Goliath

“Nnn … no—” The African’s face contorts in agony, a frothy, white spittle oozing from his lips. He squeezes his eyes shut, blood dripping from his nostrils, then shoves the gun into his mouth and fires.

Blood, brains, and bone fragments explode out the back of the African’s head.

Gunnar wheels around quickly, greeting the incoming mechanical arm with an explosive 20-mm round. The enormous claw shatters, its steel-and-graphite bones transformed into razor-sharp shrapnel, which strike his flesh in a dozen places.

Gunnar wipes blood from a deep gash along his forehead. All that remains of the mechanical arm is a mangled elbow joint, still attached to its shoulder assembly.

The mine first, then Rocky …

He slings the OICW weapon over his shoulder and limps back to the prototype. On all fours, he crawls beneath the Hammerhead’s belly and releases the platter charge from its two claspers. Standing, he drags the manhole cover-size explosive toward the sealed hangar door and aims the OICW gun.

DO NOT FIRE. I HAVE COMMANDER JACKSON.

Gunnar fires.

An ear-shattering explosion as the watertight door is blown clear off its frame.

I WILL TORTURE COMMANDER JACKSON UNLESS YOU DISARM IMMEDIATELY.

Gunnar ignores the unnerving, almost-humanlike threat as he drags the mine into the corridor. He pries open the explosive’s four seals, then looks up at the nearest scarlet orb. “Pay attention, Sorceress. This underwater mine is essentially a small, tactical nuclear device. It’s powerful enough to vaporize this entire compartment and most of the rest of the ship.” Gunnar unscrews the plate, revealing the internal components of the explosive. “As you can see, I’m setting the timer to detonate the charge in seven minutes. You either release Commander Jackson and Sujan Trevedi immediately, or I will allow this explosive to detonate, destroying the Goliath and everyone … every thing on board.”

WORDS WITHOUT MEANING. YOU ARE A PARROT, GUNNAR WOLFE, A HARMLESS PARROT SPOUTING WORDS WITHOUT MEANING. YOU WILL NOT DESTROY THE GOLIATH. YOU WILL NOT KILL YOURSELF.

“I … am a United States Army Ranger. When it comes to freedom, a Ranger is ready and willing to sacrifice his life to achieve it.” He glances down at the digital display. “You now have six minutes and twenty seconds.”

Leaving the mine, he starts up the access tube’s ladder to rescue Rocky.

The two Kurd brothers are lying on their backs beneath one of their bunks, attempting to kick the steel frame loose from the decking.

Jalal.

The computer’s voice, disguised as Simon’s.

“Simon?” The older brother glances up.

GUNNAR WOLFE HAS ESCAPED. HE HAS MURDERED DAVID PANIAGUA AND ABDUL KAIGBO AND MEANS TO DESTROY THE GOLIATH.

The lock unbolts, the door to the stateroom swinging open.

“Why should we trust you?” Jalal asks. “You’ve kept us prisoners—”

DAVID PANIAGUA’S ORDERS. THERE IS A PLATTER CHARGE IN THE HANGAR BAY. YOU MUST DEACTIVATE THIS DEVICE, OR ALL OF US WILL PERISH. KILL GUNNAR WOLFE. YOU MAY DO WHAT YOU LIKE WITH COMMANDER JACKSON.

Rocky is on her stomach, immobilized on the stainless-steel operating table, her muffled screams mere echoes in her anesthetized brain.

As one surgical arm prepares the portable MEMS unit, Sorceress manipulates the other appendage over the back of the woman’s head. Rotates a razor into position. Deftly shaves a four-inch square from her straw-colored hair, revealing a pale patch of scalp.

The explosion rocks the surgical suite.

Through half-closed eyes, Rocky sees the watertight door collapse inward, Gunnar moving toward her as if in a dream.

In slow motion, she sees him aim a huge machine gun and fire, the stream of bullets tearing apart the surgical drones. Hot debris rains across her exposed flesh, the pain helping her in her struggle to remain conscious.

Gunnar tosses the smoldering remains of the two targeting drones off Rocky’s back, then pulls the gas mask from her face. “Come on, snap out of it—”

She sucks in several quick breaths, the anesthetic fog slow to clear. “Gunnar?”

He examines the shaved back of her head. “You’re okay, but you may need a hat.” He winces in pain, leaning against the operating table, barely able to stand.

“You look like held.”

“Sorceress used me as a Ping-Pong ball. We’ve got to hurry. I set the charge.”

“Wait.” She leans over and kisses him tenderly on the lips. “Okay, let’s get off this death ship.”