“Don’t be such a crybaby,” Raven replied. “Showers like these don’t last long.”
“At least Ah can’t get any wetter. It’s already like a sauna in this thing.”
“That’s funny.”
“It’s not that funny.”
“No, I mean it looks like that croc in the middle of the river is heading this way.”
She pointed, and MacD saw a huge crocodile moving steadily in their direction.
“That’s a big sucker,” he said. “Do you think he’s interested in Nomad?”
“None of them on the other side of the river seemed to pay any attention to us while we were cruising back and forth looking for the shipwreck.”
The croc was making a beeline for the wreck. “Something’s attracting him. Can he hear the divers?”
“I don’t know,” Raven said before calling Juan. “Chairman, we’ve a crocodile coming toward us with purpose.”
“How long do we have?” Juan asked.
“Not long. Maybe a minute.”
“Good to know.”
She and MacD took aim with
their rifles, but they wouldn’t be of any use. Like a U-boat readying its attack, the croc disappeared below the surface.
FORTY-FOUR
Jin was getting impatient with the slow speed of the Thai Navigator, so she ordered the helmsman to overtake the ore carrier. The Marauder came along her starboard side only three miles from Adolphus Island.
As they were passing the Thai Navigator, a new ship came into view. It had been blocked both visually and on radar by the large cargo freighter.
The ship seemed to be stationary, an odd place to drop anchor. She picked up her binoculars and walked out to the bridge wing.
At this distance, she couldn’t read the name stenciled on the ship’s stern, but when she focused the binoculars, her stomach knotted at the sight of the four cranes on a break bulk carrier. It was exactly the configuration of the ship that Polk had described defending the Marsh Flyer.
It couldn’t possibly have arrived here before she had. She had estimated it would take at least another day or two for it to get here. No ship that size could hope to match the speed of her trimaran.
She dashed back into the bridge.
“Tell me the name of that ship?” she asked.
The first officer checked his screen. “It’s called the Norego.”
It couldn’t be the same ship, but there it was.
She suddenly realized that the Thai Navigator had shielded her approach, giving her an opportunity for a sneak attack. But she couldn’t have the crew of the ore carrier as witnesses.
“Activate the plasma cannon,” she ordered. “And arm two Enervum rockets, one aimed at the Thai Navigator, and the other at the Norego.”
* * *
—
Sylvia stood and gaped in horror when she saw the zoomed-in close-up of the trimaran on the Oregon op center’s view screen.