[Music - Shawn Lee's "Theme from Andrex":
watch?v=j2qW4IIDMIs&list=PLD4ZwDeQz9JARiJWqZtrcInSi-HicI-F4&index=42
and then his "Indian Summer":
watch?v=bDScT-k0csM&list=PLD4ZwDeQz9JARiJWqZtrcInSi-HicI-F4&index=31
"Howard—" Peggy cautioned. She watched as more people were shoved off the docks as the robots pursuing them neared. These deadly machines would reach the idling runabout in no time.
A smirking Howard was watching this just as closely as she was. He stated confidently, "Relax, pal, I got this."
Her voice became adamant, "I think it is best if we leave now."
As Howard continued to rev the engine, his sharp gaze rested upon hers, "Keep your pants on. I want to test a theory first."
Understanding his intentions, Peggy still pulled the handgun from her bag. And though it was risky to be photographed by the paparazzi with a firearm, she had no wish to become a dead guinea pig if his plan did not work.
Over the murmurs of the anxious Press, Howard hollered, "Don't worry, boys. You are just witnessing my next big Hollywood starlet in action."
Peggy set her feet as best as possible as the boat gently rocked. Her eyes could only track the robot's approach by the multitude of people being pushed into the water. They were almost upon them.
Not realizing the danger they were in, the unaware paparazzi "Oohed" when Peggy took a two-handed stance. It was quite a pose, and one nearby reporter swooned in her way, further blocking her view. After grounding her teeth in frustration, Peggy yelled over her shoulder, "Anytime, Howard!"
"Just a moment, dear," he crooned back to her.
Seeing their chance, the emerging robots pounced.
To bypass the massive congregation at the end of the docks, the robed duo somersaulted over the crowd's heads, twisting in midflight. They intended to have one land at the front of Howard's boat and the other at the back.
They would have successfully accomplished this if Howard hadn't suddenly gunned the engine at the last second. He timed it perfectly, and the boat instantly raced off. The robot aiming for Peggy suddenly found itself crashing into the tethered dinghy that had been next to Howard's.
The one targeting Howard's position instead bounced against the rear engine compartment, and it began to slide off. Desperate, the robot fought not to end up in the drink.
Peggy winced at the piercing decibel its fingers made as they squealed down the boat's polished surface. Seconds later, the ear-splitting noise became that of metallic nails scoring the wood.
Thin gouges of mahogany spiraled up from the robot's sharpened tips. Stopping barely in time, the automaton's upper body clung on with all its might. Below, its boots sparked as they were dragged across the water. It seemed that the suction mechanism did not react well to liquid.
Then the robot began to claw its way forward, its strong fingers effortlessly poking through the thick wood to find purchase.
Unaware of the danger, Howard goosed the engine more. Since they were still too close to the congested harbor, he could not go full throttle yet.
Having assumed that the second robot had also fallen into the water, Howard stated over his shoulder smugly, "I knew that would happen. I bet they sank to the bottom." Turning, his grin of triumph became a scowl when he saw what the Niqab-clad robot was doing to his boat, "Hey, that wood is expensive!"
Ignoring his protests, the automaton continued forward determinedly.
Peggy was just as resolute, and she trained her gun sites on the automaton's eyes. But just before she could fire, the robot's whip shot out from its wrist, knocking the SSR Agent's weapon away. It landed somewhere behind Peggy.
Not having time to find it, Peggy geared herself to attack.
Before the robot could use its whip again, Peggy launched herself at it. Sliding feet first across the slick wood, Peggy's shoes slammed into the assassin's face. Though the bots were strong, Peggy's velocity aided in kicking the robot off the runabout, and it flew backward.
The automaton instantly reacted. Suddenly, the whip-like tendril shot out and wrapped around the rear flag mast. The robot was now dragged behind, and it began to reel itself in.
Twisting around onto her belly to face the robot, Peggy realized she would need both hands free. She ordered Professor Spencer, "Get over here and hold my feet, so I don't slide off!"
Shakily, he shook his head no. Peggy easily recognized the look of shock and fear on the pale man's features. He was obviously overwhelmed by the reality of the threat.
So she yelled to the forward compartment, "Mr. Jarvis, if you would be so kind."
Since the boat was traveling at a low enough speed, Jarvis was able to crawl across the smooth wooden middle section. After ending up in the rear compartment area, he quickly grabbed her feet.
From her hidden ankle sheath, Peggy pulled her combat knife free. She felt herself slipping off and growled, "Hold tighter, Mr. Jarvis."
The butler stuttered his head in understanding and hung on to Peggy's feet as best as possible. He sighed in relief when she grasped the rear flag's small mast for added support.
Just before the robot could pull itself onto the boat, Peggy dug the knife blade under the flagpole's base. Seconds later, she pried the whole thing free and the whip with it.
No longer tethered to the boat, the robot hit the water.
All cheered as it sank like a rock.
After a nod to Jarvis, the butler pulled Peggy back into the rear passenger section.
Relieved, they both collapsed onto the plush padded seats. Jarvis muttered, "You will definitely have to explain all this to me when we get to the yacht."
Peggy exhaled and replied, "I would be happy to over a good whiskey."
Now that they were no longer under attack, Peggy could finally relax and take in their surroundings. Having always imagined the Nile river as a skinny estuary, she was amazed at this wide and immense open waterway. No doubt this was because it was a port city, which made it all the more impressive.
As their motorboat continued to cruise up the Nile at a good clip, Peggy grinned at all the houseboats that lined the banks of the river. Glancing forward, she saw that the vast river was filled with smaller boats with triangular sails. Among them were also larger vessels filled to the brim with commerce.
The Nile was proving to be a rather congested place, and Peggy was reminded of the traffic in Los Angeles. And here, she thought that only the Western coastal city's roads could be clogged so badly.
Most of the boats seemed to be coming in their direction, with only a few heading out. Because of the congestion, she was surprised to hear the whine of boats closing in behind them. She turned to look.
What she saw darting nearer made the beleaguered SSR Agent groan. Two small speed boats were gaining on them. One contained two people, while the other had three.
Squinting, Peggy made out that the occupants were all garbed from head to toe in flowing white cloth. By their bulky appearance, she could tell that their silhouettes were male. She guessed that these were the five men from the Smithsonian heist. Scratch that. Make that the five male robots who had shot up the museum.
It seemed that more had wanted to join the party. Exasperated, she yelled, "On your six, Howard!"
After one look over his shoulder, Howard grimaced, and they were off to the races.
Due to Howard's larger vessel, he had to slow down because of all the traffic. And since the other speedster boats were smaller and more maneuverable, they were rapidly catching up to them.
Suddenly, Howard banked to the right, nearly throwing everyone into the water.
Peggy admonished, "Really, Howard!"
"Sorry, Peg." He nodded, indicating that he had nearly rammed into a large schooner. Egyptian curses were hurled down at them from the occupants of the bigger boat. Once that ship had passed, Howard applied more gas, and they shot off once more.
Still, Peggy knew that they could outdistance their foes. The man driving the boat had certainly boasted about this runabout's exaggerated quickness. She yelled to Howard, "Can't you go any faster? I thought you were the King of Speed. At least that is what the ladies say."
Chuckling, Howard mocked, "Peg, you wound me. And I promise that once we are clear of this bottleneck, I will show you just how fast this baby can go."
Finally, they had made it past the clogged Cairo harbor. Opening up the throttle, they instantly sped down the Nile River towards the Mediterranean. Even with the runabout's increased velocity, the two boats stayed close doggedly.
Desperate to lose their pursuers, Howard aimed for oncoming traffic. He buzzed around the larger vessels so erratically that his maneuvers nearly had the speeding runabout flipping over.
Now trapped in the shipping lane, Howard had to dodge any incoming boats. Getting too close, he nearly clipped a few of them. Peggy was sure that she now knew some Arabic swearwords by heart.
During this, Howard continued to take sharp turns and make dangerous moves, all the while chuckling in wild abandonment. Peggy would have boxed his ears over such a display if she wasn't so busy hanging on for dear life. It was too reminiscent of Howard flying over enemy lines for her liking.
Hearing Howard's cackles of glee, he was having the time of his life. The man certainly enjoyed risky behavior all too readily. Peggy swore he better find a wife soon to keep him grounded, or he was libel to get himself killed from such reckless antics.
When he made a near-impossible turn, Peggy was sure she became an instant shade of green. And poor Jarvis looked worse for wear, also.
Even Professor Spencer's cheeks had puffed out from trying to hold down his lunch. Served him right, Peggy thought with a disgusted frown. But then she hoped that the good Professor remembered to kindly aim for the side of the boat and not the interior.
Howard called over his shoulder, "See how low their boats are? Those robots must be really heavy, much heavier than those women." Sure enough, the one vessel with more passengers was slower. Peggy nodded, mentally cataloging this possible advantage for future use.
Peggy then noticed the twinkle in Howard's eye and realized he was up to something. From habit, she knew it was best just to shut up and hang on. She motioned for the two men beside her to follow her example. Jarvis and the still-green Spencer glumly did so.
Using the wake from a large passing schooner like a ramp, Howard shot over the waves. They arced over the tallest swell and landed with a jarring jolt.
Soon the speedboats followed the same course. The heavier one suddenly found itself treading water when the waves rushed over its dipping front. They had to stop, and bail or their craft would have surely sunk. The lighter boat stopped to help them.
Before Howard could push the engine, he had to suddenly reverse the boat to slow down. The abrupt movement nearly had Peggy joining Spencer in retching over the side. She sputtered, "What's wrong?"
Howard pointed to a patch of blue lotus flowers that floated ahead of them, "Don't want those plant roots to tangle up our motor blades!"
Being mid-autumn, the blue lotus vines were in season, and though beautiful, Peggy could see how they could be trouble for boats. The large lily-like pads had a long stem that poked above with a lovely blue flower attached. Who knew what was hidden under all that vast splendor?
As they cruised around it, Peggy saw that the large green pads were stacked on top of each other. She imagined that it could get thick in many spots with so much greenery intertwined. No wonder Howard was leery of running over those. But they did smell amazing. A slight sweetness filled the air, almost like bananas.
Over the engine's rev, Howard yelled to the recovering Professor Spencer, "Hey Doc, I hear that these lotus flowers are an aphrodisiac. You can even get high off of em. It just takes chewing on a few leaves for the desired effect." Grinning, he asked, "So, you ever tried it?" By his teasing voice, Peggy knew that Howard must have.
Finally feeling better, Spencer sniffed indignantly and stated primly, "Never. And to the Egyptians, the lotus represented the sun and rebirth and was not used for such debauched behavior. They considered it a sacred plant revered throughout the ancient land, hence why it was depicted on numerous pieces of Egyptian artwork."
Howard snorted, "My information sounded more interesting."
"Yes, you are just a regular fount of knowledge, Howard," Peggy reprimanded. Though she found the Professor tedious and pedantic, one must never be openly rude in such cases.
Howard shook his head, amused, but refused to comment.
Hearing the speedboats nearing, Peggy looked fleetingly around the passenger section. She wished she had paid better attention to where her handgun had disappeared to.
Howard had finally circumvented the large patch of green and blue. Goosing the engine, they then sped off. Still, the delay had afforded the lighter speedboat to catch up to them.
As the quicker vessel saddled up against Howard's runabout, one of the male robots grabbed onto the side of their boat.
Seeing this, Howard yanked the steering wheel in the opposite direction. The obstinate robot still clung on and was dragged away from the speedboat.
Refusing to let go, the robot was dunked underwater momentarily. Then effortlessly, it began to pull itself out of the river. Seeing that liquid did not affect it, Peggy surmised that the male ones were the updated models.
Beside them, the speedboat easily stayed close. Before the robotic driver could leap on, Howard slammed his larger runabout into the smaller vessel. Thankfully, enough damage was done that the robot's boat had to stop the pursuit.
Peggy and the others were having issues of their own. The automaton still clinging on, was dragging itself on board. In moments, its additional weight caused the runabout to dip noticeably close to the water.
Jumping into action, Peggy and Jarvis reached over the terrified Professor Spencer and began to bang on the robot's stubby fingers in hopes of getting it to let go. As they frantically did so, Peggy quickly scrutinized this new dangerous foe. She was beginning to question her assumption that the male model was the newer version.
Taking in the robot's bulky movements and appearance, it seemed to be the more antiquated of the two designs. Compared to the female model's more streamlined forms, the male's stockier build resembled stacked children's blocks.
Then the robot's blue eyes suddenly stared unnervingly at its attackers.
Taken aback, Peggy realized why the blue eyes seemed so unsettling. Much like a mannequin, they had been painted onto hardened plastic.
Perhaps being completely encased protected them from short-circuiting in the water. But the tradeoff was they did not appear wholly human like their female counterparts did. It was as if Pinocchio was stuck between transforming from wood into a boy.
Professor Spencer cringed as Peggy and Jarvis continued to fight over him to get rid of the robot. Undeterred, the automaton hoisted more of its upper body into the boat.
Finally, halfway aboard, the robot's heavy mass had the boat tipping dangerously to the side, and they began to take on water.
"Howard!" Peggy yelled.
Hearing her unsaid command, Howard sharply spun the wheel, which caused the clinging robot to be dragged under the water again. Though more of the river flowed into the runabout, the sudden surge of liquid caused the automaton to be nearly swept off. The machine now stubbornly hung on by only its stubby fingertips.
Finishing the quick spin, the runabout barely righted itself before it could capsize. As Howard once more revved the engine forward, the robot acted. But now, instead of coming aboard, it began to rock the boat, attempting to flip them over.
Howard had to slow them down or risk a barrel roll. And unlike flying in an airplane, Peggy doubted they would emerge from the water unscathed.
A desperate Jarvis grabbed the pole he had used to push the boat away from the docks. Together, he and Peggy jabbed it against the robot's partially submerged torso, trying to shove it away. Still, the automaton held fast. Whoever had built this machine had certainly made them tenacious.
As its rocking motion dunked the runabout lower into the water, an anxious Jarvis slammed the pole against the machine's hands. The wooden pole shattered upon impact, and the blunt metal end clanged across the mahogany deck. Peggy snatched it up before it could bounce into the water.
The robot's grasp tightened, and Peggy knew it was preparing to heave harder. As the wooden rim of the boat groaned in protest, she was sure that the determined robot would succeed in tipping them over this time.
A frantic thought struck her. Knowing how much he loved this boat, she implored, "Please forgive me, Howard."
Howard turned worried and yelled, "What are you going… oh no, don't, Peggy!"
She ignored his beseeching shrill cry to stop. With no other choice, she slammed the docking pole's iron piece against the hull's straining wood. After a few good whacks, the beautiful dark wood broke away, and the robot splashed backward into the water with it.
Howard's moan of pain could be heard over the glugging sound of the automaton slowly sinking under.
"Sorry, Howard," Peggy said, and she meant it.
The millionaire grumbled a curse, but it was short-lived, for both speedboats were barreling down on them once more.
After squinting angrily at Peggy, Howard gunned the engine loudly, and they zoomed off. With their enemies nearly upon them, Peggy could see that the boats carried even numbers now, which meant they were both faster.
"Howard," Peggy's warning tone said it all.
Hearing it as a dare, Howard grinned mischievously and called back to them, "Better hold tight, folks. I'm about to kick it up a notch." Even though he was a known braggart, the inventor wouldn't caution them unless necessary. "I couldn't do this earlier without the risk of hitting other boats, but now that we are all clear—"
Worriedly, the three passengers did as they were told.
Howard singsonged over his shoulder, "All snug as a June bug?"
Peggy did not care for the lilt of his voice and realized he was still mad about her wrecking the side of his boat. She grimaced and replied resignedly, "Affirmative."
"Good," he breathed and then muttered, "I picked up this idea from the war." After ensuring that the course in front of them was devoid of any boats, Howard pressed a red button on the dashboard.
All heard a rush of air and a whine as nitrous oxide was instantly released into the fuel line.
Suddenly, the combustible additive caused the engine to explode with power. The runabout shot forward, leaving the other two speedboats far behind. They were going so fast that they practically hydroplaned across the surface of the Nile.
Peggy nearly screamed from the velocity as her back was pushed deep into her padded seat. She thought for sure that they would lift off if the boat had wings.
Next to her, Spencer shrieked uncontrollably, and the high-pitched screech hurt her ears.
His eyes firmly pressed shut, Jarvis prayed loud enough to be heard over the Professor's hysteria. Though he was used to reckless behavior, even this was more dangerous than usual.
Trying to keep her mind off their possible impending doom, Peggy recalled that the practice of using nitrous had been tried on some warplanes, all with mixed results. There were a lot of aircraft engines that could not handle the added speed. Also, there was the risk that the chemicals had not been mixed properly. Nevertheless, she trusted that Howard had considered all of this, so she stoically held on and hoped for the best.
The surge of power had them easily outdistancing those pursuing them, and Howard grinned over his shoulder to Peggy as if to say, "See."
Her uneasy grin instantly became one of panic. A massive patch of floating blue lotus flowers loomed in their path ahead.
Seeing the danger, Peggy shouted, "Howard, watch out!"
Cursing, Howard tried to slow down in time. But that was the problem with nitrous. Once started, you had to ride it out until it was done.
After quickly calculating the distance, Howard checked the gauges and growled, "We don't have enough to make it through that gigantic patch. We'll be stuck in the damn middle."
"Then could we motor through them?" Peggy yelled, hopeful.
He shook his head, "I doubt it, Peg. That patch looks old and thick. It will entangle our propeller like a lecherous boss would his young secretary."
Ineffectively, Howard tried to slow them down before they hit it.
Spencer whimpered about "turning the wheel," but even Peggy knew that any sharp moves at this speed would have them easily flipping over numerous times at the speed they were going. She had no wish to become scrambled eggs and was grateful that Howard did not attempt such a foolish maneuver.
Suddenly, they were skimming over the pretty blue flowers. Though the nitrous push had them practically flying above it, Peggy wondered for how long.
"I have another smaller tank, but it might not be enough to make the distance through. And if not, the law of inertia happens. The boat stops, but we don't," Howard hollered over to them.
But it was their only chance of getting out the other side alive, so they had to take it.
Understanding the danger, Jarvis nodded, his decision made. Spencer was too petrified to vote, so she did it for him. "Do it, Howard," she commanded.
Sardonically the inventor replied, "That's what I love about you, Peg, decisive as always."
She muttered, "Just shut up and drive, Howard."
When the runabout started to slow down, Howard used the last nitrous tank. Peggy prayed that this additional boost of speed would be enough to get them clear of the remaining lotus patch.
It seemed to work. That was until the smaller tank ran out just as the boat made it to the outer rim of the largest section of vines. Luckily, the propeller had missed these thick interior tendrils. The problem was that the border was still dense with pockets of knotty protuberances.
Instantly the propeller seized up with vines, and it became too entangled to spin. At least, instead of lurching to a sudden stop and possibly flipping, they coasted completely out of the lotus patch to rest in clear waters.
Howard pressed buttons on the console, but even the strong engine could not spin the entwined propeller free. Thick smoke suddenly billowed from the rear area where the motor was located. Not wanting to risk burning it out, a cursing Howard shut it all down.
"Damn!" Howard snarled as he hit the steering wheel in frustration with his fist.
The sound of peaceful quiet was interrupted when they heard the two distant speedboats racing toward them. Squinting, Peggy was able to see them on the horizon.
Glancing over at the immense lotus patch, it was easy to designate their path through the once picturesque section of floating lily pads and blue blossoms. Though they had skimmed over much of the surface, they still had done damage, and the spreading blue was a pretty swath of color.
Peggy stood quickly and motioned for Jarvis and Spencer to help her. "We have to cut those vines loose from the propeller."
Jarvis nodded, but Spencer shook his head. In a quivering voice, he stated, "I did not sign up for this."
Jarvis looked as if he was about to toss the man into the water but instead shrugged off his jacket and undid the buttons on his vest. Now ready, he and Peggy leaped into the river.
All around them, the water was a striking shade of blue from all the shredded flowers. Grimacing, Peggy would try her best not to ingest any of the possibly hallucinogenic water. That was all she needed.
Well, at least the water was warm, Peggy thought begrudgingly as she bobbed in the tinted blue river. The sweet fragrance of the crushed lotus flowers had become cloyingly strong, and the smell made her regret her earlier association with it. So much for ever enjoying a banana split again, she thought with a snort.
Pulling free the combat knife from her ankle sheath, she nodded to Jarvis. Each took a deep breath, and then they dove under the water. It was difficult to see, but the vine-like roots had completely tangled the lone propeller.
She had hoped they could unspool it like a ball of yarn, but it was too tightly wound.
Placing a hand against the boat's underside to help steady her, Peggy began cutting the thick rope-like roots. While she cut, Jarvis assisted her by yanking on the sliced strands.
Unfortunately, due to the water, they were slippery. Most of the time, Jarvis yanked only the plants outer sheath off. He was undoubtedly getting blistered palms from the friction the wet casing caused.
Peggy wished she had brought her machete with her on this trip.
Jarvis motioned to her, and they both swam to the surface. He held his wounded palms up to her, and she winced at seeing the injuries.
Having an idea, Jarvis removed his vest and held it up with both hands. He instructed, "If you would be so kind as to cut this."
Peggy grinned, and as he pulled each end taunt, she sliced through it. Jarvis finished the move by ripping his vest in two. He then wrapped the wet fabric around each hand. Behind them, she heard the two speedboats getting closer.
After nodding that he was ready, they both dove back under. This time, it was easier for him to grasp the stubborn roots, and they made headway between them. Alas, it was still taking too long.
When they came up for air again, they saw Howard tinkering on the back engine. Spencer was staring over his shoulder and pointing out things to repair.
Peggy heard Howard grumble, "Not now, Professor. Why don't you make yourself useful and bail out some water?"
She did not wait for the older man's retort and instead took a quick glance behind them. She did not need to hear the approaching noise to see that the boats would reach them at any moment.
After she and Jarvis gasped in more air, they swam back down. Even underwater, the sound of the other boat's engine speeding toward them had become louder. They had to finish this now, or they would never escape in time.
Finally clearing the last tangled mess from the blades, Peggy and Jarvis emerged and hoisted themselves back into the boat.
Their clothes had been dyed a light blue from all their time underwater. Thankfully she had brought plenty of outfits. Howard tossed them each a towel.
As she vigorously rubbed her hair dry, Peggy noticed that the white terrycloth material had turned cerulean.
Finished with the engine, Howard slid across the middle wood section and was behind the steering wheel in a flash. The engine once more roared to life, and off they went. But it was too late now. They would be besieged in no time.
As Peggy caught her breath, she quickly looked around for her handgun. But even if she did find it, the small weapon would not do the job against the robot's boats. She needed a higher caliber weapon. "Jarvis, I don't suppose there is a less dangerous way to reach the undercarriage where our luggage is stowed?"
Jarvis shook his head, "I am afraid not, Miss Carter."
Peggy grimaced. At this speed and with her clothes being so wet, she did not want to risk crawling across the slick mahogany to get to the front.
Howard had overheard them. Insulted, he asked peevishly, "You don't think this baby is properly protected? I told you I added some modifications."
As Howard slowed the boat to a stop, he hit another button on the dashboard, this time blue. Peggy heard a whirl of a mechanism from the middle section in front of her and the smooth wooden panel folded open. She watched, amazed when a mounted artillery weapon rose to the surface.
Once it fully unfurled itself, she saw that it was a modified Browning M2 HB machine gun. The weapon had become popular towards the end of the war because of its ability to damage lightly armored vehicles and boats. The few times she had used one of these, she recalled that they did the trick rather nicely.
For Howard to fit it in the compact space, it was a much smaller version than the usual model. Regardless, Peggy was sure it could still pack a punch. Howard wouldn't have it any other way. And as a bonus, instead of being low to the ground, the heavy machine gun was on a pedestal raised high enough to stand behind.
Beyond thrilled, Peggy always loved trying out a new toy, especially one that used sizeable projectiles. And frankly, ever since the Smithsonian debacle, she had wanted to shoot at something. But, alas, such violent practices were frowned upon. While she was giving this weapon a quick once over, she thought that their current circumstances could be an exception to the rule.
Howard saw her grin and laughed, "Sorry, pal, it is not powered by the Tesseract if that is what you were hoping for. But it does shoot off a volley of nice-sized bullets."
Her smile widened. This was proving to be a most enjoyable vacation after all.
The increasing buzz of the approaching boats had Jarvis offering her his assistance, and she grasped his stretched-out hand. With his help, she clambered up onto the slippery wood.
Quickly studying the machine gun, she was pleased to see it was on a swivel. This would make aiming all the more easier.
As she ensured that bullets would feed into the Browning properly, she could not help but quip to her millionaire friend, "So you have always needed this? Don't tell me that the paparazzi are that bad, Howard."
He laughed and retorted, "You'd be surprised how vicious the foreign press is, Peg. But then, they certainly do love me. My relationships with famous people sell the most papers, it seems."
Though Howard would never admit it, he did love the attention. Regardless of her friend's foibles, Peggy shared in his merriment and chuckled heartily.
Spencer looked at the two of them as if they had both gone mad. Jarvis just shrugged at him as if this was normal behavior.
The nearing drone of the speedboats had Peggy checking her sights on the nearing enemy. Slipping back the bolt to load the chamber, she firmly grasped the twin handles. Set on automatic, her thumbs pressed down on the trigger. Instantly, multiple belt-fed rounds sprayed outward.
Because the weapon was well secured, there was no kickback. Still, the gun's sights hadn't been properly aligned, and the bullets staffed the water in front of the lead boat.
Though not as accurate as she was used to, the heavy barrage still caused the first boat to slow down. As it began to turn away, she fired again, this time aiming higher. She smiled when the shots left a beautiful score of decent-sized bullet holes along the hull. The speedboat quickly began to take on water.
By now, the second boat had stopped to help the sinking one. Not wanting to give them a chance, Peggy fired on them also. She was satisfied when it turned and left their two comrades behind. In moments the robots were underwater. She hoped that would be the last they saw of them.
Smiling wide, Peggy was having the time of her life. As the other boat quickly retreated, she fired once more. Unfortunately, after a few test shots, they were soon out of the gun's range.
Howard clapped, impressed, and added, "Wish I had you here when I dealt with that Garbo incident. The paparazzi were merciless!"
Helping her back to her seat, Jarvis said, "Good show, old girl."
Not taking the usual British cheer as an insult, she nodded back to him, her grin unwavering. She ignored Spencer's dour expression. She figured it was from either contempt or an upset stomach. But then, knowing the insufferable man, it could have been both.
Hearing the whirl of the motor as the gun sunk back down into its resting spot, Peggy said merrily, "That was very cathartic."
Howard grinned, "I thought you might like it, Peg."
Even though she was pleased with the results, Peggy still bit her lower lip. "Yes, my only regret is that I could not get both boats. Howard, you don't suppose those robots could survive their watery plunge, do you?"
Howard shook his head, "I don't know, Peg, the water hadn't seemed to affect the one that had latched onto our boat. Hopefully, they weren't completely watertight. Regardless, all I know is that because of their weight, they must have sunk right to the bottom." He added with a laugh, "If so, I imagine it will take them some time to lumber back to the shore."
Well, that would have to do, for now, Peggy thought with a nod. At least with the threat of the machine gun, they would be left alone for now.
Thinking, she then frowned at the soggy azure-colored outfit she now wore and demanded, "Though I do enjoy this shade of blue, Howard, you could have saved us from that risky dive."
Howard shrugged, "Without the engine running, I could never have raised this out of the middle section. I'll change it to a manual crank for the next time."
Although understandable, the larger issue had not been addressed, "That still does not explain why you had not brought that up earlier."
Gruffly, he admitted, "I thought I could outrace them."
She shook her head. When this was all over, she would have a little chat with him about his ego and accepting limitations.
"Besides," he added, "there were always civilians nearby."
Peggy imagined that with the Nile being so congested, firing the Browning would have been tantamount to declaring war.
Mollified, she accepted his logic, "Alright, true." She looked around expectantly, "So, are there any other hidden armaments I should know about?"
Smiling, Howard stated, "Afraid that was it, pal. But since it looks all clear, we should be alright now. So you might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride."
After a nod, she collapsed onto the padded rear seat. She then felt the boat lurch forward, and they continued cruising down the Nile. It didn't take long for them to reach the first fork of the river.
Cheekily Peggy asked, "Hope you know where we are going, Howard."
"Trust me, Peg. We keep taking the bigger lane to the left until it eventually spits out near Alexandria. My yacht should be on the outskirts of the Delta."
Exhausted from the day's events, she felt her eyes beginning to droop, "And then?"
She heard the shrug in his voice, "Then we recuperate on my yacht. Later we can figure out our next course of action."
The ever-helpful Jarvis piped in, "There's the lower compartment if you care to freshen up, Miss Carter."
Peggy yawned and replied drowsily, "I best wait till we get to our destination. I don't think I could move another inch right now."
Howard called back, "Then just settle in. It will take a few hours to reach the end of the Nile anyway."
She nodded. Normally she would have badgered Spencer to look at the new clue. But honestly, she was so drained. Especially after all that running and being tossed about back at the marketplace. Strangely, the injuries she had sustained on that chase did not bother her now. Instead, she lazily stared at the deepening bruise on her shoulder.
Besides, the poor Professor looked a ghastly shade of green. She just did not have the heart to bother him while he recovered.
Yawning again, she felt the warm breeze begin to dry her wet clothes. At least the dampness would help keep her cool, she thought groggily. Maybe she would just rest her eyes for a moment. Closing them, she was soon fast asleep.