Chapter 40 #2
Snake chuckled. “That was absolutely delightful. Sorry you didn’t get a turn, Hor. But I’m sure he’d welcome a return visit.”
“Getting DP’d isn’t on my Fuck-It list, but I enjoyed the hell out of watching.”
“Fuck-it list? I love that,” Gunner said.
Snake tilted his head. “You all right? You’re holding that thing like it’s a bomb.”
Horatio held the case with both hands, arms stretched away from his body. “It’s vibrating so hard I can feel it in my teeth.”
“Why not tuck it in the front of your pants, then? The least it can do is give you a tickle, am I rig—” Snake’s phone notifications blared. He stopped cold, grimacing as he checked the screen. “Bloody hell! Meridian’s hacked us again.”
“How?” Gunner asked. “He’s on lockdown.”
“Not sure. Just got a notification from the security system.” Snake made a portal. As they stepped into Scuirius, the ship’s warning blare hit them.
“I didn’t know it was this loud from outside,” Horatio shouted.
“It’s not.” Snake shook his fist at the sky. “I swear on my mother’s grave, I’ll skin Meridian and wear him for a raincoat in the middle of a hurricane.”
The siren followed them up the hatch and to the elevator. Gunner clamped his hands over his ears as Horatio punched the up button. To their surprise, the elevator sped along at top speed.
“Holy hell. I think I have a nosebleed,” Horatio said.
Dagger and Seven were in the cockpit, untangling wires that swung from an open panel. After some shouting and cursing, the wailing of the siren ceased.
“Nice work on the elevator, gents,” Snake said. “But what happened here?”
“Fucking Meridian,” Seven seethed. “We just got the ship in perfect working order, and he hijacked the mainframe. Everything’s cooked. The navigation software, the security system, we can’t even open a word doc.”
“Yeah. Big mess.” Dagger twisted in his seat and pointed to the case. “Big sexy has Vixen artifact.”
“Yup. Want to read it?” Horatio held out the case to Dagger.
He put his hands up. “I can’t read the old language. We need my brother for that.”
“And I need Gunner to help me sort this out,” Seven said.
“You sure it’s Meridian and not something you lads cocked up?” Snake asked.
“See for yourself.” Seven switched on the monitor. Meridian’s visage filled the screen. His raucous laughter sent chills down Gunner’s spine.
“You shit-eating bilge rat!” Snake shouted.
“He can’t hear you. It’s a video. As soon as I hit play, a virus took over.” Seven pounded a fist on the dash. “A fucking computer virus!”
“Trojan? Polymorphic? Wyrm?” Gunner asked, mind already buzzing.
“Stop, you’re giving me a boner.” Seven reached to turn off the monitor but paused. “Check this out.”
A narrow green band stretched across the bottom of the screen, but this time it pulsed like a beating heart.
Gunner sighed. “Just like back in Yasmin. Do you think our hacker left us something?”
“Good question. But we can’t do anything until we eradicate the virus,” Seven said.
“All right.” Gunner cracked his knuckles. “Let’s slay this beast.”
Snake took a seat in the back of the cockpit. “Try not to cause an earthquake this time.”
Horatio slumped in his seat. “Oh shit, not this again.”
“Quiet. Let the masters work,” Seven said.
Hunched over the equipment, Gunner’s bliss fog cleared. The click of the keyboard sent a rush up his spine. After thirty minutes of intense aggravation, he and Seven found the right vaccine. Once rebooted, they breathed a sigh of relief when the desktop appeared normal.
Except for one thing.
A strange folder blinked.
“They did leave us something.” Gunner’s finger hovered over the mouse.
“Open it,” Seven hissed.
“Are you sure? Last time you guys caused a sonic boom,” Horatio said.
Gunner rubbed his pendant. “Maybe you guys should clear out.”
“No. If we die, we die together.” Snake wrapped his coat tighter around him.
“Okay, I’m going to open it.”
Dagger nodded.
Seven nodded.
The folder blinked three times before revealing its contents.
Gunner leaned back. “It’s an MP4 file!”
Full body chills prickled his skin.
What the fuck were they about to see?
The screen blacked out for one heart-stopping second before a grainy video snapped into view. A pale face framed with black hair and face tattoos held the camera close, hands shaking.
“Juno!” Dagger gasped.
Through a set of iron bars behind him, another figure hovered—a Reptilian male with one yellow eye, the other white with a scar running through it from brow to jawline.
“Dagger, I hope you get this message.” Juno’s voice was low and urgent. “Me and General Dragon Varanus are prisoners in a secret jail, deep underground Clairidia Castle. We need you to tell Master Sergeant Komodo Varanus, and no one else. No one!”
The Reptilian leaned into view, bars casting hard shadows across his face. “Only contact my brother face-to-face. It is the only way to ensure privacy.”
Juno glanced over his shoulder and back to the screen. His voice dropped to a hiss. “Don’t do this on your own, Dagger. It’s dangerous. Can’t use magic down here, and traitors are everywhere, especially—”
The video ended abruptly.
Dagger lunged at the console. “Bring it back, Seven. Bring it back!”
“That’s all there is. Let me rewind.”
They viewed the message again. The silence afterward was heavier the second time. Gunner’s chest ached as Dagger’s panic rippled through the room.
“We finally know our hacker,” Snake said.
“And he’s been sending an SOS this whole time. We just couldn’t see it.” Gunner pounded a fist on the dash. “Remember that voice we heard before the boom? What did it say?”
“Da Ceeda,” Horatio said.
Dagger grabbed Horatio’s hand. “That means ‘Help me’ in my language.” He sobbed. “Juno needs us. Now.”
“Don’t even think about rushing off to Clairidia, little buddy.” Horatio dabbed Dagger’s tears with his sleeve.
“But I need to rescue my brother.”
“Juno warned you not to do this on your own,” Gunner said.
“He is not always right.” Dagger swiped away tears.
“Juno said they were underground. Well, Clairidia Castle is like an iceberg. You could wander around for days trying to find him,” Seven said. “And get caught in the process.”
“Don’t care. Have to save my Juno.”
Snake crouched in front of Dagger and cradled his face. “You’re part of my crew now. As your captain, I forbid you to go to Clairidia alone. We will rescue Juno, but no one makes a move until I say so. Do you accept?”
Dagger nodded, expression solemn. “Aye, Captain.” He managed a weak smile. “I always want to be a pirate. They sexy.”
Gunner’s heart swelled. This wasn’t just a pirate crew—this was a family. Sure, they were all kinky sex maniacs, but they cared about each other.
Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?