Read The Aleppo Code (The Jerusalem Prophecies) Online
Authors: Terry Brennan
Bohannon desperately tried to steady himself under Rodriguez’s boots, his hands hard against the walls. But when Rodriguez pushed to get closer to Rizzo, Bohannon began to slip. His right shoulder caved under Rodriguez’s weight. The pressure pushed him down into the water and farther out the opening. Suddenly, the water was up to Bohannon’s chin.
The blade nearly sliced Rizzo’s neck as Bohannon rocked under Rodriguez’s feet.
Gotta hurry.
This time Rodriguez needed to reach across his body, the knife in his right hand as he pushed once more against Rizzo’s collarbone. Bohannon rocked some more, Rodriguez lost his balance, and the blade plunged into his left forearm.
Bohannon’s mouth was open to scream. He barely had time to pull in another breath when Rodriguez pushed down onto Bohannon’s shoulders once again, driving Tom’s mouth and nose underwater. And the water was rising.
Rodriguez grabbed a fistful of Rizzo’s shirt and held fast. He pulled the blade free from his arm and, with one swipe, sliced through both the strap on Rizzo’s right shoulder and the fabric of Rizzo’s shirt. A thin, red line appeared on Rizzo’s shirt. But Rodriguez had no thought of possible cuts. He closed the knife against his right thigh, stuffed it into his back pants pocket, grabbed Rizzo with both hands and pulled with all the strength left in his body.
The force from Rodriguez’s feet drove Bohannon’s head under the surface of the water. He fought for purchase, his fingers digging against the smooth sides of the shaft, his legs thrashing as he tried to find an edge to push his boots against, torn between the need to keep Rodriguez upright enough to rescue Rizzo and his growing desperation for air.
Rodriguez was inches from Rizzo’s bulging eyes.
“Pull!”
Joe wrapped his fingers into Rizzo’s shirt, tightened his muscles, and pulled hard.
When Bohannon slipped farther underwater, Rodriguez was left dangling from Rizzo’s shirt.
Rizzo felt the pack break loose from his shoulders as Rodriguez’s weight inched his body through the narrow opening. One shoulder popped through. Then … like an onrushing flood, Rizzo burst through the opening.
Tom flew out of the opening as if he was exiting a water slide, shooting across the larger passage and running into Annie’s legs. He spluttered to his hands and knees in the fast-moving current, shook his head, and dove back under the water.
Like a sack of stone, Rodriguez plunged into the water. And Rizzo dropped right on top of him. Stunned by the collision, Rodriguez took in a mouthful of water. His airways blocked, he began convulsing, with Rizzo lodged against the wall by Rodriguez’s bucking body.
The opening was completely covered by the rising water. Rodriguez’s MagLite had fallen to the floor of the shaft under the water, but it was still on. All Bohannon could see in the swirling twilight was one leg sticking out of the opening. He tugged on the leg, but the rest of Joe’s body was flailing around inside. Bohannon looked up into the hole for some way to free Rodriguez … and saw Rizzo, his eyes bulging, his hands twisted into the collar of Rodriguez’s shirt, shaking Joe like a rag doll and screaming bubbles into the water.
Bohannon pushed against Rodriguez’s leg.
The push on his leg got Joe’s head back above water. He coughed out the water in his throat and sucked in some air as he steadied his feet on the floor, grabbed Rizzo under the arms, and got him right side up. “Gotta get out, Sam.”
Rizzo nodded, closed his eyes, and held his nose. Joe spread his feet and lowered Sammy into the water.