Ray squinted his eyes to try to make out what she was pointing at. “I don't see it,” he replied as sirens began going off. Ray knew those siren sounds. “Incoming aircraft,” he whispered.
James, Chessy, Liam, and Rose also heard the sirens and began looking around at the flurry of activity of sailors running to secure gunning positions and ready aircraft.
“What the hell is going on!” Liam exclaimed.
“We have incoming!” one of the sailors yelled back as he ran past them.
“What? Where?” James looked towards the horizon to see the first wave of aircraft coming towards them.
“We have to get off the deck!” Rose yelled over the sound of aircraft on the deck starting up to launch. The four of them began running toward the stairs to go below deck, but their attempt was in vain as the first wave of bombs hit the carrier group. A bomb found its mark on the exact location of the four of them. Marie saw the entire attack, and as she re-steadied herself from being knocked down by the explosion, she saw Liam and Rose laying on the deck near where the bomb made impact, but no James or Chessy.
“No!” she screamed, jumping from the observation deck, landing on the main deck with a roll. Ray had also gotten to his feet to see Marie jump. Ray raced to the stairs to get down to his team on the deck. Marie steadied herself as the ship rocked from trying to laugh aircraft and compensate from the damage. Marie looked over to Liam and Rose, who were slowly getting up. Marie raced to the edge of the damage, where rescue crews were gathering to assess the damage and what they could do to help anyone trapped or injured by the blast. Marie pushed past them and looked over the edge. She saw Chessy about thirty feet down, desperately clinging to an unconscious James. His limp body barely sitting on the edge of a piece of metal decking. Chessy appeared trapped, but was calling for help and trying to pull James up to her. The rescue teams were starting to rig up a harness to a rope to lower help. Marie grabbed the rope from them. “Secure this, and when I call, pull me up.”
“You need to be harnessed in,” the man protested.
Marie ignored them and jumped from the deck, rope in hand. The men scrambled to secure the rope before she reached the rope’s limits. Marie landed almost ten feet lower than where Chessy and James were. “Shit!” she exclaimed as the rope tore at her hands, but her determination to save her son overcame any pain from the rope ripping open her hands as she climbed the roped up to where James was. Marie made it there and made eye contact with Chessy as she reached out to grab James.
Chessy still clung tightly. “He hit his back, and he won't wake up,” she wept.
Marie was able to get a grip on James. “Chessy let go. I have him.”
Chessy wouldn't let go.
“Chessy, I have him. I will get him to the top and come back for you. I promise,” Marie calmly ordered.
Chessy nodded, letting go as James fell into Marie's right arm. She used all of her strength to hold her two-hundred-pound son close to her. The awaiting crew members saw she had one of the injured and immediately started cranking up the rope. Blood ran from Marie's hand as it dug tighter into the rope to compensate for the additional weight. No matter how fast she healed, the wound would just rip back open. Once they got to the deck level, Ray, who had made his way to the scene, reached down to grab James to pull him up. Liam joined him and pulled James onto the deck.
Rose immediately went to his side, assessing his injuries. “What happened? What did he hit?” Rose yelled.
“His back,” Marie replied
“Get me a backboard and c-collar!” Rose yelled to the crew members.
“Lower me back down. I need to get Franchesca,” Marie ordered to Ray.
Ray did as he was ordered and released the safety latch, causing the rope to drop with Marie back down to Chessy's level. Chessy was still in the same spot. The ship rocked again. Chessy screamed as the debris shifted above her. Marie used the momentum to swing from the rope and land on the ledge James had been lying on. Marie grasped onto the metal bars sitting above Chessy and tied the rope to them.
“Are you able to move your legs?” Marie questioned, examining Chessy’s condition.
“Yes, it's my left leg that is trapped. I can't get it out,” Chessy cried
Marie knelt down and examined the bars holding Chessy's left leg. “I am only going to be able to lift them for a short time. I need you to scoot your leg out when I do.”
Chessy nodded.
Marie got a grip on the two bars holding Chessy's leg down. “On three. One...Two...Three.” Marie pulled with all her strength and was able to get the bar just high enough that Chessy was able to scoot her leg out. The impact of Marie dropping the bars shook the landing they were on. Both grasped onto the bars to try to keep from falling.
Chessy pulled herself up to a seated position and looked up at Marie. “Thank you.”
“Don't thank me yet. We have to get back up.” Marie reached down and pulled Chessy up. Chessy staggered. Her left leg was injured; blood was running down her calf from a gash in her blue uniform. Chessy winched from the pain, but grabbed onto Marie to steady herself. Marie untied the rope and handed it to Chessy. “Hold on tight.”
Chessy nodded, taking grip of the rope in both hands. Marie took hold of the rope only a few inches below Chessy and looked up at Ray, who was watching them closely. He knew they were ready and yelled for the men to crank them up. Marie felt the rope tearing open her freshly healed cuts, but held on with one hand, while keeping the other on Chessy's hands to make sure she stayed on. Blood dripped from Chessy's leg and soaked the rope, but Chessy never looked down. She was worried about James. As Chessy reached the deck, Ray reached down and helped pull her up. Chessy scrambled to her feet, but fell from the pain in her leg. She furiously crawled across the deck to James, who, by now, had been secured to a backboard and was ready to be transported to the medical center. Chessy threw herself over James, screaming his name. “Wake up, James! Please! Please, please!” she cried, touching his face.
“Chessy, we have to move him in. We have been out here too long already,” Rose pleaded, trying to pull Chessy off.
Suddenly, James' eyes opened wide. James gasped, “What the hell? Get me off of this thing.” James fought against the straps holding him to the board. Chessy just cried with joy, hugging him.
“James, hold still. You hurt your back. You are on it for your own safety,” Rose replied, trying to get James to stop.
“No, it's not. Now get me off this. I'm fine,” James replied, finally loosening the strap across his waist. Chessy unfastened the head strap and helped James get the chest strap free.
“Chessy, stop helping him!” Rose ordered.
James sat up and was finally able to hug Chessy. “I'm ok. Calm down,” he reassured her.
Marie watched the whole ordeal and did nothing. She stood by Ray.
“You knew he was going to be ok,” Ray whispered.
“I don't know what the fuck you are talking about,” Marie snapped back, moving towards the group. “Rose, calm down and take care of Chessy,” Marie ordered.
Rose's attention turned to Chessy, where she had just noticed the blood running down Chessy's calf. “Chessy, your leg.”
James let go of Chessy and looked to see her bleeding leg. “You're hurt!” he exclaimed, reaching down and tearing open the torn pant leg to reveal the deep gash on Chessy's left calf.
Rose instantly went to work, grabbing the first aid bag by her side and climbing over the backboard to apply pressure on her leg. “I can glue it, but I need my kit, not theirs,” Rose said, binding the wound with gauze and tape.
“Get them to the rest of the team and assemble our things. We are getting off this fucking boat,” Marie ordered, charging for the command center. James started to stand, but lost his balance slightly.
“Sorry dude, but you can't carry your girlfriend. You are not ok. I got her,” Liam interjected, taking hold of Chessy and picking her up.
“He's right. Even if
your back is ok, you were still unconscious and need to rest,” Rose added. James took off the c-collar and nodded his head.
“Let's go. We have orders.” Liam continued moving toward the stairs, Chessy in his arms.
Ray turned his attention to Marie, charging towards the command center. Ray raced after her, but another explosion caused by another bomb hit knocked him down. Marie was able to catch herself as the blast almost knocked her off the stairs, but she charged on. Marie burst through the command center door. “Get us the fuck off this boat, now!” she yelled at the Captain, who was quickly giving out orders and trying to coordinate the defense.
“I don't have time for you. Get to your quarters and let me do my job.”
“To hell with your job. If we go down with this ship, your country is screwed. Get us off this boat,” Marie sneered back.
“If I launch you on a plane, you will be a sitting duck for the attacking planes. Plus, it is daytime. You will never make it over Chinese airspace without being detected. Go to your quarters, now!” he barked back at Marie.
Marie had had enough and pulled one of her knives from the back of her uniform.
Before she could act, Ray burst into the room. “Activate the barracuda.”
“I'm sorry, the what?” the captain replied.
“You know full well what I am talking about. Now, do it.”
“Both of you need to get off this bridge, now.”
“Commander Raymond Clayton US Navy Seal Delta Echo Charlie nine seven two. Activate the Barracuda, now.”
“You don't have the authority to tell me what to do,” the captain replied.
“You know dam well I do. Do it now,” Ray ordered.
The captain grimaced as he walked to the control panel and put his key in the key slot and turned. “It’s active.”
“How many on board?”
The captain knew he was talking about other navy seals. “There are four.”
“Send them down there as well. They are coming with me.”
“Hold up. We are not taking anyone else with us,” Marie interrupted.
“You, shut up. You send them to the Barracuda,” Ray barked back. Ray grabbed Marie by the arm and drug her out of the command center.
Ray raced down the stairs, Marie now following behind. “Don't you ever tell me to shut up! Who are you bringing along?” Marie yelled.
“The four seal team members on board. The Barracuda is for them. I am not leaving them behind.”
“What is the Barracuda?” Marie continued.
“Our ride,” Ray replied as they approached the bunks where the team had assembled. Each had their bags on their backs, with the exception of Chessy, who was sitting on a bed, having her leg treated by Rose. “We gotta go. Follow me,” Ray ordered.
“Can she move?” Marie questioned Rose.
“The glue needs to set. I need her off it for at least the next couple of hours,” Rose replied, standing up.
Liam instantly moved to her side. “I got her.”
“No, I can do it,” James interjected.
“No, you can't. We are not having this argument. James, grab her bags. Liam, pick her up. We have to move now,” Marie ordered.
Each complied. They followed Ray as they descended further down into the lower levels of the ship. Blasts from the battle above regularly rocked the boat, but they continued on. At the depths of the ship, they came to a door with a control panel.
“It says Control Room. Why are we going in there?” Ping questioned.
“Because it's not.” Ray placed his hand up to the panel and waited for it to scan. It did, flashing blue that his hand print had been recognized. Ray pushed the door open and was greeted by four seal team members, quickly turning around and drawing their guns.
Lieutenant Davis recognized Ray first. “Commander Clayton?” he questioned, shocked.
“Yes, it's me. This is my new team. Guns down.”
They complied with Ray's order and stepped aside, making the Barracuda fully visible to everyone else.
“What the fuck?” Marie questioned, staring at the mini submarine in the shape of a barracuda in front of them, sitting in a pool of water.
“It can hold twenty-two, and we are just under that number. Guys, open it up. We need to get going.”
“Yes sir,” the four seals replied in unison. They moved to the hatch on the top of the deep blue submarine.
“Move it,” Ray ordered to the team, gesturing for them to follow the seals into the Barracuda. Bradley made it first, almost pulling Ping in with him. James was finally allowed to help with Chessy as Liam handed her to him inside the craft. Everyone else filed in after. Marie was last. She was not happy about the arraignment and hesitated getting in. Ray yelled at her, “Hello, you were the one so hell-bent on getting off this carrier; now get your butt in gear.”
Marie snarled at Ray as she climbed in after him. Ray secured the hatch and moved to the piloting area at the front of the craft. It was a simple submarine; places to sit lined the cabin, along with cargo areas above and below. Everyone had taken a seat, preparing for departure.
Marie had not; she was standing, hovering over Ray. “You know how to pilot this thing, right?” she condescendingly asked.
“Yes, now sit down,” Ray reassured her.
Marie didn't and continued to stand as she watched the front windows go deeper and deeper underwater.
Ray knew exactly what he was doing. He had done it before. Once clear of the carrier, Ray navigated the touch screen control panel, punching in the destination, then turned the chair around to face the very confused faces on his team, including the seals.
“Mind explaining this?” Marie snapped.
“What, the Barracuda?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a secret navy vessel, designed to be used to sneak in seal teams via waterways. It was a perfect escape device.”
“Where are we going?” Lt. Davis inquired.
“The original destination was just outside Beijing China, but I am pretty sure it is landlocked,” Marie condescendingly directed at Ray.
“That is why we are heading for Tanjin China. It's a little over 1000 miles from here, and going at the rate of 120 miles an hour, like this Barracuda can, we should arrive there in about...”
“Eight hours,” Dovia interrupted.
“So get comfy. We will be here for a while.”
“How do you plan for us to get from Tanjin to Ming's estate?” Marie asked.
“Well, international assassin, I'm sure you will figure it out,” Ray replied, tired of arguing with Marie.
Marie gazed around the room and could tell everyone was tired of her arguing as well. Chessy had fallen asleep during the argument and was resting her head on James' shoulder, her legs propped up on his lap. James had her wrapped in his arms.
“Poor thing, she lost a lot of blood, didn't she?” Bradley inquired.
“She's lucky to be alive,” Rose replied. “So are you.” She pointed at James. “I didn't see you fall, but she said you hit your back pretty hard and with enough force to knock you out.”
“I'm fine,” James replied, holding Chessy closer.
“She's right,” Chessy said, quietly waking up.
“That I'm lucky? Well duh,” James joked
“No, you should have broken your back. I can't believe you didn't,” Chessy replied
“Well, I obviously didn't, or I wouldn't be walking around just fine. I was just a little dazed; that's all.”
Chessy turned to glance at Marie, who was sitting near Ray on the floor of the craft, avoiding looking at the group. It finally dawned on Chessy. “It's because he did,” she directed at Marie.
“I think we just established that if I had broken my back, I wouldn't be doing all this moving around.” James laughed.
But Chessy would not waver, staring directly at Marie. “It's because he did.”
Marie wouldn't look back, but all eyes were on Marie, now.
“Noooo.” James tried to laugh again. “It can't be.” He released his grasp of Chessy and stared at his hands. “Can it?” he directed at Marie.
Marie's eyes were locked on the ceiling, but a single tear fell from her left eye. She nodded lightly.
“That's why you weren't worried at all about his back when you brought him up to the deck. Because you knew he would be fine, no matter what his injuries were,” Rose added.
“This is not possible. I was in the hands of people, until I was four, who would have monopolized on that if I could heal like that. I remember hearing them say I couldn't.”
Marie finally spoke, “That's not how it works.”
“Then how does it work?” Jasmine questioned, staring at her own hands.
“The ability lays dormant, until you need it, or your body thinks you need it. Who takes a header down a flight of marble stairs and walks away injury free?”
James gulped, “The fall at the museum.”
Marie nodded.
Jasmine looked up at Marie. “What caused yours?”
“Becoming pregnant. I guess that was a big enough shock to my body for it to become active and alter my DNA.”
Everyone was speechless. Jasmine was dying to know about herself. She couldn't remember the last injury she had or how bad it was. Jasmine pulled a knife out of her bag and before anyone could stop her, she sliced deep into her left arm.
“What the hell!” Greg exclaimed, grabbing her arm and putting pressure on the gushing wound.
“Let go. I need to know,” Jasmine protested, pulling back Greg's arm. Rose had already grabbed her medical bag from under her seat, prepared to help, but it wasn't needed. As Greg's hand was pulled back, to the astonishment of everyone, the wound was healing before their eyes.
James watched in shock and struggled to breathe as he watched the wound close. “Why didn't you tell us!” he screamed.
“The less you knew, the better. If they ever find out that you two are just like me, they will stop focusing on me and go after you two. It is a curse, not a blessing.”
Jasmine examined her newly healed arm with amazement. “We are invincible,” Jasmine whispered.
Jasmine (Teumessian Trilogy Book 3) Page 10