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The Company
Time: November 1, 2009 (12:30).
Place: Offshore of Grandfather's island, south of mainland Greece.
Last Event: Escaping in a stolen launch.
Vinnie pilots the tender stolen from Grandfather's pier out into the Дед Россия's most likely approach, given its last known coordinates. His fellow Agents, Grandfather, and Grandfather's former prisoners – Olga and Iannis – are all aboard. Although Grandfather is badly wounded, Zhang continues to keep a close eye on him, just in case. Klas and Wen use their scopes to watch the rear, but there's no pursuit. This isn't surprising, given that the gangsters' helipad is on fire and their boats have all been blown up!
As the boat cruises away from the island, Jili sets up her detection gear to get a new fix on the Дед Россия. Meanwhile, Ben tends to JB's wounds while Qoqa sees to Grandfather's injuries. Discussion turns to what to do when the yacht is found. It seems likely that the gangsters on the island have warned their associates afloat that they were viciously attacked and lost a boat, so deception is off the table and further violence seems inevitable.
At around 13:00 – before the Agents have made a concrete plan – Zhang spots the Дед Россия on the horizon. Klas and Wen swing around and take a good look at the ship through their scopes. They warn that there are about a dozen armed thugs aboard, including a pair of two-man machine-gun crews and even a couple of gangsters manning some sort of tube-launched missile! Vinnie throttles back and suggests to the others that they get organized before the two craft draw close enough for shooting to become an issue.
Klas and Wen are confident that with their M24 sniper rifles, they can probably pick off several of the enemy crew from outside the useful range of machine guns and 80s-era missiles handled by poorly trained thugs – and possibly even before the gangsters have identified the launch. To avoid looking too obviously dangerous, they hunker down under tarps on the foredeck to set up their weapons. JB grabs the Agents' best binoculars and starts spotting. Vinnie does his best to hold the boat steady.
Then the snipers open up. Wen picks off the crewman nearest the missile launcher. However, the assistant gunner manages to fire the thing anyway. JB yells, "Sagger! Sagger! Sagger!"; Qoqa screams, "That means MISSILE!"; and Klas and Wen shift their aim to the man steering the thing in. A couple of headshots drop him to the deck, and the missile swerves wide of the boat. When Wen and Klas see more gangsters on the yacht moving to reload the launcher, they engage them as well, dropping two more.
The enemy machine-gunners shoot back ineffectually, their rounds falling short or wide. However, the yacht's captain is more on top of things. He brings his vessel around, opens up the throttle, and bears down on the Agents' small launch. The yacht's high prow denies Klas and Wen further shots at the ship's armed crew. Vinnie warns that he can run, but that it's only a matter of time before the larger, faster craft catches up, at which point ramming, not shooting, will become the pressing issue.
After a hasty discussion, the Agents agree that there's no choice: They need the Дед Россия, so whatever the risk, they have to board it! Vinnie reluctantly turns back toward the yacht and plays chicken, keeping the bow of his craft lined up with the enemy's bow to prevent broadsides shots on the approach. He warns the others that at a closing speed in excess of 30 knots, they have just over two minutes to plan for whatever is going to happen, be that ramming or boarding.
As it turns out, Zhang already has an idea: Using a pair of gaffs as giant stilts, he wants a couple of strong friends to hoist him up to the level of the yacht's deck at the last moment, allowing him to somersault aboard! He'll carry a line, which he'll toss over the ship's prow. If he does this right, then as Vinnie veers aside to avoid being rammed, the line will give a second Agent – probably Wen, who's the best shot – a high-speed ride aboard. Of course, if anything goes wrong, at least two people end up crushed or drowned. This seems completely insane, but nobody has a better plan.
As the two vessels close, Ben, Klas, Wen, and Zhang ready the gaffs and rig the necessary lines. Then Wen and Zhang strip down to clothing, armor, and armaments; check their radios; and get into position for boarding. Ben and Klas, being the strongest, are elected to support Zhang's crazy stunt. Vinnie yells at everybody else to be ready to lunge to one side or the other at his command, to help him turn or level the boat as needed.
Seconds later, it's time to put the Zhang Maneuver to the test. Just as the yacht would crush the launch, Vinnie swerves aside; if he cut any closer, he'd scratch paint. At that instant, Ben and Klas catapult Zhang from the deck at the end of two springy gaffs. Zhang lands hard but keeps his wits about him, and immediately loops the line for Wen. Wen is jerked airborne as Vinnie speeds off. She, too, manages to land without being bashed to a pulp.
Just like that, Wen and Zhang are on the prow of the Дед Россия. Wen lands mostly unscathed in a combat crouch, while Zhang is prone with a couple of broken ribs. Vinnie is forced to take hasty evasive action, so for the moment, nobody is in a position to support the boarding party . . . they had better be as effective as possible! Luckily for all, the gangsters were set up to shoot at swimmers if the launch broke up, or at the boat itself as it passed, so being boarded at the bow comes as a genuine surprise.
Wen and Zhang – handling the starboard and port sides, respectively – take out their weapons and engage the armed gangsters hastily turning to respond to the unexpected boarders. In a withering exchange of automatic fire, Wen takes out three thugs and Zhang badly injures two, and then Wen takes a hit on the vest – her second today – and passes out from the shock. When Zhang sees his partner slump, he realizes he had better take evasive action, and acrobatically rolls toward the superstructure for cover.
As Zhang runs, another shooter comes out on the deck above, probably from the bridge, and starts spraying around a machine pistol. Zhang waits until this new opponent is reloading and then moves. Finding good footing on an expensive wooden bar, he athletically launches himself up the face of the superstructure, grabs the ornate railing around the upper deck, and pulls himself up. He can hear more gangsters looking for him below, but for the moment, they can't see him.
Back on the tender, Vinnie notices the lack of gunfire coming his way – thanks largely to Wen and Zhang's efforts. Therefore, he's able to pull around, power down, and give his passengers a chance to support the boarding action. Mostly, there's little to see . . . but Qoqa catches a glimpse of Zhang climbing, reads his body language, and uses her M16 to hose down the area he's watching. An instant later, the man with the machine pistol walks right out into Qoqa's suppression fire and is cut down.
Anabel readies her own rifle and joins Qoqa in offering covering fire to Zhang. From their position, they can see three men stealing up a ladder toward Zhang's location. Two are toting machine guns heavy enough to damage the launch, while the third has an assault rifle. Anabel warns Zhang over the tactical radio, and Zhang manages to take cover just in time. When the gangsters reach his position, they don't see him but are exposed to Anabel and Qoqa shooting up at them from the boat. Those two score no hits, but they definitely get the thugs' attention!
The armed mobsters turn and return fire at the launch. They clip Lev through the light cover he's behind, although his injury isn't a serious one. Anabel and Qoqa yell over the radio that they're under fire, at which point Zhang jumps out behind the thugs and lets them have it in the back! He mows them down mercilessly. One of the men somehow isn't shot, and turns to shoot back at Zhang . . . only to find Zhang literally in his face, cross-checking him with a rifle. Zhang sends his victim over the rail to a leg-breaking landing on the lower deck.
With that, it looks like the resistance topside is neutralized. Zhang warns that Wen is down, reloads his weapon, and gets ready to hit the bridge. Vinnie, meanwhile, turns inside the yacht's crazy arc and prepares to deliver the other Agents. Ben and Qoqa already have their medical gear ready to treat Wen.
To be continued . . .