It seemed this Demeter and his group planned to get close enough to Manhattan to cause maximum destruction. They had a dirty bomb, a conventional explosive laced with radioactive materials that would not only kill hundreds of people but contaminate the entire area for decades. It explained the hurry. They had to get to the container ship before it was within close range of Manhattan.
In Alec’s memory, she saw some of the previous battle on the docks: the incineration of the sniper, the death of Hans, the co-leader of this group and how the cell had escaped with the bomb. She also received Alec’s memory of that fuzziness he’d sensed before the explosion. Damn. Clearly, the unknown bothered Alec. But there was nothing to be done about it now.
She gathered that Hans had been the brains behind the organization and that Demeter was the fanatic. Without Hans, Demeter had bullied the entire cell into a suicidal assault.
Someone like that would set off the bomb at the first sign of attack, which was why F-Team needed to approach the container ship in stealth. That explained why the Blackhawk would land at the Newark docks. There would be no way to hide its approach. Instead, they were going to board a Coast Guard patrol boat and conduct a sea attack.
Well, at least she knew how to swim.
But how would that work? Even a Coast Guard patrol boat would be seen. She sank deeper into Alec’s thoughts, reading the plan. Right. The patrol boat was a fixture in the shipping lanes. Its appearance would cause no alarm, at least until they got close. The big problem was how they’d get on board the container ship without being discovered. She “listened” in on the radio conversation through her connection with Alec.
“We need to get right next to the hull,” Daz said on his radio. “Then you do your stuff, Firefly.”
“No problem.”
“Trickiest part will be while we’re boarding. Odds are they’ll spot us.”
“Alec, I can help with that.” In fact, she might be invaluable. She could broadcast a general telepathic call that would cause the crew to ignore a boarding party. She explained to Alec, who relayed it to Daz.
Daz tapped her foot and gave her a thumbs-up. Great. She’d just taken on responsibility for the success of this whole thing. Beth Nakamora, savior of the free world. She felt sick.
She tucked her knees closer to her body, swallowing back bile and fear. The left side of her was toasty warm. Alec had warmed her up. He brought up her hand to his mouth and kissed it, sending that familiar tingle of power up her arm. He trusted that she could do this.
Should she tell him the truth about Lansing? No, that was a distraction that he didn’t need right now. Time enough to tell him later. And if they failed, it wouldn’t matter.
Alec turned to her and rubbed her cheek with his fingertips.
“I’m sorry,” he mouthed.
“Don’t be sorry. All my life, I’ve been afraid of people finding out about my telepathy. I’ve been afraid of myself too, of what my telepathy could do. I’ve been running or hiding since I was eight. I’m glad not to run anymore.”
“You hate that I’m a soldier. You must hate this.”
“No, I hate that you were given no choice about becoming a soldier.”
“I thought I could walk away from this. But it wouldn’t be right.”
“I know. You’re a hero. It’s part of why I love you.”
Alec took a sharp breath. He brushed the back of his hand against her cheeks, enveloping her whole face in that energy. So warm. She closed her eyes. She probably shouldn’t have said that. She didn’t even realize how she felt herself until it had slipped out.
But it was true.
Alec leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. His TK slipped under her clothes, copping a psychic feel. She sank into the kiss, not caring about whoever was watching them.
“I love you too, counselor.”
Alec put his arm around Beth’s shoulders after the kiss, wishing he could have left her behind. In the Kevlar vest, black jacket and helmet, she looked like a child playing war games. No child could have done what she’d done to escape, but that didn’t mean she was ready for full combat. Drake would be better protection than the Kevlar but neither would save her from the bomb if he failed, like on the docks.
Drake gestured with his hand to Beth. She smiled. Her father actually smiled back. It seemed strange to see a smile on the man’s face. Hell, it seemed strange to see Drake alive. He’d have sworn the man had no pulse when he’d collapsed earlier.
“He has a low-level internal TK, Alec. It heals him when he’s injured, exactly as you healed my hand. Don’t worry, he’s fine.”
“Drake has some sort of TK?”
“It’s a different kind of TK than yours. It knits him back together inside.”
“How long has he been able to do that?”
“I’m not sure. Most of his life, I think, but the healing happened instinctively, whenever he was truly in danger of dying. When I ordered him to get better, Philip gained conscious control of it. And, I think, it increased the overall healing ability.”
“You’re a catalyst. You upped his power like you did mine. You saved his life, Beth. When you’re doubting your telepathy, think about that.”
The Blackhawk jolted as they landed, cutting short his question about where Drake had gotten his power. Later. Now they had to move.
The Coast Guard vessel was one of the regular harbor patrol boats, sturdy but small. It was watertight, designed to pop back to the surface even if monster waves swamped it. It wasn’t truly suited for an armed group of eighteen but it was their best bet to get close to the container ship without causing suspicion. With the other small blips on radar from all the patrol boats and smaller vessels in the shipping lanes, the navigators on the container ship would never give it a second glance.
He and Beth went to the bow. For the first time since the helicopter, she let go of his hand and instead clutched the railing. F-Team assembled on the stern. Daz, Drake and Lansing gathered on the small bridge, presumably to talk strategy. It’d be easier to hear on the bridge.
Alec went with Beth. He knew what to do. Use his TK to get them on the ship, then let F-Team guard him while he took out the bomb. The problem was finding the damn thing. It had to be either in the front or rear of the rows of containers, for easy access, but that still left a lot of them to search. The longer the op lasted, the riskier it was.
“You’re going to board the ship, then search around for the bomb, hoping you wouldn’t be spotted? That’s insane.”
“Hey!” Of course, she’d just echoed his own worry. “You make it sound like we’re being stupid. We’re good at this.”
“But it’s practically suicidal.”
“It would be for a regular unit. Not us.” Besides, if their chances were slim, a regular ops team wouldn’t have any chance at all. It was all on them.
She stared off into the morning fog. “You know how my telepathy works as well as anyone. Tell me what to do to help, Alec.”
He took a deep breath. Yes, let the others worry about protecting him. He needed a strategy for Beth.
The boat’s engine revved up, filling his ears, making it impossible to talk.
“Tell me.”
Her mental voice was insistent.
“Here’s what we need. The bomb is guarded. Can you listen once we get on board and tell where the guards are?”
“How many men?”
“Over twenty, at least. It’s not clear if the regular crew is part of the plot or was coerced into it. All we really need is to find that bomb and get it out of their hands. Once we secure the bomb, we can call in reinforcements from the regular military units.”
“Will the guards be thinking differently from the rest of the crew?”
“Yeah. They’ll be the most suicidal crazy ones.”
“Very comforting.” A pause. “I think that should make it easier to find them. They’ll be getting ready to die, focused on the task. Anything else?”
The
most risky part was the actual boarding. They’d be sitting ducks during it and they could only speed it up so much.
“How long do you think your Jedi mind trick will last while we get aboard?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t had a stopwatch the last two times, I was just glad it worked.” Another pause. “Maybe five minutes?”
“How close do you need to be?”
“I was able to hear the man who guarded my cell from about two hundred yards away.”
“That’d be enough. Be right back.”
He walked to the bridge and slipped inside. Daz looked up from a drawing of the container ship. He pointed to the sides, showing Alec how little room there was between the deck rail and the stacked containers. Once they got on board, it would be close quarters.
“There’s only enough room to walk in pairs,” Daz said. “You and the girl stick in the middle of our line, Firefly, until we’re at the target.”
Alec nodded.
Daz pointed at Drake. “You and Lansing make another pair. Stay in the middle, just ahead of Alec and Beth. And play nice until we’ve secured the target.”
Lansing smiled, a creepy grin. “Certainly.”
Drake only nodded.
Alec explained their timeframe and Beth’s telepathic range. Daz looked out the window of the bridge at Beth, smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
“Once we hit the open deck at the bow, Drake’s going to shadow her.” Daz pointed at Beth’s father. “You hear me, Firefly? Do what needs to be done and don’t worry about the girl. You screw this up, everybody’s dead.”
Alec nodded. Beth would tell him the same. Besides, Drake was more than capable, especially if he could heal.
“She needs to close her eyes to sort out thoughts, Drake. Watch for it.”
“I’ll protect her.” Drake glared at Lansing.
Now why did Alec get the impression that protecting Beth might somehow result in Lansing’s death? If so, he wasn’t about to argue.
Beth looked small and lonely at the bow. The best thing he could do now was soothe her nerves. Alec walked back, put his arms around her and wondered why the hell Lansing had wanted to come. Presumably, he had soldier’s training but he was too old. This made no sense, especially since Lansing had to guess that Drake was waiting for the right moment to kill him.
Maybe Lansing was waiting for the right moment to kill Drake.
“No, that’s not it. He knows that he’s safe until the bomb is dealt with. They both won’t make a move until that’s over. I read that from them clearly.” Beth leaned against the rail and looked out over the water as they pulled away from the docks. “More than anything, Lansing wanted to stay close to you, even at the risk of his life.”
“Don’t tell me he gives a damn about me.”
“In his way, he does. His feelings are so wrapped up in his crazy dreams that it’s hard to separate them. He cares about you but mostly because he views you as part of him, as belonging to him. Obsessive and warped but sadly more common among parents than you’d think.”
“I’m done with him.” Alec wrapped his arms around her from behind, using his TK to keep himself stable as the boat bounced in the waves.
“I know.”
He felt her relax against him.
“Alec, I have a question. Let me know if it’s stupid.”
“It won’t be stupid.”
“I understand what you want me to do. But how can we board a container ship from this boat? They’re not going to send down a ladder.”
He grinned. “That’s my job and that’s what the grappling hooks are for. You just do the telepathy thing and stay with me and your father. We’ll protect you.”
As they left the docks behind, the fog rolled in. In a few moments, it was difficult to see more than five feet past the edge of the bow. Alec turned his head. Lansing and Drake stood on the bridge, locked in deep conversation with the boat’s captain. But then Drake scowled, left the wheelhouse and walked toward them.
“What was that about?” Alec said.
“Philip wanted the running lights off. The captain disagreed,” she said. “The idea is that they need to blend in with the other small boats. Philip argued that the fog offered enough concealment that getting close without being seen from the bridge was more important.”
“He’s been living in the shadows too long,” Alec said.
“Yes.”
They picked up speed. Alec hugged her tighter. Spray washed over them. He inhaled the smell of the sea, thinking of the beach in Maine. He’d take her back there when this was done, rebuild that cabin, start a new life.
Drake grabbed the rail and turned to Beth. He touched his stomach, then his mouth, asking Beth wordlessly if she was hungry.
She nodded so vigorously that Alec realized he should have thought about that. She’d just escaped from a prison. He had no idea when her last meal had been.
Drake fumbled in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small bag of M&Ms. The boat slowed as it went over the wash from the ships coming into the harbor. The noise died down.
Beth laughed at Drake’s offer. “First a handgun, now M&Ms. What else were you hiding in that sling?”
Drake smiled. “A portable bazooka, a jetpack and a kitchen sink.”
He handled her the M&Ms but the boat rolled and the bag slipped from her hand. Before it could go overboard, Alec grabbed it with his TK and settled it in her hands.
“Thank you.” She ripped the bag open.
“Maybe I should have let it go overboard. That bag looks kinda grungy.”
“It is not! I want them. Philip always brought M&Ms for me when I was little.”
And he’d brought them with him while going to rescue her, a little gesture but one that said everything about their relationship and told Alec everything he needed to know about where Lansing had utterly failed as a father.
Alec kissed the top of her head and began scanning the fog with his TK. The ship’s radar would probably spot their quarry first but it gave him something to do. Almost immediately, he ran into that fuzzy feeling he’d first sensed the night on the docks. Damn. But it was moving away from them at a high speed. He tried to follow but lost it after a few seconds. When he scanned again, it was completely gone.
“That was strange, Alec. Almost like your TK encountered some sort of sponge.”
“I know.” He sent the memory from the docks. “But it’s gone now. Maybe it’s something connected with the ocean. I don’t have time to worry about it now.”
She nodded and munched on the M&Ms. “One fight at a time.”
“Exactly.”
She’d called him a hero. But this was his job; it was what he trained for. It was what he did.
He could feel her still in the back of his head. He couldn’t read her thoughts but he could read a little of her mood. She was scared. This was the last thing she’d wanted to do. But she was risking her life because it was the right thing, because she could help.
So who was the real hero here?
Chapter Twenty-Two
The waves grew higher as they moved into the shipping lanes, ocean swells mixed with wash from the mammoth tankers, freighters and container ships heading into Newark harbor. The patrol boat bounced around as it maneuvered closer to their target.
Two miles to target.
Beth closed her eyes and concentrated on absorbing the calm she felt emanating from Alec and Philip. She looked over at Philip, checking the various guns he’d strapped to his body and realized they’d done this together before. The day he rescued her. He’d told her to stay quiet, to listen for anyone coming, to follow him. They’d both escaped, mission accomplished. If she could do it when she was eight, she could do it now.
Daz stepped up to the bow and tapped Alec on the shoulder. “Almost there.”
“Direction? I’m hitting several ships that size out there,” Alec said.
“East, twenty degrees.”
Alec closed his eyes and she followed
his mind as he searched with the TK. She felt his satisfaction as he locked on to something big and moving. There was no sign of that spongy stuff he’d encountered several minutes ago. A mystery to solve later.
“You sure they won’t be alarmed if they spot us close by?” Alec said to Daz.
“Nah. A patrol boat getting caught in the wash from their ship shouldn’t faze them. Is your girl ready for her part?”
“You could talk to me instead of around me,” she said.
Daz scowled. “Okay, you ready?”
“I have a name.”
“Okay, Beth Nakamora, are you ready?”
And the last word indicated he thought she was anything but ready. He might be right. “Let me know when we’re about two hundred yards away and I can start projecting to the people on board.”
“You sure about those five minutes?” Daz said.
“No. I only know what I did to the Resource guards lasted about that long. It depends on how many there are and how much work it is to think at them.”
Daz stared at her for a minute. “Okay, fair assessment. We work with what we have. Firefly, you give us a boost to cut the time.”
“No problem,” Alec said.
Daz reached out and awkwardly patted her shoulder. “You’re okay, Nakamora.”
She wanted to make a sarcastic remark but felt the overwhelming sense of approval behind Daz’s curt words. “You’re okay too, Daz.”
Daz blinked, stepped back and she thought he was angry for a second but he smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. “That’s the sign. Watch for it.”
She nodded and reached out to Alec. “Hold my hand. Whatever we’re doing to each other’s abilities, I need it.”
He clasped her hand and she felt the familiar energy flow between them. No sparks, like the first time but more like a hum, warm, glowing and comforting. Maybe they were learning to control this.
Philip slipped an arm around her waist to steady her as the boat lurched back and forth in the water. To steady himself too, she decided. He wasn’t nervous about going into battle. He was terrified at the idea of her going into battle.
Daz whistled and gave her the thumbs-up.
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