Brute Force

123

The hold looked like a battlefield.

Mairead lay in the corner where I'd first seen the four of them. There was no movement from her. The two Russians lay where they'd died.

Tallulah ran up to me. 'Where is she?'

My leg hurt big-time. 'Upstairs. Go and talk to her. Go look after her.'

She looked down. 'Oh my God, Nick!' She put her arms out, whether to hold me or help me, I wasn't sure. Her breath clouded around us.

'I'm OK. She's up on the bridge. Keep her up there. I haven't finished down here yet.'

Dom hugged Siobhan under the arc lights. I pointed. 'Go with her, help her. Then wait up there for me, OK?'

I dropped the medical box and I followed it onto the deck. Dom let go of his wife and ran over to me.

'Pressure, mate. I need pressure on the wound.'

He didn't need any second bidding. He knelt down and tipped the contents onto the floor.

I looked over at Mairead. 'She dead?'

'Nearly.' He shook his head. 'But not nearly enough.'

He started bandaging my leg tightly to stop the leaks.

I leant back, my hands flat on the steel. I suddenly became aware of how cold I was. Dom shivered as he tied off the bandage.

I gripped his forearm. 'Check through their gear. They've got to have some clothing here somewhere. Get some warm stuff on. There's a boat parked up next to this thing. Get the girls wrapped up, get them all in it.' I nodded over to Mairead. 'I'm going to sort her out and then let's fuck off. Have a look at the nav gear; find out where land is.'