Schofield was desperately searching the cloudy red haze around him…searching for the whales…when suddenly one of them exploded out of the haze and rushed toward him。
Schofield screamed underwater； but the whale slid past him； brushing roughly against the side of his body。
It was then that Schofield remembered what Renshaw had told him earlier about the killer whales' hunting behavior。
They brush past you to establish ownership。
Then they eat you。
Schofield did a vertical sit…up； broke the surface。 He heard the SAS mandos on E…deck cheer。 He ignored them； gulped in air； went under again。
He didn't have much time。 The killer whale that had just staked its claim on him would be ing back any second now。
Loud clicks echoed through the red water around him。
And then suddenly a thought struck Schofield。
Sonar。。。。
Shit； he thought； patting his pockets。 Do I still have it？
He did。
Schofield pulled Kirsty Hensleigh's plastic asthma puffer from his pocket。 He pressed the releasing button； and a short line of fat bubbles rushed out from the puffer。
OK； need a weight。
Need something to weigh it down。。。。
Schofield saw them instantly。
Quickly he pulled his stainless steel dog tags from around his neck and looped their neck chain around the puffer's releasing button so that it held it down。
A continuous stream of fat bubbles began to rush out from the puffer。
Schofield felt the body of water around him rock and sway。 Somewhere out in the red murk of the pool； that killer whale was ing back for him。
He quickly released the small asthma puffer； now weighed down by his steel dogtags。
The puffer sank instantly； leaving a trail of fat bubbles shooting up through the water behind it。 After a second； the puffer sank into the murky red haze and Schofield lost sight of it。
A moment later； the killer whale roared out of the haze； ing right at Schofield； its jaws bared wide。
Schofield just stared at the massive black…and…white beast and prayed to God that he had remembered it right。
But the killer just kept ing。 It came at him fast…fright…eningly fast…and soon Schofield could see nothing but its teeth and its tongue and the closing yawn of its jaws and then…
Without warning； the killer whale banked sharply in the water and veered downward； chasing the asthma puffer and its trail of bubbles。
Schofield sighed with relief。
In a dark corner of his mind he thought about sonar detection systems。 Although it is widely stated that sonar bounces off an object in water； this is not entirely true。 Rather； sonar reflects off the microscopic layer of air that lies in between an object in water and the water itself。
So when Schofield sank the asthma puffer…spewing out a trail of nice； fat air bubbles behind it…he had； at least insofar as the sonar…using killer was concerned； created a whole new target。 The whale must have detected the stream of bubbles with its clicking and assumed that it was Schofield trying to get away。
And so it had chased it。
Schofield didn't think about it anymore。
He had other things to do now。
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out Jean Petard's stun grenade。 Schofield pulled the pin； counted to three； and then did a quick sit…up in the water and broke the surface。 He then tossed the stun grenade vertically into the air and let himself fall back underwater squeezing his eyes shut。
Five feet above the surface of the pool； the stun grenade reached the zenith of its arc and hung in the air for a fraction of a second。
Then it went off。
Trevor Barnaby saw the grenade pop up out of the water。 It took him an extra second to realize what it was； but by then it was too late。
Along with every one of his men； Barnaby did the most natural thing in the world when he saw a foreign object pop up out of a pool of water。
He looked at it。
The stun grenade exploded like an enormous flashbulb； blinding all of them。 The SAS men on E…deck recoiled as one； as a galaxy of stars and sunspots came to life on the insides of their eyes。
Schofield did another sit…up in the water。 Only this time； when he broke the surface； he had Petard's crossbow gripped in his hands； reloaded and ready to go。
He took his aim quickly and fired。
The crossbow's arrow shot across the expanse of E…deck and found its target。 It slammed into the Maghook's launcher； wedged as it was between the rungs of the rung…ladder。
The launcher jolted out of its position and swung free from the rung…ladder； swung toward the pool。 When it had been wedged in between the rungs of the rung…ladder； the Maghook's rope had been stretched up toward the retractable bridge on C…deck at a forty…five…degree angle。 Now that it was released from the rung…ladder…and since Schofield was floating in the water and； therefore； not putting any weight on it at the other end…the launcher swung back like a pendulum； out over the pool； and smacked into the middle of Schofield's waiting hand。
All right！
He looked up at the bridge on C…deck。 The Maghook's rope was now stretched over the bridge like a block and tackle…with the length of rope going up parallel to the length of rope going down。
Schofield gripped the launcher tightly as he hit the black button on the grip of the Maghook。 Instantly he felt himself fly up out of the bloodstained water as the reeling mechanism of the Maghook hoisted him up toward the bridge on C…deck； its rope speeding over the bridge itself； using it as a block and tackle。
Schofield came to the bridge and hauled himself up onto it just as the first SAS men down on E…deck reached for their machine guns。
Schofield didn't even look at them。 He was already running off the bridge when they started firing。
Schofield climbed the rung…ladder up to B…deck two rungs at a time。
When he got up onto what was left of the B…deck catwalk； he reloaded his crossbow。 Then he dashed toward the east tunnel and headed for the living quarters。 He had to find Kirsty； and then somehow he had to figure out a way to get out of here。
Suddenly an SAS mando rounded the corner in front of him。 Schofield whipped his crossbow up and fired。 The SAS mando's head snapped backward as the arrow lodged in his forehead and his feet went out from under him。
Schofield quickly went over to the body； crouched down over it。
The SAS mando had an MP…5； a Glock…7 pistol； and two blue grenades that Schofield recognized as nitrogen charges。 Schofield took them all。 The SAS man also had a lightweight radio headset。 Schofield took that； too； wrapped it around his head； and ran off down the tunnel。
Kirsty。 Kirsty。
Where were they keeping her？ Schofield didn't know。 He presumed somewhere on B…deck； but only because that was where the living quarters were。
He entered the circular outer tunnel of B…deck just in time to see two SAS mandos racing toward him。 They raised their machine guns just as Schofield brought both of his guns up and fired them simultaneously。 The two SAS men went down in an instant。 Schofield didn't miss a step as he strode over their bodies。
He moved swiftly round the circular corridor； looking left； looking right。
Suddenly a door to his left opened and another SAS mando emerged； gun up。 He managed to get a shot off before Schofield's guns blasted to life and sent the mando flying back into the room from whence he had e。
Schofield entered the room after him。 It was the mon room。
He saw Kirsty instantly。 He also saw two more SAS mandos who were in the process of shoving the little girl toward the door。
Schofield entered the mon room warily； with both of his guns up。
When Kirsty saw Schofield step inside the mon room with his two guns raised； she thought she had seen a ghost。
He looked awful。
He was soaked to the skin； his nose was broken； his face was bruised； and his body armor was battered all over。
One of the SAS soldiers behind Kirsty stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Schofield step into the room。 He held Kirsty out in front of him； put a gun to her head； used her as a shield。
〃I'll kill her； mate；〃 the mando said calmly。 〃I swear to fucking Christ