The launch was first to them. Klaggath had all his bases covered; a swimmer in a blue-and-yellow wet suit went over the side to help Nara and Kris onto the rigid ladder that appeared on the side of the boat. The press chopper and another boat with an oversize camera crew were alongside as Kris began the climb up.
''Watch your step,'' the swimmer told her.
''There's a body in a black wet suit floating around here somewhere. Are you equipped for recovery?'' Kris asked.
''No,'' the rescue swimmer said without batting an eyelash. ''I'll call Rescue Five and get the chopper crew looking for it.''
''There's a second swimmer, probably on the bottom,'' Kris told him as he started talking into his mike.
''Another assassination attempt?'' Jack said, settling a blanket around Kris as she reached the top of the ladder.
''I don't think so,'' Kris said, keeping her voice low among the shutter clicks of cameras from a boat not ten meters away. The Kriefs surrounded their daughter, half hugging, half drying her off, while adding tears of joy to any spot the lake hadn't gotten damp enough. ''Is there anyplace below?''
''This way,'' Klaggath said and led them down a short flight of stairs, along a companionway, and into a small forward cabin. In a moment, Penny and Tommy joined them.
''What happened?'' Jack demanded.
''You want a drink?'' Penny offered, a bottle of brandy appearing in her hands.
''You didn't learn as much about me as you thought,'' Kris said and took the hot chocolate Tommy offered.
''Kris! What happened?'' Jack snarled through clenched teeth.
''When we went over, a diver grabbed Nara and dragged her under,'' Kris said, holding the cup to warm her hands. ''There was a second one, but I don't think they were expecting a second person in the boat, at least not one that hated kidnappers like I do,'' she said with a nod to Penny.
''Oh my God,'' the intelligence officer gasped. ''Someone tried to kidnap that girl out from under you!''
''You almost feel sorry for them.'' Kris sighed as she took a sip of her chocolate. It was hot. Around her, people waited, Jack and Klaggath professionally, Penny and Tom uneasily. Kris went on. ''One's floating out there somewhere. I borrowed his weights. The other has three bullet holes in her. You know, Jack, these air guns work nice under water,'' Kris said, pulling the weapon from her belt.
Klaggath took it from her cold fingers, uncocked it, and put the safety back on. ''Sorry,'' Kris said. ''I was rather busy.''
''Understandable,'' the Inspector said, talking to his wrist.
''And check the keel of that boat. It came up like there was something under it. A floatation device of some kind.''
''Already checking it.''
''Other than that, it was a great day to be on the water, Kris said. ''Tom, you have more of that nice hot chocolate?''
He refilled her cup. Kris yawned. ''Good Lord, I'm tired.''
''You should be,'' Klaggath said. ''You've had a workout.''
Kris shook her head. ''I was hyped after we rescued that kidnapped girl on Harmony. What a rush. I was wiped that day on Olympia, but I'd fought two battles. Still, I couldn't sleep. Whole day just kept replaying in my mind.'' She yawned again.
''Every time's different,'' Klaggath said, getting a dry blanket and edging Kris toward a bed that stretched along the hull of the boat. ''But worse, you do it often enough, and it becomes routine. That's when you're in trouble.''
Kris let herself be backed onto the bed. She traded her wet blanket and mug for a dry one and lay down. ''I'll only rest for a few minutes, until you figure out how things are,'' she said.
''I'm sure we can keep everything under control for that short while,'' Klaggath said, ushering the others from the room. Jack made to stay behind, but the Inspector put an elbow into the agent's ribs as he turned the light off with his other hand.
''I ought to get out of my wet clothes,'' Kris said as her head nuzzled the pillow. A quick survey showed her heart was already slowing to sleep. Kris's last thought was on how normal she felt. I shouldn't feel this way.
Chapter 12
Kris came awake slowly, her heart pounding as she raced through a swamp. No, leaped from star to star. A girl, no, her brother Eddy, hung precariously from her shoulders. She raced in slow motion through water and mud. Behind her, a howling mob of ghosts or swans or men in wet suits chased her. Then Eddy turned into… something. She sat up with a start.
''You all right?'' Jack asked. He stood by the light switch, as far from her as the small cabin allowed. ''You were moaning in your sleep. Shouting a bit, too.''
''I hate kidnappers,'' Kris said, leaving it at that.
''You ready to come up on deck? They've got the sailboat out of the water.''
''They found the swimmers?'' Kris said, making a face as she sat up in her still wet and now very cold shorts.
''Yes.''
''I guess I should identify the bodies. You have anything for me to wear? My clothes are kind of wet.''
Jack tossed her a set of gray sweats. ''Compliments of the Heidelburg P. D.'' Kris shook out a gray sweatshirt prominently marked Property of HPD. ''Klaggath says you've earned it. His job's gotten a whole lot easier since you've been around.''
''First security type ever to tell me that.''
''I said he might change his mind if you hung around longer.''
''Shame on you, giving away Wardhaven state secrets,'' Kris said as she got up.
''I'll wait outside.''
''Please, just turn around. I never knew how lonely deep water was.''
''You were swimming for deeper, trying to reach someone,'' Jack said, his back to her. ''That's a lonely business.''
''Didn't seem so at the time,'' Kris said, pulling on the top.
''We do what we have to ‘at the time.' It's only later we figure out how to live with it. Assuming we live.''
''I'm alive, and two kidnappers aren't,'' Kris said, adjusting the pants. Her bra and panties were still wet, but that would have to do. ''You can turn around now.''
''A young girl is with her parents. You are with your friends, and two of Sandfire's assassins are in the morgue,'' Jack said with finality. ''Not a bad day's work.''
''Are they Sandfire's people? He usually goes for good-looking women. I knifed a man and shot a woman I didn't get a good look at.''
''My bet is he subcontracted this job, with plenty of cutouts in between.''
''It still seems weird they weren't after me. Why go for a little girl? No, why go for the Senator's daughter?'' On the way topside, she found Klaggath, Penny, and Tom sitting around a table in what passed for an amidships break room.
''There have been times in history,'' Penny said, ''when kidnapping was just part of the political give and take.''
''Not lately,'' Klaggath said, rising.
''Unity did a few when they were getting started,'' Kris said.
''Unity did murders, extortion, and a whole lot of nastiness that are no longer accepted in polite circles,'' Klaggath drawled.
''But we live in changing times,'' Kris said, trying to smile cheerfully. ''Where're the Kriefs?''
''Aft. Nara's asleep,'' the Inspector said.
''Where are we?''
''We haven't moved. Would you like to look at the sailboat?''
''You recovered it?''
''Along with two bodies. Are you prepared to identify them?''
Kris took in a deep breath. ''No time like the present.''
The cop led her topside, Jack and the rest following. The launch swung at anchor. Off in the distance, silhouetted against a low sun and gray clouds, the big race of the day was still going on. The course and party fleet had moved, leaving the launch almost alone. Two choppers still circled, one marked Press, the other Police. A cabin cruiser of photographers had backed off a hundred meters, but no farther. When Kris came on deck, the photo crews bestirred themselves, but in police grays they took no interest in her. It was nice to be ignored.
Alongside, a barge was tied up. A bit longer than the launch, much wider and square, a small deckhouse aft broke its flat lines. Only rust interrupted the solid blackness of its paint. Perfect for a hearse. Like a beached dolphin, the sailboat lay on its side, keel toward Kris. The mast, with its sails now cut away, hung over the side.