Det & Cops Special: Repel Boarders

SX-18, Piracy and murders

1800hrs Day One

"Is she not a beauty?" I followed the direction pointed by James towards the line of ships that was moored there at the docks. I would asked which one but James' wife, Marcia beat me to it.

"Which one, darling?" I disliked newlyweds; they acted all the same whether they are married young or like James with his Marcia, at the third attempt at it. She pulled at her husband arm for him to showed us what was installed for us. I tagged along as I had no one to hold on plus my wife was not with me, but at her school doing her best to educate other kids. I have none as Dr Suess does not featured in my home, nor does the bammy dino-suit character that sings. I do have my Mickey classics but they are stored away from anybody I even cared to know.

"Come along, Jim." That was Frank, the Sargeant of the Precinct where I am the Senior Detective. "We do not want to missed the party."

It was Frank who dragged me here to Phuket, Thailand for this five days symposium on Police Tactics; New Development. It had just ended and we had an extra two free days, but Frank met an old acquaintance from his college days. He also told me he did Salim a favor once when the guy was involved in some theft case during a stay near the Precinct. Now he was repaying us the favor; a trip on his boat.

I watched the tough Sargeant of mine walking passed me dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with sandals; straight back and healthy steps that does not reflect his near retirement age. As for me, the occasional run in the alleys chasing suspects  had been reduced to more of desk works, and digital research. I do keep myself fit by doing the long walks after supper, or shadow boxing whichever found my mood. The one thing I never missed on my exercise schedule was the hours spent at the shooting range. I am still a dead shot with the M1911.

I saw Frank mounted up the steps to this triple decker yacht which was longer than my porch, and probably I would never get to owned one at all in my lifetime. The newly weds are up there on the upper deck wallowing at the wind, and probably looking for the champagne. I stood there at the steps and was wondering whether I should ascend or meekly go back the way I came from. This was not my usual hangout for a holiday or even a drink.

"She's a beaut. Triple decker fifty meters in length, ten meters in draft and sailed with a crew of thirteen but we have made to do with nine for now." I turned back to see the man who just explained to me the basics of shipping'; how to read the specifications.

"I am Captain Trudi, of the boat you were about to board; Faitma IV." Captain Trudi was a lady dressed in the whites uniform of the seas farers; they were pants which reached the knees and instead of heels, she had one black shoes and knee high socks. She was a blond and at my height of six feet plus, with well shaped body designs seen before me. I was sure she would looked much better in a bikini, but I am not moving to that as yet.

"I hoped you had your curiosity done, Mr Barnes." Captain Trudi motioned to me that she needed to board the boat. "I have a boat to command, Sir."

I apologized and stepped aside for her to board. She duly di and even ignored my offer of the hand to assist her. I followed on and had myself on the lower deck. I was greeted by a sailor; I am not an expert, so I termed them in general reference.

"Well come abroad, Mr Barnes." I was puzzled how they knew my name and that was settled soon enough. He had the invitation list with the names of the guests presented. Mine was the one only without a mate. Frank had a mate; a local girl he picked up two nights ago. A luxury of his on overseas trip; visa stamped for unlimited access.

"My name is Samreen but you can called me Sam." The young man dressed in a white t-shirt and knee length pants with rubber shoes. He had with him a lovely smile and pudgy nose with his close crew cut hair design. I am not undressing every person I saw but it was my work nature to remember such details.

"Thank you, Sam." I shook his hand and stepped under the shade in the lower deck. The lower deck was made of four cabins at the fore with a dinning area for ten guests, and a read area for fishing or sunbathing, I guess. I saw the three deck chairs there. There was also the two cabins there.

"The other guests are on the upper deck, Mr Barnes." I thanked Sam and told him to called me by my nickname Jim. He smiled and gave me the nod. I wondered on that smile as this one was seen many a times in my line as the 'I hear you well, darling' smile. I excused myself and climbed the stairs to the upper deck, with my thoughts to keep my legs closed. The shorts I was wearing had large hemlines and it was too hot to have on my MM briefs. I was already sweating under my recently bought the branded collared short sleeved t-shirt from my short way on the quay.

"Jim, come on up." It was Frank who hollered out my arrival making me felt the VIP coming into the ballroom then. He pulled along to introduced to the host, "Salim, you met Jim yesterday at the cafe."

We did when Frank told me he wanted me to accompanied him on a round of rowdy behavior trip among the pubs. We did and ended up having coffee at the cafe near our hotel, when Salim looked us up. He heard Frank was in the city and decided to joined up to entertained us.

"Welcome, Jim." My host was dressed in a white shirt and dark pants with casuals. I was embarrassed then as looking at his shirt which carried the same brand as mine but his was obviously the original, and mine a ripoff. "Let me introduce you to the others."

We made our rounds and I stood out like a sore thumb.

Charlie Chang; business man from the neighboring country, and wore a Rolex watch would had cost me a year's pay-in as the detective. The man was the same age group as myself with his 'wife', Mrs Chang; naturally, dressed in a simple dress that showed a lot of legs. She got legs that most of us would love to stand up to, but that was another day's tale.

Micheal Vera; another business man with a darker looks, dressed casual like Salim and have in his arms; a lovely lady dressed in a blue blouse and darker shade long pants. They were in their thirties and looked very much in the same league as Salim.

Ernest Lenger; same trade but was an ex-German military officer of over ten years before he calls it quit to support his family business of trading. He was with his daughter, Greta Lenger, aged sixteen on her first tour to the East. Both of them were dressed in identical colors; green shirts and dark pants. He also had in his company, his son; Marcus Lenger and the girlfriend, Leoni Garibaldi. Both young and loving, with quiet personality. Greta told me, that she was a police trainee in the Milan Police but quit on meeting Marcus. She also thinks that Leoni likes the money more than the man. I was surprised that she whispered that to me once her father' back was turned. I guessed I looked like a detective to her.

Then I was soon in the arms of Frank' current beau, Sivit Thani; young nubile police officer who just adored Frank. She told me so when she laid her eyes on him. I smiled at her affection but she held on tight to my arm was quite alarming. Thanks to Frank who came back to my rescue after he had spoken to Ernest.

It was then I met the Gant; James and Marcia Gant. They were touring the boat and had just joined us at the deck. I saw James throwing his best wishes to the host for having them on board. Salim had invited us for a ride on his boat into the open sea and also to have a lovely dinner on it. While the host was mingling with his 'esteemed' guests; business talks made me bored, I decided to do a tour of my own. I walked up to the upper deck and was greeted by the crews who were stationed there.

There were three of them with the Captain in the top deck or upper as they named it. Before the bridge was the communication cabin, the two cabins occupied by the Captain and her Chief Engineer, the VIP Suite which I presumed was for Salim. There was also a small discussion area with a rectangle table that sits five. I proceeded to the Bridge and requested permission to come in.

"Permission granted." Captain Trudi was in her elements there; sitting on the Captain's chair, legs crossed and her eyes on the sea.

"Welcome to the Bridge, Mr Barnes." She indicated to me to stand by her side while the crews are all doing their checks. "We are to sailed soon. Surely you never been on a Bridge before?"

I nodded while looking at the crew doing their works. There was the Officer of the Watch; doing the needed checks with the other sections, while the Helmsman was checking the engine status.

"Helms, take us out. Check your swing." The Officer was now directing the Helmsman as the boat left the docking. The officer then called on the Bosun to make sure all was on schedule on the decks.

"Mr Banes, may I suggest you retired to the lower deck for your party. We would ensure your party would not be interrupted by rough seas or roving pirates." The Captain threw her sarcasm towards me so that I could leave her now to her works. I duly complied and went off to the lower deck where everyone having their drinks. There was the main deck with four cabins and a living area big enough for ten persons. The party was held there while the lower deck which I boarded had two more cabins for the guests among other amenities on board. While standing on the main deck, I could hear the rumbling of the engines below it.

"She would be fine, Sir." I looked to the man who had just addressed me. "I am the Bosun. You can called me Bill."

The man was a local but he was built like a Norse God with the biceps and triceps interlocking to unfold the built of this man. If I were any desperate, I wouldn't mind sharing my bunk with him, but I guessed he would had viewed me as the leftovers of the dishes that was laid to him before.

"Cruise Speed: 20kts Max Speed: 24kts Range: 5,200 nautical miles at 12 knots or 2,900 at 16 knots. 2 units of MTU16V4000 . Displacement: 690,000 lbs" Bill flexed his muscles at me.

"I am ....amazed." Shucks, I was lost for words but thankfully the adonis left me alone to speak to his crew of five abled bodied men on their works.

"Champagne, Sir." I looked around and saw the young steward who was assigned to served the drinks. I took up the glass and smiled. Here I am on a free visa like Frank, and without body warmth and cold showers.

Damned!

2134hrs Day One

I hate to sound like a bore, but it was boring for the last three hours. The sea faring trip was nice, while everyone had someone to hold onto, even Salim was with his pet poodle; I ended up holding the handrails and cushions that was there. The Gant had retired to one of the cabins on the lower deck; rude bastard but they needed to get their name for the nautical mile far listing. The Lenger were at a private conference on the lower deck too while the rest of us are on the main deck. The chef had packed up his wares and was sitting at the corner with the steward. Charlie was with Salim leaving me to the champagne and leftovers.

"Can I joined you, Mr Barnes?" I looked up with my intoxicated sight saw the Captain standing there waiting for my invitation.

"Permission granted, Captain." I got up as being courteous and invited her to joined me then on the divan. I offered her an untouched glass of champagne but she declined.

"I have my own drink." She produced a small bottle with a narrow neck before she took it straight up from it. It was a sexy sight; okay, I was deprived so please allowed me to fantasized somewhat. I thought I saw a drop that trailed off her left side of the lips, but I could not myself reaching for the tissue.

"Oh, pardon me. I was clumsy." She had lowered the bottle and reached for the tissue box. I was much faster than with a quick grab and then passing her a sheet. She dabbed at it on her lips and then smiled at me.

"How do you find our trip so far?" She asked of me as my eyes roved over her chestful offerings. I can assured you that at my age, we may had seen some or more of many but every new look was just as refreshing. Then I recalled she asked me a question. I nodded and was to reply when the comms unit on her waist rumbled on. She excused herself and rushed up to the Bridge. There goes my fishing opportunity and now I have to settled for dangling baits on the hooks all night.

Soon she came down and approached the host. She whispered into his ear and they both depart for the Bridge. I am not a nosy person but I can always smell trouble from their expression. I motioned to Frank and asked him to meet at the top deck.

"WTF was that about? I was about to take up Sivit offer to the cabin?" Frank was upset at me for delaying his libido exercise. I pulled Frank to the discussion table and sat him there.

"I think there are troubles, Frank." I looked at him as I spoke. It was then the boat engines stopped.

"Jim, you are nuts." Frank got up to walked down when the Bridge door was opened. The first one to stepped out was Sam with a gun in his hand. He was followed by Salim, the Captain and then the Bosun. There was another crew member who was behind, and was also armed with a gun.

Thats the kind of trouble I normally knew.

"Mr Barnes, Frank, please do joined us below deck." We were send down with the rest to below deck. Then we were given the update.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Al Majid aka Bill the Bosun. This is my associate, Sam." Bill had all us seated including the Gant. "You are now our guests. We have taken over from En. Salim as the host. Please allowed us to accommodate all of you into the cabins for the time being."

"Where are we headed?" Elder Lenger asked.

"We would let you know when we arrived." That ended our privilege to the questions.

I was snapped in with the Captain and Salim into the VIP suite. There was the King sized bed and the jacuzzi in the background. I guess if I tried hard enough. I might find a lingerie that would had fitted her but I doubt she needed it any much as I have to wait. But besides all that thoughts. we were not keen on anything then except to escape. I found it difficult to think when the ex-host was questioning the Captain.

"Encik Salim, I have no idea how and who or whatever Sam does before he joined us. He was with you longer than mine. He hired the new seamen and like you, I trusted him. We had sailed together for over three months now." Trudi spoke out; okay, I preferred first names. They sounded more personal.

"How was I know Jones was involved? That would be the Officer of the Watch. Geez, the crews seemed to be all on the opposition and we are are on the bench. "I think Jonid may be on our side. He was reluctant to continue the steering but I advised him to do so. He was pistol whipped by Sam."

Pistol whipped; the lady reads too many books.

"Encik Salim, I was a former Naval Officer and losing a boat would be my disgrace in my books. I would find ways to bring back control on the boat."

I was all ears then as that means we might be saved but her second part of the statement was rather low in morale.

"I may not had been in active duty before on a ship, but we in the Administration do combat training like any able seamen."

She can handled a gun but she may not had shot it in any real conflict. That makes me and Frank uno numero. I had to cut in then and tried to figured out where we were heading. As I was to reached over for her attention, she hushed us all down. She leaned to the walls and listened.

"We are being boarded by others. I can't tell how many but there was the sound of boats next to ours." That means reinforcement; the calvary had joined in but these could be all war painted ones. Shucks, we are in one drowning pool now.

Then the door to our cabin was opened and Sam popped his head in.

"Boss, you are needed on deck." He motioned to the owner of the boat. "They want to see you in person."

Salim left us in the cabin and then I started my asking of the Captain on the situation prior to her coming down to meet Salim.

"At 0834hrs, Jonid told me that he saw lights on the horizon. I checked with the Watch Officer on the radar scan and he told me that was probably fishermen. We were far out at sea and it was possible we may meet them doing their business. I was concerned on the possibility of pirates that I asked for Bill to come up. He did and was briefed. I needed all the crewmen on alert, and then walked back to my cabin. I have an old friend there."

Damned! This lady had her own '\scotch' stored on board. I was disappointed then. So much for my drink unless I like more than one in the bed. But I was dead wrong. She pulled out a seaman' folding blade ( 4.75 inch closed ) to show me.

"I had it tucked under my inner vest. Sure works for my DD shape." She laughed at herself and I cannot agree more then. She handed it to me but I declined. Blades are not one of my specialties. I asked her if there were any weapons like rifles or rocket launchers. I knew I was exaggerating but I needed to know it then. Once I found an empty bazooka in a suspect home. He confessed he bought it to scare the others but there was missiles for it.

"In my cabin, there is an overhead compartment with the defenses weapons. We have two Steyr AUG rifles and three handguns; SIG-P226." Those are weapons I liked; 30 rounds Steyr, and 10 rounds SIG. "Sam took the key to it."

That was bad to worse.

"I have my personal arsenal; M1911 in the box under my bunk with three clips of 7 rounds and a AK74 from a Russian friend with two clips of 30 rounds." I did not know which mattered more; the guns or the Russian friend. "I don't think Sam would know about it. No ones does. They are my personal items."

The guns did not mattered much then. But I had to faced on the perils of being shot in an execution was more frightening. Trudi hushed me up as the boar engines started up again. I checked the door and found it unlocked. It was then she asked who was myself. I closed back the door and answered her.

"Barnes, Jimmy Barnes. Senior Detective." I knew I sounded corny but I was also horny an hour ago, but unlike JB, we don't get to let off before the final shootout. If we die, we go up there and asked Saint Peter for an excursion in Hell before we come back. We needed to be sinners before we become saints.

"Lieutenant Trudi Patton, USMC and now Captain of the Fatima IV. Its Salim fourth boat and also his gift to his latest wife." Trudi told me. "Marja is in Paris now; shopping. That poodle belonged to her."

Wife in shopping mode while the hubby pats the dog. I am more thankful as I don't have a dog. I only have a TV set with remotes to sport channels.

"Thank you..." She kissed me on the lips. Ever so slight but it was enough to shudder the body to the level where I could performed miracles. I reached out for her, but she pulled away.

"There is a GPS phone under my bunk with the guns but I need to check the battery if ist working." That clipped off my amorous intentions and brought reality to myself. I told her to go for her cabin while I tried to get more help from the others.

"Take this." She handed me the knife. I took it and felt the warmth on it. I wondered if I tucked my hand there; would it warmed too?

She had the door opened and was out in a flash. Damned, I was having a good sight of her hinds then; no panty lines, probably thongs. I followed on and looked to the Bridge. I saw her moving along and headed of the Captain's cabin. I looked to the rear and saw no one there on the upper deck. Then I recalled we are the ones hauled upstairs. Instead of going down, I went towards her cabin. I may be amorous, but I felt safer with a gun in my hands, than a knife. As I approached the cabin door, I heard her voice.

"So you like my cabin, huh?" She was talking to someone. I crawled up next to the cabin door and listened in hard.

"Pardon me, Captain Trudi." It was Sam. "I would take your place."

The sneaky bastard.

"Not without you at my side."

That's more than a sneaky bastard. That was a double sneaky bastard.

I looked at my watch. It was 2222hrs; getting close to my bedtime. I knew as my bladder needed clearing then.

2223hrs Day One

I heard Sam telling Trudi to come forward and sit by the bed. The bastard was going to; I could not bring myself to used the word.

Fucked him. I needed to get into action. I gripped the knife in my hand with the blade unfolded but the damned urge was overpowering. I needed to peed. Never did happened to JB; I forgot in one of his movies, all he needed was raise the skirting. No wondered that actor did not continue on. Who would to peed in the cold mountains; they could come out like those stalagmites in the caves.

But I did it in the Captain' cabin. Trudi had stepped in and these cabins are not your hotel room size dimensions. With the furnitures, you got to move sometimes sideways or brushed past one another like in tango. Sam had moved over for his forth coming strip show; I had vivid imaginations. I would be anticipating like Sam too if I was in there.

"What the..." Ever felt when someone peed onto your pants. I did once when a suspect did that to me in the alley. His excuse was "I could not helped it'. Neither could myself then. When Sam reacted to my peed on his pants, I came at him from behind with the blade buried into his back. I seen murders to know where major damage can be done.

"Aargh!" By then I had Sam banged into the nearby wall with a two hundred pound quarterback push. He should had played football like I did when I was much younger. We pinned them down like the swatters does to the flies. But I never seen a USMC officer kicked ass until that day. She dug in her right boots into the left face of the seamen. I must remind myself to removed her boots if I am jumping into bed. She could hurt more than my ego. Those eggs don't cracked; they ached for days.

Trudi pulled the body away and closed the door. I was siting on the dead man with my right hand bloodied to the wrist. So was my branded shirt; well, it only cost five bucks, so it was my five bucks branded shirt. Trudi was all action; she bent down to retrieve her guns. She threw me the AK74 which hit my lap like a brick on a Sunday morning.

"Sorry, I thought you would had grabbed it." I was actually zipping up my pants. It was more of a courteous act than to fight with unzipped pants. Like honey, it could had attracted more than bees, or maybe even a bullet. The zip ain’t no Kelvar but its still some protection. Now she had dropped the 7.3 pound on my lap with the ammo clip on a submarine dive into my crotch was a painful experience.

"Do you want me to kissed it well?" I would had nodded but at that time, I had my pants soiled with peed so I took a rain check. She pulled me up and told me her plan. She had also grabbed Sam' gun, It was a M1911. Then she was Trudi, the double pistoleer of the high seas. Me, I was the Russian Mafiaso enforcer with the AK74 and soiled pants.

"We surprised them in the Bridge and take control of the ship. Then we rescued the rest." It was a plan and I was without one, so we followed her's.

She walked inside the Bridge and held the two guns pointing at the crews. I followed up her rear and displayed my image of the alter ego looks. Who cares what they thought of my pants; for all I cared, I could had masturbated and forgot the tissues. The splattered blood should scared them of their pants.

It did. Or I assumed it.

There was Jonid at the helms, the Watch Officer and another unknown. The last was not a crew member as he was dressed in jeans and sleeveless shirt. More to it, he had a SIG 226 in his waistband. I hate them when they slot it there; they could shoot themselves with the safety off. God did make replaceable balls, my young man.

I grabbed the SIG and asked all of them to kneel down including Jonid. Trudi walked up the control panels and slowed the boat while watching the radar.

"We got two boats besides ourselves. One on the port and the other ahead. Looks like shallow bottoms boats. We could rammed them." Trudi explained to me. Then she noticed something else.

"We are approaching some island up ahead. Twenty nautical miles away." Trudi exclaimed. "It could be their hideout."

It was then when the Watch Officer tried his move on me. I had anticipated it and with my frustration, I was a man without any gentle compassion then. I clobbered him a few times with the stock of my rifle until he fell unconscious. I was vicious then. Even Trudi stood there and stared at me.

"Sorry..." I apologized to Trudi. She walked over and pat me on the arm. But my action scared the hell out of the other two. Jonid prostrate himself on the flooring pleading for mercy. He claimed he had no part in it.

We were not taking chances and we got the two crews all bundled up with strips off their pants and shirts as tying materials and then stuffed them up in the mouth. Now was the hard part;l rescuing the others. We do not know the resistance involved and where they are. Trudi passed me the SIG. I slung the AK74 on my back and used the SIG in my right hand and the blade in my left hand. We went back to the rear and checked the deck. Then we made our way down the stairs.

There was one crew sleeping on the divan with a bottle of champagne next to him. He also had a SIG on his chest. I walked up to him and grabbed the discarded bottle. I hate to tell you this, but I shaft it into his half open mouth and pressed hard down. I had my right foot on his chest holding him down. He did not last longer than ten seconds. I seen it done once by a suspect and now was the time to time the actual works. Trudi had started on the first cabin. I joined her there when she opened it. It was the Lenger male's family all tied up in there minus the daughter and Leoni.

I told them to keep quiet and cut the elder one loose first. His first word was 'my daughter.' I nodded back and left him the extra SIG.

"Ja, I was ex Military." He understood. Trudi had gone to the second cabin. She opened it to find Sivit with Frank. I untied him and let him continue on. In the third cabin, we found the Gant' and Vera but only the males. So there was the last cabin. This time I unslung my rifle before Trudi opened it. Inside was Mrs Gant half naked. She was obviously molested by some one but she was also thankfully dead. The rapist had sliced her throat across from ear to ear.

This time that leaves us the young Lenger and Micheal's wife, with the friend of Marcus.

"The lower deck." Trudi told me. I was to moved when Frank and Ernest joined me. Trudi passed over the other SIG to Frank. We could hear the laughter and cries down below. Time for action and it was never pretty.

I went down first with my AK74 raised at the hips level; then I was truly the manifested ego of the Enforcer. I saw the three ladies all naked before me; on their knees doing an oral presentation to three men who were naked with two more on the divan cheering them. I did not asked who shot whom, but I aimed for the Bosun. He was the one on the right with the Lenger young one. I blew his head and upper torso with a long burst. Frank took down the middle one the stage with double taps on the chest while Trudi fired at the left one. By then the other two on the divan had stood up with one of them holding the Steyr but I shot him first. The surviving one raised his arms up, but Ernest was the one who did the final delivery with a head shot.

The men had all joined us and went over to consoled the ladies while Frank and myself checked the bodies. Trudi had rushed up the deck to the Bridge. I told Frank to retrieved all the weapons including from Ernest. He understood me well. I ran up to join Trudi.

Trudi was at the helm. She saw me coming in and updated me.

"We got companies coming." She pointed to the radar scan. There was three more blips coming at our directions.

"The boat on our port was alerted to our shooting. They are signaling us." Trudi explained to me. "We need evasive action."

I knew only one type of evasive action; the one we normally seen on TV.

"I doubt you have any bazooka. But can we rammed them, Trudi?"

"You are a crazy SOB but you could be lovable." She replied. "But I can't rammed all of them."

Then I heard the shots being fired on us. It was getting more interesting by the hour.

2334hrs Day One

Trudi did say we could not rammed them but she did not said not one. Well, she veered the craft like a M1 on the road into the fields, except we have no field here except open sea. But there was a tiny boat that we forgot to registered as a registered vehicle. Trudi rolled the darned boat of ours with its 690,000lbs over the wooden boat. Then she went on a tangent course to avoid the approaching boats.

"How was it, Jim?" I looked at Frank who had joined me on the Bridge.

"Three plus one hostiles in our fore and probably armed. Do me a favor, old friend." I asked Frank. "You had years of knowledge on creating crude weapons. Do some now and get Ernest to helped you."

Frank nodded and started to walked off when he saw the three seamen. He did not even asked me any was Tonto to my Kemo Sabe, as he grabbed the one with the jeans over his shoulder. He walked over to the outside handrails and threw the guy overboard. Then he walked back in and grabbed the wounded one. He did the same but Trudi stopped him on Jonid.

"I needed him to steered the boar. I can't be both the officer on deck and helmsman." Trudi told him. Frank looked at me and I nodded. He then let loose the helmsman and told him to steer or be thrown. Jonid went back to his position and took over from Trudi.

While Frank went off to his tasks, I discussed strategy with Trudi.

"We cannot outrun those boats. They are gaining on us as they are speed boats. We need to get help." Trudi walked to the communications room. It was damaged beyond repairs. That was one lost avenue.

"Maybe they would looked for us when we missed the deadline to return. Then they would sent the search planes. We just got to buy time." I tried to sound cheerful.

"No, it won;' work. We would be out of fuel by then. I did not refuel as I was expecting a short trip out and back." Trudi was showing signs of breakdown then. "Our voyage was not updated to the Marines Guards. It not like we are trekking in the jungle."

Trudi cried then and needed to be comforted on my shoulder. I held her until she got her composure back. It was easy to get it back when you hear shots. We went back to the Bridge to find Jonid still holding course.

"Captain, looked at the charts. There could be some place we can hide." That was a good idea which Trudi looked at her chart. There was no island nearby except the one which we were headed for.

'Then lets go there. We can set up our defenses there than to die out here." I replied to her. I found my options are better on the island than here. She nodded and then looked at the island for places which we can holed up.

"I got it." Trudi spoke up. I left her to do the needed while I ran out to the open deck I could two boats gaining on us and then the engines on Fatima revved up. Trudi was going for the limit then. I spied the box containing the flare gun and six spare flares there and retrieved it. I don't have a bazooka but I can fired one like it. Maybe I was getting desperate or gone senile. I raised up the flare gun and looked at the nearest boat; estimated at four hundred feet and closing.

"WTF" I fired the flare like a gun but boat rolled on the waves causing my shot to be diverted. It did on a fast curved up and then down to land onto the boat deck. The unbelievable happened as the boat went up in flames. It could be some spilled oil or I was having lady luck on my head. The boat then exploded and that deterred off the second pursuing speed boat.

I just bought us time, and then it was up to Trudi. I stepped back into the Bridge and met up with Trudi.

"I think we have the spot to hide in." Trudi point to me at the spot on the charts. To me those charts are like spilled over coffee marks then, but I nodded to her suggestion.

"We can reached there in an hour, with some gas to spare."

I was beginning to love this lady. I wanted to kissed her then and Frank walked in.

0200hrs Day Two

Trudi lived up to her experience when she led us to a hidden inlet on the island. It had a narrow bay mouth with high cliffs on both sides and there it was the hidden lagoon inside. There were high cliffs from the mouth until the middle section where it tapered off into the white beach and dense jungle behind it that staked it claim on a gradual ascent to the hills behind which was part of the range that hid this lagoon. That was the sight which was to greet us at the dawn, but when we docked in at that early morning of 0230hrs, it was all pitch dark with our search lights offering some relief.

"Its not occupied as far as I could see." I added in my relief as we swept the beach for any signs of pirates or maybe even Robinson Crusoe descendants.

Trudi was all works then, as she told us to get down to the beach. We were made to used the small dinghy boat hung on the boat side for our transport. I sent Frank, Ernest and Marcus on first with the guns to the beach. There they established some perimeters with the setting of fire places and then I send the ladies in two loads, alongside with the supplies and more weapons, courtesy of Frank and his years of punk urban warfare.

Then Trudi and myself steer the ship to the far right end of the lagoon where we docked the ship by the high cliff. That was it as we unloaded the last of the supplies on the dinghy and made it to the camp.

It was Ernest who told us that he had training in such conditions. He suggested we made haste into the jungle and established a fire base some distance from here. I agreed with him and sent him and Marcus with the torchlights to search for a good place. Then Frank and myself did a supply check.

"We got one Steyr AUG; two clips, one AK74 with one and half clips, three SIG P226 with two clips each, one M1911 with two full clips with one holding three shots let. One foldable blade with three machetes that you could get for two bucks on the roadside plus four nine inch daggers from the seamen bunks."

Frank had fashioned up a crate of twenty four bottles of Molotov cocktails. He had them mixed with sap mixture for longer burns. He also had recovered five kitchen long knives of various lengths, which he had cello-tape them to three long broom sticks; 'Not exactly the pike I would like to have but it would do'. He had other things besides that like the ice pick and steak knives, and assorted metal stuffs including pans. He swung on those frying pans to demonstrate the effectiveness of it as a weapon. We had a case where the housewife had defended herself with the frying pan against an intruder. The later was caught later with multiple bruises and cuts.

He had also recovered a speargun with three spare spears; Salim likes to go scuba diving for fishes with it. He also took the Engineer's tool box with various wrenches and spanners alongside with two shovels. He also got some ropes and fishing reels.

"Fishing for sharks?" I asked.

"No, to tied their legs as I lowered them into the sea for fish baits." Frank was in his nasty element. I guessed in the Precinct, we had seen almost everything that man can unleashed in their evil ways, and we are then doing the field experiments. I showed him the flare gun with five flares. He laughed at me.

"Ain't going to repeat that again stunt again, huh?" I nodded to his line. He then produced me a five gallons container filled with diesel.

"If you do, you might need this."

Then we decided to allocate the weapons to the rag tag army we had then. Earnest earned the Steyr AUG while Marcus took one SIG. Trudi kept her M1911 and I held onto the AK74. Frank took the SIG with Sivit holding one herself. I passed one machete each to Micheal and James, while the ladies shared the three 'pikes'. The ladies had gotten dressed in new clothes but Greta was still in shock with Leoni to hold her up. Mrs Vera was still shaky but she was doing fine. I kept the foldable blade with me in the pocket.

Ernest told us he may had found the place for us to holed up; three hundred feet up the slope, there was a narrow strip of flat land. We can built out fire base there. We did as we were told, moving the crates and bags of our needed supply, and then using the shovel to cleared the space. We cut down some branches to create the wooden defenses and then beginning to dig up the shallow trenches.

Ernest and Marcus then asked for some of Frank's collection as they were going to set traps at the jungle edge. Meanwhile Jonid who had joined us decided to assist by making the fish spears he had used for his leisure time. It was dawn when we completed our tasks.

That's when we saw the beauty of the lagoon.

"She's a beau." I looked to Trudi who stood by me looking out at the lagoon.

"Yes, she was. I never imagined my first cruise would turned out to be so adventurous." I replied, but she told me otherwise.

"I was referring to the lagoon." She then smiled at me and walked back to the ladies. I then saw Frank walked up to me.

"Jim, I know you are tired, but I think we need to do some patrol of our own." I can agreed with Frank; he was always the one with the backup plans. We then pushed our weary limbs to the back of the camp and made our way up the hill. Frank had the spare machete and used that to good use as we climbed up. It was not the height but the climb by two older man with the fitness level now dropped to the level exhaustion made it difficult but we soon reached the top. Or was it the near top as the rest of the way was difficult to moved on without the equipments.

I looked out to the lagoon and saw the boat and then the camp partly hidden by the canopies of leaves. I could make out that Ernest and Marcus had returned and were resting then.

"Frank, if we moved down fifty feet, we could provide cover fire for the camp and observed the beach too." I spoke to Frank but he was fast asleep. I left the AK74 for Frank and made my way down to the camp. I would use the flare gun and spear gun during the coming fight. When I reached the camp, everyone was sleeping on the ground, including Ernest who was doing it by leaning against the tree trunk. He probably was to guard but ended up sleeping too.

Soon I slept too.

0830hrs Day Two

I was awakened by the tap on my shoulder. It was Ernest and he had his finger to his lips. I looked around and saw Trudi with Jonid had woken up and looking towards the lagoon. As I made my way next to Trudi, Ernest woke up the rest.

I saw three fishing trawlers, one speed boat and four low bottom boats there. They had discovered the Fatima and boarded her. I squinted my eyes and saw the man in charge. It was Charlie Chang standing at the upper deck with a dark skinned guy with long hair and shirtless to display his chest and the wares he wore around his neck. The dark shaded man was armed with a bandelier and a rifle was in his right hand. On the decks, I counted a dozen men with various weapons and there was also more men on the boats docked alongside.

The Chinese man was giving instructions and then the shirtless man then shouted out his orders. The men on Fatima then returned back to their own boats while the two leaders followed suit. One fishing trawler and the speed boat left the lagoon, leaving on the others which were headed to the beach.

"Our odds are two to one at least. I counted twenty of them down there." Trudi was being pleasant as she had included the ladies in the count, but if we removed them out, we are three to one. The men soon landed on the beach where we parked the dinghy. Trudi was right, it was a welcoming party of twenty men with rifles and machetes among them. Greta started whimpering while Leoni comforted her.

"They won't harm you. I would kill you first." Leoni told the younger lady. I wondered if she meant mercy killing or murder. Never understood the ladies even though I married one for over twenty years. Ernest went over to his daughter and handed her one of the seamen' knife. She nodded and smiled at her father.

Ernest then crawled over to Trudi and myself.

"I would covered the right with James and Marcus and Micheal would covered the left.' Ernest told us his strategy. "Both you and Jim covered here."

"Ja'", I replied which Ernest smiled. I looked up the hill and saw the shadow of Frank taking his position. Now we are ready.

"Ja,.. Ja." I repeated myself.

"You come out and we sent you home." It was the shirtless leader now holding up both his arms with the rifle above his head. "We not harmed you."

I did wondered then if he actually used arm deodorant but Ernest stole my question away with a aimed single shot. It took the leader's head off into a spin to the rear, and then body collapsed. I looked at the German.

"Sniper division. Left temple shot and his body go spinning. Ja?" Ernest smiled.

"Ja....." I replied and then saw the pirates on the beach had ran for cover. Now it was the turned of the German traps. Soon we heard the screams and then the cursing. Ernest shot off two more shots and more cursings came off it. I could sworn the far east jungles are more dense than the p****c hair that I have seen. Unlike the northern woods, there are the low branches and thick foliage everywhere. In fact it was the assistance of the these was how we climbed up but now it looked like death traps for the pirates.

I saw a swinging branch with a sharpened stake on it barely missed the pirate at a hundred feet. He stood up to gloat on his luck and was rewarded with a shot by Trudi into his left side of the brain. There goes his ability to voiced up logic when he meets hi savior in heavens.

Once that shot was made, it revealed our position to the other pirates who had now stopped climbing and using their rifles to good use. They had us pinned down and we could be over run soon. I saw the Molotov bottles and took up three of them. I lighted them up and flung them over my shoulder. I reckon with the dry weather we been having might give us some burning desires. I heard the bottles burst and created some fires. It was then I saw Frank's skill in earning five years of sharp shooting until they forced him to retired from the event. He must had taken down two more as then we heard the shouts of retreat.

It was Ernest who stood up and gave them a stern goodbye warning, before the pirates took off on their boats. We saw them go off and so was the fire which did some deforestation but the ground below was humid to burned like in our forest. Marcus and myself went down to checked on the pirates. We found seven of them; of three was alive with wounds from the shooting or the traps. We collected all the weapons we could find and pulled the wounded down to the beach. If we took them up, the ladies may had them roasted alive over the fire place. We placed them in the one of the boats left behind and told them to leave.

"Was it wise, Jim?" Trudi asked me. I looked at her and smiled.

"We are not killers. We were made into one by circumstances. If we had other options, we would had exercised restraint." Just as I finished my statement, I saw Leoni running to the sea waves with Marcus' SIG. She fired with both hands at the departing boat but she missed them. When she had emptied the clip, she fell down on her knees and cried out loudly. Marcus went over to consoled her while Trudi and myself walked back to the confiscated weapons.

Three M1 Garand rifles with two spare bandelier of ammo ( twenty rounds each ) and one Sterling Mark IV machine gun with half a clip, plus four Beretta guns with full loads, four more machetes and daggers.

Now we have more guns than we can managed but we think the war was still not over yet. Frank had joined us and we sat down to plan. Then we agreed on the new plan; offensive was the best defense.

"Aye, Captain. Full speed ahead."

1030hrs Day Two

It was not difficult to find the pirate village, as we were the only island within a hundred nautical miles radius. They were to the west of us with a sailing time of half an hour to avoid the reefs and shallow levels. More to it, the speed boat was still there. It was moored at one of the wooden piers alongside with the trawler which we saw. By then the Fatima IV was the scorn lady with hatred for these measly looking competitors. I counted four fishing trawlers with an assortment of low bottom boats excluding the ones we were hunting for.

I had Sivit and Leoni on the fore of the top deck with the Garand while Greta as the loader with the spare Garand. I given Micheal the Sterling with the instruction aim and fire on short bursts; he was on the lower deck looking for any boarders. James was with him with the pikes and knives. Trudi had the Captain seat with Jonid as the helmsman.

The rest of us was on the main deck with our arsenal of Molotov cocktail.

"Hard to starboard and keep her steady as we go." Trudi gave the command and then comms me on the speaker. "She all yours now; spread out wide for your entry."

Damned! She gave me the hard-on then. We were sailing alongside the pier and then Mrs Micheal lit up the bottles before passing it to us. We tossed the bottles like pitchers on the baseball diamonds, and watched them explode on the wooden trawlers parked in a row. Then Trudi sailed us by the speed boat and dropped the bottle on her deck.

No one had shot at us although there were onlookers who were screaming bloody murder at us. We are those they mentioned but then at that stage, we were the avengeful naval replacement force to quell piracy in these waters. I saw the Chinese man stepping out of one of the wooden huts with a group of his armed followers. The wooden huts were built in two rows at about five hundred feet from the pier. He was snapping out orders and they were running back in to the hut. So it was time for the ground battle.

Trudi landed us near the pier and Jonid jumped over first to grab a plank for us to move over. We have no sea leggings so we wobbled across while Jonid stood guard there with the AK74. Once we made over in turns; Ernest, Frank, myself, Marcus and Sivit. I told Sivit and Jonid to guard the pier while we made it inland. The helmsman had handled the rifle back to Ernest and was given the spare M1 Garand. 

Frank tagged with me, while Ernest had his son for company. We were all armed as before and rushed for the hut where the Chinese man was last seen. He was seen coming at us with his fellow pirates. I counted about twenty or so; armed with rifles and guns, plus the usual machetes. They had closed the gap between us as they made their way across the open ground where they hang their fishing nettings or used it to dry the equipments. All four of us ran for whatever cover we could find and laid the first fire.

We got three of them before they reacted to return our fire. Marcus was hit by one of the pirates with the rifle but he would lived as his father provided cover. The father pulled the son to the cover and returned fire. I would had fired the Speargun but at this range, I might as well be shooting blanks. I saw one pirate who was hidden behind some nettings came at with a small dagger. He could had been there earlier and laid low. I fired the speargun at him and caught him on the chest. He fell over with the spear partly seen through this back. I had to jumped for cover when the other pirates fired at me.

I did not see it coming then, but Jonid must had found a motorcycle; one of those Japanese made stripped of its exterior casing but was still capable of doing eighty miles max. Jonid sped past us with Trudi riding backwards pillion holding a bag full of lighted Molotov bottles and shooting her M1911. They were a crazy pair or she was one helluva Captain. They managed to reached the other side and dropped the bottles off before speeding past them. Two of the pirates stood up from cover to shoot at her but Frank and Ernest made sure she would not be given any more open holes. Then the Molotov cocktail exploded and the fire spread there on the ground.

The pirates panicked and scattered to retreat back, with the Chinese man following suit. Both me and Frank then got up to give chase with Ernest following close behind with his uncanny accuracy to bring down three more fleeing pirates. We cornered the Chinese man in the wooden hut.

"Come no closer. I would shoot Salim." The man inside threatened. He stepped out with Salim as his hostage. He had the gun in his right hand at Salim' head.

That was my call then, as the Senior Detective. I approached him with my lowered spear gun.

"Let him go, Charlie. You got no place to escape. The German is a sniper so is my associate. You won't get more than ten paces." I looked at my spear gun. "I was also good at this."

It was a bluff but it was to buy time and looked for weakness.

"You are not loaded anymore. I could shoot you and then talked to your associate."

I nodded to his comment and changed the subject to Mrs Chang.

"She is inside. She held a gun towards you now. She's a sharpshooter. Once the club best in skeets." Wow! The guy read the same negotiation book like mine. I lowered my spear gun on the ground and smiled.

"I am unarmed. So don't shoot me." I flashed both my hands up twirled them. It was a signal Frank and myself had improvised on for a bank robber negotiation. When I did that, it was a go ahead on his end.

Frank shot the Chinese man in the right shoulder through Salim' causing both man to reeled back and then he followed up with a head shot when the two men separated on the fall. Frank did it before when he was a sniper and he recently showed it in the symposium with me as the signal man.

Salim fell forward holding his wounded right shoulder, while Charlie was dead on his back.

"Salim!" I saw Mrs Chang rushing out to hold the wounded man. Guess we would never knew what really happened in there. But soon Trudi joined us and we retreated back on board the Fatima IV. Jonid found the nearby tank which allowed him to refuel the boat. We set off in silence after I bandaged the wound on Salim. They bullet went passed him into Charlie.

Salim explained it all to us.

"I knew Aileen before Charlie but her parents refused to let me marry her on the grounds of religion and also not to be included into my list of wives or harem as they called it. I am a Muslim, entitled for four wives and my last one was to be divorced by me upon her return from Paris. She told Charlie that she was leaving him and he was naturally upset. He asked for a meeting with me and I agreed as I was hosting all of you. I reckon with the extra guests, Charlie would be more discrete in his behavior. Charlie was not you usual friend; he was the third generation piracy descent and still does it on the small freight ships plying the route."

"I knew of this as he had hijacked two of my vessels before, but we negotiated outside the normal channels. I never knew that he had placed his people under my ships until recently. I knew one of my Captain worked for him on the commission of the theft and had that one removed. But I never guessed on the Bosun or the rest."

"Charlie spoke to me just before midnight that he demanded fifty millions for his wife or be prepared to suffered. I laughed at his threat as we were at sea and who would he called at that hour. He cautioned me not be over confident. I am a businessman and being cautioned was something I was used to. I had radioed my aide to check on me if I am not back by noon today. I left it at that until the pirates took over. I was taken by the speed boat to the island. I remembered him telling the pirates to disposed all of you."

"This morning, he came to see me and told me that you escaped and causing him issues. He had radioed for help and they would be here by noon."

It was then I saw the boats on portside. Two speedboats and one trawler at full speed.

1200hrs Day Two.

We took positions while Trudi raced the ship onto its maximum speed of 35 knots but these speed boats are almost twice as fast. They are manned by two persons, one drives and the other held a tripod mounted machine gun. That was a bigger threat. The ladies were back on Upper Deck with the M1 rifles while Frank and Ernest took the lower deck. I had Marcus SIG which I took guard with the Sterling on the main deck. Micheal was now holding a machete with James with the other SIG.

"Trudi, tell me what can we do?" I heard the shots coming and soon the hull was peppered by it.

"They got a machine gun on their boat. We need to stopped them." Trudi shouted back. She looked to the console and then gave me her grave concern. If they hit our fuel tank, we are goners. We are full on the tanks."

Then I had an idea; I asked Trudi for the hose to the fuel tank.

"Anything I can used to pumped out the fuel." She told me a of a hose set in the engine room. They used it to cleared the sediments on the tank bottom. I got that running and placed the hose over the side. I told Trudi to sailed full speed but in a circle. She did the running circles on the pursuing boats and while the others fired at them. I had the trail of fuel on the sea now and all it needed was a catalyst. I fired the fire flare at it.

The fuel on the sea surface broke up in flames encircling the boats but we were running clear by then. I told Trudi to gunned it all the way home at full speed. But we were not of the water as yet, when two of the speed boats was onto us again. I told the guys to dropped anything that would float on the water. I even threw in the ropes and fishing reels but trailing them as we sailed zig zag while the speedboats avoid us for fear of being rammed.

We rained fire on them but their fire power was more powerful as they raked us from bow to port with the heavy machine gun. Just as we thought we had it going good, the ship engined stalled and we were slowing down.

"They hit the engines. "Prepare for boarders!" Trudi shouted out in the inship comms. We retreated to the main lower deck and hid there but the speed boats were not coming on board. Instead it raked the ship more; tearing into the fine finishing on the deck. Micheal took a shoulder hit and so was James on the left leg.]

I pushed them to take their cover at the cabins and awaited the inevitable doom.

Then came the unknown as we heard the speed boats peeled off on their attack. I rushed out to the damaged open deck area and saw the two helicopters there with their port side machine guns. They are Bell Models; we used them for traffic observation but this had machine guns mounted.

"We are saved!" I shouted out.

Salim' aide did acted on his words and sent out the copters to locate the Fatima IV. Her radio was damaged but she still have her GPS locator on. 

1700hrs Day Two.

When we docked at the private quay of Salim' personal harbor area, there were medical and enforcement teams to attend to us. Both Frank and myself declined all assistance and approached Salim.

"Salim, we would be leaving soon. I trust you would keep this off the news for us." I told the man. "We were to be here for a symposium and not get involved in any sea fight with piracy."

"It would be handled by my side. You may leave with my personal aide for the hotel and then the airport." I did but I had to say my goodbye to Trudi.

"Trudi., I have a plane to catch. I may see you another time." I spoke to her at the medical tent where she was treated for some minor cuts. She picked up my hand and smiled.

"I would not had been able to handle it without you, Mr Barnes." I guessed we are back to the formal names now. I thanked her and was to walked away when she got up and kissed me.

"Thank you." She wished me as she hugged me tight. I swore I could feel her chestful of delights pressing hard on me. She whispered into my ears. "Sad you would be missing these."

The darned lady sway on her feet against me and then suddenly pulled away. She ran up to hug the tall lady standing there in the pant suit. Then she pulled her friend over and introduced us.

"Jim, my AK74 friend; Andy Kirov. She's part Russian and English." They both stood tall to me then and Trudi held the other's arm. She leaned over and whispered to me. "She is my lover. We would had never fucked as you are a man. BUt if you were younger I would had made an exception."

While on the long flight back, I kept on asking myself; would it had happened but Frank was overjoyed and restful. He just told me he had a good time with Sivit. They went shopping and clubbing.

"You didn't go to bed with her?" I asked.

"No, why should I? She about my son's age. She could be be daughter in law age. Jim, knowing a lady was not all about sex. Anyway sex is also who you do it with." Damned, there I was then trying to question myself why did I not laid the younger woman. I got up and Frank asked me.

"Where to? We just took off."

"Bathroom. I need to pumped off the tension. It's going to be a long flight." Frank smiled at me then he replied.

"No prize for mile long drops."

I was sure the stewardess heard him. Guess what she was just below my age. I walked past her and she handed me a tissue.

"Its wet tissue."