Free Under Fire: (A Dan Taylor thriller) by Rachel Amphlett Page B

sat down at the desk next to Rashid. He prayed someone would soon pick up the phone at the other end, knowing it was only a matter of moments before the highly pressurised liquid gas began to pump into the ship. ‘Rashid – no-one’s answering!’
    ‘Here,’ Rashid leaned over and typed a command using the keyboard next to Adil. He pointed at the screen as it burst into life. ‘Take over from them – you can use the controls here and do it.’
    Adil nodded and began typing in the data, strings of information flashing across the screen as he typed.
    ‘ What ?!’
    There was a crash from beside him and Adil looked aghast as he turned to see Rashid standing up at his desk, his chair over on its side behind him. The man gripped the desk with both hands, his knuckles white as he stared up at the screens. Adil followed his gaze.
    On the CCTV monitors, the LNG ship listed heavily to its port side, tipping slowly towards the jetty it was moored alongside.

Chapter 11
    Grant screamed as the hammer fell onto his outstretched fingers.
    ‘The code,’ hissed the man at his ear. ‘Tell us the code.’
    Grant took a deep shuddering breath. ‘I can’t!’ he said. ‘I can’t remember!’
    He strained at the bindings which held his arms securely to the wooden chair, kicked at the ropes which bound his ankles to the frame, then vomited onto the floor when he saw the remains of the little finger on his right hand.
    The man glanced up at his colleague, who was breathing heavily through his black mask, his eyes wide.
    ‘Do it again.’
    ‘No!’ Grant twisted on the chair, trying to move his hands away from the fall of the hammer.
    His scream echoed off the walls of the basement, cutting through the dank air.
    ‘Please,’ he whimpered. ‘No more. I can’t…’
    His head fell forward, a sigh escaping his lips.
    The man next to him straightened, grabbed a fistful of Grant’s hair and tipped his head back.
    ‘Shit. He’s fainted.’
    He turned, reached down for a bottle next to his feet and tipped the contents over Grant’s face.
    The engineer spluttered, opened his eyes and coughed violently, his head falling across his chest as he brought up the water that had assaulted his lungs.
    The other man rolled his sleeve back, glanced at his watch, and raised the hammer once more.
    ‘We’re running out of time.’
    ‘Hold on.’
    The man next to Grant crouched down. ‘Hey. Grant.’ He patted the engineer’s face, forcing the man to focus. ‘Don’t pass out on me. What’s the code? That’s all we need, Grant. The code. Tell me.’
    Grant’s head fell forward, a sob choking his voice. ‘I can’t remember. The drugs – I can’t focus.’
    ‘Maybe this will help.’ The man stood up, took the hammer from his colleague and waved it in Grant’s face.
    The engineer started to hyperventilate, his eyes wide. ‘Please, no…’
    The man smiled as he tossed the hammer from one hand to the other. ‘Come on, Grant. They don’t pay you that much. Tell us the code.’
    Grant frowned, then lowered his head, his mind racing. What was the code? Why couldn’t he remember?
    ‘I’m waiting, Grant.’ The man’s soft voice burrowed into Grant’s brain, turning his bowels to liquid.
    ‘Christ.’ The man stepped back as Grant shit himself, the stink filling the small underground room.
    Tears streamed down the engineer’s face. ‘I can’t remember!’ he sobbed. ‘Whatever you gave me – I can’t remember!’
    The man tested the weight of the hammer in his hand, stepped around the chair and pulled Grant’s hand free of its bindings.
    ‘Try harder,’ he said, and swung the hammer down.
     
    ***
     
    ‘Something hit it!’ Rashid continued to stare at the screens in shock.
    ‘What do you mean something hit it?’ demanded Adil. ‘There’s nothing else near it!’
    Rashid frowned. ‘Something definitely hit it – I saw it! The tanker moved, like… like it was shoved or something..!’
    He broke off suddenly.