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She was heading for the deck； for that part of the deck on which the two French mandos stood。 And she wasn't slowing down。
In fact； it looked to Schofield like she was picking up speed as she sped toward the deck with the three black…and…white specters racing through the water behind her。
Schofield then watched in amazement as； within a meter of the deck； Wendy suddenly launched herself out of the water。 It was a flat； graceful leap； and she landed smoothly on her belly on the deck and slid forward a full three meters。
She slid right past the two bewildered Frenchmen standing next to her。
But she didn't stop there。 No sooner had she stopped sliding than she was up on her foreflippers and galloping as fast as she could； away from the water's edge。
For a fleeting instant Schofield wondered why she would do that。 Surely once you were out of the water you were safe from the killers。
And then Schofield discovered why Wendy did what she did。
Like a demon rising from the depths； one of the pursuing killer whales roared out of the water and hurled its massive body up onto the deck； landing on the thick metal grating with an enormous crash。 The huge whale slid fast across the deck； carried forward by the weight of its own inertia。 It rolled smoothly onto its side as it moved； so that its jaws opened vertically； and then； with almost effortless grace； it caught one of the Frenchmen in its mouth and bit down hard。
The big animal's sliding movement stopped and it ground to a halt； with the French soldier…screaming madly； blood pouring from his mouth…held tightly within its jaws。 The whale then began to shuffle its enormous frame awkwardly backward along the deck。 After a few moments； it reached the edge and fell back into the water； taking the screaming Frenchman down with it。
Wendy had known。 You weren't truly safe from the killers until you were well clear of the water's edge。
The six people remaining on the deck understood at once。
Get away from the edge。
Schofield saw Gant join Rebound on the other side of the pool。 Saw them both hurriedly pick up Mother by the shoulders and start to drag her away from the edge。 As they did so； Schofield caught a fleeting glimpse of Mother's lower body。 The bottom half of one of her legs was missing。
At that moment there came a sudden resounding whump！ from behind Schofield and he felt the deck beneath him shudder violently。 He spun instantly； faced the pool； and saw the smiling face of one of the killer whales sliding across the deck toward him！
The whale slid across the deck fast。
Schofield was still on his knees。
The whale rolled onto its side； opened its mouth wide。
Schofield dived away from the massive creature； saw the battered ejection seat lying on the deck four feet behind him。 If he could just get to it and leap over it； he'd be safe。 He scrambled across the deck on his hands and knees； toward the big ejection seat。
The whale kept ing。 Fast。
Schofield clawed at the deck； crawled as fast as he could。 Not fast enough。 He wasn't going to make it。
He wasn't going to be able to get over the ejection seat in time。
Schofield saw water spread out on the deck all around him。 The wash from the advancing killer whale。
It was right behind him！
Schofield's adrenaline surged and he dived forward。 He knew he wasn't going to make it over the chair； so he slammed himself； back first； into the ejection seat。
He was now facing the pool； 〃sitting〃 in the battered ejection seat as it lay crumpled on its side。 He looked up and the killer whale filled his entire field of vision。
It was right on top of him！ Less than a meter away。 It came roaring toward him。
There was no chance of it slowing down。
No chance of it missing him。
And Shane Schofield shut his eyes as the killer whale's jaws came slamming down around his head。
There came a sudden otherworldly clang！； a noise louder than anything Schofield had ever heard in his life。
He had expected to feel pain…sharp； sudden； burning pain…as the killer whale's teeth chomped down hard on his head。 But strangely； he didn't feel any pain。
Bewildered； he opened his eyes。。。
。。。 and saw two long rows of razor…sharp teeth stretching away from him into darkness。 In between the two long rows of teeth sat an obscenely fat； pink tongue。
It took a second for his brain to put it all together。
His head was inside the killer whale's month！
But for some reason…some unfathomable； incredible reason…he was still alive。
It was then that Schofield looked up and saw that his head was surrounded on three sides by the battered steel headrest of the ejection seat。
The killer whale's ferocious bite had e down hard on the headrest； on either side of Schofield's head。 But the steel headrest had been strong enough to withstand the incredible force of the bite…it had halted the big whale's teeth only millimeters short of Schofield's ears。 Now； two severe dents in the headrest jutted inward on either side of his head。 One of them…sharp and jagged…had drawn a tiny bead of blood from his left ear。
Schofield couldn't see anything else。 His entire upper body； from chest to head； was pletely covered by the killer whale's mouth。
Suddenly the ejection seat jolted beneath him。
It scraped loudly against the metal deck； and Schofield fell back into the seat as the whole thing lurched forward。
The movement stopped suddenly； almost as soon as it had begun； and Schofield rocked forward and shuddered to a halt。 He suddenly realized what was happening。
The whale was dragging him back toward the pool。
The ejection seat jolted once again； and he felt the seat slide another three feet across the deck。
In his mind's eye； Schofield could picture the whale's movements。 It was probably shuffling backward…as the other one had done before with the Frenchman…undulating its massive body back across the deck as it dragged the four…hundred…pound ejection seat toward the edge of the deck。
The ejection seat moved again and Schofield felt a sudden rush of warm air wash over his face。
It had e from within the whale。
Schofield couldn't believe it。 The killer whale was huffing and puffing； breathing hard as it held this unusually heavy prize within its jaws and dragged it back toward the water！ Schofield wriggled in his seat as another rush of warm air hit his face and the seat jolted once again。
His feet were still sticking out from the base of the ejection seat； out from the side of the whale's propped…open mouth。 If he could just wriggle down that way； he thought； he might be able to slip out of the chair…and out of the whale's mouth…before it reached the water。
Schofield moved slowly； gingerly； easing himself down in the ejection seat； not wanting to alert the whale to his plan。
Suddenly the seat lurched sideways。 It screeched hideously as it slid across the metal deck。 Schofield quickly grabbed hold of the armrests to stop himself from falling forward onto the big animal's teeth。
He lowered himself farther。 Now his waist was out of the chair and his eyes were level with the whale's sharp； pointed teeth。 The whale grunted as it heaved on the heavy steel chair。
Slowly； Schofield lowered himself an inch farther out of the chair。
And then he encountered a problem。
He was now sitting so low in the ejection seat that he couldn't keep a hold on the armrests anymore。 He needed something to hold onto； something from which he could push himself out of the seat。 He desperately looked around himself； searching for something to grab onto。
Nothing。
There was absolutely nothing to hold onto。
And then his gaze fell upon the killer whale's teeth in front of him。
I don't believe this； he thought as he reached up with both hands and took hold of two of the killer whale's enormous white teeth。
Suddenly the ejection seat jolted and slid again and Schofield felt it lift slightly off the deck。 He had a sudden horrifying thought。
It's reached the edge of the deck。
And now it's tipping over it。。。
Holy shit。
Schofield gripped the whale's teeth tightly and pushed hard off them； and hurled himself clear of the ejection seat。 He slid out from the chair； out from the side of the big whale's mouth； and fell clumsily onto the deck just in time to see the killer whale's rear end drop back into the pool。 As its tail entered the water； the big whale's body tipped upward； and its head reared up； lifting the entire ejection seat off the deck。 Then the killer whale's enormous black…and…white frame began to slide downward； into the water； and the great predator took its prize to a watery grave。
Schofield was on his feet in seconds； moving quickly across the deck toward Rebound； Gant； and Mother over by the south tunnel。
He spoke into his helmet mike as he ran。 〃Montana； this is Scarecrow； report。〃
〃Still up on A…deck； Scarecrow。 Snake and Santa Cruz're up here with me。〃
〃How many up there？〃 Schofield asked。
〃I count it as five military and two civilian；〃 Montana's voice said。 〃But two of the military guys just made a break for one of the ladders and went down a level。 What？ Oh； fuck…〃