David activated his radio. “Ajax, Achilles. The Trojans are about to overrun our position.”
Kamau slammed back into him, throwing David to the ground. He could hear Ajax responding in his earpiece, but all the words were lost. He grabbed Kamau’s rifle and began firing from the ground, then got to one knee. How many rounds did he have left?
He glanced back at Kamau. He was writhing on the ground. David tried to turn him over, hoping to see where he had been hit.
Kate struggled to get up from the floor. The ship was shaking too much. The wail of bending steel was almost deafening. She felt for the pack at her back, making sure she still had it. She crawled over to Martin and pulled him into her lap.
Another shudder rocked the ship, and she was thrown across the room. The scientist, Chang, caught her, breaking her fall. “Are you okay?” he shouted.
The sprinkler system came on and the ship’s alarms rang out.
The door swung open, and Shaw ran in. “Come on. We need to get to the lifeboats.”
The European scientist followed close behind him. He surveyed the room in horror. “Our research!” he shouted to Chang.
“Leave it!” Chang yelled.
Chang and Shaw took Martin, and Kate followed them.
Bullets whizzed by David from behind and he spun, ready to fire, but it was Ajax and the Berber forces. They rushed past him, consuming the Immari soldiers.
David pulled Kamau to the building wall and rolled him over. There was no blood. Kamau looked up, shaking his head. “Got my vest, David. Just knocked the wind out of me.”
Ajax and the Berber commander converged on their position. “What’s our status?” David asked.
“We’ve almost got control of the citadel,” Ajax said. “They’re starting to surrender, but a few units are fighting to the last.”
“Come with me,” David said. He helped Kamau to his feet and they entered the barracks.
Outside, the gunfire was dying down. The occasional grenade explosion punctuated the din. They stopped at a large door, and David knocked gently. “It’s Achilles.”
The door opened, revealing the Berber chief. She wore a blue dress and held a pistol in her hand. She motioned them in.
Major Rukin was gagged and hogtied in the floor. A wry smile spread across David’s face. The major struggled at his bindings and screamed into the gag.
David turned to the chief. “You intend to honor your word?”
“I will, just as you have honored yours. No harm will come to those who surrender.” The chief glanced at the spot on David’s chest where she had branded him. “A true chief never betrays a promise to her people.”
David walked to the major and pulled the gag out.
“You’re a fool—”
“Shut up,” David said. “We have control of Ceuta. The only remaining question is how many Immari soldiers will die tonight. If you go up to the command center with the chief here—” David paused to enjoy the shock on the major’s face. “Yes, that’s right, she’s the chief. It was her daughter, by the way. The Berbers have a long history of female tribal leaders. History and cultural understanding come in handy sometimes. Even in war. If you go with her, and order your remaining troops to surrender, you could save lives. If you don’t, that will please her and her people very much, I assure you.”
“Who are you?” Rukin demanded.
“It doesn’t matter,” David said.
Rukin smiled contemptuously. “Men like you don’t win wars like this. This isn’t a world for nice guys.”
“We’ll see about that.”
CHAPTER 54
Plague Barge Destiny
Mediterranean Sea
Kate watched Shaw open another door. He was about to step through it when flames filled the corridor ahead.
“Back!” he yelled as he slammed the door.
Kate glanced behind them. Smoke drifted in at the end of the corridor. She couldn’t even see the end of it anymore. Fire was consuming the ship, bearing down on them, suffocating them.
They were trapped.
Above her, Kate heard debris falling onto the floor. She felt the heat from the ceiling. They would be crushed, or burned to death, or suffocate. There was no escape—they were too deep inside the ship.
Shaw grabbed her arm, opened a door, and led her deeper into the ship.
“We can’t go—”
“Shut up,” he said as he jerked a cabin door open and practically threw Kate inside. Chang helped Martin in behind them and the other scientist followed.
“We can’t stay here—” Kate began, but Shaw was out the door, which he slammed behind him.
Kate jerked the door handle, but it was jammed. Shaw had locked them in.
The courtyard inside the base’s citadel was almost quiet. Here and there, gun battles still raged where Immari soldiers and Berber fighters clashed. David walked behind the chief and three of her men, one of whom was pulling Major Rukin by the arm—inflicting pain with every step.