A Collection of Stories

The Cargo Ship

The days went by surprisingly quickly and it wasn't long before my crew and I boarded a speed boat en route to the enemy's ship. Johnson made eye contact with and conveyed a simple message: 'Don't fail me, Jones.' I nodded before sneaking up onto the cargo ship.

The cargo ship was surprisingly large as I slithered my way up to the security room. Most of the men on the lower deck had been either knocked out cold or dead. I had to successfully carry out this mission before others began to doubt my capabilities. I had a mission and a score to settle tonight. I wouldn't be leaving this boat till they were settled.

I slipped between the large pipes housed just below the deck. I was dressed in a black skin-tight suit fit for swimming if the need ever arose. After I interfered with the security system, several men would deposit the bombs and evacuate all before the ship reached Florida.

The security room was unguarded at the moment, a small hole in their security routine. Johnson did his research well. Making a small mental note to thank him later, I slipped in unnoticed. Screens filled the wall and three men were stationed in front of them. I removed three fingertip-sized pasties from their packaging. Their furious typing on the keyboard in front of them concealed my already silent footsteps. I stuck the pasties to the back of their necks at once. All three of them slumped forward in their seats, unconscious.

I smiled accomplished, before inserting a thumb drive into one of the slots. The screens buzzed before returning to normal, showing a pre-recorded tape of the empty lower deck. Hence when my men entered, they would go undetected. Giving the signal, they made their move.

I was supposed to handle the situation in the security room till further notice but movement in one of the screens caught my eye. It was up on the deck. A man with blond hair stood alert, staring out into the grey sea. I clenched the gun tighter in my hand. It was now or never. The situation was handled perfectly here so it wouldn't matter if I left. No one would know. Positioning the bodies of the three guards as if they were still working away at the keyboard, I slipped out of the room, closing the metal door with a click.

I entered the winding corridor, checking around the corners before I made it to the staircase leading to the deck. As I climbed my way up, I checked once again for my dagger and gun. Reloading it, I stuffed in only three bullets as the metallic salty tang of the sea whipped at my face. I peeked over the wall to see Conall in the same spot. The sky was dark and swollen with an oncoming storm if the choppy waves weren't an obvious sign. The strong wind sliced its way on the deck, messing up Conall's hair. My heart thundered in my chest. I wanted to kill him.

I took a deep breath as my chest thrummed with anticipation. Aiming the gun straight at his head I stepped onto the deck. I paused. Shooting him unguarded seemed anticlimactic. I huffed and quietly crossed the distance. I placed the barrel of the gun directly on the back of his neck. The wind miraculously died down, leaving the sound of the waves crashing onto the hull of the ship.

"My, my, look who we have here." He turned around with his hands in the air. A mischievous glint of malice flashed in his eyes. "If it isn't Alcmene Jones. You look better than when we met at the diner."

My fingers twitched involuntarily against the revolver that didn't go unnoticed "Is this where I'm supposed to feel flattered?"

He chuckled, "Ever so to the point. I'm not here with the thought of bringing death to you but I'm here to request a partnership."

That was unexpected. Then, I laughed.

"It's a good proposition," I said.

His brows creased. "Well, that was easier than I anticipated. To start things off, I would appreciate it if the gun wasn't in my face."