chair next to Thorne. “That was what I was coming up here to speak to you about.”
Thorne leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. It made his biceps bulge against his t-shirt, showing that even at his age he held some serious walloping power.
“Spill it,” Thorne said to Ballantine. He removed his sunglasses and squinted against the bright sun. “Take yours off. I want to see your eyes.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Commander,” Ballantine said, but took his sunglasses off anyway. “I’m up here to be perfectly frank.”
“That your first name?” Kinsey chuckled. “Frank?”
Ballantine gave her a small grin then put his focus back on Thorne.
“We’ve lost access to military satellite imaging,” Ballantine said. “I have Carlos working on a hack, but I’m pretty sure we’ve been flagged and there’s no way to get that resource back.”
“What about the company?” Thorne asked.
“Occupied,” Ballantine said. “We are not their number one priority at the moment.”
“Occupied? The whole company?” Kinsey asked. “That seems like a stretch.”
“You have no idea,” Ballantine replied. “I said the same thing to Darby. She suggested I forget about the company and focus solely on the Beowulf III and the people on board.”
“Uncharacteristically empathetic,” Thorne said as he put his sunglasses back on. Ballantine did the same.
“Yes, well, Mr. Reynolds seems to be having a softening effect on Darby,” Ballantine frowned.
“You don’t like that,” Kinsey stated.
“One reason Darby has been so effective in her career is because she roughed up all her soft spots,” Ballantine said. “It could put us at risk if she cares too much for your cousin.”
“Or it could save our lives,” Kinsey said, “because she actually cares whether we live or die.”
“Oh, she’s always cared about that,” Ballantine laughed. “She has had a fondness for Team Grendel from day one.”
“It’s just you are worried she’ll make a mistake trying to protect Max instead of making the right choice when needed,” Thorne said. “Welcome to human nature, Ballantine. It’s something I’ve dealt with for decades leading SEALs. At some point you just have to trust your operators to do their jo b an d save their comrades.”
“Well, Thorne, if you haven’t guessed by now, trust isn’t my dominant personality trait,” Ballantine said as he stood up and looked out to the water.
“So, no idea when we’re going to get hit by the hired guns?” Thorne asked as he stood as well.
“None, I’m afraid,” Ballantine said. “I have put the feelers out to contacts at dozens of different ports as well as my contacts in the shipping companies. If anyone spots them then we’ll get a heads up.”
“If your contacts are still loyal and haven’t been scared off,” Thorne said.
“Yes, well that’s a good point,” Ballantine said. “Self-preservation is a part of human nature that I am well acquainted with.”
“I bet,” Kinsey said. She looked at the two men and frowned. “Carlos have anything new for us to use if we get in the shit?”
That got a huge smile from Ballantine and all the worry and fears fled from his features.
“Why, yes, Ms. Thorne,” Ballantine beamed, “I believe he has exactly what you and the rest of Team Grendel will need if you indeed get in the shit.”
***
The smell of shit joined the smell of piss and fuel as Hek clung to the top of the bow of the fishing boat. He looked down at his pants and saw the dark stain spreading down the insides of his thighs. Then he looked past his legs at the last six feet of the boat still above water.
All it took was two chomps from the giant shark and the boat was obliterated. Hek had seen those jaws up close and knew that the shark could have destroyed the boat in one bite if it had wanted to. The beast’s mouth was enormous, like a baleen whales, but full of thousands and thousands of teeth
Thorne leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. It made his biceps bulge against his t-shirt, showing that even at his age he held some serious walloping power.
“Spill it,” Thorne said to Ballantine. He removed his sunglasses and squinted against the bright sun. “Take yours off. I want to see your eyes.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Commander,” Ballantine said, but took his sunglasses off anyway. “I’m up here to be perfectly frank.”
“That your first name?” Kinsey chuckled. “Frank?”
Ballantine gave her a small grin then put his focus back on Thorne.
“We’ve lost access to military satellite imaging,” Ballantine said. “I have Carlos working on a hack, but I’m pretty sure we’ve been flagged and there’s no way to get that resource back.”
“What about the company?” Thorne asked.
“Occupied,” Ballantine said. “We are not their number one priority at the moment.”
“Occupied? The whole company?” Kinsey asked. “That seems like a stretch.”
“You have no idea,” Ballantine replied. “I said the same thing to Darby. She suggested I forget about the company and focus solely on the Beowulf III and the people on board.”
“Uncharacteristically empathetic,” Thorne said as he put his sunglasses back on. Ballantine did the same.
“Yes, well, Mr. Reynolds seems to be having a softening effect on Darby,” Ballantine frowned.
“You don’t like that,” Kinsey stated.
“One reason Darby has been so effective in her career is because she roughed up all her soft spots,” Ballantine said. “It could put us at risk if she cares too much for your cousin.”
“Or it could save our lives,” Kinsey said, “because she actually cares whether we live or die.”
“Oh, she’s always cared about that,” Ballantine laughed. “She has had a fondness for Team Grendel from day one.”
“It’s just you are worried she’ll make a mistake trying to protect Max instead of making the right choice when needed,” Thorne said. “Welcome to human nature, Ballantine. It’s something I’ve dealt with for decades leading SEALs. At some point you just have to trust your operators to do their jo b an d save their comrades.”
“Well, Thorne, if you haven’t guessed by now, trust isn’t my dominant personality trait,” Ballantine said as he stood up and looked out to the water.
“So, no idea when we’re going to get hit by the hired guns?” Thorne asked as he stood as well.
“None, I’m afraid,” Ballantine said. “I have put the feelers out to contacts at dozens of different ports as well as my contacts in the shipping companies. If anyone spots them then we’ll get a heads up.”
“If your contacts are still loyal and haven’t been scared off,” Thorne said.
“Yes, well that’s a good point,” Ballantine said. “Self-preservation is a part of human nature that I am well acquainted with.”
“I bet,” Kinsey said. She looked at the two men and frowned. “Carlos have anything new for us to use if we get in the shit?”
That got a huge smile from Ballantine and all the worry and fears fled from his features.
“Why, yes, Ms. Thorne,” Ballantine beamed, “I believe he has exactly what you and the rest of Team Grendel will need if you indeed get in the shit.”
***
The smell of shit joined the smell of piss and fuel as Hek clung to the top of the bow of the fishing boat. He looked down at his pants and saw the dark stain spreading down the insides of his thighs. Then he looked past his legs at the last six feet of the boat still above water.
All it took was two chomps from the giant shark and the boat was obliterated. Hek had seen those jaws up close and knew that the shark could have destroyed the boat in one bite if it had wanted to. The beast’s mouth was enormous, like a baleen whales, but full of thousands and thousands of teeth
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