The explosion was not quite what Madeline had expected but nonetheless she held her position beside the number 3 turret. On the other side there was a commotion as Tate was discovered. Madeline took a few deep breaths and just as she was ready to jump out Ryeback came charging in, guns blazing so to speak. He eliminated the guards and ran with Tate through a hatch. Madeline followed with Krill's men. He closed and secured the hatch on them.
"Get clear!" Madeline cried after a few seconds, diving to safety just as the grenade went off.
"Damn that guy's a pain in the ass!" Strannix swore on the deck above her. She hid a snicker.
Moving out from her place against the wall, she stood at attention and asked "Permission to pursue and apprehend, sir. I can take what these men can't." She added at his hesitation.
"Granted. Take care of this "cook" for me Franklin." Strannix replied.
"With pleasure sir." Madeline replied and raced through the blown out hatch.
She caught up with Ryeback near the forward store room. "They think I'm to apprehend you. They don't know."
"Good work, Mo." Ryeback grinned. "You know, you'd make an excellent CIA Operative." He said.
She waggled a finger at him. "Don't you even start, Chief..." She broke off, a hand clutching her chest.
"What's wrong?" Ryeback went from cocky to concerned in an instant.
"The focsle. The crew's in there. The fire suppression system, they're drowning!" She cried.
"God damnnit!" Ryeback swore.
She grabbed his arm as he started off. "It's a trap. Krill wants you to go there." She growled. "I'll go myself."
"They can't know about you yet." He said.
"And they won't." She assured. "As far as they'll know, I was a ship trying to save her crew. They'll blame Krill for not alerting me."
She took off running. Tate looked at Ryeback. "You're gonna follow her aren't you?" She asked.
Ryeback wasted no time giving chase. Grinning, Tate followed.
...
Madeline was hell bent on getting to the focsle but she paused as she heard rapping on a nearby hatch. She identified it as Morse Code for "Get me the fuck out of here!" She returned with three raps of her own. The hatch was sealed and welded shut but that was no issue for her. "Stand clear!" She ordered and a good solid kick sent the door down. She came face to face with 6 sailors.
"Lt. Franklin!" Johnston gasped.
"Is everyone alright?" She asked, entering just as Ryeback and Tate arrived. "I thought I told you to stay put!" She growled.
"Problems with authority, remember?" Ryeback reminded her with a cocky grin.
She sighed and rolled her eyes before she noticed and old sailor in the back of the group. "Caloway?" She asked.
"Madeline?" To everyone's great surprise, he embraced the female officer.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" She asked. "I didn't think you were onboard."
"Well, last cruise of my old girl, why wouldn't I?" He replied and she grinned.
"Hate to break up the veteren's reunion here but we've got work to do." Ryeback interjected and everyone agreed.
...
"Who-a!" The wires sparked tempermentaly as Ryeback cut them.
"My eyes, chief!" Madeline cried, holding her hands over them. Electrical burn marks appeared around their corners.
"Damn it, I forgot about that Lt. I'm sorry. But I've got to get that SEAL team in somehow." He replied.
"Can you still see ma'am?" Johnston asked.
"Yeah, but it's blurry and a bit darker than normal. If it wasn't for my range finders, I couldn't see at all." She said.
"In half an hour all the electrical weapons systems will be down. That'll allow that Apache free run of the place." Ryeback said.
"To Chief Ryeback. I suggest you look at your nearest monitor." Krill's voice got everyone's attention and they all turned to the screen on the wall. "This is Captain Krill speaking." There was laughter in the background. "Are you watching? I've prepared a special show for you. Here it goes." He put a camera into the focsle and there was a quiet hiss from Madeline. Her eyesight wasn't badly effected enough to not see what was happening.
"Damn bastard." Ryeback whispered.
"He'll hang from the smokestacks for this." Johnston added.
"First though there's one thing I need to do." Madeline growled.
"Let it be known that I do not hold any harsh feelings against you or the crew..."
Marching over to the nearest phone she called the bridge. "Krill you bastard!" She snarled. "Next time you're going to sentence the crew to death perhaps you should warn me first!"
There was a brief moment of silence as she conferred with Krill before swearing angrily and hanging up. "There, now I've done it." She said, walking past them.
"Where are you going?" Johnston asked.
"To free my crew." She replied.
"But, you're captain..."
"He is not my captain!" Madeline snarled. "He murdered Adams, an act of almost unimaginable evil. Thus his claim to me is not valid and I refuse to accept it. He is not my captain!" She repeated again and continued on.
"Well since it'll most certainly be a trap, shall we?" Ryeback asked and the sailors followed their ship.
Madeline and Ryeback were no longer alone in their fight. They had some crewmates on their side. Krill was in for some nasty surprises.