by Alex Siegel
Blood still oozed from twin bullet holes in the man's forehead. Aaron clenched his teeth, lifted the bulky corpse, and used it as a large shield. The guy was heavy.
"Open the door," he grunted.
Marina drew her HK G36C and chambered a round. Apparently, the time for finesse was over.
She yanked the door open, and Aaron immediately entered. Even though the room was dimly lit, he moved as fast as he could. Automatic gunfire erupted from two directions, and he felt impacts on the corpse he held. Marina answered with her own weapon on Aaron's right side, silencing one of the enemies. Ethel killed the other with a revolver.
"Well done," Ethel said. "Anybody hurt?"
Marina shook her head.
Aaron checked himself. "No, ma'am."
His eyes had adjusted to the darkness. The two enemies turned out to be men carrying AK-47's. The heavy bullets in Marina's assault rifle had splattered the brains of one of them. Ethel had put a single round through the eye socket of the other. Nice shot, Aaron thought.
The bodies had Kevlar vests. He and Marina put them on.
"Aaron," Ethel said, "you take the bridge. Marina, clear the rest of this deck. I'll go below. Move!"
A stairway led up to the bridge. Aaron knew every second of delay gave the opposition time to prepare, so he immediately started up the stairs. Halfway up, he decided his Beretta probably wasn't sufficient for a one-man assault. He readied his grenade launcher instead and loaded one fragmentation grenade into the tube. To hell with the noise, he thought.
He crawled on his belly as he went up the stairs. His caution served him well because when he reached the top of the staircase, a bullet almost hit his ear. He answered with the grenade launcher. The resulting explosion was so loud it rattled his guts and made his ears ring. Nonetheless, he reloaded and fired a second grenade, just to be sure. Only then did he proceed.
The shrapnel had done its job, and he found three tattered bodies on the bridge. The sight of so much blood and death made his stomach clench, but he didn't have time for remorse. One of the bodies was still moving. Aaron drew his pistol and put a bullet in the man's head.
A haze of foul smoke filled the air. There was broken glass and splintered wood all around, and some windows were blown out. He wondered whether the damaged controls could still function.
Aaron found nobody else on the bridge. He heard the distinctive chatter of Marina's assault rifle below. I should go help her.
The ship's radio crackled, and then a gruff male voice spoke, "Scimitar of Allah, report immediately. This is Aegis of Allah. We see damage to your bridge. What happened?"
Aaron raised his eyebrows. Another ship? He pressed the send button on the radio and said, "This is Scimitar. We had a serious weapons malfunction, but we can continue the mission. What's your status?"
"We're still in position. No problems to report."
"Where are you now?"
"What do you mean? Can't you see us?" There was a pause. "Who is this?"
The dead captain had a pair of binoculars around his neck. One lens was broken, but the other still worked. Aaron used it to scan the crowded harbor.
The voice on the radio said, "Identify yourself, immediately!"
Aaron turned the radio off. He opened his phone and called Edward.
"Hello?" Edward said.
"There is a ship named Aegis of Allah in the area. I need a description right now."
"Hold on, sir." There was the sound of tapping on a computer keyboard. "I found the registration. Length is 134 feet. Blue-gray hull. I'll send a picture to your phone."
"Thanks."
Aaron received the picture and studied it. Then he renewed his search with the broken binoculars. He found the Aegis floating a few hundred yards south-east of Navy Pier. Men wearing green clothes stood guard on deck. Shit!
He ran downstairs, taking three steps at a time. The sound of automatic gunfire made him slow down. Aaron didn't want to run headlong into the middle of a gun battle.
More cautiously, he proceeded from room to room. Panels made of knot-free wood, handsomely lacquered, covered the walls. Brass fixtures added to the air of luxury. Plentiful mirrors and lights made the rooms feel big and open, despite windows so heavily tinted they were almost murky. Unfortunately, the current occupants hadn't taken good care of the ship. Stains marked the yellow carpet in many places, and dust covered all the brass. Some furniture had been removed entirely, leaving ugly bolt holes.
The occasional corpse lying on the floor didn't help the décor, either. Marina had been busy, and Aaron noted she favored head shots. A few bodies had been stabbed with knives.
There was a burst of fire from her HK G36C in the next room, followed by several single shots. He cautiously peered around the corner.
Marina crouched behind a desk, pinned down by two men with revolvers. The men wore vests and army helmets.
Aaron shot both men in the unprotected face. Marina looked at him in surprise and almost fired at him.
"Be careful!" she yelled. "I could've killed you."
"It looked like you could use some help," he said.
She stood up. "I was fine."
"If you say so. We have a big problem. There is a second cult ship south of here, and it's just as big as this one."
"Damn it! I knew this mission was going too well. Did you clear the bridge?"
He nodded.
"I'm done on this deck," she said. "Let's head downstairs and find Ethel, carefully. Her trigger finger is even quicker than mine."
They made their way to the lower deck. A central corridor ran down the middle of the ship with cabins on either side.
There was no sign of Ethel, but she had left many gruesome remnants of her passage. One poor man had been gutted, and he had obviously tried to stuff his intestines back inside before dying in agony. Another man had a knife rammed to the hilt in his ear socket. Two detached hands lay on the deck, still clutching a gun. A head was separated from a body by five feet. Pools of blood were so wide Aaron had to hop over them, and the stench of human bowel was nauseating. He had seen plenty of horrible things as a Chicago cop, but this slaughterhouse shocked him.
It was strangely quiet, the only sound being waves lapping against the hull. Aaron and Marina checked every room without finding any sign of life.
They had almost walked the length of the corridor when Ethel said, "You two are done upstairs?"
Aaron spun around to find her standing behind him. Somehow, he had walked right past her.
"Yes, ma'am," he said. "Looks like you're done down here, too. You certainly made a mess."
"One room left." She pointed at a steel hatch at the end of the corridor. There was a heavy padlock on the handle.
"Wait, we have a big problem. When I was up on the bridge, a second cult ship contacted me by radio. It's here, in the harbor."
"Hmm." She furrowed her brow. "Were you the one making all that noise up there?"
He patted the barrel of his grenade launcher. "My new favorite toy."
"I don't approve. When this mission is over, you're going to practice stealth until I'm satisfied the message has gotten through."
"Yes, ma'am, but what about the other ship? It's as big as this one."
"First thing's first. Let's see what's behind that hatch."
The padlock was too strong to force with brute strength. Instead, Ethel pressed strips of shaped explosives onto the hinges and rigged a detonator. Everybody ran into another room. Aaron covered his ears, but the explosion was quieter than he had expected.
They went through the now open hatch. The door had simply fallen out of the hole.
The room beyond held the engine and some other mechanical equipment, but mostly it was a large cargo hold. It was crammed full.
The cult had constructed a gigantic bomb from several different materials, arranged in layers, with an open path leading to the trigger in the center. The outermost layer was a large number of 50-gallon steel drums, and the marki
ngs indicated they contained kerosene or diesel fuel. Bags of fertilizer were stacked on top of and between the drums, and the air smelled like fresh manure.
The next layer was boxes of Tovex, which Aaron vaguely recalled was a bulk explosive used for mining. There was a ridiculous amount of it, thousands of pounds, enough by itself to vaporize the entire ship and anything else in the vicinity.
Going inwards, the third layer consisted of the more expensive plastic explosive, Semtex, also in boxes stacked to the ceiling. Even though the markings were mostly in Czechoslovakian, there was enough English for Aaron to recognize the contents. He recalled from a class on counter-terrorism that just a half-pound of the stuff was enough to destroy a commercial airliner, and there were thousands of times that much here.
Finally, at the very center was an electronic timer connected to detonation cord and dynamite. The bomb was currently set to explode at 9 PM. The entire detonator was completely enclosed in a glass box which had sensors all over the interior. Aaron was certain bumping or cutting the protective glass would immediately trigger the bomb. Somebody had worked very hard to make it tamper-proof. Aaron had no idea how it could be safely defused.
"Holy shit," he said. "Simon didn't screw around."
Ethel nodded. "Years of planning and preparation went into this atrocity." She paused to take a deep breath. "Here are my orders. I'll stay here and deal with this bomb... somehow. You two handle the other ship."
"Are you kidding, ma'am? It took all three of us to take this ship, and we had surprise on our side. The bad guys are expecting trouble now. I don't see how Marina and I have a chance."
"Nonetheless, those are my orders. This is an opportunity for you to earn my respect. The Lord told me you're an extraordinary man. Let's see if He was right."
"But..."
"Those are my orders!"
Aaron cowered slightly. "Yes, ma'am."
Marina grabbed his hand and pulled. "Come on. We'll take the speedboat. Let's go!"
Reluctantly, he followed her out.
Chapter Twenty-three
Ethel stared at the bomb, hoping to defuse it with the force of her severe displeasure. She knew the basics of disarming bombs, but the thing in front of her was far beyond her limited skills. The glass containment box had many different sensors to make sure nobody could reach the detonator inside without setting it off. It seemed every avenue of attack was blocked.
There were people she could call for help. The team back at headquarters had enough collective expertise to guide her through the complex defusing procedure, and if necessary, they could consult bomb experts in other Society cells. Still, Ethel would be holding the tools, not them. She felt sure she would accidently cut the wrong wire and blow herself up.
However, she could easily move the bomb to a location where it wouldn't cause any harm. Presumably, the ship's engines and controls still worked. She decided she would drive the Scimitar a few miles out into Lake Michigan, scuttle it, and escape on a life boat. The worst possible outcome was a burning oil slick and some dead fish. Furthermore, a lot of physical evidence would be destroyed, which was always a good thing. The police would find only unidentifiable debris, if they found anything at all.
The only serious problem with this idea was that it would take her out of the action. She wouldn't be able to get back in time to help Aaron and Marina. They would have to finish the mission without her.
That was annoying but acceptable. She had great confidence in Marina and growing confidence in Aaron. Granted, the rookie was undisciplined and disrespectful, but he had the instincts of a survivor and a remarkably quick mind. More importantly, God favored Aaron. Ethel was inclined to step back and allow Aaron to demonstrate why he deserved such a high honor.
Her decision was made. She put her doubts aside and sprung into action.
She left the cargo hold, climbed two flights of stairs, and soon arrived at the bridge. Aaron's grenades had made a real mess of the place. Half the windows and many of the instruments were broken. At least there was a fresh breeze blowing through the room.
She found the ignition, but it required a key. Fortunately, the captain's dead body was on hand, and a quick search of his pockets turned up the key. She started the engine, which purred like a lion under her feet. It really was a very nice ship. A shame, she thought. She opened the throttle and steered towards the nearest gap in the breakwater.
She spotted two U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats headed directly towards her. They were small, about thirty feet in length, with twin outboard motors. Perhaps the Coast Guard had noticed the damage to the bridge and was investigating. This is Aaron's fault, Ethel thought. He had to use the damn grenades. He has a lot to learn.
She opened the throttle to full power. Her first priority was moving the Scimitar of Allah to a position as far from shore as possible. If the Coast Guard wanted to keep her company, that was their choice. She didn't see how the small patrol boats could stop her.
It turned out the Scimitar had plenty of horsepower. The speedometer was broken, but she estimated the ship was travelling at 20 knots, fast enough to give the Coast Guard patrols some trouble. Still, they managed to flank her on both sides.
"Halt!" a male voice boomed through a loudspeaker. "Kill your engines! Prepare to be boarded!"
Ethel shook her head. If they try, they'll regret it.
She was flying across open water now, and Navy Pier was fading into the distance. She let herself relax a little. The most important part of the job was done.
The sun was bright, the water blue, and the breeze fresh. The weather was so perfectly pleasant she smiled despite the circumstances. Whatever else happened today, at least she had this one enjoyable moment. She had long ago learned to treasure these small gifts.
The men on the patrol boats shot handguns into the air, obviously trying to scare her. She ducked down as a precaution, but there was little actual danger. She allowed the Scimitar to continue on its course towards deep water.
She would have to face the Coast Guard eventually. Killing the boat crews was an option, but she hoped she could find a peaceful alternative. She had no desire to slaughter innocents. She decided to just surrender instead. At this point it didn't matter whether she got arrested. Her team would just arrange for her release from jail, and she could probably escape even without their help.
She used a broken piece of wood to lock the steering wheel in place as best she could. Then she abandoned the bridge and headed down to the lower deck.
She went back to the room containing the gigantic bomb. She placed one of her own demolition charges on top of a box of Semtex, and she started a detonation timer with a twenty minute delay. All done, she thought.
She quickly stripped off all her weapons, body armor, and other possessions, leaving only black tights. She even gave up her precious machetes. The only item she kept was her phone. The Coast Guard would see that she was completely unarmed and hopefully, they would not get trigger happy. Just as important, she carried nothing that could serve as evidence or provide identification. The phone needed a special code to be unlocked, so it was safe to carry.
She went up to the main deck. With her hands held high, she walked slowly out the door. A Coast Guard boat was nearby, and the men immediately aimed their guns at her. She continued to the railing and jumped into the water, which seemed to surprise them.
The lake was cold compared to the hot air, and her muscles clenched, but she fought through the tightness. She treaded water as the Scimitar moved rapidly away with its escort of patrol boats. Bon voyage, she thought.
One of the patrol boats peeled away and circled back towards her. There were four men in red and black uniforms on the boat. Two kept their weapons drawn while the other two pulled Ethel out of the water. She didn't give them any trouble and just sat on the deck, dripping cold water.
The captain had a brass name tag that read "Ben Thomas." He was tall, muscular, and well tanned.
"Who are you?" he bar
ked at Ethel. "What's going on?"
He would get no answers from her. She considered remaining completely silent, but then she decided to say one thing.
"There is a large bomb on that ship which will explode soon. I strongly recommend you order the other patrol to turn back. Those men are in great danger."
"What bomb?" Captain Thomas demanded. "Why is there a bomb?"
"Please, do as I ask. I'm begging you. When that bomb explodes, everybody in the area will die."
He shook his head. "I bet there's something or somebody on that ship you don't want us to see. I can't just let it escape. If there's a bomb, we'll find it when we search the ship. Until then, sit there and shut up. We'll get to you later." He turned to the other three men on his boat and yelled, "Let's go!"
The pilot gunned the engines, and they were off, headed straight towards the Scimitar. Ethel estimated the distance at 1000 yards and closing. She wanted to go in exactly the opposite direction.
"Captain," she said calmly, "listen to me."
"I told you to shut up!"
She sighed with disappointment. Even after serving in the Society for decades, these situations still depressed her. These men were innocent, but God liked His battlefields swept clean when the fight was done. All evidence and witnesses had to be eliminated. Only the Spears were permitted to know about His secret struggle for control over His own world.
Ethel looked at Captain Thomas. This would be a quick fight.
She broke his knee with a kick, and as he fell, she grabbed his gun from its holster. She shot him in the head. He was already dead when he hit the deck. She rolled over and shot three more times, killing the rest of the crew in under a second. Still moving fast, she pushed all the bodies into the water.
She grabbed the steering wheel and swung the boat hard around until the Scimitar was at her back.
A few minutes later, the sky brightened. She glanced back to see a gigantic fireball rising up. The explosion made a boom so deep and loud it was more a sensation than a noise. The other patrol boat was close enough to the blast that it simply evaporated.