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Thank you so much once again for all your reviews I am very grateful. I hope you like this installment as much as the others! I'd love to know as ever what you think.
The ocean spray showered over him as the ship powered through the strong current of the Indian ocean. It had been three months since he'd gone home on leave. He took in a deep breath of sea air as he leant over the side of battle cruiser, the brine leaving a familiar pleasant tang on his lips. It was good to be back even if he did miss his family. They were back to a period of strict no communications and he was missing the contact with the outside world. It had been great to see his dad and brother and how things were progressing with the new family business. He was already very fond of that little yellow submarine having fine-tuned her to perfection during his leave. He was now pretty confident he wouldn't be re-enlisting after this one was up. He wanted to be part of the rescue organisation along with his three brothers. He still hadn't told his dad or the others yet though, he needed time to make sure he was really comfortable with his decision.
Glen rocked up next to him. "Alright Merman? You look lost in thought."
"I'm fine just thinking of home, how far out are we?"
"E.T.A is three hours then we need to submerge and wait for nightfall."
Gordon glanced around to make sure they were alone. "What's the current intel?"
"An arms dealer ring is operating 50km off the coast of the Maldives. The weapons are being stashed in an underwater cave ready for collection in two days' time according to intel. It's imperative we locate and intercept the weapons first."
"I take it its not your ordinary consignment of MK's?" Gordon raised his brow.
"No. These damn things are programmable air missiles that can target and lock onto aircraft. They say they can even outpace a Falcon fighter Z90."
"Really? Let me see." Glenn transferred the file to Gordon's watch with a simple click. Gordon flicked up the hologram and quickly scrolled through the intel. He was scanning for something in particular, dismissing large sections of the report.
"What is it?"
"Bastards!" Swore Gordon vehemently. His eyes clouded over with barely contained rage. Glenn checked round to make sure there were no witnesses, thankfully this section of deck was deserted, most of the guys were still in their mission briefing which Glenn and Gordon were not part of (being W.A.S.P and not Navy).
Glenn waited coolly for his partner to calm down and tell him what this was all about. It wasn't like him to get riled. Gordon was well known for his laid-back nature. Glenn folded his arms and waited, Gordon took a breath. "These guys run all over the east. The last batch according to this got assigned to a guerrilla terrorist cell in the Arabian desert back in March this year, a month before my brother and his squadron got shot out of the sky. He mentioned that there was some kind of missile that had the ability to track his jet that couldn't be out manoeuvred. These bastards are the ones who almost got my brother killed. He lost his lieutenant that night, they were really close." Gordon was seething. He wouldn't let this happen again, they were getting the weapons tonight and making sure their operations were permanently terminated.
"With us on the case they don't stand a chance. I remember you saying their base was attacked. How is he now?"
"I haven't seen him since last year but we've chatted a couple of times over calls. Thing is my brother never admits his true feelings, he sees it as a weakness but I can tell this has shaken him. He told us he had just suffered smoke inhalation and a few cuts but he was fine, his squad were coping. When dad spoke to Scott's commanding officer, he found out he had also suffered 2nd degree burns to his leg which he failed to mention. He also failed to mention he lost his best friend after trying to save her from her burning jet. He can't talk about that day or about Mavi. I know he thinks it's his fault because he gave the order to engage but it wasn't, he wasn't the one that was attacking the base, those terrorists killed her with those weapons. Not Scott." Gordon looked grimly out to sea. His brother had been so subdued since, there was none of the trademark cockiness and good-natured charm. At the start of the deployment he had been moaning about the desert but had laughed it off in his usual resilient manner, now he just looked tired and haunted on the rare occasion he let his stoic façade slip. Gordon knew his brother's deployment was taking its toll yet he refused to come home when he'd had the chance. "I'm sure there are people in his squad watching over him. They'll help him through it, I can imagine it must still be pretty raw for him. It must be unbearable to suffer such a loss mid tour." Camaraderie and companionship were what kept you going on deployment. Gordon nodded. "I guess your right. We better get doing." Gordon pushed off the side of the ship. Glen clapped him over the shoulder as they walked back to their cabin to prepare for the night's operations.
At twenty-one hundred hours they were dropped in their little bathyscape. The Navy ship was anchored 70km away from the site. They didn't want the runners to spook with a war ship in their mist, there was no guarantee they wouldn't have some form of surveillance of the weapons location. The Navy would be anchored for the night whilst they conducted their exploration below. As soon as Gordon and Glenn felt themselves being lowered, they immediately stood to get ready in the tiny space available. They already wore black diving suits, Gordon reached above him and pulled down the storage locker to reveal his night vision googles, service hand gun and his semi-automatic. He slung it over his shoulder in the specially designed holster on his suit that would keep it dry until he needed it. "Hey!" Glenn shouted as Gordon's rifle butt smacked him across the back of the head. "Sorry!" He tried to shimmy around to give Glenn more room to grab his gear. Gordon slapped the spare rounds into the special waterproof compartments on his baldric and attached the torch to his harness. He secured the rest of his equipment to his utility belt at the hip and stashed his knife into the pocket that ran alongside his slender calf. By the time they were done they had reached the bottom of the ocean floor and radioed to the ship to check in and advise them that everything was ok. Glenn took the controls and undocked them. Usually a bathyscape would struggle to travel this far at the speed they needed but it had been specially adapted for this purpose. They propelled along the ocean floor following the GPS coordinates given whilst Gordon monitored the sonar for activity.
They reached the location in good time. Gordon and Glenn had a grid reference that they would then need to search to locate the weapons. Initial scans had revealed a substantial cave system within the area. Glenn deployed the anchor which meant the little sphere hovered above the floor bed at the desired level and remained in position not being able to ascend or descend as it was anchored in place. It bobbed gently in the slight eddying current. Glenn went out in to the airlock first and suited up before Gordon followed suit shrugging the tanks on to his back. He put on his rebreather and gave Glenn the ok signal to pressurise and open the airlock.
They filtered upwards and out into the gloom of pitch-black ocean. Gordon could only see as far as his torchlight radiated. He guessed this is what it felt like to be a deep-sea anglerfish. They set their own wrist sonars to scan and got out their metal detectors. They weren't like the large ones used on land, they were more like pet microchip scanners, handheld and compact. They worked systematically to cover quadrants side by side. It wasn't long before they located the cave entrance. Glenn was just about to go in when Gordon barred his way with an arm across his chest. Glenn looked surprised behind his mask. Gordon pointed to the entrance where they could see a white glow getting closer and closer. Someone was already in there! They both dived down onto the sea bed and cut their flashlights. There was no where to hide apart from to rely on the darkness of the night and pray they wouldn't be seen. A lone diver emerged, closely followed by a large metal capsule that was being towed along on some kind of hover jet board with turbines that propelled it through the water. They rose steadily upwards, the light fading as they did so. Gordon and Glenn waited cautiously for a few moments in case more divers came out of the cave before taking off after the diver at a distance. "Shit. they must have brought the collection date forward." Gordon mused.
"Yep. Our orders were to retrieve the weapons at whatever cost but we could be outnumbered and outgunned here. It was meant to be a simple retrieval for fucks sake!" They both swam faster to keep up with the mystery diver.
"Oh Well… Shit happens. I'm in if you're in?" Gordon couldn't let these weapons get away not when he knew how his brother had suffered. Not when he knew the destruction and danger that awaited someone if these things got on the black market again. "Of course, I'm in! I've never not completed a mission, yet have I?"
"Have we; I think you mean." Countered Gordon. Glen smirked at him. They reached the top just as they saw a pair of flippers ascend the metal ladder up onto an expensive looking yacht. The cargo was already out of the water and being hauled on board. Getting down to business both men immediately sobered up. Gordon indicated they should split to surround the yacht. Glenn nodded and moved away. Gordon looked up and down he couldn't see anyone as he silently surfaced and grabbed on to the hull. He had specialist gloves that were designed as a synthetic version of an octopuses' tentacles that suctioned onto slick surfaces for better grip. Gordon used these to quickly scrabble up the side. He paused at the lip of the hull to listen. He raised himself up on the rail to peer just over the top. It was deserted, he quickly flipped one handed over the top, his upper body strength making light work of lifting the rest of him over. He sprung onto the deck like a cat on all fours before quickly rolling and diving into the nearby inlet. He made his way to the back of the yacht where he heard voices. He crept forwards keeping his slim frame pushed tight into the shadows. He saw two men with large rifles resting in the crook of their arm, weapons poised and facing the cargo that was being winched up. The diver was nowhere to be seen. Just as he made his mind up to lure one of the guys away, the one closest to him started to walk towards his hiding place. Gordon crushed himself into the shadows once again as the guy got closer. He came shoulder to shoulder with Gordon who remained poised and calm, the man paused for a moment level with Gordon before he walked on. Gordon ran at him and in two swift bounds had launched himself onto the guys neck from behind, covering his mouth and strangling him in the crux of his elbow applying pressure. The guy slumped unconscious back into Gordon's arms. The man was a good foot and half taller than Gordon yet he still managed to lower him to the floor and drag him into the recess. He grabbed a cable tie from his belt and tied the man's hands together.
Gordon slunk back to the end of the yacht; the other man had also gone. Gordon snuck under the balcony of the top floor, seeking safety in its cover. That's where he found Glenn. They both nodded and knew they had at least dispatched a man each. Now to check the rest of the boat. They both crept up the small spiral staircase, Gordon in front and Glenn just behind. There was a light on. Gordon paused in the dark recess of the stairwell and listened. He could hear footsteps. Just one set of them pacing the varnished wooden floor before they stopped. The sound of engines started up beneath them. Gordon looked at Glenn in concern, it looked like they were going for a little ride. They had reported in when they first sighted the diver, hopefully the teams being scrambled to assist would be able to find them via their trackers. Gordon smiled, it changed their plans too. He signaled they should retreat back downstairs. Once at the bottom he whispered. "He's the only one on board now and distracted sailing this. What say we relieve him of his cargo and then get out of here?"
"I like you're thinking Merman" grinned Glenn. If they ditched it mid transit, he was hardly likely to realise he had lost the missiles or be able to find them. They quickly made their way over to the cargo; they would have to work fast as although dark they were completely exposed on the deck now. Gordon set to work cutting through the cables that held the case in place on the winch whilst Glenn secured and activated a tracker. They then quickly hoisted the cargo between them straining under the weight as they lifted it to shoulder level. They balanced it on the edge of the boat and gave each other a grin getting ready to chuck it over. The only warning was the whistle in the air, one minute he was there the next Glenn went down hard. Gordon buckled under the weight and quickly dumped the case over the edge and ducked for cover, dragging Glenn with him. He turned him over and balked at the amount of blood that covered his hands, Glenn had been shot straight through the forehead, he would have been dead before he hit the floor. He eyes stared up at Gordon unseeing, his expression slack. Gordon fell back on his haunches shocked, then the anger flared through him. He grabbed his handgun and checked it was loaded before launching out of his hiding spot. A peppering of shots tore up the deck as he ran, the attacker was using a silencer, you could barely hear it over the ocean and the roar of the boat's engines. The yacht was travelling at a rate of knots now, it was fast and seemed to glide across the ocean slicing the waves as it did so. Gordon slid across the floor on his side before launching back up the stair well. He was at a disadvantage but he would have to manage. No way this asshole was getting away.
He grabbed the flashbang from his belt and threw it in front of him. He heard the distinctive clang, rattle and hiss as it exploded on the floor. There was a curse from upstairs. Gordon waited a minute before launching onto the upper deck. He ran straight for the seats at the back, using the fog to shield him. He squinted he couldn't see where the bastard had gone. Gordon chucked off his googles and mask. The lights were on as the fog cleared. He could make out a fancy seating area with a bar under a roofed section, the back of the boat where he was had an open-air balcony with outside seating. He looked up to the wheel at the front but no one was there. Had he gone back down in the fog? Gordon silently skimmed along the chairs making his way up to the front, checking around corners with his gun pointing outwards as he went. He made it to the edge of the bar before he saw the attacker crouched there. He was trying to stand but swaying. Gordon launched himself at him pressing the gun into the exposed flesh at the back of his neck "Stand up. Don't fucking try anything." Gordon spat thrusting the barrel into his neck more forcibly. The guy stood slowly and put his hands behind his head. Gordon walked him over to the back of the boat where he kicked the guy's knee in from behind forcing him to drop. Gordons hand shook on his weapon, he hastily propped it up from underneath with his other hand. "Turn around asshole."
The man shuffled around on his knees and made direct eye contact with Gordon. He had brunette hair and a moustache. A small, dark set of eyes glared menacingly up at Gordon. He smacked him across the face with the butt of the gun. The stranger rolled with it not even uttering a cry. He turned to look up at Gordon with the same cold hatred. The yacht still churned on; Gordon assumed it was some form of autopilot. "Tell me who your buyer is."
"Why would I do that? What could you possibly give me? I know I'm not getting out of here alive. Not after what I did to your companion." His voice was heavily accented. He looked at the blood that covered Gordons gloves and his front. Gordon adjusted his grip, the weapon slick in his hand.
"Tell me who your buyer is. Just because your doing to die doesn't mean I'll make it quick." Gordon crouched to the man's level. "I can be pretty creative you know." He smiled unpleasantly, he almost looked inhuman for a moment before he abruptly stood up and shot the floor right in between the man's legs. This time the man did flinch. Gordon smiled in grim satisfaction. "Don't make me ask again. Who's your buyer?"
"Why don't you come closer and I'll tell you." Gordon was pacing side on now. "Why don't you stop fucking around." he counted as he shot near the man's hand not even breaking his stride. The shot was precise it was intended as a warning, the man jumped as splinters from the floor buried into his fingers. He hissed in pain. The rage was building in Gordon whose inner voice was still internally screaming at his loss.
"You will have to do better than that if you want information." The man taunted. Gordon lunged and pressed the guy against the edge of the boat, squeezing his airway with his forearm. Tighter and tighter. He stared at the man watching the life ebb from him before his eyes suddenly gleamed in the light. Gordon slackened his controlled chokehold in surprise. "You will drop the weapon." The voice intoned. Gordon tried to refuse, his hand shaking uncontrollably unwilling to obey him, his eyes widened in shock as the gun clattered to the floor, his hand dropping limply to his side. What! What was happening? The guy got off the floor and straightened his collar before grabbing Gordon by the neck and pinning him against the inside wall of the boat. The man's eyes glowed like fire as he bore down inches from Gordon's face. Gordon tried to turn his head away, grunting with the effort but he was trapped. He could feel his body screaming for oxygen as it did when he was under water without a tank. "You ruined everything!" screamed the man, spittle flying from his lips. "You will pay for this. You wouldn't have just dropped those weapons. I bet you were going to retrieve them later. Give me the tracker." The man shook him knocking Gordon's head against the fibre glass.
Thankfully Gordon couldn't give him the tracker, it was on Glenn. He felt an unexplainable pressure building in his head under the intense gaze, then a searchlight scanned across them highlighting their faces before it roved away, leaving them in semi-darkness again. The attacker looked concerned. Gordon laughed hysterically, wheezing. "They're coming for you. When they find out you killed one of our unit, you're going to wish you'd never been born." He gasped as the pressure behind his eyes as it blinded him. The attacker screamed his face contorting into a snarl of pure aggression, the glow of his eyes intensified. Gordon couldn't take the pain anymore; he knew salvation was near but he couldn't hold on. The world went white.
The man looked at the limp figure in his hands in disgust, he dragged him along the floor by the back of his wetsuit. The others would be on him any minute; it was time to go. He reached the balcony before unceremoniously dumping the ginger-blonde man over the edge, there was a satisfying crack as his back hit the railing below before plunging into the waves with a splash. He peered over for a moment satisfied before ripping off his mask. He calmly strode back to the wheel and pushed the hydrofoil up to top speed.