Jerry joined the others in filling his pockets with shotgun shells.He strapped a Benelli to his back, the canvas strap digging into his shoulder through the thin shirt.He slipped the pistol into his belt against his lower back and gripped the rifle in front of him.He didn’t think he ever appreciated the straps, holsters, fasteners, pockets, and compartments of his uniform and gear more than this very moment.
“Coppertop,” Peña said, sounding a bit pained, “Jerry Maguire, Pot Pie, Hobbes, you four make your way to the main dining room—quietly—and rappel down to deck three.Then take the kitchen stairs to deck one.I’ll take the others through the back stairs.When we get into the flanked position, we’ll signal and go in full force.Put them on the X.No need for quiet, then, just surprise.Make a lot of noise when we hit.”
Jerry nodded.“Roger that.”
“Hoo-ah,” Sanders uttered sarcastically, imitating the Marine Corps motivational saying.
“Guys,” Peña said.“Make it hurt.”
The corpse of Baptiste Dumas lay in the corridor outside the ship’s armory.Marie knelt next to the still-warm body, examining the shots to the head and the chest.She checked his pockets.He still had a radio, but no weapon, no extra ammunition.
“Still warm.”She looked up at Ming, indicating how close together the entrance wounds were and their precise locations.“Obviously professional.”
He grunted and nodded but did not reply.
They turned the corner and stopped short.The Cybertruck from the casino raffle sat unmoving in front of the armory door, the doors open, lights still on.
They approached the open armory door with caution, guns out and ready.Marie hugged the wall next to Ming.He went in first, then came back out again, shaking his head.She could smell the gunpowder.
“What is going on?”she asked.She went into the armory and saw the other three bodies, the open security area, and the empty gun cabinet.
A very uneasy feeling wormed its way through her core, spreading up into her chest, making her heart race, her vision tunnel, and her mouth go dry.
She cautiously made her way back into the corridor.“Something is very wrong.Get an update from Ying Yue.”
Ming unclipped the radio from his belt and spoke in Mandarin to the MSS operative tasked with bringing the wedding guests to a waiting tender.After several seconds, she replied.Marie waited for Ming to translate.“She says there are more hostages than they thought, and it’s taking longer than it should.”
She stared at Ming with narrowed eyes.“That’s what she said twenty minutes ago.”He gave a single stiff nod.“Challenge her.”
He spoke rapidly.Again, the reply took much longer than they’d expected.“I asked if she was Li Hua.She said yes.”
A sharp headache appeared behind her eye.She rubbed her temple.What to do?“We need eyes.”
Ming switched the channel on the radio and spoke into it.After about thirty seconds, he spoke again.
Marie shook her head.“We can’t wait here.Let’s go see.”
“That could be dangerous.”
“What other option do we have?”she snapped.
They took the staff elevator up to Deck Eleven, moving with more caution than before.They exited the elevator with weapons at the ready.They paused at every juncture, fingers on triggers, peeking around corners before going forward.Outside of the comms door, blood spatter covered the bulkheads, and the carpeted deck had two big blood stains.Marie reached over and tried to turn the door handle.It didn’t budge.
She rubbed her temple.“We need to speak with Hao.”
Ming shook his head.“That is against protocol.”
She grabbed the front of his shirt.“What does it matter now?”
They slipped down the passageway and went around the corner, then paused at the reinforced bridge door.Marie used her fist to tap a code out on the door.Seconds later, Hao Jun stepped aside on the threshold, his lean frame clad in his crisp white uniform, epaulets glinting under the bridge’s lights.
His sharp eyes swept the empty passageway behind them before he pulled the door shut with a decisive steel thunk.
“You two take great risk in coming here, Marie,” he murmured, his voice low and edged.
She reached up without hesitation, her palm cupping the warm plane of his cheek, thumb brushing the faint stubble there as she drew him down for a kiss.“We have a problem,” she whispered against his lips, pulling back just enough to search his eyes.
Hao arched a brow, a sardonic curl touching the corner of his mouth.“How could we have a problem when your brother so carefully arranged everything in his uniquely overbearing way?”
