Chapter Four
One day
Cruise ship
Hud
Shots fired is not normal. The hit to walls tells of bad aim. I roll off the bed and hit the floor. No light at all means the threat is real. The shots were suppressed but the bullets that hit the wall weren’t. Alder took the room by Charlie’s Angel Sophie’s team. I hope she heard that.
§*§*§
Sophie
My eyes open when shots are fired as if I was trained to react to that particular air-in-motion sound, or maybe it’s the impact on the wall a few meters away from my door.
With the automatic roll and crouch, I reach for my gun and glasses, then crab walk my way to the connecting door.
No clock, charger, security, or any kind of light at all shows in this room.
Checking the door to Alder’s room, I’m surprised it’s unlocked.
I see Mucimi and Aurora on Alder’s bed and breathe.
Alder has his gun in his hand and glasses on but the breath he lets out slowly shows he is ready to defend himself and probably Aurora - not that Mucimi would let anything happen to any of them.
With a nod to me, he waves a hand at Mucimi.
Mucimi signs for me to stay alert and signs he’s got Alder.
I back into my room and stand in the corner by the door, waiting. Mucimi isn’t here for nothing.
Every little sound of the someone coming toward the room feels muted but amplified because I’m focused on it.
A key slides in the door knob telling me this is a planned attack.
The keypad is out with the electricity but a door lock is manual.
Slow opening, muted click of the door close, breath let out, foot hits the chair leg, no lights but the tiny prick of a pen light sweeping like a lighthouse off a coast.
I roll my eyes, like that’s not noticeable in a pitch-black room.
His light keeps me focused on more than his sounds.
Now, if you’re looking to surprise a person in the room, you might want better tools.
I stand in the corner with night vision glasses watching this hoser try to make his way to the door by me.
He goes to the bathroom and clears it, I guess that’s something, so he’s not a total inept hoser. While he’s in there, I bend lower but stay comfortably ready.
“Where is she?” The mumble is soft but he’s not that far from me, so I keep the statue pose and watch his little prick of a light go right over me to the door showing a 20cm ray of light circle on the door.
Green isn’t a good color for him. He’s a big guy, a few inches over six foot, muscular, hairy, making age a guess at forties. I lift my hand and shoot the laser dropping him. Scanning his shaking face right by my foot, I note closer doesn’t make the green look any better.
“Jed?” The voice from the dark hall gives me another target but the only move I make is an eye shift and slow-motion hand honing in on sound with my finger moving to ready.
“Too long, let’s go.” The voice sounds anxious.
I hear a body hit the floor down the hall and shoot Jed’s partner before he has a chance to alert anyone. He falls just inside the door.
“Hall clear. Stella?” Silva asks in a low voice that tells me we may not be clear yet.
Standing straight, I move to secure Jed. Mucimi being here means I don’t need to explain.
A sound at the door has my arm swinging.
“Hud in. Alder?” Hud asks in his clipped tone.
I relax my arm and refocus on my wiggling Jed hoser.
“Mucimi and Aurora are in with him. I’m glad he took the inner room now.
” The earlier room change felt like a warning but no one explained the why to me.
Picard steps into my limited hallway sight line, then steps back into the shadows outside someone’s flashlight.
I let Hud know so he stops scanning. “Acosta is in, Picard is outside the door. I heard Silva ask about Stella, she’d know if we’re clear.
We need coms linked and the Ops room hooked to us, do that while I get these two secured? ”
His eyes snap to mine. “Yeah. I’ll put my second out with Picard and third to come help move these two. Meet me at the Bravo suites. The VP…” He stops quick with the door opening behind me.
Since he’s facing that way, I finish shackling Jed and his partner while Alder tells him the plan. “Pres Justice send Boss Mucimi to protect to me. You work with Boss Sophie clear cruise ship. I help Web and Alpha-Bit IT.”
I stand and step aside for Hud’s team to deal with the two enemies. “Get ID’s, face and print uploaded as soon as you can. AB IT is working on this already but their little drones don’t have night vision.” I pivot quick to Alder. “Can you get the link to the teams?”
He nods once. “All Officer, Protector, Lead Security have new link.”
I pull and push away protocols. “Drones and cameras?”
“Tracking. I send to Leads.” Alder is quick and wearing a little smirk. “Anton work on night vision.”
Hud moves a step forward. “We got overwatch on this deck and clearing one down.”
I nod. “I’ll clear, my team is new, pick from them or yours for overwatch. I’ll take a K-9.”
Mucimi bends and Alder climbs on his back. “Boss Sophie quick. VP Jack want answer.”
Hud nods. “We’ll get them for you, Boss.” He turns to watch Mucimi carry Alder out the door with his hand on Aurora’s back.
I nod for Picard to follow. The Bravo suite is just down the hall. “Picard is walking to the suite with them.” I let Hud know as I get the rest of my gear on.
“I’ll set my new on overwatch and meet you below.” He’s gone before I answer.
I didn’t have an answer so it’s all good. Readied, I meet Picard and Acosta who have a new dog standing by them. We make 2 teams on a floor. This is good.
§*§*§
Cruise ship
Hud
She’s thorough and fast with the K9 indicating she must have worked with them outside the wire.
Not that she had much of a bio, nothing said K9 partner.
I got a buddy who’s a Jag on the joint base that said she’s a classified asset.
He said it’s like M6 or GIGN. I didn’t work with them but knew some by name or sight.
I don’t know about that but know she can ride and she’s high on the LS board.
Tats said she understands the Lab work. He doesn’t, I don’t really either but it’s not my job. My job is to protect the package.
Working with her for a week showed she’s military all the way and competent in everything I’ve seen her do.
The riding surprised me but Asa said he’s training her on the Honor track.
Asa and Alder are trained at master level for everything.
I don’t know how they figure levels in ride and shoot but they’re better than me and the Charlie’s Angel.
Silva said they rank higher than most Officers but they don’t advertise.
I wouldn’t either if I were them. Being the best anything means you’re open to shit-for-brains trying to beat that record as if you’d be offended coming in second or here fifteenth.
The laugh has me turning. Mucimi turns. “She’s like Stella but she can hear.”
That stops my feet. “Stella can’t hear?”
He pushes my gun arm down. It was pointed straight into the hall intersection but no one is in it. “Stella’s glasses tell her what’s said and the ear pieces alert her to sound around her. This floor is clear. Citiali got the last 2, I came for Sophie and Bobo’s two.”
Who the hell is that? “Bobo?”
He slows and smiles my way. “Bobo and Hunter are chipped K9s from the Maestro Club. Before you ask, that’s the …”
I finish for him. “K9 Ops Club at Honor Rising.” It’s the Club Charlie’s Angel Sophia comes from and I’m not totally clueless.
His laugh surprises me, then it hits me, so I’m calling me a fool for forgetting. “Shit. Stop reading me.”
“She’s a BSC Protector. She doesn’t belong to any one Club.”
What the hell does that mean? “She’s been here longer than me and I belong…I think I belong to Bravo.” Maybe.
He nods. “You’re BSC too so you belong to all BSC Clubs. You started in Bravo but was sent to Zeke right away. Sophie was sent to Phoenix for training, they had her training everywhere for different things. Maverick wanted her but Justice told Cort to keep her on the Alpha-Bits.”
I’m at Sentinel Rising now or Rescue is my Club sort of. “Me too? You agree with that?”
“Yeah. It was my advice, Teller, Citiali and Zeke agreed. You both are planners and think outside the box. Alder isn’t easy and needs someone that will stand up to him while they aren’t challenging his President position. He shoots for disrespect and sometimes that’s with bullets.”
That’s a lot of freaky agreement. “Good enough for me. I’ll watch how I maneuver him away from shit. It’s why I’m not wearing Club colors.”
He answers but I wasn’t asking. “Yeah. You’re not nomad but BSC Protector Officer has its own rocker. It’s used for Protectors with ability that are young Officers or non-ability that are Officers to be recognized at any Club. Everyone knows the BSC Protector name and show respect.”
We turn down the next intersection heading toward the bow. This is the K9 and Angel’s hall. Mucimi laughs again. Shit. I clear my head and throw chin to the seconds from our teams.
“We’re bringing them to the door by the engine room, Boss,” Moss tells me.
Mucimi shakes his head. “I got them.”
He’s gone when I look his way. That look turns into a shake of my head. Moss’s eyebrows almost hit his hairline. Charlie’s Angel’s second doesn’t react but walks into the open room.
I follow. Freaky isn’t changing tonight. Tats said it used to be worse. I’ll take the better and get back to the little Pres. He said Jack needs answers. We can help with that.