chunk of steel sitting at ease among the calm waters of the natural harbor a short swim away. The decks were quiet, seamen lounging around as if bored. This may well be a regular, monotonous trip for some of them.
The two men found a flat piece of earth to dig into near the water’s edge and secured their weapons. All they were waiting for now was Mai’s signal.
*****
Mai crouched alongside Smyth, waiting for the shadows to creep even farther over the guards’ quarters. They had decided to strike at them where they felt most comfortable—the place they rested, the place they slept. The weapons they had lifted from the dead guards were held loosely in their hands, two Dragunov SVUs and a Bullpup sniper rifle. With a sound suppressor and special muzzle-break to help absorb a large amount of recoil, it was perfectly suited to their needs. And interestingly, it was Russian made.
At last the darkness was enough. Mai strode toward the main door with Smyth watching her back.
“Go , Maggie,” he said as she neared the entrance.
She paused and looked back. “Have you got a little crush on me, Smyth?” Without waiting for an answer , she opened the door and stepped inside, straight into a communal room complete with a widescreen TV, several loungers, a big sofa and a round table pockmarked with knife scores.
Several men stared at her, stunned.
Mai opened fire without mercy. There wasn’t a man on this base worth saving. She believed that as much as she believed in herself. Bodies pounded back into the walls or tumbled over the sofa. Mai allowed a man to scramble out the open window to raise the alarm and bounded across the hallway.
Into a kitchen. A Korean guard was running at her in mid-flight, checking his weapon whilst still clutching a mug. His mistake. Mai sent him and the mug’s contents against the window, smashing the pane and staining it red.
Smyth fired behind her.
She stepped back into the hallway. Enemy guards were jumping into the line of fire, clearly dazed and unused to action. Maybe at one time they had been a crack force, but today, they were cats in a barrel.
But then, the entrance door behind them, the one Smyth had closed, suddenly crashed open. Mai heard a cry of “Get them!” before a bunch of troops swarmed toward her.
*****
Drake heard the gunshots and prepared to slide into the water, but at that moment, the warship erupted with activity. All hands hit the deck running and the great engines began to turn. Was it coincidence?
Never mind. Drake dove forward, hitting the murky waters with a splash and cutting through the waves with a strong stroke. As he swam, he saw both the warship’s boats cast off from the dock and rev their engines.
He trod water for a second. Romero rose beside him. “What gives, man?”
“They’re heading back to the ship.”
“No t even a Korean with his ass on fire could get to the boats that quickly.”
“ Agreed. It’s coincidence. But look—they’re not changing course.”
“They have orders ,” Romero reasoned, “from their high command. Shit, man, we’d better hurry it up.”
“But Mai —”
“Ain’t gonna make it! Come on!”
*****
Mai fired around Smyth, then turned back to the hallway. A few bodies still twitched , but otherwise, the coast was clear. She raced forward then dropped to her knees and skidded, twisting her body as she did and shouting at Smyth to move.
The marine back ed toward her, firing carefully. Bullets whizzed around him. At one point, he half-twisted and yelled, but it was only a bullet tearing through the sleeve of his jacket, nothing to really shout about.
Korean s fell at his feet. But more came. It soon became apparent that he wasn’t going to make it.
At least not alone.
“Damn!” Mai waded in. Jumping among her enemies, she sent one tumbling against the other so they fell hard to the floor. She smashed heads against heads, turned rifles inside out and disengaged their firing barrels with a deft
The two men found a flat piece of earth to dig into near the water’s edge and secured their weapons. All they were waiting for now was Mai’s signal.
*****
Mai crouched alongside Smyth, waiting for the shadows to creep even farther over the guards’ quarters. They had decided to strike at them where they felt most comfortable—the place they rested, the place they slept. The weapons they had lifted from the dead guards were held loosely in their hands, two Dragunov SVUs and a Bullpup sniper rifle. With a sound suppressor and special muzzle-break to help absorb a large amount of recoil, it was perfectly suited to their needs. And interestingly, it was Russian made.
At last the darkness was enough. Mai strode toward the main door with Smyth watching her back.
“Go , Maggie,” he said as she neared the entrance.
She paused and looked back. “Have you got a little crush on me, Smyth?” Without waiting for an answer , she opened the door and stepped inside, straight into a communal room complete with a widescreen TV, several loungers, a big sofa and a round table pockmarked with knife scores.
Several men stared at her, stunned.
Mai opened fire without mercy. There wasn’t a man on this base worth saving. She believed that as much as she believed in herself. Bodies pounded back into the walls or tumbled over the sofa. Mai allowed a man to scramble out the open window to raise the alarm and bounded across the hallway.
Into a kitchen. A Korean guard was running at her in mid-flight, checking his weapon whilst still clutching a mug. His mistake. Mai sent him and the mug’s contents against the window, smashing the pane and staining it red.
Smyth fired behind her.
She stepped back into the hallway. Enemy guards were jumping into the line of fire, clearly dazed and unused to action. Maybe at one time they had been a crack force, but today, they were cats in a barrel.
But then, the entrance door behind them, the one Smyth had closed, suddenly crashed open. Mai heard a cry of “Get them!” before a bunch of troops swarmed toward her.
*****
Drake heard the gunshots and prepared to slide into the water, but at that moment, the warship erupted with activity. All hands hit the deck running and the great engines began to turn. Was it coincidence?
Never mind. Drake dove forward, hitting the murky waters with a splash and cutting through the waves with a strong stroke. As he swam, he saw both the warship’s boats cast off from the dock and rev their engines.
He trod water for a second. Romero rose beside him. “What gives, man?”
“They’re heading back to the ship.”
“No t even a Korean with his ass on fire could get to the boats that quickly.”
“ Agreed. It’s coincidence. But look—they’re not changing course.”
“They have orders ,” Romero reasoned, “from their high command. Shit, man, we’d better hurry it up.”
“But Mai —”
“Ain’t gonna make it! Come on!”
*****
Mai fired around Smyth, then turned back to the hallway. A few bodies still twitched , but otherwise, the coast was clear. She raced forward then dropped to her knees and skidded, twisting her body as she did and shouting at Smyth to move.
The marine back ed toward her, firing carefully. Bullets whizzed around him. At one point, he half-twisted and yelled, but it was only a bullet tearing through the sleeve of his jacket, nothing to really shout about.
Korean s fell at his feet. But more came. It soon became apparent that he wasn’t going to make it.
At least not alone.
“Damn!” Mai waded in. Jumping among her enemies, she sent one tumbling against the other so they fell hard to the floor. She smashed heads against heads, turned rifles inside out and disengaged their firing barrels with a deft
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