Chapter 9 - The Ship of Ghosts
Marcus ordered Brennan to kneel. She raised her hands and let weakness show in her injured leg.
"Garrett says you never know when you've lost," he said.
"Garrett mistakes breathing for loyalty."
Marcus's eyes shifted. Brennan had studied the four men carefully. Cole needed approval. Travis needed money. Marcus needed to believe he was smarter than Garrett.
"When this ends," Brennan continued, "Rourke keeps Garrett. The rest of you become witnesses."
"Shut up."
"Why is Garrett on the bridge while you're cleaning his deck?"
The question bought one second. Brennan used it. She caught his wrist, redirected the pistol, and drove him into a container latch. The gun skidded away. Marcus recovered quickly, but anger made him wide and predictable. Brennan trapped his arm and put him down without killing him.
She locked him inside an empty container and reached the cargo-control station. The stolen cases were spread across three refrigerated units rigged with false walls. She transmitted their locations to Price before Travis jammed the signal.
The Resolute cleared the breakwater.
Over the radio, Price warned that naval patrol boats had orders to treat Brennan as an armed traitor. Rourke was using her confession to turn the entire base against her.
Brennan descended toward the engine room. If she disabled propulsion before the ship reached international water, federal agents could board under Price's authority.
Cole ambushed her on the ladder. They crashed onto a grated platform above the turbines. Cole was stronger, but he hesitated when Brennan gained the advantage.
"Garrett said nobody would get hurt," he gasped.
"You stood there while he kicked a woman on the floor. You passed nobody a long time ago."
Cole revealed that Rourke planned to scuttle the ship after transferring the cargo to a submarine contact. The crew did not know. Hundreds would die, and the wreck would erase every trace.
Brennan offered him one chance to help. Cole opened the engine control panel and entered an emergency shutdown code.
Nothing happened.
Travis had locked them out from the bridge.
Then seawater alarms began sounding below. Explosive charges had already breached two compartments.
Cole stared at the rising water. "He never meant for any of us to leave."
The ship rolled sharply. Containers broke loose above with a series of thunderous impacts.
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Through the radio came Daniel's voice from the pier.
"Claire, the Navy just launched missiles at the Resolute."
