Read Online The Hydra Protocol by David Wellington - Free Book Online
Authors: David Wellington
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the Asian woman he’d met with Donny and Shelly and the rest. She must have found him there on the carpet. But why? Why wasn’t she out with the rest of the partygoers, out on the main deck?
“I can’t lift you on my own, and there’s no one else to help. You have to get on your feet,” she whispered. “Please. So much depends on this.”
He had no idea what she was talking about. But he knew if he didn’t get up and get moving, he was doomed. Chapel reached down with his artificial arm and grabbed one of his ankles. His leg was curled up underneath him, his knee and ankle both on fire, but he could push the leg out straight if he didn’t mind some searing agony.
Well, he minded. He minded a lot. But he managed not to scream.
“Good,” she said. “You’re a strong guy, yes? A powerful guy. You can do this. You have to.”
He reached down and straightened out his other leg. He could just twist sideways until he was sitting up, though it felt like he was being torn in half. With his back against the wall he pushed upward from his knees. His feet slid away from him on the wet carpet, but he recovered before he fell again. Using every shred of willpower in his possession, Chapel was just able to push himself up until he was leaning against the wall, as little weight as possible on his feet.
“Here, on my shoulders,” she said, and pulled his good arm around her neck. Straightening out those muscles made Chapel want to pass out, but he forced himself to stay conscious. Just a little longer. Just a couple more seconds , he promised himself. “Donny’s cabin is just here,” she told him. “Move your left foot forward.”
Chapel fought to open his eyes, to see what was happening. He didn’t know this woman. Why was she helping him? Just because he was a friend of Donny’s? “You’ll get in trouble,” he said, his voice sounding weak and small even to his own ears. “Just leave me,” he told her.
“I don’t think so. Come, now, move your left foot forward. I know you can. Good. Very, very good. Now your right foot.”
She didn’t exactly carry him, but she took a lot more of his weight than he thought she could. Together they set off at a snail’s pace down the corridor.
Behind Chapel, out on the deck, someone started shouting in Spanish. Someone else shrieked in fright.
Chapel must have glanced backward.
“You’re thinking this isn’t a normal patrol, that they didn’t find us by accident, and you are right. But they don’t know who you are, only that you were missing when they demanded to see everyone on board. You can’t let them find out who you are.”
He felt his eyes widen—mostly because it hurt so much. What did she know about him? His mission was utterly secret—nobody on board even knew who he worked for, much less what he was doing here.
Questions were going to have to wait. He focused on moving his feet.
A door opened in front of him—she must have opened it. He could still barely keep his eyes open, barely see where he was. Beyond the door lay a sizable cabin, bigger than the one he had on the deck below. It had room for a little table and a couple of chairs and a widescreen television on the wall. It also had a private bathroom with a big shower stall. The Asian woman shoved Chapel into the stall and ran the water, which came out icy cold at first. Chapel shivered as the water poured down over his aching face and chest. He tried to keep his left arm out of the spray, but the rest of him was quickly soaked.
“For the salt smell,” she told him, adjusting the water temperature. “Get your trunks off. Don’t worry about modesty now. This is not the time. Get them off!”
If he hesitated, it wasn’t because he was afraid of letting her see him naked. It was because the little black book was jammed down the side of his shorts. It was the only hiding place he had.
“It hurts too much, I know,” she said. She bent down and pulled down his trunks. The little black
“I can’t lift you on my own, and there’s no one else to help. You have to get on your feet,” she whispered. “Please. So much depends on this.”
He had no idea what she was talking about. But he knew if he didn’t get up and get moving, he was doomed. Chapel reached down with his artificial arm and grabbed one of his ankles. His leg was curled up underneath him, his knee and ankle both on fire, but he could push the leg out straight if he didn’t mind some searing agony.
Well, he minded. He minded a lot. But he managed not to scream.
“Good,” she said. “You’re a strong guy, yes? A powerful guy. You can do this. You have to.”
He reached down and straightened out his other leg. He could just twist sideways until he was sitting up, though it felt like he was being torn in half. With his back against the wall he pushed upward from his knees. His feet slid away from him on the wet carpet, but he recovered before he fell again. Using every shred of willpower in his possession, Chapel was just able to push himself up until he was leaning against the wall, as little weight as possible on his feet.
“Here, on my shoulders,” she said, and pulled his good arm around her neck. Straightening out those muscles made Chapel want to pass out, but he forced himself to stay conscious. Just a little longer. Just a couple more seconds , he promised himself. “Donny’s cabin is just here,” she told him. “Move your left foot forward.”
Chapel fought to open his eyes, to see what was happening. He didn’t know this woman. Why was she helping him? Just because he was a friend of Donny’s? “You’ll get in trouble,” he said, his voice sounding weak and small even to his own ears. “Just leave me,” he told her.
“I don’t think so. Come, now, move your left foot forward. I know you can. Good. Very, very good. Now your right foot.”
She didn’t exactly carry him, but she took a lot more of his weight than he thought she could. Together they set off at a snail’s pace down the corridor.
Behind Chapel, out on the deck, someone started shouting in Spanish. Someone else shrieked in fright.
Chapel must have glanced backward.
“You’re thinking this isn’t a normal patrol, that they didn’t find us by accident, and you are right. But they don’t know who you are, only that you were missing when they demanded to see everyone on board. You can’t let them find out who you are.”
He felt his eyes widen—mostly because it hurt so much. What did she know about him? His mission was utterly secret—nobody on board even knew who he worked for, much less what he was doing here.
Questions were going to have to wait. He focused on moving his feet.
A door opened in front of him—she must have opened it. He could still barely keep his eyes open, barely see where he was. Beyond the door lay a sizable cabin, bigger than the one he had on the deck below. It had room for a little table and a couple of chairs and a widescreen television on the wall. It also had a private bathroom with a big shower stall. The Asian woman shoved Chapel into the stall and ran the water, which came out icy cold at first. Chapel shivered as the water poured down over his aching face and chest. He tried to keep his left arm out of the spray, but the rest of him was quickly soaked.
“For the salt smell,” she told him, adjusting the water temperature. “Get your trunks off. Don’t worry about modesty now. This is not the time. Get them off!”
If he hesitated, it wasn’t because he was afraid of letting her see him naked. It was because the little black book was jammed down the side of his shorts. It was the only hiding place he had.
“It hurts too much, I know,” she said. She bent down and pulled down his trunks. The little black
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