It took all the strength Ralph had left just to force his eyes open. He almost wished he hadn't. His first sight, as consciousness seeped through the fog in his mind, was Lugaz's face looking down at him.
Lugaz had been ugly before. Now he was frightening. Ralph's blow must have disconnected his jaw. It jutted out at a slight angle from his face showing bloody teeth. The man shouldn't have been able to stand upright. Nevertheless, he stared down at Ralph with bright, glittering eyes, a jagged beam of metal held loosely in his good hand.
"Quite a mess you made of our Lugaz," said an amiable, faintly accented voice. "But I gave him a something for the pain. He so wanted to be here for our… negotiations."
Ralph turned his throbbing head and saw the Doctor, standing a few feet away. He held a short-needled syringe, turning it so the clear liquid inside caught the light.
"I have only a small amount pain killer left," he said, studying the syringe. "I do not carry much. I do not often feel inclined to use it."
He gave Ralph a tight smile. "Unless it is to prolong my entertainment."
"However," he went on. "I could be persuaded to sacrifice it. If-"
The Doctor inclined his head and stepped to the side.
Bill sat propped against the wall. Blood soaked the shirt sleeve covering his unbroken arm from shoulder to wrist. Both arms were thrust behind his back. His jaw was tightly clenched. As Ralph watched, he stared up at the Doctor through narrowed eyes.
"Save it," Bill hissed. "You'll need it."
The Doctor's smile widened.
"Mr. Maxwell," he said, "You are the most entertaining man I have met in quite some time. But I will leave the choice of treatment to your friend."
He turned back to Ralph.
"Mr. Hero," he said. "It is your decision. Relief from pain comes in varying forms."
He lifted the syringe.
"Option one," he said. "Or…"
He placed the syringe carefully in the breast pocket of his peacoat, then lifted the jacket's hem aside to show the butt of a revolver tucked into his belt.
"Option two."
Ralph rolled to his side and pushed up onto his knees. He felt the cold pressure of a ragged piece of metal press against the back of his neck.
His head felt like it was stuffed with burning charcoal. Every movement caused a new burst of pain to flame inside his skull. His whole body hurt. And he was really tired of being pushed around.
He twisted and gripped the end of the metal shaft. Lugaz's shattered jaw moved and Ralph had the distinct impression he was trying to grin.
"Now, now, Mr. Hero," the Doctor said.
Ralph heard the hammer of the revolver click back. He slowly released his grip on the metal bar. As Lugaz let out a gasping laugh, blood dripped down his chin and splattered on the floor.
Ralph turned to face the Doctor. He had the cocked revolver pointed at Bill's head.
"What do you want?" Ralph grated out through clenched teeth.
The Doctor regarded him with wide eyes.
"I thought that would be obvious," he said pleasantly. "A Federal agent is a nice prize, but not, I think, worth expending this level of-"
He made a gesture that took in the battlefield that was the cargo hold.
"Energy," he continued. "My new prize is you, Mr. Hero."
He flashed his white teeth.
"Mr. Maxwell is simply what you would call-" He shrugged. "A negotiating chip."
"My demands are few," he went on. "I simply ask that you behave for the rest of our journey. When I have presented you to my client, I will release Mr. Maxwell."
"Really," said the Doctor. "My offer is very generous. It is still a long way to Vladivostok and I anticipate that the rest of the journey will be quite dull. As long as you behave, I will make every effort not to amuse myself at your friend's expense."
Ralph looked at Bill. His face was ashy-pale, but his eyes were hard as he stared back. Ralph knew if he made this bargain, Bill would never forgive him. He turned back to the Doctor.
"How do I know you'll let him go?" he said. He heard Bill growl deep in his throat.
The Doctor smiled indulgently.
"You do not," he said. "I, as you say, hold the cards. In fact, I am inclined to up the ante, to reinforce the urgency of your decision."
He flashed a smile. "And because even now I do not trust Mr. Maxwell."
"I could return him to a state of unconsciousness," the Doctor said, patting the pocket containing the black pouch. "But he is not so entertaining as when he is awake and angry. So..."
He raised the gun again. "I think... the leg this time. Don't you Lugaz?"
Lugaz grunted. Ralph didn't have to look to know he was giving another horrible, lop-sided grin.
"Mr. Maxwell," said the Doctor, training his revolver on Bill's knee. "Do you have a preference for left or right?"
Bill glared at the Doctor.
"My preference," Bill rasped between breaths, "Is for you to shut... up."
On the last word he shot Ralph a look. Ralph blinked.
The Doctor chuckled and pulled the hammer back.
"Marvelous," he said. "Both, then."
The Doctor inhaled and Ralph moved. He didn't think about angles or momentum or range or consequences. He forgot his pounding head, his trembling legs, the complete impossibility of what he was about to do.
As the Doctor tightened his finger on the trigger, Ralph uncoiled from the floor like a spring. When he thought back later, he couldn't remember his feet touching the ground after that first bound.
He caught the Doctor's arm as the gun discharged. A bullet pinged off the wall, but Ralph didn't slow down. He let the momentum of his leap carry him up and over the astonished face and as he gripped the sleeve of the Doctor's peacoat, he climbed, surging up and up.
He spotted a long bar running across the ceiling a few feet below the level of the roof. As he reached the top of the chamber, he leveled out and gripped the bar with his free hand.
Ralph slung a leg over the rail and glared down at the Doctor dangling below him. The Doctor was staring down the hundreds of feet to the metal plates of the deck.
"Tell me why," Ralph snarled, "I shouldn't drop you."
The Doctor looked up and met his eyes, his expression as bland as ever.
"My dear, Mr. Hero," he said. "You should."
More than anything, Ralph wanted to see the Doctor's upturned face go rigid with shock and then terror as he tumbled toward the deck far below. He wanted to hear the wet sound the body made when it finally slammed into the metal deck.
Ralph let out a choked cry of rage and peeled the gun from the Doctor's grip. He hurled it out into the void and didn't wait to hear it smash down.
His gazed raked the ceiling. A foot away, one of many support bars connected the railing to the roof. Supporting himself with his knee, Ralph reached over and pried the bar free from the ceiling, bending it upward. He shifted his grip on the Doctor's coat and slipped the hem onto the hook. The Doctor hung suspended, arms and legs dangling.
"Don't move," Ralph hissed. He turned and kicked off from the ceiling, barreling at top speed for the deck below.
He caught Lugaz's arm as the jagged metal bar came down toward Bill's head. It clattered away across the deck. Ralph jerked the gaping Lugaz off his feet, dragging him across the floor in his forward flight. Ralph came to a sliding stop and released his grip. Momentum carried Lugaz forward until he slammed into the bulk head with a dull thud. Panting, Ralph turned to Bill.
"My hero," Bill said, grinning. Ralph gave a mock bow.
"Now get these off me, would ya?" Bill said, inclining his head back.
Ralph saw Bill's hands were bound with cuffs. He carefully hooked a finger through each and snapped the metal loops. Bill sighed and pulled his arms forward. He winced as a fresh gout of blood seeped from the bullet wound in his shoulder.
"Hate it when it don't go all the way through," he said. "Stings twice as bad."
Ralph grimaced.
"The bullet's still in there?" he said.
"Yeah," Bill said, wearily. "But, on the bright side, it's holding my arm on."
He started to laugh, but it turned into a gasping cough. Ralph watched helplessly as Bill wheezed. His face had lost some of its color and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
"Bill, I don't know much beyond basic first aid," Ralph said, anxiously. "What do you want me to do?"
Shuddering slightly, Bill opened his eyes again. They were pinched with pain.
"Just blow the hatch," he said between gasping breaths, "And get us out of here."
"Hatch?" said Ralph, puzzled.
"Yeah," Bill cocked his head toward the roof. "Bust it open. Let's go."
Ralph looked up. For the first time, he noticed the seam across the roof of the compartment and the huge metal-cased wheels at either end.
When he turned back, Bill was looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Don't tell me," he muttered. "You took the stairs."
"Uh," Ralph's answer was interrupted by the sound of rending fabric. His head jerked up in time to see the distant shape of the Doctor slipping lower as the seam in his peacoat gave way.
"I'll be right back," Ralph said, and he took off for the ceiling.
"Ah, Mr. Hero," the Doctor said cheerfully. "You return. You are quite the, I think you say, soft touch."
Ralph didn't answer. He looped a leg over the bar and grabbed the Doctor's collar. With his free hand he felt along the seam in the roof, found an indentation and pushed. The metal folded up and out with a grinding shriek. Ralph's eyes reflexively squeezed shut as a beam of bright sunlight fell cross his face.
He blinked. For some reason, he hadn't expected it to be daylight outside the dim chamber. He felt the Doctor shifting in his grasp and gave the man a little shake.
"Don't test me," he said, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light. "You really don't want to test me right now."
"On the contrary," said the Doctor. "I do."
Ralph felt him move again and looked down in time to see light glint off glass. The Doctor's closed hand shot upward. Ralph heaved the Doctor up through the gap in ceiling before his blow could connect.
When he emerged on the deck an instant later, Ralph found the Doctor sprawled on his back, a long-needled syringe clutched in his hand. Ralph recognized it instantly as the sedative he'd used on Bill.
"You are insane," Ralph snarled.
"You are not the first to make that observation," the Doctor answered pleasantly.
Ralph could hear the blood rushing in his ears as he jerked the syring out of the Doctor's grip and pulled him to his feet. He took grim satisfaction in the Doctor's hiss of indrawn breath as he ran forward and took off.
The open water glittered temptingly. Ralph forced himself to look up and spotted the conning tower high above the steering deck. He angled up and landed at the edge of a narrow railed observation platform at the top of the tower. He dropped the Doctor to the metal floor.
The Doctor looked up at him with an impassive expression.
"You should have dropped me in the sea, you know," he said. "You are very soft."
"Not that soft," Ralph growled as his fist lashed out. The Doctor sprawled back, unconscious.
Ralph turned to push off, then had a second thought. Still holding the long-needled hypodermic in one hand, he reached out with the other and stripped the torn peacoat off the Doctor's shoulders.
Clutching it, he jumped off the edge of the platform. As he plunged toward the hole in the hatch, he heard shouts. Half a dozen crewmen with semi-automatic weapons were clustered on the deck. They gaped as he shot past.
Bill had managed to climb to his feet and stood braced against the wall.
"I think we're going to have more company," Ralph said, dropping the peacoat at Bill's feet. He held up the long-needled syringe.
"Do you know what they gave you?" he said, turning it so the clear liquid caught the light. "Should we take it with us to the hospital?"
"No idea," said Bill. "Don't care. Drop it and let's go. Before-" he broke off just as Ralph spotted the movement in his own peripheral vision. Against the wall, Lugaz was climbing to his feet.
"For crying out loud," Ralph said. "What is this guy made of?"
"You have Federal sanction," Bill muttered through gritted teeth, "To tear him open and find out."
"You sure we don't need this?" Ralph said, holding up the syringe.
"Positive."
Ralph nodded and took two long strides to the swaying Lugaz. He thrust the needle through the sleeve of the overcoat and shoved the plunger home. Lugaz blinked, took one tottering step, and fell face-first to the deck.
"I enjoyed that," Bill said behind him.
"So did I," Ralph said. When he turned, he saw Bill's legs were shaking as he braced himself against the wall. In the light filtering down from the gap in the ceiling, Bill's skin was a patchwork of cuts and multi-colored bruises.
"Damn it," Ralph thought, "I wish I had time to find a First Aid kit."
"Look, Bill," Ralph said, changing direction and scooping the Doctor's jacket up from the deck. "I know you're not going to like this idea, but-"
Ralph fished in the pocket of the peacoat. He felt the squared-off shape of Bill's communicator, then his fingers closed on the short-needled syringe and he lifted it out.
"I've got the pain killer..."
"Kid," Bill said evenly. "How do you know what's really in there?"
Ralph stared at the clear liquid. In his mind's eye, he saw the Doctor trying to use his sedative while he dangled a hundred feet above the deck.
"You're right," Ralph said. He dropped the syringe to the ground and heard the glass cylinder smash. He held up his arm and showed Bill the bulge in his sleeve.
"Aspirin?" he said.
"Now, you're talking," Bill said. "Hand it over."
"Sorry I don't have any water," Ralph said, dropping the tablets in Bill's mouth. "I feel sure there's some vodka around..."
"Appealing," Bill said, chewing vigorously. "But it's time to get outta here, Ralph. I'm not kidding."
Ralph looked around at the sound of running footsteps. A squad of men with automatic rifles was pounding across the deck.
Ralph draped the Doctor's peacoat over Bill's bleeding shoulder as carefully as he could. As the sailors skidded to a stop and raised their weapons, he lifted Bill with an arm behind his shoulders and one behind his knees, ran and kicked off. A cascade of bullets rattled against the underside of the hatch as they whooshed through. They sailed up and away from the ship and Ralph saw the Doctor was beginning to stir on the conning tower.
"You're gonna be sorry you didn't drop him in," Bill said.
"I'd be sorry either way," Ralph said as they arced out over the water. "I can live with this way."
-continued-