Falling Light (Game of Shadows #2)(57)

But they had no time to explore nuances. They had no idea what they would be facing over the next hour, so in the end she chose to keep her answer simple.

“I have,” she said. “He’s a special man.”

“Yes, he is,” said Mr. Enigmatic.

Nicholas exploded into the cabin. They are close to shore. There are two drones stationed at the dock.

“Time to get ready,” Michael said. Mary jumped as he hooked an arm around her. He hauled her in front of him. “Take the helm, and keep it steady on course. The Lake might be shoving us in the right direction, but if we angle too sharply to either side, we could capsize.”

“Okay.” When she took hold of the wheel, power vibrated up her wrists. It was harder than she had expected to hold the wheel steady. She widened her stance and leaned forward, bracing her body to take the strain.

Michael stepped outside and made his way to the prow. The railing around the boat was simple metal fastened directly onto the deck. He knelt, took the rifle and braced the barrel on the top railing.

Adrenaline strung out her nerves until she felt tight as a wire. They hurtled forward at an impossible pace, toward the Deceiver, and toward more drones with guns. She clamped down on her fear. Her mind shut down until the only thing that existed was the race over the water, and her battle to keep the boat on a steady, straight path.

The shadow on the horizon expanded with dizzying rapidity. Motorboats and sailboats dotted the water in all directions. She broke out in a sweat as details on the mainland became visible. Tree-covered hills swooped along the shoreline, and she caught a glimpse of houses through the trees.

Nicholas whirled onto the boat. There—do you see them? he demanded. They’re just ahead. The drones are waiting in a black SUV at the end of the road by the dock.

She looked down the faint shimmer of Nicholas’s arm as he pointed, and then she could see the old motorboat with two people in it, chugging unhurriedly through the water. They were perhaps a hundred yards away from the dock.

She could also see the black SUV, parked in a wide gravel area at the end of a neighborhood road that ran up an incline into a cluster of trees and houses.

Michael? she asked telepathically. He was too far away to talk to verbally.

Hold steady, he said.

His shoulders tightened as he bent his head over the barrel of the rifle. Whatever Michael was aiming for, it was an impossible shot to try to take. The boat bucked rhythmically and they were still a good two hundred yards away from Jerry and Jamie’s motorboat. They were even farther from the shore.

A sharp sound cracked the air. It was only after the passenger window of the SUV exploded that she realized Michael had taken his first shot.

All the while they raced closer, straight at the shore.

The passenger door of the SUV opened at the same time someone leaped out of the driver’s seat, crouched behind the vehicle and aimed a gun over the hood in their direction.

Here we go, she thought. She started to shake.

The drone that had been in the passenger’s seat jumped out and raced to the back of the vehicle. Another crack sounded as Michael shot again. This time a spray of water kicked up beside the other motorboat.

She whispered to Nicholas, “Was that a shot from Michael?”

He’s trying to get their attention, the ghost said.

The scene on the shore grew bigger as they drew closer, and she could pick out more details. She could see the glint of sunlight winking off the sunglasses of the drone behind the hood of the SUV. After opening up the back door, the second drone ran behind the vehicle and joined the first with a rifle.

The wave that had been propelling them forward died down, and so did their hectic speed. The intense vibration eased at the wheel, and the sound of the boat’s motor grew louder as it engaged.

Part of the window blew in. Dots of pain flared along the side of her face. She twisted away from the flying glass with a gasp and lost hold of the wheel. When she straightened, a spiderweb of fractures had exploded over the rest of the glass, obscuring her vision.

Michael leaped into the cabin, rifle held in one hand. He punched out the glass with the rifle’s butt. He barked, “There’s blood on your face. Are you hit again?”

She wiped the side of her wet face. There were three points of pain. Mentally she probed at the areas. They were all shallow cuts.

“Glass shards,” she said. She grabbed for the wheel. “I’m fine.”

He raced out, knelt at the railing again and fired off a few more shots. More windows shattered in the SUV. One of the drones had disappeared from sight, but the one with the rifle was still shooting.

Only this time the drone shot at Jerry and Jamie’s motorboat. She saw that they had begun to turn away from shore. Splashes of water arced around them.

“Come on,” she whispered, willing their boat to move faster.

How long would it take for them to get out of gunshot range? And where was the Deceiver? For Nicholas to be so panicked, he couldn’t be too far away, and he would be drawn by the gun battle.

We have to draw fire away from them, Michael said. Take us in a circle between their boat and shore.

She fit her foot to the boot-sized gas pedal and gunned it. The engine roared and the wind whipped her face as the boat leaped forward, while Michael kept up a steady spray of gunfire, pausing only to exchange his empty clip for a full one.

Nicholas had left her again. They came abreast of the other boat, which was headed in the opposite direction. She could only spare a worried glance for them. Jamie had slumped to one side, and Jerry had taken the seat at the helm. Red sprayed the open interior of their boat.