Within an hour of confirming the pictures displayed on the screens and cheers of success going up, the mood took a distinct turn. That distant blip that had been just a ghost on their periphery all at once took on purpose. It now came straight for their position, bright and unwavering.
“Well, here they come,” Captain Mac stated, his gruff voice almost a growl.
He’d just ordered everyone off the decks and the crew to general quarters. They’d barely had time to clear the submersible from the water and chain it to the deck. Not built for speed, there was no way the research ship could outrun whatever type of vessel now sped toward them.
Still, Mac was unwilling to remain a stationary target. “Let’s just make ’em work for it… put as much distance between us as we can.”
Jimmy glared at the monitor as if to will the approaching red dot from existence. “Well, of all the… What perfect, shitty timing!”
“Yeah, that’s a little too perfect.” Les looked over at Aaron, who watched the screen with intent. “Man, it’s like somebody just called ’em up.”
Aaron approached the captain. “Have there been any communications go out? Anything?”
“Not on my watch. And not my crew.” Mac narrowed his eyes, defensive. “They’re loyal to a fault.”
Aaron searched the older man’s face. No deception, no hint of contradiction to what had been stated. At last satisfied with the captain’s answer and opinion of his fellow sailors, he clamped a hand on Mac’s shoulder and moved to the hatch, Les joining him. “Follow the plan. We’ll see how it plays out.”
“Aye.” Mac nodded, his voice rigid.
Aaron and Les paused in the hatchway to share a weighted glance at his next remark.
“You boys may want to check your own house. You gents got the only equipment other’n me that’d reach that far.”
Two cannon shots hammered across the port bow. “Turn off your engines! All on board assemble on the foredeck! No exceptions!” The shouted demands over the loudspeaker were meant to intimidate. “Do it now! Any attempt to deviate from our orders will be met with swiftly and harshly!”
Proximity revealed detail. The severe, distressed look of the hull and upper exterior of the pirate ship, which was nearly as large as their own vessel, served as a partial disguise. Most would see it as an old junk trawler or salvage freighter and not give it a second glance. The throaty rumble of engines disclosed retrofitting for interception. Several strategic placements of machine gun stations decorated the upper levels. Scruffy men with well-used AK-47s, AR-15s, and varying sharp-edged weapons patrolled the decks.
The protection team took up predetermined positions, still in sight of each other yet hidden from view of the hostile ship. Les picked out several targets through his rifle scope, setting up his order should he need it. Aaron sighted in his own rifle, an AR-15, as did Shane. Aaron noted the actions and subtle communications between the raiders he could see. These guys seem pretty well organized.
His eerie sense of concern that they were dealing with more than just average pirates was confirmed as the quiet of waiting shattered in automatic-weapons fire. Wood decking erupted into splintered fragments all around them, and sharp pings cracked off railings and bulkheads as bullets streamed from one of the upper gun turrets.
The firepower was executed with a little too much accuracy. Les rolled out of range and cursed. Aaron ducked and dove for more cover, wincing at the sting of a round that nicked his arm. Another slammed his rifle, rendering it useless. He pulled the magazine, tossed the ruined weapon aside, and pulled his SIG P320. Shane began return fire as best he could. More projectiles thundered into the floorboards.
“We’re pinned down!” Les yelled. “How the bloody hell do they know our positions?”
Damn good question. Aaron scanned for retreat. He motioned to Les, who moved, and Shane glanced back at them.
“Go, go, go!” Shane screamed as he unleashed a hail of lead toward the enemy vessel.
“Y’all need to get below.” Captain Mac spoke with a reserved panic to his gravelly voice.
Alex had located Will in his usual spot, in conversation with Mario, and the protective cook escorted them both back up to the bridge. The barrage of traded automatic-weapons fire they’d all heard had now ceased.
Mac watched the vessel floating just off their port bow, sky-blue eyes narrowed, the deep, weathered creases on his tanned face defining apprehension. He traded a nod with his first mate and began powering down the engines. “This ain’t normal.”
“What is normal about getting hijacked?” Alex asked.
“Definitely not this. It’s overkill. Get below.” He turned to Jimmy. “Do what we talked about ’n’ be quiet. Go. Now!”
Well away from the cargo hold and storage areas that would result in an obvious search, the four hurried down to mid deck, back past guest sleeping quarters. Just after that and before the crew’s quarters resided a small access panel. Jimmy unlatched it, peered inside, nodded to the rest of them as he ducked and entered. A dimly lit, cramped space, it housed some of the mechanicals and main secondary electrical junctions. Jimmy scanned the ceiling as Mario reset the panel in place.
“There.” Jimmy pointed.
Above them, a malfunctioning light panel flickered in subdued strobe effect. His fingers probed the edge until they reached their objective, and he pressed a small flexible screw. The whole panel popped and released downward, hinged on one side.
“Will, let’s go.”
Will stepped forward to his father.
“It’ll be okay.” Jimmy reassured his son as he lifted him at the waist.
The child grabbed the edges of the opening and pulled himself up with a push from his dad.
“You’re next.” Jimmy motioned to Alex.
She looked from her brother to the dark passage above, took a deep breath, and jumped. Strong hands of her sibling and the cook boosted her on up. Her legs disappeared through the opening. Jimmy motioned for Mario to go ahead of him. The man began to protest but thought better of it, grabbed the edge, and hoisted himself through the overhead.
Jimmy gave one last glance around the small mechanicals room. “As secure as it’s gonna get.” He hauled himself up. Once sure in his balance, he reached back down, grasped the pull handle, and brought the light panel up, latching it into place.
The four found themselves in a small but seemingly secure hidden compartment. Approximately five by eight feet and not quite tall enough for the adults to stand, the hideout appeared to be part of the ventilation system. Mesh air grates arranged on three sides and the top alluded to cage panels, stark woven metal illuminated by a tiny amber service light buzzing in an upper corner. Before they could even think about a spot to rest and wait, a thunderous shock wave pitched them all to the floor.
Will whimpered as the booming rumble subsided, and his father pulled him close.
“What the… What was that?” Jimmy whispered.
“I believe it was the bridge,” Mario offered, nodding in the general forward direction. “It came from up that way.”
The three adults looked from one to the other. Dilated pupils shone black in the murky light. They needed to remain strong for Will.
Oh no… Mac. Alex lowered her forehead onto her hands, which rested on the cold metal floor. They would wait… and hope.
Captain Mac stood alone after the group left him, having sent his first mate below to join the rest of the crew. The pirate vessel floated in eerie stillness off their port bow. Too quiet. Mac’s seasoned eyes squinted further as a sudden sense of dread gripped him.
Aw, hell… He backed away from his controls, wheeled and dove headfirst out the hatch. He rolled and bounced down the steps as the bridge all but disintegrated behind him, concussion from the deafening fireball blasting him the remaining distance to the bottom. Sprawled out, bruised, silver hair singed, Mac regained his bearings. Sickening flames lashed at him from above. He clawed at the floor and launched himself down th
e passageway, desperate to escape the growing inferno that chased him…
“What the hell was that?” Les steadied himself by grabbing a nearby rail as Aaron, who’d been thrown to the deck by the blast, regained a crouching defensive stance.
Arid sarcasm laced Aaron’s reply. “Well, they obviously don’t care about a working ship.”
“Yeah, this is messed up.”
They crept to the bridge area, keeping out of the sight line of the pirate vessel. Acrid smoke and embers swam around them. Shane had disappeared after the shoot-out, but he could take care of himself. They would reconnect with him later. Moving closer and somewhat obscured by the smoke, they peered out from the upper deck as pirates began boarding.
Lines were attached, a crude plank laid, and men with assault rifles spilled onto the main foredeck, a dozen in all. Ten were dressed in worn and grimy street clothes. The other two caught Les and Aaron’s attention. They wore military-style clothing and moved with more precision and purpose than the others. One of them spoke with two of the pirates, and the three of them took off aft. The other barked orders at the remaining eight on deck.
“Gather up the crew and bring ’em up here,” he said. “And try not to kill anyone—not yet. We may need them for a bit.” When the eight nodded, he continued. “The captain and that family are our best bet, so make sure you just detain them.” He glared at his charges, dark gaze conveying the consequences should they fail to follow orders.
Six of the men were altogether held by that. Subtle reactions from the other two indicated they weren’t too keen on just taking prisoners.
The leader glanced around before speaking again. “And if you run into that protection team, don’t engage. Radio it in. You know what to do. But…” He grinned at one of the two more ruthless-appearing pirates. “If you do get a clear shot, take it.”
The men confirmed and scattered in twos, leaving their commander alone on deck. He pulled his radio and spoke, but he’d turned his back in their direction, and they couldn’t make out his words.
“Wish we coulda got a listen on that,” Les commented.
Aaron nodded and motioned for retreat. Les was already moving as Aaron turned to follow to a safer location. A moment later, the three intruders who’d left the deck first appeared near the bridge area.
Safe and out of view, hidden behind crates, Aaron and Les watched the three pick through charred remains of the bridge. Most of the flames had dissipated, but one man stomped and swatted at the few that remained.
After several minutes of poking through rubble, the lead grunted into his radio. “Nuthin’! It’s all gone. Leon really screwed this up.” He listened to the reply and nodded. “Confirmed.” He spoke to the two with him. “C’mon.”
The three left the bridge, heading down. Aaron’s mind flashed to the armed crew holding defensive positions belowdecks. Les nudged Aaron’s arm and shook his head as Aaron met his gaze. This was bad. Pirates wanted to loot or kidnap for ransom. This group, without a doubt, had come for whatever information Jimmy had been sent to discover. And when they got it, there would be no negotiation. All the lives on this vessel would mean nothing to them.
“Let’s find Shane,” Aaron said. “We’re gonna have to take out as many of these guys as we can.” His concern heightened for the safety of the crew and for Jimmy and his family. Their initial consultation told him the crew were seasoned and able to deal with pirate attacks, having fended off several over the years. But with this more organized assault, would they be as successful?
“That’s why we’re here.” Les nodded and checked his weapon.
Commotion echoed from below and yanked their attention back to the main foredeck.
Their captain, first mate, and a dozen more of the crew were being herded onto the deck by the three from the bridge encounter. Languishing in rough formation, they obeyed an order to kneel and keep their hands in open view. There had been no shots. No defensive firefight. And too short a time between occurrences.
One pirate screamed for information while the remaining five and one of the mercenaries kept their weapons at the ready. After watching his comrade get nowhere, the commander approached the agitated man and motioned for him to stand aside.
Standing over Mac, he leaned forward and spoke in a low, brittle tone. “Where is your engineer and his family? And where are those three hired guns you brought on board?”
Mac just stared back at him, glaring death.
Aaron and Les gaped from their vantage point.
“This is falling apart fast,” Les said, deep concern edging his tone.
Aaron nodded slowly, not wanting to accept what his eyes showed him.
Les continued in a hushed voice. “How’d they find the cap ’n’ crew so fast? I thought the concealment plan we all came up with was pretty good. And they never even fought back? That don’t make any bloody sense!”
“Yeah, it was good. And you’re right.” The plan in its originality, even with the chance of unforeseen circumstances, played out better than good. He frowned. Too many things were adding up the wrong way…
“And what about the family?”
Aaron eyed Les. “Mac ’n’ I were the only ones who went over their plan with them.”
Les narrowed his gaze toward the scene below. “That’s probably a good thing at this point. Unless Mac can’t hold out.”
Aaron rubbed his chin. Any decision he made was risky. But riskier still was leaving people in the bowels of a ship where a haven could now become a death trap. “I’m going for them. We’ll just have to fill Shane in whenever he decides to show up.”
Les agreed. “What’re you thinkin’?”
“These guys have already destroyed the controls to most everything. If anybody cracks and they’re able to get the info they want, they won’t hesitate to sink the ship and everyone on board. Jimmy, Alex, and the kid may not be able to get out in time where they’re at.”
Les and Aaron hashed out a rough scenario. Les would hide his sniper rifle near the ruined bridge, where it would come into play later. They would try to hook back up with Shane, then separate, each hunting as many wandering intruders as they could. In the process, they would confirm the location and condition of the family, trying to get to them before the pirates did. If all were okay, it would continue to be a hunt and destroy until the pirates were overtaken, outmatched, and repelled. The wild cards were the mercs and what they might do to the captured sailors. And there was still a company on the pirate vessel, estimating from earlier observation of at least three or four roaming and probably a skeleton crew belowdecks to man the engine room and other mechanical necessities. Aaron would go after the family, and Les and Shane would try to mop up any roving miscreants on this ship. If they could find Shane.
A silent form dropped in behind them. Almost silent. Les spun, sidearm up, as Aaron in one fluid motion unsheathed his knife and pressed it and his forearm up against the newcomer’s throat. In that instant, he recognized Shane.
“Whoa there, Psycho, I’m a friendly,” Shane rushed out in a harsh whisper.
Aaron kept his knife in place a moment longer before removing it and jamming it back in his boot sheath. He gave his companion a narrow-eyed glare. Mac’s cryptic words popped into his mind— “Check your own house.” Shane had been disappearing conveniently… But anyone they worked with was supposed to be vetted. Supposed to be…
“You got a bloody death wish there, Loverboy?” Les asked, a sharp vein to his usual calm demeanor.
“Sorry. Had a little trouble of my own,” Shane replied.
With the ventilation system down after the destruction of the bridge controls, the small hiding space grew warm and stuffy. The group of four sat facing each other, backs against the walls. Waiting. Though little over an hour since they’d barricaded themselves in, it might as well have been half the day.
“I wish we could see what’s going on,” Will said.
His father brushed sweat-soaked blond hair off the
young boy’s forehead. “Yeah, I do too.”
“How long should we wait?” Alex fidgeted and chewed at her lower lip. Restless images threatened to consume her thoughts. What’s happening out there?
Jimmy shook his head. “I don’t know. Aaron said they would come for us when it’s safe. Maybe we should—”
He fell silent as a rustling scuffed the panel above. A rattle and the top grate jiggled. Alex pulled her SIG from her back, aiming toward the grate. Jimmy shot her a glare of reprimand. He’d told her not to carry on board. Of course she hadn’t listened.
The grate popped open and swung on its hinge, and a dark form dropped landing almost silent in their midst. Alex kept the barrel of her pistol leveled at the newcomer.
“Crap!” Will exclaimed as they all recognized their new addition.
Alex sighed and lowered her weapon.
“Everybody okay?” Aaron glanced around to confirming nods. “Good. We’re gonna go.” In brief, he explained the current situation. “First though, we could use a few more weapons.” He nodded at Alex and locked eyes with her. “The rest still hidden in your room?”
She started, trying to blink away her surprise. “Uh… yeah.”
“Alex!” Jimmy exclaimed. “More?”
“Later. Right now it’s a good thing,” Aaron stated.
Jimmy quieted with a tight-lipped nod and looked away.
“You come with me.” Aaron motioned to Alex again. “The rest of you be ready to go when we get back.”
They crawled as soundlessly as they could a good distance through the narrow ductwork, past the crew quarters to the second guest compartment. Aaron held up a hand, signaling to wait as he peered down through the air grate. After a few moments of silence, he nodded back to her that all was clear and began unfastening screws. As he worked the last one, the grate gave way.
Lightning fast, his hand shot out and snagged it, thumb and forefinger just catching onto a corner. Under guarded breath, he pulled it back up into the duct and with care, laid it on the other side. He indicated for Alex to follow and he dropped down into her room.
Off the Deep End Page 6