Read Online The Covenant of Genesis by Andy McDermott - Free Book Online Page A

chance of survival. ‘Don’t move,’ she repeated. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

    ‘Move!’ Chase shouted. ‘Get out of here!’
    Bejo didn’t need further prompting. Arms outstretched, he dived from the dock.
    The driver turned the speedboat, swinging broadside-on to Chase so all four of its passengers could aim their AKs at him. Still trapped inside his bulky deep suit, a bright yellow target lying helplessly on the edge of the dock, there was nowhere he could go . . .
    Except down .
    With a yell, he rolled into the sea.
    He hit the water on his side, facing the pontoon. The air tanks in the suit’s back might give him some protection - unless the gunmen aimed at his head.
    Water gushed in through the open collar, filling the casing. He started to sink.
    Not fast enough.
    The Kalashnikovs chattered. Bullets cracked off the dock above him, splashed into the sea behind. These pirates were as bad shots as their comrades in the other boats - but only one bullet needed to find its target.
    He took a deep breath just before his head was pulled under the water. The suit was getting heavier by the moment, a weight dragging him down . . .
    A bullet hit the back of the casing - and he was slammed against the float supporting the pontoon as the air tank ruptured, its pressurised contents spewing out in a churning rush. More bullets thwacked into the water around him.
    He pushed himself away from the float. The escaping air forced him downwards, bubbles belching out of the collar past his face as he brought himself into a more upright position.
    The pirates were still shooting, but now were just wasting ammo. Even a small depth of water was enough to stop a bullet. Spent rounds spiralled slowly downwards around him.
    He reached for the last catches on the suit’s side. Once he got the body open, he could work the quick-releases for the sealing rings around his limbs. Then he could swim under the dock, get his breath back, and work out a plan of action.
    The first catch clacked open. One more to go. He tried to hook his gloved finger under it.
    He couldn’t.
    Chase tried again, clawing harder at the catch. It felt as though it was bent. But he could prise it open with his diving knife . . .
    It wasn’t there.
    All his gear was still on the surface.
    He forced back panic, pushing his fingertip harder against the catch. Still unable to get any purchase, he sank further into the depths.

4
    A nother fusillade of gunfire tore through the ship as Nina limped towards the lab. She shrieked, dropping flat beside a storeroom door as more holes exploded in the walls. Electrical sparks crackled angrily from a severed cable overhead.
    The firing ceased. Nina held her breath, expecting it to resume at any moment, but nothing happened. The gunner had swept the length of each of the Pianosa ’s decks. Either he thought he’d killed everybody aboard . . .
    Or the next phase of the attack was about to begin.
     
    Chase still couldn’t get any purchase on the damaged clip. Caught unprepared, with no time to get any extra oxygen into his system, his body was rapidly burning through the limited amount of air in his lungs.
    The punctured tank ran dry. He kicked, trying to slow his descent, but without air to provide buoyancy the deep suit was nothing but dead weight.
    His leg muscles were cramping, lactic acid building up as the oxygen in his blood dwindled. He spasmed, the involuntary movement forcing air from his lungs.
    He was about to drown—
    Something thumped against him. He looked round - and saw Bejo. His hand scrabbled against the side of the suit, fingernails pushing under the damaged metal . . .
    The clip opened.
    The deep suit’s front unlatched, the last pockets of air inside it gushing upwards. Chase immediately tugged at the release for the seal on his left shoulder as Bejo did the same on the right. He desperately shrugged his arms free as the young Indonesian pulled at the rings round his thighs to unlock them. The