dk.coldfire-第37章

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ment。　
　Besides；　he　sensed　that　there　was　nothing　more　of　value　that　he　would　be　given　to　tell　them。　
　He　left　the　flight　deck　and　moved　as　quickly　as　possible　toward　row　sixteen。　
　Impact　in　two　minutes　Holly　kept　watching　for　Jim　Ironheart；　hoping　he　would　rejoin　them。　
　She　wanted　him　nearby　when　the　worst　happened。　She　had　not　forgotten　the　bizarre　dream　from　last　night；　the　monstrous　creature　that　had　seemed　to　e　out　of　her　nightmare　and　into　her　motel　room；　neither　had　she　forgotten　how　many　people　he　had　killed　in　his　quest　to　protect　the　lives　of　the　innocent；　nor　how　savagely　he　slaughtered　Norman　Rink　in　that　Atlanta　convenience　store。　But　the　dark　side　of　him　was　outweighed　by　the　light。　Though　an　aura　of　danger　surrounded　him；　she　also　felt　curiously　safe　in　his　pany；　as　if　within　the　protective　nimbus　of　a　guardian　angel。　
　Through　the　public…address　system；　one　of　the　flight　attendants　was　instructing　them　on　emergency　procedures。　Other　attendants　were　positioned　throughout　the　plane；　making　sure　everyone　was　following　directions。　
　The　DC…10　was　wallowing　and　shimmying　again。　Worse；　although　without　a　wooden　timber　anywhere　in　its　structure；　it　was　creaking　like　a　sailing　ship　on　a　storm…tossed　sea。　The　sky　was　blue　beyond　the　portholes；　but　evidently　the　air　was　more　than　blustery；　it　was　raging；　tumultuous。　
　None　of　the　passengers　had　any　illusions　now。　They　knew　they　were　going　in　for　a　landing　under　the　worst　conditions；　and　that　it　would　be　rough。　
　Maybe　fatal。　Throughout　the　enormous　plane；　people　were　surprisingly　quiet；　as　if　they　were　in　a　cathedral　during　a　solemn　service。　Perhaps；　in　their　minds'　eyes；　they　were　experiencing　their　own　funerals。　
　Jim　appeared　out　of　the　first…class　section　and　approached　along　the　port　aisle。　Holly　was　immensely　relieved　to　see　him。　He　paused　only　to　smile　encouragingly　at　the　Dubroveks；　and　to　put　his　hand　on　Holly's　shoulder　and　give　her　a　gentle　squeeze　of　reassurance。　Then　he　settled　into　the　seat　behind　her。　
　The　plane　hit　a　patch　of　turbulence　worse　than　anything　before。　
　She　was　half　convinced　that　they　were　no　longer　flying　but　sledding　across　corrugated　steel。　
　Christine　took　Holly's　hand　and　held　it　briefly；　as　if　they　were　old　friends…which；　in　a　curious　way；　they　were；　thanks　to　the　imminence　of　death；　which　had　a　bonding　effect　on　people。　
　〃Good　luck；　Holly。〃　
　〃You；　too；〃　Holly　said。　
　Beyond　her　mother；　little　Casey　looked　so　small。　
　Even　the　flight　attendants　were　seated　now；　and　in　the　position　they　had　instructed　the　passengers　to　take。　Finally　Holly　followed　their　example　and　assumed　the　posture　that　contributed　to　the　best　chance　of　survival　in　a　crash：　belted　securely　in　the　seat；　bent　forward；　head　tucked　between　her　knees；　gripping　her　ankles　with　her　hands。　
　The　plane　came　out　of　the　shattered　air；　slipping　down　glass…smooth　for　a　moment。　But　before　Holly　had　time　to　feel　any　relief；　the　whole　sky　seemed　to　be　shaking　as　though　gremlins　were　standing　at　the　four　corners　and　snapping　it　like　a　blanket。　
　Overhead　storage　partments　popped　open。　Traincases；　valises；　jackets；　and　personal　items　flew　out　and　rained　down　on　the　seats。　
　Something　struck　the　center　of　Holly's　bowed　back；　bouncing　off　her。　It　was　not　heavy；　hardly　hurt　at　all；　but　she　suddenly　worried　that　a　traincase；　laden　with　some　woman's　makeup　and　jars　of　face　cream；　would　drop　at　precisely　the　right　angle　to　crack　her　spine。　
　Captain　Sleighton　Delbaugh　called　out　instructions　to　Yankowski；　who　continued　to　kneel　between　the　pilots；　operating　the　throttles　while　they　were　preoccupied　with　maintaining　what　little　control　they　had　left。　He　was　braced；　but　a　hard　landing　was　not　going　to　be　kind　to　him。　
　They　were　ing　out　of　the　third　and　final　360…degree　turn。　The　runway　was　ahead　of　them；　but　not　straight…on；　just　as　Jimdamn；　he'd　never　gotten　the　guy's　last　name…had　predicted。　
　Also　as　the　stranger　had　foreseen；　they　were　descending　through　exceptional　turbulence；　bucking　and　shuddering　as　if　they　were　in　a　big　old　bus　with　a　couple　of　bent　axles；　thundering　down　a　steep　and　rugged　mountain　road。　Delbaugh　had　never　seen　anything　like　it；　even　if　the　plane　had　been　intact；　he'd　have　been　concerned　about　landing　in　those　treacherous　crosswinds　and　powerful　rising　thermals。　
　But　he　could　not　pull　up　and　go　on；　hoping　for　better　conditions　at　another　airport　or　on　another　pass　at　this　one。　They　had　kept　the　jumbo　jet　in　the　air　for　thirty…three　minutes　since　the　tail…engine　explosion。　
　That　was　a　feat　of　which　they　could　be　proud；　but　skill　and　cleverness　and　intelligence　and　nerve　were　not　enough　to　carry　them　much　farther。　
　Minute　by　minute；　and　now　second　by　second；　keeping　the　stricken　DC…10　in　the　air　was　increasingly　like　trying　to　fly　a　massive　rock。　
　They　were　about　two　thousand　meters　from　the　end　of　the　runway　and　closing　fast。　
　Delbaugh　thought　of　his　wife　and　seventeen…year…old　son　at　home　in　Westlake　Village；　north　of　Los　Angeles；　and　he　thought　of　his　other　son；　Tom；　who　was　already　on　his　way　to　Willamette　to　get　ready　for　his　junior　year。　He　longed　to　touch　their　faces　and　hold　them　close。　
　He　was　not　afraid　for　himself　Well；　not　much。　His　relatively　mild　concern　for　his　own　safety　was　not　a　result　of　the　stranger's　prediction　that　the　flight　crew　would　survive；　because　he　didn't　know　if　the　guy's　premonitions　were　always　correct。　In　part；　it　was　just　that　he　didn't　have　time　to　be　concerned　about　himself　Fifteen　hundred　meters。　
　Mainly；　he　was　worried　about　his　passengers　and　crew；　who　trusted　him　with　their　lives。　If　any　part　of　the　crash　was　his　fault；　due　to　a　lack　of　resolve　or　nerve　or　quickness；　all　the　good　he　had　done　and　tried　to　do　in　his　life　would　not　pensate　for　this　one　catastrophic　failure。　
　Perhaps　that　attitude　proved　that　he　was；　as　some　friends　suggested；　too　hard　on　himself；　but　he　knew　that　many　pilots　worked　under　no　less　heavy　a　sense　of　responsibility。　
　He　remembered　what　the　stranger　had　said：〃。　。　you'll　lose　a　hundred　andforty…seven　passengers。　。　。〃　His　hands　throbbed　with　pain　as　he　kept　a　tight　grip　on　the　yoke；　which　vibrated　violently。　
　〃。　。　plus　four　flight　attendants。　。　。〃　
　Twelve　hundred　meters。　
　〃She　wants　to　e　right；〃　Delbaugh　said。　
　〃Hold　her！〃　Anilov　said；　for　at　this　low　altitude　and　on　an　approach；　it　was　all　in　Delbaugh's　hands。　
　One　hundred　and　fifty…one　dead；　all　those　families　bereaved；　countles　other　lives　altered　by　a　single　tragedy。　
　Eleven　hundred　meters。　
　But　how　the　hell　could　that　guy　know　how　many　would　die？　Not　possible。　
　Was　he　trying　to　say　he　was　clairvoyant　or　what？　It　was　all　a　crock；　as　Yankowski　had　said。　Yeah；　but　he　knew　about　the　engine　before　it　exploded；　he　knew　about　the　washboard　turbulence；　and　only　an　idiot　would　discount　all　of　that。　
　A　thousand　meters。　
　〃Here　we　go；〃　Delbaugh　heard　himself　say。　
　Bent　forward　in　his　seat；　head　between　his　knees；　gripping　his　ankles；　Jim　Ironheart　thought　of　the　punchline　to　an　old　joke：　kiss　your　ass　goodbye。　
　He　prayed　that　by　his　own　actions　he　had　not　disrupted　the　river　of　fate　to　such　an　extent　that　he　would　wash　away　not　only　himself　and　the　Dubroveks　but　other　people　on　Flight　246　who　had　never　been　meant　to　die　in　the　crash。　Because　of　what　he　had　told　the　pilot；　he　had　potentially　altered　the　future；　and　now　what　happened　might　be　worse；　not　better；　than　what　had　been　meant　to　happen。　
　The　higher　power　working　through　him　had　seemed；　ultimately；　to　approve　of　his　attempt　to　save　more　lives　than　just　those　of　Christine　and　Casey。　On　the　other　hand；　the　nature　and　identity　of　that　power　was　so　enigmatic　that　only　a　fool　would　presume　to　understand　its　motives　or　intentions。　
　The　plane　shivered　and　shook。　The　scream　of　the　engines　seemed　to　grow　ever　more　shrill。　
　He　stared　at　the　deck　beneath　his　feet；　expecting　it　to　burst　open。　
　More　than　anything；　he　was　afraid　for　Holly　Thorne。　Her　presence　on　the　flight　was　a　profound　deviation　from　the　script　that　fate　had　originally　written。　He　was　eaten　by　a　fear　that　he　might　save　the　lives　of　more　people　on　the　plane　than　he'd　at　first　intended…but　that　Holly　would　be　broken　in　half　by　the　impact