The Pirate (17 page)

“Are you okay?” Daphne asked Franny, pulling her eyes from Laz where he was talking with Hamm. Would he say good-bye to her before he left to lead the men? What would she and Franny do if they were discovered in this room?

She had the scalpel…

“No, I'm not okay. I'm an emotional mess and I'm so worried about Bob I can't…” Franny took a big sobbing breath and then put her face in her hands.

Daphne hugged the other woman close. “It's okay. Bob is tough. One of the toughest men I know. He's not going to die. You know how stubborn he is. And he gave his word to get us all safely to Mogadishu.”

Franny tried to smile. “He is stubborn. He'll want to make sure we all get there safely.”

“He's not going to die on you, Franny. He would want to say good-bye first.”

She nodded. “I know. He already said good-bye before the surgery started. That's why I'm so afraid. We didn't get to bring him out…the anesthetic hadn't worn off when we were separated. Oh, Daphne, what am I going to do?”

Daphne had no idea. It was hard. This entire situation wasn't something any of them had planned for and just surviving from one minute to the next was taking everything that they had.

“This is a life we didn't choose but we have to survive and we will,” Daphne said.

“We didn't choose this but we did know that we were going to a dangerous part of the world. Do you wish we'd turned back when the plane was disabled?” Franny asked.

Daphne looked across the room and found Laz watching her as he readied his weapons. Did she wish she'd gone back to the States?

No, she thought. She didn't want that at all. Coming here and meeting Laz felt like the adventure she'd been longing for. She didn't want the danger that she'd found but she did want the man—the warrior—that she'd found. And she would never regret coming here.

“No. I don't. I was lost,” she said.

“And you're not anymore?” Franny asked.

“I'm not sure. I don't feel lost. Maybe it is simply that I don't have time to feel sorry for myself here. That I don't have time to go over every detail of the life I left behind and see if there was something I should have done differently.”

Franny squeezed her hand. “I think that is it. I wouldn't have stayed behind. This is the only time I can be with Bob. And no matter what, it is worth it.”

Daphne realized that she and Franny weren't that different. It wasn't that the lives they lived at home were lies exactly but out here they had the chance to be themselves. For Franny that meant being with the man she loved.

Daphne was coming to see that for her it meant being accepted for who she was. And that had come from Laz.

“Should we get a weapon?” Franny asked.

“I can't fire a gun. I know I wouldn't be able to shoot someone no matter how big the threat,” Daphne said. “But I do have a scalpel.”

Franny laughed softly. “That will be very helpful.”

“Well, it is sharp and I know how to use it.”

“Yes, you do,” Franny said. “I'm sorry you lost Fridjtof.”

Daphne nodded. “Me too. I tried my best but we didn't have the right facilities. Rudy was a great help. That man knows his stuff.”

She didn't really want to talk about the man she'd lost. She hadn't had a chance to process Fridjtof's death yet and she knew she'd keep going over the surgery she'd performed in her mind to try to figure if she had made a mistake. “I should have kept up my surgery skills. But I haven't done even the most rudimentary thing since my residency.”

“No one does.”

“Ladies, I've spoke to my team leader and if you want to I will take you to the infirmary to wait while we go to take back the ship,” Laz said.

“Really?” Franny asked. “Oh, thank you. Yes, I want to do that.”

Daphne just nodded at him. Laz smiled at her and she knew in that moment she loved him. He was so much more than just a gun for hire. She had no idea if there was a future for the two of them but none of that mattered. Her life was richer because she'd met Laz.

“Thank you,” she said softly. Franny had gone to retrieve her medical bag.

“You're very welcome. I figured if you had to sit somewhere…”

“Don't make it sound like it was nothing. I know that it's going to be dangerous to take us to him and it means the world to me that you are offering to do it.”

He arched one eyebrow at her. “I do my best.”

“Yes, you do. You make sure you are safe, J.P.,” she said. “Don't forget you promised me that we'd have some alone time once this threat was past.”

“I'm always careful but I will be even more so because of you,” Laz said. He reached out and touched her, tracing his finger over her face. First he traced her eyebrows and then down the blade of her nose and then he reached her lips.

She sucked the tip of his finger into her mouth and saw his eyes narrow. He cursed under his breath and leaned in and kissed her. It was a quick brushing of their lips. With so many people around there wasn't time for anything else, but she cherished it.

He was her man, she thought. Her warrior. And when he came back from battle they would celebrate. That kiss was a promise of another embrace to come after he had stopped Samatan.

She wanted to give something of herself to him, something that he could take with him while he was fighting. She touched the medallion of Mary she wore. She had never taken it off since it had been given to her at her confirmation.

She reached behind her neck and unfastened it.

“Wear this. It will keep you safe until you come back to me,” she said.

“I don't believe—”

“I do,” she said. “And I want you to have something of mine with you.”

He nodded at her and then put the necklace on. It was tight against his neck and he tucked it under his T-shirt, but they both knew it was there.

She leaned in and lifted the medallion up and kissed his chest where it lay. Then she hugged him so tightly that he knew she was trying to ensure he'd come back to her.

He'd never had a woman waiting for him before and it changed something deep inside of him. He was going to make it back to her because he realized he wasn't ready to let her go. He didn't know that he'd ever be able to let her go.

He led them carefully to the infirmary, listening for pirates and on edge. He didn't want to leave Daphne alone with a sick man and another woman.

He had no idea what her reaction would be if he told her that so he kept that knowledge to himself.

A
s Laz led the way to the infirmary, Savage, Wenz, and Van were moving together toward Hamm's location. Laz kept track via his earpiece. Mann had been ordered to hide. Laz knew that the sniper would choose the top of one of the containers for his location. The Savage team all had night-vision goggles, including himself and Hamm, which they'd retrieved with their weapons but the doctors and the crew members were all reliant on the deck lighting, which was poor in the darkness now that the sun had set.

Daphne and Franny followed close behind Laz as he led the way to the infirmary. He felt like he'd made a million trips up and down this hallway tonight.

He reached up and touched the medallion that Daphne had given to him. He wasn't religious. He'd been in enough near-death situations to know when it came to the end of his life he wasn't going to call out for the Lord. But having the medallion that Daphne had worn around her neck…well, it meant a lot to him.

“Thank you for doing this,” Franny said quietly. She had taken up a position behind him.

“No problem,” he said. He hadn't done it for Franny; he'd done it for Daphne and he suspected that everyone knew that. And he didn't care.

There had been a time in his life when it had been important that he be the lone wolf but lately…hell since he'd realized he was getting older and this was a young man's game, he'd been looking.

Not actively but just keeping his eyes open for a woman who might be different. A woman who would make all the hard work and sacrifices he'd made over the years worth it. And he'd never suspected that the woman to do that would be a pediatrician from D.C.

He had no idea if there was a future for the two of them but she made him dream again. That was enough. He wasn't ready to quit the Savage Seven and he knew that she wasn't ready for a new man, not after the crap her ex had put her through.

Why did men do that?

His own sister had had husband problems but Laz had fixed those for her. He hated to see women treated poorly. He knew there were women in the world who were just as faithless as Daphne's ex, but he figured most men knew how to deal with it. Women didn't. Or rather women like Daphne didn't.

Laz heard a sound in the dark area near the stairs. Someone had doused the lights.
Fuck.

He gave the signal to stop and sensed the women stopping behind him.

He made a clicking sound, which was a signal the team used when they were running silent. “Savage here.”

Savage could talk so soft and low it was like a lover whispering in your ear. “Lights out at the stairwell.”

“Hold.”

Laz pulled his military-type fighting knife from the chest web he wore. Guns were noisy when fired and he hadn't put his silencer on his weapon before moving out. A mistake he'd rectify at the first chance.

“Clear,” Wenz said.

Laz gave the signal to move out and walked a lot faster than he had before. “Is your presence known?”

“Unsure,” Savage said. “Act as if it is.”

“Will do.”

The infirmary was the last door at the end of the hallway. The lighting was flickering and weak, But Laz knew that wasn't anything different than it had been. He hadn't taken the time to make sure they were prepared for Bob to be dead. He hoped that Bob was okay but given the circumstances of his surgery it was iffy at best.

He got to the door and signaled for the women to stop and stay back.

The infirmary was dark and with his night vision goggles Laz swept his gaze around the room. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was a mound on the bed shaped like a body. He wasn't sure if the person was breathing or not. He went back to the door and signaled the women to enter the room.

They did and he closed the door behind them all.

“Where's the light switch?” Franny asked.

“No lights. We can't risk someone seeing it when they look over the edge of the ship. Everything must stay as it is,” Laz said.

“I have a penlight, Franny,” Daphne said, handing it to her friend.

Franny flicked it on and then hesitated. Laz sighed and walked around the women. “Keep the light pointed down. I'll check the bed. Stay where you are.”

He walked over to the bed and glanced down. Bob was lying there. Laz saw his chest rise and fall and put his hand on the man's wrist to find his pulse. “He's alive. His heartbeat is thready, though.”

“Thank God!” Franny said, racing to his side. She pushed him aside to stand next to Bob. She started talking to him in a low voice and the words she said were so heartfelt and private that Laz felt uncomfortable hearing them.

He left those two alone and went back to Daphne. “I'm going to lock the two of you in this room. If you hear anyone at the door—hide.”

“Hide?”

“Yes. If things go poorly for the pirates I'm willing to bet that Samatan has ordered his men to kill the hostages. And Bob will be easy to kill. Take care of your friend but keep yourself safe too.”

“I will.”

Laz cupped her face and kissed her, giving her the kind of kiss he'd wanted to earlier. Here in the dark with no one around to see it he took his time. He felt sunshine in his soul when their lips met and he kissed her long and hard.

“Laz?”

“Hmm?”

“Lazarus. You're needed on deck,” Savage said.

“On my way, boss.”

Daphne held his hand as he walked to the door. He wanted to give her some more advice but didn't know what to say. He'd known how to fight for his entire life. He had no idea what he'd do if he didn't.

“Just stay safe.”

She nodded and he turned and left. He didn't hesitate or look back because he had a job to do. And as much as he wanted her to be his future she couldn't be unless he focused on this mission now. If he didn't stay sharp they wouldn't make it out alive.

He locked the door behind him, pulled out his silencer from the web on his chest, and put it on his weapon. He was ready to fight.

More than ready. Nothing would stop him from taking back this ship. With his team he was unstoppable.

 

Laz moved silently through the hallway back to the gangway where Wenz had taken care of the pirate guard earlier. He made his way up the stairs slowly, keeping his weapon drawn and his senses sharp.

He panned from left to right and then was on the deck of the tanker. “Twenty?”

“Aft stern,” Savage said.

Laz made his way through the maze of containers on the deck of the
Maersk Angus
to the aft stern of the boat. He stayed light on his feet and was very careful to watch for pirates. From his position he saw that there were two men on the bridge and the Eurochopper was still on the deck.

A minute later he was at the rendezvous location. Savage greeted him with a handshake and a chest bump.

“'Bout time you got here. I thought I was going to have to start the party without you.”

“No way. Wenz, Van,” Laz said nodding to his teammates.

“What's the plan?” Laz asked.

“Hamm is on his way with the main fighting force. Laz, I want you and Wenz to take back the bridge. I need someone up there who knows what they are doing. You might not realize this but Samatan has held you all in Somali waters and we need to get the tanker to international waters so we can arrest him.”

“Will do. Liberate the bridge and move the tanker. Anything else?” Laz asked.

“Nah, smart ass, that's all.”

Laz stepped back to talk to Wenz. “Have you reconnoitered the bridge?

“I saw the figures of two men when I was on my way here. We can't count on backup from Mann. The glass is bullet-proof.”

“We don't need Mann's help,” Wenz said. “We've faced tougher situations.”

“We have. I think that Samatan will probably be up there and he's mine.”

“Why?”

“Because he is,” Laz said, not about to talk about the way the pirate king had held a gun to Daphne's head.

“We don't do revenge,” Wenz said.

“It's not revenge. Damn it, man, this guy shot me in the thigh and took over my ship. I think I've earned the right to take him out.”

“Why didn't you just say that?” Wenz asked.

“Damn, you're a pain in the ass.”

“You'd be the same way. A man with revenge on his mind is a dangerous fool,” Wenz said.

That was true. Laz made it a point to stay out of emotional situations. He didn't like to react with anything but his instincts, which he'd honed to a razor's edge over the years. Then he thought about the necklace that Daphne had given him. Was he being a fool? Because fools were usually the first to die in a battle. Hadn't he seen many young saps go down? Hell. He wasn't going to be one of those. He took a minute to clear his thoughts—to renew in his own mind his mission objectives.

And then he did what he always did before he went into a fight. It was his ritual. He took two steps away from Wenz so he was alone at the railing of the ship. He looked out and remembered the face of his good friend and fallen comrade Armand. He took a deep breath and remembered the way they used to psych each other up for battle.

The egging on the running tally they had for hits and misses. Armand had died with more hits than Laz but Laz had kept the tally going in his head. “I'm going to catch up to you this time,
mon ami.”

Laz closed his eyes, imagining the sound of Armand's laughter. His friend would have seen that as a challenge. And Laz did too. He was fighting the good fight for fallen men like Armand and he'd never forget that.

The team was assembled and Savage had spoken to each group individually. Laz felt confident that they'd get the tanker back. He had known from the beginning that they would eventually.

“Do you think we'll get Samatan?” Savage said as the men moved out.

“I'd have Mann keep a close eye on the chopper. He's going to make a break for it as soon as he gets wind that something is going on,” Laz said.

“I'm on it,” Mann said.

“Good. Nice to have you close by,” Laz said.

“Aw, didya miss me?” Mann asked.

“Like I miss a blister on my foot.”

“All teams check in,” Savage said. “Mission is now green and we are go. Everyone must check in with command as they move. Your assignments are as follows: Laz–one, Wenz–two, Hamm–three, Van–four. Mann is command and I'm team leader. The rest of you must follow your unit commander, understood?”

They nodded. Then they tested their earpieces and Savage gave the order to move out.

Wenz took a position beside Laz as they retreated around the containers toward the bridge. The containers provided big shadows, which covered their movements, and the moon was waning tonight so it wasn't as bright as it could be.

Laz had the lead and they were as one as they communicated. They moved forward one at a time. “One in position.”

“Two moving.”

“Two in position.”

“One moving.”

“Hold one,” Mann said. “Someone is at the end of that container. Command lining up shot.”

“Command you are go to take out target,” Savage said.

A second later Laz heard the thud of a body hitting the deck.

“One you are clear.”

“One moving.” Laz moved to position and bent to check the body of the pirate. The man was dead and Laz closed his eyes and dragged him out of the main pathway. “Path clear. One in position.”

“Two moving.”

Laz waited for Wenz and thought of how many times he'd done this same maneuver in the dark. It was as comforting as the way a pair of faded jeans or worn tennis shoes felt. He knew the men on his team as well as he knew himself, and they were like extensions of each other.

“Two in position. Stairs are clear.”

“One moving,” Laz said, keeping low and moving to the stairs. “One on stairs.”

He tried to keep his body as low as he could but climbing was difficult. This was the time when they had to be careful not to be seen.

“Two moving behind.”

Laz got to the top and went to the right of the doorway. Wenz came up behind him.

“Hold one and two.”

“Holding,” Laz said.

“Teams in position?”

“Three ready.”

“Four ready.”

“Team leader causing a diversion,” Savage said. He detonated a flash bomb, which made a loud noise, and then there was a ton of smoke. The door to the bridge opened. Laz tripped the first man out the door and Wenz followed him down the stairs.

Laz rolled into the opening and came to his feet facing a pirate but not Samatan.

 

Samatan sent another message to Tankers International via his negotiator. Samatan worked for a larger group and all monies they received from piracy were wired into Swiss accounts before the men were paid.

At first that policy had been difficult for some of the Somalis on his team to understand, but after the bodies of pirates who had a crate of money dumped on their boat had washed ashore, his crews had agreed to the Swiss accounts.

Samatan was the leader of this bunch of pirates but he had a boss he answered to. And his boss wanted that U.S. Senator's connection. Now he had to get the two women together and take them to his ship. The one that was anchored away from the
Maersk Angus.

“Habeb?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Please retrieve the woman from belowdecks. I will get the other from the container.”

“Yes, sir. Where shall I bring her?”

“To the infirmary,” Samatan said. “I think torturing their sick friend will give me the answers I need.”

“At once,” Habeb said.

But just as Habeb started to leave, there was a huge explosion of bright light and smoke started to cover the deck. Samatan grabbed his gun as did Habeb.

“We are under attack.”