The RIB roared back out on the York. None of them saw the missile launch from one of the patrol boats. It missed them but not by much. The RIB almost flipped over from the force of the explosion as the rocket hit the water ten yards away from them before Whitfield managed to get the boat back under control. The rain was coming down slantwise now, stinging their faces as Sean and Michelle slowly stood on trembling legs.
Michelle glanced around. “Viggie! Horatio!”
They looked behind them. In her life jacket Viggie was bobbing in the water already fifty yards away. To the left of her Horatio was sputtering and going under.
Michelle didn’t hesitate. She grabbed a preserver, dove off the boat and swam for Horatio. She didn’t see Sean dive off the other side of the boat and head to Viggie. Michelle reached Horatio and pushed the life preserver in his hands. “You’re okay, Horatio, just don’t panic. Can you make it to the boat while I go get Viggie?”
He nodded and Michelle headed off for Viggie. What she saw as she approached where Viggie had been struck her cold. The girl was being hauled into a boat driven by some of the men from Camp Peary. As Michelle strained to see through the rain and darkness, she saw another chilling spectacle. Two men on the boat were taking aim at Sean, who was still desperately trying to reach Viggie
“No!” Michelle screamed, but she had nothing to hurt them with.
An instant later she heard the sound behind her. She swung back around and saw Whitfield’s boat coming at her fast. Horatio was already on board so Whitfield must have come back around and picked him up. As the boat drew nearer, Michelle saw Whitfield hand off the wheel to Horatio. Then the Camp Peary chief leaned over the side of the RIB and looped his leg through a bungee strap on the boat’s gunwale. He extended his hand. Michelle instantly knew what he was doing. She’d practiced this particular maneuver in a joint training session with the FBI while at the Secret Service. As the boat zoomed alongside her she reached up and grabbed Whitfield’s hand. The man placed an iron grip on her arm with his other hand and his strength and the speed of the boat yanked her right out of the water and onto the boat’s deck. She didn’t even bother thanking him. She rolled to her feet, grabbed a gun and pointed it at the other boat as they drew close.
Michelle knew Viggie was on board so she couldn’t fire directly at them, but she did manage to place five shots in such a compact manner that the gunmen ducked down and gave Sean a chance to escape.
“Get close and we’ll grab him,” Michelle yelled.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Horatio called out from the helm.
Michelle slid over to the wheel while Whitfield lay across the gunwale again. As the RIB swooped by Sean was whisked into the boat.
“Hit it!” Whitfield screamed.
“What about Viggie!” Michelle screamed back.
“Hit it or we all die!”
Michelle slammed the throttle forward and the RIB shot ahead so fast Horatio and Sean almost fell overboard.
Michelle yelled over the howls of the storm, “We’re going to round up an army and then we’re going back across that fucking river and we’re getting Viggie back.”
She ran the RIB up on the shore on the other side of the York. They jumped off the boat and raced toward the entrance to Babbage Town. On the way, Sean stopped and retrieved his bag that he’d hidden behind a bush.
The caravan of Suburbans was parked at the entrance and Michelle led the way single file toward them. As soon as they showed themselves they were surrounded by agents. Merkle Hayes stepped forward. He wasn’t wearing a police uniform. He had on a blue windbreaker with the letters “DEA” stenciled on it. Agent Ventris was right next to him.
Sean stared at him. “DEA?”
“It’s a long story,” Hayes said.
“Have you rounded them up?” Michelle asked.
“Who?” Ventris said angrily. “There’s nobody here except a few guards.”
“The place was swarming with CIA guys in body armor,” Sean said.
“Well, they’re not here now.”
“We just had a gun battle on the river. They fired a rocket at us. Are you telling me you guys heard none of it?” Michelle asked incredulously.
Hayes said, “A siren’s been going off just about the whole time we’ve been here. We just got the damn thing turned off. So with that and the storm we haven’t heard anything.”
“Did you at least find the plane at the private strip filled with drugs?” Michelle asked.
Hayes shook his head. “There was no plane and no Champ Pollion when my men got there.”
“So—what drugs?” Ventris asked.
In answer Michelle reached in her pocket and pulled out the wet Baggie. “These. There was at least a ton of it on Champ’s plane. Heroin.”