The Vanguard Vixen

Catching Up (Two)

Luke feigned ignorance.

"Who?"

"Hayley. You should have known better," Nora said regretfully.

Luke sensed the next words to come were not going to be to his liking.

"I have orders to track who you made that call to, and bring them in for questioning, too."

Luke shook his head and stood up. "Something tells me that 'questioning' means something else to your boss."

Nora nodded.

"You can't give her to them," Luke begged. "Please, take-

"I won't."

Luke paused, confused. They were friends, but the consequences of what she wanted to do would be disastrous to her.

"I can help you. But I need something from you first. Where did she go?" She said.

He looked away. Nora was a friend, and a good leader, and she was taking a great risk for him. All of which V169 had done too.

"I can't tell you that." He replied.

"You're throwing a chance with your daughter away, just for one person who doesn't really care?"

Luke chuckled.
"You have no idea. She is the only reason why I am alive. Why Hayley is."

Nora's reply was indifferent.
"So am I."

Luke could tell she was about to reach the limit of her patience. Best he not be here for that.

"I can't tell you, Nora, because I do not know. She didn't say where." Luke added. "Just took a chopper and flew off."

"So she took a helicopter."

Luke cursed.

Nora took a step toward him and he took one away, such that the table was between them.

"V169 is wanted for acts of treason, terrorism and multiple counts of first-degree murder. You refuse to cooperate here, and I will have to hand you over for interrogation."

There. The safety was off. She was back in admiral mode.

"Nora please." He pleaded.

"Last chance Luke. The coordinates to Hayley's location are still on this sub. I can make it all disappear if you help me here."

She had taken out the big guns now. Nora had always been a good person, yes, but she always had a thirst for power, glory and attention. Anyone who had stood in her way was no longer standing.

Luke moved.

But Nora was steps ahead, and by the time he aimed and pulled the trigger, the admiral was already shielded behind two steel fans she held with both hands. The bullets ricocheted off them. She kicked the table right into Luke's gut and then covered the distance between them in an instant. She held the sharp little steel tips of one of the fans on his neck.

On the water, you never got to have many hand-to-hand combat fights. But in London, each officer was required to have that general knowledge and to at least master one handheld weapon. Most chose guns, after all, they were the quick option. Nora had chosen the steel fans. While wrapped up, they appeared just like any others you might use when the heat got unbearable, but when she straightened them out, they were lethal. Stainless steel, thick enough to stop an average bullet, but light enough that she could move them around with ease. Luke didn't make another move and he dropped his gun, very well aware of the fact that the admiral cleaned and sharpened those blades every night.

"You've let me down Luke," she said in a voice filled with disappointment.

He didn't say a thing as two soldiers came into the room and handcuffed him, then led him out. He tried to catch her eye but Nora wouldn't look at him. He cast his eyes upward, where his last hopes lay.

**

Plan A had been for the captain to talk his way to freedom. He had left orders. Once one hour went by, they would move to plan B. As he had done thrice in the last fifteen minutes, Kai went over to the soldier who stood watch over them.

"Hey. When you said our captain would be back soon, did you mean today?"

"Get back."

Kai did get back. But not to where the rest of the crew sat.

The soldier was obviously irritated with Kai. This was the last place he wanted to be, out in the cold, babysitting the crew of smugglers. Everyone else would be warm down below in the sub, having a cup of tea or something. He liked tea. Being part of the main crew of a London lady meant there was a lot of tea going around most of the time. He could almost taste the different flavours on his tongue...

The engine of a powerboat blazing to life shook him back to reality.

Kai glanced up just as a gun on the deck erupted in a blaze of thunder. Wildly he scrambled and dove into the boat, sprawling himself on the floor for cover. The gun stopped, and he heard a cry, then a splash into the water behind him. Kai's bloody hands gripped the wheel of the boat as it pounded out to sea. He rammed the throttle all the way forward, trying to push for maximum speed. It wasn't until that moment that he felt the pain. He looked down and saw his left leg spurting blood. He instantly felt dizzy.

Ripping off his bloody clothing, Kai wiped down his injured calf with the rags and wrapped the wound with them. The bleeding had stopped, though his hands were still covered with blood.

None of that mattered though. He had only one target now.

Reach Hayley Grant before Vanguard did.

*****

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Haize