by Matt Lincoln
Our variables were few but strategically crucial. Kippy Ozoa was the main one. My gut told me not to trust her, but we also needed her and what she offered. The thing was, we still didn’t know how truthful she was toward us. Another potential problem was that we had extraordinarily little to go on with the ship’s crew. Even with all four of us on the lookout, we couldn’t see inside the ship, and so far, we only had two confirmed crew.
My experience told me that we had to be ready for anything. I knew that my team would handle, could handle, this without complaint. However, we still didn’t know for sure if Arik and Mia were there or in what condition we would find them. There were too many variables, but there was nothing we could do about that now.
“She should be here any minute,” Doc said as he glanced at the door. I knew he was referring to Kippy. “Any last instructions?”
“Nah. We all know what to do. If we’re lucky, this ends tonight, and Arik and Mia go home.” I didn’t want to think of other outcomes just now. I wanted to focus on the best outcome to resolve the issue.
“And if we’re not?” Doc wasn’t the downer type, but we were all worried, no matter what.
Rosa walked into the room and answered for me. Speaking for myself, I make my own luck. She had a brave, determined grimace about her, and I nodded in agreement.
“What she said,” I agreed. “Xavier, are you ready yet? Your date’s going to be here any minute, and we want some pictures by the fireplace before you go.” Nothing like bad inside jokes before a mission. And I had plenty of them.
Xavier came out of his room dressed in all black gear and a stocking cap. It was the only hat we’d ever been able to find that fit over most of his hair. He looked like a low-budget burglar in some kid’s movie, complete with the laptop under his arm.
Rosa fit into the mold of a secret mission specialist a bit better. She was also clad all in black, wearing cargo jeans, a long sleeve tee, and a vest with all the extra accouterments that she might need tonight. Her hip holster was bound securely around her thigh. She was carrying a Taurus PT145. Knowing her, she most likely had a backup weapon and even a backup weapon for her backup weapon.
She’d put her hair into a bun that stuck out the back of her ball cap. She was pulling on her gloves and getting herself into her “mode.” I never questioned it, as we all had our private rituals and observances that we went through before a mission or operation.
Doc sometimes hummed. Tonight, he was stretching his neck muscles more than usual, rocking and craning his head to loosen everything up. He was in black gear, too, but he had a backpack strapped on, and his cargo pockets filled out. He wore an extra holster-type item that was probably medically based. He had his trusty Akdal Ghost TR01, a weapon he preferred but seldom carried into missions.
That could be a very good sign or a very bad one. He was well qualified with a variety of weapons, but we all had a few that we favored in certain predicaments. I had no idea what was going through his mind right now or what led him to choose the Akdal for tonight’s op. All I knew was that he was aware of what the stakes were, and he was ready.
When I heard the first knock on the outside door, I answered it to find Kippy, and even though I hadn’t told her anything, she’d gotten the fashion memo. She dressed in consistent black, and she was decked out with holsters, sheaths, and stop straps. She had on a ball cap and wore her hair in a ponytail. There was a small pack tied around her waist and shoulders. She’d come equipped, no question about that.
“Ozoa.” I nodded at her.
Looking around at the room, she returned the nod. “I wanted the limo, but it was reserved. I hope that you don’t mind what I got stuck with.” She’d volunteered to get our transport, and I expected that even she could be sensible there.
I looked out into the driveway and saw an old-style double cab Toyota Hilux 4x4 that probably belonged in the same movie Xavier had dressed up for. It was almost comical how they unintentionally matched up. I scoffed to myself, thinking that maybe it was good that I could find a little humor at a time like this.
“Are you serious?” I asked in disbelief. It could have been worse, but it could have been much, much better considering the night’s importance.
“I got a good deal on Bessie. That’s her name. Bessie.” Kippy’s broad smile was proof that we had no choice in the matter. “She’s all filled up and ready to go. And, if worse comes to worst, I can torch her and feel no remorse. We’re not that close yet.”
My team filed out and took one look at the vehicle. It rendered Doc speechless. Rosa, however, had a lot to say.
What the hell, Header? She signed furiously. We’ll be spotted a mile off in that thing.
She wasn’t wrong. It was not exactly a ‘low-profile’ vehicle. It looked too decked out with junk to offer any kind of advantage, with its yellow racing stripes, chase rack, and running boards.
Rosa turned to Kippy and started feverously signing at her. What in the world possessed you to think that was a good idea? You cannot tell me that this was the best you could do. Of all the idiotic, self-absorbed moves, Ozoa!
“Hey, if you don’t like it, walk your happy butt to the docks, Red.” Kippy was signing this back at Rosa even though she knew that Rosa could hear her perfectly. “Anyone else who wants to complain about a free ride can start hoofin’ it. See ya.” She started for the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat to wait on us.
Xavier moved forward, going for the passenger’s seat. “I don’t feel like walking.” He opened the door to the old gray vehicle and didn’t stop to admire all the tacky and gaudy attributes about it. He kept all further comments to himself.
“I’ve owned worse.” Doc went for the back seat. “It runs well, right?”
“About like you’d expect,” Ozoa answered.
“You want the back seat or the bed?” I peered into the rear bench seat and figured that all three of us would be too uncomfortable to chance it.
I’ll take the bed. I’ve seen Rosa less pleased, but it was hard to recall when.
Once we were all loaded up and in the truck, Kippy started the engine. It made a high-pitched whine that diminished after a few seconds. She put it into gear, and off we went. The drive to the dock where we’d agreed to disembark was eerily silent due to the tension, and not all of it was from the mission ahead, either.
There was a small runabout waiting for us that Doc had acquired. It had an inboard motor, and most of the seats had been torn out. It was matte black, and anyone who saw it knew that it had been modified with intentions of smuggling or trafficking. But it would suit us tonight, and that’s all that mattered. Kippy parked in the shadows of a nearby warehouse only a few yards from our goal.
At this time of night, there were only a few yachts and boats out on the water within sight. We could hear a party going on at one of them and classical music blasting from another, probably in an effort to drown out the party music. That might actually come in handy for us. All the loud music, coupled with the buzzed or stoned vacationers, could act as a distraction and work in our favor.
Our target ship was dimly lit out on the open water, and through binoculars, I could make out a single armed guard watching the far shore, but not the dock or the party. “One mark, facing east.” I changed direction to check out the far beach. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, just beach house lights and fishing dock beacons. But it was a strange thing, and we needed to be aware of it.
Xavier had loaded his kit in the runabout and had taken his place at the helm. “You think they’re expecting company later on?”
“Let’s hope not.” That was all we needed now, a rescue mission complicated by an unknown element in a place we didn’t even have a clear layout of. I handed Rosa the binoculars to keep an eye out while I loaded myself and equipment into the boat. Doc was already in and settled, and Kippy had stationed herself at the stern and was watching the dock for movement.
“On four…” I started off, signaling t
hat I was ready.
“Three…” Doc called out quietly.
Rosa tapped on the deck twice.
Xavier pressed on the throttle ever so gently. “One.”
Kippy shook her head. “I hate cliques.”
Chapter 14
Jake
We came alongside the old Chesapeake 162 vessel on the blind side of the water. The windows had all been blacked out or sealed up, leaving no way to see what might be in there. From what we could see, though, this boat had been gutted and slapped together to keep it afloat. One or two well-placed holes would scuttle it for good.
There was a ladder on this side that didn’t look to be able to hold any of our weight. Luckily, we’d come prepared. I set the collapsible hook ladder, secured it, and tested it with my own weight. Once I was good with it, I went up first.
I gazed over the side of the deck and saw a clear, open landing. I motioned down to the rest of my team to give them the all-clear and then proceeded to board. I drew my weapon and took point with my back against the railing to give the next teammate room and cover. There were no lights out here and barely any way to see down the walk.
Rosa was up next and took a position to guard our left and to keep an eye on the further walkway. Doc and Kippy completed their ascent, leaving Xavier to man the boat and be our eyes on the water and beyond. We all tapped our earpieces to verify that we were ready and in place. Xavier tapped out “--- -.- .- -.-,” meaning, “okay.” We seldom used Morse Code, but it came in handy now and again. We moved out.
This vessel was not well cared for or maintained. The railing was dented and bent, and parts had been scrub-sanded or painted in haphazard patches. The deck we were on was serviceable but badly surfaced. There was a lack of lighting that benefited us but made it feel abandoned as a whole. I envisioned that the rest of the boat looked of poorer quality than even this.
I kept my eyes on Kippy at first to make sure she was moving as we’d planned. Doc and Rosa had gone to secure the left walk while Kippy and I took a right. She approached the first door and checked it. She motioned back that it was locked, so we moved up. There was no visual inside with the windows blocked, so we had to assume that we were safely not visible, either.
As Kippy got closer to the bow, she slowed and moved more deliberately. She paused and gestured that she had eyes on a target. She moved in, staying well within the shadows and darkness of the ship. When she stepped to the side, I spotted the target and moved up to place a shot in the back of his head. The silencer helped dampen the sound, and he crumpled to the deck.
Kippy rushed forward to toss his gun and move him from sight. As soon as we were done, Rosa and Doc rounded the corner, and I knew the main deck was now clear. They convened with us momentarily, and then we divided again. I wanted to get into the lower deck as that was the most likely place to keep hostages. Kippy double-checked the door again, and we moved on.
Rosa and Doc headed above after informing Xavier of the contact we’d dropped via Morse code through the earpieces. I climbed down a nearby unstable ladderwell as Kippy gave me cover from above. I wasn’t too thrilled with her being my sentry, but I didn’t trust her enough to put her with either member of my team. If someone had to take the risk with an unknown asset like her, it was damn sure going to be me.
We stopped short of the door, waiting and listening. I smelled smoke coming from the inside compartment, but it wasn’t wood or electronics burning. It had a rubberized stench to it. I checked back on Kippy and saw her examining Arik’s phone. She was using the tracker to verify his location on the boat. After a moment, she looked up and locked eyes with me. One twitch of the head told me all that I needed to know. Arik was on the other side of this door.
Before I could turn the handle, though, Xavier’s voice cut into the silence we’d all been surrounded by. “We have company coming in from the East.”
I glanced quickly at Kippy, and she nodded at me. Just then, we heard shots fired above us, and then Doc called out from their position on the bridge.
“Contact!” he boomed. There was more weapons fire and then a splash into the water below us.
Xavier’s tone changed drastically as he tried to prepare us. “Vessel incoming fast to our position, and they have mounted guns.” We heard and felt the impact of .50 caliber ammo hitting the bridge, and I knew that we had lost all advantage here.
I slammed the rickety door open and found a young woman being held as a human shield by a POS behind her. I registered that there was a gun to her head. She was crying and screaming in fear. Directly behind them was another pair of men, the first one dragging the second who was stripped down to his underwear. The hostage kicked and yelled for help, but he was being hauled out too rapidly for me to act.
There was nothing in the room except a small fire burning in the middle of the space and a few tarps or sheets piled in the corners. The fire gave off the only light, and even that was reduced in the large, empty room. Other than the dark painted windows and the garbage and filth in the corners, I couldn't see much else.
Kippy stepped in and placed one perfect shot in the head of the man that was holding the girl’s head. I didn’t know whether I should be glad that she was here with us or terrified of how well she could do that. I’d have to reserve my judgment for later on. The young woman screamed louder and fell as her captor collapsed beside her.
Kippy left my side to see the young woman, who I assumed must be Mia, as we didn’t have any intel on more victims present. Meanwhile, I took off after the escaping pair of men who were headed out of an exit we hadn’t seen in the dark. It had to lead either to the deck or another room. I got another shot off at the one holding on to the young man, and I thought that I had hit him in the arm, but I might have been off.
The other boat aimed a spotlight onto the deck, and I now recognized the hostage as an almost nude Arik. The light also made it too dangerous for me to engage directly, as I would be a clear target for anyone over there. I fired again as the spotlight lit him up well, but Arik’s struggles made a safe shot difficult. I hit the man in the leg to halt his movement. There was more gunfire above, and my mind tried to not worry about Rosa or Doc up there. I knew that they were capable, and I had to trust that they were doing their part while I did mine.
Xavier’s voice cut through all the gunfire and mayhem. “They’re pulling out a net! They may be planning to---” He didn’t have time to finish as I watched the man I’d just shot throw a flailing Arik over the side of the boat.
I took aim and fired again, hitting the man right in the chest. He went down and wouldn’t be getting back up. I avoided the spotlight, targeting it instead. I fired and heard yelling behind it. The light vanished, leaving me with plenty of room to move and react in the dark now.
I heard more gunfire behind me, and I turned to see Kippy aiming to my right down the walk. She’d taken another target out and motioned above. I took off running, calling out as I sped past her, back into the room where Mia was, and up to the bridge. “Get her off this boat now!”
My heart was racing the way it always did when stuff went sideways. The adrenaline was pumping, and it gave my reaction times and movements an edge. I heard another shot, and the ladderwell I was ascending exploded right overhead. I held off, looking for my chance to get to Rosa and Doc. There were a couple of more shots and then a grunt that sounded out way too close to me.
I heard Doc’s voice, shaky and raw, call to me. “Header? Please tell me that’s you?”
“Affirmative,” I responded. Doc was right above me, looking down the ladderwell. I could see a bloody gash on the side of his head and a pipe or metal object in his hands.
“That idiot stole my gun, Header. Knocked me in the head and took my gun.” Doc reached down with a trembling hand to help me up. I grasped it and got to the deck.
“Where’s Rosa? She okay?” I looked around and saw her kneeling, breathing too heavily for something like this, and there was too much blood coming from
an unseen wound on her leg.
“There were four of them, all armed to go. One made it down to you.” Doc was speaking carefully, having to think about every word. I put a hand on his shoulder and forced him to sit or take a knee.
“Ozoa got him. And we got the girl, Mia.” I shook my head, more pissed at myself than anything. “But we lost Arik to that other boat. He’s alive but gone.” I hoped that he could stay that way. That’s when I remembered Xavier. “Crap. Xavier!” I tapped on the earpiece. “You good down there?”
“Yeah, I’m better than your boat. That .50 caliber tore you guys up. You better get back to me quickly before it sinks. Oh, and the police are on their way so, maybe speed it up.” Xavier toned out, and we could hear him maneuvering in the water to pick us up. He’d kept him and the boat hidden while we had recovered the victims. Now, it was a major relief to see that he’d made it through all of this safely.
Kippy called up to us from the lower deck. “I’ve got Mia. You need help up there?”
“Yeah, give her to Xavier and then come back. We’ve got injured.” It made me sick to say that aloud, but we all knew what we had to expect with this job.
Doc insisted that Rosa be taken down first, so between Kippy and me, we got her safely back onboard with Xavier and Mia. Next, we helped Doc down. As I secured them in the runabout, Kippy did a sweep of the boat.
She came back, shaking her head. “Not my finest hour, and I’m not too proud to admit it.” She paused long enough to climb aboard. “The boat’s going down. I made sure of that. It looks like they had been living there this whole time.”
“Not a surprise.” I looked over my team. A lot of crap work for only one abductee. “At least, maybe she’ll be able to tell us something about them or give us a clue about where they were taking Arik.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” Kippy took one long look at Mia, who had fallen silent and may have succumbed to shock. She was rocking back and forth and crying to herself. Kippy then turned her head from the girl to watch our rear as Xavier steered us back to the dock.
