Shadow Tyrants (Oregon Files 13)

“I’ll be able to tell you in twenty seconds,” Eric said. “We need to finish rebooting.”

They wouldn’t have main engines back right away even after the computers came back online, but they did have thrusters. “Turn us one hundred eighty degrees. I want our port side facing those incoming torpedoes.”

“Aye, sir.”

The Oregon pivoted around, and Max went to the other side of the bridge, kicking a couple of Murph’s stray Red Bull cans as he walked.

By the time the turn was complete, Eric called him over the loudspeakers instead of the radio and said, “We’ve got everything back except the modified weapons.” It meant that Eric could hear him on the bridge microphone.

“Launch an Exocet at the Kalinga,” Max said.

“Launching.”

The anti-ship missile shot into the sky and passed over the torpedoes bearing down on them.

“Now get a firing solution on those fish with the portside Gatling gun and destroy them.”

“Firing,” Eric said.

The Gatling gun buzzed to life. With the computer control now aiming the weapon, it required just two seconds for Eric to take out both torpedoes.

With the threat to the Oregon gone, Max turned his attention back to the Kalinga. The Exocet streaked toward it and smashed into the side of the ship. The explosion ravaged the hull directly below the torpedo tubes. The blast set off the remaining torpedoes, and the Kalinga blew apart like a volcano. Black smoke from the shattered frigate rose in a mushroom cloud.

Max leaned his head against the railing as he caught his breath.

Then he stood up and said, “Hali?”

“Go ahead.”

“Tell Murph I owe him a case of Red Bull.”

* * *

—

Five minutes later, Juan joined Murph and Raven in the command ship mission control room. Kapoor had been taken away, and the other engineers sent to their quarters. He sat down to inspect his combat leg. The prosthesis had a large gouge in it from the bullet strike.

“I heard you saved the Oregon,” Juan said to Murph.

“And I heard you saved us.”

“That’s what teamwork is all about.”

“Thanks for bringing me onto the team,” Raven said. “I’ve never worked with a more impressive group. Speaking of that, where are Linc, Eddie, and MacD?”

“After the explosion on the yacht, Mallik’s surviving security operatives on the command ship gave up. Eddie’s watching them and Kapoor while Linc and MacD help the crew of the command ship pick up the yacht crew who jumped overboard.”

“Why don’t I go help them, sir . . . I mean, Chairman,” Raven said. She waited for Juan’s nod and then left the control room.

“That was good aim on the yacht,” Juan said to Murph. “Initial reports are that the whole crew made it off.”

“That’s good to hear,” Murph said, his eyes glued to the screen above. All twenty satellites still registered green.

“You look like you’re waiting for something.”

“I am.”

As he said it, the indicator for satellite fifteen turned red.