Captivity
Afterreplacingallthedivinggearinthemachineshop,Kellytookatwo-wheelhandtruckoutontothequaytohandlethegroceries.Roseninsistedonhelping.Hisnewscrewswouldarrivebyboatthenextday,andthesurgeondidn‘tseeminanyhurrytotakehisboatbackout.
‘So,‘Kellysaid,‘youteachsurgery?‘
‘Eightyearsnow,yeah.‘Roeeneveneduptheboxesonthetwo-wheeler.
‘Youdon‘ttooklikeasurgeon.‘
Rosentookthecomplimentwithgrace.‘We‘renotallviolinists.Myfatherwasabricklayer.‘
‘Minewasafireman.‘Kettystartedwheelingthegroceriestowardsthebunker.
‘Speakingofsurgeons‘RosenpointedatKelly‘schest.‘Somegoodonesworkedonyou.Thatonelookslikeitwasnasty.‘
Kellynearlystopped.‘Yeah,Igotrealcarelessthattime.Notasbadasitlooks,though,justgrazedthelung.‘
Rosengrunted.‘SoIsee.Musthavemissedyourheartbynearlytwoinches.Nobigdeal.‘
Kellymovedtheboxesintothepantry.‘Nicetotalktosomebodywhounderstands,doc,‘henoted,wincinginwardlyatthethought,rememberingthefeelofthebulletwhenithadspunhimaround.‘LikeIsaid-careless.‘
‘Howlongwereyouoverthere?‘
‘Total?Maybeeighteenmonths.Dependsonifyoucountthehospitaltime.‘
‘That‘saNavyCrossyouhavehangingonthewall.Isthatwhatit‘sfor?‘
Kellyshookhishead.‘Thatwassomethingelse.Ihadtogoupnorthtoretrievesomebody,A-6pilot.Ididn‘tgethurt,butIgotsicker‘n‘hell.Ihadsomescratches-youknow-fromthornsandstuff.Theygotinfectedashellfromtheriverwater,wouldyoubelieve?Threeweeksinthehospitalfromthat.Itwasworse‘nbeingshot.‘
‘Notaveryniceplace,isit?‘Rosenaskedastheycamebackforthelastload.
‘Theysaythere‘sahundreddifferentkindsofsnakethere.Ninety-ninearepoisonous.‘
‘Andtheotherone?‘
Kellyhandedacartonovertothedoctor.‘Thatoneeatsyourasswhole.‘Helaughed.‘No,Ididn‘tlikeittheremuch.Butthatwasthejob,andIgotthatpilotout,andtheAdmiralmademeachiefandgotmeamedal.Comeon,I‘llshowyoumybaby.‘KellywavedRosenaboard.Thetourtookfiveminutes,withthedoctortakingnoteofallthedifferences.Theamenitieswerethere,butnotglitzedup.Thisguy,hesaw,wasallbusiness,andhischartswereallbrandnew.Kellyfishedoutanotherbeerfromhiscoolerforthedoctorandanotherforhimself.
‘WhatwasOkinawalike?‘Kellyaskedwithasmile,eachmansizinguptheother,eachlikingwhathesaw.
Rosenshruggedandgruntedeloquently.‘Tense.Wehadalotofwork,andthekamikazesseemedtothinktheredcrossontheshipmadeahellofanicetarget.‘
‘Youwereworkingwhiletheywerecominginatyou?‘
‘Injuredpeoplecan‘twait,Kelly.‘
Kellyfinishedhisbeer.‘I‘dratherbeshootingback.LetmegetPam‘sstuffandwecangetbackintheairconditioning.‘Heheadedaftandpickedupherbackpack.Rosenwasalreadyonthequay,andKellytossedthebackpackacross.Rosenlookedtoolate,missedthecatch,andthepacklandedontheconcrete.Somecontentsspilledout,andfromtwentyfeetaway,Kellyimmediatelysawwhatwaswrongevenbeforethedoctor‘sheadturnedtolookathim.
Therewasalargebrownplasticprescriptionbottle,butwithoutalabel.Thetophadbeenloose,andfromithadspilledacoupleofcapsules.
Somethingsareinstantlyclear.Kellysteppedslowlyofftheboattothequay.Rosenpickedupthecontainerandplacedthespilledcapsulesbackinitbeforesnappingdownthewhiteplastictop.ThenhehandedittoKelly.
‘Iknowthey‘renotyours,John.‘
‘Whatarethey,Sam?‘
Hisvoicecouldnothavebeenmoredispassionate.‘ThetradenameisQuaalude.Methaqualone.It‘sabarbiturate,asedative.Asleepingpill.Weuseittogetpeopleoffintodreamland.Prettypowerful.Alittletoopowerful,infact.Alotofpeoplethinkitoughttobetakenoffthemarket.Nolabel.It‘snotaprescription.‘
Kellysuddenlyfelttiredandold.Andbetrayedsomehow.‘Yeah.‘
‘Youdidn‘tknow?‘
‘Sam,weonlymet-noteventwenty-fourhoursago.Idon‘tknowanythingabouther.‘
Rosenstretchedandlookedaroundthehorizonforamoment.‘Okay,nowI‘mgoingtostartbeingadoctor,okay?Haveyoueverdonedrugs?‘
‘No!Ihatethegoddamnedstuff.Peoplediebecauseofit!‘Kelly‘sangerwasimmediateandvicious,butitwasn‘taimedatSamRosen.
Theprofessortooktheoutburstcalmly.Itwashisturntobebusinesslike.‘Settledown.Peoplegethookedonthesethings.Howdoesn‘tmatter.Gettingexciteddoesn‘thelp.Takeadeepbreath,letitoutslow.‘
Kellydid,andmanagedasmileattheincongruityofthemoment.‘Yousoundjustlikemydad.‘
‘Firemenaresmart.‘Hepaused.‘Okay,yourladyfriendmayhaveaproblem.Butsheseemslikeanicegirl,andyouseemlikeamensch.Sodowetryandsolvetheproblemornot?‘
‘Iguessthat‘suptoher,‘Kellyobserved,bitternesscreepingintohisvoice.Hefeltbetrayed.He‘dstartedgivinghisheartawayagain,andnowhehadtofacethefactthathemighthavebeengivingittodrugs,orwhatdrugshadmadeofwhatoughttohavebeenaperson.Itmightallhavebeenawasteoftime.
Rosenbecamealittlestern.‘That‘sright,itisuptoher,butitmightbeuptoyou,too,alittle,andifyouactlikeanidiot,youwon‘thelpherverymuch.‘
Kellywasamazedbyhowrationalthemansoundedunderthecircumstances.‘Youmustbeaprettygooddoc.‘
‘I‘monehellofagooddoc,‘Rosenannounced.‘Thisisn‘tmyfield,butSarahisdamnedgood.Itmaybeyou‘rebothlucky.She‘snotabadgirl,John.Something‘sbotheringher.She‘snervousaboutsomething,incaseyoudidn‘tnotice.‘
‘Well,yes,but-‘AndsomepartofKelly‘sbrainsaid,See!
‘Butyoumainlynoticedshe‘spretty.Iwasinmytwentiesoncemyself,John.Comeon,wemayhavealittleworkahead.‘HestoppedandpeeredatKelly.‘I‘mmissingsomethinghere.Whatisit?‘
‘Ilostawifelessthanayearago.‘Kellyexplainedonforaminuteortwo.
‘Andyouthoughtthatmaybeshe-‘
‘Yeah,Iguessso.Stupid,isn‘tit?‘Kellywonderedwhyhewasopeningupthisway.WhynotjustletPamdowhatevershewanted?Butthatwasn‘tananswer.Ifhedidthat,hewouldjustbeusingherforhisselfishneeds,discardingherwhenthebloomcameofftherose.Forallthereverseshislifehadtakeninthepastyear,heknewthathecouldn‘tdothat,couldn‘tbeoneofthosemen.HecaughtRosenlookingfixedlyathim.
Rosenshookhisheadjudiciously.‘Weallhavevulnerabilities.Youhavetrainingandexperiencetodealwithyourproblems.Shedoesn‘t.Comeon,wehaveworktodo.‘Rosentookthehandtruckinhislarge,softhandsandwheeledittowardsthebunker.
Thecoolairinsidewasasurprisinglyharshblastofreality.PamwastryingtoentertainSarah,butnotsucceeding.PerhapsSarahhadwrittenitofftotheawkwardsocialsituation,butphysicians‘mindsarealwaysatwork,andshewasstartingtoapplyaprofessionaleyetothepersoninfrontofher.WhenSamenteredthelivingroom,SarahturnedandgavehimalookthatKellywasabletounderstand.
‘Andso,well,IlefthomewhenIwassixteen,‘Pamwassaying,rattlingoninamonotonalvoicethatexposedmorethansheknew.Hereyesturned,too,andfocusedonthebackpackKellyheldinhishand.Hervoicehadasurprisinglybrittlecharacterthathe‘dnotnoticedbefore.
‘Oh,great.Ineedsomeofthatstuff.‘Shecameoverandtookthepackfromhishands,thenheadedtowardsthemasterbedroom.KellyandRosenwatchedherleave,thenSamhandedhiswifetheplasticcontainer.Sheneededonlyonelook.
‘Ididn‘tknow,‘Kellysaid,feelingtheneedtodefendhimself.‘Ididn‘tseehertakeanything.‘Hethoughtback,tryingtoremembertimeswhenshehadnotbeeninhissight,andconcludedthatshemighthavetakenpillstwoorperhapsthreetimes,thenrealizingwhatherdreamyeyeshadreallybeenafterall.
‘Sarah?‘Samasked.
‘Three-hundred-milligram.Itoughtnottobeaseverecase,butshedoesneedassistance.‘
Pamcamebackintotheroomafewsecondslater,tellingKellythatshe‘dleftsomethingontheboat.Herhandsweren‘ttrembling,butonlybecauseshewasholdingthemtogethertokeepthemstill.Itwassoclear,onceyouknewwhattolookfor.Shewastryingtocontrolherself,andalmostsucceeding,butPamwasn‘tanactress.
‘Isthisit?‘Kellyasked.Heheldthebottleinhishands.Hisrewardfortheharshquestionwaslikeawell-earnedknifeintheheart.
Pamdidn‘treplyforafewseconds.Hereyesfixedonthebrownplasticcontainer,andthefirstthingKellysawwasasudden,hungryexpressionasthoughherthoughtswerealreadyreachingforthebottle,alreadypickingoneormoreofthetabletsout,alreadyanticipatingwhateveritwasthatshegotfromthedamnedthings,notcaring,notevennotingthattherewereothersintheroom.Thentheshamehither,therealizationthatwhateverimageshehadtriedtoconveytotheotherswasrapidlydiminishing.Butworstofall,afterhereyessweptoverSamandSarah,theysettledonKellyagain,oscillatingbetweenhishandandhisface.Atfirsthungerviedwithshame,butshamewon,andwhenhereyeslockedonhis,theexpressiononherfacebeganasthatofachildcaughtmisbehaving,butitandshematuredintosomethingelse,asshesawthatsomethingwhichmighthavegrownintolovewaschangingoveranintervalofheartbeatsintocontemptanddisgust.Herbreathingchangedinamoment,becomingrapid,thenirregularasthesobsbegan,andsherealizedthatthegreatestdisgustwaswithinherownmind,forevenadrugaddictmustlookinward,anddoingsothroughtheeyesofothersmerelyaddedacrueledge.
‘I‘ms-s-sorry,Kel-el-y.Idi-didn‘ttel-el‘shetriedtosay,herbodycollapsingintoitself.Pamseemedtoshrinkbeforetheireyesasshesawwhatmighthavebeenachanceevaporate,andbeyondthatdissipatingcloudwasonlydespair.Pamturnedaway,sobbing,unabletofacethemanshe‘dbeguntolove.
ItwasdecisiontimeforJohnTerrenceKelly.Hecouldfeelbetrayed,orhecouldshowthesamecompassiontoherthatshehadshowntohimlessthantwentyhoursbefore.Morethananythingelse,whatdecideditwasherlooktohim,theshamesomanifestonherface.Hecouldnotjuststandthere.Hehadtodosomething,elsehisownveryproudimageofhimselfwoulddissolveassurelyandrapidlyashers.
Kelly‘seyesfilledwithtearsaswell.Hewenttoherandwrappedhisarmsaroundhertokeepherfromfalling,cradlingherlikeachild,pullingherheadbackagainsthischest,becauseitwasnowhistimetobestrongforher,tosetwhateverthoughtshehadasideforawhile,andeventhedissonantpartofhismindrefusedtocackleitsItoldyousoatthismoment,becausetherewassomeonehurtinhisarms,andthiswasn‘tthetimeforthat.Theystoodtogetherforafewminuteswhiletheotherswatchedwithamixtureofpersonaluneaseandprofessionaldetachment.
‘I‘vebeentrying,‘shesaidpresently,‘Ireallyhave-butIwassoscared.‘
‘It‘sokay,‘Kellytoldher,notquitecatchingwhatshehadjustsaid.‘Youwerethereforme,andnowit‘smyturntobehereforyou.‘
‘But-‘Shestartedsobbingagain,andittookaminuteorsobeforeshegotitout.‘I‘mnotwhatyouthinkIam.‘
Kellyletasmilecreepintohisvoiceashemissedthesecondwarning.‘Youdon‘tknowwhatIthink,Pammy.It‘sokay.Really.‘He‘dconcentratedsohardonthegirlinhisarmsthathehadn‘tnoticedSarahRosenathisside.
‘Pam,howaboutwetakealittlewalk?‘Pamnoddedagreement,andSarahledheroutside,leavingKellytolookatSam.
‘Youareamensch,‘Rosenannouncedwithsatisfactionathisearlierdiagnosisoftheman‘scharacter.‘Kelly,howcloseisthenearesttownwithapharmacy?‘
‘Solomons,Iguess.Shouldn‘tshebeinahospital?‘
‘I‘llletSaramakethecallonthat,butIsuspectit‘snotnecessary.‘
Kellylookedatthebottlestillinhishand.‘Well,I‘mgoingtodeep-sixthesedamnedthings.‘
‘No!‘Rosensnapped.‘I‘lltakethem.Theyallcarrylotnumbers.Thepolicecanidentifytheshipmentthatwasdiverted.I‘lllockthemuponmyboat.‘
‘Sowhatdowedonow?‘
‘Wewaitalittlewhile.‘
SarahandPamcamebackintwentyminuteslater,holdinghandslikemotheranddaughter.Pam‘sheadwasupnow,thoughhereyeswerestillwatery.
‘Wegotawinnerhere,folks,‘Sarahtoldthem.‘She‘sbeentryingforamonthallbyherself.‘
‘Shesaysitisn‘thard,‘Pamsaid.
‘Wecanmakeitaloteasier,‘Sarahassuredher.Shehandedalisttoherhusband.‘Findadrugstore.John,getyourboatmoving.Now.‘
‘Whathappens?‘Kellyaskedthirtyminutesandfivemileslater.Solomonswasalreadyatan-greenlineonthenorthwesternhorizon.
‘Thetreatmentregimeisprettysimple,really.Wesupportherwithbarbituratesandeaseheroff.‘
‘Yougiveherdrugstogetheroffdrugs?‘
‘Yep.‘Rosennodded.‘That‘showit‘sdone.Ittakestimeforthebodytoflushoutalltheresidualmaterialinhertissues.Thebodybecomesdependentonthestuff,andifyoutrytoweanthemofftoorapidly,youcangetsomeadverseeffects,convulsions,thatsortofthing.Occasionallypeoplediefromit.‘
‘What?‘saidKelly,alarmed.‘Idon‘tknowanythingaboutthis,Sam.‘
‘Whyshouldyou?That‘sourjob,Kelly.Sarahdoesn‘tthinkthat‘saprobleminthiscase.Relax,John.Yougive‘-Rosentookthelistfromhispocket-‘yeah,Ithoughtso,phenobarb,yougivethattoattenuatethewithdrawalsymptoms.Look,youknowhowtodriveaboat,right?‘
‘Yep,‘Kellysaid,turning,knowingwhatcamenext.
‘Letusdoourjob.Okay?‘
Themandidn‘tfeelmuchlikesleep,thecoastguardsmensaw,muchtotheirowndispleasure.Beforethey‘dhadthechancetorecoverfromthepreviousday‘sadventures,hewasupagain,drinkingcoffeeintheoperationsroom,lookingoverthechartsyetagain,usinghishandtomakecircles,whichhecomparedwiththememorizedcoursetrackoftheforty-one-boat.
‘Howfastisasailboat?‘heaskedanannoyedandirritableQuartermasterFirstClassManuelOreza.
‘Thatone?Notvery,withafairbreezeandcalmseas,maybefiveknots,alittlemoreiftheskipperissmartandexperienced.Ruleofthumbis,onepointthreetimesthesquarerootwaterlinelengthisyourhullspeed,soforthatone,fiveorsixknots.‘Andhehopedthecivilianwasdulyimpressedwiththatbitofnauticaltrivia.
‘Itwaswindylastnight,‘theofficialnotedcrossly.
‘Asmallboatdoesn‘tgofasteronchoppyseas,itgoesslower.That‘sbecauseitspendsalotoftimegoingupanddowninsteadofforward.‘
‘Sohowdidhegetawayfromyou?‘
‘Hedidn‘tgetawayfromme,okay?‘Orezawasn‘tclearonwhothisguywasorhowseniorapositionheactuallyheld,buthewouldn‘thavetakenthissortofabusefromarealofficer-butarealofficerwouldnothaveharassedhimthisway;arealofficerwouldhavelistenedandunderstood.Thepettyofficertookadeepbreath,wishingforoncethattherewasanofficerheretoexplainthings.Civilianslistenedtoofficers,whichsaidalotabouttheintelligenceofcivilians.‘Look,sir,youtoldmetolayback,didn‘tyou?Itoldyouthatwe‘dlosehimintheclutterfromthestorm,andwedid.Thoseoldradarsweusearen‘tworthadamninbadweather,leastnotforadinkylittletargetlikeaday-sailer.‘
‘Youalreadysaidthat.‘
AndI‘llkeepsayingituntilyoufigureitout,Orezamanagednottosay,catchingawarninglookfromMrEnglish.Portageetookadeepbreathandlookeddownatthechart.
‘Sowheredoyouthinkheis?‘
‘Hell,theBayain‘tthatwide,so‘syouhavetwocoastlinestoworryabout.Mosthouseshavetheirownlittledocks,youhaveallthesecreeks.Ifitwasme,I‘dheadupacreek.Betterplacetohidethanadock,right?‘
‘You‘retellingmehe‘sgone,‘thecivilianobserveddarkly.
‘Sureashell,‘Orezaagreed.
‘Threemonthsofworkwentintothat!‘
Тcan‘thelpthat,sir.‘Thecoastguardsmanpaused.‘Look,heprobablywenteastratherthanwest,okay?Bettertorunbeforethewindthantackintoit.That‘sthegoodnews.Problemis,alittleboatlikethat,youcanhaulitout,putitonatrailer.Hell,itcouldbeinMassachusettsbynow.‘
Helookedupfromthechart.‘Oh,that‘sjustwhatIwantedtohear!‘
‘Sir,youwantmetolietoyou?‘
‘Threemonths!‘
Hejustcouldn‘tletgo,OrezaandEnglishthoughtatthesametime.Youhadtolearnhowtodothat.Sometimestheseatooksomething,andyoudidyourbestlookingandsearching,andmostlyyoufoundit,butnotalways,andwhenyoufailed,thetimecamewhenyouhadtolettheseaclaimtheprize.Neithermanhadevergrowntolikeit,butthatwasthewaythingswere.
‘Maybeyoucanwhistleupsomehelicoptersupport.TheNavyhasabunchofstuffatPaxRiver,‘WarrantOfficerEnglishpointedout.Itwouldalsogettheguyoutofhisstation,anobjectiveworthyofconsiderableeffortforallthedisruptionhewascausingtoEnglishandhismen.
‘Tryingtogetridofme?‘themanaskedwithanoddsmile.
‘Excuseme,sir?‘Englishrespondedinnocently.Apity,thewarrantofficerthought,thatthemanwasn‘tatotalfool.
Kellytiedbackupathisquayafterseven.HeletSamtakethemedicationsashorewhilehesnappedvariouscoversoverhisinstrumentpanelsandsettledhisboatdownforthenight.IthadbeenaquietreturntripfromSolomons.SamRosenwasagoodmanatexplainingthings,andKellyagoodquestioner.Whathe‘dneededtolearnhe‘dpickeduponthewayout,andformostofthereturntriphe‘dbeenalonewithhisthoughts,wonderingwhathewoulddo,howheshouldact.Thosewerequestionswithouteasyanswers,andattendingtoship‘sbusinessdidn‘thelp,muchashe‘dhopedthatitwould.Hetookevenmoretimethanwasnecessarycheckingthemooringlines,doingthesameforthesurgeon‘sboataswellbeforeheadinginside.
TheLockheedDC-130EHerculescruisedwellabovethelowclouddeck,ridingsmoothlyandsolidlyasithaddonefor2,354hoursofloggedflighttimesinceleavingtheLockheedplantatMarietta,Georgia,severalyearsearlier.Everythinghadtheappearanceofapleasantflyingday.Intheroomyfrontoffice,theflightcrewoffourwatchedtheclearairandvariousinstruments,astheirdutiesrequired.Thefourturbopropengineshummedalongwiththeiraccustomedreliability,givingtheaircraftasteadyhigh-pitchedvibrationthattransmitteditselfthroughthecomfortablehighbackedseatsandcreatedstandingcircularripplesintheirStyrofoamcoffeecups.Allinall,theatmospherewasoneoftotalnormality.Butanyoneseeingtheexterioroftheaircraftcouldtelldifferent.Thisaircraftbelongedtothe99thStrategicReconnaissanceSquadron.
BeyondtheouterenginesoneachwingoftheHerculeshungadditionalaircraft.EachofthesewasaModel-147SCdrone.Originallydesignedtobehigh-speedtargetswiththedesignationFirebee-II,nowtheyboretheinformalname‘BuffaloHunter.‘IntherearcargoareaoftheDC-130Ewasasecondcrewwhichwasnowpoweringupbothoftheminiatureaircraft,havingalreadyprogrammedthemforamissionsufficientlysecretthatnoneofthemactuallyknewwhatitwasallabout.Theydidn‘thaveto.Itwasmerelyamatteroftellingthedroneswhattodoandwhentodoit.Thechieftechnician,athirty-year-oldsergeant,wasworkingabirdcode-namedCody-193.Hiscrewstationallowedhimtoturnandlookoutasmallportholetoinspecthisbirdvisually,whichhedideventhoughtherewasnorealreasontodoso.Thesergeantlovedthethingsasachildwillloveaparticularlyentertainingtoy.He‘dworkedwiththedroneprogramfortenyears,andthisparticularonehehadflownsixty-onetimes.Thatwasarecordforthearea.
Cody-193hadadistinguishedancestry.Itsmanufacturers,Teledyne-RyanofSanDiego,California,hadbuiltCharlesLindbergh‘sSpiritofStLouis,butthecompanyhadneverquitemanagedtocashinonthatbitofaviationhistory.Strugglingfromonesmallcontracttoanother,ithadfinallyachievedfinancialstabilitybymakingtargets.Fighteraircrafthadtopracticeshootingatsomething.TheFirebeedronehadbegunlifeasjustthat,aminiaturejetaircraftwhosemissionwastodiegloriouslyatthehandsofafighterpilot-exceptthatthesergeanthadneverquiteseenthingsthatway.Hewasadronecontroller,andhisjob,hethought,wastoteachthosestruttingeaglesalessonbyflying‘his‘birdinsuchawayastomaketheirmissileshitnothingmoresubstantialthanair.Infact,fighterpilotshadlearnedtocursehisname,thoughAirForceetiquettealsorequiredthemtobuyhimabottleofboozeforeverymiss.ThenafewyearsearliersomeonehadnotedthatifaFirebeedronewashardforourpeopletohit,thesamemightbetrueofotherswhofiredataircraftformoreseriouspurposesthantheannualWilliamTellcompetition.Itwasalsoahellofaloteasieronthecrewsoflow-levelreconnaissanceaircraft.
Cody-193‘senginewasturningatfullpower,hangingfromitspylonandactuallygivingthemotheraircraftafewknotsoffreeairspeed.Thesergeantgaveitafinallookbeforeturningbacktohisinstruments.Sixty-onesmallparachutesymbolswerepaintedontheleftsidejustforwardofthewing,andwithluck,inafewdayshewouldpaintasixty-second.Thoughhewasnotclearontheprecisenatureofthismission,merelybeatingthecompetitionwasreasonenoughtotaketheutmostcareinpreparinghispersonaltoyforthecurrentgame.
‘Becareful,baby,‘thesergeantbreathedasitdroppedfree.Cody-193wasonitsown.
Sarahhadalightdinnercooking.Kellysmelleditevenbeforeopeningthedoor.KellycameinsidetoseeRosensittinginthelivingroom.
‘Where‘sPam?‘
‘Wegavehersomemedication,‘Samanswered.‘Sheoughttobesleepingnow.‘
‘Sheis,‘Sarahconfirmed,passingthroughtheroomonthewaytothekitchen.‘Ijustchecked.Poorthing,she‘sexhausted,she‘sbeendoingwithoutsleepforsometime.It‘scatchingupwithher.‘
‘Butifshe‘sbeentakingsleepingpills-‘
‘John,yourbodyreactsstrangelytothethings,‘Samexplained.‘Itfightsthemoff,ortriesto,atthesametimeitbecomesdependentonthem.Sleepwillbeherbigproblemforawhile.‘
‘There‘ssomethingelse,‘Sarahreported.‘She‘sveryfrightenedofsomething,butshewouldn‘tsaywhatitwas.‘Shepaused,thendecidedthatKellyoughttoknow.‘She‘sbeenabused,John.Ididn‘taskaboutit-onethingatatime-butsomebody‘sgivenheraroughtime.‘
‘Oh?‘Kellylookedupfromthesofa.‘Whatdoyoumean?‘
‘Imeanshe‘sbeensexuallyassaulted,‘Sarahsaidinacalm,professionalvoicethatbeliedherpersonalfeelings.
‘Youmeanraped?‘Kellyaskedinalowvoicewhilethemusclesofhisarmstensed.
Sarahnodded,unablenowtohideherdistaste.‘Almostcertainly.Probablymorethanonce.Thereisalsoevidenceofphysicalabuseonherbackandbuttocks.‘
‘Ididn‘tnotice.‘
‘You‘renotadoctor,‘Sarahpointedout.‘Howdidyoumeet?‘
Kellytoldher,rememberingthelookinPam‘seyesandknowingnowwhatitmusthavebeenfrom.Whyhadn‘thenoticedit?Whyhadn‘thenoticedalotofthings?Kellyraged.
‘SoshewastryingtoescapeIwonderifthesamemangotheronthebarbiturates?‘Sarahasked.‘Niceguy,whoeveritwas.‘
‘Youmeanthatsomebody‘sbeenworkingherover,andgotherondrugs?‘Kellysaid.‘Butwhy?‘
‘Kelly,pleasedon‘ttakethiswrongbutshemighthavebeenaprostitute.Pimpscontrolgirlsthatway.‘SarahRosenhatedherselfforsayingthat,butthiswasbusinessandKellyhadtoknow.‘She‘syoung,pretty,arunawayfromadysfunctionalfamily.Thephysicalabuse,theundernourishment,itallfitsthepattern.‘
Kellywaslookingdownatthefloor.‘Butshe‘snotlikethat.Idon‘tunderstand.‘Butinsomewayshedid,hetoldhimself,thinkingback.Thewaysinwhichshe‘dclungtohimanddrawnhimtoher.Howmuchwassimplyskill,andhowmuchrealhumanfeelings?Itwasaquestionhehadnodesiretoface.Whatwastherightthingtodo?Followyourmind?Followyourheart?Andwheremighttheylead?
‘She‘sfightingback,John.She‘sgotguts.‘SarahsatacrossfromKelly.‘She‘sbeenontheroadforoverfouryears,doingGodknowswhat,butsomethinginherwon‘tquit.Butshecan‘tdoitalone.Sheneedsyou.NowIhaveaquestion.‘Sarahlookedhardathim.‘Willyoubetheretohelpher?‘
Kellylookedup,hisblueeyesthecoloroficeashesearchedforwhathereallyfelt.‘Youguysarereallyworkedupaboutthis,aren‘tyou?‘
Sarahsippedfromadrinkshe‘dmadeforherself.Shewasratheradumpywoman,shortandoverweight.Herblackhairhadn‘tseenastylistinmonths.Allinallshelookedlikethesortofwomanwho,behindthewheelofacar,attractsthehatredofmaledrivers.Butshespokewithfocusedpassion,andherintelligencewasalreadyverycleartoherhost.‘Doyouhaveanyideahowbadit‘sgetting?Tenyearsago,drugabusewassorarethatIhardlyhadtobotherwithit.Oh,sure,Iknewaboutit,readthearticlesfromLexington,andeverysooftenwe‘dgetaheroincase.Notverymany.Justablackproblem,peoplethought.Nobodyreallygavemuchofadamn.We‘repayingforthatmistakenow.Incaseyoudidn‘tnotice,that‘sallchanged-andithappenedpracticallyovernight.ExceptfortheprojectI‘mworkingon,I‘mnearlyfull-timeonkidswithdrugproblems.Iwasn‘ttrainedforthis.I‘mascientist,anexpertonadverseinteractions,chemicalstructures,howwecandesignnewdrugstodospecialthings-butnowIhavetospendnearlyallofmytimeinclinicalwork,tryingtokeepchildrenalivewhoshouldbejustlearninghowtodrinkabeerbutinsteadhavetheirsystemsfullofchemicalshitthatnevershouldhavemadeitoutsideagod-damnedlaboratory!‘
‘Andit‘sgoingtogetworse,‘Samnotedgloomily.
Sarahnodded.‘Ohyeah,thenextbigoneise.Sheneedsyou,John,‘Sarahsaidagain,leaningforward.Itwasasthoughshehadsurroundedherselfwithherownstormcloudofelectricalenergy.‘You‘ddamnedwellbetterbethereforher,boy.Youbethereforher!Somebodydealtherareallyshittyhand,butshe‘sfighting.There‘sapersoninthere.‘
‘Yes,ma‘am,‘Kellysaidhumbly.Helookedupandsmiled,nolongerconfused.‘Incaseyouwereworried,Idecidedthatawhileback.‘
‘Good.‘Sarahnoddedcurtly.
‘WhatdoIdofirst?‘
‘Morethananythingelse,sheneedsrest,sheneedsgoodfood,andsheneedstimetoflushthebarbituratesoutofhersystem.We‘llsupportherwithphenobarb,justincasewehavewithdrawalproblems-Idon‘texpectthat.Iexaminedherwhileyoutwoweregone.Herphysicalproblemisnotsomuchaddictionasexhaustionandundernourishment.Sheoughttobetenpoundsheavierthansheis.Sheoughttotoleratewithdrawalratherwellifwesupportherinotherways.‘
‘Me,youmean?‘Kellyasked.
‘That‘salotofit.‘Shelookedovertowardstheopenbedroomdoorandsighed,thetensiongoingoutofher.‘Well,givenherunderlyingcondition,thatphenobarbwillprobablyhaveheroutfortherestofthenight.Tomorrowwestartfeedingherandexercisingher.Fornow,‘Sarahannounced,‘wecanfeedourselves.‘
Dinnertalkfocuseddeliberatelyonothersubjects,andKellyfoundhimselfdeliveringalengthydiscourseonthebottomcontoursoftheChesapeakeBay,segueingintowhatheknewaboutgoodfishingspots.ItwassoondecidedthathisvisitorswouldstayuntilMondayevening.Timeoverthedinnertablelengthened,anditwasnearlytenbeforetheyrose.Kellycleanedup,thenquietlyenteredhisbedroomtohearPam‘squietbreathing.
Onlythirteenfeetlong,andascantthreethousandsixty-fivepoundsofmass-nearlyhalfofthatfuel-theBuffaloHunterangledtowardsthegroundasitacceleratedtoaninitialcruisingspeedofoverfivehundredknots.Alreadyitsnavigationalcomputer,madebyLear-Siegler,wasmonitoringtimeandaltitudeinaverylimitedway.Thedronewasprogrammedtofollowaspecificflightpathandaltitude,allpainstakinglypredeterminedforsystemsthatwerebylaterstandardsabsurdlyprimitive.Forallthat,Cody-193wasasporty-lookingbeast.Itsprofilewasremarkablylikethatofabluesharkwithaprotrudingnoseandunderslungairintakeforamouth-statesideitwasoftenpaintedwithaggressiverowsofteeth.Inthisparticularcase,anexperimentalpaintscheme-flatwhitebeneathandmottledbrownandgreenatop-wassupposedtomakeithardertospotfromtheground-andtheair.Itwasalsostealthy-atermnotyetinvented.BlanketsofRAM-radar-absorbingmaterial-wereintegralwiththewingsurfaces,andtheairintakewasscreenedtoattenuatetheradarreturnoffthewhirlingengineblades.
Cody-193crossedtheborderbetweenLaosandNorthVietnamat11:41:38localtime.Stilldescending,itleveledoutforthefirsttimeatfivehundredfeetabovegroundlevel,turningnortheast,somewhatslowernowinthethickerairthisclosetotheground.Thelowaltitudeandsmallsizeofthespeedingdronemadeitadifficulttarget,butbynomeansanimpossibleone,andoutlyinggunpositionsofthedenseandsophisticatedNorthVietnameseair-defensenetworkspottedit.Thedroneflewdirectlytowardsarecentlysited37mmtwingunmountwhosealertcrewgottheirmountsluedaroundquicklyenoughtoloosetwentyquickrounds,threeofwhichpassedwithinfeetofthediminutiveshapebutmissed.Cody-193tooknonoteofthis,andneitherjinkednorevadedthefire.Withoutabrain,withouteyes,itcontinuedalongonitsflightpathratherlikeatoytrainaroundaChristmastreewhileitsnewowneratebreakfastinthekitchen.Infactitwasbeingwatched.AdistantEC-121WarningStartracked-193bymeansofacodedradartransponderlocatedatopthedrone‘sverticalfin.
‘Keepgoing,baby,‘amajorwhisperedtohimself,watchinghisscope.Heknewofthemission,howimportantitwas,andwhynobodyelsecouldbeallowedtoknow.Nexttohimwasasmallsegmentfromatopographicalmap.Thedroneturnednorthattherightplace,droppingdowntothreehundredfeetasitfoundtherightvalley,followingasmalltributaryriver.Atleasttheguyswhoprogrammeditknewtheirstuff,themajorthought-
193hadburnedathirdofitsfuelbynowandwasconsumingtheremainingamountveryrapidlyatlowlevel,flyingbelowthecrestsoftheunseenhillstotheleftandright.Theprogrammershaddonetheirbest,buttherewasonechillinglyclosecallwhenapuffofwindforcedittotherightbeforetheautopilotcouldcorrect,and-193missedanunusuallytalltreebyascantseventyfeet.Twomilitiamenwereonthatcrestandfiredofftheirriflesatit,andagaintheroundsmissed.Oneofthemstarteddownthehilltowardsatelephone,buthiscompanioncalledforhimtostopas-193flewblindlyon.Bythetimeacallwasmadeandreceived,theenemyaircraftwouldbelonggone,andbesides,they‘ddonetheirdutyinshootingatit.Heworriedaboutwheretheirbulletshadlanded,butitwastoolateforthat.
ColonelRobinZacharias,USAF,waswalkingacrossthedirtofwhatmightinothertimesandcircumstancesbecalledaparadeground,buttherewerenoparadeshere.Aprisonerforoversixmonths,hefacedeverydayasastruggle,contemplatingmiserymoredeepanddarkthananythinghe‘dbeenabletoimagine.Shotdownonhiseighty-ninthmission,withinsightofrotationhome,acompletelysuccessfulmissionbroughttoabloodyendbynothingmoresignificantthanbadluck.Worse,his‘bear‘wasdead.Andhewasprobablytheluckyone,theColonelthoughtashewasledacrossthecompoundbytwosmall,unfriendlymenwithrifles.Hisarmsweretiedbehindhim,andhisankleswerehobbledbecausetheywereafraidofhimdespitetheirguns,andevenwithallthathewasalsobeingwatchedbymenintheguardtowers.Imustreallylookscarytothelittlebastards,thefighterpilottoldhimself.
Zachariasdidn‘tfeelverydangerous.Hisbackwasstillinjuredfromtheejection.He‘dhitthegroundseverelycrippled,andhisefforttoevadecapturehadbeenlittlemorethanatokengesture,awholehundredyardsofmovementoveraperiodoffiveminutes,rightintothearmsoftheguncrewwhichhadshreddedhisaircraft.
Theabusehadbegunthere.Paradedthroughthreeseparatevillages,stonedandspatupon,he‘dfinallyendeduphere.Whereverherewas.Therewereseabirds.Perhapshewasclosetothesea,theColonelspeculated.ButthememorialinSaltLakeCity,severalblocksfromhisboyhoodhome,remindedhimthatgullswerenotmerelycreaturesofthesea.Intheprecedingmonthshehadbeensubjectedtoallsortsofphysicalabuse,butithadstrangelyslackenedoffinthepastfewweeks.Perhapsthey‘dbecometiredofhurtinghim,Zachariastoldhimself.AndmaybetherereallywasaSantaClaus,too,hethought,hisheadlookingdownatthedirt.Therewaslittleconsolationtobehadhere.Therewereotherprisoners,buthisattemptsatcommunicatingwiththemhadallfailed.Hiscellhadnowindows.He‘dseentwofaces,neitherofwhichhehadrecognized.Onbothoccasionshe‘dstartedtocalloutagreetingonlytobeclubbedtothegroundbyoneofhisguards.Bothmenhadseenhimbutmadenosound.Inbothcaseshe‘dseenasmileandanod,thebestthattheycoulddo.Bothmenwereofhisage,and,hesupposed,abouthisrank,butthatwasallheknew.Whatwasmostfrighteningtoamanwhohadmuchtobefrightenedaboutwasthatthiswasnotwhathehadbeenbriefedtoexpect.Itwasn‘ttheHanoiHilton,whereallthePOWsweresupposedtohavebeencongregated.Beyondthatheknewvirtuallynothing,andtheunknowncanbethemostfrighteningthingofall,especiallytoamanaccustomedoveraperiodoftwentyyearstobeingabsolutemasterofhisfate.Hisonlyconsolation,hethought,wasthatthingswereasbadastheycouldbe.Onthat,hewaswrong.
‘Goodmorning.ColonelZacharias,‘avoicecalledacrossthecompound.Helookeduptoseeamantallerthanhimself,Caucasian,andwearingauniformverydifferentfromthatofhisguards.Hestrodetowardstheprisonerwithasmile.‘VerydifferentfromOmaha,isn‘tit?‘
Thatwaswhenheheardanoise,athinscreechingwhine,approachingfromthesouthwest.Heturnedoninstinct-anaviatormustalwayslooktoseeanaircraft,nomatterwherehemightbe.Itappearedinaninstant,beforetheguardshadachancetoreact.
BuffaloHunter,Zachariasthought,standingerect,turning,towatchitpass,staringatit,holdinghisheadup,seeingtheblackrectangleofthecamerawindow,whisperingaprayerthatthedevicewasoperating.Whentheguardsrealizedwhathewasdoing,agunbuttinthekidneysdroppedthecoloneltotheground.Suppressingacurse,hetriedtodealwiththepainasapairofbootscameintohisrestrictedfieldofvision.
‘Donotgetoverlyexcited,‘theothermansaid.‘It‘sheadingtoHaiphongtocounttheships.Now,myfriend,weneedtobecomeacquainted.‘
Cody-193continuednortheast,holdinganearlyconstantspeedandaltitudeasitenteredthedenseair-defensebeltsurroundingNorthVietnam‘sonlymajorport.ThecamerasintheBuffaloHunterrecordedseveraltriple-Abatteries,observationpoints,andmorethanafewpeoplewithAK-47s,allofwhommadeatleastatokenshotatthedrone.Theonlything-193hadgoingforitwasitssmallsize.Otherwiseitflewonastraightandlevelcoursewhileitscamerassnappedaway,recordingtheimageson2.25-inchfilm.Abouttheonlythingnotshotatitweresurface-to-airmissiles:-193wastoolowforthat.
‘Go,baby,go!‘theMajorsaid,twohundredmilesaway.Outside,thefourpistonenginesoftheWarningStarwerestrainingtomaintainthealtitudenecessaryforhimtowatchthedrone‘sprogress.Hiseyeswerelockedontheflatglassscreen,followingthebinkingblipoftheradartransponder.OthercontrollersmonitoredthelocationofotherAmericanaircraftalsovisitingtheenemycountry,inconstantcommunicationwithREDCROWN,theNavyshipthatmanagedairoperationsfromtheseawardside.‘Turneast,baby-now!‘
Rightonschedule,Cody-193bankedhardtotheright,comingatouchlowerandscreamingovertheHaiphongdocksat500knots,ahundredtracerroundsinitswake.Longshoremenandsailorsfromvariousshipslookedupincuriosityandirritation,andnotalittlefearforallthesteelflyingintheskyovertheirheads.
‘Yes!‘theMajorshouted,loudlyenoughthatthesergeant-controllertohisleftlookedupinirritation.Youweresupposedtokeepthingsquiethere.HekeyedhismiketospeaktoREDCROWN.‘Cody-one-niner-threeisbingo.‘
‘Roger,copybingoonone-niner-three,‘theacknowledgmentcameback.Itwasafalseuseofthe‘bingo‘codeword,whichordinarilymeantanaircraftwithalowfuelstate,butitwasatermsocommonlyusedthatitmadeamorethanadequatedisguise.TheNavyenlistedmanontheotherendofthecircuitthentoldanorbitinghelicoptercrewtowakeup.
Thedroneclearedthecoastrightonschedule,keepinglowforafewmoremilesbeforegoingintoitsfinalclimb,downtoitslasthundredpoundsoffuelasitreacheditspre-programmedpointthirtymilesoffshoreandbegancircling.Nowanothertranspondercameon,onetunedtothesearchradarsofUSNavypicketships.Oneofthese,thedestroyerHenryB.Wilson,tooknoteoftheexpectedtargetattheexpectedtimeandplace.Hermissiletechniciansusedtheopportunitytorunapracticeinterceptproblem,buthadtoswitchofftheirilluminationradarsafterafewseconds.Itmadetheairedalesnervous.
Circlingatfivethousandfeet,Cody-193finallyranoutoffuelandbecameaglider.Whentheairspeedfelltotherightnumber,explosiveboltsblewahatchcoveroffthetop,deployingaparachute.TheNavyhelicopterwasalreadyonstation,andthewhite‘chutemadeforafinetarget.Thedrone‘sweightwasascantfifteenhundredpoundsnow,barelythatofeightmen.Windandvisibilitycooperatedthisday.The‘chutewassnaggedontheirfirstattempt,andthehelicopterturnedatonce,headingforthecarrierUSSConstellation,wherethedronewascarefullyloweredintoacradle,endingitssixty-secondcombatmission.Beforethehelicoptercouldfinditsownspotontheflightdeck,atechnicianwasalreadyunfasteningthecoverplateonthephotocompartmentandyankingtheheavyfilmcassettefromitsslot.Hetookitbelowatonce,andhandeditovertoanothertechnicianintheship‘selaboratephotolab.Processingrequiredabriefsixminutes,andthestill-dampfilmwaswipedcleanandhandedoveryetagaintoanintelligenceofficer.Itwasbetterthangood.Thefilmwasrunfromonespooltoanotheroveraflatglassplateunderwhichwasapairoffluorescentlights.
‘Well,Lieutenant?‘acaptainaskedtensely.
‘Okay,sir,waitone‘Turningthespool,hepointedtothethirdimage.&"There‘sourfirstreferencepointthere‘snumbertwo,shewasrightoncourseokay,here‘stheIPdownthevalley,overthehill-there,sir!Wehavetwo,threeframes!Goodones,thesunwasjustright,clearday-youknowwhytheycallthesebabiesBuffaloHunters?It‘s-‘
‘Letmesee!‘TheCaptainnearlyshovedthejuniorofficeroutoftheway.Therewasamanthere,anAmerican,withtwoguards,andafourthman-butitwastheAmericanhewantedtosee.
‘Here,sir.‘TheLieutenanthandedoveramagnifyingglass.‘Wemightgetagoodfaceoffofthis,andwecanplaywiththenegativesomemoreifyougiveusalittletime.LikeIsaid,thecamerascantellthedifferencebetweenamaleandafemale-‘
‘Mmmmm.‘Thefacewasblack,meaningawhitemanonthenegative.But-‘Damn,Ican‘ttell.‘
‘Cap‘n,that‘sourjob,okay?‘Hewasanintelligenceofficer.TheCaptainwasnot.‘Letusdoourjob,sir.‘
‘He‘soneofours!‘
‘Sureashell,sir,andthisguyisn‘t.Letmetakethesebacktothelabforpositiveprintsandblowups.Theairwingwillwantalookattheportshots,too.‘
‘Theycanwait.‘
‘No,sir,theycan‘t,‘theLieutenantpointedout.Buthetookapairofscissorsandremovedtherelevantshots.Theremainderoftherollwashandedtoachiefpettyofficer,whiletheLieutenantandtheCaptainwentbacktothephotolab.FullytwomonthsofworkhadgoneintotheflightofCody-193,andtheCaptainlustedfortheinformationheknewtobeonthosethreetwo-and-a-quarter-inchframes.
Anhourlaterhehadit.Anhourafterthat,heboardedaflighttoDanang.AnotherhourandhewasonaflighttoCubiPointNavalAirStationinthePhilippines,followedbyapuddle-jumpertoClarkAirForceBase,andаКС-135thatwouldflydirectlytoCalifornia.Despitethetimeandrigorsofthenexttwentyhoursofflying,theCaptainsleptbrieflyandfitfully,havingsolvedamysterywhoseanswerjustmightchangethepolicyofhisgovernment.</div>
尒説书网 有的人死了，但没有完全死……
无尽的昏迷过后，时宇猛地从床上起身。想要看最新章节内容，请下载爱阅小说app，无广告免费阅读最新章节内容。网站已经不更新最新章节内容，已经爱阅小说APP更新最新章节内容。
他大口的呼吸起新鲜的空气，胸口一颤一颤。
迷茫、不解，各种情绪涌上心头。
这是哪？
随后，时宇下意识观察四周，然后更茫然了。
一个单人宿舍？
就算他成功得到救援，现在也应该在病房才对。
还有自己的身体……怎么会一点伤也没有。
带着疑惑，时宇的视线快速从房间扫过，最终目光停留在了床头的一面镜子上。
镜子照出他现在的模样，大约十七八岁的年龄，外貌很帅。
可问题是，这不是他！下载爱阅小说app，阅读最新章节内容无广告免费
之前的自己，是一位二十多岁气宇不凡的帅气青年，工作有段时间了。
而现在，这相貌怎么看都只是高中生的年纪……
这个变化，让时宇发愣很久。
千万别告诉他，手术很成功……
身体、面貌都变了，这根本不是手术不手术的问题了，而是仙术。
他竟完全变成了另外一个人！
难道……是自己穿越了？
除了床头那摆放位置明显风水不好的镜子，时宇还在旁边发现了三本书。
时宇拿起一看，书名瞬间让他沉默。
《新手饲养员必备育兽手册》
《宠兽产后的护理》
《异种族兽耳娘评鉴指南》
时宇：？？？
前两本书的名字还算正常，最后一本你是怎么回事？
“咳。”
时宇目光一肃，伸出手来，不过很快手臂一僵。
就在他想翻开第三本书，看看这究竟是个什么东西时，他的大脑猛地一阵刺痛，大量的记忆如潮水般涌现。
冰原市。
宠兽饲养基地。
实习宠兽饲养员。网站即将关闭，下载爱阅app为您提供大神璇玑的璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将
御兽师？
章节错误,点此报送(免注册),
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