Chapter 8 - Shadows and Steel
The deafening roar of automatic weapons echoed through the narrow hallway as the mercenaries fired blindly into the dark.
Bullets sparked wildly against the steel bulkheads, completely missing us as we laid perfectly flat beneath the freezing water.
I relied purely on my years of specialized maritime interdiction training, letting my other senses take over in the pitch blackness.
I crawled quickly toward the flashes of the nearest muzzle, staying below the natural line of sight of the panicked shooters.
I grabbed the first mercenary's ankle and swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing hard onto the metal deck.
Before he could scream, I drove the heavy steel pommel of my borrowed pistol directly into the side of his tactical helmet.
He went completely limp, and I quickly snatched his dropped assault rifle from the rushing water before the others realized what happened.
I rolled sideways just as another mercenary aimed his flashlight at the splash, returning fire with two precise, calculated shots.
The flashlight shattered, and the second guard hit the ground, effectively throwing the remaining three men into a state of total panic.
"She's moving, cover the door!" the leader screamed, firing wildly down the hallway and nearly hitting one of his own men.
I tossed the captured assault rifle to the signalman, who had managed to crawl his way over to a small stack of metal barrels.
"Covering fire, high and right!" I yelled to the kid, hoping his basic Navy combat training would finally kick in under pressure.
He didn't hesitate, unleashing a deafening barrage of bullets high into the ceiling, forcing the remaining guards to instinctively duck for cover.
I used the brief distraction to sprint across the hallway, closing the distance and taking out the third and fourth guards with brutal efficiency.
The leader suddenly realized he was the only one left standing and abandoned his squad, sprinting desperately toward the stairwell leading up.
I chased him up the metal stairs, my wet boots slipping against the grating as I fought to keep him clearly in my sights.
Just as I reached the landing of Deck Three, the entire massive warship violently lurches to the right, throwing me hard against the wall.
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The deafening roar of the massive engine turbines hitting maximum output vibrated through the steel floorplates beneath my hands.
Kane wasn't just trying to hide his crimes anymore, he was fully hijacking the ship and making a run for hostile international waters.
