by Bev Prescott
“To eat. To drink.” Rucker jabbed his finger at the window. “To survive the fucking world out there.” He pivoted and scowled at Sharon. “To get revenge on those who take the ones we love.”
Sergeant Limmy pulled his spectraletto from its holster and put it to Rucker’s head. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this.” Rucker looked at him incredulously.
Limmy pulled the trigger.
“Pft!”
Rucker slumped forward onto the STELA. A singed hole in his temple oozed gore.
Sharon recoiled in shock, the same as Woody and Federico.
“Yeah, well, I’m done doing just surviving.” Sergeant Limmy holstered his weapon, stood, and yanked Rucker’s body to the floor. “I owe that much to my dead wife.” He turned to Sharon. “And to you for taking yours. I know you know who I am. I saw it in your eyes back on shore.” The sergeant grabbed Rucker’s ankles and dragged his body to the rear of the cockpit. Stumbling back around to Sharon, he cut her wrist-ties as sweat streaked his temples.
She grabbed her bloodied wrists and tried to rub circulation back into them.
The sergeant cut the ties off Woody and Federico, fished in his pocket for the keys to their shackles, and tossed them to Woody.
“How did you know about that song?” Woody unlocked the shackles at her feet and handed the keys to Sharon.
“I know that you programmed opera into all of the vessels and aircraft you built. The Strelitzia hates opera. That song in particular. He said it reminds him of you. I saw him behead a person just for listening to it. I hoped if I played it, you might guess that I want to help.”
“Why would you help us?” Sharon unlocked her shackles and handed the keys to Federico. “You’re the man who took my wife.”
“And I was cursed for it.” He sighed. “The day I took your wife, my wife died from an infection.” He unholstered his spectraletto and handed it to Sharon. “Karma, as they say, had the last word. I got the message loud and clear.”
She yanked the weapon away and pointed it at him. “Why should we believe you? You could’ve let us go free on the beach. Instead, you captured us and told the Strelitzia we’re on the way. That doesn’t seem like help to me.”
“You can go ahead and kill me. Without my wife, I’m already dead. Just let me explain myself first.” Sergeant Limmy moistened his lips. “I did the things I did because I wanted food and water for Lauren, my wife. I wanted to keep her safe. But while I was out hurting other people for the sake of feeding us, I lost the only person that matters to me. Maybe if you kill me, we’ll both feel better. But if you let me live, I can get you onto that ship undetected. The Strelitzia’s guard is down now that he thinks he has you under his control. That’s why I didn’t release you on the beach.”
The memory of the soldiers dragging Eve from her replayed in Sharon’s mind. She kept the barrel pointed at his chest. How could she trust the man who took Eve in the first place? He put all of this awfulness into motion.
“What are you going to do, Sharon?” Woody asked.
Her insides shook with chaotic feelings. She moved her finger off the trigger. “What do I do?”
“Whatever makes you more whole.” Woody touched Sharon’s forearm.
Instinct in her gut waged war against her heart. All those years of holding the anger and hurt caused by Elliot had made an ugly, festering hole in her spirit. It smoothed over in the instant she’d forgiven him. “You took my Eve. How can I forgive that? And why can’t I picture her face?” Her outstretched hand gripping the weapon trembled. “Why can’t I see Eve in my mind?”
“Because the people we love”—Federico put his hands to his heart—“are here. That’s where you’ll find your answer.”
“I’ll make you suffer if this is a double-cross.” Sharon exhaled and lowered the weapon. “We need your help. Eve needs your help.” She handed the spectraletto, butt end first, to Woody.
“Thank you,” Limmy said, “for the chance at redemption I’ve been waiting for.”
Woody got up and took the command seat. “Federico, I’m bleeding all over the controls here. Please get the medical kit to bandage our wounds. You remember where it’s stored?”
“Sí.” He headed aft.
“Sergeant Limmy,” Woody said.
“Please, call me Limmy. I’m no longer in the Strelitzia’s army.”
“Very well.” She gestured to the first officer’s seat at her right.
Eagerly, Limmy joined her. “I’m here to help.”
“How big is the Strelitzia’s army?”
“Not large. Maybe one hundred.”
“And civilians?”
“Triple that.” Limmy swiped the screen, bringing up a schematic of the Bird of Paradise on the OVA. “As you know, the ship’s control center can be cut off from the rest of the ship.”
“Yes.” Woody pointed at a location in the belly of the fuselage. “The control center was my version of a panic room.”
Federico sat at Woody’s left and unlatched the medical kit. “A room where no one gets in or out.”
“The Strelitzia is seriously claustrophobic, though.” Limmy tapped the STELA. “He only goes there when he senses some dire threat.”
“So who operates the ship?” Federico dabbed gauze at the cuts on his wrists, then tended to Woody’s.
“His five most trusted soldiers.” Limmy aimed a finger at an aft section on the fourth deck. “This is the Strelitzia’s quarters. Near the black sea devil launch bay.”
“Here, Sharon.” Federico offered her a bandage roll.
“Thanks. And where is holding cell 6B?” Sharon asked. “That’s where Woody said Eve is.”
“No.” Limmy shook his head. “Not anymore. The Strelitzia moved her.”
Federico passed the kit to his left.
“Where is she, then?” Woody took the kit and set it aside.
“He’s keeping her under tight security in his personal quarters. He says she’s one of his most valuable acquisitions. His plan”—he turned to Sharon—“was to kill you at the Bay of Fundy and take whatever it was you were to exchange for your wife.”
“What a surprise that would have been,” Sharon commented drily.
“Now he knows we’re onto him.” Woody studied the schematic. “Our best bet is to take control of the ship. Then go after him. Should be straightforward given that the Qaunik far outnumber his soldiers.”
“What about Eve?” Sharon asked.
“If we control the ship and what’s in your backpack, we’ve got the edge. The new exchange becomes his life for Eve’s.” Woody helped Federico finish his bandaging job by tearing a strip of gauze with her teeth. “Just tie that off. Any ideas for how to get past his trusted five?”
Limmy pointed at a hallway on the schematic. “When we arrive, my guess is that he’ll want three of the five to escort you to him, while the other two operate the control room. We’ll need some kind of diversion to move the other soldiers from their guard positions.”
“How about Belosto-One?” Federico asked. “What better diversion than a family of one thousand and twenty-nine committed souls threatening to storm the ship?” He looked to Limmy. “You said that there are only a hundred soldiers.”
“And three hundred civilians,” Sharon added. “Won’t they help fight to keep the ship?”
“Some, yes,” Limmy answered. “But there are many, like your wife, who aren’t there by choice. They happened to have some skill or knowledge that suited the Strelitzia. So he took them. They’re captives; they have no allegiance to him. Only fear.”
Woody tucked the gauze into the kit’s biohazard bag. “It’s a good idea. We just have to time things right. I don’t want to put the Qaunik into unnecessary jeopardy. Hopefully, we can convince the civilians taken by the Strelitzia to help us.”
Limmy pressed the clock icon. “The Bird of Paradise is surfacing now. By the time we get there, she’ll be above water.”
“What about
using the Bird of Paradise’s emergency entrance hatch for black sea devils?” Federico asked. “Maybe we can get aboard undetected.”
“No.” Limmy touched a red blinking dot on STELA’s small digital screen. “That’s the Bird of Paradise. If we can see her, she can see us. They know where we are. What they don’t know is that Rucker is dead and I’m helping you. The thing to do is create the diversion in the moments before we enter the ship’s main hatch.”
“We’ll contact Belosto-One and have her send down twenty water skippers,” Woody said. “The ocean is calm, which means the ice sheet hasn’t fallen. Water skippers can move fast. That’ll keep a significant number of the Strelitzia’s soldiers busy figuring out what the hell’s going on.”
“And then we fight our way to the command room,” Sharon said.
Limmy traced a line from the entry hatch through a hallway to their target. “If we move fast to take out the three escort soldiers, we might be able to get to the command room before the Strelitzia.”
“That makes four of us against three of them, plus surprise on our side.” Federico latched the medical kit. “I like our odds.” He got up and stored the kit.
“All right. Let’s call Dale on a secure frequency and fill her in on the plan.” Woody drew frequency numbers onto the STELA and pressed the audio-comm. “Dale, Dale, Dale. Woody here.”
“Good to hear your voice,” Dale answered. “You still okay down there?”
“Better than okay.” Woody smiled. “We’ve got a new ally and a workable plan. But first, any word from JJ?”
“None,” Dale said. “It’s been radio silence on all frequencies.”
“Dammit.” Woody sighed. “Keep listening. The kid’s got to be out there somewhere.”
“We will. What’s our plan?” Dale asked.
Woody scanned STELA’s digital screen. “The Bird of Paradise has surfaced at 19⁰55'5.39" N, 66⁰45'9.5" W. Hover in the mesosphere at those coordinates. Prepare to launch twenty water skippers on my command.”
“Roger that,” Dale confirmed. “Then what?”
“Use the skippers to draw attention away from us while we make our way to the command room. Tell the pilots to fire if fired upon. But their goal should be to create confusion, not engage in a fight. Just yet. Once we take control of the ship. I’ll order you to land Belosto-One inside the Bird of Paradise. Then, if necessary, we fight for our ship.”
“We’re at the ready,” Dale said. “Waiting to finally be home.”
Woody smiled. “Yeah, me too. Over.”
The audio-comm cut out.
“Where the hell could JJ be?” Federico asked. “I’m really worried.”
“Remember Pigeon Pam?” Woody asked.
“How could I forget?” Federico scratched his goatee. “JJ eluded not only us, but the Banditti and a tribe of Yěxìng for months in order to keep that silly pigeon alive. And he was only six years old.”
“Is that how you met him?” Sharon asked.
“Yeah, his blood family is Banditti,” Woody answered. “When he found a pigeon with a broken wing, his family wanted to eat it. So he ran away with the bird. He’d figured out how to sneak into our hideout at the Goldfinch bar in Chicago.”
“The kid was stealing from our food stores every night,” Federico added. “Took us forever to catch the little thief. Fortunately for him, and Pam, we caught him before the Banditti or Yěxìng. That pigeon lived another five blissful years, perched on JJ’s shoulder the whole time.”
“Now JJ’s part of our family.” Woody squeezed Federico’s hand. “If anyone can stay on the run, it’s him. We’ll find him.”
“Look!” Limmy jutted his chin at the bow window. “There she is, the Bird of Paradise.”
At the horizon, an enormous fifty-story iron flower floated on the ocean. Her oblong hull supported a tall mast with solar panels that flared off of what looked like a secondary hull. She was painted in bright red, orange, yellow, and green.
“She looks like a floating diva.” Sharon marveled at the magnificent ship.
“A queen,” Federico agreed.
“We have to dive.” Woody tapped out commands. “It’s time to rescue Eve and our ship.”
Black Sea Devil Twelve slipped below the surface.
From the black sea devil’s port window, Sharon saw a long, stem-like structure drop from the flower’s main hull, reaching deep under water. It widened at the bottom, she assumed for ballast. Thread-like structures spread out, rooting the flower’s base.
“How does the ship work?” Sharon asked.
“We’re headed toward the stem.” Woody studied the ship’s schematic displayed on the OVA. “The main body of the ship is connected to it. That’s where all of the controls and ballast tanks are located. It’s also the main living quarters that can be used whether she’s above or below the surface. The mast has sails, or petals, that double as solar panels.”
Federico pointed at the secondary hull. “That’s the flower’s main petal. It’s community space where we gather together when the ship is above the surface.”
“How does she dive?” Sharon asked. “With such a surprising shape?”
“The flower closes and the ballast tanks adjust to allow the entire ship to drop deep below the surface.”
“It’s incredible.” Sharon shook her head. “I’ve never seen or read about such a massive ship.”
“She’s a floating city with plenty of open space. I can’t wait to introduce you to her once we free her and Eve.” Woody looked at Limmy. “Call in our arrival. After that, I’ll give Dale the order to launch the skippers.”
Limmy tapped in a frequency and pressed the audio-comm. “This is Black Sea Devil Twelve, ready to come aboard.”
“Roger that,” a voice answered. “Opening the port hatch now and sending an escort. I’ll inform the Strelitzia of your arrival. You are to report at once to the command room.”
“Understood. Over,” Limmy said.
Nodding, Woody tapped in a different frequency and pressed the audio-comm. “Dale, Dale, Dale. This is Woody.”
“Go Woody,” Dale answered.
“Drop the skippers.” Woody’s voice was strong and steady. “Be ready to board.”
“On your command. Over,” Dale said.
“Let’s get ready.” Federico got up and strapped on a holster and checked the energy level of the spectraletto. “She’s in the green.” He grabbed another weapon, checked it, and tossed it to Woody.
To Limmy, Sharon said, “I need my hammer and pack.”
Limmy got up and unlocked the cabinet. “All yours.” He moved aside.
Sharon fished out her hammer and the backpack. She tucked her hammer into its baldric, and slung the pack onto her shoulders. The adrenaline surging in her veins masked the pain from the many injuries inflicted on her over the past several days. She’d rest and heal when Eve was safely in her arms.
Federico handed her a spectraletto and holster. “You’re going to need one of these too.”
She took it from him, used her pack strap to secure the holster at her chest, and double-checked the energy level in the weapon. “Let’s do this.”
Gripping a spectraletto, Woody swiped commands with her free hand.
As they got closer, a section of the giant stem large enough for Black Sea Devil 12 to glide through opened. Light illuminated the murky water. Woody guided the craft inside. The hatch closed. An electronic beeping sound surrounded them.
“What does the signal mean?” Sharon steadied herself as the shuttle sloshed inside the hatch compartment.
“Water is about to be flushed,” Federico answered. “So the compartment can repressurize.”
“Be ready,” Limmy warned. “They’ll come in at once. We’ve got to let them get inside before we attack. Pull their asses into this shuttle, if you have to. Know that they’re ruthless men.”
Water dropped past the windows. The compartment whooshed and clinked. A buzzer sound replaced the beeping.
“Here they come.” Limmy planted himself in front of the door as it slid open.
Sharon, Woody, and Federico hid to the side, spectralettos at the ready.
“Soldiers, I’ll need your help,” Limmy said. “The prisoners are not cooperative.” He moved aside.
Three soldiers stormed into the shuttle.
Limmy fired on the one closest to him.
The other two raised their weapons, but were dropped by Woody’s and Federico’s lasers before getting off a shot.
Woody holstered her spectraletto and pulled her jacket closed over it. “Limmy, make a good show for the ship’s cameras. Keep your weapon pointed at our backs. We’ll keep ours concealed. Let’s go!”
As they raced along a labyrinth of empty corridors, a siren started to wail. Red lights in the ceiling flashed.
Limmy halted at a doorway. “That’s the ‘all hands on deck’ emergency signal. Be ready.”
“Our Dale, right on time to cause a much-needed diversion,” Federico said.
Frenzied shouting and the firing of spectralettos joined the cacophony of sirens.
“Get us in there.” Woody banged a fist on the command room door. “I’m guessing my fingerprint’s been scrubbed from the system. Listen to me, all three of you. Take clean shots. I prefer that you take out the two soldiers without destroying my command room in the process.”
Boom, boom!
“Dammit!” Woody yelled. “They’re firing the ship’s laser cannons at our water skippers. Get me in that room, now!”
“I’ll draw them close to the door.” Limmy’s words spilled out quickly. “Here we go.” He pressed the audio-comm at the door. “Major White, this is Sergeant Limmy. I have the prisoners. I need your help securing them, though. They killed Rucker and the escorts.”
“We’re on our way!” a voice responded. “The ship’s under attack.”
Woody nodded to Sharon and Federico.
Sharon slipped to the left side of the door. Federico went to the right.
Woody turned to Limmy, “Make it look like you’re struggling to hold me. It’ll draw their attention away from Federico and Sharon.”
Limmy put his arm around Woody, pulled her to him, and held his weapon to her head.