looked away, spitting blood on the floor as he did so.
Time was up, and I was frantic.
I flicked the safety off, and pulled the hammer of the pistol back with my thumb demonstratively. His eyes came back to mine, teeth bared in a vicious snarl.
“What? You gonna kill me, son?” he taunted, gray skin reflecting the red glare of the emergency lights.
“‘Cause if you are, you best get on with it.”
The ship canted sharply again and my footing slipped.
I looked around, noting the curving shape of the Bridge-Tunnel disappearing into clouds and fog as the weather worsened. The wind outside washed over the large windows and the rain blew in clouds of light mist.
The flight deck was now dipping into the crashing waves, whitecaps licking the tarmac.
I gave up. Removing the gun from his head, I leaned over, staring directly into his rapidly deadening eyes with an unwavering glaze. I suddenly realized what he was telling me.
“You destroyed it, didn’t you?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“You realized what you had, and what you had done, and you destroyed it, didn’t you?”
He simply glared, before spitting a final sentence at me as I turned my back.
“Let’s just say, you’re never gonna fucking see it again,” he laughed, leaning back in his chair.
A thin trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. Then he coughed again, spattering blood on the floor.
I moved toward the door, hoping against hope that the choppers had remained close.
“I did what I had to do, you crazy shit,” his voice followed me, echoing in the empty room. “And it’s your goddamned fault. Now get the hell off my ship so I can die in peace!”
He coughed again, a wracking, dying cough.
I slammed my hand against the metal bulkhead in anger, turning to him as I walked out of the hatch.
“My goddamn pleasure,” I said, slamming the hatch behind me.
I moved quickly down the narrow steps, careful not to twist an ankle as I descended. Finding the entrance door shut against the outside, I took a deep breath and raised my gun. There were creatures out there, I knew.
I wasn’t sure where I was going to go when I got outside, but there was only one way I was getting off this barge, and it was through those creatures.
The hatch opened slowly, and I stepped through. There were hundreds of them, most following gravity as they milled around. In my mind, I imagined them confused and confounded, as their last chance at a fresh meal had somehow taken off into the air.
As I climbed slowly onto the deck, the ship lurched once again, dipping further forward. The hatch behind me slammed into the metal side of the ship, and their heads turned, almost as one. Eyes locked on me, and they began to fight the pull of gravity toward the sea, shambling toward me as the ship sank.
Shit.
A group of ten emerged from behind the conning tower, knocking into a rack of fire equipment that had tumbled to the deck. I drew my pistol and emptied the magazine into the group, firing awkwardly as I ran. Several shots scored hits, but I wasn’t going to save myself with a pistol.
I was being pushed toward the stern of the ship and I looked around, seeking any shelter or safe haven. Any weapon.
My eyes fell on the last plane lashed to the deck, nose pointed at an angle toward the tower and the front of the ship.
I had never driven a fighter jet before, but there’s a first time for everything.
Chapter 11
Truth be told, it was their fault for leaving it unlocked. If they didn’t want people playing with their toys, they couldn’t complain about me having some fun. Especially if it was the last thing I ever did.
I sprinted past the large banner lying trampled on the flight deck, ropes that used to hold it aloft lying prone on the canted deck like downed spider webs. Stumbling briefly as a portion of the paper tore under my boot, I looked almost bemusedly at the words printed on the roughly and hastily made sign that the Captain had
Time was up, and I was frantic.
I flicked the safety off, and pulled the hammer of the pistol back with my thumb demonstratively. His eyes came back to mine, teeth bared in a vicious snarl.
“What? You gonna kill me, son?” he taunted, gray skin reflecting the red glare of the emergency lights.
“‘Cause if you are, you best get on with it.”
The ship canted sharply again and my footing slipped.
I looked around, noting the curving shape of the Bridge-Tunnel disappearing into clouds and fog as the weather worsened. The wind outside washed over the large windows and the rain blew in clouds of light mist.
The flight deck was now dipping into the crashing waves, whitecaps licking the tarmac.
I gave up. Removing the gun from his head, I leaned over, staring directly into his rapidly deadening eyes with an unwavering glaze. I suddenly realized what he was telling me.
“You destroyed it, didn’t you?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“You realized what you had, and what you had done, and you destroyed it, didn’t you?”
He simply glared, before spitting a final sentence at me as I turned my back.
“Let’s just say, you’re never gonna fucking see it again,” he laughed, leaning back in his chair.
A thin trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. Then he coughed again, spattering blood on the floor.
I moved toward the door, hoping against hope that the choppers had remained close.
“I did what I had to do, you crazy shit,” his voice followed me, echoing in the empty room. “And it’s your goddamned fault. Now get the hell off my ship so I can die in peace!”
He coughed again, a wracking, dying cough.
I slammed my hand against the metal bulkhead in anger, turning to him as I walked out of the hatch.
“My goddamn pleasure,” I said, slamming the hatch behind me.
I moved quickly down the narrow steps, careful not to twist an ankle as I descended. Finding the entrance door shut against the outside, I took a deep breath and raised my gun. There were creatures out there, I knew.
I wasn’t sure where I was going to go when I got outside, but there was only one way I was getting off this barge, and it was through those creatures.
The hatch opened slowly, and I stepped through. There were hundreds of them, most following gravity as they milled around. In my mind, I imagined them confused and confounded, as their last chance at a fresh meal had somehow taken off into the air.
As I climbed slowly onto the deck, the ship lurched once again, dipping further forward. The hatch behind me slammed into the metal side of the ship, and their heads turned, almost as one. Eyes locked on me, and they began to fight the pull of gravity toward the sea, shambling toward me as the ship sank.
Shit.
A group of ten emerged from behind the conning tower, knocking into a rack of fire equipment that had tumbled to the deck. I drew my pistol and emptied the magazine into the group, firing awkwardly as I ran. Several shots scored hits, but I wasn’t going to save myself with a pistol.
I was being pushed toward the stern of the ship and I looked around, seeking any shelter or safe haven. Any weapon.
My eyes fell on the last plane lashed to the deck, nose pointed at an angle toward the tower and the front of the ship.
I had never driven a fighter jet before, but there’s a first time for everything.
Chapter 11
Truth be told, it was their fault for leaving it unlocked. If they didn’t want people playing with their toys, they couldn’t complain about me having some fun. Especially if it was the last thing I ever did.
I sprinted past the large banner lying trampled on the flight deck, ropes that used to hold it aloft lying prone on the canted deck like downed spider webs. Stumbling briefly as a portion of the paper tore under my boot, I looked almost bemusedly at the words printed on the roughly and hastily made sign that the Captain had
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