Cliff had made several movies where he’d had to use a gun, so he assured Flynn that he knew what he was doing.
Decisions had to be made, and fast. Somehow Flynn seemed to have gotten himself the title of team leader. It didn’t bother him, he was used to being in dangerous situations.
‘Luca and Taye, you stay here with our prisoner,’ he said, taking control. ‘Aleksandr, Cliff and I will go on a search mission.’
‘It don’t need two of us to stay with this prick,’ Taye said hotly, not one to miss out on any action. ‘I’m comin’ with.’
Flynn made a quick judgment call. Was Luca able to handle it if one of the other pirates came looking for their comrade? He didn’t think so, especially if the predators were armed.
The answer? Everyone had to stick together and they would take the captured pirate along as a human shield.
Yeah, that was it — he should’ve thought of it before.
‘Untie his ankles,’ Flynn said. ‘New plan. We’re taking him with us.’
‘Why’s that?’ Cliff asked.
‘’Cause if anyone’s getting shot, it’ll be him,’ Flynn said grimly. ‘Okay, guys?’
Everyone nodded.
Renee attempted to move. She was naked on the blood-soaked bunk bed, squashed up against the wall. The man who’d shot Hammond was curled up next to her, snoring.
She was almost too frightened to struggle free. Yet, instinctively, she knew that to survive that was what she had to do.
There was something horribly wrong with this scary man lying next to her. The smell emitting from him was noxious. His skin was the colour of old cowhide and wrinkled with wear. His hair was matted into unkempt dreadlocks. His eyelids were black over sunken eyes and he had no eyelashes.
Repulsive, disgusting and a killer.
Gingerly she made a vain attempt to squeeze past him.
It wasn’t possible, he had her wedged against the wall.
Renee realized that the only way out was to slide across him. Yet if she did that, what would happen if he awoke?
She shuddered to think.
Hardly daring to breathe, she carefully began moving over him, blood from her body dripping onto his filthy clothes.
For a moment he ceased snoring.
She immediately stopped moving, lying on top of him as if they were lovers, desperately trying to control her shaking body.
Basra grunted, farted, then resumed his noisy snoring.
Renee continued with her escape plan.
After making her way downstairs, Mercedes quickly dodged out of sight the moment she saw Amiin being frog-marched out of the master suite surrounded by several of the male passengers.
Her heart started beating at an accelerated pace. Why were the male passengers on the loose? How had
She knew she should warn Cruz immediately, but the pull of opening Kasianenko’s safe was luring her in. Besides, Cruz was sitting upstairs with an Uzi and other guns. He’d blow everyone’s head off at the first sign of trouble.
Before that happened she could open the safe, grab the ring and the piles of cash she knew was there, then with that done, she’d go find Basra, Cashoo and the others to take care of the passengers.
At least then, whatever happened, she’d have her future secured.
Screw it! The time had come to put herself first.
Down in the mess-hall the pirates were getting out of control. Daleel and Hani had been away from their homes for too long and their testosterone was raging. Plus the beer was having an effect.
Daleel didn’t bother finding a bathroom. He took out his penis and pissed in the direction of his captives, jerking his cock back and forth so the stream of urine spurted in all directions.
‘Friggin’ wanker!’ Den yelled, as a spray of urine splashed him in the face.
Daleel cackled, and reached for the assault rifle slung over his shoulder. He then waved it threateningly in the air.
‘Still wanna do nothin’?’ Den muttered to Guy, as Hani decided to take a shot at the ceiling.
The bullet missed the ceiling and ricocheted off the wall, hitting Jeromy in the shoulder.
Jeromy squealed like a stuck pig. To his horror he’d been shot, actually shot. His face paled as he slumped forward clutching his wound, blood seeping through his fingers.
‘I’m going to die,’ he moaned. ‘I’m going to die amongst you people. And no one will ever know I was here.’
Then he passed out.
Cruz was not a man to be taken by surprise. Mercedes had always said that her poppa had eyes in the back of his head. He was a crack shot too, so anyone coming at him better watch out.
However, the last thing Cruz expected to see was Amiin, hands bound, a gag covering his mouth, being shoved onto the bridge with several men behind him.
‘Drop your weapons,’ Flynn commanded. ‘Do it now or we shoot our hostage.’
Amiin’s eyes were popping out of his head. He knew what was coming and there was nothing he could do to stop it happening. Cruz would show no mercy.
Cruz was on his feet in a flash. Eyes blazing, he began shooting — several bullets hitting Amiin full on, another bullet grazing the top of Flynn’s ear.
Captain Dickson cowered in a corner, too scared to do anything.
Cruz was acting like a madman, wielding the Uzi as if he was Al Pacino in
‘Back off, everyone,’ Flynn yelled to the others. ‘We gotta take cover.’
He didn’t need to tell them twice.
‘What’s she doing?’ Ashley whispered, peering through the oneway mirrored panel at the top of the safe room entry.
Bianca crowded next to her. ‘It’s that stewardess, whatever her name is.’
‘Should we bring her in here with us?’ Sierra questioned. ‘She needs to be protected.’
‘Hold on a minute,’ Bianca said. ‘It looks like she’s trying to open Aleksandr’s safe.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Lori said.
‘Holy shit!’ Bianca said excitedly. ‘Seems like she knows the combination.’
The women crowded near the panel, watching as Mercedes got the safe open, and started piling the contents into a large garbage bag.
‘That little bitch!’ Bianca exclaimed. ‘She must be one of them. What can we do?’
‘Nothing,’ Xuan said evenly. ‘Flynn and Aleksandr told us to stay in here until they get back, so that’s what we should do.’
Bianca shot Xuan a dirty look. She still didn’t like her, and hearing the Asian woman mention Aleksandr’s name infuriated her.
