js&cs.thebridge-第68章

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he　power　of　Goddess　Herself；　the　power　that　spun　the　earth　on　its　axis　and　breathed　Spark　into　all　that　lived　。。。
　　。。。　and　the　vine…thing　stopped　when　it　hit　the　line。　Just　stopped。
　　And　could　go　no　farther。
　　It　smushed　up　against　something　unseen；　its　features　flattening　like　a　face　pressed　against　a　pane　of　glass。　Then　it　slumped　to　the　floor。
　　And　began　to　trace　the　circle。
　　〃Huh；〃　Micki　exclaimed。　〃Huh　huh　huh　。。。　〃
　　The　laughter　came；　then；　spilling　out　in　a　rapidly　escalating　cadence　as　shock　turned　to　amazement　turned　to　frantic　joyous　victory。　〃F…FUCK　YOU；　YOU　SPINY　LITTLE　SHITS！〃　she　cried。　〃FUCK　YOU！〃
　　The　vines　hissed；　responding　to　the　air　pressure　and　the　emotion　behind　it。　The　magick　was　strong。　The　magick　would　hold。
　　It　had　been　hours　since　Micki　Bridges　had　allowed　herself　the　luxury　of　laughing；　or　crying。　She　did　both　now；　secure　in　the　knowledge　that；　at　least　for　the　moment；　they　were　safe。
　　〃It's　okay；〃　she　whispered；　turning　to　Gwen。　〃It's　okay。〃　In　reality；　virtually　no　sound　came　out。　She　was　mouthing　the　words　to　a　platitude　that　had　suddenly　transcended　cliché；　bee　the　truest　sentiment　she　owned。
　　But　Gwen　couldn't　take　her　eyes　off　the　thorned　serpents。　They　circled　and　swayed　and　probed　the　perimeter。　They　were　looking　for　holes；　for　flaws　in　the　barrier。　Looking　for　ways　through　the　light。　Looking　for　a　way　to　break　the　circle。
　　But　there　was　only　one　way　in；　and　it　was　reserved　for　Gary　alone。
　　If　he　ever　came　。。。
　　
　　
　　　Fifty…Seven
　　　
　　Mount　Hope　was　a　hump　of　heavily　wooded　rock　on　the　eastern　edge　of　the　county；　part　of　a　long…lost　finger　of　the　Appalachian　Trail。　At　twelve　hundred　feet　above　sea　level；　it　was　the　county's　highest　natural　elevation。
　　The　WPAL　broadcast　tower　had　been　erected　there　on　a　cleared　right…of…way。　From　a　distance；　it　looked　like　a　sleek　silver　needle；　rising　fifteen　hundred　feet　straight　into　the　sky。　Like　the　thread　of　life　itself；　gossamer…thin　and　delicate。
　　Up　close；　though；　the　sheer　magnitude　of　its　existence　was　apparent；　etched　in　massive　beams　and　inch…thick　high…tension　wire。　It　jutted　upwards；　in　utter　defiance　of　gravity　and　physics　and　Nature　herself。
　　At　the　moment；　it　was　holding　its　own　against　gravity　and　physics。
　　Nature　was　another　story。
　　At　the　base　of　the　tower　stood　a　small　corrugated　steel　shed；　the　padlocked　hasp　open　and　dangling。　Inside；　Kirk　sat　amongst　the　cluttered　shelves　of　tools　and　test　gear；　his　leg　propped　on　a　stray　cable　spool。
　　His　leg　was　bad：　broken　at　mid…calf　and　swelling　like　a　blood　sausage。　They'd　splinted　it　with　an　aluminum　bracket　and　strips　ripped　from　the　acetate　shell　of　his　jacket；　but　it　wasn't　set　and　wouldn't　be　anytime　soon。　Every　transgression　of　air　pressure　sent　agonizing　shock…waves　buffeting　through　his　nervous　system。
　　On　the　bright　side；　it　took　his　mind　off　of　his　teeth；　and　that　was　something。　The　swelling　in　his　lips　had　gone　down　dramatically　as　well；　at　least　enough　to　talk　without　sounding　like　he　had　a　mouthful　of　wet　washrags。　As　blessings　went；　they　were　pretty　skimpy；　but　he　took　what　he　could　get。
　　A　stiff　bitter　gale　wind　blew　off　the　river；　whipping　the　mountain　ruthlessly　on　its　way　to　the　firestorm。　Thick　strands　of　twisted　steel　whickered　and　thrummed　like　so　many　old　rubber　bands。　And　Kirk　took　every　snap　personally。
　　PEMA　evacuation　manuals　and　a　walkie…talkie　sat　bunched　on　his　good　leg。　He　pored　over　them；　trying　to　get　a　basic　grasp　of　the　material。　The　battered　action…cam　was　perched　on　a　tripod；　lens　aimed　at　his　head；　on　the　workbench；　a　test　monitor　faced　him；　already　generating　bars　and　tone。
　　〃Ow；　shit！〃　he　muttered　as　the　radio　transceiver　slipped　off　his　lap　and　thudded　onto　the　floor。　He　struggled　painfully　to　scoop　it　up。　〃Are　you　sure　we　can　do　this？〃
　　〃Don't　know。〃　Gary　shrugged　and　unreeled　more　coaxial　cable。　〃The　station　went　down　because　the　micro　wave　only　runs　at　thirteen　gigawatts；　and　this　soot　could　block　out　a　bottom…feeder　like　that；　no　problem。〃
　　〃But　the　transmitter's　still　hot；　which　ain't　bad。　And　if　this　thing　breaks　the　storm　ceiling〃…he　gestured　to　the　tower　overhead…〃I　think　we'll　be　in　business。〃
　　Gary　finished　splicing　an　end　on　the　cable　with　his　knife。　He　hunched　down　behind　the　monitor；　laboring　fiercely；　the　clock　in　his　head　banging　away　as　he　tightened　the　cable　down。
　　〃Okay；〃　he　said。　〃Here　goes　nothing。〃
　　The　screen　glitched；　and　Kirk's　face　came　up：　bloody；　bruised；　and　badly　lit。　〃Jesus；〃　he　gasped。　〃I　took　like　shit。〃　He　grabbed　the　tail　of　his　shirt；　tried　to　wipe　off　some　of　the　dried　blood　from　his　forehead　gash。　Gary　moved　around　the　monitor　as　Kirk　struggled　to　his　feet。
　　〃Okay；　listen　up；〃　Gary　said；　concentrating　on　the　work　at　hand。　〃Basically；　you're　set。　I　rigged　this　so　that　you　just　hit　'record'　and　you're　on　the　air。　Think　you　can　handle　it？〃
　　Kirk　nodded；　Gary　took　it　as　gospel。　Kirk　hobbled　around；　checking　the　wiring　and　the　only　available　light；　a　jerry…rigged　clip…on　spot　with　a　hundred…watt　bulb　in　it。　He　clicked　it　on；　its　glow　seemed　feeble　against　the　encroaching　dark。　Hard　to　believe　it　was　only　three…thirty　in　the　afternoon。
　　Outside；　the　wind　hammered　on　the　corrugated　metal　walls；　making　them　sound　both　sharp　and　flimsy。　Cables　whipped　the　air　high　above　their　heads。
　　〃You　do　understand；〃　Gary　said；　〃that　as　of　now；　I'm　out　of　here。〃
　　〃Uh…huh；〃　Kirk　said；　busily　repositioning　the　light。
　　〃And　when　I　leave；〃　Gary　continued；　〃you're　effectively　stranded。〃　He　chose　his　words　carefully；　there　was　no　way　to　skirt　the　naked　truth；　〃I　can't　be　ing　back　for　you。〃
　　It　felt　like　he　was　sentencing　Kirk　to　death；　and　though　a　half　hour　ago　that　would　have　seemed　like　a　great　idea；　Gary's　blood　lust　had　long　since　been　spent。　He　half…expected　Kirk　to　back　down　now；　half…hoped　that　he　was　right。
　　But　Kirk　only　cocked　his　head　quizzically；　a　strange　calm　ing　over　his　face。
　　〃You　don't　understand；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　not　going　anywhere。〃
　　〃I'm　serious　。。。　〃
　　〃So　am　I。〃　Kirk's　look　was　direct；　and　utterly　clear。　〃I'm　gonna　ride　this　out　from　here；　man。　Don't　worry　about　me。〃
　　Gary　took　a　good　hard　look　at　Kirk；　as　if　seeing　him　through　new　eyes。　Or　maybe　it　was　Kirk　who'd　changed；　grown　up　somehow。　Kinda　hard　to　say。　〃Last　chance　。。。　〃　he　began；　scarcely　believing　his　own　ears。　Kirk　flipped　him　a　wink；　with　just　a　flicker　of　wince。
　　〃What？〃　he　said。　〃And　give　up　showbiz？〃
　　Gary　rolled　his　eyes；　and　Kirk　hobbled　toward　him；　making　for　his　seat。　Gary　came　over　and　helped　him　onto　the　chair。　There　was　nothing　left　to　say。　It　didn't　matter　to　Kirk　if　he　lived　another　twenty　years　or　another　twenty　minutes；　just　so　long　as　they　got　this　last　broadcast　on　the　air。　It　was　something　he　had　to　do…the　best　thing　he　could　possibly　do；　under　the　circumstances。
　　And　that　was　really　all　there　was　to　it。
　　Across　the　valley；　more　storage　vessels　went　up　at　Paradise　Waste；　feeding　fresh　waves　of　deathlight　and　sound　into　the　serpentine　pillar　of　flame。　The　rumbling　wind　reached　out　for　them　across　thirteen　miles；　slammed　the　walls　of　the　shed　like　an　angry　fist。　Glass　cracked；　from　a　pane　high　overhead。　The　two　men　flinched；　but　nothing　followed。
　　Then　Kirk　turned　his　attention　back　to　the　camera；　and　Gary　nodded　once　before　turning　to　open　the　door。　For　a　moment；　the　roar　of　the　world　filled　the　shed；　and　Kirk　could　see　him　hesitate；　for　one　long　second's　time；　before　stepping　out　into　evernight。
　　And　closing　the　door　behind　him。
　　Kirk　held　off　for　a　minute；　listening　to　the　girders　that　creaked　overhead　while　he　waited　for　the　Harley　to　fire。　When　it　did；　he　sighed　relief；　listening　almost　wistfully　to　the　echoing　sounds　of　its　departure。
　　Only　when　it　was　lost　in　that　howling　sea　of　sound　did　he　turn　back　to　the　camera；　take　a　deep　breath；　and　hit　〃record。〃
　　The　red　light　winked　on。
　　And　the　real　show…The　Kirk　Bogarde　Show…went　on　the　air　at　last。
　　
　　
　　　Fifty…Eight
　　　
　　Down　in　the　newsroom；　Laura　had　established　a　ritual　all　her　own。　She；　too；　had　locked　herself　in；　padlocking　the　front　double　doors；　sealing　every　conceivable　entrance