Innocent Blood(103)

Rhun pointed left. “Bernard has inflated an emergency raft. I will push you toward it.”

Rhun’s dark head bobbed behind them like a seal as he began kicking toward a round raft, a bright yellow wafer spinning in the water. He saw that Bernard had Christian’s body sprawled atop it, a black stain against the yellow.

Worry for his new friend iced through him.

Too many Sanguinists had already died.

He scanned the horizon, but apparently the other helicopter was long gone.

But they weren’t alone out here.

An echoing pitch of an engine reached them. Jordan looked beyond the raft to a single light racing toward them, bobbing over the waves. A Zodiac pontoon boat. It clearly had to come from the towering oil platform in the distance.

The same site from where the attack helicopter had risen.

Not good.

“Rhun!” Jordan called, knowing the priest was too low in the water to see. “We’ve got company coming at our twelve o’clock!”

If there was any question of them being friendly, it was dispelled as gunfire cracked out, pebbling the dark water, aiming for the larger, brighter target of the raft.

Bernard suddenly dove off the side and vanished, abandoning Christian.

Did that mean the young Sanguinist was already dead?

Rhun had slowed their approach to the raft. “Leave them to Bernard. But in the meantime, we should make less of a target.”

Without warning, the priest upended their coffin and dumped them both into the cold sea. While Jordan understood the necessity, he didn’t necessarily care for the manner. He sputtered on a mouthful of water as he came to the surface. He hurried to Erin, knowing she was not a strong swimmer, nor a fan of water in general.

But she came up smoothly, her eyes scared but determined.

Rhun joined them. “Make for the raft, but keep its bulk between you and whoever comes.”

The priest led the way.

In a few strokes, their group reached their floating refuge but dared not mount it. Jordan peered over its edge as the Zodiac closed the distance, slowing. He spotted three men: a driver and two gunmen with rifles.

In the water, they were sitting ducks.

But unknown to the newcomers, there was also a shark in these waters.

Bernard suddenly rose on the starboard side, a long silver blade flashing in the moonlight. Moving in a blur, he slashed the length of the pontoon on their side. The Zodiac listed crookedly, the engine choking out, throwing the standing gunmen off balance. A hand lunged out of the water, grabbed an ankle, and plucked one man from the boat. He got tossed high, but not before Bernard hacked his leg off at the knee with one savage swipe.

The other rifleman fired, but Bernard was already gone.

As the Zodiac continued to wallow, the second gunman turned in a wary circle, watching the waters all around. Then suddenly the boat opened under the man, the tarp floor ripped out beneath him. His body was yanked straight through the new hole and vanished.

The last man—the driver—gunned the engine to full life and swung the boat away, clearly wanting to flee back to the safety of the oil platform. But Bernard bounded out of the sea, like a dolphin performing a trick. He landed behind the driver, gripped his hair, and slashed his neck, nearly taking the man’s head off.

Bernard threw his body into the sea with one arm.

Jordan tried to balance the pious man of the cloth with this savage butcher.

“Make for the other boat!” Rhun said, loudly enough for Bernard to hear. “Quickly now. I’ll grab Christian and join you there.”

The priest leaped and rolled onto the raft.

Erin and Jordan swam for the Zodiac. Bernard helped them aboard the foundering craft. Jordan knew Zodiacs were tough little boats, capable of running on only one float. By the time Jordan followed Erin up, Rhun was already there, towing Christian by one arm.

He helped Rhun get the young Sanguinist aboard the boat.

“What now?” Jordan asked as Erin and Bernard attended to Christian.

“Can you pilot this craft?” Rhun asked.

“Not a problem,” Jordan said.

The priest pointed to the oil rig. “We’re too far from the shore. We’ll never make landfall with this small engine. We must find another means of transportation to reach the coast.”

Jordan stared toward the towering structure. Despite their team’s firepower sunk to the bottom of the sea, they had to go into that nest of vipers.

Knowing this, Jordan crossed and took the wheel, while Erin leaned over Christian’s body.

“Is he still alive?” she asked.

“It is difficult to say,” Rhun admitted, kneeling between her and Bernard.

Christian’s eyes remained closed. A deep gash ran along his forehead. Jordan knew it would be useless to check for a breath or a heartbeat. The Sanguinists didn’t have either.