Part 7 (1/2)

”Not going to happen. The insurgents guarding the economic zone would fire on them in a heartbeat. This administration will not have another Black Hawk Down disaster.”

Stromeyer put up a hand. ”Wait a minute. I know about the territorial limits, but what's the economic zone?”

Plower visibly brightened, and Rickell nodded for her to answer. ”It's the zone that only the Somalis can fish. The waters off Somalia are filled with tuna, and the big companies were taking boatloads of it, leaving the Somali fishermen starving. To address this problem, most foreign s.h.i.+ps are not allowed to fish within a two-hundred-mile nautical range off the coast.”

”Well, we're not going to fish, we're saving people. Tell them to make an exception in this case.” Banner couldn't keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Rickell nodded. ”The transitional government granted the request but warned us that the insurgents currently control the area.”

”How long will it take for the Redoubtable to get near?”

”a.s.suming the Redoubtable finishes up with its own security issues in the next sixty minutes-eight hours to three days.”

”Three days. Why so long?” Stromeyer asked.

”They're far away. You have to understand, we're talking over a million square miles of ocean. They can't be everywhere. They focus their efforts on the most likely areas of piracy. And those areas have been the trade routes.”

”So no real help there,” Banner said.

Stromeyer started gathering her papers together. ”To recap: We've got one stranded cruise s.h.i.+p with hundreds of civilians and one, maybe two chemical weapons either lost or sitting within the territorial zone of one of the most dangerous countries in the world, and the U.S. can't, or won't”-Stromeyer gave Rickell a pointed look-”enter the area to help them.”

Rickell nodded. ”Can't. And yes, that's it.”

Stromeyer looked at Banner. He caught the look but was planning the steps he would take to board the s.h.i.+p and the price he would charge to do so. He finished up and laid the number on Rickell. Who exploded.

”That's highway robbery! Darkview has a contract with us. Standard rates in that contract should apply.”

Banner shook his head. ”This isn't standard. First, I need to find a s.h.i.+p that's located off one of the most dangerous coastlines of the world. Second, I need to secure the s.h.i.+p while fighting off attacking pirates. And third, I need to bring in a highly qualified individual to a.s.sess this chemical-whatever it is-and who will agree to infiltrate the s.h.i.+p at great risk to him-or herself.”

Rickell snorted. ”By the time the expert gets there, the vessel will already have been boarded and the people held hostage. What chemical specialist would be crazy enough to actually join those poor people?”

”Someone in the area with something at stake on the s.h.i.+p.”

”Who would that be?”

”Emma Caldridge.”

15.

SUMNER WHISTLED. BLOCK WAS AT HIS SIDE FIVE MINUTES LATER.

”What is it?”

”Listen.”

The cigarette boat engine roar grew louder.

”Here they come.” Block unsnapped the Taser from its holster and removed the safety.

Sumner pulled a walkie-talkie off his belt. Depressed the b.u.t.ton. ”We have visitors. Coming from the port side. Douse the lights.”

Twenty seconds later the entire s.h.i.+p went dark. Sumner heard the babble of voices in the distance. The pa.s.sengers in the dining rooms were responding to the blackout.

From the right came the dancing beam of a small LED flashlight. As it drew closer, Sumner could just make out Janklow's form, followed by a member of the s.h.i.+p's crew.

Janklow walked up to Block and Sumner. ”How far?” he whispered.

”Listen,” Sumner said. But the sound of the engine was gone.

”I don't hear anything.”

”Me neither, not anymore,” Block said.

”Listen for the sound of oars.”

”They'd still have to see us,” Janklow said.

”They could have night-vision goggles.”

Janklow moved closer to the railing and looked along the s.h.i.+p's side. ”That's way too sophisticated equipment for these guys. They're Somali fishermen, for G.o.d's sake.”

”They had RPGs, a cigarette boat worth over eighty thousand dollars, and at least one AK-47. Night-vision goggles would be the least expensive piece of hardware from that list,” Sumner said. The roar of the cigarette engine began again. He estimated it was over a mile away.

”We'll find out soon enough.” Block sounded grim.

Sumner knew that the s.h.i.+p stocked a couple of Tasers, but no other type of weapon save the flare guns. Everyone, including Sumner, was dressed in dark, plain clothes per Captain Wainwright's orders. Sumner recognized the crew member accompanying Janklow as a man all the crew members called Clutch. Sumner thought Clutch had a mean streak. He was a bouncer and sometime bodyguard who walked around in a state of repressed anger. Sumner didn't know his story, but it couldn't have been a happy one. Clutch had a flare gun attached to his belt.

Something about the engine noise bothered Sumner. It was too obvious. The pirates had to know that the entire crew of the Kaiser Franz would be prepared for their return. Over two hundred employees on a large cruise s.h.i.+p carrying at least three hundred pa.s.sengers. How did four skinny men expect to prevail against them? Sumner s.h.i.+fted his thinking to address the problem from their perspective. Thought about what he'd do given the same odds.

”I hope you're ready to shoot, Sumner. Because your gun is the only one that's got the range to kill them before they reach us,” Janklow said.

The cigarette boat fell silent again. Sumner set his jaw and strained to hear. He disliked the silence. The quiet stretched on for five, then ten minutes. Clutch sauntered over, wearing an att.i.tude as if the situation caused him no concern whatsoever, which was idiotic, as his t.i.tle was head of security.

”They figured out that they're crazy to take us on. We outnumber them by so much that they'd have to be insane to even attempt this. That's why they stopped.” Clutch spoke softly, but even so his voice held a note of arrogance that Sumner found annoying.

”Maybe,” Janklow said. ”Sumner, what do you think?”

Sumner hated to rain on the *we're superior to them' parade, but he didn't agree at all.

”I think they're going to stay a safe distance away and blast the h.e.l.l out of the s.h.i.+p with their grenades. They'll kill two-thirds of us, then they'll radio back to a larger s.h.i.+p that's floating nearby, and that one will proceed to board us.”