Captain Hawkins (The Jamie Hawkins Saga Book 1) by Alesso H

Author:Alesso, H. [Alesso, H.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Video Software Lab
Published: 2016-12-16T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Masquerade

Commerce was the lifeblood of the Jaxon civilization and the shipping routes between its mining colonies and the inner planets offered Hawkins an opportunity to conduct raids to obtain new resources while harassing his enemy. The Destiny trekked through the asteroid belt to a key transit point where mineral freighters traveled. There she waited for a likely prospect. It wasn’t long before they heard a distant emergency distress call.

SOS! SOS! SOS!

The comm tech tried to contact the ship, but there was no response.

Hawkins maneuvered the Destiny closer to the source of the call. When they had the ship on radar they decelerated to match the vessel’s velocity. The ship looked like a derelict drifting near the shipping lanes.

Astrogator Williams scratched his head and said, “Something doesn’t look right about that ship. Its profile seems strange and their SOS keeps repeating, but no one is responding to our messages.”

“We don’t know how long the distress has been broadcast. They might have abandoned ship and be far away, in escape pods,” said Hale.

Williams said, “It looks too easy.”

Hawkins ordered a medical rescue team to prepare to board the derelict and help any injured people. In addition, he prepared a team of engineers and damage control personnel to repair whatever had gone wrong with the ship’s engines.

The derelict continued to transmit,

SOS! SOS! SOS!

“What do you propose?” asked Hale.

“Hale, you take command of the Destiny,” said Hawkins. “I’m going to board the derelict and take a look,”

He ordered the comm tech to transmit a message to the derelict stating that a boarding party was coming to their aid with medical and engineering teams.

He loaded two shuttles with his rescue including Mitchel and Williams and approached the derelict.

There was no reply from the dead ship when the shuttle reached her. When they docked, Hawkins and his men opened the entry port hatch and boarded.

They entered the ship, but there was no one to greet them. Hawkins sent Mitchel with half the men to engineering while he led Williams and the others to the bridge. They looked to see if there were any injured as they proceeded, but found none.

Hawkins was only half way to the bridge when gunfire erupted, driving him and his men into a side compartment that boxed them in with no exits and limited cover.

It’s a trap. I’ve blundered into a trap.

Without wasting a moment, Hawkins began directing the firefight. He called, “Gunny, we’re taking fire forward. We’re in a precarious position.”

“We’re taking fire in engineering, as well, Captain,” was the reply.

Hawkins men fought fiercely despite having had only their handguns against their opponent’s battle armor and heavy rifles.

Notwithstanding the advantages of a prearranged trap, the Q-ship’s Special Forces hadn’t expected to face such a tough crew. They found progress difficult.

Over the din of battle, William’s harsh querulous voice could be heard, “I warned you that this was suspicious—too easy. Now we’re trapped. How’re we going to get out?”

Hawkins scolded himself just as passionately. He, too, wondered how they would get out.

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