Panthera Spelaea Ch. 51-60

The Captain had the engines humming, and the big yacht was slicing through the waves at full speed to the west. I found a firing position and set up prone with the barrel sticking through the six-inch tall, twelve-inch wide opening. The second mate pointed to five others with guns facing aft. "If they start boarding from the swim deck, they have to come up the ladders on the port and starboard side. When I call out 'boarding aft,' move to support us."

"I'm ready," I said as I flicked the safety off. I had the second mate to my right and Edward to my left. Duncan and Olivia were on the port side.

The boats roaring to intercept us were rigid-hull inflatables with big outboards. They were five hundred yards out and closing, too far for the 5.56mm rounds this rifle carried. I could see gunners in the bow of each boat, dressed in tactical armor with vests.

A red flare shot out towards the boats. "BREAK OFF YOUR ATTACK OR BE FIRED UPON," the Captain warned. The answer came almost immediately, with their gunners opening fire. They were idiots; no one could fire accurately from the bow of a boat bouncing through the waves at top speed. Our platform wasn't perfectly stable, but it was good enough. I heard Edward start to fire; his hunting rifle was big enough to work at this range.

Edward wasn't the only one. I could hear bigger guns open up. When they were two hundred yards out, the AR-15's opened fire, sounding like popcorn popping as we fired round after round into the small boats. One of the speedboats turned to cross behind us, and another turned right to overtake us. The other two made straight for our stern.

I saw one of the men in the lead boat pick up something and bring it to his shoulder. "RPG! TAKE HIM OUT," the second mate yelled.

Every gunner on the starboard side switched over and poured rounds into that boat. I could see him take hits, and then he was knocked on his ass when Edward's high-powered bullet hit him high in the chest. The RPG launched but flew over us harmlessly.

I kept firing on the boat, which had now closed to fifty yards or so. Two gunners plus the boat operator were left. Rounds pinged off the steel and aluminum hull from incoming fire, which I ignored. I aimed at the outboard motor and the man operating it, pumping round after round out until the magazine was empty.

I swapped magazines and looked back out. Thirty yards. My next shot hit the bad guy in the right eye, blowing his brains out over the outboard. He slumped to the deck and let go of the outboard engine tiller. The outboard motor, running at full power, swung to the starboard stop and the boat nearly rolled. One of the gunners flew off into the blue waters, while the other lost his rifle while holding on.

The other gunners on my side and the stern killed everyone on the second boat before reaching the swim platform. There was only one boat left for us to aim at, and I had to shift positions because it was off the starboard bow and running parallel to our course. Our concentrated fire soon knocked it out.

The engines slowed to a stop, and the big yacht started to turn to port. "CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE," the Captain ordered. "Boarding team to the launch. Boarding team to the launch."

"Nice shooting, Tex," the second mate said. "Anyone hit?"

Edward and I were good, but one of the crew members on the stern got hit in the bicep. One of the other men was holding a cloth on it while they walked him to the Infirmary. I cleared my rifle and looked up. "I have to check the girls," I told the mate.

"Go. We'll handle cleanup, and thanks for the assist."

I could see the fourth boat spinning in circles as the Captain turned the superyacht around. The guys on the port side only had one target, and it didn't last long. Edward and I thanked the other crew members as they reorganized for the cleanup operation. "Friendlies, coming up," I yelled when I got to the stairway leading up to the bridge level.

"John?" I could sense the relief in Anna's voice.

"We're fine," I said as I ran up the stairs. Anna and Svetlana met me at the top, just outside the bridge doors, and we embraced as best we could with the tactical gear. I made sure my lion calmed with their scent before I let them go. They were fine, but I could see rifle impacts on the bulkhead by the bridge. "What happened up here?"

"We took some fire, but this isn't your typical yacht," Art said with a smile as he joined us. He pointed to the spiderwebs from bullet impacts on the side window. "I built this yacht to be a fortress in plain sight. The superstructure is aluminum surrounding reinforced with ballistic panels, and all the glass is bulletproof. Nothing smaller than a fifty-cal is getting through."

"The RPG would have," I said.

"They were probably aiming that at the engine compartment, but you guys got him in time. The girls were well-protected here with me."

I followed him onto the bridge. The Captain was talking to the bosun about getting the launch out. "How long until the authorities arrive?"

Art snorted. "We don't call the authorities, John. We can't endure the investigation, and not everything on this ship is legal. The Italian Coast Guard would not appreciate our armory."

I guessed not. The rifles were military-issue. European gun laws were stricter than Texas, and the ship's armory could outfit an infantry platoon. "So, what do we do now?"

"Recover the bodies and the weapons, sink the boats, and destroy the evidence," the Captain said.

"What about the ship? It looks like it's sailed into battle."

Art laughed at that. "A little Bondo, some white paint, and you'll never know the difference." The yacht came to a stop near the attack scene, and I heard the whine of the outboard as a team headed to the first derelict speedboat.

Ch. 58

The Captain was overseeing the recovery of the boats and bodies. He kept his crew on alert for a follow-up attack, with everyone staying in body armor with weapons ready. "I need to speak to the Switchers and their mates immediately," he said gravely. "In my office, please."

A few minutes later, we had our armor off and weapons stacked in the corner of his opulent office on the main deck. The room looked flawless, except for a few spiderwebs from bullet impacts on the thick windows. One of the junior stewards, still wearing her body armor and sidearm, made sure we had drinks and then closed the doors behind her.

"Your crew was magnificent," Duncan said. "The attacking team never knew what hit them."

"And that is my worry," Art said. "It's one thing for Mikhail Abrahmov to suspect John is a cave lion switcher. It is quite another for the timing of this attack to be so precise."

Edward looks confused. "What do you mean?"

"John's been on board for several days, and an attack on us while on land is far easier than one at sea. I can only think of one reason why they would do it now instead of a day or two ago."

"We were at full cruising speed, moving away from the island of Sardinia. What changed before the attack? Why then, and not earlier when we were closer to land and more vulnerable?"

Ekatarina figured it out first. "Me. I came aboard hours before the attack."

Art nodded. "If all they wanted was John, they could have taken him any time. One dead switcher would be enough to save Mikhail's life, and it doesn't matter which one it is. Once he touched one of our bodies, the Gift would cure Mikhail's cancer, and he'd revert to physically being in his mid-twenties at the peak of health. That's a powerful lure, but it doesn't explain what happened. No, they waited for Ekatarina to be here, along with every other switcher in the world."

I saw it too. "This wasn't a kidnapping."

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter," Art yelled.

Art's Security Chief stepped inside. Zach was Art's grandson, a former Navy SEAL, and one dangerous-looking individual. Even my lion was wary of him, like with a fellow predator. "Sir, we found two injured attackers and were able to question one. He is a mercenary, hired two weeks ago along with three friends. He doesn't know who is paying the bill, but he confirmed their mission priority. The attackers were to kill everyone on board the Elements, then leave without touching anyone."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Grandfather. Their backer wanted them wearing gloves, and they were not to touch any victims, even to check if they were still alive. If there was any doubt or survivors, give them a headshot."

Killing a ship full of people, including the CEO and leadership of a major international corporation, was a big fucking deal. How did Mikhail think he could get away with it? "So it's fair to say they knew there were switchers on board," I said.

"Yes, sir. And if they were supposed to leave after the attack, that means someone else is coming."

Fuck. "One helicopter overflight will show Mikhail his attack failed," I said.

"We need to convince him it worked," Art said. "Here's what we are going to do."

It took twenty minutes to make it all happen. Some of the dead attackers were stripped and dressed in yacht uniforms, then left in visible places on the decks. Only two of the four boats were still usable, so the other two were scuttled. None of the men carried radios, and none of the boats had communications gear onboard. It just confirmed they were on a 'fire and forget' attack plan.

The crew hid inside in case an aircraft, drone, or even a satellite would fly over. Zach had them watching and waiting for the next boat or helicopter to come our way.

Zach put the wounded men and the rest of the bodies in the working boats. "Tell your boss you got your ass kicked," Zach told the two men as he cut them loose from the stern. "Pray he doesn't have you killed for your failure."

I watched them speed away from the yacht towards land. "How can you let them go? Don't they know too much?"

"Who said I was letting them go? It's a forty-minute run to the nearest point of land, and the timers on the bombs in their boats go off in thirty minutes. With their injuries, they'll never stay afloat long enough to live." He shook his head. "They were dead anyway. You can't cover up an attack of the scale they had planned without killing the assault team. Mikhail would make sure of it."

"I can't believe this has been in planning for days."

"Probably since you fled Russia." We'd learned a few other things; the group was well-financed and diverse. Zach sent photos of the assault team through encrypted communications to several family members embedded in European and American spy services. Art's people identified most of them, all ex-military and known mercenaries. The boats, clothing, protective vests, and helmets were all new and matched what was used by Italian special forces. Their rifles were top-of-the-line Heckler-Koch HK433 assault weapons with ACOG TA31 4x32 optics. Zach was having his armorer clean them up and place them in our armory.

Art broke it down for us in his office. "Mikhail began planning this weeks ago. He couldn't put something together in Sardinia based on your arrival, as even I didn't know that would happen until a few days ago. Mikhail also had no reason to believe Ekatarina was coming. Somehow, he knew I was a switcher, and I am far easier to locate than Ekatarina was. John was in the wind. Perhaps Mikhail knew I'd bring John in to protect him?"

I didn't understand. "You're saying that Mikhail expected me to be here?"

"I think he found out more than I'm comfortable him knowing," Art replied. "You could have been seen at the airport or the helicopter service, even when you got dropped off. I'm sure he knew you were here."

"And if he had people watching, he'd figure out Edward and Duncan and Ekatarina arrived by helicopter."

"Yes. Still, Mikhail held back the attack until Ekatarina arrived, which is deeply troubling. It means he knows who the shifters are, he knows we were meeting on the yacht, and he waited until we were all here. Why would you choose to face FIVE switchers instead of one? And why on a superyacht instead of a remote beach?"

There was only one reason that made sense. "Mikhail isn't the only one who wants to be a Switcher."

"Family? Friends? Perhaps. It means they know how many there are in the world, and now they know WHO they are. Kill everyone and have your pick of animals, or keep touching people until you get the Gift."

Duncan sat back and drained his whiskey in one gulp. "That doesn't answer how Mikhail found out you were a switcher or how they were able to monitor the Elements to keep track of who was here. The Captain would have noticed any boat following us."

"And that brings me to my next conclusion. We have a mole."

"Security alert, three helicopters approaching," the Captain sent over the PA system.

Art stood up. "Whoever is behind this, whoever wants the Gift, is on one of those helicopters."

"Gear up," I told the girls. "It's time to end this."

Ch. 59

"We stay in my office," Art said. "If they drop men on the landing pad, it's the best defensive point."

"Not for me," Ekatarina said. "I'm heading up to the flying bridge. I need a place where I can take off if needed." She headed forward, using the internal stairs. No one would be going outside as the entire ship played possum. We were dead in the water, pretending as if the assault team had killed everyone and left us adrift.

After Ekatarina left, six fully armed crew members joined us in Art's office. We could see the helicopters coming in low over the waves to our starboard side. I heard Zach's voice over the walkie-talkie Art had on his belt. "What is the plan, boss?"

Art answered the call. "Let the helicopter land and discharge its passengers. The shooters on the upper levels are not to take them down until they lift clear of the ship. The last thing we need is a crash onboard."

"Roger that, sir. How long before we open fire?"

"No one makes it to the interior of the ship, so when the first door opens, we open fire. As soon as the first shot's fired, everyone opens fire. Target the people and any helicopters in range. Try to leave some alive for interrogation if you can."

"Copy that. All team members hold fire until the interior is breached anywhere in the ship."

Art put his crew near the doors and the sliding windows, moving them a few inches to give firing ports. He put us farther back. I moved a couch forward from the rear bulkhead, pushing the girls behind it. They could stay out of sight and cover the rear doors. I took a spot next to the wall, a bookcase providing some protection against incoming rounds. I kept my rifle at low ready, facing the door leading to the bow and the helicopter landing area.

I could hear the helicopter turbines as they came closer. "Two helicopters two hundred yards and closing, dropping ropes, the third is circling out of range. Be aware that hostiles may land on any topside deck."

That wasn't good. We were far better off with one helicopter at a time on the bow than three landing people at the same time. Duncan was nervous. "We could have problems. They could let those troops land anywhere."

"My people are ready," Art replied.

The lead helicopter was almost to the bow, flaring out as it moved to hover over the landing pad. Three men with rifles fast-roped to the deck, taking up defensive positions. The helicopter moved off, pulling up the rope as it went. "Three hostiles on the bow, four on the aft sun deck. Stay hidden until interior breach."

I heard a rifle burst, three rounds above us. None of the crew hesitated; a hail of gunfire rained out to cut the three men on the bow to pieces. As soon as their targets were down, the crew members deployed forward out the door, taking positions along the rails to fire at the helicopter as it moved away. The fleeing helicopter was still in range of the assault rifles, even though the bigger rounds in the bolt-actions caused more damage. I saw a puff of black smoke come from the engine, proof something hit and caused damage. I fired quickly, aiming at the delicate blades and gearbox.

They couldn't get away fast enough. With two dozen rifles aimed at it, the helicopter was toast. It started to rotate as the black smoke increased. Something seized up in the gearbox, causing the blades to snap off, and the helicopter plunged headfirst into the ocean.

I swapped magazines as I ran towards the stern, eager to continue the fight. I was distracted by the sound of a loud screech. Glancing towards the source, I saw a Golden Eagle flying away towards shore. "What the hell is Ekatarina doing?"

Duncan and Olivia were right behind me, and they didn't know either. "Maybe her eagle took over in the excitement," Duncan said.

By the time we cleared the aft superstructure, the fight there was over. The third helicopter, the one that never approached, was returning to shore. The second helicopter was leaking oil, a trail of black smoke following it as it fled. Zach's voice came over Art's radio. "Cease fire, cease fire! Safe and clear all weapons. All stations, casualty reports."

The first report made my blood run cold. "Flying bridge has one dead, one missing. Grandpa Art, I need you up here immediately," the female voice said.

Art headed for the stairs. The girls were running to catch up to me, and we followed Duncan, Olivia, and Edward up the two decks. We emerged next to the flying bridge, the alternate control station for the yacht above the enclosed bridge. I couldn't see anything at first, just a bunch of people standing around a body. There was a lot of red blood.

Art had dropped to his knees, pulling the victim's head into his chest as he let out a wail of grief. Duncan was holding Olivia up as she cried into his shoulder. Edward just stood there, shocked.

I took Anna and Svetlana by the hand and slowly approached. I froze when I saw Ekatarina's face among the gore of a close-range rifle shot to the back of her head.

"We found our mole," the Captain said with disgust. He pushed the body armor over, exposing the name inside. "My first mate, Todd Smallwood."

Zach had it all figured out in seconds. "He shot Ekatarina in the back of the head, then touched her and took her Eagle." He looked out towards the horizon to where the second helicopter had now crashed. "He served us all up in exchange for taking a Switcher."

"Why?" I couldn't understand it. I turned to Art, who had picked his friend up in his arms by now. "Why not take your gift and your fortune?"

"Because the rest of the family would kill him for it before he could change back," Art replied. "Todd is smart. He knew that only the eagle shifter would be able to escape here when the assault failed again, and he knew Mikhail would blame him for the failure of both attacks."

Zach agreed. "Since they attacked based on Todd's intelligence reports, how do you explain meeting such formidable resistance?"

Art looked crushed. "He's fucking DEAD. Kill him and bring him back to me. Mikhail as well; I want his fucking head on a spike for what he's done today."

My Lion was in full agreement.

Ch. 60

The Captain got us underway and heading west at top speed. Sooner or later, the helicopters would be reported missing, or bodies would start washing up. We stripped and dumped the dead mercenaries overboard, padlocking chains to their legs so they wouldn't come back up. The crew got to work cleaning the blood off the decks and repairing and repainting the bullet holes. Unfortunately, we couldn't work anything on the outside of the hull while underway.

Art gathered his senior leadership, minus the Captain and his traitorous First Mate, in the dining area to go over assignments. Zach contacted our agents onshore and gave them two priority assignments. The first was to figure out where the helicopters landed and who was on them. We were pretty sure it was Mikhail behind this, but Art wanted proof. The second was to survey the southwest coast of Sardinia, looking for a Golden Eagle.