That’s where it will come. And that was the only place the harpoon cannon couldn’t be turned to. After all, what whaling captain is going to want some lunatic letting loose an explosive harpoon into his deck or the bridge room.

Valery Mironov leaned against the railing and Alexi waved again, and Jack felt like laughing out loud. How did those two do it?  How do you stay so goddamn cool? Must be a Russian thing. Jack snorted and looked briefly back to his tracker – shit – he felt a jolt go right through his body. His head jerked up, and he looked first to the dark water, and then to Alexi.

“It’s here.”

Mironov spun to the water, and the young man nodded, flicked his cigarette away, and placed two hands on the cannon. His eyes were rock steady as they cut the darkness.

*   *   *

Cate grabbed at Sonya’s arm as the ship lurched. The lights above them blinked a few times, and then finally died. A few flashlights came on, but immediately the room seemed smaller.

Cate heard some of Olander’s crew whimper, and Sonya leaned close to her.

“We need to make a choice. We either stay here and go down with the ship, or we take to the rafts.”

Cate looked out the window, trying to find Jack, but without the deck lights the ship was in utter darkness. “We drown or get eaten alive,” she whispered, feeling a creeping nausea rise within her.

“No, we choose between certain death, or a chance at life.” Sonya’s hand on her arm tightened. “Yes, some of us will die. But if we split up, then maybe, just maybe, some of us will live until the Coast Guard gets here.”

Cate’s galloping heart made it hard for her to think. “I don’t know what to do anymore.” She looked up at the woman’s face. “Help me decide.”

Sonya put an arm around her shoulders. “Easy; we will decide to live, together.” She turned to Drago. “Ready the life rafts.”

“No, no, no.” Olander barged closer, waving a hand in their faces. “We are not getting into life rafts. That thing destroyed the Gaia Warrior as if it was a toy boat, and you saw what it did to my high-tech dinghies. I’ve seen your life rafts; they’re no better than toy pool floats.”