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Kowalski pulled back in and tapped a fist on the Otter’s door frame. “Don’t you worry! She’ll last!”
He was wrong.
Their engines coughed twice more and conked out.
Byrd shouted into the unnerving quiet. “Hold tight!”
The Otter dove for the waves. Byrd fought their descent, trying to get as much glide out of their bullet-riddled wings as possible.
Kowalski kept his perch by the open door, tightening his fist on the handle.
The ocean sped under them—then the floats skimmed the water. The nose dipped and the floats dug deeper. The Otter tipped high, skidding on its tips.
Kowalski held his breath, expecting to flip over.
But the seaplane crashed down onto its floats and slowly came to a stop.
Kowalski called to Byrd. “Told you she’d make it.”
Byrd scowled back.
Jarrah shifted and pointed past the door. “Swimmer! Coming this way.”
Kowalski turned and swung up the QBX carbine from behind his back. He wasn’t about to take on any hitchhikers.
From the waves, an arm waved. A pale bald head lifted higher. He heard his name called.
Kowalski cupped his mouth. “Monk, what’re you doing? Did you fall overboard?”
Seventh
38
January 24, 11:13A.M.WITA
Bali Sea, four miles off the coast of West Nusa Tenggara
Gray groaned as Heng tightened a wrap around his upper thigh. “The bullet passed clean through,” the doctor scolded. “But you need medical attention as soon as possible.”
“That can wait.”
Gray sat inside the boat’s wheelhouse. The carnage was over, but there was much to be done. Heng did his best to minister to the other injured. Thankfully, the patrol boat’s med kit had been well stocked.
Out on the deck, Seichan stayed beside her mother, who hung over the draped body of Zhuang. Guan-yin pressed her head against his chest. Her shoulders shook, but it was not from weakness or fever. Grief crippled her far worse than any poison. Still, she had no doubt suffered a fatal envenomation. Her hundreds of stings had begun to blacken, but Guan-yin ignored them. She looked ready to follow Zhuang in death.
Knowing he could do nothing to help, Gray left them to their grief and hobbled over to Xue, who stood at the helm. From his position, the man stared out at the end of the world.
“Thank you,” Gray said.
Xue looked down at his holstered pistol. “I didn’t save you.”
Gray cast a glance back at Zhuang. “But you bought him enough time to act.”
Xue shrugged and returned his gaze outside. “But how much time do any of us have? The bullroarer was a failed effort. In that regard, Captain Wen was correct.”
Gray refused to agree with anything that bastard said. “Our efforts were interrupted. We didn’t give it a fair trial.”
Xue frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
