Chapter 42
The Singapore Strait, Singaporean Territorial Waters, On Board the Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier, Hanjin Sun
November 13, 2006, 02:15 local time
After Jackson had outlined his plan to Joe, he turned toward the screens. Anil was still watching the closed circuit image of the bridge and saying quietly, “They killed him. My friend is dead. He was from the same village as me. He treated me like a son.”
“Anil, I need you to show us the way to the bridge. Can you do that?”
Anil stopped talking to himself and turned to face Jackson.
“Will you avenge my friend's death?”
Jackson knew this wasn't the time to explain their priorities, and just answered, “Yes, we will.”
“Then, I will show you the way.”
Jackson said, “Before we go, I have one question for you. The windows around the bridge, is the glass bulletproof or armored?”
“The glass is thick and very strong, but to my knowledge it's not bulletproof. You must understand, how the ship is constructed is not my area of expertise, and I could well be wrong.
Anil led them through the maze of stairs and passageways in the ship's interior.
Anil said, “At the top of these stairs, you go left and it leads out to the deck, one level below the bridge. When you get out on deck, you turn right and almost immediately, there is a stairway going up to the bridge deck. It's about ten meters along the bridge deck to where you can see into the bridge.”
Jackson led the way up the stairway. Joe followed close behind with Anil. Joe was much closer than the normal separation for this kind of operation, but Jackson needed Anil nearby to ask him directions.
Jackson stopped at the top of the stairway and looked both ways. The large open area in front of him was empty of people. He signaled to Joe and Anil to join him.
Jackson said to Anil, “When we reach the deck, I want you to stay inside the ship. Once outside we may be spotted and need to move fast.”
“Sir, I want to come with you.”
The man's steady conviction compelled Jackson to ask, “Why?”
Anil answered clearly and matter of factly, “I want to see the man who killed my friend, die.”
“I'm sorry Anil, but you have to stay inside the ship. You coming with us, not only compromises your safety, it compromises our safety as well.”
“I understand.”
Jackson felt the steady motion of the ship disturbed, as it seemed to change direction slightly.
“Anil, what was that?”
“I'm not sure, but it felt like a tug pushing the ship.”
Jackson said, "Corporal, we proceed to the door out onto the deck. I go first you follow after I have checked the deck is clear.”
"I'm ready, Sergeant."
He turned left along the side of the open area that stretched from one side of the ship to the other. As he turned the corner, he felt another disturbance to the motion of the ship. Jackson had almost reached the doorway out onto the deck, when the ship's forward momentum, abruptly stalling throwing him to the floor. He could hear the screeching sound of torn metal even in his current location, inside the ship.
Jackson got his feet and went back to find the other two. Looking down the stairway, he saw Anil was still standing, holding onto the handrail. Joe was lying halfway down the stairs.
“You OK, Corporal?”
“I think so, Sarge. Just took me by surprise, is all.”
Jackson said to Anil, “What the hell was that?”
“The ship collided with something. We are still moving, so I think it was another ship.”
Jackson said, “Joe, I need to go out on deck and find out what's happening. Stay here until I return.”
Joe for the first time looked worried. “You sure, Sarge? I don't think we should separate.”
“Jackson replied, “I'm sure, Corporal.”
Jackson ran back to the doorway that led out onto the deck. He pulled the heavy door open and quickly looked both ways down the deck. There was no one in sight. To his left he could see flames and black smoke billowing up from the side of the ship.
He stepped out onto the brightly lit deck and tried his radio.
“This is Sergeant Jackson, can you hear me?”
Carl replied immediately, “Where the hell have you been, Sergeant?”
Chapter 43
November 13, 2006, 02:15 local time
After Jackson had outlined his plan to Joe, he turned toward the screens. Anil was still watching the closed circuit image of the bridge and saying quietly, “They killed him. My friend is dead. He was from the same village as me. He treated me like a son.”
“Anil, I need you to show us the way to the bridge. Can you do that?”
Anil stopped talking to himself and turned to face Jackson.
“Will you avenge my friend's death?”
Jackson knew this wasn't the time to explain their priorities, and just answered, “Yes, we will.”
“Then, I will show you the way.”
Jackson said, “Before we go, I have one question for you. The windows around the bridge, is the glass bulletproof or armored?”
“The glass is thick and very strong, but to my knowledge it's not bulletproof. You must understand, how the ship is constructed is not my area of expertise, and I could well be wrong.
Anil led them through the maze of stairs and passageways in the ship's interior.
Anil said, “At the top of these stairs, you go left and it leads out to the deck, one level below the bridge. When you get out on deck, you turn right and almost immediately, there is a stairway going up to the bridge deck. It's about ten meters along the bridge deck to where you can see into the bridge.”
Jackson led the way up the stairway. Joe followed close behind with Anil. Joe was much closer than the normal separation for this kind of operation, but Jackson needed Anil nearby to ask him directions.
Jackson stopped at the top of the stairway and looked both ways. The large open area in front of him was empty of people. He signaled to Joe and Anil to join him.
Jackson said to Anil, “When we reach the deck, I want you to stay inside the ship. Once outside we may be spotted and need to move fast.”
“Sir, I want to come with you.”
The man's steady conviction compelled Jackson to ask, “Why?”
Anil answered clearly and matter of factly, “I want to see the man who killed my friend, die.”
“I'm sorry Anil, but you have to stay inside the ship. You coming with us, not only compromises your safety, it compromises our safety as well.”
“I understand.”
Jackson felt the steady motion of the ship disturbed, as it seemed to change direction slightly.
“Anil, what was that?”
“I'm not sure, but it felt like a tug pushing the ship.”
Jackson said, "Corporal, we proceed to the door out onto the deck. I go first you follow after I have checked the deck is clear.”
"I'm ready, Sergeant."
He turned left along the side of the open area that stretched from one side of the ship to the other. As he turned the corner, he felt another disturbance to the motion of the ship. Jackson had almost reached the doorway out onto the deck, when the ship's forward momentum, abruptly stalling throwing him to the floor. He could hear the screeching sound of torn metal even in his current location, inside the ship.
Jackson got his feet and went back to find the other two. Looking down the stairway, he saw Anil was still standing, holding onto the handrail. Joe was lying halfway down the stairs.
“You OK, Corporal?”
“I think so, Sarge. Just took me by surprise, is all.”
Jackson said to Anil, “What the hell was that?”
“The ship collided with something. We are still moving, so I think it was another ship.”
Jackson said, “Joe, I need to go out on deck and find out what's happening. Stay here until I return.”
Joe for the first time looked worried. “You sure, Sarge? I don't think we should separate.”
“Jackson replied, “I'm sure, Corporal.”
Jackson ran back to the doorway that led out onto the deck. He pulled the heavy door open and quickly looked both ways down the deck. There was no one in sight. To his left he could see flames and black smoke billowing up from the side of the ship.
He stepped out onto the brightly lit deck and tried his radio.
“This is Sergeant Jackson, can you hear me?”
Carl replied immediately, “Where the hell have you been, Sergeant?”
Chapter 43
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