When the boat had stopped swaying, Magnolia rubbed the gel across the center of the wound. X let out a roaring curse.
“Ho-o-o-oly shit!”
The speakers crackled, and Timothy’s voice came on. “The new radio is now working. Please advise when you want me to open a channel to Deliverance. In the meantime, I’m ready to steer us out of the bay using engine one.”
X groaned in pain, eyes wide and staring at the angry wound.
“Go ahead and get us the hell out of here,” he said. “And establish connection with Deliverance after that. I want Katrina to know we’re back aboard the Sea Wolf.”
“Roger that, sir. Weighing anchor now.”
A steady clanking sounded.
Magnolia cleaned the wound with a sterile pad, wiping away the leftover gel that overflowed the wound.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” she said. “Something I found in the facility while you were looking for Miles.”
He grabbed the armrest of his chair with his other hand and squeezed. “I’m listening.”
“Remember how I told you I got the computers back online using my extra battery?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I saw something I’ve never seen before. Stuff about the history of the world and how it ended.”
“Who the hell cares? I don’t get why you’re so interested in history.”
She brushed her wet hair over her ear as she waited for the gel to firm up. The boat rocked and then began to move.
“We are leaving the bay,” Timothy announced.
The boat picked up speed, the slapping of waves against the side quickening in frequency.
“It’s not just historical stuff,” Magnolia continued. “There were maps, and coordinates for places that Katrina can use.”
“Katrina?” X pulled his arm back from her grip.
“I’m not done with that yet.” She pulled his arm gently back onto the armrest to finish wrapping it.
Miles looked up at X, then over to Magnolia, and finally back to the floor, where he rested his muzzle.
“Yes. Katrina. I sent them everything I downloaded, including the location of a top secret base in Cuba called Red Sphere, where they can find fuel cells, weapons, supplies, food, and boats. Maybe even—”
“What?” This time, X yanked his arm out of her grip and stood. Sweat coursed down the valley of wrinkles and scars on his forehead. “Did you say boats?”
“Yeah. They can use them to help us when we find the Metal Islands.”
X swore under his breath and then kicked the bottom of the dashboard, shooting her an angry glance.
“Mags, God damn it! How many times do I have to tell you? I… don’t… want… their… help!”
She froze in her chair, lips quivering. This was the second time she had seen him this angry, and it scared her. His temper was getting worse by the day.
“X,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “I only sent them the coordinates and info on the base. I didn’t tell them to go there, nor do I really want them to go there.”
He smirked. “Don’t lie to me. You sent that so they would come out here and help us.”
“No…” She shook her head, but deep down, she realized he was right. Deep down, she did want the others to come help them find the Metal Islands.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Timothy said. “But something is causing drag on the boat.”
X looked away from Magnolia. He cursed again and grumbled something under his breath.
“Could it be because we’re using only one engine?” Magnolia asked.
X shook his head. “No, this is something else.”
“Commander Rodriguez is correct. We’re being obstructed by an unknown object.”
“I better have a look,” X said. “For now, shut it off, Pepper.”
The muffled whine of the dying engine followed the order by a few seconds. X grabbed the hatch. “I’m going topside.”
“But your arm,” she said. “I haven’t finished.”
“It can wait.” X snapped his fingers at Miles, who had stood up. “Stay here.”
The dog whined as X left. Magnolia stayed put, too, but then decided to go up and check on what he was doing. By the time she got on the ladder to the top cabin, he was already suited up with armor and helmet. He grabbed his rifle with the grenade launcher and checked the ammunition.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Helping.”
“You’ve helped quite enough,” he said. “I just want to get shit done on my own now.”
“X, come on. Don’t be like this, please.”
He charged his rifle with a pull of the bolt and stepped over to the hatch. The porthole hatches were all closed, blocking the view out into the bay, but she could still hear the boom of thunder and distant keening of the birds.
“Vultures,” X said. “Stay here.”
She couldn’t see his eyes behind his visor from her position, but she could tell by the position of his face shield that he was glaring at her.
“Just listen to me for once, damn it,” he said.
“Fine, but I’m going to be ready if you need me.” She grabbed her damaged helmet off a rack and pulled it on.
X hesitated, grabbed the hatch lever, and was gone, sealing the metal door behind him with a click.
She stepped up and opened the hatch over the porthole window to look out.
Sheets of rain pounded the boat.
“It’s really pissing out here,” X said over the comm link.
Magnolia moved to the right for a better look, but she couldn’t see much on the deck besides the smoke coughing out of the engine and battery room, rising into the sky as dark as the sea below them.
She didn’t know much about mechanics, but the smoke definitely wasn’t good.
Lightning lanced astern, illuminating the crow’s nest and several vultures hunting below the cloud line. One of them dived toward the waves to pluck a fish out of the water. Magnolia turned left and finally saw X. He had made his way over to the starboard rail of twisted metal and barbed wire.
He continued to the stern, out of view.
Magnolia strained to see, but the rain was like a curtain now.
“Holy shit,” X said. “On second thought, you better come see this, Mags.”
She grabbed her rifle off the secured rack and went outside onto the deck. The wind and rain beat against her armor as she moved, and water leaked into her helmet through the hole at the top.
X was looking over the rail now and aiming his rifle behind the boat. He stepped back and gestured for her to join him near the bent harpoon gun. The rope was almost entirely uncoiled from the capstan and taut as a drawn crossbow string.
“Guess we know what’s causing the drag,” X said with a laugh.
She stepped up next to X, her eyes widening at the sight of the shark, which was still caught on the harpoon. The boat had been dragging the dead beast behind them out of the bay.
Magnolia pulled her remaining curved blade from its sheath.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” X said, waving the weapon away. He got behind the harpoon gun and pushed the winch lever. A clanking sounded, and the weapon began to pull in the rope, coiling it back around its metal capstan as it drew the carcass toward the stern.
“I was going to cut us loose,” she said, resheathing the weapon.
“Why? Don’t you want to try shark?”
Deliverance pushed through the skies at an agonizingly slow speed. Michael’s only clue that they were moving was the slight vibration under his boots. At this pace, they would reach their destination in less than twelve hours, assuming they didn’t run into any major storms.
He sat in the briefing room, a circular amphitheater with three floors overlooking a central area that featured a podium with the ITC logo. Plush seats rimmed each level.