Rogue Strike (A Jake Keller Thriller) by David Ricciardi

Author:David Ricciardi [Ricciardi, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-06-03T16:00:00+00:00

FIFTY-NINE

STAY HERE!” THE captain shouted to Miguel. “If that fool wants to risk his life, that’s his own business, but I won’t lose you too.”

The relentless violence of Hurricane Beulah continued as Carlos raced to secure the container. Flashes of lightning were visible in the distance as winds swirled in a deafening concert and rain fell as if from a waterfall.

Yet the greatest danger to El Nuevo Constante was not from the wind, the rain, or the bolts of lightning. It was from the sea. The tramp freighter was stressed in ways she’d never been designed for. Often half her length was out of the water as she rose and fell with the waves. The captain worried that the old ship might break her back.

Carlos appeared under the deck lights holding the end of a rope that was tied around his waist. He tied the loose end to the railing and began to make his way forward along the starboard side. Coiled over his shoulder was a long length of heavy chain. He’d taken just a few steps when El Nuevo Constante plunged down the face of a steep swell, sending the ship crashing into the next wave. The two men in the deckhouse held their breath as a twenty-foot-high tower of water broke over the bow.

Carlos grabbed the railing with both hands as the water raced down the deck and lifted him off his feet.

“He must be made of steel,” whispered Miguel.

The captain nodded. Any normal person would have been washed from the deck and plunged into the sea.

Carlos resumed pulling himself forward as soon as the wave flowed overboard. He showed no sign of fatigue or weakened resolve. Smaller waves and countless gallons of spray washed over him as he approached the container, repeatedly sliding his safety tether forward on the railing and retying it on the other side of the vertical stanchions.

The twenty-foot-long steel box was rocking violently, its right side repeatedly lifting a few feet into the air before crashing back onto the deck.

“He’s committing suicide,” said the captain.

Carlos attached the new chain to a hard point at the top of the container and ran it down to the deck. The chain whipped wildly in the winds and heavy seas, striking him twice as he worked. He secured the loose end to a thick steel pad eye on the deck and tightened it. The container’s rocking began to subside as he cranked the chain tighter. He watched for a minute as the ship crashed through another set of waves, but the container didn’t budge. Satisfied, he began to make his way aft, untying and retying his makeshift safety tether as he went.

Though they were still in the teeth of the hurricane, Miguel and the captain looked at each other with wide smiles as their new friend made his way back toward the raised deckhouse. His strength and determination had been inspirational.

But the hair on the back of the captain’s neck stood up as he returned his gaze to the sea.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.