A second ticked, then the latch clicked and buzzed, and Jerry stepped aside as Olive launched herself through the gap, colliding into his chest.He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him.Nothing in his life had ever felt as good as her at this very moment.He closed his eyes, blocking the world for one stolen beat, savoring the thunder of her heartbeat syncing with his, the simple, shattering truth that she was whole, here, breathing, alive.
They separated too soon, the press of duty clawing him back.He wanted to bundle her close, sweep her off to somewhere safe and sunlit, but they still had to contend with the island.“Who are your friends?”
Olive gestured first to the man in the officer’s crew uniform.He spoke up.“First Mate, Hao Jun.”
Jerry dipped his chin in acknowledgment.“Sir.Captain Ege has been worried for you.”
“I would like to know what has been going on with my ship,” Hao replied, his voice biting.
Jerry nodded once, his eyes locked on Hao’s.Something about the man’s tone raised his hackles.“Expect so.”
Olive nodded to the other man.He likewise spoke up.“Emanuel Ramirez.An engineer on the ship.”
The two men did not shake hands.Olive tilted her head then, her gaze snagging on the ugly groove scoring Jerry’s cheek where a bullet had nicked him.“Can I patch you up?”
Jerry did not like the way it clearly hurt her to speak.He wondered if she had lost teeth.Before he could tell her it was a minor wound, Sanders said.“Getting antsy in my pantsy, Jerry Maguire.We should move out soon.”
Jerry nodded and drew the guard’s pistol from his belt.He handed it to Olive.“Loaded,” he said.She nodded, performed a quick function check on the weapon, and held it ready.
Ibrahim approached from the corridor off the room they were in.“Rest of the area is secure, Top.”
“Daddy,” Jerry said into his comm, “we have Olive as well as two civilians.”
After a loaded pause, Peña’s voice came back.It almost surprised Jerry when Peña replied instead of Norton.He would have to get used to that moving forward.“Roger, Maguire.I read three civilians.Stand by.”
It struck Jerry as odd to think of Olive as a civilian.He didn’t think of her as a civilian, though in this context it fit.The line hummed with muted discussion—Peña and Norton’s low tones working logistics.Peña returned.“Bring them to the loading dock and regroup.We’ll consolidate everyone after we contend with the island.”
“Roger.”Jerry’s gaze found Olive’s, and he said another silent prayer of thanksgiving.“Let’s go,” he said.
Olive desperately wanted to ask Jerry a thousand questions, but she could feel an intensity radiating off of him that told her not to distract him right now.So, barefoot, packing a loaded QSZ-193 pistol, and feeling rather underdressed in a turquoise sleeveless dress with yellow and white flowers all over it, she followed him down the staff stairwell and into the bowels of the ship.
As they filed out of the brig, she pointed and said, “That’s Ming.He brought us here.”
It surprised her how much it hurt to speak, now.Her head throbbed as they moved, and her jaw hurt like nothing she had ever felt.
Jerry nodded and said, “We’ve met.”
While all the spaces occupied by the passengers had carpet, wallpaper, decoration, and elegance, this area of the ship had metal painted floors, white walls marred with scrapes and nicks, and harsh white LED lighting.Such a dichotomy between the two.
Bill Sanders led their group, Jerry stayed beside Olive, and they stayed behind the two men, while Jared Ibrahim covered their rear.At every intersection and stairwell, they paused while Jerry and his teammates took directions from someone named Heisman.
On the third deck, the corridor became very wide, double the width of the promenade.After a turn that took them toward the outer part of the ship, they went through a wide door and entered the loading dock.
The astringent smell of the ocean and gunpowder mixed with the citrus smell of explosives burned her nose.Some of Jerry’s team stood near Jorge Peña.She spotted Calvin Brock guarding some people contained by a pen made from crates, some wearing black fatigues and some in crew uniforms, all bound hand and foot.
She could not help but notice the long line of bodies covered by tablecloths.
Emma rushed toward her, wearing a golden gown, her hair pinned up in a French Twist, and also barefoot.High heels clearly were not the preferred tactical footwear.How odd they must look in their gowns among the ruins of battle.
“Olive!”
The women hugged.“We were so worried,” Emma said.
Olive chuckled.It hurt, but she managed, “Me, too.”
Hao cleared his throat.“I would like to get back to the bridge.Is there someone who can escort me?”
Jorge approached.“One moment, sir.We’re in touch with the Captain.Let me see what we can do.”
