The first explosion rocked the Vesper’s Cry so hard I was thrown against the rusted railing of the deck.
Orange flames licked the night sky as one of Isaac’s patrol boats opened fire. The smell of burning diesel and salt water filled my lungs, but I didn't feel the paralyzing hofu anymore. I felt cold. I felt focused. For the first time, the "investigator" inside me the woman Isaac had tried to bury under layers of drugs and silk was fully awake.
"Sarah! How much longer?" Razack shouted, firing his weapon at a dark shape approaching from the port side.
"Three minutes!" her voice crackled over the ship's internal comms. "Their firewall is like a fortress, but I'm through the first three layers. I just need to stabilize the upload!"
"We don't have three minutes!" Razack yelled back.
I l
