Z-Boat (Book 3): Z-End

by Robb, Suzanne

  "Pirates got him? Who the hell pirates with all this shit going on?" a man with tired eyes said.

  "I don't know, but get eyes on the surface, now. Jason's crew was unarmed. We aren't, which is probably why they didn't try to board us. That's going to change when they link up these two boats."

  "We can't let that happen. We can take on a couple of guys with knives," Daniel said, several men nodded in agreement.

  "You think so? Which ones are they? Did they get into the weapon stash below deck? Are there more of them watching from the ships above? If you can't answer any of those questions, we can't shoot just them. If they sink us here, we're dead."

  A rope from the other barge landed in front of them and Daniel tied it off. A metal bridge came up and over, spanning the twenty feet between them, and locked into place. They were close enough now that Jason's voice reached them.

  "Daniel and Greg, I need you to come over here and help me with something."

  "Who the hell is Greg?" Ally asked.

  "I am. He put me in charge before we left." A tall man with broad shoulders and deep blue eyes stepped forward.

  Ally tried to think why these two were selected. Bargaining chips? Maybe Jason told them Daniel was a Firm contractor, and his information could help gain control of the island if Firm security was still in charge. What about Greg?

  "What do you know? Did you work somewhere, or have special knowledge Jason would use as leverage to save his own ass?"

  The man's eyes twinkled when he smiled. "I was a sub mechanic for twenty years."

  The row of sub tops peeking out through the surface of the water came back to her and Ally realized they'd stolen her idea. Getting a submarine up and running was the ideal solution. The ability to stay on the move, no worry about outside forces catching you, and the newer subs had power sources that lasted for decades. In order to refit a sub, she needed to get to Midway. An added bonus, if true, was the new models were kept there, and she'd heard a three-man crew could run one with no problems.

  "Now we know what they want," she said.

  "Hey, come on guys. I need you over here." Jason's voice rose an octave.

  "What the hell do we do? I don't think these guys are the bargaining type," Daniel said.

  "We have to send them over, if we keep stalling they'll know something's up," Kevin said.

  "Fine, but I'm taking my gun." Greg slipped an M5 into his boot and walked toward the gangway.

  "I don't like this plan," Daniel said, shoving a knife in the sleeve of his jacket.

  Ally tried to smile. "You don't like any plans. I'll think of something, promise."

  Daniel crossed over to join Jason and Greg. They had another man with them she didn't know. When over a dozen dirt-covered men bolted out of hidden areas and shot half the crew on Barge One, no surprise registered on her face. When they beat the rest unconscious, she clenched her teeth.

  When they came toward Barge Two, she grabbed Sean and Amy. Dragging them behind, she ran down to the bottom section and went as far aft as the tiny hallways allowed. When she reached an area too small even for her petite frame, she pushed the two kids forward. She tossed in her bag after them.

  "Stay hidden, stay quiet. I'll come and get you when it's safe."

  "Ally…" Sean started.

  "Kiddo, I need you to do this for me okay? I promise I'll be back. Trust me."

  She backed away before he called her again. A few weapon crates were open, and she grabbed a small blade and matching wrist sheath, slapping one to her ankle. Another caught her eye, and she figured What the hell. Ally reached under her clothes and slipped it between her breasts.

  When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Kevin waited for her, a strange look on his face. "What are you doing? You left me."

  She gave him a sideways look. "I had to take care of something, let's get back topside." He glanced over her shoulder while she pushed past him.

  Back up top, she caught sight of Daniel going up a chain link ladder. Greg's legs disappeared over the side. The ship swayed with the tide, about fifty feet visible above the surface and well-guarded. They kept an eye on her barge. Part of her wanted to cut the ropes and make a run for it, but she couldn't do that to the others.

  Whoever these people were, they were organized, and they knew their way around the abandoned hulks of steel and rust. The zombies didn't pour off their edges like they did a few miles back, so the new occupants had cleared this area out and made camp.

  "They're on the move." Kevin pointed to the men crossing the bridge.

  The man in the lead wore a tattered pea coat and black cargo pants. "Put your weapons down. We're boarding."

  Jason's men took defensive positions. Ally tugged Kevin and crouched behind a low wall.

  "That ain't going to happen. I suggest you stop," an authoritative voice said.

  "Get ready for hell to rain down on you," the man in the pea coat said.

  Ally knew a gun fight would end badly for them. "Can't we talk about this?" she asked.

  "You don't speak for us. We're going to defend this barge from the likes of these fellers," the authoritative man said.

  She searched but couldn't find the man who spoke. The first shots came from the pirates, and two of Jason's men went down. All hell broke loose, metal splintered, sparks from ricocheting bullets filled the air. Men screamed in agony when a bullet found its mark. When the smoke settled eight pirates lay dead on the make-shift bridge, the rest were in retreat.

  Over half the men on her barge had bullet holes in them, most dead. The snipers on the ships hovering over them had the perfect vantage point. No one said anything for several minutes.

  "Whoever was talking about defending this barge…you still alive?"

  No one answered her. Hoping a low voice didn't carry to the pirates, she gave her orders. "Okay then, those of you who want to live, listen up. Get in positions their snipers can't hit, and don't take a shot unless you know it's going to stick. We can't defend this thing if we waste all our ammo."

  Kevin wrapped his hand around her wrist. "What are you doing? You aren't going over there are you? I can't lose you after everything I've…"

  She pulled her arm away. "Kevin, I need you to listen to me. I'm putting my life in your hands. Can I trust you with that?"

  "Of course." His face lit up with renewed purpose and he straightened while he listened.

  "I have to go over there and find out what they're doing. Right now, they want our supplies. Did you notice their weapons? They're old, all of them, probably taken from storage lockers on the abandoned ships. They won't blow us out of the water unless they have to."

  Kevin peered at the other barge where crates we're being brought up top. "But they'll have as many as us with all those."

  She smiled when one was opened and swearing and cursing could be heard across the distance. "Not really. Before we left, the guys who found out what barge I was on redirected a few containers so most of the guns and explosives were here."

  He looked at her with wide eyes. "How the hell did you manage that?"

  "They knew me, or at least they knew of me. A lot of them were friends with my old crew, and they trust me to do what it takes to keep them alive."

  "Wow, Jason'll be pissed."

  "Let him. Now, listen."

  Ally explained her plan, and then with hands raised and a smile on her face, walked over to the other barge. They checked her over, removing her pistol. They patted her down, finding the blade strapped to her ankle but missed the other two, on her wrist and between her breasts.

  "What do you want?" Pea Coat asked.

  Up close, Ally saw several gaps in his teeth. Body odor made her wrinkle her nose. She held out a hand to introduce herself, but let it fall back to her side when he made no move to accept it.

  "I'm Lisa. I wanted to make sure my friends were okay. Can I see them?"

  His eyes crawled over her and she had to resist the urge to punch him.

  "What the
hell they send you over for, none of them man enough?" he said in a voice loud enough for the others to hear.

  Ally hunched her shoulders and looked anywhere but his eyes. "I-I don't know. They said it would be okay if I came over because I can't do much else until systems are back up."

  The man laughed. "I can think of a few things you can do for me. Hold on."

  He yanked on the chain, making a rattling sound that echoed in the empty body of the ship next to them. Ally heard a faint noise but couldn't place it.

  "What do you want, Gary? Boss is busy," yelled a man leaning over the railing above them.

  "I got someone who wants to check on her friends. Thought the boss might like her. And she works with systems," Gary said.

  "Let me check."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Ally absorbed detail after detail around her. Twelve pirates armed with mediocre weapons. A dozen men at the bow in restraints. The man in front of her was confident; whatever they planned, he didn't think anything would go wrong. She needed to know if his faith was in his boss or his own arrogance.

  "Send her up, boss man said he could use a distraction."

  Ally did as Gary said. She walked to the edge and then jumped and grabbed onto the chain ladder. She pulled her way up, glad she'd worn gloves. When she neared the top, a hand yanked her over. The deck was smeared with blood in a few areas and several guns pointed at her.

  "Hi." She tried to look innocent as she got to her feet.

  "Get up, watch where you step."

  Ally followed the man down a large open area. The ship must have been a carrier of some kind in its past life. Now it held a rag-tag crew of pirates. They kicked the fallen bodies of a few snipers off the side, replacing them with others.

  The man knocked on a door and shoved it open when a muffled voice yelled from behind. He pushed her inside by the elbow. Jason's nose was gushing blood, and Daniel's healing cuts from his torture with Jerry's people had all reopened. Both men sat on the floor, avoiding her gaze.

  Behind a stained metal desk sat a young man with an amused look on his face. Ally didn't think he could be more than twenty years old. Something about him seemed familiar.

  "You must be Lisa. Nah. You're Ally. Brian spoke highly of you."

  Her eyes must have registered shock, because the man spoke up quick.

  "I'm Steve, and no need to be afraid. Your skills will be of great use to me. I need a submarine pilot." He smiled at her, but she didn't believe him for a moment. In the back of her head, memories stirred about Brian, the former captain of the Betty Loo.

  "If we have nothing to worry about, why are they on the floor and bloody?" She pointed to the two men on the ground.

  "Gentlemen, would you like to explain?"

  Daniel explained in a clipped voice that he and Jason came to blows over something Steve had said. No matter how many times she asked, they wouldn't tell her what it was that set them off.

  "As I was saying, Ally, you have nothing to fear from me. I know the men out there are a bit... rough around the edges, but they're good people."

  "Right, that's why they fired on a barge full of innocent and unarmed folks?"

  Steve shook his head. "I'm sorry that happened, and you should know those were not my orders. The men who participated in that have been executed."

  Ally recalled the smears of blood and wondered if the man across from her was telling the truth. The fact he knew Brian didn't mean he could be trusted. Most of the people her old captain had crossed paths with had had good reasons to hate him.

  "Ally, what can I do to make you trust me? Or at least ease your apprehension?"

  She didn't like the way he spoke. Formal. Educated. Firm. "How did you know Brian? I don't recall him being cozy with Firm people."

  A flicker of something crossed the Steve's face, but it was gone before she could identify it. He stood and walked around the side of his desk, stirring the sense of familiarity in her again. He leaned his right hip against it and the resulting groan of metal made her wince. Ally waited for the desk to fall into a heap.

  "I did work for a Firm, the Russians. In return, they offered me an education. Only a fool would pass that up. I used the knowledge gained to help people, and Brian was one of them. He often needed repairs he couldn't afford. I paid for them."

  Ally laughed. "Right. And why the hell would you do that?"

  "I could hardly say no to my father."

  The comment had the desired impact. Ally had no response, but it did explain why he seemed so familiar to her. She'd never had personal chats with people. All she knew was Brian had three kids. He never gave their names or ages. She searched his face for some sort of sign he was lying, or maybe for family resemblance. Nothing.

  "I'm supposed to accept that at face value? How did you end up working with a Firm, never mind the one that sent Brian and the rest of the crew on a suicide mission?"

  Steve reached into a pocket and pulled out a small bit of metal. He tossed it to Ally and she caught it. The item in her hand lit up revealing a family portrait. Brian's stern face and deep set eyes were hard to miss. Beside him sat an infant, fair-haired like the woman staring down at him, a smile on her face.

  "Brian had three kids…where are the others?"

  Steve reached over and took the image from her hand. He slipped it into his pocket and crossed his arms. "He met my mother on shore leave twenty-five years ago in a Russian-run port. They didn't date, but were close in other ways, out of sight of prying eyes. My mother came from a good family, but didn't have the means to support me. Some nice people took me in and discovered I had a natural aptitude with machinery. Brian tried to come and get me, but it was too late. By the time he'd found out what my mother had done, I was with the Firm. That's where his hate comes from…came from."

  Ally let the information sink in. Everyone hated the Firms and what they did. Brian did at times seem to have a personal vendetta, but she chalked it up to frustration or a salvage gone bad.

  "It doesn't make sense. Why didn't he talk about you when you were older and safe? Why didn't you stop them from sending him to his death?"

  Steve moved to a small round window. "That mission was going to happen, with your crew, no matter what I did. You know that as well as I do. I did try and warn him. A friend sent a file of the SOS to me. I sent it to our guy who went on the mission. In the end, it didn't matter."

  Ally rested her hand on the back of a chair and stumbled when one of the legs gave out. Steve helped her catch her balance. She didn't want to think about what she'd lost. Thoughts of Brian led to thoughts of Marcus, which made her sad and angry.

  "Did you know what was going on? Is that how you were able to save your ass?" She moved toward him, thoughts of vengeance on her mind.

  "I knew something was wrong, we all did. When I heard the Betty Loo had exploded, I hightailed it here with some friends. Brian told me about this place."

  He returned to his seat. Fatigue, or the emotional toll of talking about his father, made him look older, and for an instant she saw Brian. Did this mean she was responsible for Steve, too? It was the least she could do for the man who'd saved her life, but looking around, she wondered what kind of man Steve had become.

  "What are you doing here?" Ally asked, tired of talking.

  "Same thing as you. I want to get a sub from port, or at least near port, and find a place to stay."

  Ally scratched her head as she thought. "I saw a lot of open hatches on the way here. What was wrong with those boats?"

  Steve leaned back in his chair. "All sorts of things, but it all boiled down to the damage being too severe to fix."

  "So you want to go to Midway to get one that's still in port, if there is one." She stared down at Daniel and Jason. "What the hell are you two doing?"

  Steve chimed in. "They had a minor disagreement when I invited them inside. I told them to work it out."

  Ally didn't like the glances between the three men. She felt like she was m
issing something important and wanted to change the subject. "So you board ships, kill people, take those useful to you. What happens to the rest?"

  Steve met her gaze and didn't flinch. "They can do what they want."

  Ally knew a lie when she heard one. This guy didn't play fair on any level and she doubted he'd let the others go on their way. Putting her faith in Kevin, she put her theory to the test.

  "Good. Then I want to go back to my friends. You can carry out your plans without me."

  The corner of Steve's eye twitched and she saw Daniel and Jason whip their heads around to look at her.

  "I said the others could do what they want, but you I need. You're the best submarine pilot I could ask for."

  "Not interested. I have my own plans." She straightened with arms crossed.

  Steve's mouth tightened into a thin line. "You have to know following me will be better for you and your friends. You'll be safe with me."

  Ally shook her head. "I have heard every line a guy could possibly think of in an apocalyptic situation, and 'you'll be safe with me' is pathetic. I'm not staying with you, so deal with it. Let me go."

  Steve sighed. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I hoped we could have worked together."

  The guard dragged her out, followed by Daniel. Jason couldn't meet her eyes as he shook hands with Steve. Ally found herself maneuvered down stairwells covered with more and more rust. Each stepped creaked under her weight and she awaited her plummet into the twisted metal below.

  After several minutes, the man leading her turned and frowned. "You should have gone along with him. He's a good guy, wants to help people."

  "Why am I down here, then?"

  "It's how he makes examples to the others. He's a kid, so a lot of people don't take him serious."

  "I'm sure whatever awaits me will change my opinion of him."

  The man spun a wheel and a hatchway protested at being opened. She gagged at the rancid smell drifting out of the room. Once she was inside, Daniel tumbled in after her and the door shut. She felt around for something, anything that would help. The walls were slick with slime and once the echo of the man's footsteps were too faint to hear, something else made her ears perk up.