Shadow Tyrants (Oregon Files 13)

When they were all down, Max radioed Eddie. “You’re clear. Get out of there.”

“On our way.”

The hatch flew open, and people started pouring out. They held hands to keep the group together as they headed to the gangway and made it quickly over to the Oregon.

“That’s all of us,” Eddie said.

“Eric, raise the gangway and move us away from Colossus 1.” Even with the Oregon’s armored hull, an explosion large enough to tear a hole in the Colossus ship could cause significant damage.

“Backing off,” Eric said.

They would know in less tha

n thirty seconds whether Juan had succeeded.

* * *

—

Linc was the Oregon’s best sniper. Even though his submachine gun wasn’t suited to that purpose, Juan knew that if he gave him the right moment Linc would make the shot.

Juan shouted to Linc, “Now!”

Juan slid out from behind the pipe and emptied his magazine at the men who were stalking him below. But he never raised his head above the floor of the catwalk. His fusillade was merely a diversion.

Linc fired, but his target wasn’t either of the men by the red box encasing the explosives. It was the display Chen had been using to reprogram the self-destruct mechanism.

The ghostly woman’s voice started counting down. “Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . .”

Juan peeked over the edge and saw that Linc’s aim had been true. The display was destroyed, as was any chance of Chen’s completing his task.

“. . . six . . . five . . . four . . .”

Seeing that their attempt to stop the explosion had been ended, Chen and the man watching him raced for cover.

“. . . three . . . two . . . one—”

They didn’t make it.

Enormous twin blasts reverberated through the hold, tearing huge gaps in the hull. Chen and the guard disappeared in the fireball, which was instantly doused by the water flooding into the ship.

Shrapnel flew through the hold, but Juan was protected by the water pipe. However, the catwalk was severed by a piece of flying metal. The section Juan was lying on tilted suddenly, and he slid down toward the churning mass of water below.

* * *

—

Max watched as geysers of water erupted next to the Colossus 1. It immediately began to settle in the water. With the sandstorm still raging, he could only assume the same had occurred with the other ships.

“Damage report?” he said to Eric.

“No hull breaches reported,” Eric replied. They were already three hundred yards away from the sinking ships and accelerating.

The captains of the Colossus ships began issuing SOS signals and declaring that they were abandoning ship.

“Eric, we certainly want to do our duty,” Max said. “Let’s throw out a couple of life rafts and then get out of here.”

“Aye, sir.”