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〃What the hell！〃 the spotter said。
Paulson flipped the rifle's safety off and centered his sight on the man who had just fired； killing two men but whom had he killed？ He could shoot only to save the lives of friendlies； and the dead men had almost certainly been bad guys。 There weren't any hostages to be saved； as far as he could tell。 Where the hell are they？ One of the men near the cliff's edge appeared to shout something； and the others ran to join him。 The marksman had his choice of targets； but without positive identification； he couldn't dare to fire a shot。
〃e on； baby；〃 Jackson said to the engine。 The motor was still cold and ran unevenly as he shifted to reverse。 The boat moved slowly backward； away from the beach。 Ryan had his Uzi trained on the other boat。 The man there appeared again； and Ryan fired three rounds before the gun stopped。 He cursed and switched magazines before firing a number of short bursts again to keep his head down。
〃Men on the cliff；〃 the Prince repeated。 He'd taken the shotgun and had it aimed； but didn't fire。 He didn't know who it was up there； and the range was too great in any case。 Then flashes appeared。 Whoever it was； they were firing at the boat。 Ryan turned when he heard bullets hitting the water； and two thudded into the boat itself。 Sissy Jackson screamed and grabbed at herself； while the Prince fired three rounds back。
Robby had the boat thirty yards from the beach now； and savagely brought the wheel around as he shifted the selector back into drive。 When he rammed the throttle forward； the engine coughed again for one long； terrible moment； but then it caught and the boat surged forward。
〃All right！〃 the aviator booted。 〃Jack where to？ How about Annapolis？〃
〃Do it！〃 Ryan agreed。 He looked aft。 There were men ing down the ladder。 Some were still shooting at them but missing wildly。 Next he saw that Sissy was holding her foot。
〃Cathy； see if you can find a first…aid kit；〃 His highness said。 He'd already inspected the wound； but was now in the stem； facing aft with the shotgun at the ready。 Jack saw a white plastic box under the driver's seat and slid it toward his wife。
〃Rob； Sissy took a round in the foot；〃 Jack said。
〃I'm okay； Rob；〃 his wife said at once。 She didn't sound okay。
〃How is it； Sis？〃 Cathy asked； moving to take a look。
〃It hurts； but it's no big deal；〃 she said through her teeth； trying to smile。
〃You sure you're okay； honey？〃 Robby asked。
〃Just go； Robby！〃 she gasped。 Jack moved aft and looked。 The bullet had gone straight through the top of her foot； and her light…colored shoe was bathed in dark blood。 He looked around to see if anyone else was hurt； but aside from the mere terror that each felt； everyone else seemed all right。
〃mander； do you want me to take the wheel for you？〃 the Prince asked。
〃Okay； Cap'n； e on forward。〃 Robby slid away from the controls as His Highness joined him。 〃Your course is zero…three…six magnetic。 Watch it； it's going to get rough when we're out of the cliff's lee； and there's lots of merchant traffic out there。〃 They could already see four feet of chop building a hundred yards ahead； driven by the gusting winds。
〃Right。 How do I know when we've arrived at Annapolis？〃 The Prince settled behind the wheel and started checking out the controls。
〃When you see the lights on the Bay Bridges； call me。 I know the harbor； I'll take her in。〃
The Prince nodded agreement。 He throttled back to half power as they entered the heavy chop； and kept moving his eyes from the pass to the water。 Jackson moved to check his wife。
Sissy waved him away。 〃You worry about them！〃
In another moment they were roller…coastering over four… and five…foot waves。 The boat was a nineteen…foot cathedral…hull lake boat of a type favored by local fishermen for her good calm…seas speed and shallow draft。 Her blunt nose didn't handle the chop very well。 They were taking water over the bow； but the forward snap…on cover was in place； and the windshield deflected most of the water over the side。 That water which did get into the back emptied down a self…bailing hole next to the engine box。 Ryan had never been in a boat like this； but knew what it was。 Its hundred…fifty…horse engine drove an inboard…outdrive transmission whose movable propeller eliminated the need for a rudder。 The bottom and sides of the boat were filled with foam for positive flotation。 You could fill it with water and it wouldn't sink but more to the point； the fiberglass and the foam would probably stop the bullets from a submachine gun。 Jack checked his fellow passengers again。 His wife was ministering to Sissy。 The Princess held his daughter。 Except for himself； Robby； and the Prince at the wheel； everyone's head was down。 He started to relax slightly。 They were away； and their fate was back in their own hands。 Jack promised himself that this would never change again。
〃They're ing after us；〃 Robby said as he fed two rounds into the bottom of the shotgun。 〃 'Bout three hundred yards back。 I saw them in the lightning； but they'll lose us in this rain if we're lucky。〃
〃What would you call the visibility？〃
〃Except for the lightning〃 Robby shrugged 〃maybe a hot hundred yards； tops。 We're not leaving a wake for them to follow； and they don't know where we're going。〃 He paused。 〃God； I wish we had a radio！ We could get the Coast Guard in on this； or maybe somebody else； and set up a nice little trap for them。〃 Jack sat all the way down； facing aft on the opposite side of the engine box from his friend。 He saw that his daughter was asleep in the arms of the Princess。 It must be nice to be a kid； he reflected。
〃Count your blessings； mander。〃
〃Bet your ass； boy！ I guess I picked a good time to take a leak。〃
Ryan grunted agreement。 〃I didn't know you could handle a shotgun。〃
〃Back when I was a kid； the Klan had this little hobby。 They'd get boozed up every Tuesday night and burn down a nigger church just to keep us in line； y'know？ Well； one night； the sheetheads decided to burn my pappy's church。 We got word a liquor…store owner called； not all rednecks are assholes。 Anyway； Pappy and me were waiting for them。 Didn't kill any； but we must have scared them as white as their sheets。 I blew the radiator right out of one car。〃 Robby chuckled at the memory。 〃They never did e back for it。 The cops didn't arrest anybody； but that's the last time anybody tried to burn a church in our town； so I guess they learned their lesson。〃 He paused again。 When he went on； his voice was more sober。 〃That's the first time I ever killed a man。 Jack。 Funny； it doesn't feel like anything； not anything at all。〃
〃It will tomorrow。〃
Robby looked over at his friend。 〃Yeah。〃
Ryan looked aft； his hands tight on the Uzi。 There was nothing to be seen。 The sky and water merged into an amorphous gray mass； and the wind…driven rain stung at his face。 The boat surged up and down on the breaking swells； and for a moment Jack wondered why he wasn't seasick。 Lightning flashed again； and still he saw nothing； as though they were under a gray dome on a sparkling； uneven floor。
They were gone。 After the sniper team reported that all the terrorists had disappeared over the cliff； Werner's men searched the house and found nothing but dead men。 The second HRT group was now on the scene； plus over twenty police； and another crowd of firemen and paramedics。 Three of the Secret Service agents were still alive； plus a terrorist who'd been left behind。 All were being transported to hospitals。 That made for seventeen security people dead； and a total of four terrorists； two of them apparently killed by their own side。
〃They all crowded into the boat and took off that way；〃 Paulson said。 〃I could have taken a few out； but there just wasn't any way to figure who was who。〃 He'd done the right thing。 The sniper knew it； and so did Werner。 You don't shoot without knowing what your target is。
〃So now what the hell do we do？〃 This question came from a captain of the State Police。 It was a rhetorical question insofar as there was no immediate answer。
〃Do you suppose the good guys got away？〃 Paulson asked。 〃I didn't see anything that looked like a friendly； and the way the bad guys were acting 。 。 。 something went wrong；〃 he said。 〃Something went wrong for everybody。〃
Something went wrong； all right； Werner thought。 A goddamned battle was fought here。 Twenty…some people dead and nobody in sight。
〃Let's assume that the friendlies escaped somehow no； let's just assume that the bad guys got away in a boat。 Okay。 Where would they go？〃 Werner asked。
〃Do you know how many boatyards there are around here？〃 the State Police Captain asked。 〃Jesus； how many houses with private slip's？ Hundreds we can't check them all out！〃
〃Well； we have to do something！〃 Werner snapped back； his anger amplified by his sprained back。 A black dog came up to them。 He looked as confused as everyone else。
〃I think they lost us。〃
〃Could be；〃 Jackson replied。 The last lightning flash had revealed nothing。 〃The bay's right big； and visibility isn't worth a damn but the way the rain's blowing； they