The Rig 3: Eye of the Hurricane Read Online Free Page A

who had first come to find her and who had accosted her as she walked out the door. She was the one who had instigated this. But if she indeed had information, it might be worth going to find out some more from her about it, especially if what she’d found out had made her believe in Akhmed's innocence.
    After about half an hour of turning the matter over in her head, she sent a text back with just three words. “Okay. Where? When?”
    Elly texted her back within moments. “ASAP. Lunchroom two blocks away. Use the basement door of your building and meet me there.” She left her crew behind and made her way to the indicated lunchroom as soon as she could. She ordered a sandwich and some sparkling water and sat down at a small corner table.
    Helen went out the basement. As she walked through the street behind the building, she saw the media vultures had effectively blocked the front and the back door of the building. She put on a pair of aviator sunglasses and made her way to the lunchroom. She went in and looked around. It did not take her long to spot Elly in the corner. She showed her she had seen her by nodding, but went to order a salad first. With lunch in hand, she walked over to Elly's table. “You do have some nerve,” she said.
    Elly rose to her feet and smiled at her apologetically. “I'm sorry about that. But I was acting on the information I had. Now, it seems something else entirely is at work here.”
    Helen frowned at her and sat down. She took a few mouthfuls of salad and then asked, “Why did you change your mind?”
    Elly looked at her sandwich. “I got a call from my uncle. He is the commander of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Hurricane. Right now, he's about five miles away from ‘The City’. He was nearby when the explosion took place.”
    “What's that got to do with Akhmed?” There was a hint of annoyance in Helen's voice.
    “Well, he phoned me when he was forced to accept an advisor from FEMA on board his vessel. The man said he wanted two FBI agents to get off the rig, but did not intend there to be any other survivors.”
    Helen just gazed at Elly. She had no idea what she was trying to say.
    “What do you mean by that?”
    “I mean the FBI has agents on board there and Homeland Security does not want anyone to get off that rig apart from those FBI agents. Why would they do that? Unless they have something to do with it.”
    Helen frowned and looked down into her salad.
    “Akhmed did not write that manifesto. He wasn't a religious guy at all. Agnostic, really.”
    Elly nodded.
    “Someone planted it. Someone wants to set him up as the terrorist. Someone with the power to do that and to make sure there are no survivors.”
    Helen's jaw dropped. “You mean...”
    “I mean Akhmed is the fall guy in some sort of conspiracy by someone rather powerful. Either in government, or involved with ‘The City’ in some other way, or maybe both.”
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Dave rushed into the corridor and saw the two bodies slumped next to each other. He kicked the gun away from the unconscious shooter and kneeled down next to Joy. He stroked her hair and hugged her tightly to him.
    “Thank you. Thank you Joy...” he muttered to her. He kissed her forehead and she groaned.
    Sheila and Wes joined them. Sheila held Akhmed's gun and Wes had taken one of the harpoon guns from the submarine.
    “We need to take her back up. She needs to lie down.” Dave said. He motioned to Wes. “Help me out here.”
    He pulled Joy to her feet and supported her unconscious body, laying her arm over his shoulder. Wes immediately stepped up and did the same on her other side, so they could half drag, half carry her away. They took her up the stairs, with Sheila constantly looking behind, pointing the gun at the lifeless body of the shooter in the corridor.
    Sheila was a bundle of nerves now. She was jittery and each time Wes looked at her, he worried about her handling that gun. But for Sheila, it was the