[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
there was a blackness which shrouded part of the water. Culhane had no idea
what caused the effect.
The rock beneath them began shoaling rapidly. The darkness within in the
yellow light grew, then receded.
Culhane jerked slightly as he felt Eddleston touch at his arm two taps.
Culhane passed it on. then swam ahead, following Eddleston.
Eddleston was breaking the surface. Culhane beside him, slowly too, looking
from side to side, back, then ahead. They had surfaced into something like a
natural well, a rounded tunnel ahead of them, the origination of the yellow
glow at the end of the tunnel.
Culhane started out of the well with Eddleston, stripping away his regulator,
shiftinq out of the tank harness, leaving his boots, his wet suit hood in
place.
As the other SEALs emerqed from the water, emerging with them were various
gear pods. Eddleston was already unlimbering a gun from a long case, of a type
Sean Dodge used regularly in Culhane's books, but Culhane had only fired on a
few occasions in real life, a Heckler & Koch MP-5SD A-3. A little larger
seeming than an uzi with its stock telescoped, only three or four inches of
the suppressor were noticeable, the suppressor inset to the vented and drilled
out barrel. It was supposedly the most accurate and controllable weapons of
its type. Culhane's limited actual experience with submachineguns served to
confirm that, and he had the uncomfortable feeling that he was about to have
more first hand data input.
No slings, Culhane had noted these were the sorts of details which filled
Sean Dodge's adventures. The experiences of this night would wind up in those
pages as well, if he lived that long. He'd write the characters and the
action; let Fanny write about Voodoo and He shivered. Thinking about Fanny
and what he might find here chilled Culhane's soul.
Page 185
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Culhane was handed a similar MP-5, a jungle-clipped pair of magazines, and a
compartmentalized musette bag style black fabric case with spares. Culhane
racked the bolt, made certain the chamber was empty, checked safety function,
pulled the trigger on the empty chamber, then inserted one of the
clipped-together thirty-round magazines. He racked the bolt and set the
safety, the H-K one of the few weapons of its type which fired from a closed
bolt.
The other men were out of the water, skinning out of tanks and regulators and
masks, buckling on gear shoulder holsters with black, chunky-looking H-K P-9
9mms or SIGs, web equipment belts with SOCOM pistols holstered. One of the
Team unlimbered a Mossberg 500 military configuration shotgun. Culhane was
handed his 87O with the pistol grip and the bag containing the special
shotshells, the salt and the Holy Water. He doubted that any of the Team, with
the possible exception of Eddleston, knew the bag's curious contents.
Culhane loaded the shotgun, keeping the chamber empty, set it down, then
buckled on the web belt with his SIG and the Black Ka-Bar, discarding the
chest pack. Culhane's shotgun was the only weapon with a sling, and this
merely lashed on, no buckles to be silenced. Culhane slung the shotgun across
his back, butt up.
Under the top of the wetsuit, taped against his skin, was the Bali-Song;
removing the tape would rip hair from his abdomen and hurt. The knife had
already given him a pressure welt from the dive.
But it was good insurance.
Eddleston was starting to move, the two men who had stayed behind near the
cave entrance emerging from the water, ripping their subguns from the
protective cases before doffing their breathing gear.
At that exact moment, from the far end of the tunnel. Culhane heard a single
word screamed. "Culhane!"
The voice was Fanny Mulrooney's.
Culhane started to run Eddleston and two of the other SEALs grabbed him.
Eddleston shaking him. Eddleston hissing. "No! "
Culhane licked his lips he was sweating under the wet suit, under its toque
but it wasn't heat.
Culhane nodded.
Demon or not, he'd kill it. He followed Eddleston, edging along the tunnel
wall, two of the SEALs padding ahead, their subguns at the ready. Culhane
licked his lips again. He glanced to the black waterproof map case zipped shut
at his left side. The Holy Water, more of the salt-loaded shotshells.
Culhane edged forward. Eddleston holding his 9mm submachinegun in his left
fist, keeping it away from the wall, ready to fire down the tunnel. Culhane
clutched his own submachinegun in both fists, his right first finger just
outside the trigger guard.
Culhane reminded himself that once they entered the grotto, he and the SEAL
Team had different priorities. The SEAL Team's mission was to neutralize
Fidelito and his Zombies, then save Fanny and any other innocent if possible.
Aside from Eddleston, perhaps, Culhane doubted any of the others expected to
Page 186
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
find a demon. Culhane's primary mission was to save Fanny and kill or
whatever you did to stop the demon.
He glanced to the left flanking wall, one of the Team with a laser-sighted
Barnett Commando crossbow, the brass portions of the bow sandblasted or
otherwise dulled in finish, a hunting broadhead nocked and ready behind the
cocked prod.
Culhane froze. From above, there was the sound of an explosion, probably a
grenade. The Marine contingent was attacking the main entrance.
Culhane glanced at his watch. "Punctual." Culhane murmured.
From the end of the tunnel, he could hear a woman's voice, whimpering.
Culhane felt the tendons in his neck brace.
The crossbowman edged ahead, along the center of the tunnel, passing the two
point men who had gone ahead, the two point men falling in slightly behind
him, flanking him from each side of the tunnel, right and left. Assault rifle
fire, dull, almost impossible to hear, emanated from above.
A battle was raging over them, between the Marines and Fidelito's fanatically
homicidal Zombies.
Culhane couldn't help but ask himself what he would find at the end of the
tunnel, in the cave itself? Would he find what Momma Cinda had told him he'd
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]