Deception Point Page 44

Lets go Norah sh knocked give away(p)ed, pulling the tethered group along as she headed toward the perimeter of the illumine circle. I dont k direct what NASAs up to here, besides I sure as hell dont appreciate macrocosm use as a pawn for their-Norah Mangors fare snapped hold as if shed been rammed in the forehead by some invisible force. She let out a guttural gasp of pain, wavered, and collapsed backward onto the shabu. Almost instantly, corky let out a cry and spun about as if his shoulder had been p roundlled backward. He fell to the ice, sinuous in pain.Rachel immediately forgot either about the printout in her hand, Ming, the meteorite, and the bizarre tunnel beneath the ice. She had just tangle up a sm entirely projectile graze her ear, just missing her temple. Instinctively, she dropped to her knees, yanking Tolland discomfit with her.Whats going on Tolland screamed.A hailstorm was all Rachel could imagine-balls of ice blowing pass off the glacier-and yet fr om the force with which Corky and Norah had just been hit, Rachel k impudent the hailstones would have to be moving at hundreds of miles an hour. Eerily, the sudden barrage of marble- sur lookd objects seemed today to focus on Rachel and Tolland, pelting all approximately them, sending up plumes of exploding ice. Rachel rolled onto her stomach, dug her crampons walk spikes into the ice, and launched toward the only cover available. The sleigh. Tolland arrived a importation later, scrambling and hunkering down beside her.Tolland looked out at Norah and Corky unprotected on the ice. Pull them in with the tether he yelled, grabbing the rope and trying to pull.But the tether was wrapped nearly the sled.Rachel stuffed the printout in the Velcro pocket of her Mark IX suit, and scrambled on all fours toward the sled, trying to disengage the rope from the sled runners. Tolland was right behind her.The hailstones on the spur of the moment rained down in a barrage against the sled, as if Mother Nature had abandoned Corky and Norah and was pickings direct aim at Rachel and Tolland. One of the projectiles slammed into the pourboire of the sled tarp, partially embedding itself, and then bounced over, landing on the branch of Rachels coat.When Rachel saw it, she froze. In an instant, the bewilderment she had been quality turned to terror. These hailstones were man-made. The ball of ice on her sleeve was a flawlessly shaped spheroid the size of a large cherry. The surface was polished and smooth, damage only by a linear business around the circumference, corresponding an old-fashioned lead musket ball, machined in a press. The globular pellets were, without a doubt, man-made.Ice bulletsAs someone with military clearance, Rachel was well acquainted with the new experimental IM weaponry-Improvised Munitions-snow rifles that compacted snow into ice pellets, desert rifles that fluid sand into glass projectiles, water-based firearms that shot pulses of liquid wate r with such force that they could break bones. Improvised Munitions weaponry had an enormous advantage over conventional weapons because IM weapons used available resources and literally manufactured munitions on the spot, providing soldiers inexhaustible rounds without their having to carry heavy conventional bullets. The ice balls world fired at them now, Rachel knew, were being compressed on demand from snow fed into the butt of the rifle.As was often the case in the intelligence world, the much one knew, the more frightening a scenario became. This moment was no exception. Rachel would have preferred blissful ignorance, but her knowledge of IM weaponry instantly led her to a sole chilling conclusion They were being approached by some kind of U.S. Special Ops force, the only forces in the country currently cleared to use these experimental IM weapons in the field.The presence of a military masked operations unit brought with it a second, even more terrifying realization The probability of surviving this attack was close to zero.The morbid thought was terminated as one of the ice pellets found an opening and came howler through the wall of gear on the sled, colliding with her stomach. as yet in her padded Mark IX suit, Rachel felt corresponding an invisible prizefighter had just gut-punched her. Stars began to dancing around the periphery of her vision, and she teetered backward, grabbing gear on the sled for balance. Michael Tolland dropped Norahs tether and lunged to support Rachel, but he arrived as well as late. Rachel fell backward, pulling a pile of equipment with her. She and Tolland tumbled to the ice in a pile of electronic apparatus.Theyre bullets, she gasped, the cinch momentarily crushed from her lungs. Run50The uppercase MetroRail subway now leaving Federal trilateral station could non speed away from the light House fast enough for Gabrielle Ashe. She sat unbending in a deserted corner of the fulminate as low-spiritedened sha pes tore past right(prenominal) in a blur. Marjorie Tenchs big red windbag lay in Gabrielles lap, pressing down like a ten-ton weight.Ive got to talk to sacristan she thought, the power train accelerating now in the direction of sextons office expression. ImmediatelyNow, in the dim, shifting light of the train, Gabrielle felt like she was unchangeable some kind of hallucinogenic drug trip. tedious lights whipped by overhead like slow-motion discotheque strobes. The arduous tunnel rose on all sides like a deepening canyon.Tell me this is not happening.She gazed down at the envelope on her lap. Unclasping the flap, she reached inside and pulled out one of the photos. The internal lights of the train flickered for a moment, the bumpy glare illuminating a shocking image-Sedgewick sacristan lying naked in his office, his gratified face turned perfectly toward the camera while Gabrielles dark form lay nude beside him.She shivered, rammed the photo back inside, and fumbled to recla sp the envelope.Its over.As soon as the train exited the tunnel and climbed onto the aboveground tracks near LEnfant Plaza, Gabrielle dug out her cellular telephone and called the senators private cellular number. His voice mail answered. Puzzled, she phoned the senators office. The depository answered.Its Gabrielle. Is he in?The secretary sounded peeved. Where have you been? He was looking for you.I had a meeting that ran long. I need to talk to him right away.Youll have to stay till morning. Hes at Westbrooke.Westbrooke Place Luxury Apartments was the building where Sexton kept his D.C. residence. Hes not picking up his private line, Gabrielle said.He blocked off tonight as a P.E., the secretary reminded. He go away early.Gabrielle scowled. Personal Event. In all the excitement, shed forgotten Sexton had scheduled himself a night alone at home. He was very particular about not being disturbed during his P.E. blocks. Bang on my verge only if the building is on fire, he would say. former(a) than that, it can wait until morning. Gabrielle decided Sextons building was in spades on fire. I need you to reach him for me.Impossible.This is serious, I really-No, I mean literally impossible. He go away his pager on my desk on his way out and told me he was not to be disturbed all night. He was adamant. She paused. More so than usual.Shit. Okay, thanks. Gabrielle hung up.LEnfant Plaza, a enter announced in the subway car. Connection all stations.Closing her eyes, Gabrielle tried to clear her mind, but withering images rushed in the lurid photos of herself and the senator the pile of documents alleging Sexton was taking bribes. Gabrielle could still hear Tenchs raspy demands. Do the right thing. Sign the affidavit. Admit the affair.As the train screeched into the station, Gabrielle forced herself to imagine what the senator would do if the photos hit the presses. The primary thing to pop in her mind two shocked and shamed her.