“We know you’ve messed up the computer system,” she said. “My husband is trapped in the engine room after fighting a fire. You need to enable the doors so he can get out.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because if he dies, it’s murder, and that’s a lot worse for you than what you’ve already done.”
Otero’s head bobbed slightly back and forth as if he were weighing the pros and cons of her request.
“Damn you!” Gamay shouted, stepping forward and slapping him. “There are people here who would kill you for what you’ve already done. I told them it wasn’t necessary, it wasn’t right.”
She grabbed a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop from the chief and shoved it toward him.
Otero looked at it but did nothing.
“I told you he was worthless,” Leilani said.
Looking angry, the chief stepped past Leilani and moved up beside Gamay. “You’ve tried it your way, now I’ll try mine.”
He loomed over Otero. “Open the damn doors or I’ll beat you until you can’t remember your name.”
Otero pulled back a bit, but he seemed less afraid to Gamay than he should have, considering the build of Marchetti’s chief. It took a second to realize why.
The unmistakable sound of a pistol cocking came from behind them, and Gamay’s heart froze.
“No one’s going to get beaten today,” Leilani said from behind them.
Cautiously Gamay turned. Leilani held another gun, different than the one Kurt had taken from her.
“Thanks for moving past me,” she said. “I was wondering how to get the drop on both of you at the same time.”
PAUL and MARCHETTI waited at the main door in the engine room. Time was running out.
“Thirty seconds,” Marchetti said. “Give or take.”
Paul tried to control his breathing. No doubt he’d sucked a lot of oxygen while fighting the fire, he hoped remaining calm at this point would counteract that.
“Anytime now,” Marchetti said loudly.
It concerned Paul that they hadn’t heard from the bridge in several minutes. His last few breaths had been awfully stale. His instincts urged him to take off the mask as if it was smothering him. He knew better of course, the toxic fumes from the fire were far worse than stale air. But any second that air would become no air at all.
“Are you guys out there?” Marchetti shouted. He began banging on the door.
“Save your air,” Paul warned.
“Something’s wrong,” Marchetti said. He pounded on the door with his fist until the warning light on the side panel went from red to yellow. Around them the sound of fans spooling up and the bang of exhaust vents flipping from closed to open rang out.
“Or maybe not,” Marchetti said, looking pleased.
The smoke and steam and fumes began to drift upward, sucked out of the compartment by the system, and the indicator beside the door turned green.
An instant later the door handle spun and the hatch cracked open with a hiss as the heated air from the engine room forced its way out.
An instant of exaltation was followed by a blow of crushing defeat. Outside the door, Gamay and seven of the crewmen, including the chief, were down on their knees with their hands behind their heads. Just beyond them, holding a mix of rifles and short-barreled machine guns that looked like Uzis, were two other crewmen, along with Otero, Matson and, of all people, Leilani Tanner.
“I guess we know who the saboteur is,” Paul said. “You’re not Kimo’s sister, are you?”
“My name is Zarrina,” she said. “Do as I order and I won’t have to kill you.”
CHAPTER 31