by Kyla Stone
Not a thing looked out of place, though fellow freedom fighters were barging into the radio and engine rooms that very second. The screens revealed nothing.
“Everyone against the wall,” Simeon ordered. “Davison and Hernandez, tie them up.”
“Why are you doing this?” The third officer's voice trembled. He was middle-aged, with short blonde hair and a harsh Ukrainian accent tinged with fear. “Are you pirates? Are you with one of the syndicates? Are you—”
Simeon smiled at him. “You read the daily reports from the Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center. You tell me—what should you do now?”
The man licked his lips, his chin trembling. “If pirates board your ship, do not resist. They're after money and ransom. Do what they say, they'll leave you alone. Let the company worry about losses.”
“Exactly. Now sit down, hold out your hands, and shut up.”
“Voyager Enterprises will pay you. They have hostage insurance. Just tell us what—”
“You're no pirate.” The captain’s voice was laced with barely contained rage. “This isn't the southern Red Sea or the coast of Somalia.”
“Sir, I must respectfully ask that you stop talking,” Simeon said.
“You're Americans!” Captain Liebenberg glared at Kane and Gabriel, the only two men not wearing ski masks. “You’ve both served this ship for months, if not years. You're traitors!”
“Shut the hell up!” Kane barked.
“You're terrorists!”
Simeon slammed the butt of his gun against the captain's head. “I said that's enough!”
Liebenberg's head lolled to the side. A trickle of blood dripped down his forehead and thickened in his left eyebrow. “Whatever you want from me, I will not give it to you.”
Kane stood splay-legged, monitoring the hostages as Hollis bound their arms behind them with zip-ties. “If he doesn't shut his ugly mouth, I'm gonna do it for him.”
The Second Officer still stood beside the captain, a grim smile on her face. No one had touched her.
Gabriel started to lift his gun, but Hollis shook her head.
“This is treason! You’re murderers.” Captain Liebenberg looked straight at Gabriel. “Each and every one of you—murderers and terrorists!”
Gabriel flinched. His free hand curled into a fist at his side.
“I'm warning you!” Kane swung his weapon around to point at the captain.
The captain raised his chin defiantly. “I'll see you get the needle, if it's the last thing I do.”
“Nah, man.” Kane smiled with a fierce slash of teeth. “This is the last thing you'll do.”
And he pressed the trigger.
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Rising Storm: The Last Sanctuary Book One!
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