The Carpet Cipher by Jane Thornley

Author:Jane Thornley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jane Thornley

14

The canal was that brutally cold after the heat of the fire that I thought my blood would ice in my veins—punishing cold, colder than time. For a moment I had the uncanny sense that I had plunged straight into Venice’s frigid heart and that I’d freeze there until the breath left my body. But the water wasn’t that deep because my feet briefly touched bottom.

Still, seconds feel like years in terror-time as I kicked my way up. Breaking the surface, all I saw was black churning water with the roar of boat engines and sirens over all. Waves of water engulfed my mouth and eyes as I gasped for air while spinning around and around trying to orientate myself. There were two boats, I realized, and shouting, lots of shouting, and then a gunshot. Suddenly hands grabbed me from behind and lifted me backward into a boat where I kicked away like some furious tuna. “Damn you!” I cried as I struggled to wipe the water from my eyes.

“It’s me! Lie still,” Evan called. So I lay still for seconds, coughing up water while the boat pealed down the canal. A bullet pinged somewhere to the right.

“Stay down! The bastards are shooting!”

Like I couldn’t tell that. Flipping onto my stomach, I struggled to my knees. “Give me your gun!” I called. I could see it sticking out of his jacket holster as he stood manning the steering wheel, his back exposed to bullets.

“No!” he called back. “I’ll outrun them!”

Hell, why didn’t men ever listen to me? I assessed the situation in a flash: our boat racing away with the pursuers gaining on us in what appeared to be their own superboat. Evan had whipped us into a main canal while performing various diversionary maneuvers by making one sharp turn after another. But that wouldn’t be enough. We had a zero head start and they’d soon be right on top of us.

I was thrown against the side a couple of times before I could reach into my jacket to remove my own gun, safety catch still unreleased, and turn to face our pursuers. They were gaining fast.

Nicolina had provided me with a gun that was more than adequate for what I intended but that hardly mattered when my hands where shaking so badly that I couldn’t grip the handle and my left palm hurt like hell. I must have burned it or cut it or something but damn if that would stop me.

“Don’t try it! You could get shot!” Evan cried.

Oh, please. A treasure of art and design was burning and I might get shot? I was so furious just then I could take on a boatload of thugs and more. I held the gun with both hands, propped it on the back of the stern seat, and fired at the prow of the approaching boat. And missed. I turned to Evan and called. “Slow down, will you? I need a second to hit the hull full-on.”

Understanding crossed his face. He let the boat drift.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.