“There she is,” he whispered.
The smooth hull of Deliverance was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Every porthole in the central section of the ship glowed white, and on the top, red lights flashed—a beacon of hope in the darkness.
* * * * *
Magnolia sneaked a glance through one of the portholes as the Hive came into focus. She had seen the ship from the outside dozens of times during her dives, but now that she compared it to Deliverance, she could appreciate just how battle scarred and rickety the old ship was.
“Keep away from the windows,” Michael said. “They must have removed the hatches over the portholes for some reason.”
“I told you,” Les said. “Jordan purged the ship of the past.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Magnolia said. “There’s no way he’d get away with something like that. The people would riot.”
But would they really? People got used to things, even terrible conditions, if they were downtrodden long enough. Part of Magnolia wondered why they were even bothering to rescue the Hive from Jordan’s control.
Because Rodger’s parents are still on board. The Mintels are worth saving—and I still have to kill Jordan for what he’s done.
She wriggled in the oversize armor that had come from Del Toro’s corpse. X was brilliant, retrieving the gear and weapons from the field in Miami before Deliverance took to the sky. It was odd wearing the suit of a dead man, but if it got her close to Jordan, it was worth it. The idea of throttling him was the only thing keeping her going.
They hadn’t been able to retrieve Rodger’s body. He was out there on that terrible ship, floating toward the metal islands. Magnolia wished she’d been able to bring him home to his parents, but she could at least tell them that he was brave to the end.
Magnolia looked over at Michael, who was wearing Lore’s armor. He looked so young standing next to X. It was strange to see the current and former commanders of Team Raptor side by side. X was wearing the armor he had taken from Sergeant Jenkins—a fact that had Erin on edge. She stood near the hatch with Les and Samson, and although the rest of them carried automatic rifles, none of the three standing up front were armed.
“Remember, Samson,” Michael said, “as soon as we dock, you go straight to engineering and take control of the systems. Les, you get your ass to the brig and release Katrina—and your boy, too, while you’re there.”
“Understood,” Samson said.
“You got it, Commander Everhart,” Les replied.
Magnolia cast a wary eye over them. Samson was brilliant, but he was also part of the system. She barely knew Les, although he seemed a decent enough man. And as for Erin, she had just lost her father. But even before that, there had been something off about her. Ever since she came home from the mission that killed most of her team, she had been withdrawn. Back in the good old days, Magnolia had gone drinking with her a few times, but after that last dive, she had stopped socializing with Hell Divers. Magnolia wasn’t sure she could trust any of them.
She looked at Michael next. Could she trust him to lead them on this mission when Layla was fighting for her life back in the med ward?
Of course you can. He’s never let us down before.
Magnolia hated herself for even thinking it, but her nerves were getting to her. The pain from Rodger’s death was making her loopy. She couldn’t stop thinking about all the things that had been left unsaid between them, all the things she would have done differently if she had known that their days together were numbered.
X cleared his throat, snapping Magnolia from her thoughts. “Once the militia boards the ship, we’re only going to get one chance at taking down Jordan. You’ve got to keep calm.”
Magnolia gave him a solid nod. “Can’t wait.”
“I’m good, X,” Michael said.
“I know,” he replied.
“Remind me how this is going to work,” Samson said. He folded his arms over his belly. “Because I really don’t think you all blending in is going to work.”
“Jordan’s not stupid,” Michael replied. “He’ll send in the militia to search Deliverance. When they board, we’ll move over to the Hive, pretending to be the crew he sent over. The armor we bagged off Del Toro, Olah, Lore, and Jenkins will disguise us long enough to get aboard the Hive. By the time anyone knows what’s going on, we’ll be on our way to the bridge.”
Erin turned to glare at X, rage in her eyes. “You shouldn’t be wearing his armor.”
“I’m sorry about your dad,” X said. “But—”
“Maybe we should just let Les and Samson go over first,” Magnolia interrupted.
“You can trust me,” Erin said. “I hate Jordan as much as you all do, but I’ll never forgive you for what you did.”
“Fair enough,” X said. “Not asking your forgiveness. Let’s just get this done.”
Magnolia scrutinized Erin for a lie, but she turned back to the hatch that would connect with the Hive before Magnolia could get a solid read.
Timothy’s voice sounded in Magnolia’s earpiece. “Preparing to dock with the Hive in T minus two minutes,” said the AI.
Michael drew in a deep breath and released it inside his helmet. He looked at everyone in turn, taking extra time to study Erin and Samson.
“You all ready?” he asked.
Everyone nodded. A countdown sounded at one minute. Les, Erin, and Samson all stepped up to the hatch. An enclosed walkway clicked and clacked as it extended from Deliverance into the blue.
“Stand by for docking procedures,” Timothy said. “Connecting in three, two …”
A jolt rocked the ship as the walkway connected with the air lock on the Hive. Michael, X, and Magnolia took up positions in the quarters they had picked earlier, down the corridor from the bridge. Miles was waiting for them inside, tail wagging. They readied their weapons and moved to the side of the hatch.
The air lock clicked open farther down the passage, and voices sounded in the tunnel. Jordan’s soldiers had boarded Deliverance.
Michael and X pressed their backs against the bulkheads, and Magnolia aimed her rifle at the hatch. The footfalls grew louder, then passed by outside.
“A team of five engineers and three militia soldiers has boarded the ship,” Timothy said over the private comm channel that fed into their helmets.
“Copy,” Magnolia whispered.
“Three more soldiers just boarded,” Timothy added. “One appears to be an officer with the rank of lieutenant.”
“Hunt,” Magnolia said quietly.
Michael nodded back. He checked his HUD for the time. “We need to give Les a few more minutes.”
They waited in silence, Magnolia’s heart thumping so hard she could hear it.
“The boarders have moved to the first and second quadrants of the ship,” Timothy announced.
Michael gestured toward X. He nodded back and opened the closet door. After herding Miles inside, he bent down and told the dog to stay. Miles whined and licked X’s hand as he shut the door, watching him until the last second. Magnolia hoped the dog wouldn’t start barking at the wrong moment and blow their cover, but X seemed to think Miles was smarter than the average Hell Diver.
Magnolia grabbed the handle on the hatch and slowly opened it. She backed away and let X take point. Her head and heart ached, but in a few minutes, she was finally going to get the revenge she had been craving ever since Jordan sabotaged her chute.
“Commander Everhart,” Timothy said, “I am detecting movement outside the hatch on the Hive. There appears to be additional soldiers.”
“Changes nothing,” Michael said. “Just stay focused on the approach. “The Hive doesn’t have cameras like Deliverance. Jordan can’t see us coming.”
A chill ran through Magnolia’s body. Something felt wrong—like walking into a trap.
She kept the hunch to herself and took a deep breath to calm her nerves as they approached the open hatch leading to the tunnel. X was first to round the corner and move into the enclosed space.
Two soldiers were standing sentry on the other side, backs turned, facing the corridors of the Hive—probably to keep back any passengers who wanted to see the new ship. X and Michael moved quickly and took them both out with blows from their rifle butts.
“Go, go, go!” X croaked.
Magnolia darted past the unconscious soldiers. Michael was limping, but he moved fast enough to keep up with her and X. Maybe that meant they were slowing down in their old age. The bridge wasn’t far. It would take them only a few minutes to reach the command center—maybe even less, with the corridors this empty.
Wait … Where the hell was everybody? This place should be teeming with passengers.
X held up a fist just before they reached the final turn that would lead them to the bridge. He readied his rifle and peeked around the corner. Then he pulled back and held up two fingers, signaling the number of guards outside the hatch.
This was it. Either their ruse worked and they would be able to walk onto the bridge unimpeded, or all three of them would be gunned down in the next thirty seconds. X walked around the corner, calmly cradling his rifle. Michael and Magnolia followed, trying to look as though they belonged here.
“Hey, guys, Lieutenant Hunt told us to come back with the thing we found on Deliverance,” Michael said, pitching his voice half an octave lower.
The guards exchanged a glance.
“Didn’t hear nothin’ about that,” the man on the right said.
“You got to check it out, man,” Michael said. “I didn’t think this shit still existed.”
The guard tilted his head. “Frank, is that you?”
“What’d you find?” the other militia soldier said.
Michael gestured toward X, who strode forward and raised his rifle.
“I’m back,” X said, smashing them both in the face before either could react. They crumpled to the floor, and X pushed the button to open the hatch. Magnolia strode onto the deck with her rifle raised, finger along the trigger guard. She was prepared to shoot if someone got in her way, but she didn’t want to kill anyone besides Jordan.
“Everyone down!” she shouted.
Michael and X fanned out to the right and left, covering the room with their rifles.
“Where’s Jordan?” Michael demanded.
Ensign Ryan raised his hands from his station. “Who … who are you?”
X pulled his helmet off.
“It can’t be,” someone gasped.
Ryan shook his head. “No … you’re dead.”
“I should be,” X said. “Guess I didn’t get the memo. Jordan sure went to a lot of trouble to make sure I didn’t come back.”
A voice crackled in Magnolia’s helmet as she scanned the room for the captain—the man responsible for the deaths of Rodger, Weaver, Ty, Pipe, and so many others. He needed to be brought to justice, and by her.
“Commander Everhart, we have a problem,” Timothy said over the comm link.
Magnolia froze. Shit, she thought. Jordan isn’t here. The fucker outflanked us.
“Captain Jordan has just boarded Deliverance with a crew,” Timothy said, confirming her fear. “They are carrying bags with them.”
Magnolia turned and bolted out of the room. X and Michael ran after her.
The sneaky bastard had tricked them and was about to steal their airship. She had felt something was off, but she put it down to her grief over Rodger. X had taught her to trust her gut, but she had second-guessed herself.
It didn’t matter now.
All that mattered was getting back aboard Deliverance.
She raced through the corridors, leaving Michael and X behind. Halfway there, the PA system came online.
“Passengers of the Hive, this is Captain Jordan speaking. Tonight, I’ve done what I promised. I’ve brought you a new home called Deliverance. I’m boarding her now, and I must say, she is beautiful.”
Magnolia ran faster, anger fueling her as she listened Jordan’s voice.
“Unfortunately, we have been betrayed yet again by the Hell Divers. They are on the Hive now, attempting to lead a mutiny against me. We cannot let them succeed.”
“Hurry!” Magnolia shouted over her shoulder. A quick glance showed X close on her heels, but Michael was falling behind. There was a wild, panicked look in his eyes, and sweat dripped down his too-pale face.
“Layla,” he gasped.
Magnolia cursed again. Layla was defenseless. If Jordan and his goons got to her first, he’d have no problem murdering an unarmed woman in her hospital bed.
A distant clanking noise sounded ahead, and Magnolia’s heart nearly stopped when she realized it was the bridge connecting the two ships. The platform was already retracting.
“You have to stop them, Timothy!” Magnolia shouted.
“I have been locked out of the system by the engineers,” replied the AI. “Captain Jordan has control of Deliverance.”
Magnolia pushed her body to its limit, lungs and muscles burning. The intersection that would lead them to the tunnel was just ahead, but she feared they were already too late.
No, it doesn’t end like this!
“Until these traitors are captured and killed, I will be taking Deliverance to a safe distance,” Jordan said. “It would be in the best interests of everyone aboard the Hive to find the mutineers and stop them using whatever force is necessary. Until then, good luck.”
Magnolia stopped at the hatch to the tunnel. The two unconscious guards still lay there. All along the corridor, confused passengers emerged from their shelters, talking in hushed voices. Several of them looked at Magnolia, Michael, and then X. And then they noticed the two motionless bodies on the floor.
“They killed the guards!” someone shouted.
“There!” yelled one of the lower-deckers. “Those are the traitors!”
Magnolia turned her attention to the porthole windows and saw movement on Deliverance as it slowly pulled away. Jordan was there with Hunt and several militia soldiers, watching the two airships separate.
She pounded the glass so hard it hurt her hand. The filthy passengers closed in around the trio of divers.
“Stay back!” Michael shouted. “Jordan’s lying. He’s the traitor!”
“Everyone back!” X yelled.
“Is that Commander Rodriguez?” someone said.
Another person gasped, “He’s a ghost!”
The PA system suddenly clicked back on, Jordan’s voice coming online. “No,” he said. “It can’t be.”
Magnolia pivoted back to the porthole window, thinking he had somehow seen X.
“Stop them!” Jordan shouted.
Everyone crowding around Michael, Magnolia, and X stopped, looking up at the wall-mounted speakers. Others crowded around the portholes for a view of the other ship.
Magnolia squinted at motion in the passage aboard Deliverance. A tall man aimed a pistol at Jordan, and a woman … Not just any woman, Magnolia realized. It was Katrina. And she was holding a sword to Jordan’s neck. He had his hands up, and the other militia soldiers were all standing with their hands on their heads. Sloan from the brig and a teenage boy were watching over them.
“Is that …?” she started to say when Michael finished the thought for her.
“Trey Mitchells and Sloan,” he said.
Magnolia, trying to make sense of what was happening, made a conscious effort to slow her breathing. Jordan hadn’t seen X after all. He was talking about Les and Katrina. They had made it back onto Deliverance, and they had Jordan in custody. She wanted to be the one to kill the captain, but seeing Katrina with the sword to his throat was still satisfying. As long
as she got to be there when Katrina spilled his blood on the deck.
* * * * *
Les held the same gun he had shot Olah dead with, but this time it was pointing at Captain Jordan. Les’ son, Trey, was there, too, along with Katrina and Sloan. In the end, it was the hard-faced woman running the brig who had been the key to taking down Jordan.
“You can’t do this!” Jordan shouted at them. “I’ve saved us all. I saved humanity!”
“No,” said Katrina, coldly. “You’re nothing but a cancer to humanity.”
“I’ve stood by and watched your reign of terror for too long,” Sloan said. “Today it ends.”
Les checked the militia soldiers to make sure none were trying to maneuver on them. All three men, as well as Lieutenant Hunt, were now facedown on the deck, hands tied behind their backs. He looked through the porthole windows at movement on the other side, aboard the Hive. Michael, X, and Magnolia were surrounded by a growing crowd of lower-deckers. “Hit the bridge button, Sloan,” Les ordered.
She moved over to the bulkhead and hit the button. The clanking of the platform sounded as it reached back out toward the Hive.
“I should make you suffer,” Katrina said. “I should skin you alive and then dump your body back to the surface so you can see it for yourself.” She pushed the blade deeper, nicking his neck and drawing blood.
He reared his chin back, crazed eyes focused on Katrina.
“You never deserved me you selfish b—” His eyes widened even further as Katrina let out a scream of rage. She pulled the blade away from his neck and thrust it into his chest.
Jordan let out an astonished croak, his mouth agape. He grabbed the hilt and pulled her toward him. Around the blade, a crimson bloom spread outward across the white uniform jacket.
Katrina shoved the sword deeper, until the blade pushed through and out his back, hitting the bulkhead with a clank. Impaled on his own sword, Jordan wore a mask of shock, rage, and fear. She leaned closer until she was just inches from his face.
“What have you done?” Hunt said from the deck.
“Shut up,” Sloan said, giving the lieutenant a swift kick in the ribs.
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