A CEO's Child

Draw the Lines

Anissa was absolutely exhausted after a bumpy ride in a helicopter that lasted all night. Upon landing, with bleary light stretching through the window, as though the sun was tired as well, she could make out a gigantic bay of water, and shadows of other big cargo helicopters. 

"Freshen up and go grab some gear. We infiltrate the docking ship at 0900. She's being held in the bay now and has faulty paperwork, and a non-acquitted crew. Something dangerous is on hand, and I guess the best of the best have been called in." Their pilot said, coming out of the cockpit. He looked about as tired as she and Jack felt. Whatever was going on, they must have needed help fast, for clearly better transport wasn't set up. "I believe Captain...uh...Captain. Eh he'll reach out to you. Something about head to door six on bay C.  We landed on B so it's the next one over."

Her whole body hurt as she stood up and sauntered towards the door. With a cough from Jack, she turned back, reaching out a hand to help him up. He groaned too. 

"What a shit show," he muttered. "And to think these days of military demand are supposed to be behind us. Maybe this is the end of the contract. It's been shit since it started." 

"You can say that again." The sunlight was dangerously bright.  "Where did everyone else hop off?"

"That's a good question." Jack was squinting against the reflective light off the water, and the heat of the landing pad. It was going to be a miserable day too. 

"What was all this hype for if we have to go freshen up too?"

Just then boots began thudding behind them, and they pivoted. Braxis was strolling up, hands in his suit pockets but wearing a Kevlar vest.  He looked like a royal bitch in Anissa's opinion. She wanted to kick him between the legs. The minute she'd know that he had some sort of connection to all this, was the minute she'd begun to hate her life and regret her anger at her husband. 

"Get ready. What are you standing around for?"

"What is going on?"

"You will be sweeping a lower level of that ship. Gear up."

"Just the two of us!?"

"Yes, it's quieter that way."

"You're insane! We just got here." Anissa cried, her body was stiff and tired from the long flight over. Something about whatever was going on was beginning to feel very wrong. 

"You follow my command and my orders. Now move!"

"To what and where?!"

"Follow me to Bay C. You will be given comms and gear, and access to the rest of pairs sweeping the ship. Now let's go." As he said that she saw another helicopter, and even uglier one than they'd been in,  landing with bedraggled passengers. It dawned on her then, dumping them off in small, erratic groups, didn't look suspicious at all. It likely was a tactic to keep the people on that cargo ship quiet for as long as possible, to prevent a full scale assault until they held the advantage. Shit was going down today, and soon too. 

*******

About an hour later her nerves were on fire. Everything was far too fucking quiet. Jack was tense beside her. They had no flashlights, only night gear on. The entire ship was awkwardly quiet. A quick report had buzzed in their ears that passengers on deck and in the bridge were resisting arrest. Since then they'd meandered down the stairs, sweeping through the darkness. 

"Is it just me..." Jack hissed, laying out to sweep another hallway. The lack of light was making their job much easier, and their infared goggles would tip them off to someone hiding right away. "Or am I missing something."