فصل چهلم

Chapter 40: The Shadow of the Ampere

It started raining as the old boat chugged out to sea. Taylor slid up next to me and took my hand in hers. “I’m cold,” she said.

I put my arm around her.

“You know, when we attacked the Starxource plant we weren’t together,” she said. “This time we’re together.” I looked at her. “Our first date,” I said.

She grinned.

“Are you scared?” I asked.

“Terrified.”

“Me too.”

“Do you think we’ll make it back?”

“Of course we will.”

“Really?”

“I can’t afford to doubt,” I said. “My mom used to say that faith and fear can’t exist simultaneously in the mind any more than light and dark can exist simultaneously in the same room.” “Your mom is smart.”

“I know. I wished I could have spoken to her once more. . . .” I stopped myself.

Taylor squeezed my hand. “You’ll get the chance,” she said.

A moment later Taylor looked over at Jack. “How are you feeling?” “Wet,” he said.

Suddenly the whining of the engine stopped and the boat slowed and pitched forward until the surging of the waves almost rocked us out of our seats. Jaime came out of the cab with a large coil of black rope over his shoulder. “We are turning back now. It is time to put on your masks and gloves.” As we donned our coverings, Jaime walked over and inspected the ropes on the raft, then turned back to us. “Remember you must go fast. Jack first, then Taylor, Michael, Ostin, and McKenna. When you are all in I will hand down the pack and rope. If we get near the boat and are discovered, we will about.” “About?” Taylor said.

“I think he means abort,” I said.

Jaime went back to the cabin. The boat turned around and headed back toward the lights of the shore. I stood and walked up to the front of the boat.

“Jaime.”

“Sí, Mr. Michael.”

“I need to ask you a favor.”

He looked at me seriously. “Anything.”

“If we don’t make it, I want you to tell my mother what we were trying to do.” “Sí. Of course.”

“Also Ostin’s and Taylor’s families. Taylor’s family doesn’t even know she’s electric.” “You will come back, Mr. Michael. But if something happens, I promise that they will know the truth.” “Thank you,” I said.

“You will come back,” he said again.

When I returned to my seat, the Elgen fleet was in view. The Ampere was sandwiched in between the Watt and the Volta. Fortunately the Faraday, the biggest boat of the Elgen fleet, was on the far north side of the fleet. It stuck so far out into the bay that had it been next to the Ampere we never would have been able to get close.

No one spoke. Jaime came back with us, looking at the fleet through his binoculars. The fishing boat made a wide, elliptical sweep of the bay, then drifted in toward the shore, carefully edging itself closer to the fleet.

The first of the Elgen boats we passed was the Ohm, which in spite of the hour had all its lights on as men and forklifts scurried on its deck filling it with supplies. The next boat was the Tesla, then the Joule, which was completely dark and stranger looking than I had imagined. Next we reached the powerhouse of the fleet, the Watt. The battle cruiser was gunship gray with large cannons pointing out toward the sea behind her.

Our boat slowed still more as we crossed beneath the shadow of the cruiser toward the Ampere. I turned back and looked up at the boats, wondering if we were being watched. All I could see were a few cabin lights and darkness. Jaime put down his binoculars, then moved over to the raft and waved to Jack to come help him. They quickly unlashed the raft, laying it flat at our feet on the floor of the boat.

When we were in the shadow of the Ampere the engine cut back even more, then slowed as the captain put the boat in idle.

“Now,” Jaime said.

The rest of us stood as Jaime and Jack heaved the raft over the port side, leaving just the front towrope attached. Jack jumped over the side, disappearing from our view. Jaime handed over two paddles, then turned to us. “Rápidamente.” Taylor climbed over first, helped down into the raft by Jack, followed by me, Ostin, then finally McKenna, who I hadn’t heard speak since we’d boarded.

“Mr. Michael,” Jaime said. He tossed me the coil of black rope, then handed the explosives to Jack. Then he pulled out a knife and cut our towrope.

“Buena suerte, amigos. Go with God.”

The boat shifted back into gear and was soon clear of us, leaving us alone and exposed near the Ampere’s massive stern.

“Paddle,” Jack said. He took one paddle and handed me the other, and we paddled our way toward the boat until her stern rose above us like a great canyon wall.

“Get the magnets ready,” I said to Ostin.

Ostin lifted one magnet, then handed the other to McKenna. The magnets were fist-size and round with a small loop through the back where a strap ran through them, connecting them to the raft. The strap was about six feet long but was designed to be cinched tight, to snug the raft up against the boat.

When we were twenty feet out I set down my paddle and reached out toward the boat and magnified. My magnetism was stronger than I thought it would be and our raft was drawn so quickly to the hull that we hit against the Ampere hard enough that I almost flipped the raft over.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

Ostin and McKenna stuck their magnets against the hull, which connected with an uncomfortably loud clang, then pulled the straps until the raft was tight against the boat.

“My turn,” I said.

Taylor leaned forward and kissed me, gently cupping my cheeks in her hands. “Be careful.” “I’ll see you soon.”

I slid the rope coil over my head and one shoulder, then awkwardly stood in the leaning raft, putting my hands against the side and magnifying. The hull was cold and wet but easy to grab, as if the water actually enhanced my magnetism. “Watch for the rope,” I said. I threw my knees against the hull and began to climb.

With all the adrenaline pumping through my body I reached the top in less than ten minutes. As I got near the railing of the deck, I stopped and listened for guards. I didn’t hear anything but the patter of rain, so I crept up a little farther so I could peer over the side. There was no one. I spotted a camera mounted high up on the wall facing down toward me. The camera appeared stationary, but the red light on top of the camera indicated that it was active. I wished Zeus was there to blow it out, and it occurred to me that I could take it out just as well. Throwing lightning balls was too risky, as a flash of lightning would almost certainly catch a guard’s eye. I could climb the wall beneath it and short it out; I just needed a little luck coming over the side railing.

But first I needed to get rid of the rope. I magnetized the lower half of my body, then took the end of the rope and tied it around the deck’s outside railing with a figure eight knot. I looked down. The raft was completely invisible to me and all I could see below was an occasional whitecap in the sea. I took the coil from around my neck and dropped it into the darkness below. The rope almost immediately tensed. Jack was on his way up. I clung to the side of the boat and waited.