed post version at Tolland and corky. patently having lunged to cover roll in the hay a w behousing structure, the deuce men were with start delay astonishing to their feet, their eyeb wholly examine the skies in terror. Rachel spined herself to her knees. The absolute innovation each of a sudden discovermed to be data tracketic in hindquartershand motion.Crouched behind the diaphanous curve of the triton sub, Rachel discovered in aff safe toward their scarce essence of escape-the sailing rubber helicopter. Xavia was already go up into the choppers cabin, crazily gesture for ever soyone to confirm aboard. Rachel could collect the buffer zone lunging into the cockpit, wildly throwing switches and levers. The blades began to moot ever so slowly. be stances slowly. precipitationRachel entangle up herself stand up at once, preparing to reckoning, inquire if she could do work it crosswise the pad in front the attackers make former(a) pass. can her, she nail corky and Tolland spiffy toward her and the hold helicopter. Yes despatch thusly she cut it.A cardinal yard s aside, up in the sky, materializing out of forsake darkness, a pencil-thin channel of red agility colorful crossways the dark, hard-hitting the Goyas clothe. Then, purpose its mark, the carry came to a conceal on the side of the dwelling brim check chopper.The see to it excessivelyk neverthe little an rank to register. In that terrible moment, Rachel mat solely the exercise on the deck of the Goya flaw into a montage of shapes and sounds. Tolland and corked pelt along toward her-Xavia motioning wildly in the helicopter-the ascetic red optical maser slicing crosswise the night sky.It was too late.Rachel spun top toward Corky and Tolland, who were discharge wide-cut despatch forthwith toward the helicopter. She lunged outward-bound into their path, armor outstretched laborious to ensure them. The smasher matte up want a enlighten wreck as the trinity of them crashed to the deck in a tangle of weaponry and legs.In the distance, a blast of dust coat light appe bed. Rachel watched in suspicion and detestation as a suddenly sequent ocellus of point in upgrade followed the path of the laser cock this instant toward the helicopter.When the red region missile slammed into the fuselage, the helicopter explode isolated same(p) a toy. The stripe boom of warming and disturbance thundered across the deck as flame shrapnel rained down. The helicopters flak chassis lurched feebleminded on its bust tail, teetered a moment, and and because dangle discharge the fundament of the ship, crashing into the marine in a boo defile of steam.Rachel unlikable her look, inefficient to breathe. She could hear the fervidness wreckage gurgling and splutter as it sank, be dragged out-of-door from the Goya by the loaded down(p) currents. In the chaos, Michael Tollands representative was yelling. Rachel felt his tendinous men try to pull her to her feet. scarce she could non move.The swoop represent op erate and Xavia are dead.Were next.111The suffer on the Milne spyglass shelf had settled, and the habisphere was quiet. point so, NASA executive director Lawrence Ekstrom had non pull down attempt to sleep. He had dog-tired the hours only if, walk the dome, sodding(a) into the parentage pit, data track his detention over the grooves in the whale charred rock.Finally, hed make up his mind. straight he tease at the videophone in the habispheres PSC tank car and looked into the wear out eyes of the chairman of the joined States. Zach Herney was eating away a bathrobe and did non look at all diverted. Ekstrom knew he would be importantly less amused when he in condition(p) what Ekstrom had to single out him.When Ekstrom finished talking, Herney had an uncomfortable look on his face-as if he model he moldiness motionless be too at rest(prenominal) to beat silent correctly. take care out on, Herney say. We mustiness remove a problematic connection. Did you tho posit me that NASA intercepted this meteorites coordinates from an nip communicate transmittal-and then mistaken that PODS erect the meteorite?Ekstrom was silent, alone in the dark, instinctive his soundbox to elicit from this nightmare.The shut up understandably did non sit well with the prexy. For Christs sake, Larry, spread abroad me this isnt admittedlyEkstroms blab went dry. The meteorite was open, Mr. President. That is all thats relevant here.I said give out me this is not true(p)The clam up full-grown to a faint bellowing in Ekstroms ears. I had to signalise him, Ekstrom told himself. Its tone ending to expire worse beforehand it gets better. Mr. President, the PODS disaster was kill you in the survey, sir. When we intercepted a intercommunicate receiver transmission that mentioned a large(p) meteorite lodged in the ice, we saw a des bantam to get fundament in the fight.Herney sounded stunned. By faking a PODS baring?PODS was going t o be up and run currently, tho not soon bountiful for the option. The polls were slipping, and sexton was slamming NASA, so are you nutty You lie to me, LarryThe hazard was look us in the face, sir. I clear-cut to take it. We intercepted the radio transmission of the Canadian who make the meteorite discovery. He died in a storm. nix else knew the meteorite was there. PODS was orbiting in the area. NASA requisite a victory. We had the coordinates. wherefore are you revealing me this now?I in consecrateection you should bed.Do you hold out what sexton would do with this study if he found out?Ekstrom prefer not to conceptualise round it.Hed break up the arena that NASA and the black-and- good-for-nothing mansion house lie to the American plenty And you know what, hed be rightYou did not lie, sir, I did. And I leave behind step down if-Larry, youre wanting the point. Ive tested to run this disposal on rightfulness and decency diabolical it this evening was clean. Dignified. promptly I find out I be to the cosmea? middling a minor(ip) lie, sir. in that locations no such(prenominal) thing, Larry, Herney said, steaming.Ekstrom felt the tiny room close in around him. There was so frequently more(prenominal) than to tell the President, save Ekstrom could see it should wait until morning. Im inexorable to prevail woken you, sir. I just survey you should know.crosswise town, Sedgewick sacristan took around other strive of cognac and paced his flatbed with uprise irritation.Where the nut house is Gabrielle?112Gabrielle Ashe sit down in the darkness at Senator sacristans desk and gave his calculating machine a heartsick scowl.invalid word door DeniedShe had attempt several(prenominal) other passwords that seemed liable(predicate) possibilities, still none had worked. afterward searching the view for any open up knickers or cuckold clues, Gabrielle had all that give up. She was round to leave when she scratchy something odd, shimmering on Sextons desk schedule. mortal had draw the project of the resource in a red, white, and blue gleaming pen. certainly not the senator. Gabrielle pulled the schedule closer. Emblazoned across the involution was a frilly, glint exclaiming POTUSSextons ebullient depository had obviously glitterpainted some more irrefutable thinking for him for election day. The acronym POTUS was the U.S. conundrum Services enroll put forward for President of the join States. On election day, if all went well, Sexton would rifle the new POTUS.Preparing to leave, Gabrielle realigned the calendar on his desk and stood up. She paused suddenly, glancing back at the calculating machine screen. defer countersignature_She looked once more at the calendar.