Chapter 13 - THE LAST SIX MINUTESThe Resolute vanished from radar.
Not disabled.
Invisible.
I stared at the empty screen.
“How?”
Thomas answered:
“Kane activated the stealth architecture.”
“The ship has stealth?”
“Not exactly.”
Ethan laughed softly.
“Every military logistics vessel has emergency blackout systems.”
“For war.”
“For control.”
The words made my stomach turn.
Thomas grabbed a radio.
“No signal.”
Shaw came over the channel.
Her voice was weak.
“Thomas.”
“Rebecca?”
“We've got people trapped.”
“Where?”
“Deck Four.”
My blood ran cold.
The supply warehouse.
Thousands of sailors were trapped below.
“Kane sealed them in.”
“Yes.”
“Can you open it?”
“From here.”
I turned toward the command terminal.
The system offered access.
MASTER CONTROL.
Thomas looked at me.
“You have the biometric.”
“Then let's open it.”
I pressed my hand against the scanner.
The system rejected me.
AUTHORIZED USER: THOMAS MERCER.
I looked at my father.
“Your turn.”
Thomas pressed his hand down.
The system opened.
A list appeared.
DECK FOUR. LOCK STATUS.
I selected:
OPEN.
Nothing happened.
Then another message appeared.
REQUIRES COMMANDER AUTHORIZATION.
I thought of Venn.
“He's still aboard.”
Thomas nodded.
“We need him.”
A new transmission opened.
Venn appeared on screen.
Blood covered his face.
Behind him, smoke filled the bridge.
“Lucas.”
He stared at me.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I was wrong.”
“What did you do?”
“I disabled the blackout.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Can you reach Deck Four?”
Venn shook his head.
“Kane controls the bridge.”
“Then take it.”
Venn smiled.
“You say that like it's easy.”
“I don't care if it's easy.”
He looked at me.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he nodded.
“I'll do it.”
The screen cut.
Thomas turned toward me.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“Kane isn't trying to escape.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He looked at the map.
“He's heading into the storm.”
The weather system ahead was enormous.
Winds rising.
Waves climbing.
Visibility collapsing.
“Why would he do that?”
Thomas answered:
“Because the ship is carrying something.”
“What?”
“The final Meridian server.”
My heart pounded.
“The archive?”
“Yes.”
“And Kane wants it destroyed.”
“He wants to sell it.”
“To whom?”
Thomas didn't answer.
Ethan did.
“To whoever pays.”
He stepped toward the terminal.
A new message appeared.
INCOMING TRANSMISSION.
A private frequency.
Ethan answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Package confirmed.”
Kane's voice.
“I have the ship.”
The buyer said:
“And the archive?”
Kane smiled through the video.
“Almost.”
“You promised.”
“I deliver.”
The screen ended.
I stared at Ethan.
“You were going to sell it.”
He said nothing.
Thomas turned to him.
“You betrayed everyone.”
Ethan replied:
“I survived.”
Another alarm.
STRUCTURAL FAILURE.
Thomas looked at the countdown.
Six minutes.
Six minutes until the lower decks flooded.
Six minutes until the server destroyed.
Six minutes until hundreds of sailors died.
I looked at the launch controls.
“Take me back.”
Thomas stared.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You'll die.”
“So will they.”
He knew I was right.
Shaw stepped forward.
“I'll go.”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“This is my operation.”
I shook my head.
“The ship doesn't know you.”
Thomas understood.
“But it knows her.”
He looked at me.
“You were assigned there.”
“Exactly.”
I grabbed the radio.
“This is Petty Officer First Class Hannah Mercer Cole.”
Static.
Then voices.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
My crew.
I spoke slowly.
“Listen to me.”
The shipwide channel opened.
“I know you're scared.”
Silence.
“I know someone told you the captain abandoned you.”
Pause.
“He lied.”
Kane's voice interrupted.
“Shut that channel down!”
My voice continued.
“You were told supplies were gone.”
“That's a lie.”
“You were told sailors disappeared because they were unstable.”
“That's a lie.”
“You were told this ship was failing.”
“That's a lie.”
I heard someone crying.
Then another voice.
A Marine.
“Who is this?”
“Hannah Cole.”
Silence.
Then someone shouted:
“She was pushed overboard!”
I answered:
“And I came back.”
The ship erupted.
Cheers.
Not because I was a hero.
Because people needed proof that Kane could be wrong.
The bridge transmission flickered.
Venn appeared.
“I have control.”
I stared at him.
“For how long?”
He looked behind him.
Kane stepped into frame.
Holding a gun.
Venn turned.
A shot fired.
The screen went black.
Thomas grabbed my arm.
“Go.”
I ran toward the launch pod.
The clock showed:
May you like
03:12
The Resolute was waiting in the storm.
