cp.reddice-第6部分

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　　He　casts　me　one　last　glance…his　expression　curiously　sad。
　　Then　he　is　gone。
　　Pulling　back　hard　on　the　steering　bar；　I　try　to　gain　altitude；　partly　to　distract　them　from　Joel　and　partly　to　stay　alive。　It　is　my　hope　they　didn't　see　him　jump。　My　chopper　swings　farther　out　over　the　water。　A　mile　away　I　see　Hoover　Dam。　There　is　no　way　I　can　make　it　that　far。　The　chopper　bucks　like　a　hyperactive　horse　on　speed。　Cracking　my　door；　I　take　hold　of　the　shotgun　and　blast　at　one　of　the　Apaches　as　it　swings　nearby。　I　hit　the　top　blades；　but　these　suckers　are　tough。　The　military　chopper　banks　sharply。　Then　the　two　helicopters　regroup；　hovering　behind　me；　twin　hornets　studying　a　wounded　butterfly。　Over　my　shoulder　I　see　one　pilot　nod　to　his　gunner。　The　man　reaches　for　a　fresh　set　of　controls；　no　doubt　the　firing　mechanism　for　the　rockets。　As　I　throw　my　door　open　wide；　an　orange　tongue　of　flame　leaps　out　from　the　side　of　the　Apache。　My　reflexes　are　fast；　blinding　by　human　standards；　but　even　I　cannot　outrun　a　missile。　I　am　barely　free　of　my　seat　when　the　rocket　hits。
　　My　chopper　vaporizes　in　midair。
　　The　shock　from　the　explosion　hits　with　the　power　of　an　iron　fist。　A　fragment　of　burning　metal　cuts　into　my　skull　above　my　hairline；　sending　waves　of　searing　pain　through　my　whole　system。　I　topple　like　a　helicopter　without　a　stabilizing　propeller。　Blood　pours　over　my　face　and　I　am　blinded。　I　do　not　see　the　cold　water　of　the　lake　approaching；　but　I　feel　it　when　it　slaps　my　broken　side。　The　molten　shrapnel　in　my　head　shudders　as　it　contacts　the　dark　liquid。　I　fell　myself　spiralling　down　into　a　forsaken　abyss。　Consciousness
　　flickers　in　and　out。　The　lake　is　bottomless；　my　soul　as　empty　as　dice　without　numbers。　As　I　start　to　black　out；　I　wish　that　I　didn't　have　to　die　this　waywithout　Krishna's　grace。　How　I　would　love　to　see　him　on　the　other　side…his　divine　blue　eyes。　God　forgive　me；　how　I　love　him。
　　　
　　　2
　　I　awake　with　a　pale　wash　of　light　panning　across　my　face。　Opening　my　eyes；　I　see　it　is　the　searchlights　of　hovering　helicopters　pointing　down　on　me。　Only　they　are　high　in　the　air；　and　I　am　many　feet　underwater；　on　my　back；　on　the　bottom　of　the　lake。　Even　though　unconscious；　my　mind　must　have　had　the　wisdom　to　halt　my　breathing。　I　don't　know　how　long　I　have　been　out。　My　head　still　hurts　but　the　pain　is　bearable。　It　is　obvious　that　the　personnel　in　the　helicopters　cannot　see　me。
　　I　wonder　how　Joel　is；　if　he　escaped。
　　My　left　leg　is　pinned　under　the　wreckage　of　my　chopper。　It　is　good　because　otherwise　I　would　be　floating　on　the　surface；　probably　with　many　bullet　holes　in　me。　Pulling　my　leg　free；　I　roll　over　on　my　belly　and　begin　to　swim　away　from　the　lights；　not　sure　at　first　if　I　am　moving　deeper　into　the　lake　or　closer　to　the　shore。　My　desire　for　breath　is　strong　but　not　overwhelming。　I　know　I　can　swim　a　long　way　before　I'll　have　to　surface。　They　can't　scan　every　square　inch　of　the　lake。　I　am　going　to　escape。
　　Yet　there　will　be　no　freedom　for　me　if　Joel　is　not　free。
　　Ten　minutes　later；　when　the　lights　are　far　behind　me；　I　allow　myself　to　swim　to　the　surface　and　peek。　I　am　far　out　in　the　center　of　the　lake。　Behind　me；　near　the　shore　where　my　chopper　was　blown　out　of　the　sky；　the　helicopters　still　circle；　their　beams　still　focused　on　the　water。　Close　to　this　spot；　on　the　shore；　are　several　trucks；　many　uniformed　people；　some　cops；　some　army　personnel。　Joel　stands　in　the　middle　of　them；　a　dozen　guns　pointed　at　his　head。
　　〃Damn；〃　I　whisper。　〃He　really　couldn't　swim。〃
　　I　cannot　rush　in　to　save　him。　I　know　this　yet　I　have　to　stop　myself　from　making　the　attempt。　It　is　my　nature　to　act　quickly。　Patience　has　not　e　to　me　over　the　centuries。　Floating　in　the　center　of　the　black　lake；　it　seems　to　me　the　years　have　only　brought　grief。
　　Joel　is　ushered　into　an　armored　truck。　Men　on　the　shore　are　donning　scuba　gear。　They　want　my　body；　they　want　to　see　it　before　they　can　rest。　I　know　that　I　must　act　quickly　if　I　am　to　track　Joel。　Yet　I　also　know　I　have　to　stop　killing。　They'll　be　looking　for　any　suspicious　deaths　in　the　area　as　a　way　to　confirm　I　am　still　alive。　A　throbbing　sensation　in　my　forehead　draws　my　attention。　I　reach　up　and　pull　away　a　chunk　of
　　shrapnel　that　has　been　working　its　way　out　of　my　skull。　Before　the　infusion　of　Yaksha's　blood；　such　an　injury　would　have　killed　me。
　　I　swim　for　the　shore　where　Joel　is　being　held；　but　a　mile　to　the　left；　away　from　him　and　the　dam。　I　am　a　better　swimmer　than　most　dolphins　and　reach　land　in　a　few　minutes。　No　one　sees　me　as　I　slip　out　of　the　water　and　dash　into　the　rocky　hills。　My　first　impulse　is　to　creep　closer　to　the　armed　assembly。　Yet　I　cannot　steal　one　of　their　vehicles　to　follow　Joel。　Fretting　about　the　growing　gap　between　us；　I　turn　away　from　the　small　army　and　run　toward　the　campgrounds。　Even　in　the　winter；　families　e　to　Lake　Mead　to　enjoy　the　nature。　Overhead；　an　almost　full　moon　shines　down　on　me。　Just　what　I　don't　need。　If　an　Apache　spots　me　again；　I　swear；　I　am　going　to　jump　up　and　grab　its　skids　and　take　it　over。　My　turn　to　fire　the　rockets。
　　The　thoughts　are　idle；　the　mental　chatter　of　a　natural　born　predator。
　　I　find　a　family　of　three　asleep　in　a　tent　on　the　outskirts　of　the　campground；　their　shiny　new　Ford　Bronco　parked　nearby　and　waiting　for　me　to　steal。　Silently；　I　break　the　lock　and　slip　in　behind　the　steering　wheel。　It　takes　me　all　of　two　seconds　to　hot…wire　the　vehicle。　Then　I　am　off；　the　window　down。
　　Throughout　my　long　life；　hearing　has　always　been　ray　best　sense。　I　can　hear　snowflakes　as　they　emerge　from　a　cloud　two　miles　overhead。　Indeed；　I　have　no　trouble　hearing　the　army's　motor　parade　start　their　engines　and　pull　away　from　the　lake。　Probably　the　mander　thinks　he　should　get　Joel　to　a　secure　place；　even　before　the　body　of　the　blond　witch　is　found。　I　use　my　ears　to　follow　them　as　they　move　onto　a　road　that　leads　away　from　the　lake。　Yet；　with　my　nose　in　the　air；　it　is　my　sense　of　smell　that　is　the　most　acute。　It　startles　me。　I　can　smell　Joel…even　in　the　midst　of　the　others…clearly；　in　fact。　I　suspect　this　is　another　gift　of　Yaksha；　master　yakshini；　born　of　a　demonic　race　of　serpents。　Snakes　always　have　exceptional　senses　of　smell。
　　I　am　grateful　for　this　newfound　sense　because　I　can　accurately　trail　the　military　parade　from　a　great　distance。　These　people　are　not　stupid…they　will　check　to　see　if　they　are　being　followed。　Once　again　I　am　struck　by　my　ability　to　sense　their　thoughts。　I　have　always　been　able　to　discern　emotions　in　mortals；　but　never　ideas。　Yaksha　must　have　been　an　outright　mind　reader。　He　never　told　me。　I　know　for　sure　the　people　up　ahead　are　checking　their　backs。　I　allow　the　distance　between　us　to　grow　to　as　much　as　fifteen　miles。　Naturally　I　drive　with　the　lights　out。
　　At　first　the　group　heads　in　the　direction　of　Las　Vegas。　Then；　five　miles　outside　the　City　of　Sin；　they　turn　east　onto　a　narrow　paved　road。　The　column　stretches　out　and　I　have　to　stay　even　farther　back。　There　are　many　signs：　RESTRICTED　AREA。　I　believe　we　are　headed　to　some　sort　of　government　base。
　　My　hunch　is　confirmed　less　than　an　hour　later。　Approximately　fifty　miles　outside　of　Las　Vegas；　the　armored　vehicle　carrying　Joel　disappears　into　an　elaborately　defended　camp。　I　speed　up　and　take　my　Bronco　off　the　road；　parking　it　behind　a　hill　a　mile　from　both　the　road　and　the　camp。　On　foot；　I　scamper　toward　the　installation；　growing　more　amazed　with　every　step　at　how　plex　and　impenetrable　it　appears。　The　surrounding　fence　is　over　a　hundred　feet　high；　topped　with　billowy　coils　of　barbed　wire。　Ordinarily　I　could　jump　such　a　barrier　without　breaking　a　sweat。　Unfortunately；　the　place　has　manned　towers　equipped　with　machine　guns　and　grenade　launchers　every　two　hundred　feet。　That's　a　lot　of　towers。　The　pound　is　huge；　at　least　a　half　mile　across。　In　addition　to　the　towers　and　fence；　there　is　a　densely　packed　maze　of　three…foot　high　electronic　devices…　they　resemble　metal　baseball　bats…stretched　along　the　perimeter。　I　suspect　that　if　tripped　they　emit　a　paralyzing　field。　Vampires　are　sensitive　to　electricity。　I　was　once　hit　by　a　bolt　of　lightning　and　spent　the　next　three　days　recovering　in　a　coffin。　My　boyfriend　at　the　time　wanted　to　bury　me。
　　One　side　of　the　pound　is　devoted　almost　exclusively　to　a　concrete　runway。　I　remember　reading　about　a　top…secret　government　installation　in　the　desert　outside　of　Las　Vegas　that　supposedly　tests　advanced　fighter　craft；　nuclear　weapons；　and　biological　weapons。　I　have　a　sneaking　suspicion　that　I　am　looking　at　it。　The　pound　backs　into　a　large　barren　hill；　and　I　believe　the　military　has　mined　deep　into　the　natural　slope　to　perform　experiments　best　hidden　from　the　eyes　of　spy　satellites。
　　There　are　Sherman　tanks　and　Apache　helicopters　parked　close　to　barrack…like　structures。　No　doubt　the　weapons　can　be　manned　in　ten　seconds。　One　thing　is　immediately　clear　to　me。
　　I　will　not　be　able　to　break　into　the　pound。
　　Not　and　get　out　alive。
　　The　armored　vehicle　carrying　Joel　has　halted　near　the　center　of　the　pound。　Armed　soldiers　scurry　to　line　up　around　it；　their　weapons　drawn　and　leveled。　A　cruel…faced　general　with　a　single　star　on　his　shoulder　and　death　in　his　eyes　approaches　the　vehicle。　Behind　him　is　a　group　of　white…clad　scientists…just　what　I　don't　want　to　see。　The　general　signals　to　somebody　out　of　view　and　the　side　door　on　the　armored　vehicle　swings　open。　Heavily　chained；　his　shoulders　bowed　down；　Joel　is　brought　into　the　open。　The　general　approaches　him；　strangely　unafraid；　and　searches　him。　Then　he　glances　over　his　shoulder。　Several　of　the　scientists　seem　to　nod。　I　don't　understand　the　exchange。　What　are　they　approving？　That　Joel　is　a　genuine　vampire？　They　don't　know　about　vampires。
　　〃Or　do　they？〃　I　whisper。
　　But　it's　not　possible。　For　the　last　two　thousand　years　or　more；　Yaksha　and　I　were　the　only　vampires　on　earth。　Recently　there　have　been　others；　of　course。　But　Ray's　conversion　was　short…lived；　Eddie　was　a　psychotic　aberration；　and　I　destroyed　all　of　Eddie's　offspring。
　　Or　did　I？
　　This　general　wanted　us　taken　alive；　I　realize。　He's　the　one　who　gave　the　order　to　the　Apache　pilots。　They　waited　a　long　time　before　they　used　their　rockets；　and　then　only　when　they　were　forced　to。　In　fact；　the