Without Law 18 by Eric Vall (most difficult books to read .txt) 📗

down her notepad and rushed to the ladder.

My heart rate accelerated as I followed the brunette up to the deck. Minji was right behind me, and we all took off running as soon as we were able to.

It felt like forever, but it only took a few minutes for us to get to the command tower, and I pushed the door open violently.

Hammer’s eyes met mine as I came to a screeching halt, and the girls slammed into my back.

Hammer, Rivers, and Pike were in the room, and it was dead quiet, except for the sound of the radio.

A male voice came through the small speaker, and it continued to repeat the same Korean phrase over and over.

“Minji,” I said without looking at the woman. “What are they saying?”

She was quiet for a few seconds, then I heard her take a deep breath.

“Come in,” she said quietly. “They’re asking us to come in.”

“It’s been about two minutes,” Hammer reminded me. “We need to respond.”

“You’re right.” I nodded and turned to Minji. “Are you ready?”

“Ready,” she said, and her lips pressed together as a determined look came over her face.

“Answer,” I told her. “But don’t respond until you translate for us, okay?”

“Got it,” she agreed, and she quickly walked over to the radio.

“Don’t forget to lower your voice,” Paige said quickly. “The soldiers in here were men.”

“Right.” The Korean woman nodded.

“What’s going on?” Anna asked as she, Tara, and Bailey burst through the door behind me.

The voice came over the radio again.

“Oh, shit,” Tara breathed. “Are those the Boston troops?”

“They must be,” I agreed.

“How did you guys know to come up here?” Paige asked.

“We heard it over the walkies,” Anna explained.

“Girls,” I said quickly, and I gestured to where Minji stood, ready to answer the call.

“Right,” Tara whispered, and she bit her lip as everyone went silent.

Minji closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and picked up the radio.

She said something in Korean, released the talk button, and stared at me as her chest rose and fell quickly with her breaths.

The room was silent as we waited for the man on the other end to answer. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my own heart thumping in my chest.

We’d seen that MiG just this morning, and if they’d gone anywhere near the water they’d most definitely seen the ship. If the soldier on the other end of the call didn’t believe Minji, then we were absolutely fucked. They could have that MiG back over here in minutes, and our entire ship could go down, us included.

I glanced around the room. Everyone’s eyes were on Minji as she stood with the radio still in her hand.

Anna didn’t blink as she watched the Korean woman with unrivaled focus.

Paige held her bottom lip between her teeth so I could see the white from how much pressure she put on it.

Tara leaned forward slightly, as if that would help her hear. And Bailey chewed on the inside of her cheek absentmindedly.

The radio crackled, and finally, the voice answered.

“What did he say?” Tara asked before I could.

“He asked me to identify myself,” Minji said, and a concerned wrinkle appeared in her forehead.

“Here!” Hammer exclaimed, and he fumbled on the desk behind him until he found a piece of paper which he handed to Minji. “These look like names and ranks. I can’t tell what they say exactly, but the setup…”

“You’re right.” Minji nodded as she looked over the paper.

“Thank fuck,” Hammer muttered, and he stepped back over by the desk and let out a low breath.

“Find one of the maritime pilot names,” I instructed. “It doesn’t matter which one, but do it quickly.”

“I’ve got one,” Minji said, and she held the radio back up to her face, pushed the button, and spoke in Korean.

Once again, we were all quiet as we waited for the man on the other end to reply. This was the true test of whether he believed her or not. It was a long shot that the Boston troops knew any of the naval troops very well, but it could happen, and if the name Minji had chosen happened to be connected to the man on the other end, he’d be able to call our bluff.

The voice answered, and Minji smiled slightly at whatever he said.

I couldn’t help the grin that came over my face when I saw her smile. I felt a sense of relief wash over me, even though Minji hadn’t translated for us yet.

“He said his name is Ji-Yoo,” Minji told us.

“That’s it?” Tara asked.

“Yeah.” The Korean woman nodded.

“Does that mean they bought it?” Anna asked, and she turned to look at me with a wide grin on her face.

“I think it does,” I said, and I grinned back.

“Fuck, yesssss!” Anna laughed. “Good going, Minji!”

“What do we say now?” Bailey asked.

“Ask them their location,” I instructed.

Minji nodded, brought the radio up to her mouth, and spoke in Korean.

A few seconds later the man replied, his responses were quicker now that Minji had identified herself.

“Did he say Richmond?” Tara asked once the man had finished. “I thought I heard Richmond in there somewhere.”

“Yes.” Minji nodded. “He said they’re right outside of Richmond.”

“Ask--” I started, but the voice came through the radio once more.

“He says they sent a MiG to check on the ships this morning,” Minji translated. “He wants to know why there’s only one.”

“Fuck,” Anna cursed, and she looked at me and bit her lip. “What do we say?”

I thought for a second, but I knew we had to respond quickly.

A million thoughts ran through my head all at once.

How were we