Chapter 25

MV Akeso

Two Hundred Fifty Miles Southwest of Porbandar, India

Dr. Elena Pascal was jolted from a deep slumber by a loud voice coming over a raspy intercom system. Though she’d had only four hours of sleep and wasn’t on duty for another eight, the wake-up call was not softened by the slightest of good-morning greetings or even an explanation. Just the booming voice of the ship’s executive officer ordering her to the bridge immediately.

Throwing the blanket off and jumping out of the rack, she pulled open the tiny wardrobe, threw on a set of scrubs that doubled as her uniform, and then headed for the door. Out of pure habit, she grabbed her stethoscope on her way.

Smoothing her hair down and blinking the sleep from her eyes, she double-timed it along the main gangway and up the ship’s ladder. Nearing the bridge, she slowed her pace and took a deep breath. She had the strangest feeling she was in trouble, though she couldn’t imagine why.

Entering the bridge, she announced her arrival. “Dr. Pascal reporting as ordered.”

The XO looked her way and then deferred to the captain, who was looking out the window at a speck in the morning sky.

Captain Marjorie Livorno turned her way. The longtime captain of the medical relief ship was a no-nonsense leader. “This is a medical ship,” she said to Dr. Pascal. “We go to various places around the world helping out where needed. Since you’ve been aboard, we’ve raised the flag in Indonesia after a tsunami, Bangladesh after last year’s floods, and Pakistan after the recent earthquake, where we spent six weeks doing surgeries on the injured. You understand that we’re invited to these places because we have no political or military agendas.”

The hospital ship wasn’t part of any nation’s navy or merchant marine. It was owned and operated by a charitable organization. And though the captain ran a tight ship, the doctors were all volunteers, including Dr. Pascal. That usually kept them out of the line of fire.

“I’m well aware of that,” Dr. Pascal said. “I did many of those surgeries back-to-back. Did you really need to wake me up from a deep sleep to remind me?”

The captain grinned, suggesting the dressing-down was more for effect than anything else. Possibly even a captain’s joke, just to see how Dr. Pascal would respond. “I woke you up because there is a helicopter approaching the ship, requesting an emergency landing, and the pilot is insisting that you would explain everything.”

“Explain what, exactly?” Dr. Pascal stammered.

“Who they are, and why I should let them land on my ship.”

Dr. Pascal had that sudden feeling of being half-asleep and not following along quick enough.

The captain pointed out the window. “That speck on the horizon is a helicopter,” she said. “It’s heading our way. The pilot is calling us on a short-range, high-frequency band, asking us to remain in radio silence regarding their presence and requesting an emergency landing. Apparently, they have a passenger who needs medical help.”

“Okay,” Dr. Pascal said. “And…how am I involved in this?”

“The pilot used your name, said you would explain. And for that reason and that reason only, I’m honoring their request and having our helipad cleared.”

The possibility that she was having a vivid dream rushed in. “How should I know who they are and what they want?”

The captain pointed to the high-frequency radio. “How about you get on the radio and ask them?”

Elena moved to the comms panel and took the handheld transmitter from the radio operator. A switch was flipped, and she held the microphone an inch from her mouth. “Approaching helicopter, this is Dr. Elena Pascal of the hospital ship Akeso . Please state your intentions.”

A jovial voice came over the line. “Hoping to land before we run out of fuel, stretch our legs, and grab a sandwich from the commissary.”

The voice was instantly recognizable to her. A wave of relief appeared on her face.

“Are you alone?”

“Traveling with an old friend and a new one. Would like you to take a look at our passenger.”

“Is he or she ill?”

“Not exactly,” the friendly voice insisted. “I’ll have to explain when we arrive.”

Elena turned toward the captain.

“Friends of yours?” the captain guessed. “From NUMA days?”

“Men of the highest character,” Elena insisted. “I’ve seen them both risk their lives to save others on multiple occasions.”

“Why the need for radio silence?”

“I couldn’t say,” she admitted. “But I ask you to honor the request. They wouldn’t make it without a good reason. And if it turns out you don’t like that reason, then you can contact headquarters to your heart’s content. But you can’t undo it if you make the call now.”

“First, do no harm,” the captain said.

“That’s kind of our thing,” Elena replied.

“So it is,” the captain replied. “Tell them to land. We can hardly say no if they’re running out of gas.”

Elena sent the message and then waited.

“You’d better go meet them,” the captain said. “While you’re at it, I’d appreciate you pretending I rule this ship like Captain Bligh. Tell them you’re on your last strike before solitary confinement in the brig. If they’re truly friends of yours, that ought to count for something.”