“One down,” Hillary said.
“Not out of the woods yet,” Storm said and led her back through the door.
CHAPTER 21
Mako’s heart jumped into his throat when he heard the door open. Fortunately the desk was in an alcove and not visible from the door. Carefully he closed the cover of the laptop and went for an open closet door. Just as he closed the door, he heard voices outside.
“I just got a message from one of my connections that the American’s NSA office has issued an alert,” a woman said.
He cracked the door. Mei Li and Cyrus stood only feet away.
“Our timeline has already been accelerated as much as I dare. The army will barely be ready to receive the material,” Cyrus replied.
“Those cases need to get to your country before they can be identified as coming from China. That was the deal. We are dealing with you, not those crazed ayatollahs currently squandering your dreams of an empire,” Mei Li said.
“We are en route to Venezuela, where I will disembark and fly directly to Iran. The material will be secure within twenty-four hours.” He paused. “And what of the spies onboard? I thought you and your daughter had that under control.” There was a heavy emphasis on “daughter.”
“She’s your daughter too. Maybe her instability comes from the Persian blood.”
“Enough of this. You insisted on raising her in China. She doesn’t even know I am her father,” he said.
“And that is for the best,” Mei Li replied. “Unless, of course, this succeeds. Then she is in line for the succession, as we agreed.”
Static from a radio interrupted them. Mei Li fumbled with the controls until the voice came in clearly, and Mako heard the distressed report. “We have trouble. One of the tenders was cut loose with a crewman in it.”
“Go back for him,” Cyrus said.
“No. We must keep our course,” she replied. “I am going to see what is happening.” She turned away to leave.
“Wait! My laptop is gone!”
Mako froze, the computer clutched under his arm. He hadn’t meant to take it, just the data, but here it was.
“Are you sure it is not in the upper salon?” Mei Li asked.
Mako prayed for a miracle and got it. He heard them leave and cracked the door wider, carefully observing the stateroom before leaving the cover of the closet. He looked down at the desk, thinking for a moment about replacing the computer, but changed his mind. Cyrus already knew it was gone. Without Alicia’s help, there was no time to parse the drive and find what he was looking for, even if he was capable of doing it. And he had no way of contacting her now.
With the computer under his arm, he stayed against the wall and slid toward the door. Peering into the empty passageway, he took a deep breath and ran to the stairs. The helipad was two levels above him, and he stopped suddenly at the landing. Footsteps echoed, and he waited to see which direction they were coming from. He heard a grunt below him and ran up to the next deck, where he looked out at the swimming pool and saw several figures huddled against the rail. They must be watching the tender. He took advantage of the distraction and ran toward the stern and up the final flight of stairs to the top deck.
The top deck was empty, and he ran for the helicopter, where he stashed the laptop under a mat in the cargo compartment. Now he had to find Hillary and Storm.
***
“What are you doing?” Hillary asked Storm.
He had made a sudden stop on the way from the boat launch and entered the engine room. Tools were scattered across the floor, but the room was empty. Apparently the search for them was more important than repairing the damage he had done earlier. It hadn’t had the effect that they had hoped for anyway, but this time, now that they knew he was onboard, there was no need for stealth. Grabbing a pair of channel lock pliers, the biggest tool present, he started pulling and hacking at the exposed wires.
“Find those blasted alarms,” he yelled to Hillary.
He continued the destruction, stopping only for a second as the first alarm sounded.
“Here!” she called from across the room.
He went to her and with the jaws of the pliers pulled several circuit boards from their homes. The alarms stopped. Suddenly the deck lurched under his feet, and he knew he had achieved success. The boat was out of control, yawing in the seas.
Still holding the wrench, he looked behind to make sure she was following before leaving the room with her in tow. He ran down the passageway toward the stairs. By his count there were five more crewmen, including the captain, and Mei Li, Mei Lan and Cyrus aboard. He gripped the wrench and climbed the first flight of stairs, expecting to meet resistance any second.
Just as they made the first landing, he ran head-on into a uniformed man. From the bars on his epaulets, Storm assumed it was the captain and he stopped. The man had a panicked look on his face, clearly not wanting a confrontation—just wanting to save his ship. But Storm didn’t want the ship to be saved. He cocked his arm and with as much of a controlled effort as he was capable smashed the wrench into the man’s forehead.
They left the body where it was, the need for stealth totally gone now. He started up the next flight of stairs but lost his balance as the ship was flung sideways by a large wave. Without her thrusters and rudder, she was at the whim of the seas, which would easily turn her beam to the waves, making capsize a real possibility.
Storm knew it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. They were on the third level now, with two more to go. He stopped and waited for his breathing to slow, listening for any pursuit. Footsteps came from above, more than one man by the sound of them. A quick look around showed nowhere to hide. Storm pushed Hillary into the passageway and ducked down the lower flight, trying to surprise them. He could hear the footsteps right above now and he crouched down, waiting.
Suddenly the first man was around the corner and facing him. Storm ambushed the man, swinging the wrench wildly and catching him full in the head. Blood shot from the wound, and he instinctively ducked to avoid it, but the other man was still coming and he needed a more substantial weapon. He rolled the downed crewman on his back and found the gun holstered at his side. Removing it and an extra clip, he slid the mechanism and chambered a round.
The next man saw him, and it looked like an old-fashioned shootout with both men drawing weapons at the same time. But just as he was about to shoot, Storm saw a leg sweep out of the passageway and the man came flying toward him. “Thanks for that,” he said. He checked him for weapons, removing another gun from the downed man and pulled a handful of cable ties from his pocket.
“Bind them,” he said, tossing them to Hillary.
Hillary caught them and went to the men, fighting to place the narrow plastic into the slot when another large wave threw her off balance. Finally, she nodded to Storm that the job was done.
The body count was now four, but the most dangerous were still at large. Down to two crewmen, the women and Cyrus, Storm started up to the next deck, but before he could reach the landing, shots fired, ricocheting off the steel stairs. He grabbed Hillary and they huddled together in the passageway while he evaluated the threat.
There was at least one man coming down the stairs. He leaned into the stairwell and fired two shots before ducking back. “The exposed bulkhead on the port side by the sun deck,” he told Hillary. “Climb it.” The decorative openings the architects had placed could be used as a ladder. “Go for it, I’ll cover you. Find Mako and get the chopper ready.” He fired another shot to hold off the pursuer, glancing back to check her progress. She reached the structure, and he waited until she had started up, easily grasping the openings, before firing another shot and running down the stairs. Now that she was close to the helicopter, he needed to find the cases.
Reaching the next level, he waited, trying to determine where they would stash the valuable cargo. There was no way the cases would be in a storage hold. If he knew Mei Li, they were close. A deck
plan was posted by the exit from the stairwell, and he went to it, fighting off the wave of nausea brought on by the heaving ship as he tried to read the small plan. He located the staterooms on the next deck and ran down the stairs, using his momentum to pull himself around the corner before his pursuer saw him. Hopefully he would think Storm was heading for the speedboat and continue down.
He found himself in a garishly decorated passageway with doors on opposite sides and a larger ornate one at the end. Assuming that to be Cyrus’s, he went to the port-side cabin and with the gun extended opened the door. The room was empty, and he quickly searched the cabin. He knew right away it was one of the women’s, and from the style of clothes figured it to be Mei Lan’s. After a cursory look, he ran across the corridor to the other room.
The door was ajar. It was too late when he realized it had been closed when he first looked. He pushed it open only to find a gun pointed at his head.
“Well, John Storm, we meet again,” Mei Li said.
***
Mako froze when he heard the gunshots below him. He listened and peered around the glass-enclosed cockpit for any sign of pursuit. Seeing none, he left the cover of the helicopter and ran across the exposed deck to the stairs leading to the lower decks. Before he hit the first tread, he pulled himself back. More shots fired, and he retreated back toward the helicopter. The top deck had little for cover, only an open-air bar with a cantilevered roof above, and several deck chairs. Just that and the helicopter. He almost fell when the boat yawed on the crest of a large wave, the motion accentuated this high above the seas. Chancing a look over the side, he knew the ship was rudderless, her length parallel to the large wind-driven swells. The wind whipped his hair around, and he turned to the helicopter. This was their best chance to get out of this mess, but if he was caught up here, there was a chance it could be damaged and the laptop found. He needed to find Storm and Hillary.
Not wanting to risk the stairs, he leaned over the edge of the deck and saw Hillary climbing toward him. He held up a hand and motioned that he was coming down. She stopped and started descending the fiberglass wall. When she was close to the deck, he started after her. Together they huddled against the exposed bulkhead.
“Where’s Storm?” Mako asked.
“Went to draw them off and find the cases,” she said, trying to catch her breath.
They stood looking at each other, and he felt an awkward sensation with her eyes focused on him, something he had never felt before. Not wanting to deal with his feelings right now, he looked away, trying to figure out what to do. From somewhere within him came the desire to keep her safe.
“I’ll find him. You go on up and get the helicopter ready,” he said and instinctively reached for her. He hadn’t meant to do it, but she fell into his arms and their mouths met.
A gunshot startled them, and they broke the embrace, both realizing that they had gotten lost in the moment. Another shot fired and Mako urged her up. Once she started climbing, he turned to the stern, the direction he thought the shots had come from. The decks tapered back with each level, and he could clearly see the edge of the boat launch.
CHAPTER 22
It was a standoff, Mei Li and Storm standing only feet apart with guns pointing at each other, both knowing the other wouldn’t hesitate to shoot. Storm felt the emotion of their history flood through him, and from the look in her eyes he suspected she was going through the same thing.
“Where is it?” Storm demanded. “Even you know this is crazy. Iran with a nuke is no good for anyone.”
“It will no longer be Iran. Once Cyrus has the power, it will be Persia again—in all its greatness,” Mei Li said.
“King of Kings—yeah, I know my history,” Storm said, scanning the cabin for the cases.
“They are not here. Do you think we would be so foolish to leave them on the ship?”
Storm stared at her, trying not to let the frustration show on his face. The trip to Jost Van Dyke had been a ruse, designed to draw them away from the uranium. He could only hope that Mako’s capture and his work to disable the ship had accelerated their timeline. The cases might still be in the area, and if he played this right, they would lead him to the cache. He was so focused on his rival that he had forgotten his tradecraft for a second, and it had cost him. Instead of sidestepping away from the doorway when he entered, he had left his back exposed. The cold steel of the barrel pressed against the back of his head.
“Drop it,” Cyrus said.
Storm hesitated, but knew he had no choice. The only way to find the uranium was to stay alive. As much as he would have liked to take Mei Li into the fires of Hell with him, he dropped the gun.
“Go ahead,” Mei Li said. “There’s no reason to keep him alive.”
“And ruin the carpet? Tie him up. I have an idea to use him to lure out the other one,” Cyrus said.
Mei Li lowered her weapon, giving Cyrus a clear shot at him. He tried to remember everything he could about the Iranian, calculating whether he would really pull the trigger. There was no doubt Mei Li would have shot him, but his gut told him Cyrus wouldn’t. But he had been wrong before. The decision was made for him when the yacht rolled again, throwing all three off balance.
Storm felt the wave and anticipated the reaction. He braced himself for the initial thrust, knowing in just seconds the ship would roll back the other way as it settled into the next trough. He felt the yacht pause, and just before it slid back, he grabbed the gun on the floor and went for Mei Li. He stayed low, attacking hard and fast, before she could regain her balance. Her leg buckled backwards as she fell, and he felt a bone snap as she screamed in pain. Seizing the moment, he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back.
He had to restrain himself from shooting her right then for all the trouble she had caused him over the years, but he restrained himself. “Where are the cases?” He stared at Cyrus.
The dull orbs didn’t respond. “Go ahead and satisfy your bloodlust. I no longer need her.” He turned and ran from the room.
The ship yawed again, but this time Storm was taken by surprise, and he felt the sharp bone of Mei Li’s elbow slam into his rib cage. Stunned for a second, he released her. She went for the door, but stumbled, screaming in pain. Hopping on one leg, using the wall of the corridor for support, she tried to follow Cyrus, but Storm regained his footing. Cyrus was right—she was of no use to either of them—and in a fit of rage, he aimed and fired. She fell to the deck, blood spraying from the wound. It was ironic, he thought, that the crimson blood was invisible, swallowed by the garish carpeting and wallpaper. Slowly he rose to his feet and looked down at her, feeling a strange kind of remorse for killing her. She had become so familiar to him over the years that her death took a part of him with her.
Shaking off the feeling, he rose and went after Cyrus. The passageway was empty, but he suspected he knew where the man was going. Stepping over a body, he entered the stairwell. There was no need for caution with the crew dispatched, and he flew down the stairs. At the bottom of the second flight, he saw Cyrus round the corner and enter the hatch leading to the boat garage. He aimed to take the speedboat and escape.
Storm had a clear shot as Cyrus ran ahead of him, but he stopped short of pulling the trigger. He needed him alive if he was to find the uranium. The encryption code was important, but without the threat from the weapons-grade material, it was useless. Let Mako deal with that, he thought.
A shot fired, causing him to flinch as he entered the hatch leading to the launch area. He needed Cyrus alive if he was to recover the material, but the opposite was not true. Cyrus fired again, and he felt something hot burn his shoulder. Blood trickled out of the wound, but he forced himself to ignore it. Cyrus climbed aboard the speedboat and started the engines. The transom was already lowered, and the tie downs were released from the boat. Storm fired, but a wave threw him off balance and the rounds went wild.
The shots caused Cyrus to pause, giving Storm enough time to grab the bow r
ail. His shoulder burned, and his feet dragged through the water as the hydraulic lift dropped the boat into the water. Cyrus jammed the engines into reverse. They whined as he accelerated, and the propellers grabbed water, pulling the boat out of his grasp.
There was nothing Storm could do to stop him; he could only watch him grin as he spun the wheel, turning the boat back toward land. Storm braced himself and aimed for the engines. Another wave hit just as he shot, disrupting his aim, but he recovered, and with his belly on the steel deck, he extended the gun with both hands in front of himself. He evened his breath and waited for the yacht to reach the crest of the next wave. Slowly, the stern raised as the bow fell into the trough, and he aimed down at the engine cowlings.
Facedown on the deck, Storm watched as Cyrus turned and pushed the throttles forward. He had only seconds before the boat would be out of range, and he took advantage of the prone position he found himself in. Placing both hands on the gun, he aimed and fired two quick rounds at the engines. Without waiting to see if one had hit, he jumped into the inflatable Zodiac and released the bow hook. With its twin already gone, the boat slid into the water and he fired the engine. Slamming the throttle forward, he spun the wheel, nearly missing the yacht, and sped after Cyrus.
***
Mako watched the speedboat pull out with Cyrus at the helm. He wondered where Storm was, but knew his first priority was the escaping boat. He turned around and went for the stairs, reaching the top deck at the same time as Hillary. Together they ran toward the helicopter. This high off the water, the wind was whipping, adding to the effect of the seas pushing them sideways across the deck. They fought against the gusts to reach the helicopter, and Hillary yelled at Mako to remove the tie downs.
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