Chapter 26
By the time Calvin and Pellew arrived outside engineering, Pellew could tell it had been sealed off. His soldiers reported back to him, saying their individual missions had all been successful, but Calvin was surprised to learn that exactly none of them had been given the task of breaching engineering. A veritable fortress that—now that the major was surely onto them—would be daunting to tackle because they’d lost the element of surprise. But, unlike the bridge, it was at least possible to storm. All they needed was superior numbers—and soon.
“My men report they’ve freed Miles, Sarah, and now Shen. We couldn’t get to Andre because he’s still locked up in HQ,” said Pellew.
Calvin was both surprised and pleased by their success. “So where are they now?”
“On their way here. Would you like to give them any special instructions?”
Calvin thought about it for a minute. “Keeping two of your men on the bridge leaves us with four soldiers—including you—and four crew members—including me. I don’t think that’s a strong enough force to take engineering, do you?”
Pellew frowned. “It depends how they’re set up. But if they were warned to prepare for an attack, then the odds aren’t great.”
“So we need more assistance,” said Calvin. “It’s time we gather up more sympathizers.”
“We’ll have to be careful since we’re in small groups, and there’s an overwhelming hostile force bound to be patrolling the ship.”
“Agreed,” said Calvin. “But it’s our only chance.” He then used the radio to relay specific instructions to Miles, Sarah, and Shen, giving them orders to scour the crew-quarters decks and appeal to whoever they thought would be sympathetic to their cause. Then they’d all meet up on the observation deck where weapons would be distributed. “Most of all,” Calvin said into the radio, “as you sneak around the ship, take no unnecessary risks, refrain from engaging the enemy, and follow the commands of your Special Forces escort.”
The Phoenix Conspiracy Page 63
