Peeking around one of the pistons, Hawk made eye contact with McGinn, who didn’t hesitate to fire a shot in Hawk’s direction. With two doors on opposite sides of the room, he realized he’d walked into another kill box. But without another couple of soldiers, it wouldn’t serve as one for him.
Then Hawk heard footsteps storming toward the boiler room. He braced for the showdown.
CHAPTER 36
ALEX ONLY MOVED TO BLINK and breathe as she lay on her back staring up at the tarp covering the lifeboat. The chatter on the deck was sporadic and calm, likely the opposite of what was occurring below if Hawk had ventured there in pursuit of McGinn. After ten minutes, she decided that it was a waste for her to remain pat. Getting the Sarin was one thing; turning the ship around to head back to port was another. But the latter was something she could influence the captain to do.
She waited until the footsteps of the patrolling guards faded before peeking through the tarp to inspect the deck. It was clear. As she wrestled with the tie downs, Alex feared she might make too much noise and attract attention. She finally jiggled the rope free and lifted the tarp. Taking great paints to ensure a silent exit, Alex slid through the opening she’d created by loosening the covering and climbed onto the deck. It was a nearly flawless exit until the boat started to sway, the hinges squeaking loudly.
She ducked behind a couple nearby crates in the hopes that no one would spot her. Alex peeked around the side but didn’t notice anybody. She remained crouched low as she scampered across the deck to the base of the steps leading to the ship’s bridge. Standing with her back flushed against the wall, she took a deep breath.
There’s a reason why I’m not fond of field work.
After checking both directions, she stepped away from the wall and was about to walk up the steps when she heard a man speak from behind her.
“Not another move,” he said.
Alex put her hands in the air and turned around to see a guard with his rifle trained on her. He motioned for her to walk back down the steps.
“Place your gun on the ground,” he said.
She complied, kneeling slowly to lay her gun down. While she did this, she scanned the area for anything that might help her gain an advantage on the guard. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a fire extinguisher attached to the wall. Slowly rising to an upright position, she eyed the man closely.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, flipping her hair back.
The guard seemed taken aback by the slight flirtatious act, his eyes diverting down for a second. And that was all the time Alex needed.
She ripped the fire extinguisher out of its holder and swung it at the guard’s head. The blow sent him stumbling backward across the deck toward the edge. Alex ran after him and delivered another devastating hit, knocking the man out cold.
After tossing the extinguisher into the water, Alex proceeded to strip the man of all weapons he carried, including a tactical knife and two hand guns. She threw his rifle into the water for good measure.
With the guard out, she dragged him to a storage room off the main deck and shut him up inside. The deck remained quiet, yet she maintained her low profile, sneaking across the deck and climbing up the steps to the bridge. She slipped inside and caught the captain off guard.
“What’s going on here?” asked the captain, scowling at Alex.
“You’re going to take us back to Berbera right now,” she said.
“I don’t think so.”
“Me and my gun say otherwise.”
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but you can’t hijack my boat like this,” he said. “There will be people up here soon, and you will be outnumbered.”
“Perhaps I’ll just shoot you and turn the ship around myself.”
The captain laughed. “Let’s be honest. You’re not going to use that thing.”
Alex fired a shot at the captain’s foot, ripping a hole in it.
The captain hopped around on one foot, screaming in pain.
“Let’s go over this once more slowly,” she said. “You need to turn this ship around right now and take us back to Berbera.”
The captain knelt and grabbed his foot, writhing for a few moments in pain before he staggered to his feet. He spun the wheel around as the ship slowly began to backtrack over its previous course.
“Maybe next time you’ll do what I say the first time I ask,” Alex said.
CHAPTER 37
THE SHIP LURCHED PORTSIDE and groaned as she turned. Outside the doorway to the boiler room, Hawk heard a clatter of footfalls and retreated, standing flush against the wall. The last thing he wanted was for the crew members to open the door to the room and see him first thing after entering the room.
When the door flung open seconds later, two men hustled downstairs, stopping two steps shy of the bottom. They both wildly waved their guns into the dimly lit room.
“Where is he?” one of the guards asked.
“Look to your right,” McGinn said.
Hawk’s head was flush against the walls as he looked left at the doorway. He had less than half a second to decide what to do as the crew members would inevitably whip their heads in his direction.
Thinking quickly, Hawk fired a shot at one of the pipes on the other side of the room, throwing the men into confusion. Instead of looking right like McGinn had said, they turned left and shot blindly toward some electrical equipment. Sparks flew, and McGinn screamed at the men to stop. But it was too late. Hawk had stealthily climbed onto the steps behind them. With such precision and efficiency, he stabbed both of the men in the back of
