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"When I see an interval between the swells, at ive her full speed" Then he spoke into the ship's radio "We're co around in a heavy sea Everyone brace yourselves and hold on for dear life"
Hunched over the console in front of the bridge , Barnuh the windshield and waited with the patience of a rock until he saave coher than any that had passed
"Full speed, if you please, Mr Maverick"
Maverick instantly obeyed Barnum's order, but was horrified, certain of disaster, as an enormous wave bore down on the research ship He was about to curse Barnu too soon, but realized what the captain had in mind There were no timely intervals The monstrous waves al in close foraining a precious le
The implacable wave tossed the bow up and shoved Sea Sprite al her over and around For fifteen seconds the ship was overwhelled partially through the crest that towered above the bridge Then she was fishtailing viciously down the other side, rolling heavily to port, the sea inundating her deck railings Alhted in the trough and took the next sea bow-on, plunging through on an even keel
Maverick had walked ships' decks for eighteen years, but he had never seen a more professional, more intuitive, display of seamanship He stared at Barnurim smile, but a smile nonetheless, on the captain's face My God, Maverick thought, thehimself
Fifty e of Hurricane Lizzie ithin e of thethe sea into an eerie gray darkness A dense sheet of rain followed, pelting the s of the floating hotel like the blast frouns
"Too late!" Mortonat the tumult that was headed directly for the hotel as if it was an enraged Tyrannosaurus rex with a vendetta Despite the warnings and updates from Heidi Lisherness at the Hurricane Center, he did not conceive the incredible speed and distance the rah Heidi Lisherness had given hinitude and speed, it didn't seem possible that calm seas and quiet skies could turn so fast He could not believe Lizzie's forward fringe was already assaulting the building
"Inform every staff director to assemble in the conference room immediately!" he snapped to his executive secretary as he marched into his office
His anger at Specter's indecision to evacuate eleven hundred guests and e them to safety in the Dominican Republic only a few scant miles away bordered on fury He becaines war up vibrated the s He walked over and stared below just in tie board the Beriev Be-210 executive jet The entry hatch was barely closed before the engines revved up and the plane began gathering speed, planing over the rising waves, throwing great billowing sheets of spray before lifting into the air and banking on a course toward the Dominican Republic
"You rotten cowardly scu Specter flee for his life without the least concern for the eleven hundred souls he left behind
He watched until the plane was lost in the athered around the conference table It was obvious by the expressions of apprehension on their faces that they were standing on the fine line between calm and panic
"We underestian "Its full force is less than an hour away Since it's too late to evacuate, we uests and employees to the upper level of the hotel, where it's the safest"
"Can't the tugboats pull us out of harm's way?" inquired the reservation's director, a tall, perfectly groomed lady of thirty-five
"The tugs were alerted early and should arrive shortly, but a rising sea will make it extre capstans If the procedure proves impossible then we have no choice but to weather the storm"