by M. B. Lewis
Duke studied the controls as the older man unlashed the ropes from the cleat on the dock. The old man moved behind the wheel, started the motor, and pulled away. Glancing over her shoulder, Kadie saw two men running along the dock toward them.
“Duke!” She pointed behind them.
“I see them.” Duke tried to tell the old man to hurry. The boat owner didn’t understand, so Duke shoved him away from the steering wheel and took the controls. As he pushed up the throttle and steered the boat away from the dock, the two men opened fire.
All three of them ducked after the first round hit the console. The boat surged as the propeller bit into the dark water, pushing the boat in front of the deep wake it created. A few seconds later, the boat settled with its new condition and accelerated away. The boat owner’s eyes widened, and when they were far enough away from the shooters, the old man jumped overboard.
Kadie crouched and moved next to Duke. “Are we technically stealing his boat now?”
Duke shook his head. “Nah, he knows where we’re going. He’ll find his boat at the marina south of the airport.” He paused, then looked at Kadie. “Who are these guys after you? They’re persistent as anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Kadie’s eyes glistened, and her brows raised. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re chasing you.”
Duke bobbed his head. “Maybe, but not likely.” He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Here, call Mac.”
Kadie took the phone, which was ringing by the time she put it to her ear.
“Duke,” Mac said, “where are you guys?”
“Mac, it’s Kadie. Duke can’t talk—he’s driving the boat.”
“Driving the boat?”
“It’s a long story,” Kadie said. “Is Brian with you?”
“Yes, he’s fine. We’re in a cab on the way to the airport. We’ll meet you at our airplane.”
“Perfect. We’ll meet you there as soon as we can.”
“Great. I’d love to know how you two can take a romantic boat ride while we’re being chased by guys trying to kill us.”
Kadie chuckled. “I look forward to telling the story. See you soon. Let me talk to Brian.”
“Sure. You two be careful,” Mac said.
A moment later, Brian came on the phone. “Hey—Kadie. What are you doing? Why are you—on a boat wide?”
“It’s a long story, Brian. I’ll tell you all about it at the airport. Are you okay?”
“Yes. M-mac got us away from those bad guys.”
“Okay. Stay with Mac until I get there, okay?”
“Yes, Kadie.”
She hung up and handed Duke the phone. “They’re in a cab on the way to the airport. Mac said to meet them at the plane.”
Duke smiled. “Great.” He set the throttle at a moderate rate, and the boat moved north along the Strait. The sparkling clear water was mostly still, the midday sun reflecting images from the shore on its surface. The translucent fluid displayed the rocks beneath them and the sharp drop-off into the dark abyss toward the center of the Strait. Duke stayed close to the shore; the draft of the boat not as deep as the larger boats they passed along the way. They relaxed for the first time in an hour, and Kadie leaned against Duke, resting her head on his shoulder. The salty sea spray tickled her nostrils. She sighed and smiled until she detected motion from the side.
Her head jerked as a powerboat lurched forward and turned toward them.
“Duke, look out!”
37
Istanbul, Turkey
The Bosphorus Strait
* * *
Duke looked to his left. Instinctively, he cut the throttles and steered his boat to the right. The speeding boat clipped the side of the wooden hull and viciously rocked their boat. The tiny boat swerved as Duke staggered behind the wheel, his hands refusing to let go. Kadie picked herself off the deck and struggled to maintain her footing.
The attackers had stolen a bigger, faster boat, and Duke had to find options. Fast. He scanned every inch of their boat, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon.
“Hang on,” he said to Kadie. She grabbed the front console as he shoved the throttle forward and steered the boat to the left. His combat instincts kicked in. Easier than dodging triple-A or MANPADS, that was for sure. He searched for the attackers. Duke wasn’t sure if they were skilled boat drivers. He didn’t think so based on the initial attack. Why not just pull up next to them and shoot them? That would have been the easy play.
These guys went as fast as they could and tried to ram them—too many movies and not enough time in boats. The odds of damaging their own boat were just as high, but those knuckleheads didn’t realize that.
Duke’s boat accelerated once he maneuvered out of the choppy wake the larger boat created. Glancing over his shoulder, the assailants set up their boat for an attack on the right side.
“Once I turn, drop to the deck. We’re gonna get close to them, and I’m sure they’ll be shooting.”
“No argument here.”
Again, the attackers had their boat at full throttle. Once they turned in to him, Duke cut the wheel sharp, reduced the throttle, then veered back toward their six o’clock position. The thug in the back took several shots but missed wildly. It was difficult to hit a moving target from a moving platform. These guys were thugs, not pros.
Because of their speed, Duke was able to maneuver behind them. He pushed the throttle up, his boat lunging forward as the attackers continued the left turn, circling them. The midnight blue water in the middle of the straight churned into a frothy white, unsteady surface. His throttle at full speed, Duke’s boat crashed against the wake behind the attackers’ boat and went airborne. The boat landed back in the water with a solid thump, jarring both him and Kadie, who lost her grip and slid to the stern.
Duke pulled the throttle and looked back.
“I’m okay,” Kadie said. She crawled to her knees, then stood and moved to the console next to him.
Duke nodded and spotted the attackers to their rear streaking straight for them.
“I guess they learned from the first two attempts. They’re coming straight for us.”
Kadie glanced behind her. “What are we going to do?”
“I’m working on it.” Duke scanned the area as they raced north. He had hoped to find shallow water in the hopes of getting the attackers stuck, but that didn’t appear to exist. This strait was for shipping, and beaches where nowhere to be found.
About a quarter of a mile ahead, Duke saw a barge on the other side of the bridge heading toward them. He maneuvered his boat in the gap next to the barge.
Suddenly, the windshield shattered.
“Get down!” Duke said. He jammed the throttle full forward and ducked himself, weaving the boat left and right, attempting to disrupt their aim. Several shots struck the boat, an occasional lucky shot piercing the console.
Kadie sat on the floor of the boat. She seemed worried, but not scared. “Still working on those ideas?”
A slight grin formed on his face. “Sorta.”
He rose and glanced over his shoulder. The attackers hung back to get a better shot at the boat. They trailed twenty yards behind him to the right. The driver had gotten smart and struggled to hold his position. The guy shooting was also getting smarter, taking more time to aim. Either that, or he was running out of ammo.
Ahead of them, the barge started to pass under the bridge. He wasn’t sure if the attackers had seen it yet. As they approached the bridge, Duke swung a little to the left, then back to the right, straight for the bridge pylon.
His plan worked. Rather than cut to the left of the boat as they should have, they stayed on the right. Duke swore he heard them scream as he cut back to the left. The attackers cut quickly to the right, going on the other side of the pylon, as Duke’s boat zipped under the bridge.
A loud horn echoed from the tugboat pushing the barge, followed by a loud crash. On the other side of the bridge, Duke raced past the ba
rge and tug, then cut behind the slow-moving vessel and reduced his power. Kadie rose from the floor to find the attack boat damaged. The rear of the boat clipped the barge, and a large section was missing. The boat sank in under a minute, the assailants floating among the debris.
“Nice work, Mister Special Operations pilot guy,” Kadie said with a nervous smile.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Think that could be the two guys that chased me in Port Said?”
“Don’t know—persistent, clumsy, bad shots. I’d say they work for your friend Curt, but I’m not sure yet. It could be the same guys.”
“If that was them, they’ve switched from crossbows to guns.” Kadie slid next to him and held onto his arm. “How about we head to the airport?”
She blinked and shuddered slightly. Duke understood her silence and swung the old wooden boat back toward the right bank. They traveled south, under a second bridge that led them into the Sea of Marmara, then turned West. Numerous airliners were flying in low over the water, gear and flaps extended for their landing. In another fifteen minutes, they reached the tiny marina south of the airport. He pulled up to the dock and found an empty spot to moor the boat. Kadie found the rope at the bow, and Duke cut the motor as she wrapped it around the cleat on the dock and collapsed into one of the seats.
Kadie shook uncontrollably, and Duke took her in his arms. When her trembling subsided, he climbed out of the boat and helped her onto the dock. She flung her arms around his neck, sobbing.
“We’re gonna be okay,” he said.
Kadie didn’t respond, but he felt her heart pounding as she squeezed him closer. She finally let go, and for the first time, they checked the exterior of the boat. There were a lot more holes than they realized. Duke exhaled slowly—this attack was too close for comfort. They were lucky. Really lucky.
He gently grasped her hand. “Let’s go find Mac and Brian.”
Kadie nodded, and they hurried toward the airport.
38
Istanbul, Turkey
The Tav Genel Havacilik Terminal
* * *
The cab pulled up to the two-story structure with a glass entrance covered with a smooth glass arch. Duke considered the bright red trim a little gaudy, but he wasn’t about to complain. He checked his watch. It had taken them almost an hour and forty-five minutes from the time they spoke to Mac on the phone. Mac should have arrived at least thirty minutes before them, if not more. When they entered the lobby, Duke walked straight to the pilot briefing room, which he found to be locked. He would need to get the magnetic swipe key from the terminal office.
“This is odd,” he said. “Maybe they’re waiting for us in the restaurant or at the coffee shop.” As they walked down the hallway, Duke pulled out his cell phone to call. No answer. Kadie did the same for Brian, but he never answered either.
She gave him a cautious look. “Should I be worried?”
“I’m not sure yet.” The expression on his face didn’t exude confidence.
When they arrived at the empty coffee shop, Kadie noticed one of Patricia’s security men sat alone at a table. He looked Hispanic; a three-day beard covered his face. They walked toward him when the man turned their way. He did not smile; his face was expressionless.
When they reached the security man, Kadie started to speak, when the man offered her a smartphone. “What’s this f—oh my goodness!” She shrieked; a noise that would have brought them attention had anyone been there.
Duke looked at the phone in her hand; it was a picture of Brian, held by someone from behind. Duke recognized the background. It was the flight planning room.
“That’s the clothes he had on today,” she said, her eyes welled up. “What is going on? Was he kidnapped?”
The man made a swipe motion his finger. Kadie swiped to the next photo.
There were more pictures of Brian climbing in a car. The last one showed a pistol pressed against his temple. She gasped, and the tears flowed. With trepidation, she turned back to the security man. “Why?”
Duke didn’t need to ask, he knew why. And he knew who. It was GDI.
The phone rang.
“It’s for you,” the security man said, without ever even looking at it.
Kadie pressed the green icon. “H—Hello?”
“How are you, Kadie?” It was Curt.
“I’m—my—Brian is missing. I think he’s been kidnapped.” She sobbed as she spoke.
“Put me on speakerphone,” Curt said. “Your new boyfriend needs to hear this, too.”
Kadie activated the speakerphone, and Duke moved in closer.
“You shouldn’t have run away. You’ve seen what we have to bargain with. I recommend you listen to what I have to say. The only thing you two have left is each other. How romantic. Now, go with my man. You’ll be united with your brother, shortly.”
Curt hung up on his end.
Kadie shuffled to Duke and leaned against his chest, the tears still flowing. “He’s got Brian, doesn’t he?”
Duke nodded. “They want something. They—” He stopped mid-sentence. A sense of dread overcame him. His skin prickled, and his heart felt like it stopped. “That device, where is it?”
“Device?”
“For the room.”
She reached into her pocket and handed him the FOB. “What’s wrong?”
“He said, the only thing you two have left is each other. That first picture was in the flight planning room.”
Duke bolted out of the coffee shop and down the hall. Sprinting across the empty lobby, he reached the flight planning room. When he waved the electronic device in front of the locking mechanism on the door, a green light lit up.
Duke flung the door open and went inside.
39
The room was quiet. The uncomfortable type of quiet that spoke volumes. Duke stepped in cautiously.
“Mac? Mac, you in here?”
He moved further into the room, to the other side of the large planning table, and gasped.
Mac lay on the floor, multiple stab wounds covered his chest.
“Noooo!” he cried.
Duke fell to his knees, pulled out his cell phone, and dialed 911. Nothing happened. Of course, this is Turkey. What’s the emergency number? He scanned the walls from his position until his eyes fell on a sign that looked like what he searched for. He dialed 112 and one short ring later, someone answered, in Turkish.
“Hello, we need an ambulance at the Genel Havacilik Terminal.” Duke paused and lowered his ear toward Mac’s mouth.
Kadie screamed behind him. Duke turned and saw the GDI thug with a pistol to her back. He dropped his cell phone next to Mac’s body and stood to stop her from getting closer. Tears flowed from her again, the sight of Mac’s body no doubt made her fear more for her brother. Duke wrapped his arms around her as she shook, and he fought to stay strong. It made sense now. The chase, Brian missing, his mentor—his best friend, dead. And he knew who did it.
“I’m gonna kill that son-of-a—”
“Duke, no. You’d be just like him,” she shrieked. “Brian . . . Curt said to return with this man.”
His body convulsed as the anger overwhelmed him. The GDI thug motioned toward the door with his pistol. The three of them left the flight planning room and headed for the exit. They say your mind races through your life experiences right before you die. It does the same thing after a friend dies, but slower, in more vivid detail. And it hurts more. A lot more.
Tears streaked down his face as he relived the experience when he first met Mac in gunships. Mac had been his instructor, and Duke soaked up everything he said like a sponge. The numerous training and combat sorties, exercises, beers at the squadron hooch. Their first deployment together. Duke presenting Mac with the squadron lithograph at his retirement. Mac saving Duke’s soul when he was about to kill himself. He was his best friend.
When they stepped outside of the terminal, a car and a second thug was waiting for them.
“Vat haf you been up to?” the man said, a smirk stretched across his face. His accent sounded German. The thug’s hand rested on the pistol hidden under his coat.
“Where’s your boss?” Duke growled.
The thug sensed Duke’s anger and held up the cell phone, the picture of Brian with a gun to his head displayed. Duke felt Kadie tug on his arm. She was right; the game had changed. Mac was gone. It was about getting Brian back now.
Tears poured from Kadie’s eyes. How could this have happened? What had she gotten her brother involved in? She squeezed Duke’s arm, partly to keep him from overreacting, partly for her security.
“Come with us,” the GDI man said. He had a German accent, Kadie thought, maybe Austrian. The thug turned and moved to the elevator where a second man stood. This one had a darker complexion and a three-day beard. The second man motioned for them to follow him. They did, and the first guy brought up the rear. The small group walked through the lobby and climbed into a waiting vehicle. Once inside the car, black hoods were placed over their heads.
Kadie struggled to see outside the hood, but it was too thick. The car turned too much to be able to maintain a sense of direction. The guys from the boat must have called ahead and had them intercepted. What exactly were these people after? Were they simply a bunch of glorified treasure hunters? Regardless, they were killers.
The drive lasted for about thirty minutes. When they finally stopped, someone helped them out of the car. They kept the hoods on their heads as they walked them into a building. Once inside, they sat in chairs, and their hoods were removed. Across the room, Curt stood with a pistol to Brian’s head.
“Brian,” she murmured. Her brother’s eyes were wide, tears running along the side of his face. Then she clenched her teeth. “If you’ve hurt him . . .”
Curt’s head fell to the side. “Oh, relax, sweetheart. He’s fine. He’s just crying like the baby he is, that’s all.”