Red Horizon

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “You sneaky prick,” John whispered as he put on his com unit and pack. “Do you want the upper or amidships deck?”

  “I’ll take the upper,” Nick replied. “Should we try communications with the Valkyrie?”

  “Let’s wait until we secure the decks. We’ll have Gus steer the Valkyrie toward the Tempest at full speed then. If they have the radar station monitored, we’ll kill anyone coming on deck until help arrives. Jafar’s on line with latest satellite feed info as well as jamming equipment. Our jammer will probably work on everything but their ship’s radio.”

  “I’ll turn on the jammer the moment we get into position. Ready, Dark Lord?”

  “Ready, Muerto. Let’s go get some. Try not to stumble around like a boot camp.”

  Nick chuckled. “Aye… Captain.”

  Nick led the way to the upper decks, both men angling away from the deck lights. John would have watch over the main and amidships deck while Nick would secure the top deck and provide backup for John. They climbed silently with their extra 9mm clips for the MP5s secured inside Velcro straps fitted on the Kevlar vests, marveling at the swimming pool on the main deck. It was nearly 1:30 am. The ship’s interior only showed minimal lighting through the glass ports and doors. Nick crouched in a spot near the rear railing next to the hot tub where he could control the entryway while also watching the lower decks. He noted John doing the same thing.

  “Ready to rumble, DL. I’m turning on the jammer.”

  “Call the Valkyrie now, Muerto. Let’s get them coming our way. It would help if there was a bit more cover where you are. I have some nice deck furniture down here.”

  “I guess I’ll have to shoot before they shoot me.”

  “That would be wise.”

  Nick activated his com. “Achmed?”

  “Here, Muerto.”

  “Tell Payaso to head toward us at full speed.”

  “He’s on with you. I’ve turned on the network.”

  “Full throttle as of now, Muerto,” Gus said. “Issac and Cala are with me on the bridge. Laredo’s in the air with the Stealth. Do you want him to land your backup yet?”

  “No. John and I need to scare our hosts so they’re ducking inside while backup arrives on top deck. Did you copy that, Ahab?”

  “Got it, Dead Boy. We’re ready.”

  “I’ll follow the Valkyrie until you give me the go ahead, Muerto,” Laredo said.

  “Understood,” Nick acknowledged.

  Gus counted down distance as he sped toward the Tempest. When he reached the two mile distance mark, Nick heard the alarms go off inside the ship. Moments later, two men ran out on deck, weapons in hand. Nick fired single shots into both men, followed by a kill shot when they collapsed on deck.

  “Two down.”

  “Only one so far here,” John replied.

  Nick grinned as the theme ‘Ride of the Valkyries thundered over the waves so loudly from the Stealth and Valkyrie that the Tempest reverberated with audio vibrations. He could hear John humming in his ear, unable to resist. “Oh yeah!”

  Three more ran into sight near the top deck hatch, one with a rocket launcher. Nick’s MP5 burst stitched through the launcher and across the man’s head. Knowing his burst in the dark revealed his position, Nick dived to his right while hitting the second man dead center. The third man fired an AK47 at Nick’s shifting position so close Nick felt the displacement of air by his ear. Nick’s return fire turned the man’s face to red pulp. Making sure no others were following on the trio’s heels, Nick crab crawled to where he could again cover both lower decks. A full scale gunfight erupted on John’s amidships deck.

  “Talk to me, DL!”

  “Stay where you are, Muerto! I’m taking sniper fire from the lower deck!”

  “On it!” Nick rolled to a position where he had line of sight covering any gunman that could fire onto the second deck.

  For the first time since coming on board, Nick thought of rolling a grenade into his top deck entryway and leaping down to join John. His hand fondled the grenade as he watched the lower deck for attackers. He spotted the man trying to maneuver along the outer lower deck railing for a shot at John. Nick’s single shot 9mm hollow point slug tore the front of his face off, leaving him screaming on the deck for his brethren to hear. Nick popped in a new magazine, deciding it was time for explosives. He reached for the grenade at his waist.

  “We’re coming in, Dead Boy! Don’t you use any of your damn grenades!”

  “Shit! Get out of my fucking head, Ahab! I have your back, DL. Talk to me.”

  “All good, Muerto. I have cover. You chased a bunch directly to me. I have six dead bad guys here. I couldn’t cover the lower deck. Screw Ahab. If we don’t get some respect shortly, blow the shit out of the upper entry. We’ll land the troops in safety at all costs!”

  “Understood. Stay down!” Nick saw another trio race to the lower deck stairwell.

  He waited with cold blooded killer anticipation, a slight smile forming as the three became silhouettes on the angled ladder. Anticipating their hesitation as they approached the amidships deck, Nick glanced at the entryway he guarded, then calmly cut down across the men at neck level with a burst which nearly severed their heads. They tumbled down the ladder steps as the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ became a wall of sound.

  * * *

  I liked my amidships deck with plenty of items to form a barrier between me and my access point from inside the ship. I made my fort, layering everything I could in a formidable barricade between me and the interior hatch. I could keep an eye on the amidships hatch and still watch my back which was slightly exposed to the lower deck. As the Valkyrie tripped their radar, one of the Tempest minions ran out with AK47 in hand. I shot him and waited, hearing Nick’s silenced rounds over me. It was then all hell broke loose.

  A group of guys with automatic weapons streamed through the hatch, firing as they came. I picked my spots, shredding each one while moving behind my barricade. Some prick below me popped out and fired on my deck blindly. I put Nick on him and he was screaming seconds after a comical exchange with Admiral Ahab about damage to his yacht. I thought we secured our spots very well until I glanced behind me at the diagonal ladder from the lower decks. Three men had crept to the upper ladder level and one of them was taking aim at yours truly as Nick told me to stay down. A medium burst from above cut their throats. I liked watching the bastards tumbling back down to the lower deck as examples of what would happen to any following them. I kept humming the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ as Laredo deposited our other warriors on Nick’s upper deck with a virtual universe of sound. It was a good day to be a Monster.

  * * *

  Nick ran to the hatch access on the upper deck as Laredo hovered over it. No matter what feelings Lucas had on the matter, he planned to grenade the interior of his level if confronted by anymore resistance. No more faces showed as figures rappelled to his deck. Within seconds Casey, Lucas, Johnny, and Clint with Tonto in his arms were down on deck, ready for action. He glanced up to see Lynn behind the .50 caliber machine gun wave at him. Nick waved back as the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ pierced his senses.

  “Hey, Dead Boy,” Clint greeted him as Tonto ran over to check him out.

  “Damn good thing you didn’t ruin my superyacht,” Lucas said. He reached with professional touch to Nick’s neck. “You’re bleedin’ son. The boys have it now. Let me take a look.”

  Nick reached with his left hand along his head, face, and neck while keeping control of his MP5 slung in firing position. His hand came away bloody. “It can’t be much, Lucas. I think my ear got nicked. You know how they bleed.”

  “Hold the fuck still while I check. Yeah… you’re missing a piece of your ear, Muerto.” Lucas clamped a suture tape in place at the notch, which adhered to the dry skin on the undamaged ear. “You’re good to go unless you’d like to pussy out. I can have Laredo lift your sissy ass out of here if you want.”

  Nick and everyone else on the n
etwork enjoyed Lucas’s dress down. “I’m good to go, Ahab, you unfeeling prick. Are you good, DL?”

  “Your execution of the three on the ladder ended that avenue of attack, Muerto. Payaso has the Valkyrie in position on our fantail with Lynn’s minions covering both lower access points. Laredo, with Lynn on the fifty will watch our six. Samira is spotting for her. We’re good to do the compartment taking of the ship.”

  “I’ll send Lucas and Casey down to you. Johnny and I can work our way down to you with Clint and Tonto, making sure we don’t have anyone left on the upper deck. From there, we’ll all take the compartmental search and destroy with Tonto in the lead.”

  “Excellent. Let’s do it.”

  Lucas extended his hand. “Give me the grenades, Dead Boy.”

  Nick grinned. “Kiss my ass, Ahab. You heard your orders. You and Casey reinforce DL.”

  Lucas smiled, waving as he and a chuckling Casey moved to the ladder. “I have a long memory for disrespect, Dead Boy. Watch your six.”

  “I’ll see you shortly, Admiral.”

  Nick turned to Johnny and Clint. “Ready boys?”

  “Yes, Muerto!” Johnny edged forward but Clint put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

  “Let Tonto take point. He’ll give us an indication by stopping with a grunt. Be ready to fire support.” Clint motioned Tonto ahead on point with a hand gesture wavering downward.

  Staying low to the deck, Tonto streaked ahead through the open hatch. Nick saw him reach the middle of the large one room observation deck, growl, and leap over the plush couch seating. Three men popped from behind their cover, trying to aim at Tonto streaking to the side. Clint, Johnny, and Nick fired a burst into the men Tonto had forced out. They then ran over to fire a certainty kill shot into each while keeping an eye on Tonto.

  “The admiral won’t like all this blood,” Nick said.

  “We’ll worry about Admiral Ahab later,” Clint replied. “It’s a good thing you didn’t charge in here, Johnny.”

  “I see that. Tonto is the best. He knew to scramble to the side away from the firing line.” Johnny maneuvered amongst the other furniture on the observation deck, checking for anything out of place.

  Nick looked down the inner ladder to the amidships deck landing. “Tight space with no line of sight. I don’t like it. We need to flush any birds out of the bush. Hold on to Tonto, Clint. Watch this.”

  Nick tossed one of his grenades noisily down the ladder, where it hit the landing, one of the bulkheads, and then slid into the room. “Grenade! Fire in the hole.”

  “What the hell? I told you not-” Lucas’s verbal onslaught ended with shouts, screams, and gunfire.

  “Guard the ladder, Johnny.”

  “On it, Muerto.”

  Nick gestured an amused Clint to follow him. He led Clint and Tonto to the outside ladder to the amidships deck where a gun battle raged. “I think the little birdies left the bush.”

  * * *

  Lucas, Casey, and I kept watch behind my fort waiting for our cohorts to clear the upper deck. Muffled bursts of silenced MP5 fire announced Nick and company had found some Carone soldiers above us. I heard Nick’s ‘fire in the hole’ shout and Lucas’s enraged retort a second before chaos reigned inside the amidships level. Four men rushed the hatch into our line of sight, firing as they ran. Our return fire cut them down, leaving our outer deck quiet once more. I smiled at Casey next to me.

  “Dead Boy! You are on my shit list for that stunt,” Lucas shouted up at Nick who was waving from the ladder.

  “He loves that grenade trick,” Casey muttered.

  “The trouble with Muerto is we’ll never know whether he pulls the pin or not,” Lucas retorted.

  “Who cares?” I earned an immediate slap to the back of my head.

  * * *

  “We’re letting Tonto go down the ladder inside, DL, with us following,” Nick announced over the com unit after rejoining Johnny at the inner ladder. “Hold your fire, guys. That goes double for you, Admiral.”

  “Blow it out your ass, you disrespectful piss-ant!”

  “Understood,” Harding acknowledged, enjoying Nick’s verbal shot.

  Clint crouched next to Tonto, pointed downward, and made a circle with his finger in front of the dog’s eyes. Tonto leaped to the amidships landing, only touching the ladder steps twice. He jetted into the interior with his human companions on his tail. Tonto scooted along the deck, alternately leaping over or under the luxurious setting’s furniture. After a complete search of the room, Tonto returned to Clint. Nick retrieved his grenade.

  “We’re clear,” Nick said. “Want to jump in the hot tub before we secure the boat?”

  “Hey, Sylvio,” Clint said. “Take the minions into the main deck interior and flush the bad guys toward us.”

  “Still not funny, prick,” Sylvio said. “We have seen no lights or movement inside, but it’s dark. We have our night-vision goggles on. Do you want us to board on the main deck?”

  “No,” Nick said. “Stay aboard the Valkyrie. Keep watch. Don’t fire unless sure of your target. We’ll work our way down and let you know when we clear the main deck. We’ll need you guys to watch our backs while we secure the area below decks.”

  “Understood, Muerto,” Sylvio replied.

  Inside the amidships deck interior, the men stood near the ladder with backlit rock crystal staircase. Nick shook his head. “Damn… this is one beautiful ship. I don’t know whether the grenade trick will work again.”

  Nick retrieved a canister from his pack. Lucas grabbed his arm. “What the hell you doin’ boy?”

  “Tear gas… military style.”

  “Are you out of your damn mind? We won’t get that shit out of the furniture and bulkheads for years. If you pussies don’t want to clear the lower deck I’ll do it myself.”

  “We’ll need a clearing on the landing for Tonto to proceed,” Clint said. “I’m not fond of using him in a bind like this. I mostly figured to have him smell out occupants in the cabins.”

  “I can take the first hit like always,” Harding said. “I agree with Clint. I don’t want to risk Tonto.”

  “It’s too narrow and circular.” Nick put away the gas canister with a sigh. “I’ll do it. Give me your vest, John. I’ll put it over mine. Clint, Casey, and Lucas can follow me down for head shots. There’s too much glass from the outer deck for an approach from there. They’ll see us and open fire through the glass. They won’t care about damaging the Admiral’s new ship. If this was easy, anyone could do it.”

  Harding stripped off his vest, handing it to Nick. “He’s right. Let’s do this. We’ve iced these guys enough.”

  Nick put on Harding’s vest over his. Laying the MP5 down, he retrieved his .45 caliber Colt. “The more time they have to screw around below decks, the worse our chances of capturing the ship in one piece. I need to get a prisoner so we know how many more guys they have on board.”

  Walking over to the spiral ladder down, Nick smiled back at the others following him. “Remember… I’m the one with a bandaged ear.”

  In the next instant Nick dropped down the spiral ladder, rolling painfully to the landing as AK47 weapons fire blasted into the stairs. Nick dived to the side, rolling once again into a shooter’s crouch, firing at muzzle flashes. MP5 fire from behind Nick silenced the automatic weapons fire. Screams of agony echoed along the bulkheads. Johnny gave Nick a hand to his feet.

  “Are you okay, Muerto?”

  “Yep. They stitched the material on my Kevlar but I’m okay. Get some lights on, Johnny and check for a live one we can question. I hear some unhappy candidates.”

  Turning on lights as he circled the room, Johnny checked the bodies while Clint, Casey, and Lucas covered the scene and access points. The Dark Lord came down the spiral ladder with a smile as he checked his Kevlar vest covering Nick.

  “They barely touched it, DL.” Nick took it off and handed it to John.

  “I have a good one, Muerto,” Johnny call
ed out as he helped a groaning man off the deck who gripped his shoulder in partial shock while staring glassy-eyed at his captors. “This one has a .45 slug through the shoulder but he can talk.”

  “Good.” Lucas shot the screamer through the head. “This one took one through the nuts. He wouldn’t be much good for anything other than screaming. This boat has a crew of twenty-two normally. Counting these guys we’ve probably killed about that many. Don’t set the bleeder down anywhere that he’ll leave a stain, Johnny Five. We’ve already done enough damage.”

  “Put him here, Johnny,” Nick told him, pointing at an already bloody chair. “Silvio? We have the main deck secured. Come aboard and guard the other decks with the minions. See what you can find on our dead guys.”

  “Yes, Muerto.”

  Johnny guided the man into the seat. Nick took duct tape from his bag, He wrapped the shoulder wound until it was covered and sealed. Nick straightened from his task as everyone else watched the interrogation chair along with the ladder leading down to the lower berthing, kitchen and dining areas.

  “Who are you people?” The man spoke with a heavy Spanish accent.

  “I am Dr. Muerto,” Nick said. “These are my companion surgeons, Dr. Ahab, Dr. Johnny Five, Dr. Nightshot, Dr. Dark Lord, and… ah… who are you again, Nowhere Man?”

  “If you don’t want me to have Agent Tonto piss all over your leg you’d better keep a civil tongue in your head, Dead Boy,” Clint replied.

  Nick chuckled. “Okay… those are the introductions. We need a couple questions answered.”

  “Give me something for the pain! Do you know who you are fucking with? This ship belongs to Fernando Carone. He will have your badges and careers for this travesty!”

  “What’s your name?” Nick smiled at the amusement the man’s declaration generated from Johnny and Harding’s Monster Squad.

  “Paulo Riggs.”

  “Now, Paulo… do you really think we could possibly be DEA or some other federal agents? We just killed all your comrades. If you answer my questions I’ll take away your pain. If you remain silent, I’ll have to do surgery on you. Believe me… you don’t want that. Where’s Carone and how many more passengers are below?”