Brothers in Arms

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mai kept a careful eye out as the men stowed away a good proportion of the food they’d accumulated so far. They had decided to leave a small percentage on their island in case they were forced to return at some point. A quick inventory showed they had one small pistol between them, enough food and water for a few days and their basic survival gear.

Mai thought it ample enough equipment to make the island, discover its secrets, contact Dai Hibiki, and steal the warship. She’d done something similar before, back when Matt Drake was married.

As she made ready, Mai thought back on her life. Before now, or before the “Odin thing,” the only good thing in her life had been her sister, Chika. From an early age, Mai had known nothing but strife, adversity and training. Learning the art of war meant throwing your entire mind, body and soul into your education. It meant maintaining ultimate focus — no distractions. For a girl as young as Mai had been, it should have harmed her, maybe broken her spirit, but with hardship also came chance and fortune — the Japanese girl had nothing else to compare her life to. Not until she left the clan anyway.

Chika embraced life differently. Not because she chose to, but because the clan that sheltered Mai only had room for one sister. Torn apart, even at that early age, the trauma never subsided. Mai sought Chika out at her earliest opportunity, and now the sisters were each other’s best friend and soul mate, all that remained of their once joyful family.

Mai had a faint recollection of her parents. Nothing more than shades of grey flickering in her mind, but impressions of a happy family, nights of stories and cuddling and laughter, just enough to scar her heart in the deepest way.

Now Mai studied the rolling waters that lay between them and the Korean island. It appeared to be a fast, easy swim, but they all knew that even the calmest of waters could be treacherous. Hidden tides, swirling eddies and lurking inhabitants were just some of the dangers awaiting them. She thought about her sister and about all the miles between them. Chika was better off where she was, safe amongst the quieter streets of Tokyo, working for a promotional company.

And that brought her full circle to Drake. Mai wasn’t a woman to fall back on old ground, but the Englishman was one of the few who’d gotten under her skin. The man was an emotional wreck, but worth trying to salvage. She secured her pack one last time and was the first to enter the sea. At first, the playful waves lapped at her feet, but as she waded deeper, the heavy tide began to pull at her invitingly. She leaned forward and struck out softly, the new island before her, charting a course around to the west of where the warship had docked and patches of dense vegetation obscured any sign of a beach. There was always a chance that every square inch of the island was under surveillance, but Mai and the others doubted it. The North Koreans, whilst very capable and seemingly well-armed, were unlikely to assume a group of soldiers might swim up to their secret island in the middle of nowhere.

Mai swam with the current as much as she could. Sea water stung her eyes. Rogue waves doused her and pulled her under. The swells beneath her ballooned and deflated with every passing minute, hampering her progress, but she shut the negative thoughts out. All that mattered was progress, no matter how little.

Behind her she could hear the progress of the three men. They were soldiers and marines; this shouldn’t be hard for them. It took a couple of hours to gain the island, but Mai had the ability to compartmentalize and, before long, she was pulling herself out of the water and into a dense thicket of trees. The men joined her within minutes, shivering now that they were dripping wet and standing still.

Drake broke the silence. “If Alicia were here, she’d suggest we all strip and dry each other off.”

Romero coughed. Smyth looked a little annoyed. Mai ignored him and studied the lay of the land. “Warship’s that way. I’m guessing the facility’s nearby.” She swigged her water. “You ready?”

Mai headed out. The untamed and undisturbed appearance of the undergrowth told her no one had bothered venturing this far out from the base. It was hard going for a while with the forest reluctant to give up its stranglehold. Mai shimmied up a tree to make sure they didn’t stray off course.

When she came back down, a half-smile ghosted about her lips. “Ground rises for half a mile or so,” she reported. “Should give us a bird’s-eye view of their compound and the docking area.”

They all nodded grimly. It was about time they caught a break. Cautiously, they started forward again, pushing their way through the brush, starting to sweat a little as the ground took on a gentle rise. Mai signaled a silent halt when the sound of voices reached her ears.

Drake was right behind her. “They’re drifting on the wind.”

“I know. I’m trying to hear what they’re saying.”

Drake gawped. “They must be more than a mile away.”

“My Korean’s rusty to the point of being dangerous.” Mai acceded, misreading his surprise. “All I can make out are the words doctor, prisoners and the general. They’re speaking fast. Seem to be in a hurry.”

Drake appraised a nearby tree. “Looks like we’re going up, guys.”

Mai scampered up like a monkey. Drake followed a little more serenely, less confident in his abilities now than he’d ever been, despite taking down the Shadow Elite and regaining the third tomb of the gods. The death of Kennedy Moore and the revelations about Wells and Alyson would bleed a deep shadow into his heart and mind until the day he died.

Mai waited for him near the top, and then they inched their way along separate boughs until their eyes and noses cleared the leaf cover. There, spread out before them was the secret North Korean facility that Mai’s old friend, Dai Hibiki, had warned them about and a weapon heavy, surveillance-strong warship at anchor in the bay.

The facility appeared to be a permanent site. Many trees had been razed and cleared to make way for several low-slung buildings. Some of the structures looked like makeshift houses, probably home for permanent residents like doctors and guards. The guardhouse itself was clearly noticeable, a two-story structure with high towers that spanned the entrance to the site. What gave it all an incongruous and obsolete look was that there were no walls around the site. The whole place was wide open, as if it had been dropped into a cleared space and left there. Some of the walls had trees brushing against the windows, as if the forest was trying to claim back what was rightfully its own. Most of the clearings between structures were overgrown and being reclaimed by the island.

Mai felt a sense of relief, only tempered when she took into account the amount of men a warship held. Add to that the complement already present on the island, and they were dealing with a formidable enemy force, easy access or not.

“So we’re well outnumbered.” Drake read her mind. “Could be worse.”

“We need to find the communications room, liaise with Hibiki, and find out what the sneaky bastards are hiding.” Mai counted off the tasks on her slight but deadly fingers. “Failing that…” She eyed the warship. “We need to get the hell off this island.”

Drake grinned appreciatively. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”