Noah's Ark - Survivors by Harry Dayle Page A

didn’t say anything.
    “Make sure Martin lets you guys get some rest soon, you’ve earned it.”
    “Taking over down here too, are you?” Martin appeared from behind a mass of pipes.
    “No, of course not Martin. Just saying what a great job you and your team have done. What about the engine, is she ready to start?”
    “I’d like to run some diagnostics before we do that,” Martin said. “She’s probably fine, but we need to check the cooling intake. She’ll need the preheaters on too, with the generator out for so long she’ll be cold. When we start her up it will have to be done gently. I hope you’re not expecting a fast getaway.”
    “Far from it. Take all the time you need, as long as we can move tomorrow morning.”
    Martin nodded, and disappeared back the way he had come.
    “So,” Jake said looking around, “I don’t suppose any of you chaps have seen Tania Bloom around have you?”
    Three heads shook in unison.

Twenty-Two

    MAX SLIPPED BACK down the corridor. He’d followed the men without being seen, heard their demand at the door to the bridge. He knew he shouldn’t have listened to Jake, should have kept the rifle handy. He wondered if he could pull the same trick as earlier and use the bridge fire escape to go and get it back. The trouble was that pesky Russian girl was in there. She went all doe eyed every time the captain was around, probably wouldn’t stand for him using a gun when lover boy had asked him not to. No, the captain wanted things sorted out by peaceful means, so the captain could sort them out himself. He just had to find him.
    • • • • •
    “He was here, but that was a while ago, I haven’t seen him since.”
    “Okay, thanks Martin.”
    Lucya sank into her chair. She’d called everyone she could think of, and every time she’d either just missed him, or he hadn’t been there at all.
    Three bangs at the door.
    “We’re still here. If you’ve been lying to us and the captain is in there, there’s going to be trouble.”
    “I am trying to locate the captain!” Lucya was losing patience with these people. “If you are not happy about that they perhaps you should return to your cabins and have a lie down!”
    • • • • •
    Max called on various areas of the ship and was met with the same responses Lucya had encountered.
    “You missed him.”
    “Haven’t seen him.”
    “Wouldn’t know what he looked like if I did see him!”
    He decided all he could do was wait until twenty two hundred hours when everyone was due to reconvene on the bridge. If he waited further up the corridor he had a chance of intercepting Jake before he got there, and could at least warn him there may be trouble ahead. In the meantime, he fancied a cigarette. Now the power was back on he couldn’t risk smoking inside, the detectors would probably start blaring out their horrible high pitched squark. He pushed open a door and stepped out onto the deck thirteen stern terrace.
    “Well now isn’t that just grand,” he said. “I spend half an hour looking all over for you, and here you are taking it easy outside.”
    “Hey Max. what’s up? I was taking five minutes quiet time before going down to the bridge.”
    “Right. About that. You’re not going to get much quiet time on the bridge, there’s a hoard of angry passengers waiting for you.”
    “What? Who let them in?”
    “No no, not on the bridge. But they’re in the coridoor waiting to ambush you when you arrive. I followed them up from a little meeting they held in the cinema. I can’t be sure, but I’d say mutiny is on the cards.
    Jake laughed. Max didn’t look impressed.
    “Mutiny? Really? Have you been watching too many films Max?”
    “This isn’t a laughing matter. We knew this was a possibility, and now it’s happening.”
    “Well then we’d better go and see what they want,” Jake said, and strode off towards the door.

Twenty-Three

    “GENTLEMAN,” JAKE SAID as he approached the group camped out