The Spear of Destiny (22 page)

  Dennis moved along the corridor to the next hold. There was another door with a hand wheel and he put his ear against it and listened. There was no sound from within. The ship lurched again violently and as he was thrown against the door and held on to the hand wheel he realised that they must be at sea and the ship was in a storm. He looked along the corridor and saw that it was leaning at quite an angle, then righted and tilted the other way.

  Dennis grabbed the door wheel with both hands and began turning it. It turned easier than he thought it would. He pushed the door in slowly and peered around it. This compartment was exactly the same as the one he’d been held in except there was no work bench or tool chests. In the middle of the floor space was a figure lying on the floor, wearing a hood, still tied to a chair. The figure appeared to be lifeless. Dennis rushed over and knelt next to the person.

  “Jim,” he called quietly.

The figure stirred.

  “Pete is that you?”

  “Yes. Stay still.”

Dennis untied the rope around Hutchinson’s neck that kept the hood on. Hutchinson had a large purple bruise on his forehead.

  “Did those bastards do this to you?”

  “I hit my head when I fell off the chair. I don’t think there was anyone here with me. I’m not sure. It felt like the ship swerved or something. I don‘t know. I think I blacked out for a moment or two.”

  “Yeah I think we’re at sea Jim. They got me too. Someone hit me with something. Knocked me out. I got four of them, next door. They were going to rough me up. I’ve managed to lock them in and break the door lock but how long for I don’t know.”

  Dennis had already undone Hutchinson’s wrists and together they were untying the American’s feet.

  “Can you stand?”

  “I think so.”

Dennis helped his friend to stand and held him against the pitching of the ship.

  “Sorry,” Hutchinson said, “I’m a bit groggy.”

Dennis examined the older man’s forehead.

  “That’s quite a bump you’ve got there.”

  “Did you say you thought we were at sea?”

  “Yeah. That would explain the pitching and rolling. It feels like there may be a storm. I don’t know how far down in the ship we are but it feels like a big one.”

  “They happen sometimes in the Meditteranean. Big storms. They can suddenly blow up from nowhere and disappear just as quickly.”

  “Yeah I know. Listen, if you’re up to it Jim I think we’d better try and get off this ship. Storm or no storm.”

  “Good idea.”

Then Hutchinson said.

  “Thanks for coming to get me Pete.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “How did you know where they’d taken me?”

  “I followed them.”

  “To where?”

  “Naples.”

  “I see. And Nat?”

  “Back in Rome with De Luca. Say, I don’t suppose you have your mobile with you.”

  “Sorry left it in the hotel room. Kinda left in a hurry.”

  “Yeah of course. Listen did they say what they wanted you for.”

  “When I answered the door of the hotel room and they burst in they turned the place over. They were looking for the journal that belonged to Von Brest. They called me Dennis twice. I realised straight away that they’d got the wrong room number, that the journal was next door, and they’d got the rooms mixed up. I didn’t tell them because I didn’t want you or Nat in danger. I told them the police had it. I thought they’d just rough me up a bit and leave. I was shocked that they took me hostage. Do we still have the journal?”

  “Forget about the book Jim. We just need to concentrate on getting off this ship. Are you ready?”

  Dennis helped the American until he could stand unaided.

  “Where is this ship heading anyhow?”

  “Don’t know. We need to go Jim. Now. Come on this way.”

Dennis grabbed Hutchinson’s hand and together they ran for the door, through it and into the corridor. As they passed the hold Dennis had been held in they could hear hammering on the door.

  “We haven’t got much time,” Dennis said rushing along the corridor.

  “What’s that noise about?”

  “I already told you. They were holding me the same as you. I overpowered four of them and broke the door lock when I left. That compartment was full of tools and it probably won’t take them long to break out. We must hurry.”

  Dennis led the American on and on, always climbing flights of stairs. They paused at a corner for Hutchinson to catch his breath.

  “How much further?”

  “Shouldn’t be far. I think we were being held in the very bottom of the ship.”

  They were both thrown sideways as the ship lurched again. Much harder this time.”

  “Damn Pete. This must be one hell of a storm.” 

  “We need to find some life jackets or a lifeboat or something.”

  “Do you think any of these guys are armed?”

  “I don’t know Jim. All I’ve seen are the ones who brought you here and crew members who work the ship. Oh and there was a red head, beautiful, don’t know who she was. She left in a helicopter back in port.”

  “That is interesting. Have you seen Von Werner?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe he’s not aboard. Come to think of it nobody has seen him in Italy so far have they?”

  “Not as far as I know. Now are you ready to move?”

  “Right behind you friend.”

They burst out onto the main deck and stopped and stared. Rain lashed at them hard stinging their faces. They both grabbed a handrail to steady themselves as forty foot waves battered the ships hull. Lightning streaked across the sky lighting their faces up for a moment.

  “This storm’s bigger than I thought,” Dennis shouted over the howling wind.

They both hung on as the ship’s deck rose and fell. One moment the bridge was a hundred feet above them. The next it was fifty feet below. The large stacks of containers rumbled and shook with terrifying force.

  “Bloody hell!” Hutchinson said, “I thought the ship was going over then.”

The Ocean Breeze heeled and lurched thirty degrees to starboard then shuddered as she righted. Then as the ship rose again Dennis saw the freefall lifeboat attached to the stern.

  “Come on!”

Dennis grabbed Hutchinson’s hand again.

  “That’s our way off!”

Slipping and sliding on the wet deck they groped their way past the heli-pad to the lifeboat.

  “How the hell does this thing work?” Hutchinson asked.

  “I think we get in it and it launches.”

  “Let’s go then.”

Hutchinson rushed around the front of the lifeboat looking for a way in. A large man in a boiler suit punched him in the face which sent him sprawling. Dennis saw Hucthinson crash to the deck. Then he recognised the supervisor who had hit him before. The man wore a sickly grin. He had the large adjustable spanner in his right hand and he slapped his left palm with it in a threatening gesture. Dennis searched around frantically for anything he could use in the fight to come. The man grinned and came on. Hutchinson, on the floor, kicked out with his feet entangling the man’s legs who stumbled and dropped the spanner. The ship suddenly lurched and the man was thrown over the stern. He clung on desperately while trying to change his grip. Dennis walked to the rails and stared down into the terrified eyes. He watched impassively as the man struggled for a few moments then the supervisor’s grip failed and he plunged seventy feet into the sea. Dennis turned for Hucthinson and helped him to his feet and they both looked at each other as the sound of an intermittent siren sounded over the pitching deck, accompanied by red flashing lights.

  “What is that?” Hutchinson asked.

  “Either the ship is in danger or we’ve been discovered,” Dennis nodded towards the bridge, “and I think it may be us.”

  The unmistakeable figure of Von Werner in his white suit appeared at the railing surrounding the bridge. Petrov in black military fatigues was with him and Dennis saw the Dragonuv sniper rifle cradled in the man’s arms.

  “Fuck!” Dennis said, “Come with me.”

He picked up the dropped adjustable wrench and he and Hucthinson moved away from the lifeboat and slipped in amongst the containers.

  Von Werner had a megaphone in his hand and he raised it to his lips. Dennis and Hutchinson stopped as the voice carried across the deck.

  “Mr Dennis! I assume it’s you Mr Dennis. You can give yourselves up.”

Dennis wasn’t listening. He was trying to break the seal on a container.

  “Very well you had your chance,” the voice came to him through the containers.

  “Uh Pete! You better take a look at this.”

Dennis let go of the handle  on the container’s door and moved to see what Hutchinson was pointing at.

  “Allow me to introduce Gennady Borodinoff.”

Dennis watched with wide eyes as a heavily armoured man moved slowly down the stairs towards them armed with a sidearm, grenades and a SPAS-12 assault shotgun. The man was covered from head to toe in armour. On his head night vision goggles and a Kevlar helmet.

  “Pete what the fuck are we going to do?”

The only weapon they had was the spanner. Dennis got into a position where he could see Petrov clearly. The sniper seemed to be able to keep his balance despite the pitching of the ship. A single shot ricocheted off the container inches from Dennis’ face. Dennis flinched away into cover. He looked up at the single container he was next to reading the labels on the side.

  “Jim! Quick! Give me a hand to get this open.”

  “Pete he’s getting really close.”

Dennis peered through the gap again just in time to see Borodinoff pump the shotgun one handed to cock it. Dennis smashed down on the seal locking the container. It pinged away and he pulled the double handles to open one door.

  “Give yourself up Dennis!” Borodinoff shouted.

Dennis helped Hutchinson open the other door. Borodinoff could now see them and he fired his shotgun just over their heads.

  “Jesus!” Dennis shouted.

They swung the other door open just as Petrov got to them. The ship suddenly lurched again as they dived for cover. Two cages containing dozens of gas cylinders tumbled out. They burst across the deck taking Borodinoff off his feet. Dennis and Hutchinson each holding onto a container door until the ship righted, then leaned the other way. The door Dennis was holding onto banged shut and he bounced off it and went down amongst the gas canisters. They bounced and plinked around him. Hutchinson still hanging on felt the container move further than it had before and he dropped down and rolled away from it and came to his knees.

  Dennis was back on his feet swaying with the motion of the ship. Borodinoff, weighed down by his heavy armour was much slower in getting up. Dennis picked up a barbecue sized gas canister and drew his arm back and threw it at Borodinoff. It hit the Russian in the head and the man was forced back down to one knee.

  The ship lurched again.

  “Pete that container’s loose!”

Dennis rolled himself out of the way just in the nick of time as the container rumbled past him, gaining speed. Borodinoff was slowly getting back to his feet on the slippery deck. He more felt than heard or saw the container coming, spilling its contents out as it came. He couldn’t move from its path and it slammed into him taking him with it crushing him against the rails, killing him. Up by the bridge Von Werner watched in silence, his knuckles white on the rail.

  Dennis went slowly to the container stepping over gas cylinders. The next time the ship lurched the container moved away from Borodinoff and his body slumped to the deck. Dennis picked up the assault shotgun and checked it for ammunition. There were six shells left.

  “Uh Pete!” Hutchinson said pointing.

Dennis saw four more men running down the stairs towards them. Three of them had handguns, one was carrying a machete. The gas cylinders were still rolling around on the deck and bouncing off objects. The container was still sliding about blocking their exit. Dennis backed to the rail and peered down at the black sea, the crests of the waves churned white by the storm. The sea was a long way below.

  “Jim get ready to jump over the side.”

  “Over the side! Are you mad?”

  “There’s no other choice.”

Dennis heard the four men taunting them as they came closer.

  “When I say go Jim go. Ok!”

  “Yeah sure. Whatever you say Pete.”

Hutchinson was looking down at what he could only perceive as certain death.

  “Go!” Dennis shouted, “Jim Go!”

As another shot from Petrov missed Dennis by a fraction he pointed the shotgun around the corner of the container and fired. The first man was hit at almost point blank range and the powerful blast from the shotgun threw him backwards, his chest blasted to a pulp. Dennis cocked and fired again and again. Hutchinson ran to the rail. Up on the gantry Petrov sighted Hutchinson and brought the crosshairs to focus on the American’s head. He put his finger on the trigger and pulled it back. The container suddenly filled the scope as it once again slid across the deck in front of Hutchinson. Jim heard it coming. This time it was heading straight for him and would crush him as it had Borodinoff. Hutchinson turned, climbed the waist high railing and jumped. He landed with a heavy smack in the churning sea. His head broke the surface and he turned around to face the ship. Ten feet of the container had gone through the safety rail and was now balancing over thin air. Then twelve, then fifteen, now twenty. At twenty five feet it began to tilt. Hutchinson began frantically kicking away from the ship but the next waves brought him closer. The container suddenly tipped and crashed into the sea not far from him. It disappeared for a moment under the waves, then came back up, the front rising out of the water, then it righted and appeared to be staying afloat.

  Dennis, now the container was gone, was fully exposed to Petrov and his sniper rifle. He turned and fired the SPAS-12 twice at the gantry. Von Werner ducked as pellets whined and smacked off the rails. Petrov hadn’t moved and he calmly pulled the trigger just as Dennis turned and ran. The bullet from the Dragunov whined harmlessly into the wet deck and ricocheted away. With one cartridge left Dennis pointed the shotgun over his shoulder at the centre of the gas canisters and pulled the trigger a moment before he dived over the side. The resulting explosion shook the ship as gas canister after gas canister erupted causing a chain reaction which threw Von Werner and Petrov to the floor.