Marauder (Oregon Files 15)

“She’s right,” Eric said. “The only way to do it is to find the key and turn this back to off.”

“Could you pick the lock?” Eddie asked.

“It would be tricky, but we could try.”

Eddie handed Eric his lock-picking set.

“We still haven’t

found Polk,” Juan said. “He probably has the key. In the meantime, we can close the cargo holds to prevent the rockets from launching.”

He pushed the buttons to close the two open cargo bay doors.

Raven and Linc returned.

“No antidote,” Raven said.

“And we found a picture of the dead guy in the fridge. It was the captain.”

“We have to find Polk,” Juan said. He hadn’t been in the accommodation block, which left the engine rooms or the cargo holds.

The bridge had a camera link to the engineering area. The monitor showed both the main engine room and the room with the auxiliary generator.

Juan peered more closely at the screen and noticed something that caused him to tense.

“This ship has a citadel.”

“A what?” Sylvia asked.

“A citadel is like a safe room,” Eric said. “If pirates try to take over the ship, the crew can retreat to the citadel and lock it up tight. It’s usually stocked with plenty of food and water for a long siege.”

“If Polk finds out we’re here and goes to the citadel,” Juan said, “we probably won’t be able to break in before midnight. Raven, Eddie, you’re with me. We’re going to secure the citadel. Linc, stay here with Eric and Sylvia while they try to disable the launcher.”

They were already hunched over the control panel with the lock picks as Juan’s group sprinted for the stairwell.

* * *

—

As Polk emerged from the cargo hold onto the deck with his men, the cargo bay doors were closing.

“What is that guard on the bridge doing?” he asked, jogging toward the superstructure. When he got near the door, he slipped on some liquid on the deck. He thought it was oil until he looked more closely.

The small puddle looked black in the low light, but it had the unmistakable smell of blood.

He followed the droplets and found a shoe sticking out from underneath a pile of rope. They uncovered the dead body of one of the mercenaries.

Polk glared with rage. It had to be the work of the same group he’d fought against twice already.

“We’ve got intruders.”

He only hoped they hadn’t taken control of the citadel. He took the dead man’s submachine gun.

He glared at the security chief. “Take three men and secure the citadel. I’ll take the other two and go to the bridge. Kill anyone you see.”

Without waiting for a reply, he ran to the external stairs with his men and headed up to the bridge.

SIXTY-EIGHT