Is that a helicopter?
A metallic scraping sound confirmed Ethan's guess. Among the debris floated an overturned helicopter. The fuselage scraped steadily along the wall with the current. 'Is that your helicopter?'
'Not ours,' said Randerson. 'I think her flying days are over.'
Spader grabbed Fontana's arm and whispered something. Ethan wondered if the acid or Rourke's cable tie had damaged Spader's voice. Whatever the damage, Fontana understood. After a second assessing the water, Fontana dived in right beside the grinding helicopter wreckage.
What on earth is he doing? If he gets caught up in that debris, he'll drown. I can't even see him now.
'What's he doing?' Ethan called to Spader.
By answer, Spader just pointed toward the helicopter.
Right then, the water topped the Gallery roof. It swept toward Ethan's shoes. A second later, Fontana popped up an arm's length from Ethan.
'Help me,' barked Fontana, but Ethan already had him. Fontana hauled something to the surface. 'Randy, pull this up. It's heavy underwater.'
Randerson dragged the long, bulky orange object from the water. Spader helped. When Fontana joined them, the water was surging knee-high and strong enough to worry Ethan’s footing. The four men clustered around Fontana's find.
'Do it now,' Randerson yelled to Spader. 'It's on your side.'
Spader jerked on a cord. Something hissed. The bag burst open, unfolding into something else.
Of course, an emergency raft. Like a large orange wading pool.
'Everyone in,' croaked Spader, the first time he'd spoken out loud.
Ethan fell into the raft just as the water tore his shoes from the Gallery roof.
The four men watched the police boat nose toward the silt wall.
Two-thirds of the wall had washed away. Ethan, Spader, Fontana and Randerson sat on the remaining section. Between the men and the waterline rested the orange emergency raft.
Ethan counted eight police on the boat. No, wait, one was Claire! Claire Hudnell stood on the boat, waving. Ethan felt incredibly relieved. Standing beside Claire was another face Ethan recognized. Libby Kirkpatrick.
Has Libby been caught up in all this?
He'd completely forgotten about her balloon launching from the Plaza last week. Two other people on the boat weren't police. Are they part of Spader's team? What am I going to tell the police about Spader? This could get really ugly.
The boat grounded less than twenty feet away. A senior-looking officer jumped down and approached. He held out his hand as Ethan stood. 'Professor March? Glad to find you alive. We doubted anyone survived after seeing your camp wash down the river. I'm Captain Oloroso.'
'I can't really believe it myself,' said Ethan, shaking the Captain's hand.
'Sorry we took so long. The river is full of debris. We had to untangle the propeller twice. We found these four floating downriver. Claire told us what happened.'
Claire told him what happened? That could have so many meanings. What exactly had Claire told the policeman about Spader's team?
Ethan tried to read the situation. Claire had stayed on the boat. Obviously the Captain had instructed her to stay put. Perhaps he wanted to hear her story confirmed by Ethan. The Captain's face was unreadable.
Ethan took a gamble. 'Rourke's dead.'
Oloroso seemed relieved to hear this. 'You sure? You see him die?'
'He was decapitated. I was right there. He tried to kill me, but…well, he's dead and I'm not.'
The Captain nodded. 'Well, your wife will be pleased to hear that. She's been calling me constantly since she received your message.'
Message? Ethan remembered secretly dialing the sat-phone seconds before Rourke killed Nina. That seemed like weeks ago. Apparently his call had reached Maria before Kline intervened. She must be sick with worry.
Ethan waved toward the boat. 'Have you got a sat-phone, Captain? I need to call my wife.'
'Of course. We'll get to that. Are you OK to travel? Does anyone need medical assistance?'
Ethan noticed Spader's two men moving on the boat. This morning, he would have thought nothing of it, but now he saw things differently. They were taking position to assault the two police officers still onboard. The third officer had climbed down and was carrying a first aid kit toward Ethan. Ethan glimpsed Claire reach a restraining hand toward one of Spader's men. The man pushed the hand away. Claire didn't protest further. The understanding embodied in their body language told Ethan everything. Claire trusted these men. She knew what they were going to do. She didn't like it, but she wasn't ready to betray their identity yet either.
Spader's team could easily take down these police officers. Fontana was already walking down to 'meet' the officer with the first aid kit. Fontana might act before Spader gave any signal. The police seemed oblivious to the impending assault.
More violence.
Ethan spun and raised a finger to Spader. 'Wait, just wait.'
Spader stared impassively back at Ethan. His voice was croaky, but returning. 'I can't wait, Ethan. You know that.'
Captain Oloroso glanced suspiciously between Ethan and Spader. 'Who are these men, Professor March?'
Spader blinked steadily at Ethan.
'Volunteers,' called Claire from the boat. 'There wasn't enough room on the first boat. They were waiting for the next one.'
Ethan felt a plausible story forming in his mind. He nodded. 'They came as a group. Research volunteers. Rourke killed one of their friends. They want to find his body. I've been trying to convince them to ride back with us. They can't stay here. It's not safe.'
Oloroso nodded, addressing Spader. 'It's not safe to remain here. Who is your missing friend?'
Spader answered painfully. 'Merrit. His name was Gordon Merrit.'
Oloroso nodded. 'I've heard of him. I didn't know he was here. No one has contacted the station looking for him.'
Ethan interrupted before Spader could reply. 'He answered my invitation to help with the dig. He chartered a plane. It was last minute. I wasn't even expecting him. These men came with him.'
'Well, you can't stay here,' said Oloroso. 'The rest of this silt wall could collapse any time.'
Ethan looked to Spader. 'Well?'
Fontana had stopped an arm's length from the officer holding the first aid kit. Spader approached the inspector and studied him gravely. 'Thank you for your offer, Captain Oloroso. We'd be very grateful.'
Spader shook Oloroso’s hand before they all climbed in the boat. Ethan embraced Claire and Libby.
'I thought you were dead,' he said, pulling back to study Claire.
Claire shrugged. 'I thought you were locked in the Gallery.'
They sat together. 'I was. I reached the core chamber. Just before the Plaza flooded.'
Claire studied Ethan. 'And? Did you find your answers? Tell me something good came from all this.'
Ethan pulled the camera from under his sodden shirt. 'Wait and see.'
For a time, the only sound was the boat's engine.
Merc finally spoke. 'What happened to Gordon?'
Spader just stared over the boat's gunwale, so Ethan answered. 'Rourke shot him. I was with him. He and Rourke both died in the Gallery. They're both still in there. Down under the water.'
Oloroso listened but didn't ask questions. Perhaps he thought there'd be time enough back at the station. The Captain suddenly reached back and took the sat phone handset from the boat's center console. He passed it to Ethan.