Stanton said, "They don't build these boats for giants."

Guery said, "Which is my problem, too."

Flash said, "I do not have that problem."

Wenzel said, "You're a shrimp, but you're dangerous."

They laughed. Pete laughed. Pete went lightheaded.

Four men/no sidearms/good. All relaxed/sipping scotch/good.

Note this oversight. Note this fuck-up and glitch: You could have brought Seconal. You could have spiked the scotch. You could have killed them asleep.

Stanton said, "We'll refuel at Snipe Key."

Wenzel said, "They're meeting us eighty knots out. It's the only way to rendezvous before dawn."

Pete coughed. "It's my fault. I was late."

Flash shook his head. "The last time. We no go without you."

Guery shook his head. "You were always the one with the. . . qu'est-ce que . . . 'greatest commitment.'"

Wenzel slugged scotch. "I'll miss the runs. I hate the Reds as much as the next white man."

Flash smiled. "I am not white."

Wenzel smiled. "In your heart you are."

Pete faked a yawn. His chest pinged. His pulse raced.

"I'm tired. I'm going to lie down for a bit."

The guys smiled. The guys nodded. The guys grinned and stretched. Pete walked back. Pete shut the door. Pete ran a cabin check: Four units/low bulkheads/four sleeping sacks. Please get drunk. Please crap out. Please crap out in shifts.

He opened the cargo hold. The boat rolled. The boat rolled tres light. It rolled too drifty--sans-gun-ballast light.

He popped the storage door. He looked in. He hit the light.

Bam: Empty/no guns/no ordnance packed tight.

He got butterflies. Huge now. Sized like King Kong.

No guns. No gun run. Loose ends scheduled up. They kill you. They dump you. They kill Fuentes and Arredondo.

The boat pitched. Pete dug his legs in. Pete popped the shotgun rack. He got moths--big fuckers--way up in his chest.

He pulled shotguns. He worked slides. He popped the shells chambered in. Butterfingers: four shotguns/shells popping/no hands to catch said.

Shells dropping. Shells spinning. Shells hitting the floor deck. Shells skitting and rolling free.

He grabbed them. He stuffed his pants. He stuffed his teeth. He fumbled the shotguns. He refilled the rack. He heard the cargo door creak.

He turned around. He saw Wenzel. He looked dumb. He looked caught. He had shells in his teeth.

Wenzel shut the door. Wenzel stepped close. Wenzel made fists.

"What the fuck are--"

Pete looked around. Pete saw the flare gun. It's close. It's on a wall hook.

He spit the shells out. He stepped back. He grabbed it and aimed. He pulled the trigger. The flare ignited. The flare hit Wenzel's face. Wenzel screeched. His hair burned. He batted his face.

The flare dropped. It burned Wenzel's clothes. It shot flames chest to feet.

Pete stepped in. Pete grabbed Wenzel's neck. Pete snuffed hair flames. He snapped left. He burned his hands. He snapped right.

Wenzel convulsed. Wenzel went limp. Wenzel's eyebrows shot flames. Pete threw him down. Pete ripped his shirt off. Pete snuffed the flames.

The flare fizzled out. The door stayed shut. Contained stink and flames.

Pete flexed his hand. Burn blisters popped. Pete anchored his legs.

Now.

They'll miss him. They'll need him. They'll yell. The boat's rolling. It's on auto pilot. Wenzel stays on call.

Now.

Pete clenched up. Pete listened--ear to the door.

Nothing.

He pulled his Walther. He cocked it. He opened the door. One walkway/four cabins/two per side wall.

Ten yards up: the main cabin/set perpendicular/with the door shut.

Pete inched up. Pete took baby steps--slow. He hit cabin 1. He looked in. He braced the door.

Nobody.

Pete inched up. Pete took baby steps--slow. He hit cabin 2. He looked in. He braced the door.

Nobody Pete inched up. Pete took baby steps--slow. He hit cabin 3. He looked in. He braced the door.

There's Flash. He's sacked out asleep.

Pete walked up. Pete aimed close. Muzzle to hairline/silencer tight. He shot once. His piece went pffft. Brains doused the bed.

Pete walked out. Pete took baby steps--slow. He hit cabin 4. He looked in. He braced the door.

Nobody.

Pete inched up. Pete ate jumbo moths and butterflies. Pete popped the main cabin door.

Nobody--all hands on deck. Slow now--with a deeeeeep breath.

He did it. He walked topside. He took baby steps. He got fifty-foot butterflies. His breath tugged. His hands shook. His sphincter blew. He smelled his shit. He smelled his sweat. He smelled cooked silencer threads.

Baby steps--three more now. Make the deck/watch your feet.

He pulled one Beretta. He cocked it. He climbed two guns out. His breath tugged. Baby steps slow and-- He hit the deck. His breath stopped. His left arm ripped. Pain shot heart to arm--f ucked arteries.

He gulped air. He sucked spray. He fell to his knees. He dropped his left-hand gun. It clattered on teak.

He made noise. Somebody yelled. Noise boomed behind him.

Stanton.

Stanton yelled, "Dick!" Stanton yelled, "Pete!"

Down the deck. Forty feet. The aft rotor-seats.

Pete pitched forward. His left arm blew. The deck cracked his teeth. He rolled over. He gulped breath. He spit out cracked teeth.

He heard Guery--aft and left--"I don't see him."

He heard Stanton--back-stairs aft--"I think he got Dick."

He heard slides click. He heard hammers cock. He heard rounds snap in. His left arm exploded. His left arm died. His left arm flopped free.

He sucked air. He sucked hard. It hurt bad. It burned bad. He lodged some breath free.

He crawled.

One-handed. One-armed. At one-arm speed. He brushed a rope stack. It was cover. Thick ropes stacked deep.

He heard foot scuffs. They scuffed mid-deck left. He saw pantlegs and feet.

Guery--fast-walking--his way.

His breath crimped. He saw starbursts. He saw twelve legs and feet. He aimed off the ropes. He aimed low. He fired.

He popped six shots fast. He got six muzzle bursts. Double vision/tracer zips/spider legs and feet.

Guery screamed. Guery dropped. Guery grabbed his feet. Guery fired way high. Shots ripped a mast sheet.

Pete sucked air. Pete got air. Pete got a bead. He aimed head high. He pulled slooow.

The slide jammed. Muzzle light dispersed. He saw Guery with stump feet.

He heard foot scuffs. They scuffed way aft. They scuffed the back stairs clear. He pulled gun 3. His pump lurched. He dropped it.

Guery fired. Shots hit the ropes. Shots ricocheted.

Pete rolled free. Pete crawled. Pete crawled with one arm and two feet. Guery saw him. Guery stretched prone. Guery fired.

Tracers--loud and close in. Over his head. Scraping the gunwales. Ripping through teak. Six shots/seven/full clip.

Guery dropped the gun. Pete got close. Pete one-arm leaped.

He bared his teeth. He bit down. He got Guery's cheek. He raked his fingers up and out. He gouged an eye free.

Guery screamed. Guery swung a fist. Guery hit bared teeth. Pete bit down. Pete snapped bone. Pete made his good hand a V.

Guery screeched. It was high-decibel. It was half whine/half screech.

Pete drove his hand up. Pete ripped throat tissue. Pete smashed neck bones. Pete drove up to bridgework and teeth.

Guery spasmed. Pete yanked his arm out. Pete made a hole elbowdeep. Guery spasmed. Pete rolled back. Pete dug in and shoved with his feet.

He kicked Guery. He kicked hard right. He kicked him off the deck. He kicked him into the sea.

He heard a splash. He heard a scream. He sucked breath. He got breath. He crawled free.

He crawled. He crawled one-armed. Noise cut through deck teak.

It's Stanton. He's below deck. That's steel gnashing steel. He's in the cargo hold. He's loading shotguns. Steel's jamming on steel.

Pete sucked air. Pete rolled up. Pete made his knees. His bladder blew. His breath stopped. He sucked air in deep.

He walked. He staggered. He threw lopsided weight. He made the back steps. He smashed at the door. He threw lopsided weight.

Zero--weak weight--no give.

He kicked the door. He shoved the door. He threw lopsided weight.

Zero--weak weight--no give.

Barricade/smashproof/blocked stairs below.

Pete kneeled down. Pete laid down lopsided. Pete got echoes off the deckwood. Pete heard steel gnash steel.

It's about three feet over. It's about ten feet up. The deck's scuffed there. It's threadbare. It's breakable teak.

Pete hauled his weight up. Pete heaved for breath. Pete made his knees.

He crawled. He knee-walked. He hit the anchor hub. He stood up. He invoked Barb. He did a dead squat. He threw his right arm out. He wrapped the anchor stem. He jerked and stood up.