At Your Service (Book Two)

Chapter 2: Rocket's Boat

With a sharp gasp, Swift jolted awake. His eyes shot open unexpectedly meeting the blinding light of the sun that fried his face. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the intense glow of morning light. He found himself lying down, his head and back against something soft while hugging a black backpack. The sound of a motor engine he caught with his ears.

"Hey," Tom Rieger, who was still fixated on driving the speedboat, greeted the boy awake. "Are you okay?"

Swift looked around, finding himself leaning against a seat of a speedboat, darting across the body of water. Tiny splashes of water entered the yacht, almost wetting Swift. "Yeah?"

"You don't sound like it," Tom said worriedly.

"I don't?" Swift asked. "What made you say that?"

"You kept mumbling no in your sleep while panting," Tom said. "A nightmare?"

It took a while for Swift to open up, but he did, just not entirely. "Maybe." The trauma that he dreamt about? He decided to keep it to himself. He'll tell Tom later, right now is not the best time to talk about it. "I can't remember."

Tom let out a sigh, "I don't blame you. We can't always remember our dreams. But from what you said, it didn't sound like a pleasant dream."

"Clearly so," Swift cleared his throat, then he fixed his black tie. Sure, Tom found it unnecessary for him to wear a tie, an accessory that has no practical benefits, but Swift liked it. It's fashionable, he said. So, after his tux is turned in to R&D, he wore a tie for his white dress shirt. "Are we there yet?"

"We're closing into the target," Tom replied. "Better wake your ass up and prepare."

"Yeah." Swift nodded and got off his seat.

The boat gains speed, heading in closer and closer to a yacht ahead, leaving further away from shore to somewhere across the coast of Florida, where a crime lord by the name of Roark Shipp, is located at the current moment.

Nearly twelve hours ago, Allison McKinley assigned the two boys to Florida to confront one Roark Shipp, or as a few of the latter's associates nickname him: Rocket. Swift found his name to be quite the wordplay. Roark 'Rocket' Shipp. He immediately knew how he got that nickname and giggled at the thought.

Supposedly a ruthless crime lord that originates from the shadowy criminal underbelly of Florida, Allison discovered his involvement with Hendrix. Much like everyone else who is a loyal customer to Edmund Hendrix's arms dealing empire, Rocket was suspected as one of his buyers to increase the firepower he has under his criminal empire.

Aside from the weaponry exchange, the main reason Allison sent Swift and Tom to Florida to put Rocket down is his alleged plan to orchestrate a corporate takeover. As Swift knew, corporate takeovers are no good as it usually involves a web of deception, blackmail, and corporate espionage that would gain control over lucrative contracts and resources.

What kind of corporation Rocket's planning to take over is unknown, but Allison didn't want to take any chances. The stakes are high knowing who he is. He might seize control over a major company which would cause unwanted conflicts to resonate. And that's why Swift and Tom were here: To deal with Rocket before he does anything else, and that means terminating him.

The boat reels in closer next to the much bigger ice-white yacht now beside it. Swift and Tom were lucky there were several other speedboats nearby sailing in the same ocean so their boat could blend in without being suspicious. While Tom neared the boat to the yacht's side wall, Swift unzipped the backpack and pulled out a massive object that took the entire backpack space.

He straightened the piece of equipment that is a special grappling gun the agency handed him, but it was not just any grappling gun. The grappling gun was designed to be a lot more advanced for climbing purposes. Its sleek metallic body, crafted from lightweight yet durable alloy, housed a much more complex system of gears, motors, and precision mechanisms.