Page 131 of Tides of Fire

But the AI warrior aboard the LCAC was prepared and compensated.

A loud blast drew Monk’s attention around. From the open deck, another four drones were electromagnetically launched, heading off to replace those lost. More torpedoes tumbled down racks into the sea, ready to join the fray.

Movement closer to theTitan Xdrew his eye from the firefight. A huge sail rose out of the water a quarter mile off. It steamed toward Monk. It was the Chinese submarine. Left untargeted, it was still free to roam the waters. It must have come to investigate the attack.

Monk glanced to the targeting array. He dared not let up on his attack upon theDayangxi. The huge ship remained the greater threat. Besides, Monk wasn’t sure if it was even possible to selecttwotargets. And even if it was, he had no clue how to do it—and no time to learn.

A watery boom reached him. From the bow of the hunter-killer, a wake of water shot toward him. Clearly, the boat’s captain had recognized the source of this treachery.

Monk swung for the door. He knew such subs carried Yu-4 torpedos, which reached speeds of fifty miles an hour. He ran, calculating distance and speed.

Got less than ten seconds.

He reached the open deck and came to another conclusion.

No way I’m getting clear of this boat in time.

36

January 24, 10:48A.M.WITA

Bali Sea, four miles off the coast of West Nusa Tenggara

As the firefight broke out, Gray grabbed Kadir and rolled him to the side. Across the deck, Gray watched Guan-yin get knocked over the stern rail. Zhuang dove after her. Unable to reach them, Gray did what he could. He bowled Kadir to the deck and shielded him with his body.

He had his SIG Sauer in hand and fired into the kneecap of a Falcon commando. As the man screamed and toppled down, Gray shot him in the face.

Chaos reigned as the two sides fought across the deck. Gunfire sprayed. Bodies fell. Captain Wen snatched Xue, his commanding officer, and hauled him into the boat’s wheelhouse. Its windows and superstructure were bulletproof.

Heng was shoved in there, too, by another soldier.

The door slammed behind them.

Hot iron ripped through Gray’s thigh as a round hit him. Another whined past his ear and splintered the fiberglass behind him. He rolled and fired back, dropping another commando.

He kept low as the crossfire continued for another ten seconds. Then it was over. The survivors huddled in various wary postures. A quick scan showed five Falcons down. One still moaned, but he was no longer interested in fighting, only surviving. The rest of the Chinese were holed up inside the wheelhouse’s fortress.

At the stern, Seichan crouched shoulder-to-shoulder with Yeung. They were somewhat sheltered behind a steel bench near the stern. Elsewhere, three triad members bled out on the deck.

“Get your ass over here!” Seichan hollered to him.

He pushed up with a groan, his left leg on fire. He limped and dragged Kadir with him. The director looked shell-shocked and dazed. One of his ears was torn and bleeding.

Then sharppopsof a pistol sounded behind him.

Another round grazed his shoulder, shoving him a step forward. Kadir cried out and fell to a knee.

Ahead, Seichan dove low, sliding on her shoulder. She fired back at a commando sniping through a wheelhouse window. A muffled scream followed.

Another Falcon down.

Gray carried Kadir under an arm and got him behind the steel bench.

Yeung briefly strafed the wheelhouse for good measure, then dropped next to Gray. The deputy let his rifle hang and swung up a grenade launcher that was slung over his other shoulder. He was a veritable Swiss Army knife. The man lifted the weapon with an inquiring look.

“Not yet,” Gray gasped out.

He wasn’t sure if the grenade would do any damage to the wheelhouse. The blowback from the blast could damage their group.