Chapter 14 : Private Enterprise
On the ship travelled, catching glimpses of islands, and occasionally other craft. In fact, little happened until they saw the three small boats coming toward them.
"What do you make of it?" asked Charley as they all gathered on the deck. A watch was kept permanently now, so the new arrivals were spotted straight away.
"Could be fishing boats?" said Raj.
"Too fast," replied Natasha.
"What would they be doing out here?" wondered Charley. "We are miles off the normal shipping routes? What are they up to?"
"Maybe they are lost? Or trying to get away, as we are?" Raj tried to look on the good side.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," muttered Natasha, lowing the binoculars. "Better get the guns ready."
"They might be from another ship? One that's been in trouble?" Raj looked at the others, but no one wanted to hear his explanations.
"There's only one reason they are sailing the waters around here," said Natasha. "Pirates."
"Let's not be too hasty, we don't want to start a shooting war if we can help it. Just see what they want. You guys keep your heads down back there and try not to blow us away." Charley waved away the group of men who had crept forward, with the collection of Kalashnikovs they had acquired from the island.
Slowly the small boats approached. Built for speed, they clearly had no reason to be this far out to sea. The men stood on the decks and smiled. A mix of oriental and Asian, they appeared like any other ship's crew in this part of the world. But Charley and the others were very wary of anyone now.
"Hi there, let us come on board, we need your help. We are in trouble and need you to help us." The leader of the group waved to them as they came alongside. Instinctively they waved their arms for ropes to be lowered down to them.
The crew of the good ship Lottery, stood motionless.
They might have gone on staring at each other for some time, if not for the next action.
Suddenly the strangers produced machine guns, and a sea of Kalashnikov barrels looked up at them.
"Throw the ropes down!" shouted the pirate leader.
"Don't shoot, just yet!" shouted Charley, as their own gunmen came to take aim over the side of the ship.
"Do you think you can outgun us!" With a snap of the fingers, the pirates reached checkmate and produced an array of rocket launchers and missiles. It was an impressive display, and the Lottery crew fell back.
"Just get back to cover!" Natasha leapt backwards, but they needed no telling, as they fell back as one.
"What now?" asked Raj, as everyone crouched behind the boxes stored on deck.
"I don't know," whispered Charley. "But let's see what they want. We might be able to buy them off."
"All we have below is frozen pizzas!" Raj could see no happy end to this battle.
Slowly, and as if they had done it a hundred times; the pirates climbed on deck. They had thrown grappling hooks over the side and were pulling themselves up slowly. As they crept forward to take cover, the ladder was lowered over the side, for the well-armed men to come aboard.
Now they faced each other, for what was going to be a massive battle.
"We have nothing of any value here," shouted Charley. "But you are welcome to a share of whatever you can find."
"Lower your guns and come out," said the pirate leader.
"We are asylum seekers and escape slaves. We have nothing of any worth." Charley was just about to offer them a share in the Lottery ticket when Natasha brought matters to a head.
"I'm not staying here to die," she whispered to the others beside her. "When I give the signal, we rush them and kill the lot."
She stood up to smile at the men. As she walked across the open deck, she held her hands out in a gesture of peace, but Charley could see the pistol tucked into the waistband in the back of her jeans.
"Now let's talk this over boys."
