by G. E. Stills
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The Polav sailed from the port in Venezuela with a full load of fuel. The sting of Shahan’s conference with his superiors still hurt. They were not happy with the present situation and had expressed as much in no uncertain terms. “Sir,” Captain Atish broke into Shahan’s dismal thoughts with his com call. “We’re receiving the locator signal again. The Seeker is not moving.”
Shahan sat up at the Captain’s announcement. “How soon will we be in weapons range?”
“At full speed it will take about an hour.”
“Good. Bring the weapons to bear as soon as we’re in range. Bring the Polav to a stop when we are a kilometer distant. I will contact the Seeker and go from there.”
“Yes sir,” Atish said.
Shahan thought about what he had learned from the pirates. Much of what the two remaining captives told him, Shahan attributed to the exaggeration of uneducated minds. There was no way these women could draw such powers from within their bodies. There must be some external source.
Although the weapons these women employed were awesome, especially the fire and lightning, they appeared to be ones used at close range. At least he was relying on that being the case. From what he had been able to determine from the spy cam the Seeker had a total compliment of seven or eight.
On the other hand the Polav had missiles and three 76 millimeter cannons. Along with the ships weapons he had a crew of fifty well-armed men.
Shahan went to the bridge when the Polav stopped. “Contact them,” he ordered.
“Seeker this is frigate Polav off your port bow. Answer on this frequency,” Captain Atish said.
“This is Captain Tomas Parker of the Seeker. State you needs.”
Shahan grabbed the microphone. “What I need Captain Parker is for you to shut down your engines and put the person in charge on, the woman with silver-blue hair. Failure to comply with my wishes will cause me to sink your ship.”
A moment later a woman came on. “This is Kat. Who are you and what do you want?”
“Who we are is unimportant at this time. For now I want to talk to you. I know you have the ability to throw lightning from your fingers and a black woman over there can cast fire. The other two women on your ship have abilities too. I want to talk about these capabilities of yours. This is what is going to happen. You’re going to get on the launch I send over, you alone, and unarmed. We’re going to discuss your future. If you refuse or if I see any indication you intend to use your abilities against us, I will annihilate your ship and everyone on board her. I will give you thirty minutes to decide, after that…” He left the rest of his threat unspoken.
“I’ll call you back,” Kat said.
“Thirty minutes. That is all you have.” Shahan said and broke the connection.
****
Kat set the microphone down and looked at the faces of the people surrounding her. Nolan was the first to speak.
“I can see it in your eyes Kat. There is no way you’re going over there alone and unarmed. It’s far too dangerous.”
“I don’t see as we have much choice. It’s that or they’ll blow us out of the water. We don’t have much time. Instead of arguing we need to plan. As to the unarmed part.” Kat smiled.
“They know about your lightning capability,” Nolan reminded.
“Other than the ones here onboard the only people that know about our abilities are the pirates. I would assume the people on that ship have gotten a hold of them. The means the only thing they know about us is what the pirates saw us demonstrate. They don’t know about our other abilities.”
“That’s just supposition,” Nolan started.
Kat ignored his comment. “Jar’san can you?”
“Already done.”
“Neither Jar’san or I can contact you without either speaking or touching. Jar’san can however link to computers. That has been done so we will be in constant contact.” Kat quickly revealed the rest of her plan.
They stood together on the deck as the launch approached. There were four men in it. The small boat pulled up alongside. Aiden and Keita hung the ladder over the rail. One of the men raised a bullhorn. “The woman with blue hair, take your clothes off.”
“Oh, hell no!” Nolan grumbled in a low menacing voice.
Kat squeezed his hand and whispered. “Relax dear. It will be fine. Just stick to the plan.” Kat removed her shirt then peeled off her pants, leaving just her bra and panties.
Nolan’s gaze dropped to her g-string underwear and grumbled again.
“The bra too,” the man in the boat yelled up.
“I want to fuck that man up in so many ways,” Nolan whispered. “I’d like to be down there and shove that bullhorn up his ass.”
“My near nudity will serve as a distraction.” Kat sought to ease Nolan’s concern. “Can’t you see them ogling me already dear? It is just another weapon. I love you hon. Things will be fine.”
Kyra stepped forward and pulled Nolan away. “They will not harm her. I will give my life before I let that happen,” Kyra whispered.
Turning, Kat climbed down the ladder and stepped onto the boat.
“Hands behind your back,” one of the men ordered gruffly. When Kat didn’t not move fast enough he jerked her arms behind her and secured her hands with a plastic tie strap. He shoved her into a seat and picked up the bullhorn.
“You,” he yelled. “The one with the dark shoulder length wavy hair. Her boyfriend. Strip and join us.”
Kat’s attention jolted to the man with the Bullhorn. “This is not part of the plan.”
“Things seldom go according to plan. We will adjust for this,” Jan’sar said.
Nolan quickly joined them in his boxers. The man placed the horn on the seat and took out his pistol. He cuffed Nolan to the floor and placed the gun against his head. “This should tell you that we mean business lady. One false move on your part and he dies.”
Kat’s eyes narrowed and focused her hatred on the man but she said nothing.
He sat across from her with a barely conscious Nolan on the floor between them. One of the other men took a seat beside her. A third watched her from the bow. Two of the men held guns on her and the third held his pistol to Nolan’s head. The last man was driving. The boat sped away.
From the corner of her eye she saw her friends vanish from the Seekers rail. In satisfaction she saw that none of the men watching her witnessed this. Their gazes were fixed on her chest or lower.
“My link is working fine Kat,” Jar’san informed her. “Everything you see I’m sending as images to the main computer on the Seeker.”
“Good.”
The boat stopped along side the enemy ship. Crane cables were lowered and their craft was lifted onboard. One of her guards lifted her over the side and other hands placed her on the deck of the larger ship. An oily looking man of middle-eastern decent stepped forward. He nodded toward Nolan being supported by two men. “Take him below.” The men dragged Nolan away.
Turning to Kat the man said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person Kat, welcome aboard the Polav My name is Shahan. You’ll excuse me if I don’t shake your hand. I’ve heard what you can do with it. In a few hours we will know each other much better. Having your boyfriend in our custody will insure your cooperation.” Shahan turned his back and said, “Bring her.” Two men shoved her forward after him as he marched toward the bridge structure.
“How does he know Nolan is my boyfriend?”
“Unknown at this time.” Jar’san answered her thought. “Emma, Blaise and Kyra are ready and waiting you word,” he continued.
“Thanks for telling me. Inform them they will wait for my command. These people know much about us while we know very little about them. That is going to change.”
Shahan led the way deeper into the bowels of the Polav. The men
behind her shoved Kat forward using every excuse to touch her, often in places that didn’t need touching.
“Keep your eyes moving. I’m sending images to the Seeker. They will know much about the layout of the ship and exactly where we are.”
“Good,” she answered mentally.
Shahan stopped at a door and opened it. He stepped in and stood to the side. Her guards shoved her over to a single chair in the middle of the room. Forcibly they pushed her in the seat and attached plastic tie straps securing her legs to the chairs. One of the guards placed a belt around her waist and the chair back. He buckled it in place. Kat glanced around the room. There was a cabinet and three other chairs in the room. The walls were padded. “Sound deadening?”
“That would be my guess,” Jar’san answered.
The two guards moved chairs to opposite walls and sat. Shahan stepped to the cabinet.
“Not exactly a warm and fuzzy environment you have here Shahan. I’m not impressed with your hospitality.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Usually I like to extract information from my guests in a more…shall we say physical manner. However we have been following you for some time and I need answers to report to my superiors.”
Shahan turned to face her and approached. He held a syringe in his hand. Kat’s eyes narrowed.
“Should I call the ladies now Kat?” Jar’san asked.
“Not yet. I would like to delay getting the party started until dusk and we need to locate Nolan”
Shahan jabbed the needle in her arm. A slight burning quickly spread through her along with a metallic taste.
“The drug has little influence on your metabolism. I can neutralize what there is.”
“Do it.”
Shahan stood back and waited.
“Why is he waiting?”
“I have researched a little on truth drugs. I think he is watching for signs the drug has taken effect.”
“What signs?”
“Dilation of the eyes and sweating are two.”
“Make them so.”
“As you wish.”
Kat watched beads of sweat form on her arms and felt rivulets start to tickle down her breasts.
“Excellent. So shall we start our question and answer session?” Shahan asked.
Several hours passed. Shahan stepped back and sat in the remaining chair a look of disbelief on his face. Everything Kat had told him was at the very most, a shaded truth. Most of it was blatant lies.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Now Kat?” Jar’san asked.
Kat grimaced. “I still haven’t learned Nolan’s location but yes I think now would be just fine.”
“Sending the summons.”
Seconds later Blaise, Kyra and Emma materialized in the room. Thanks to Jar’san’s constant image updates they knew exactly where each man was located. A fireball blazed from Emma’s fingers to burst in the face of one guard before he could even react to their sudden appearance. His smoldering, headless corpse crumpled to the floor.
Kyra took two quick strides and chopped the blade of her hand into the second guard’s throat silencing his shout of warning before he could even start it. In a lightning follow up motion, she pulled him to his feet and kneed him in the groin. When he doubled over in pain she drove her other knee upward into his face. Kyra’s knee shoved the man’s nose back into his brain killing him. He joined the first guard as Kyra released him and his body slid to the floor. Blaisé dashed over to Shahan her knee rose and struck him in the groin lifting him from his feet. Before he could slump to the floor in pain she spun him around and shoved him face first into the glass cabinet shattering it cutting him in multiple places. Grasping one of his arms she jerked it up behind him breaking it at the elbow in the process. He roared in pain. Blaise grabbed a cotton swab from the cabinet and stuffed it into Shahan’s mouth. The entire assault had only lasted for seconds.
“I thought you’d never call,” Emma said to Kat.
“Don’t kill him Blaise. We need information from him first,” Kat said.
Blaise relaxed her grip on Shahan’s arm slightly.
Emma stepped to Kat and removed her bindings. “Nolan?” Emma asked.
Kat shook her head. “I don’t know. They separated us once we boarded this ship.”
“We will find him,” Kyra said. “Even if we have to turn this ship inside out and take it apart one bolt at a time.”
“Did we respond quickly enough?” Blaise asked.
Kat shoved concern for Nolan to the back of her mind. “Quick enough. Now it’s our turn. Are Kimo and Ing ready for our guest?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t keep the big guy waiting.”
I’ll be right back,” Blaise said. She and Shahan vanished.
Kat watched Kyra’s form ripple and seem to melt into flowing plastic. Moments later Kyra’s shape reformed into an exact double of Shahan. Glancing around Kat saw that Emma had vanished.
“Lead the way Kat. I’m here.” Emma said.
Kat cracked the door open and checked the passage outside. It was clear. She placed her hands behind her back and Kyra loosely bond them with another tie strap. Using information she had deceptively gleaned from Shahan, Kat marched into the passage and headed for the bridge house. Kyra disguised as Shahan followed and the invisible Emma followed her.
The group reached the entrance hatch to the bridge with no incidents. “The captain’s name is Atish,” Kat said to her companions.
Kyra opened the door and shoved Kat inside. She left it open knowing Emma followed.
Three men were in the bridge house. One of them, a man wearing a captain’s uniform, turned to them. “Sir, why have you brought her here?” he asked Kyra. “And where are the guards?”
“She is still under the influence of the truth drug. I would have her answer any questions our superiors ask when I contact them. The guards were not needed.”
Upon reaching the center of the room the women burst into motion. Bolts of lightning and balls of fire made short work of the three men.
Kat gazed around the room taking a mental photo. “Contact Blaise send her the image of this room and tell her to come.”
“Done,” Jar’san replied.
Moments later Blaise appeared holding hands with Keita and Suki. Keita dashed forward and slipped one of his shirts on Kat’s shoulders. “I didn’t know what else to get in the spur of the moment.
Kat slipped on the shirt. “This is fine. Thank you.”
On her next trip Blaise brought Aden and Tom and the last one Victor. All the men were armed with the women’s ray pistols.
“It’s almost comical to watch,” Blaise reported. “Shahan is tied to a chair. Kimo is standing in front of him in his towering way. Ing is behind Shanhan with her hand on his shoulder. Kimo asks a question in a calm voice. Of course Shahan is thinking of the answer but refuses to speak. It’s so easy for Ing to read his thoughts.”
“What do we know so far?” Kat grinned at the picture that formed in her mind.
Blaise said. “The Polav is a missile frigate. She has two batteries of missile launchers and three 76-millimeter cannons. Ships compliment is fifty. The are two pirates being held prisoner below. The crew has small arms. Machine guns and pistols. And,” Blaise continued we know the room where Nolan is being held.” She held her hand out to Kat. “Shall we?”
Kat placed her hand in Blaise’s and they flashed from existence to appear in a ship’s cabin. Kat and Blaise were both crouched, ready for battle.
Kat gazed around at the empty room. “Damn.”
“They must have moved him without Shahan’s knowledge.”
Kat’s frown deepened when she saw bloodstains on the bunk.
“We will find him.” Blaise held out her hand. “Back to the bridge.”
K
at joined hands with her and moments later they rejoined their friends.
“Nothing. He wasn’t there,” Kat, answered their unspoken questions. Seconds later images flooded into her mind. “I’m getting pictures of what the cannons and missiles look like from the information Ing is entering into the computer.”
Kat waited for Jar’san’s download to complete before taking Suki’s hand. She transferred the information.
“Thanks Kat.” Suki closed her eyes.
From the bridge house window she watched the barrels of the cannon they could see start crumbling to dust. Kat knew that the other guns and the missiles would soon be the same.
“That’s done the Seeker is safe from attack. Tom, Blaise, Aden, Emma, Victor and Kyra form one team and clear the upper deck. Keita you and Suki remain here on the bridge and watch.
“And you?” Kyra asked.
“I will continue my search below. The ship compliment is fifty and five of them are dead. We have the rest to deal with. No prisoners. Understood?” She pointedly looked at Suki.
“None Kat. I learned my lesson. We can’t afford to leave anyone to talk.”
“Most of the crew is on deck. Because Suki destroyed their guns and missile we must assume they know we’re here. That’s why I’ve assigned the larger team there. Emma and Blaise use your fire and water abilities to clear the way and the rest of you do mop up. Keep your heads down and make you shots count.”
Kat pulled Kyra to the side. “If anything happens to me, you’re in charge of completing our mission.”
Kyra looked at her eye to eye for a moment. “Just don’t let anything happen. I’ve already lost too many sisters.” Kyra turned and joined her team.
“Keita, Go with Kat. I’ll be fine here on the bridge. I want to access this computer and hopefully fine the ship’s schematic. Having the complete layout would be helpful.”
Keita hesitated for just a second.
“Go,” Suki ordered.
****
Kat glided silently down the long passage headed toward the stern. Keita followed behind.
