Junkyard Spaceship, page 4
part #3 of Junkyard Pirate Series
He crouched low and crawled out from behind the containers, using the pitch blackness and sheeting rain against his back as cover. Mentally, he'd faced a lot of hardship in his life, especially in the jungles of Vietnam. The cold was new, but the disabling pain wasn't. Gritting his teeth, he pushed all the distractions away and slunk across the deck.
A massive lightning bolt crashed behind him, brightly illuminating the entire ship. Thirty feet from his position, the soldier held fast to the stair railing and turned his head. AJ froze in place.
"Shit," the man said, coughing as darkness returned to the ship.
AJ wasn't more than two car lengths from the guard. Only the discipline he'd earned through combat kept him from acting on the belief that he'd been seen. A few seconds later, AJ saw the bright glow from the end of the cigarette as the man took a final drag and flicked the butt in AJ's direction.
"Human optic nerves have difficulty adjusting to rapid, significant changes in lighting," Beverly added to explain why he hadn't been seen. "His lethargy, however, is surprising given the earlier ship-wide search for a high-value escaped prisoner. He must also be immune to the nicotine stimulant."
AJ couldn't help but chuckle as he crept to where the superstructure rose out of the deck, behind the man's line of sight. He was on his own on the rolling deck of a ship in the middle of the sea, buck naked and nearly dead, facing an enemy who was loaded for bear, but Beverly was concerned for this man’s health.
Carefully, he slid sideways, working himself closer and closer to the guard. A fair fight wasn't something he could win. A strategy had no more formed in his mind when his foot struck a coil of chain lying on the deck. Pain exploded as his foot contacted something flat and sharp. He grunted involuntarily and the sound caught the soldier's attention.
If not for the fact that the man had a gun, the situation might have been humorous. The soldier took in AJ's withered and naked body, a look of shock filling his face. AJ knew he had precious seconds to exploit that tiny advantage.
"What in the fucking hell!?" the soldier exclaimed, loudly enough that AJ feared he might have alerted others.
AJ lunged forward, barreling into the guard, and riding him to the deck. The man, obviously a lower-level soldier, given his middle-of-the-night assignment outside on a rain-soaked deck, struggled to gain control of his rifle. The soldier’s actions bespoke a certain naivete in brawling. While AJ couldn't afford the sound of a gunshot, he also knew that fighting for the rifle was wasted energy. With all the strength he could muster, AJ slammed an elbow into the man's jaw. Unfortunately, the power behind the blow wasn't what it had once been.
"Shit! Can't you stun him or something?" AJ groused, struggling to stay atop the man who'd finally realized the gun would do him no good.
"A noble sentiment," Beverly said. "No. I don't have any stun capacity. I'm four hundred nanometers on a good day and not one of my twelve arms are even forty nanometers in length."
AJ saw stars as the man connected a blow of his own. "BB, I need help, now!"
"Your adrenal glands are depleted," she answered. "I'm working on something, but I need a couple of moments."
In a single move, the guard realized his superior strength and threw AJ off. "Shit, we're not going to have that much time." He scrambled away until his head struck the very chain that had caused him to give away his advantage.
Surprisingly, however, the guard didn't press forward. Instead, he struggled to bring the rifle to his shoulder. AJ saw the opportunity and wrapped his hands around the uncoiled length of chain. A flash of lightning lit up the deck as he curled around, ramming the thick links into the side of the soldier's knee.
A single gunshot cracked, the bullet harmlessly sailing over the ship's side and into the ocean. AJ pushed his advantage and brought the chain down on the arch of the man's foot. A yelp of pain preceded the soldier's fall to the deck. AJ grasped the slick raincoat, using it to pull himself over the thrashing body. He pulled at the chain, but it had reached its length, so he smashed the heavy metal into the man's stomach. The fight drained from the soldier who was coughing and trying to suck in air.
"Make another sound and I'll gut you like a fish," AJ growled, his face only inches from the terrified captive.
The man nodded and was subdued while AJ removed the man's walkie talkie, pistol and the knives on his waist and thigh. With weapons in hand, he directed the soldier to undress, allowing him to keep a small portion of his dignity by not taking his wet t-shirt and undies.
"I'm sorry about this, buddy," AJ said, sitting next to his prisoner. He opened the protein bar he found in the jacket pocket. "I'm a US citizen, abducted on US soil. You need to find a new line of work if you want to feel good about yourself when you're my age."
The man was nothing more than a boy and barely out of high school. He stared at the deck of the ship completely defeated.
"I now have access to the ship's communication system," Beverly said. "I’ve reached Seamus who says Jayne, Sharg, Queenie and Lefty were all taken at the same time we were. I’ve been searching the ship’s computers and since there's no record of our presence here, I wouldn’t expect to find any information on the others either. However, I think I know where they could be."
"Already?" AJ searched for another protein bar, disappointed when he didn't find one.
"I've looked through the ship's manifest. The CIA isn't particularly subtle about their cargo. There are seven containers from a company called Patriot Industries. If our friends are aboard this ship, they'll be in one of those containers. Also, Greybeard has informed Captain Baird of our predicament. Apparently, the message I placed on your nurse's cell phone was not sent. Most likely, this is because the cellphone I modified has not been within communications range. We must be quite far out to sea."
He liked that someone in power knew where they were, although it didn't change the fact that they were on their own. If the Army was coming, it would take longer than they had. Intercepting a cargo vessel halfway to China would stir up a hornet’s nest of inter-service rivalries.
"Can you figure out how many soldiers they have on board?" AJ asked, tapping the walkie talkie he'd taken from his prisoner.
"It will take time," Beverly said. "I do not believe it is wise to stay in the open."
"Agreed. Look at the manifest. Find the closest container with something edible inside. We'll use that container to lock this one up, at least for now."
"We will need a tool to remove locks," Beverly said.
Using the enhanced low-light mode Beverly provided, a scan of the deck revealed a tool cabinet. Within the cabinet, he found a crowbar.
"The third container from the portside has a load of supplies for a U.S. fast food chain on mainland China," she said. "The sodium and nitrate balances are high and there are chemicals designed to encourage overconsumption. Overall, it will do in a pinch."
"Are we talking Big Patty Whacks?" he asked, heading toward the port side. "I love those."
"The components of, yes," she said. "And portside is the left of a ship going forward, not the right, AJ. You need to go to the other side."
"Army here," AJ grumped. "Only boats we needed in 'Nam were on the river and nobody said nothin' about ports."
Several narrow steel bands and a couple of long handled locks held the container doors closed. Missing bands would be an obvious indicator that the container had been breached, but he shrugged as he pushed the crowbar into the lock and torqued it around. The noise of the breaking lock was covered by the intensifying storm.
AJ dragged the soldier into the container which wasn't completely packed and pulled the doors closed behind him. The sounds of the storm were dimmed in the closed space and he felt comfortable lighting the flashlight he’d taken from the guard.
"It's just buns and sauce," he complained as he pawed through the first row of boxes stacked within.
"Starch and fat will provide many of the building blocks you need, AJ," Beverly said as AJ ripped open a flat of buns and stuffed several at once into his mouth.
"Who knew these would be so good," he said as the food started to hit his stomach. "I'd kill for a beer."
"There are only concentrated soda kegs in this shipment," Beverly said. "There should be packages of cured meat strips. Perhaps try further back."
"That's right! There's bacon on a Patty Whack. Seriously, they ship all this without refrigeration?"
He pulled apart the stack of plastic trays holding buns, tossing them in every direction, making a tunnel toward the back of the container. By the time he reached a package of bacon, he'd all but covered the soldier he'd captured in flats of buns.
Four
Spooks
"Unit Twelve. Check in." The captured soldier's radio crackled to life. AJ pushed on the lever to lower the volume and picked up the unit.
"This is Twelve," AJ answered, keeping his voice intentionally low.
"You're not at your post. Where are you?" the man asked.
AJ sighed as he looked around at the piles of plastic wrappings. While he was no stranger to the ridiculous consumption needed for Beverly to rebuild portions of his body, it was still surreal that he could consume tens of thousands of calories in one sitting.
"Can't a guy take a piss with you crapping down my back?" he groused. "I'm portside pissing over the rail."
"You get some balls, kid? I'd be happy to shove 'em back where they belong if you don't get your ass back here."
"Yeah, yeah," AJ answered, sneaking out of the container. He pulled out his new flashlight from his new raincoat pocket and shined it to port.
Just as he hoped, a dark figure walked toward the wrong side of the ship. The large guard turned and headed back.
"What's wrong with you? That's fucking starboard," the man shouted over the still pouring rain.
AJ brought the beam of the flashlight up and grinned as the man pushed his hand out to block the blinding effect of the beam. "Put that shit down. Where the hell do they get you guys?"
"Oh, sorry," AJ said, stepping closer and bringing the beam down. In his other hand, he had a pistol, which he swung violently across the man's jaw, dropping him to the ground. "And for the record, he's not the only dipshit on this boat."
"Ship," Beverly corrected.
"Army," AJ answered as he moved the second soldier to his temporary base of operations. Fortunately, both men carried zip ties which made securing them easier. Even better, the new guard had larger shoes, which he desperately needed.
"There's an open catwalk at the top of the superstructure that leads to a central corridor where the Patriot containers are grouped," Beverly said, lounging atop a package of smashed buns.
"Likely a lot of crew on that side, don't you think?"
"If you are feeling adventurous, you could climb the containers."
He shook his head. "They're likely to have surveillance up there."
"I've disabled their video feeds. If I hadn't you would have been discovered shortly after your first encounter."
"Can you turn the cameras back on and just black out where we're at? That way you could see if anyone is coming our way."
"Devious." She switched back to her batgirl leather. "There are three crew currently visible on video feeds. A bridge watch directly above us and two soldiers posted outside of the Patriot containers. I have not discovered the video feeds inside the containers."
"How do you know they exist?"
"We saw one in your cell, AJ," she replied.
"Oh, right."
He casually made his way up the exterior staircase, repositioning his rifle as he passed into line of sight of the bridge watch. Still dark and rainy, he was just an indistinguishable figure. There was no way the watch would be able to make out facial features, even if they knew each other well enough to make an identification. Instead of turning toward the ship and entering the upper deck, he walked around and started across the catwalk.
"What are you doing here?" He was challenged even before he made it off the partially sheltered catwalk.
The second guard started to lower his rifle, but AJ was ready for the challenge and had already raised his pistol. He aimed at the guard whose rifle was in motion.
"This can go two ways," AJ said. "Put the rifle down and live or take your chances that I can't get you both. Either way, you're gonna have a hole in you."
The man looked confused but stopped raising the gun. "Either way?"
"You know what I mean," he said, replaying what he'd said. "It's been a long night."
"You're on a ship in the middle of the Pacific," the second man said, taking half a step toward AJ. "You can't take us all. Give yourself up now or we won't be the only ones worrying about holes."
AJ glanced at the video panel behind the man showing an empty cell with a small opening at the back where water was blowing in. A good guess that cell had been his. "Put your weapons down. We'll worry about my holes later. Shit! Do you hear what you're making me say?" he asked, irritated. "Move! Now! Guns and knives on the floor."
"We can't open the cells," the man continued, carefully laying his weapons on the deck. "Only the bosses can. There are twenty men aboard. Do you think you can take us all? Think about your position."
AJ looked at the next cell over. Lefty, who lay on the floor facing the back wall, looked like he was asleep. Small shoulder movements, only visible with Beverly's enhancements to his vision, however, convinced AJ that Lefty was up to something. AJ chuckled, feeling a bit proud that he'd escaped before Lefty.
"I'd worry about yours," he said. "BB, can you open this?"
"Same encryption, I've got Seamus working on it," she said. "I think he might have it."
"Who are you talking to," the more composed of the two guards asked.
"Noneya. Get your ass over to that door and open it."
"Noneya?" the second, younger guard asked.
"Nobody ever falls for that," AJ said, smiling. "Noneya business."
"I'm telling you, they're locked and we can't open them," the first guard reiterated, clearly not amused with the conversation.
"I'm telling you to give it a try." The guard was visibly shocked when the door swung outward. AJ nodded at the door, clearly expecting them to move inside. Two walls were set up causing an S-patterned walkway that blocked the entry door from the prisoner’s view. "I can see you thinking about trying something," he said. "Trust me. I'd have shot you already if I was gonna. Don't take that for weakness. I've been through shit you can’t even imagine and I don't have any trouble going back there."
The first guard turned slightly. "You kill us, you'll have a price on your head you'll never run from."
"Says the guy who facilitated the illegal imprisonment of US citizens. I'm fairly sure if I shoot you, you just sink to the bottom of the sea never to be heard from again."
"AJ, we've got incoming," Beverly said. "Someone must know something's up. Six armed men are working their way toward the catwalk."
"Can you open Lefty's cell?" he asked.
"It's unlocked," Beverly answered.
AJ, still near the door, leaned out and fired two rounds at the steel superstructure. He had no expectation of hitting anything, but wanted to slow the approaching troops.
"Sorry, fellas," AJ said, swinging the butt of his pistol toward the back of the older guard’s head. The man anticipated the move, but AJ caught the side of his face and he dropped just the same.
"Don't kill me," the younger guard begged, holding his hands up defensively.
"You want to live?" AJ asked. The young man nodded furiously. "Run across there and open that plexiglass."
"What in tarnation?" AJ couldn't see Lefty as much as he could hear him. The sounds of a scuffle followed.
"Friendly!" AJ called, ducking as he slid out and retrieved the remaining weapons he'd taken from the guards and dropped by the container door.
"Ugly, more like," Lefty scoffed, rounding the corner. "I might have put you down except for that good lookin' gal next to you."
AJ slid a rifle to Lefty, leaving the door ajar so he could watch for movement outside. "Lock those guys up, would you?" He knelt and tapped a couple rifle rounds through the opening.
"With pleasure."
A couple of AJ’s rounds were returned but quickly cut off after some yelling.
"BB, I need visuals."
A video feed appeared in front of him. Five heavily armed soldiers were stacked up in a hallway on the ship's top deck. On split screen, none other than Gerald Loveit was running down a hallway, pulling a belt through his pants.
"Can you give me a speaker near him?"
"You're live, AJ," Beverly answered.
"That's far enough, Loveit," AJ said.
Loveit skidded to a halt, frantically looking for AJ. "Where are you, Jenkins?" he spat, pulling a knife from a thin sheath.
"I've called the Army and we're streaming this video," AJ said, bluffing. "Your career is done. You've illegally abducted and imprisoned US citizens."
"Army isn't gonna say anything. We're in international waters. They don't want any part of this."
"Fine. News media it is," AJ shifted his voice to that of a radio announcer. "Folks, on the screen, you're looking at one of the CIA's black site operations aboard the Bella Cruise container ship, currently en route to Hong Kong. US citizens Albert Jenkins, Doctor Amanda Jayne, Joshua McQueen and Lefty Johnson were spirited away under the cover of darkness by a CIA bag team, led by the man shown in this video, Gerald Loveit, a longtime employee of the US State Department…"
"Stop!" Loveit roared, pounding his fist against the wall. "Don't you dare send that video! Exposing CIA agents is treason, you'll be hung!"
AJ started again, using his best announcer voice. "You heard it there, folks. Agent Loveit, CIA, threatened our intrepid group with lethal action. We'll be digging into this story more as it develops."
"Just fucking stop," Loveit said, slapping his hand against the wall, in defeat.
"Turn this ship around," AJ said. "We step out onto US soil or that video goes public. You copy?"
