Left to Lapse (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Seven) by Blake Pierce (book club suggestions txt) 📗

to descend, heart in her throat. For a moment, she noted a turn upahead. The train began to maneuver, changing its course. Adele cursed as herfeet suddenly swayed over the open terrain, passing across wilderness and theuntended wild of the Black Forest. Suddenly, it didn’t seem like they weremoving so slowly after all.

Then,as she locked the clasp on her vest, keeping the rope from spilling through,and herself dangling in the air, the wind buffeting around her, the pilot aboveseemed to course correct. There was a sudden uncomfortable jolt in her harnessas the helicopter readjusted on the train’s new course.

Then,still swaying more comfortably than she would like, she released the clasp anddescended the rest of the way.

Herfeet thumped into the metal ceiling of the compartment, and she felt John’sfirm hand reach out, gripping her arm and steadying her where she rocked andswayed on the moving locomotive.

Shemanaged to duck, crouching low and reestablishing her center of gravity. Then,breathing heavily, her hands pressed to the cold metal roof, she released theclasp and the rope slipped out like spaghetti sucked through pursed lips.

Afew moments passed and she gathered herself, realizing now she was kneeling onthe top of a train in motion. John knelt next to her, one hand braced againstthe roof for three points of stability.

Hegrinned at her and said, over the sound of the train below and the helicopterabove, “You okay?”

“Yeah,think so,” she shouted back.

“See,it wasn’t that bad,” he began to say. But then, a second later, he looked upand his eyes went wide. The blood seemed to suddenly drain from his face.

Adeleturned too, frowning, and she spotted Leoni descending. But he was moving far,far too quickly. She could hear him cursing in Italian as he plummeted, headingstraight toward them at a breakneck pace.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

 “John!”Adele cried, reflexively. There wasn’t enough time for any more words.

AgentRenee cursed and staggered to his feet, holding out a hand as if to try tocatch and break Leoni’s fall, reacting, it seemed, on instinct alone. Leoni,though, seemed to jolt and jar for a moment, his hand feverishly working at theclimbing vest’s clasp. There was a whistling sound of the rope going suddenly taut,and Leoni’s body bounced, jarring painfully.

Now,though, he hung suspended nearly twenty feet above, not moving at all. Below,John began to shout an instruction. But the train began to move again, turningdown a mountain pass and now heading directly toward a tunnel in the side ofthe slope.

“John!”Adele shouted, pointing.

AgentRenee gritted his teeth and gestured at Leoni. “Release the second clasp!” heshouted. “It’s caught—the rope’s caught!”

Buthis words were lost in the wild sounds and panic of the moment.

Leonidescended another few feet, then got stuck completely. The helicopter abovemaintained course, but Adele realized it wouldn’t be able to for much longer,without slamming into the cliff face.

“Christopher!”she shouted, one hand still braced against the roof of the locomotive, her eyeswide and peering up toward the Italian. “Drop! You have to drop!”

Hewas nearly fifteen feet above the top of the car now, but still too high. Itwouldn’t be safe. There was no other option, though.

“Christopher!”she screamed.

AgentRenee and Adele watched helplessly, braced against the metal roof of the train.The tunnel beyond was quickly approaching, despite the calm pace of the engine.

Adeleheard another curse as the Italian agent marked his trajectory. Then sheglimpsed a flash of silver as his hand procured something sharp from within apocket. Teeth gritted, he began sawing feverishly at the rope.

Thehelicopter pilot above began to move, having left it until the last second.Now, he had to rise above the mountain slope or slam into it. There was no moretime.

Leoni’sbody, still dangling from the rappel line began to sway as the helicopter did.With one last cry of extraordinary effort, Agent Leoni managed to saw throughthe rappelling line, in a puff of small black fabrics. Then, with a shout, hetumbled, falling from the sky and rushing toward the train, completelyunsupported now.

Thehelicopter veered away at last, completely, but it had altered trajectory inthose last moments, causing Leoni to gain momentum and swing forward as hefell.

Agent Leoni was not just sent plummeting, but tumblingtoward the edge of the train. Adele lurchedforward, trying to snag her new partner. But she missed, and Leoni struck thetop of the train. Then he began to roll, sliding along the slick metal surface.

John, though, moved fast. He was taller, lengthier thanAdele. With a herculean groan, his fingers managed to snag the Italian agent’sshirt, gripping him tight. Adele heard a loud cry of pain as John’s armextended. Leoni’s fingers scrambled against the slick surface as he yelled,trying to find purchase, but it was too late. Above, Adele glimpsed thehelicopter just barely move in time to avoid the mountain at the same time asLeoni’s momentum from his fall took him tumbling over the edge of the train.

“No!” Adele screamed.

But it was too late. She watched in horror as the Italianagent fell. John, though, growled, his hand whipping over the edge of the trainwith Leoni, his arm extended, braced, his whole body beginning to slide. With ashout of relief, Adele realized he’d managed to keep his grip on Leoni’s shirt,despite the plummet.

Desperately, she scrambled to the edge of the metal roofand reached over, noting the handsome agent kicking his feet and trying tolatch onto the slick ceiling with both his hands. She reached down and grippedat Leoni’s collar where John also had him.

“On the count of three!” she said.

They were nearly at the tunnel.

John shouted, “Three!”

And together, they both hoisted Leoni up and onto the roofagain.

The Italian agent yelled as he was pulled alongside them.They whistled into the tunnel, and all of them went flat, low, with the flashinglights from inside the train reflected in the dark cavern.

Adele lay motionless, her cheek pressed against the coldmetal, gasping, staring sightless in the black. She could hear the others nextto her, also breathing heavily, cursing and muttering to themselves. She heardAgent Leoni in the dark offer up a small prayer of gratitude but then groan inpain. He might have managed to maintain his balance on the train, but he’dfallen fifteen feet.