Rogue Elements

“We’re still in the Omani territorial waters. The Caprice is going to take on a packet of cargo in Raysut. It’s less than fifty kilometers from here. You’ll be there tomorrow. The second she leaves port, she heads into international waters. You’ll have guns by noon.”

The team stared.

Yard’s eyes went cold. “There has never been a pirate attack between Salalah and Raysut. The pirates know the sultan takes that shit personally. He maintains firing squads and televises the results. You are flying the Viking Associates flag. As soon as you leave Raysut and are in international waters, I will personally deliver the hardware.”

The team just stared.

“Anyone want to renege on their contract?” Yard asked.

Bolan grabbed his bag and stepped out of the chopper. He fell four feet and landed lightly on the massive cargo hatch. The rest of the team followed. The chopper flew away without a wave goodbye.

“Motherfucker,” Sifuentes declared.

Bolan listened to his instincts. “Ketch?”

The man blinked and looked away from the departing helicopter. “Yeah?”

“I’m taking command.”

“Thank God.”

A clutch of off-duty crewmen smoked and took in the newcomers. Ibarra held most of their attention. Bolan nodded at a lanky blond man with a beard. “Hey, sailor.”

The sailor spoke back with an American accent. “Hey, yourself, asshole.”

“What’s your name?”

“Houston, Crane Specialist, what’s it to you?”

“I need to speak to the captain immediately.”

Crane Specialist Houston regarded the Viking detail dubiously. “Shouldn’t you guys have guns?”

“Yeah, and that’s what I need to talk to the captain about.”

The sailor scowled. “We don’t have any. It’s against company rules.”

“I know, and you’re going to get hit tonight, tomorrow by the latest.”

The sailor’s face went blank. “We’re going to get hijacked? In the next twenty-four hours?”

“No, the Caprice is going to disappear, with all hands.”

The sailor just stared.

“Houston?” Bolan locked eyes with the sailor. “We have a problem.”

The sailor ran toward the superstructure waving his arms and shouting. “Captain!”

* * *

“We’re about to be attacked?” the captain asked. “Really?”

Bolan could not imagine a more stereotypical ship captain. Merchant captains these days usually wore a shirt with the shipping company logo on it and whatever civvies were comfortable for the climate. Captain Douglas Cleverly wore a crisp white uniform blouse with epaulettes while on duty with the matching white captain’s hat. He also had a beard, smoked a pipe and spoke with a British accent.

Bolan cocked his head. Cleverly had a distinctly military bearing. “Her Majesty’s Royal Navy?”

Cleverly allowed himself a small smile. “I commanded a frigate. I retired. Then my twin daughters decided they wanted to go college. In the United States, and you now find me in mercantile shipping.” His smile died. “Now, from what I gather, you are implying that the Caprice is being set up for an attack, and your own employers are setting you up to fail.”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“That is the most ridiculous bloody thing I have ever heard.” Cleverly snorted. “And, as I mentioned, I commanded a frigate in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. You would not believe some of the things I’ve heard, much less seen.”

“Would you believe me if I said I do?”

The captain looked Bolan up and down again and nodded. “Perhaps.”

“Captain, I hope I’m wrong, and if I am I’ll buy you a bottle of scotch.”

Cleverly spoke without missing a beat. “Glenlivet twelve-year-old will do nicely. Your earliest opportunity will be at the duty free in Jeddah.”

“Done,” Bolan agreed. “But meantime I would like you to operate on the assumption that this ship will be under attack in the next twenty-four hours.”

“It is against company policy for any officer, sailor or specialist on this shipping line to have a firearm or anything else that constitutes a lethal weapon on board. That said, I have a Browning Hi-Power with two spare magazines and a box of ammunition in my cabin. Are you requisitioning them?”

“No, but I suggest you load it and keep it handy. If worse comes to worst, use it to defend the bridge.”

“Then, forgive me, but just what is it I can do for you?”

“I gather if the ship is attacked and looks like it is going to be taken you have a safe room protocol?”

“Yes, if the ship looks be lost, I have the power to disable navigation and steering, and there is a four-cornered bulkhead area below that the crew can retreat to.”

“Then all I can ask is for you to aggressively maneuver the ship with the water cannons in mind up until we are boarded. What you do after that is up to you and the crew.”

“Forgive me for asking, but what exactly will you be doing during the attack, Mr...?”

“Blue.”

“Mr. Blue.”

“Defending the Caprice. That’s our job. Speaking of which, what’s in the manifest?”

“Mostly building supplies bound for Port Sudan.”

“What else?”

“Kerosene, again for Port Sudan. The country pretty much runs on it at this point.”