“How much further?”
“Shouldn’t be far. I think we were being held in the very bottom of the ship.”
They were both thrown sideways as the ship lurched again. Much harder this time.”
“Damn Pete. This must be one hell of a storm.”
“We need to find some life jackets or a lifeboat or something.”
“Do you think any of these guys are armed?”
“I don’t know Jim. All I’ve seen are the ones who brought you here and crew members who work the ship. Oh and there was a red head, beautiful, don’t know who she was. She left in a helicopter back in port.”
“That is interesting. Have you seen Von Werner?”
“No.”
“Maybe he’s not aboard. Come to think of it nobody has seen him in Italy so far have they?”
“Not as far as I know. Now are you ready to move?”
“Right behind you friend.”
They burst out onto the main deck and stopped and stared. Rain lashed at them hard stinging their faces. They both grabbed a handrail to steady themselves as forty foot waves battered the ships hull. Lightning streaked across the sky lighting their faces up for a moment.
“This storm’s bigger than I thought,” Dennis shouted over the howling wind.
They both hung on as the ship’s deck rose and fell. One moment the bridge was a hundred feet above them. The next it was fifty feet below. The large stacks of containers rumbled and shook with terrifying force.
“Bloody hell!” Hutchinson said, “I thought the ship was going over then.”
The Ocean Breeze heeled and lurched thirty degrees to starboard then shuddered as she righted. Then as the ship rose again Dennis saw the freefall lifeboat attached to the stern.
“Come on!”
Dennis grabbed Hutchinson’s hand again.
“That’s our way off!”
Slipping and sliding on the wet deck they groped their way past the heli-pad to the lifeboat.
“How the hell does this thing work?” Hutchinson asked.
“I think we get in it and it launches.”
“Let’s go then.”
Hutchinson rushed around the front of the lifeboat looking for a way in. A large man in a boiler suit punched him in the face which sent him sprawling. Dennis saw Hucthinson crash to the deck. Then he recognised the supervisor who had hit him before. The man wore a sickly grin. He had the large adjustable spanner in his right hand and he slapped his left palm with it in a threatening gesture. Dennis searched around frantically for anything he could use in the fight to come. The man grinned and came on. Hutchinson, on the floor, kicked out with his feet entangling the man’s legs who stumbled and dropped the spanner. The ship suddenly lurched and the man was thrown over the stern. He clung on desperately while trying to change his grip. Dennis walked to the rails and stared down into the terrified eyes. He watched impassively as the man struggled for a few moments then the supervisor’s grip failed and he plunged seventy feet into the sea. Dennis turned for Hucthinson and helped him to his feet and they both looked at each other as the sound of an intermittent siren sounded over the pitching deck, accompanied by red flashing lights.
“What is that?” Hutchinson asked.
“Either the ship is in danger or we’ve been discovered,” Dennis nodded towards the bridge, “and I think it may be us.”
The unmistakeable figure of Von Werner in his white suit appeared at the railing surrounding the bridge. Petrov in black military fatigues was with him and Dennis saw the Dragonuv sniper rifle cradled in the man’s arms.
“Fuck!” Dennis said, “Come with me.”
He picked up the dropped adjustable wrench and he and Hucthinson moved away from the lifeboat and slipped in amongst the containers.
Von Werner had a megaphone in his hand and he raised it to his lips. Dennis and Hutchinson stopped as the voice carried across the deck.
“Mr Dennis! I assume it’s you Mr Dennis. You can give yourselves up.”
Dennis wasn’t listening. He was trying to break the seal on a container.
“Very well you had your chance,” the voice came to him through the containers.
“Uh Pete! You better take a look at this.”
Dennis let go of the handle on the container’s door and moved to see what Hutchinson was pointing at.
“Allow me to introduce Gennady Borodinoff.”
Dennis watched with wide eyes as a heavily armoured man moved slowly down the stairs towards them armed with a sidearm, grenades and a SPAS-12 assault shotgun. The man was covered from head to toe in armour. On his head night vision goggles and a Kevlar helmet.
“Pete what the fuck are we going to do?”
The only weapon they had was the spanner. Dennis got into a position where he could see Petrov clearly. The sniper seemed to be able to keep his balance despite the pitching of the ship. A single shot ricocheted off the container inches from Dennis’ face. Dennis flinched away into cover. He looked up at the single container he was next to reading the labels on the side.
“Jim! Quick! Give me a hand to get this open.”
“Pete he’s getting really close.”
Dennis peered through the gap again just in time to see Borodinoff pump the shotgun one handed to cock it. Dennis smashed down on the seal locking the container. It pinged away and he pulled the double handles to open one door.
“Give yourself up Dennis!” Borodinoff shouted.
Dennis helped Hutchinson open the other door. Borodinoff could now see them and he fired his shotgun just over their heads.
“Jesus!” Dennis shouted.
They swung the other door open just as Petrov got to them. The ship suddenly lurched again as they dived for cover. Two cages containing dozens of gas cylinders tumbled out. They burst across the deck taking Borodinoff off his feet. Dennis and Hutchinson each holding onto a container door until the ship righted, then leaned the other way. The door Dennis was holding onto banged shut and he bounced off it and went down amongst the gas canisters. They bounced and plinked around him. Hutchinson still hanging on felt the container move further than it had before and he dropped down and rolled away from it and came to his knees.
Dennis was back on his feet swaying with the motion of the ship. Borodinoff, weighed down by his heavy armour was much slower in getting up. Dennis picked up a barbecue sized gas canister and drew his arm back and threw it at Borodinoff. It hit the Russian in the head and the man was forced back down to one knee.
The ship lurched again.
“Pete that container’s loose!”
Dennis rolled himself out of the way just in the nick of time as the container rumbled past him, gaining speed. Borodinoff was slowly getting back to his feet on the slippery deck. He more felt than heard or saw the container coming, spilling its contents out as it came. He couldn’t move from its path and it slammed into him taking him with it crushing him against the rails, killing him. Up by the bridge Von Werner watched in silence, his knuckles white on the rail.
Dennis went slowly to the container stepping over gas cylinders. The next time the ship lurched the container moved away from Borodinoff and his body slumped to the deck. Dennis picked up the assault shotgun and checked it for ammunition. There were six shells left.
“Uh Pete!” Hutchinson said pointing.
Dennis saw four more men running down the stairs towards them. Three of them had handguns, one was carrying a machete. The gas cylinders were still rolling around on the deck and bouncing off objects. The container was still sliding about blocking their exit. Dennis backed to the rail and peered down at the black sea, the crests of the waves churned white by the storm. The sea was a long way below.
“Jim get ready to jump over the side.”
“Over the side! Are you mad?”
“There’s no other choice.”