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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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Running through an unfamiliar forest in darkness lit only by starlight had always been high on my list of stupid things not to do. The night-scope goggles helped considerably, but they also tended to enhance the shadows at ground-level, making my footing marginally worse than it might otherwise be.

But I didn’t have a choice. My best estimate was that the clearing and portal entrance were about half a kilometer east, plus whatever distance to the north or south that I needed to veer in order to line up with it. And that was just the beginning of the next hour’s to-do list. I had to travel as quickly as I could while simultaneously not incapacitating myself.

Skill, experience, and dumb luck were with me. I didn’t trip, twist my ankle, or blunder into a nest of whatever the local equivalent of hornets were. Even better, I came close enough to the north end of the clearing to spot it through the trees. I turned in that direction, maneuvered through the bordering line of trees, and was soon at the open hatchway leading down into the portal.

It looked just the same as I’d left it, with no indication that anyone else had stumbled on it since then. There was equipment down there in the launch module, equipment that could be useful to have right now. Unfortunately, without a rope and climbing gear there was no way I could get down there and back up again in the time Fisher had allotted me.

But there was still the mesh I’d used to camouflage my exit hole. I pulled off the chunks of sod, unlaced all of the mesh pieces except one, and replaced the sod on top of the remaining one. With no time to do the job properly, I basically just laid the sod pieces in place, without trying to make it look like a solid bit of normal ground. Even in the darkness I could tell the new version wasn’t going to fool anyone; in the daylight it was going to be laughable.

But I had what I needed, and that was all I cared about. Stuffing the mesh into my jacket pockets, I hurried from the clearing and headed for the climbing tree and the footbridge beyond.

Nearly half of my hour had elapsed by the time I climbed back down to ground level outside the Patth fence and reached the river end of the jeep trail. Leaning over the water, I could see that Fisher’s boat was exactly where I’d left it, holding position in the current a few meters off the back door Galfvi had taken under the fence. I wasn’t close enough to see where everyone was, but Fisher and Honey were probably watching for my return and Selene was probably secured inside the cabin.

I spent a moment tying the ends of my pieces of portal mesh together, ending up with a length that was several meters long. Then, taking off my jacket and boots, I wrapped the mesh loosely around my neck, and slipped into the water.

As I’d noted from our earlier dip, the water was cool, but not cold enough for any of us to risk hypothermia. I conserved my energy, staying low and letting the current take me back toward the boat. As I got closer I saw that Fisher was alone on the deck, standing at the starboard rail just aft of the cabin. He was facing south, toward the fence and the forest beyond, naturally expecting me to reappear from that direction. Honey was nowhere to be seen, but she was probably in the cabin where she could maintain the boat’s position and also keep an eye on their hostage.

Shifting my direction slightly, I headed toward the bow.

I reached it and brought myself to a halt against the rough fiberline composite of the hull, getting a relatively secure fingertip grip on the edge of the deck. Carefully, I pulled myself up high enough to see.

Not surprisingly, the cabin blocked much of my view of the aft section of the ship. But for the moment, what was happening back there wasn’t important. From my current vantage point I could see through the windshield into the darkened cabin well enough to confirm that Honey and Selene were indeed both there. Honey, as expected, was in the driver’s seat, her hands on the wheel and throttle, her eyes on the riverbank as she concentrated on keeping the boat in position. Selene was seated in the passenger seat beside her, her wrists tied together with what looked like marine repair tape, gazing straight ahead.

I held my position, waiting in the chilly breeze, watching Honey closely. Even with the cabin’s only entrance behind Selene toward the stern, my scent should eventually sift inside. Until then, the biggest danger was that Honey would decide to give her eyes a change of scenery and spot the shadowy half head interrupting the smooth lines of her boat.

And then, I saw Selene stir in her seat. Slowly, casually, she eased her head around, looking first toward the shore, then working her gaze along the bow area. Her eyes met mine—

She didn’t react, but merely continued her scan until she was facing the bulk of the river and the forested area north of it. Then, with the same seeming indifference, she reversed her sweep, ending up with her eyes again facing forward.

The stage was set. Selene was ready.

All I needed to do now was spin up the players.

Lowering myself back out of view, I unwrapped the portal mesh from around my neck. Most propeller-driven boats, I knew, had a set of vanes or baffles designed to deflect any debris away before it could tangle itself in the screws. But that naturally assumed that the debris was just floating along in the current and not being carefully fed out with the deliberate intention of threading the gaps in the baffles and getting sucked directly into the screws.

It took me over a dozen tries to get it right. But finally I felt the steady pull on the mesh that meant the end was sitting right at the intake and ready to make a mess of Fisher’s plans. I got my fingertips back on the deck, confirmed that Selene and Honey were still where I’d last seen them, and let go of the mesh.

For a couple of seconds I thought I’d somehow missed. Then, I felt the hull give a sudden quiver, the bow starting to swing starboard toward the bank as the propeller on that side seized up. In the cabin Honey leaped into action, grabbing at the control panel and shutting down the fouled screw.

Behind them, Fisher appeared in the cabin doorway, calling something that sounded urgent but was too faint for me to make out the words. Honey replied, jabbing an emphatic finger behind her. He said something else and disappeared, and a second later I saw him hurrying along the deck toward the stern.

Lengthening my grip, I hauled myself out of the water, shifting my body sideways and rolling beneath the rail onto the deck.

For the first couple of seconds I thought my entrance had been completely unobserved. But even with most of Honey’s attention on her power and steering controls the movement apparently caught her eye. She snapped her head up, and I saw her eyes widen. She opened her mouth—

And let out a sort of whelp as Selene launched herself sideways and slammed into her, sending them both tumbling onto the deck out of my sight.

I scrambled to my feet and charged aft toward where Fisher was lying down just inside the rail, leaning over the stern, his right hand probing the water as he felt around for the obstruction. I was nearly there when either the vibration of my footsteps on the deck or some hint of a reflection warned him of my presence. Instantly, he rolled onto his back, his left hand grabbing the railing for support, his right hand scrambling for his holstered Jinnger.

But he was already too late. He’d barely closed his hand around the grip when I bent my knees and threw myself onto my left hip, sending myself sliding feet-first across the last meter of deck between us. The soles of my shoes connected with his, and with momentum still driving me toward him I straightened my legs convulsively and shoved him straight off the stern and into the river.

I was back on my feet almost before the splash drowned out his startled curse, racing back toward the cabin. Selene was a decent enough fighter, but with her hands tied she couldn’t keep Honey down forever.

I needn’t have worried. The two of them had landed in the narrow space between the seats and the control console, and with no room to move—and Selene’s weight fully on top of her—Honey was completely helpless. “You okay?” I asked as I relieved Honey of her half-drawn and pinned Jinnger and then helped Selene to her feet.

“Yes,” Selene said. “Fisher?”

“Went for a late swim,” I said, peering aft. There was no sign of him yet. “Keep an eye out,” I added, handing Selene the gun. “I’m going to get us a little distance.”

I stepped over to the wheel. Honey had managed to get onto her back and was starting to get up. I put my foot warningly on her stomach, and she reluctantly subsided. “What are you going to do with us?” she asked.

“Nothing drastic,” I assured her. “Probably just tie you up and leave you aboard. By the time anyone comes to investigate our job here should be finished.”

“What if no one gets curious?”

“Then I’ll let the badgemen know to come get you,” I said. I nudged the throttle, and the boat started moving up the river. “Don’t worry, we’ll come back and get Fisher,” I added. “I just want to go get my jacket and boots.”

* * *

Fisher was waiting on the riverbank when we returned, Jinnger in hand, looking like he was dearly hoping for a clear shot. Unfortunately for him, we didn’t give him one. Reluctantly, and with a lot of muttering, he obeyed my order to toss his weapon into the river before I would let him aboard. With him and Honey trussed up in the cabin glaring at us and each other, I took the boat back to Bilswift.

I didn’t bring it to dock nearly as smoothly as either of the others would have, though I was willing to place some of the blame on working with only one propeller. I shut everything down, again promised to deliver them to Detective-Sergeant Kreega if they weren’t out of there in a day or so, and we left.

Fisher’s car was waiting where we’d parked it, and my plan had been to drive it back to Panza’s and swap it out for ours. But it was getting late, Selene and I were both wet and tired, and the Ruth was only a fifteen-minute walk away. A quick consult, an equally quick agreement, and we set off on foot.

I hadn’t expected Tirano to have returned to the ship in our absence. But it was clear from the disappointment I saw in Selene’s pupils as she sniffed the air that she had. “It’s all right,” I soothed as I closed and deadbolted the entryway. “I’m sure he’s all right.”

“You can’t believe that,” she said, her voice dull and tired as she turned aft toward the bathroom and our cabins. “He was with Venikel, and Venikel’s dead.”

I winced. What could I say?

Probably best that I didn’t say anything. “You want the first shower?” I called after her. “Or are you hungry?”

“I’m too tired,” she said over her shoulder. “I’ll just get these clothes off and go to bed.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Good night, Gregory.”

“Good night,” I said lamely. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Six o’clock,” she said, keying open her cabin’s hatch. “I’ll be ready.”

I watched as she walked inside and closed the hatch behind her, feeling her ache and aching right along with her. Tirano might indeed be all right. I was pretty sure he was.

I was also sure we would never see him again.


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