Malevolence Catu Book 4 Ch 03

USS Downley

Sir?

We are receiving Intel," a junior officer informs.

"Good, patch it through," Admiral Pellington orders.

The communications screen flashes on showing static for a brief moment before the intelligence officer appears. The woman dressed in a crisp Army uniform looks to be in her late twenties and Pellington finds her attractive. He brushes aside the thought of her being about the same age as his oldest daughter. He is just out of his third marriage and is ready to get back into the dating game. He makes a mental note to contact the woman when the conflict is over.

"Good afternoon Admiral," she says with a confident voice.

"You have something new for us?" he asks.

"Yes sir. In response to ground troops landing and working their way north, the Chinese are sending their fleet from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town to engage your fleet."

"Am I going to receive any reinforcements?"

"I do not know sir. All I have for you is the Intel report. Good luck Admiral," she says with a smile before reaching for something Pellington can't see. Suddenly the screen goes black leaving him standing and looking at his own reflection in the screen.

"Sir? New orders just arrived," an officer says as he approaches the admiral with a piece of papers in his hand. Pellington takes the paper without turning to look at the officer. He reads the piece of paper, frowning as he does so.

Admiral Pellington

USS Downley

Revised orders as follows:

Continue to engage opposing fleet and enemy fleet support. Ensure enemy fleet does not lend support against own troops. Follow previous orders unless in confliction with these said orders.

"God damn it," he mutters. When he notices most of the crew on the bridge is staring at him awaiting command orders he brings his attention back. "Communications back up and running?" he asks.

"Not fully sir," the communication officer answers. "We only have a partial to a few of the ships."

"That will be enough then. Send the orders to each ship captain we can talk to and have them in turn forward to the ships we cannot."

"Yes sir."

"Set up a defensive ring. I want us protected until our repairs are sufficient enough to engage the enemy ourselves. Get our half our subs out in a two hundred foot circumference patrolling. The remainder I want protecting as many of our ships as possible."

"But sir we don't have enough subs for that kind of protection," the XO exclaims.

"Then I suppose we will need to gather together and protect each other's asses," he says glaring at his XO. "We have our orders and we will just have to find a way to fulfill them. And get me an update on our slippery saboteur."

——

Bryan

Chan slips out onto the upper deck deciding it may be easier to move around the ship above deck than below. So far his theory is proving correct. He needed to reach the engine room and hopefully cause enough damage to sink the ship. With the flagship lying at the bottom of the sea, the entire Chinese fleet would be disoriented long enough for the Americans to sweep in and neutralize the threat. That is the plan at least.

The search was expanding and beginning to get hard to move throughout the ship. Chan slowly creeps trying to keep his footing but the rocking of the ship and battle is making it hard to do so.

He makes it around the bow of the ship to the other side and spots the door he has to go through. The only problem is the two guards standing on either side of the doorway. He slides out a

.40 mm S&W

with a silencer and kneels down behind a barrel. Taking carful aim and ensuring no one else is in the immediate area, he takes two consecutive shots.

Clink. Clink.

Both men take a bullet to the head and instantly drop to the deck.

"Halt!" a voice calls out in Chinese.

Chan spins bringing his gun around on the soldier. As soon as the soldier sees Chan has a gun he fires. Chan is already in motion to avoid being hit, but he doesn't move fast enough. The bullet misses its intended target and instead hits him in the shoulder.

Chan grunts away the pain from both the bullet and his now injured shoulder as he slams it into the deck. Pushing aside the pain he already has his gun up firing three shots into the chest of the soldier.

Blood splatters as each bullet hits its target. The impact is enough to send the man overboard. The sound of the crashing body into the water is covered by the sound of warfare. Chan quickly picks himself up and charges toward the door. Blood slowly seeps from his wound leaving small droplets on the deck as he runs. He leaves them behind unnoticed focusing instead on his original task.