Hijack, page 18
“He’s got to be joking,” said Brad, turning to Connor. “Do you have the flares ready? Looks like we’ll be needing them sooner rather than later.”
Connor nodded and primed a flare gun. The other deckhands were stationed around the boat, ready to fend off any attempt to board.
Seeing that their prey had no intention of stopping, the pirate leveled his AK-47 and fired indiscriminately at the Orchid. Connor ducked, sheltering behind the gunwale as the deadly zing of bullets whizzed over their heads.
“They’re trying to kill us!” cried Jordan, cowering on the deck farther down.
“Warning shots,” Brad replied. “To scare us.”
“Well, it’s working!”
Taking the flare gun from Connor, Brad waited for a break in the hail of bullets, then stood up and fired back at the skiff. A red blaze zoomed through the air. The pirate dived into his boat as the flare streaked across his bow, almost knocking him into the sea. But this single attack didn’t deter him. He immediately rose and retaliated with another burst of gunfire. Bullets ripped into the fiberglass hull. The Orchid’s crew cringed in terror behind the gunwales, their hands covering their heads.
The Orchid swung hard to port, forcing the attacking skiff to back off.
However, another skiff immediately came up on her starboard side. Brad and Connor rushed across. A pirate crouched in the skiff’s bow; on his shoulder was the long drainpipe-like barrel of a rocket launcher. Connor flashed back to the shaky video from Alpha team’s briefing and felt a chill run through him . . . This time he was a part of it.
Brad snatched up his radio. “Captain, skiff to starboard. Ram them!”
“Too risky.”
“They have an RPG!”
The skiff had pulled level with the bridge and the pirate was taking aim.
“I see it,” replied the captain. “Oh my—”
His transmission cut off as the pirate launched the rocket. It scorched through the air, blazing a trail across the open water. Connor watched in wide-eyed horror as the ball of hellfire rocketed straight toward them.
To be continued . . .
Turn the Page for a Sneak Peek at
The buzzing woke Amir. He yawned and glanced at his watch: 03:30.
Why had he set his alarm for so early?
As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, the alarm continued its incessant buzzing. He reached over to switch it off and promptly fell to the floor. Dazed, Amir looked around the darkened briefing room and at his upturned chair. Of course, he wasn’t in bed. He was on night duty, supposedly monitoring Operation Gemini.
The buzzing grew more urgent, and Amir scrambled up to his desk. On the glowing computer screen a Red Alert icon was flashing. Clicking on the pulsing box, he stared at the few stark lines of text, then grabbed his phone.
“What is it, Amir?” Charley answered drowsily.
“Distress call from the Orchid.”
There was a moment’s silence as the words sank in. Then she replied, “I’ll be right down,” her voice sharp and alert.
A short while later, Charley wheeled herself through the door, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants.
“What information do we have?”
Amir nodded to his computer screen. “The Orchid sent out a DSC distress signal at 0625 hours, Seychelles local time. It gave her position as two hundred and forty nautical miles east-northeast of Mahé.”
“Do we know the actual problem?”
Amir swallowed anxiously. “Pirates.”
Charley looked at him. “Seems like you’ve lost your bet with Ling,” she said, her tone bereft of humor. “Any communication from Connor?”
Amir shook his head. “The distress signal was picked up by the Seychelles Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center. Since the Orchid’s out of range for VHF radio and cell phones, a satellite call is the only possible option. But there’s no mention of it in this report.”
Charley picked up the phone. “I’ll contact the Seychelles coast guard for an update. In the meantime, wake Colonel Black, then see if you can get through to Connor via your SOS app.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This is Connor’s second assignment and it’s even tougher than the first. I can tell you, the writing process doesn’t get any easier for me either. The bar to entertain, surprise and thrill the reader is set higher each time. That’s why I continue to rely on so many people to ensure I deliver the best story I can. So I’d like to thank the following people, who have supported me from start to finish:
My long-suffering wife, Sarah, who has to manage the ebbs and flows of elation and despair that I experience when writing. My two wonderful sons, Zach and Leo, you are a constant inspiration for me. My mum and dad, who diligently help proofread all my drafts. Sue and Simon for helping with the boys and keeping our garden looking lovely. Steve and Sam for taking the boys swimming, and Karen and Rob for being such wonderful friends.
Charlie Viney, my agent, who has my best interests at heart all the time. Clemmie Gaisman and Nicky Kennedy at ILA. Pippa Le Quesne for her insightful advice.
My team of loyal editors: Brian Geffen at Philomel Books, who has made this edition even more explosive; Tig Wallace at Puffin for his steady hand on the tiller; and Wendy Shakespeare at Puffin for her ever watchful copy-editing eye!
A special thanks must go to Abdilahi Nur and his mother for checking the Somali translation. Mahadsanid.
Trevor Wilson and Shelley Lee at Authors Abroad for all their diligent work in organizing my book tours around the world.
And all my good friends for their encouragement and support, including but not exclusive to Geoff and Lucy, Matt, Charlie, Jackie and Russell, the members of the HGC (Dan, Siggy, Larry, Dean, Giles), my cousin Laura and the Dyson clan (especially my goddaughter Lulu!).
Stay safe.
Chris
Any fans can keep in touch with me via my YouTube channel ChrisBradfordAuthor or my website www.chrisbradford.co.uk
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Chris Bradford, Hijack
