In the end, there was no choice at all. Not if they were going to maintain control over their future.
J.B. steered the little raft around, then opened up the engine, streaking for the edge of the iceberg so they could sweep around it and follow it back to the access tunnel.
The frigate sank without a trace, leaving only corpses in its wake. The lifeboat of Inuit disappeared into the gray clouds left over from the depth-charge blasts.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When the companions arrived, the ocean was less than four feet below the lip of the access tunnel, and rising. Ryan played his lantern over it, the light very weak and orange now that the battery had almost depleted itself. The wind whipped the waves to splash over the lip in a salty spray.
“We all know the tunnel bends down a little farther on,” J.B. said. “Means the gateway and those rooms are already below the ocean. Going to take on water bastard quick when it starts.”
“Water level rising,” Jak commented. “Went up couple inches while sit here.”
“The time to go,” Ryan stated, “is now or never.”
“We have the same choices as before, lover,” Krysty said. “Except that now we have no clue where Harlan and the Inuit are.”
“And this little bastard boat is no place to be out on this ocean,” Albert said. “Leaves us no choice at all.”
“Pull us in close, J.B.,” Ryan directed.
Even as the rubber raft bulled into the ice, everyone saw that there was little more than three feet remaining before the access tunnel started taking on a flood of water.
Ryan leaped from the raft onto the lip, followed by Jak. They helped the others to climb onto the slick ice. “Shed any extra gear,” he ordered. “Keep your main weapons, some self-heats and ring-pulls. Everything else goes. It’ll only slow you when you run.” He flicked a glance at Albert. “You’ve got short legs, and that can’t be helped.”
The dwarf nodded, but Ryan could see the fear in him. “There’s no place for me here. Little man like me draws attackers. You know that. At least you people have treated me decent. Reckon if I make it, that’ll stay the same.”
Ryan nodded, then glanced at Doc as Jak led them farther into the tunnel, stepping the pace up to a run. “You can’t help him, Doc. Not unless you want to piss your life away.”
“I know, my dear Ryan. I can only pray that he is there to meet us.”
“Best thing you can do is be safe yourself. Be able to help him better then, if it’s to be done at all.”
“I know.”
The lights along the corridor still operated. There was, however, barely enough light to see by, and the ice and water trickling over it made footing treacherous. All of them fell several times.
And the distance between the companions and Albert grew greater. The little man tried valiantly, but nature’s pranks had also stacked a final joker in the deck for his race against the clock. He couldn’t keep up the same pace as the others.
Jak reached the mat-trans unit first, followed by Dean. With only a look shared between them at the outset, J.B. had run well ahead of Mildred. He still had to put the repaired circuit boards into place. Doc paced Mildred, his long legs barely managing to keep up with her quicker strides. Krysty sprinted beside Ryan, pacing him easily.
They slipped and fell, getting separated at times, but always returning to each other’s side.
Ryan looked back when he dared at the small figure of the dwarf now nearly a hundred yards back. Behind Albert, he heard the roar of the surf. The trickle of water across the corridor floor grew stronger and faster, a full inch deep now.
By the time they reached the mat-trans unit right after Doc and Mildred, J.B. was just battening the cover back into place.
“Circuit boards are there,” the Armorer said. “Remains to be seen if they work.” He joined Jak and Dean inside the gateway.
Ryan waited until Mildred, Doc and Krysty entered the mat-trans unit, then stood in the door. His position assured that it would be his decision to wait for Albert or leave the dwarf behind. To set the gateway into motion, all he had to do was close the door.