Marauder (Oregon Files 15)

Juan looked up the stairs. “Raven, any chance that door is going to open?”

She shook her head. “Not without an RPG.”

Juan leaned back as he thought about what he needed to do. That’s when he noticed the ventilation hatch thirty feet above them. There was no way to climb up to it even if they could detach the steel cable locking it down.

But there was one other way to get to it.

“We’re running out of time,” Eddie said. “What do you want to do?”

“I’ve got an idea, but it’s risky.”

Eddie shrugged. “I prefer your risky ideas to no ideas.”

Everyone in the crew knew what they’d signed up for when they joined the Corporation. They had lost crew members in the past, and their names were memorialized on a plaque in the ship’s boardroom as a reminder of what they’d sacrificed for the ship, their crewmates, and the greater good. Juan knew there was a very good chance their names would be added to the plaque if this didn’t work, but he didn’t see any other way.

“Max, you know how you don’t like my Plan Cs?”

“Yeah,” Max said dubiously. “They’re usually insanely dangerous.”

“I’ve got another one now. You’re going to hate it.”

“Why?”

“Ask Murph what will happen if the Centaurus is underwater when the rockets launch without the cargo bay doors closed to stop them.”

Max relayed the question. A few seconds later, he came back with, “He says the overpressure from the water in the tubes will cause them to explode as they launch.”

“Then it looks like we have our answer.”

“No,” Max said when he understood what Juan was planning to do. “There’s got to be another way.”

“Afraid not,” Juan said. “In fact, it’s our only chance to escape. You have to sink the Centaurus immediately. That’s a direct order.”

SEVENTY-TWO

The Oregon’s op center was deathly quiet. Max could feel Hali and Murph staring at him. He was focused on the main screen showing the feed from the Port Authority camera showing the Centaurus in the distance. He couldn’t help but picture Juan and the others trapped in the depths of the ship awaiting their doom.

This was not the way Max had imagined the ship’s maiden voyage would go. When they’d departed unexpectedly early from the construction yard in Malaysia, it was just supposed to be a quick mission to stop a terrorist attack. Now he feared he was about to kill his best friend.

“Are we really going to sink the ship with everyone still on board?” Hali asked.

“You heard Juan’s order,” Max said. He tried to sound reassuring. “Don’t worry. He’s not giving up. Neither should we.”

“I know Sylvia is alive,” Murph said. He didn’t have to mention that his own best friend, Eric, would also go down with the Centaurus.

“Juan will do his best to find Sylvia and get Eric and Linc out of there. Are you going to be able to do this?”

“Yes. Sylvia would do the same to save the city.”

“Raise the rail gun,” Max said. “Hali, get me MacD.”

“Rail gun ready in all respects,” Murph said.

The image on the view screen changed. The Centaurus now much larger, with the camera panning slowly from bow to stern.

“Are you getting the picture?” MacD asked.

“We see it,” Max replied. “Murph has the rail gun armed and ready to fire.”