mreilly.icestation-第17部分

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m　pointed　down；　the　other　pointed　up。　His　lower　hand　snatched　the　wool…lined　hood　of　Kirsty's　pink　parka　while　his　upper　hand　caught　the　flaming　railing　behind　him。　
　Both　of　their　bodies　jerked　to　a　sudden　halt；　and　Riley　did　a　jarring　180…degree　spin　that　nearly　pulled　his　arm　out　of　its　socket。　He　was　now　right　side　up；　hanging　from　the　same　burning　railing　that　had；　only　seconds　earlier；　caused　Kirsty　to　fall。　
　And　oddly；　despite　the　searing　heat　seeping　through　his　leather…gloved　hand；　he　managed　a　relieved　smile。　
　〃I　gotcha；　baby；〃　he　breathed；　almost　laughing。　〃I　gotcha。〃　
　Kirsty　just　hung　there　below　him　with　her　arms　held　out　awkwardly　on　either　side　of　her　body；　held　up　only　by　Riley's　grip　on　the　wool…lined　hood　of　her　parka。　
　All　right；　Riley　said　to　himself；　how　the　hell　are　we　gonna　get　out　of　this…　
　There　came　a　sudden　popping　sound　and　abruptly　Kirsty　lurched　downward。　She　only　dropped　an　inch；　and　for　an　instant　Riley　couldn't　understand　what　had　happened。　
　Then　he　saw　it。　
　His　eyes　zeroed　in　on　the　join　between　Kirsty's　pink　parka　and　its　pink　wool…lined　hood。　
　Riley's　eyes　went　wide。　
　The　hood　wasn't　actually　part　of　the　parka。　
　It　was　one　of　those　removable　hoods　that　could　be　connected　to　the　collar　of　the　parka　whenever　the　wearer　so　desired。　It　was　only　attached　to　Kirsty's　parka　by　six　clasplike　buttons。　
　The　popping　sound　that　he　had　heard　had　been　the　sound　of　one　of　those　buttons　unclasping。　
　Riley　began　to　feel　sick。　
　〃Oh；　that's　not　fair。　That's　not　fucking　fair；〃　he　said。　
　Pop！　
　Another　button　unclasped。　
　Kirsty　dropped　another　inch。　
　Riley　was　at　a　loss。　He　didn't　know　what　to　do。　There　was　nothing　he　could　do。　He　was　already　hanging　from　the　lowest　point　on　the　railing；　so　he　couldn't　lower　himself　any　further。　And　Kirsty　was　hanging　from　his　other　hand；　so　he　couldn't　reach　any　farther　either。　
　Pop！　Pop！　
　Two　more　buttons　unclasped　and　Kirsty　screamed　in　horror　as　she　dropped　sharply　and　then　jolted　to　a　sudden　stop。　
　The　pink　hood　began　to　stretch。　Only　two　buttons　held　it　to　the　parka's　collar　now。　
　Riley　thought　about　swinging　Kirsty　in　toward　the　C…deck　catwalk　below　them；　about　four　yards　away。　But　he　quickly　dispelled　the　thought。　The　wool…lined　hood　was　now　only　tenuously　connected　to　the　parka。　Any　movement　would　almost　certainly　unclasp　the　remaining　two　buttons。　
　〃God　damn　it！〃　he　yelled。　〃Can't　anybody　help　me！〃　
　〃Hold　on！〃　another　voice　yelled　from　somewhere　nearby。　〃I'm　ing！〃　
　Riley　turned　his　head　and　saw　Schofield　on　the　far　side　of　the　C…deck　catwalk；　inside　a　small　alcove　of　some　sort。　Next　to　him　was　Fox。　Schofield　seemed　to　be　directing　her　to　go　down　the　nearest　rung…ladder　and　head　for　the　pool　deck　while　he　took　care　of　Riley　and　Kirsty。　
　Pop！　
　One　of　the　last　two　buttons　snapped　open；　and　Riley　turned　his　attention　back　to　Kirsty。　Grimacing；　he　held　tight　and　looked　down　at　her。　The　little　girl　was　scared　out　of　her　mind。　Her　eves　were　red。　filled　with　tears。　She　stared　into　his　eves　and　spoke　through　teary　sniffles：　〃I　don't　want　to　die。　Oh；　my　God；　I　don't　want　to　die。〃　
　One　button　left。　
　The　hood　was　stretched　taut；　straining　under　Kirsty's　weight。　
　It　wasn't　going　to　hold。。。。　
　A　second　before　it　happened；　Buck　Riley　felt　the　weight　of　the　little　girl　pull　on　the　hood　and　he　said　softly；　〃I'm　sorry。〃　
　With　a　sudden　pop；　the　final　button　snapped　open　and　Riley　watched　helplessly　as　Kirsty　fell　away　from　him　in　a　kind　of　nightmarish　slow　motion。　Her　wide　eyes　looked　right　into　his　as　she　fell；　her　face　the　picture　of　pure；　unspeakable　terror。　Those　wide　eyes　became　smaller　and　smaller；　and　Buck　Riley　felt　sick　to　his　stomach　as　he　saw　the　little　girl　splash　into　the　icy　pool　fifty　feet　below。　
　
　
　
　The　pool　at　the　base　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　had　bee　a　slaughterhouse。　From　his　alcove　on　C…deck；　Shane　Schofield　looked　down　at　it　in　horror。　
　Blood　had　so　clouded　the　icy　water　that　nearly　half　of　the　enormous　pool　was　now　no　more　than　a　maroon　haze。　Even　the　massive　killer　whales　disappeared　when　they　swam　through　the　murky　patches。　
　Schofield　surveyed　the　scene。　
　On　one　side　of　the　pool　were　the　French。　They　had　suffered　the　worst。　They　had　already　lost　two　men　to　the　killers。　
　On　the　other　side　of　the　pool　were　the　two　remaining　Marines…Rebound　and　Mother…and　the　three　scientists　from　Wilkes　who　had　been　with　Book　when　B…deck　had　given　way。　All　five　of　them　were　swimming　desperately　for　the　metal　deck　that　surrounded　the　pool。　
　It　was　into　this　that　Schofield　saw　the　tiny　pink…clad　figure　of　Kirsty　drop　with　an　ugly　splash。　She　landed　back…first　and　immediately　went　under。　Her　high…pitched　scream　had　followed　her　all　the　way　down。　
　Schofield　snapped　around　to　look　over　at　Book　Riley；　hanging　from　the　downturned　B…deck　railing。　
　Their　eyes　met　for　an　instant。　Book　looked　beaten；　dejected；　exhausted。　His　eyes　said　it　all。　He　couldn't　do　any　more。　He　had　done　all　he　could。　
　Schofield　hadn't。　
　He　pursed　his　lips；　took　in　the　situation。　
　Kirsty　was　on　the　far　side　of　the　pool；　on　the　other　side　of　the　diving　bell；　out　in　the　open。　Everybody　else　was　near　edges　of　the　pool；　trying　to　get　out。　In　their　own　efforts　to　escape；　none　of　them　had　seen　her　land　in　the　pool。　As　he　looked　down　at　the　pool；　Schofield　could　hear　Montana's　voice　on　the　inter　yelling　at　Snake　and　Santa　Cruz　in　their　gunless　battle　with　the　French　soldiers　still　up　on　A…deck。　
　〃…Keep　'em　moving　round　south…〃　
　〃…Can't　use　their　guns　either…〃　
　Schofield　spun　around　where　he　stood；　looking　for　something　he　could　use。　
　He　was　still　in　the　alcove；　alone。　Moments　earlier；　he'd　sent　Gant　down　to　the　pool　deck；　while　he'd　intended　to　go　over　and　help　Book。　But　before　he'd　even　had　a　chance　to　get　over　there；　the　little　girl　had　fallen。　And　now　she　was　down　in　the　pool。　
　Schofield　saw　the　array　of　buttons　on　the　console　behind　Mm；　saw　some　words　underneath　a　lever：　DIVING　BELL…WINCH。　
　No；　that　was　no　help。　
　But　then　he　saw　another；　large　rectangular　button；　on　which　was　written　a　single　word：　BRIDGE。　
　Schofield　stared　at　the　button　for　a　moment；　perplexed。　And　then　he　remembered。　The　retractable　bridge。　This　must　have　been　the　control　switch　for　the　retractable　bridge　that　Hensleigh　had　told　him　about　earlier；　the　bridge　that　extended　out　from　C…deck；　out　across　the　open　space　in　the　center　of　the　station。　
　Without　even　thinking；　Schofield　hit　the　long　rectangular　button　and　immediately　heard　a　loud；　clanking　noise　from　somewhere　beneath　his　feet。　
　An　engine　somewhere　within　the　wall　next　to　him　suddenly　hummed　to　life　and　Schofield　watched　as　a　narrow；　elongated　platform　began　to　extend　out　over　the　enormous　empty　space　in　the　middle　of　the　station。　
　On　the　far　side　of　the　shaft　Schofield　saw　another；　identical；　platform　begin　to　extend　out　from　underneath　the　catwalk。　Presumably；　the　two　platforms　would　meet　in　the　middle　and　form　one　bridge　spanning　the　width　of　the　station。　
　Schofield　didn't　miss　a　beat。　He　charged　onto　the　bridge　as　it　extended　out　over　the　center　of　the　station。　It　extended　quite　quickly；　in　a　telescopelike　motion；　smaller　extensions　being　born　out　of　larger　ones；　and　fast　enough　so　that　it　stayed　ahead　of　him　as　he　ran。　It　wasn't　very　wide；　only　about　two　feet；　and　it　had　no　hand　railing。　
　Schofield　ran　across　the　extending　bridge　as　it　grew　forward　in　front　of　him。　And　then　just　as　his　platform　was　about　to　join　with　its　twin　from　the　other　side；　he　took　a　deep　breath；　increased　his　speed；　and　leaped　diagonally　off　the　bridge。　
　
　Riley　watched　in　amazement　as　Schofield　sailed　through　the　air；　over　the　massive　diving　bell；　and　arced　down　toward　the　icy　pool。　
　He　fell　fast。　But　as　he　did　so；　Schofield　did　a　strange　thing。　He　raised　his　right　hand　and　unholstered　something　from　behind　his　shoulder。　
　When　he　hit　the　water；　his　feet　entered　first…with　both　legs　splayed　wide　so　that　he　wouldn't　go　far　underwater…　while　both　of　his　hands　held　the　object　he　had　pulled　from　behind　his　back。　
　
　Kirsty　instinctively　turned　away　as　the　water　next　to　her　exploded。　
　At　first　she　thought　it　was　one　of　the　killer　whales　bursting　out　from　beneath　the　surface　to　take　her　under；　but　as　the　water　fell　back　down　on　top　of　her　and　she　was　able　to　see　again；　all　she　saw　was　a　man　hovering　in　the　water　next　to　her。　
　It　was　one　of　the　Marines。　In　fact；　it　was　the　one　she　had　met　before；　the　nice　one；　the　leader。　The　one　who　wore　the　cool　reflective　silver　sunglasses。　She　tried　to　remember　his　name。　Seinfeld；　she　thought；　or　something　like　that。　
　〃You　OK？〃　he　said。　
　She　nodded　dumbly。　
　His　silver　glasses　hung　askew　from　his　nose；　dislodged　by　his　landing　in　the　water。　He　swiped　them　off　quickly　and　for　a　brief　second　Kirsty　saw　his　eyes　and　she　gasped。　
　Suddenly　one　of　the　killers　whooshed　past　them　and　Kirsty　didn't　care　about　Schofield's　eyes　anymore。　
　The　towering　black　dorsal　fin　sailed　right　past　both　of　their　eyes　and　then　slowly；　very　slowly；　lowered　itself　into　the　water　until　finally　the　tip　of　the　massive　fin　dipped　below　the　surface　and　disappeared。　
　Kirsty　began　to　breathe　very　fast。　
　Beside　her；　Schofield　immediately　started　to　look　down　into　the　water　beneath　them。　They　were　treading　water　in　one　of　the　sections　of　the　pool　that　hadn't　yet　been　contaminated　with　blood。　The　water　beneath　them　was　crystal　clear。　
　Kirsty　followed　his　gaze　and　looked　down　into　the　water　beneath　her…　
　…just　in　time　to　see　the　wide　open　mouth　of　the　killer　whale　rushing　up　at　her　feet！　
　Kirsty　screamed　like　a　banshee；　but　beside　her；　Schofield　saved　calm。　He　quickly　lowered　his　Maghook　beneath　the　surface　and　for　a　terrifying　half…second；　waited　until　the　killer　was　right　up　close　。。。　
　And　then　he　fired。　
　The　grappling　hook；　with　its　bulbous　magnetic　head；　thundered　out　of　its　launcher　into　the　water　and　slammed　into　the　killer　whale's　snout；　stopping　the　massive　creature　dead　in　its　racks。　
　Four　thousand　pounds　pet　square　inch　of　thrust　had　launched　the　grappling　hook。　Whether　or　not　it　had　truly　been　enough　to　stun　a　full…grown　seven…ton　killer　whale　wasn't　entirely　clear　to　Schofield。　Hell；　the　whale　was　probab