“Damn, not bad at all,” he said.
Magnolia tried a bite, lifting her eyes to the ceiling as if in thought. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
“Nice shooting, by the way, Pepper,” X said.
“Thank you, Commander.”
The Sea Wolf swayed again, and X grabbed his plate before it could slide off the table. Miles licked his chops, already finished with his meal.
“Don’t mention it, Pepper. Say, can you do something to keep this damn boat steady?”
“I’m sorry, Commander, but there are some waves ahead. I would highly recommend getting back to the command center and strapping into your seats.”
Magnolia let out a sigh.
“Bet you really wish you had stayed on the airships now, huh, kid?”
She stabbed another bite of shark off her plate and plucked it off the fork.
“Nope. I’m right where I should be,” she said with a warm smile.
TWELVE
“Look, I don’t trust Pepper, either,” X said over the private comm channel. “Hell, I don’t trust any AI, but I do need his help, and he proved back on the island that he’s here to help us.”
Katrina stroked her jaw and looked over at Michael. It was just the two of them in her office, and she wanted to keep it that way for now.
“I shut him down on the Hive after receiving the intel Magnolia sent us, X. Have you seen the videos and listened to the audio clips?”
“No. Been kinda busy staying alive out here. The boat’s in bad shape, and we’re approaching another storm, so why don’t you give me the short version.”
Michael grinned. “That’s the old X I remember.”
“I was starting to like the new one that didn’t talk as much,” she whispered back. “The one that wasn’t an asshole.”
“I heard that,” X said. “And I can confirm, I am and will always be an asshole.”
Katrina and Michael both chuckled.
“Okay, back to the issue at hand,” she said.
“If Pepper tries anything down here, I’ll light up his holographic ass, but what you do on the Hive and Deliverance is your business. As you pointed out, you’re the captain.”
“I’ve put Samson in charge of the Hive for now, but I need to do more research on what happened in those final days leading up to the end of the world and in the Blackout before I authorize turning Timothy back on.”
“I agree,” Michael said. “There are too many things that don’t add up. Like why Timothy, from the Hilltop Bastion, would not know what happened with ITC and the computer virus that apparently caused this war.”
“Maybe because of the Blackout,” X replied. “You guys have to remember, this shit happened two hundred and sixty years ago. The world ended. By whose hand, or how, shouldn’t matter at this point.”
“It does matter,” Katrina said.
“Why’s that? I’ve been out there. I’ve seen more than anyone what’s left. I’ve seen the mass graves, the skeletons, the horror of what life has become…” His words trailed off.
Katrina had a feeling he was remembering something awful.
“In Florida, I found a mass grave of robots,” he said.
“You never told me that,” Michael said.
“Because it doesn’t matter!”
Katrina sighed.
“Maybe X is right,” Michael said. “Pepper may have hidden something from us, but that doesn’t make him a threat.”
“I won’t take that chance on the airships,” she said, standing. “X, I’ll let you talk to Michael since you both seem to agree. Good luck out there. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Michael dipped his head.
“Yeah, thanks,” X said. “Good luck with your dive, Kat.”
She stepped into the passage outside her small office and closed the hatch almost all the way, torn about whether to give them privacy. She opted for eavesdropping. After all, it was a captain’s prerogative.
“Tin, I just wanted…” X began to say. “I’m sorry. I mean Michael.”
He stuttered out several sentences, clearly not sure what to say. X had never been good with words, especially back when she fell in love with him, but this was even worse. He had a hard time connecting with people—even with those he loved in return.
“Michael, I don’t like this. I told you I didn’t want you guys coming after us, and there is absolutely no reason to go to Cuba right now.”
“I know what you said, X, but I trust Katrina. I always have. She suffered under Jordan for many years, and now she’s been given a second chance. I don’t think she would jeopardize our lives or the mission of saving humanity if it weren’t worth it.”
Katrina suddenly felt guilty for listening in. She decided to give them the privacy they deserved, and began to walk away. Then she heard something that made her pause.
“She doesn’t know what’s down there,” X said. “No one does. No one besides me and Magnolia has been out this way and lived to tell about it.”
“Red Sphere is nothing but a tomb—”
X cut Michael off. “I’m not worried about Red Sphere or what’s inside. I’m worried about what’s outside. The islands are a dangerous place. Giant octopuses, armored hogs, and man-size birds aren’t the only threats. This is Cazador territory, Michael. If there’s anything to learn about the end of the world, it’s that humans are the real monsters. Most days, I think it would have been better if whatever killed most of humankind had gone ahead and finished the job.”
Les stood in the launch bay of Deliverance with Erin, Layla, and Michael. All were suited up and ready to dive. This was the same place where they had launched the Sea Wolf into the ocean less than a week ago.
The new recruits were all standing outside the main entrance, a large steel hatch with two portholes. Trey had pushed up to the front of the group and homed in directly on Les.
“Oh, shit,” Les muttered. “I’ll be right back.”
Michael nodded, and Les ran over to the hatch. He opened it and pulled out the Giraffe Phyl had given him back on the Hive.
“Hold on to this for me,” Les said.
Trey shook his shaved head. “Phyl gave that to you. It’ll bring you luck. You keep it.” He cupped his hand over Les’ and pushed it back.
“Seriously, Dad, you hold on to it,” Trey said.
“Okay.” Les stuck it back into his cargo pocket and secured the Velcro. “I love you. See you soon.”
“Love you, Dad. Be safe.”
“Good luck, man,” Vish said, raising a hand. The other recruits all looked at Les with sad gazes, as though they thought he wasn’t coming back.
He raised a hand toward his son a final time, then hurried back through the launch bay. Another wide door separated the four divers from the storm swirling outside.
There would be no launching from weapon tubes like those on the Hive. Today, they were jumping right out of the belly of Deliverance.
Michael, wearing his black suit, armor, and glowing red battery unit, stepped in front and turned to face his team. The Raptor logo, recently touched up with new paint, covered the top of his helmet.
A guttural groan creaked through the ship as Deliverance lowered through the skies. After twelve hours of resting, playing cards, and helping tend the farm, the divers were finally in position over their target.
“Twenty-five thousand feet and dropping,” Katrina said over the comm. “Ensign Connor has confirmed a forty-five-mile storm front in the east. We have to dive before it catches up with us.”