To Be A Killer

Chapter 48: Scream And Shout

"Anything?"

"I've only got a weather camera about a mile from where you are. I'll be able to see if people are massing on the deck and that's about it," Sam says.

"And are they?"

"It looks clear," Janine answers.

I nod, and both Paula and I go deathly quiet for a few moments. "I can't hear anything, apart from the screams."

Just as the words leave my mouth, a scream of agony pierces the air. The pain in it makes my stomach twist in knots, but I don't recognize the voice of the man screaming. It's not Caleb; That's something of a relief.

"Guys, it's two A.M. We agreed this was the best time," Sam says. "Louise has highjacked one of their speedboats. She can get you away once you've found our people, but the longer it takes, the more likely it is someone will spot her."

"Why then, it's about time to do it," Paula says, and I nod in agreement, breathing in deeply. This is it. We've got one shot at this, and we've already made it this far. We can't mess this up now.

"You know that Dr. Meyers is-that..." Janine starts, unsure of what to say. "Maxine may not be... You know she may be dead, or worse. The same goes for Mr. Shelly."

Paula looks down, pain flashing across her face before she regains her composure. "We know, but we heard Maxi onboard the Laetitia Greenwald a few weeks ago. We have to try. And as for Caleb, he may have heart problems, but he's a fighter. We can't lose hope."

"No, we can't," Sam agrees.

"Of course. Runner Twenty-three, Runner Five, when New Canton withdrew from the mission, we persuaded the Ministry to carry out one overflight of the Comansys flotilla of ships with an inferred scanner. We've located the heat signature of the cryo-freezers-"

"And they're all on the Laetitia Greenwald?" I question.

"No, it is on another ship, and there is another small heat signature from a ship near that one. We believe the smaller group of the two are extras in case any of the cryo-freezers in the larger group short circuits. The larger group is where we believe our people are.

"Unfortunately, that ship is heavily guarded, so you'll need to breach their perimeter elsewhere. You'll be ascending the side of the Laetitia Greenwald by rope ladder, then turning swiftly to port and running to the first cover zone we've identified as a lifeboat beneath the top wall. From there you'll be running across the walkway from one boat to the next. We'll have to assess the situation and we'll advise on more cover."

Paula swims over to the rope ladder, me following. "We're going."

"Be quick," Sam says.

"Godspeed," Janine murmurs, and we start climbing.

I can feel the water dripping off my body, and I breathe in sharply at the feeling of cold air hitting my wet skin. I hear the droplets reunite with the ocean, and for a moment I fear that we might be heard, but we aren't. The sound of the waves hitting against the ship drown out any other noises. And we've gotten rid of our oxygen tanks so they wouldn't weigh us down as we climb up.

Paula reaches the top of the ship first, and climbs over the railing. She helps me over, silently advising me not to look down. My fear of heights hasn't lessened any, and even with it being water below us-water that I now dislike because of how cold it was-I still feel afraid to see what's at the bottom. There are still zombies in that water. We may have killed a couple hundred, but I know there must be thousands more lurking in the dark water.

Then we start running, water dripping from our wetsuits and wet hair onto the deck as we try to go as quickly as possible to our first cover. It feels as if every sound we make will draw attention to us-every breath, every step, every drop of water that hits the wooden deck. My heart rate picks up; My throat goes tight.