JET Escape by Russell Blake

Author:Russell Blake [Blake, Russell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense, Thriller, Thrillers
Amazon: B00UZRAZ1C
Publisher: Reprobatio, Ltd.
Published: 2015-06-28T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Northwest of Maracaibo, Venezuela

Jet watched the pod of porpoises that had appeared at dawn, cresting from the azure sea, their sleek gray forms high-velocity aquatic projectiles as they celebrated a new day’s arrival. The ship had plowed north all day and through the night, the engines droning beneath their feet as she and Matt had traded off shifts to ensure no compromising communications were sent. She’d relieved him two hours earlier and was wide awake, having snatched six hours of solid sleep with Hannah by her side in the cabin below.

Adrian sat beside her as he eyed the radar, the vessel on automatic pilot. He took a long sip of strong, dark coffee and moved to a printout awaiting his review.

“This isn’t good. There’s a front moving south. Reports are fifteen- to twenty-foot head seas and thirty-knot winds,” he said.

“What does that mean for us?”

“Depends on how bad it gets. But it reduces our chances of making it to Cuba to about fifty-fifty.” He frowned. “I told you we should have taken on more fuel.”

“Can we slow further? Maybe we can dodge the worst of it?”

“We’re already down to sixteen knots. We’d normally be doing twenty-two. A further reduction won’t accomplish much. We’re at about our optimal cruise speed right now. It’s always a compromise between time and fuel. Faster, we can turn the cargo in fewer days, which makes it worth burning more. But in terms of efficiency, there’s not going to be a lot of difference between, say, eleven and sixteen, due to the weight we’re carrying. A headwind will erase any gains.”

“When will you know more?”

“I’ll watch as the day progresses. We should start seeing it get uglier by around noon, and we’ll be in the midst of it by sundown.”

“Are there any ports along the way where you could get fuel?”

“Haiti or Jamaica. But they both have their issues. Let’s see how we do today. I’ll have a better idea of whether we’re in real trouble by early evening.”

She looked away from the gauges. “I’m sorry we put you in this position.”

“Hey, I raised two kids of my own. I can understand why you did what you did, but it doesn’t change anything. And my job will be on the line if I run out of fuel and don’t have a hell of an excuse. Not to mention I’ll be the laughingstock of the fleet.” He shook his head. “How’s the cabin working out?”

Jet shrugged. “As advertised.”

“And your daughter?”

“She’s improving. An infection. But she’s taking her pills. You know how that goes.”

He smiled, and then his face grew serious. “I’ve been thinking about the shooting. If it was directed at you, how did they miss all three of you?”

“I don’t know. That part doesn’t make any sense.”

“It’s possible that you weren’t the targets, you know. Probable, actually. I’ve been monitoring the news out of Maracaibo. They said it was a drug deal gone wrong. We see our fair share of those.”

“Explains why we’re still alive, I guess,” she said, doubt in every syllable.

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