A Deeper Blue
Page 35
"Hold onto this prick," Katya said, her accent back. "I've got things to do."
One of the many enhancements that the Americans had given her was a combat drug that enhanced speed, strength and reactions. Katya sent the mental command to start the drug as she performed the complicated finger twist necessary to get the poison sack in her palm opened.
As the first, nearly naked, guard charged her, she stooped and swept her fingernails upwards, ripping the man in the crotch and lower belly. As he continued forward she knelt and used his momentum to toss him over her head in the general direction of the bed. Of course, it was only the general direction so what he really hit was the side of the bed. With the back of his neck. The modified cobra poison became moot at that point.
That only left four more to take out.
No problem.
* * *
Yosif blew open the first door and entered the room as the guards started to react to the alarm. The shots weren't his usual precise three-round bursts. On the other hand, in those close quarters just spraying and holding the barrel down worked. Messy, but it worked. He tried hard, though, to get all the rounds into the bodies. The Kildar had been strangely insistent that the boat not get too shot up . . .
Kacey brought the Hind into a hover over the back deck and waited as Pavel's team slid down the fast-ropes, then she drifted sideways and checked the bridge of the yacht. The Hind had been in a hover just beyond the nearest island, waiting for the go word. It had only taken thirty seconds for her to fly to the yacht and begin dropping Pavel's team.
There were men moving on the bridge, obviously trying to get the yacht into motion. That wasn't part of the plan so she turned, slightly, bringing the doors around . . .
Lasko targeted the moving figures on the bridge and fired three rounds, nearly as fast as a machine gun would have fired. All three of the figures dropped, red splotches on the windows behind them.
"Bridge secure," Lasko said.
Stella swarmed up the side of the ship and headed for the computer center. She passed two small firefights on the way but didn't slow down until she skidded through the door of the room.
The Mexican intel manager was wrapped into a chair with about a mile of rigger tape and his mouth covered by it as well. But his eyes bugged out eloquently when the girl sat down at the computer and typed in his password.
"Let's see," Stella muttered. "Boat, Marathon, dollars . . . Ah, here it is . . . Keldara base," she continued, keying her throat mike. "I've got a lock on Gonzales' money transfer. The boat is docked at Ocean View Marina in Marathon with sixty-two million dollars onboard. It isn't shown as having left, yet. Does the Kildar want us to pass on the information, or keep the money for ourselves?"
Mike knocked politely, then opened the door to the "dungeon."
Katya was standing in the middle of the room, stark naked and covered in blood. Most of it had come, apparently, from one of the guards who was more or less hacked to death. Three others were twisted in positions that indicated she'd used the modified cobra venom in her fingernails on them. The stuff was a very close cousin to VX and had much the same effect. A fifth appeared to have broken his neck in a fall.
Anastasia was on the room's sole bed, holding Gonzales immobile in a full-Nelson. From the looks of it, one of his arms had been dislocated.
"Hello, Juan," Mike said, stepping into the room. "I'd like you to meet Katya Ivanova. And I'd like to formally thank her for not only wiring your boat to a fare-thee-well with electronic devices but also for giving us a full layout. It made taking it down so much easier."
"You're going to die for this, you pig," Gonzales said, struggling to break free. The dislocated shoulder made that rather hard, though.
"Yes, well, others have said that," Mike replied. "And here I am. I'm not much of a gloater but I'm going to tell you something and then I'm going to write it down and return it to your bosses, attached to your dead body. It's like this. You want to run drugs, you want to fuck around with your own government, you want to blow up Colombian civilians, that's your business. People like me most of the time just won't care. But you start helping terrorists get shit like VX into the U.S.? You help kill American civilians. Then we care. That's pretty much it. Oh, except for one thing. The lady who's holding you? My harem manager? Major league masochist. Comments, Stasia?"
"He can't whip as hard as you, Kildar," Anastasia purred. "And his dick is tiny."
"Another county heard from," Mike said. "And I promised a lady something. Katya?"
"Thank you, Kildar," Katya said, walking over to the drug smuggler. "I've been beaten and raped by the worst pimps on earth; you're a piker compared to them. But you like to get off beating on women, women who don't enjoy it. Just like the bastards that raped me so many times over the years. You like to watch? Watch this."
She drew back her hand and struck with middle and index fingers, straight into the man's eyes.
"Oops," she said as the screaming man began thrashing and Anastasia rolled him to the floor, "I did it again . . ."
Epilogue
"When I said 'can I go for a ride in your GT,' I sort of meant around Orlando," Heather said as Mike pulled into the parking area by the beach.
"What, you don't like the Bahamas?" Mike asked, turning off the car.
The estate had a small road that ran around the perimeter and up to the airstrip. Mike had used the latter for a brief demonstration of the GT's acceleration, but it obviously wasn't the ride the girl had hoped for.
"This car is hot," Heather replied.
"I know," Mike said. "It's unfortunate that where I live, there's not many places worth driving it."
"No, I mean it's hot," Heather said, opening the door. "Like, why'd you go and paint it black?"
"I like black," Mike said.
Heather's family, along with Lindsey's, had been surprised by the invitation to come visit a private island in the Caribbean. However, given that many of Orlando's attractions were closed for "renovation," they weren't going to look the horse too closely in the teeth region. Especially with a ride in a private jet thrown in. The man who'd invited them might have been . . . eccentric, but he was a fine host. And, what the heck, they all owed him their lives.
"Maybe I can drive you around Orlando some other time," Mike continued. "And I'll run the air conditioner."
"Okay," Heather said, heading for the beach. "Later."
"Later," Mike replied, chuckling.
He walked over to the beach chair by Will and flopped down.
"Thanks for inviting us down here, Mr. Jenkins," Will said uncomfortably. His hand, in a cast, was propped on the arm of the beach chair.
"You're welcome," Mike replied, looking out at the scene. The entire harem, most of the intel girls and about half the Keldara shooters were playing in the water while Vil and his team were offshore giving rides and racing each other. Even Dr. Arensky was down there, wandering in knee-deep water. Although, he seemed to be collecting specimens . . . . Vanner wasn't exactly disporting, just sitting in the water, holding Greznya's hand and talking with Master Chief Adams. But he was alive at least. "And it's just Mike, okay?"
"Okay . . . Mike," Will said. "It's right nice of you, though."
"I had my reasons," Mike said. "They're strange reasons, but very real. I sort of had an epiphany around the time that I dragged Lindsey out of the water. I think in a way that Lindsey saved me as much as the other way around. This is sort of a . . . resolution of that."
"Well, Lindsey's sure getting along with your daughter," the man said, waving to where Lindsey and Martya were splashing each other and giggling fit to die.
"Oh. Uhm . . ." Mike paused then shrugged. "Martya's not exactly my daughter. She's one of my . . . wards. I'm her guardian."
"Oh," Will said. "I'd wondered about you having so many kids. What about that one?" he asked, pointing at Tinata.
"Ward," Mike said.
"Those three?"
"Wards."
"That
one?"
"Oh, one of my . . . employees . . ."
"She looks . . . a little young . . ."
"Look, Will, just go with the flow," Mike said, accepting a beer from Britney as she walked by. The lieutenant was looking better as well. "Changes in latitude and all that."
"Yeah," Will said, obviously just a tad confused. "Nice boat, too. You doing renovations?"
Mike looked over at the yacht. The former White Line was undergoing an extensive paint job and some cosmetic work to its superstructure.
"Mostly cleanup," Mike said. "I live over by the Black Sea. I figure I'll drive her over there, use her to cruise around, you know? Maybe I won't have to rent a yacht. Next time."
He was wondering if he could manage to hang onto all the boats or if the U.S. government would insist on getting them back, when he drifted off to sleep in the sun.
To sleep, perchance to dream . . . .
Recommended Accompanying Music
Prologue
"Paint it Black," Rolling Stones
Chapter One
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars," Blue Oyster Cult
"Torn," Natalie Imbruglia
Chapter Two
"The Mob Rules," Black Sabbath
"Working in a Coal Mine," Devo
Chapter Three
"Twilight Zone," Golden Earring
"Don't Pay the Ferryman," Chris Deburgh
"Tears," Crüxshadows
Chapter Four
"The Envoy," Warren Zevon
"Flame," Crüxshadows
"Holding Out for a Hero," Bonnie Tyler
Chapter Five
"I Will Remember You," Sarah McLachlan
"My Lover's Gone," Dido
"On the Border," Al Stewart
Chapter Six
"Get this Party Started," Pink
"Fins," Jimmy Buffett
"Never Been Any Reason," Head East
"Fire and Rain," James Taylor
Chapter Seven
"Lawyers, Guns and Money," Warren Zevon
"Cheeseburger in Paradise," Jimmy Buffett
Chapter Eight
"Son of a Son of a Sailor," Jimmy Buffett
"Baby Hit Me One More Time," Britney Spears
"Welcome to the Jungle," Guns 'N Roses
Chapter Nine
"Changes in Latitudes," Jimmy Buffett
"Smuggler's Blues," Glenn Frey
Chapter Ten
"Sloop John B," Beach Boys
"Don't Let Me Get Me," Pink
Chapter Eleven
"Thunder Island," Jay Ferguson
"Year of the Cat," Al Stewart
Chapter Twelve
"Anchors A'Weigh," Various
"Cause I'm a Pilot," Dos Amigos
Chapter Thirteen
"Sand in Your Shoes," Al Stewart
"Margaritaville," Jimmy Buffett
"Dreamweaver," Gary Wright
"Danger Zone," Kenny Loggins
"Jungle Love," Steve Miller Band
Chapter Fourteen
"O Fortuna," Carl Orff
Chapter Fifteen
"She's the One," Bruce Springsteen
"On the Dark Side," John Cafferty and the
Beaver Brown Band
"In the Air Tonight," Genesis
Chapter Sixteen
"Eye of the Tiger," Survivor
"Immigrant Song," Led Zeppelin
Chapter Seventeen
"Dark Chest of Wonders," Nightwish
"Dragonfly," Crüxshadows
Chapter Eighteen
"Bat Out of Hell," Meatloaf
"Sidewinder," Avenged Sevenfold
Chapter Nineteen
"Halo Theme," Mjolnir Mix, Halo 2 Soundtrack
Chapter Twenty
"Planet Hell," Nightwish
"The Stranger," Billy Joel
Chapter Twenty-One
"The Ghosts of Reach," Halo 2 Soundtrack
"The Unforgiven," Metallica
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Mickey Mouse Club Theme Song"
Symphony Number Nine, Chorale,
Ludwig Von Beethoven
Chapter Twenty-Three
"Whip It," Devo
Chapter Twenty-Four
"The Stranger," Billy Joel
"O Fortuna," Carl Orff
"E Nomine," E Nomine
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson
"Vater Unser," E Nomine
"Going Under," Evanescence
Chapter Twenty-Six
"Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen
"Copperhead Road," Steve Earle
"Conquistador," Procol Harum
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"Theme from Harry's Game," Clannad
"Eye of the Tiger," Survivor
Chapter Twenty Eight
"The Last Spartan," Halo 2 Soundtrack
"Final Countdown," Europe
"Through the Fire and Flames," DragonForce
"Don't Fear the Reaper," Blue Oyster Cult
"Winterborn," Crüxshadows
"Bring Me To Life," Evanescence
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"The Masochism Tango," Tom Lehrer
"More Human than Human," White Zombie
"Holding Out for a Hero," Bonnie Tyler
"Oops, I did it again!," Britney Spears
Epilogue
"Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes,"
Jimmy Buffett
"Heart of a Dragon," DragonForce
THE END
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A Deeper Blue
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
Recommended Accompanying Music