In an instant that probably could only have been measured by Dorion’s clock, Jade saw that she was about to be crushed against the heavy tubular steel of the rail.
“This way,” shouted Professor. From the corner of her eye, Jade saw him insinuate himself in the gap between the horizontal rails. She thought he was jumping overboard, but as soon as he was clear of the rail, he gripped the edge of the deck and reached up to drag the dazed Dorion through as well.
Jade didn’t think she could hang on, but falling overboard and hitting the water some forty feet below had to be better than getting crushed. As she started to move forward however, she felt the container strike her again, driving her into the rail, pinning her…squeezing her.
Frantic, she desperately tried to squirm free, felt the hard rough plastic bowing just a little, but not nearly enough, and then, all of a sudden, she was free, squirted out like a bean from a husk, to land atop the container.
The reprieve was short-lived.
There was an ominous grinding sound as the container was relentlessly smashed between the rail and the QED. Jade launched herself down the length of the container, leaping clear just as the molded plastic collapsed like a Styrofoam cup under someone’s shoe. The submersible lurched and closed the gap in an instant, gonging against the rail, and then, with a tortured groan, the rail began to bend under the unyielding assault.
Jade lay on the deck, just a few inches from the QED, which continued to press against the rail like a tarp-covered battle tank. There was a sharp splitting noise, like the report of a pistol, and the rail along a considerable portion of the deck it was attached to, broke loose and fell away, allowing the little submarine which hung from a cable at the end of the boom crane, to swing out over the water like a pendulum.
She rolled to the edge of the deck and peered over, searching the water below for some sign that Professor and Dorion were still alive. She found them a moment later, not in the water, but still clinging desperately to the side of the ship. Professor hung by one hand, his other grasped Dorion’s arm. His face showed the intense exertion of suspending their combined weight. He couldn’t possibly hold on much longer. It was a wonder his grip hadn’t already failed.
With the QED swinging back and forth like something from an Edgar Allen Poe story, she did not dare try to assist them directly, and she wasn’t sure that she would be able to pull the two men back from the precipice. In the instant she contemplated their fate, it occurred to her that this could not be an accident. Someone had to be operating the crane, intentionally using both the crane and the deep sea vessel together like a wrecking ball, for one reason only: to kill the three of them.
Wonder who that could be?
Then another thought hit her. The crane!
She spun around and sprinted for the crane’s control station amidships. She was mentally preparing herself for battle with the would-be killer, but there was no one there; the saboteur, whomever he was, had already gone.
The unfamiliar lever controls were labeled and she quickly picked out one that seemed to regulate vertical lift. She pushed up and felt the entire ship shudder as the boom arm rose, lifting the still swinging submersible several feet above the deck.
She acutely felt the clock ticking down for Professor and Dorion. What if she was already too late?
She worked another lever and saw the crane arm swivel out over the water, and as the submersible started to swing again, she hit the winch control, unspooling the cable to lower the small underwater craft several yards.
The ship shuddered again and Jade heard a sickening crunch as the submersible dangling at the end of the cable swung back and slammed into the hull. Jade had a fleeting mental image — she hoped it wasn’t a literal vision — of Professor and Dorion smeared against the side of the ship. She raced back to the place where the disaster had begun, and sagged in relief when she found both men perched atop the mini-sub, clinging desperately to the cable.
It took less than a minute for a swarm of red-shirted crewmen to rush up from below decks, get the two men safely aboard, and begin assessing the damage. Ophelia and Barry hurried out as well, and a few seconds later, Lee and Nichols joined the throng.
Dorion appeared to be in shock and Ophelia moved to comfort him. Professor however was fully in control of his faculties and completely livid. He stalked toward Lee.
“There’s a killer on this ship,” he said in a low dangerous voice.
“Now just a second,” Nichols began, but Professor cut him off.
“We need to account for every person on board and then search the ship. If we don’t find anyone, then the killer is someone in your crew.”
Lee nodded, but kept glancing uncertainly at Nichols as if seeking his approval.
“Captain,” Professor said sharply. “You’re going to need to select a security detail for the search. Do you have weapons aboard?”
“Ah, weapons? Yes. We have a small arms locker.”
Nichols spoke up. “Dr. Chapman, I assure you, my crew is above suspicion.”
“Then our search will turn up the real saboteur. Make this happen, Mr. Nichols.”
The VMI founder reluctantly nodded his assent and Lee moved off to organize the security detail. Professor wasn’t finished however. “What’s the situation with the GPS?”
Nichols’ face screwed up in consternation. “I rebooted the system and it seems to be working again. Not sure what’s up with the compass; it’s about as old as some of the wrecks we dive on and honestly, we haven’t used it in years. But it hardly matters.”
“Why?” asked Jade.
“We have to head back to Nassau.”
Ophelia stiffened and strode over quickly to face Nichols. “Absolutely not.”
Jade heard unexpected steel in the blonde woman’s voice. “I’ve already paid you well, Mr. Nichols, and I’m willing to pay you a good deal more, but you will take us to our destination.”
“Ms. Doerner, when I agreed to this, I didn’t know that my ship was going to be in the crosshairs. Even if we ignore this incident, and I don’t think that’s a very good idea, the fact of the matter is that we’re not going to be able to use the QED until it is repaired and thoroughly tested and inspected. You can’t pay me enough to send her down to crush depth until that happens. And, if I’m not mistaken, the equipment you were going to use to focus your search just got pulverized. So what exactly do you hope to accomplish by continuing forward like nothing has happened?”
Nichols’ assessment of the situation hit Jade like a blow. Even though he had failed to kill them, the saboteur had done incalculable damage. Ophelia however was undeterred. “I can have another atomic clock flown out to us in forty-eight hours. As to the submersible, if the target location is at dive depth, we may not need it.”
Nichols’ frowned. “And if it’s not?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” She scrutinized him for a few seconds. “I’m surprised at your reluctance. Given your reputation, I didn’t think you would want to give up so quickly.”
Nichols reddened, but evidently remembered who was talking to him and swallowed his pride. “I have to answer to my stockholders, Ms. Doerner. And despite whatever reputation you think I have, safety is my primary concern.”
“Your stockholders will be grateful for the money that I’m paying you. They’ll be even happier when you discover a fortune in Spanish gold.”