John Birmingham - Without warning

Jules sighed. ‘Say no more.’

The dockside warehouse she’d hired was a long way from the resort town’s tourist centre, but she could make out the beachfront apartments and hotels through a greasy, unwashed window to her right. One of the bigger towers was ablaze, with flames leaping high over the top floor. It was a moot point whether anybody was trying to put it out. Most likely not. The lower floors were probably being looted as she sat there.

‘Well, Mr Shah. My father would have been impressed with your regimental connections. He was a Navy man, but he didn’t hold with all that inter-service rubbish. And he thought very highly of Cunard. It’s a pity you got shafted like that.’

She didn’t mention that the old rogue had been banned by Cunard for cheating at cards on a cruise through the Med ten years earlier, and how only a swift return by his lordship of the swindled funds and an abject apology to his victims had kept the rozzers from becoming involved. Shah looked like the sort of chap who’d throw card cheats over the side.

Instead she continued: ‘I’d be very keen to take on you and your men, Mr Shah, but there are two issues we need to settle. One I don’t see causing much difficulty; the other, however, we’ll have to see.’

Julianne spoke directly and forcefully, never taking her eyes off the man she was addressing. Behind him, his companions remained as immobile as stone dogs.

‘Firstly, this won’t be a pleasure cruise. My ship – which, you should know straight off, we boarded and took over after the original crew disappeared behind the event horizon last week – has already been attacked once. My captain was killed, and in turn we killed every one of the pirates attempting to seize the vessel. I do not expect that will be the last trouble we see. I cannot guarantee anyone’s safety, quite the contrary, but we will endeavour to avoid whatever hazards we can.’ She gestured back over his shoulder to the view of downtown Acapulco. ‘I probably don’t need to tell you that things are going to get worse, do I?’

‘No,’ agreed Shah. ‘The risks are acceptable. And your second point?’

‘Payment,’ she said. ‘And length of contract. Without a stable currency in which to negotiate, we are stuck with bartering for your services. As a minimum I promise free passage to the port of your choosing in Asia, at which point our business together will be deemed complete. Right now, I cannot give you a schedule. We might get there in a few weeks, it could be six months. Over and above passage, you’ll require payment. I’m happy to hear any suggestions you might have about how we calculate a reasonable figure.’

Shah nodded slowly, his eyes peering into an unknowable future. She noted he didn’t consult his men.

‘Gold,’ he said at last. ‘We shall settle on an amount of gold, the value to be calculated at the end of the cruise, based on an equivalent pay scale to that which we would have earned with Carnival, plus hazard pay at current regimental rates, for each day spent in combat. The pay of any man killed or totally and permanently disabled to be delivered to his family by those surviving, along with a compensation payment to the value of his entire contracted fee. As to length of service, we would insist on an end to the contract within twelve months of its commencement.’

It was Jules’s turn to nod sagely and give the impression of hard thought. She quickly toted up what she was getting into and figured it to be worth about half of their current liquid assets. A lot, in other words. On the other hand, there would doubtless be ample opportunity for ‘salvage’ in the near future. And, if she could just get to the Caymans before everything turned completely pear-shaped, she might be able to access her own accounts, and maybe even Pete’s. Beyond that broad-brush plan to cash up and lay in stores, she wasn’t sure what they would do. Lee was no more interested in returning to his home village than she was in heading for England, where there were still warrants out for her arrest on charges relating to the money her father had sent her. As for Fifi, whatever sorry excuse for home and hearth she’d once had was now lost behind the energy wave. It was possible they might well end up going with Pete’s original plan and heading for Tasmania. It was far enough from everywhere to be safe, surely, and he’d insisted it was one of the few places in the world that would still be able to feed itself following a core meltdown of the old world order.

After a moment’s consideration she glanced at the men behind Shah. ‘Do you mind if I talk to your men?’ she asked him.

‘No. Ask them what you will.’

‘Are you men okay with that offer? Do you need to discuss it?’

The briefest of nonverbal conferences took place, with each man quickly exchanging glances, shrugs and nods with each other.

‘That will be acceptable,’ replied the man standing nearest to Mr Shah. Jules was pretty certain it was the former corporal, Birendra. His first name was as long as a Himalayan mountain path, and just as difficult to negotiate.

‘Good-o, then,’ said Jules. ‘Mr Shah, if you would like to work out the precise figures, we shall draw up a contract today. I’d like to get some of your men out to the yacht as soon as possible, but I will need two of you here with me over the next couple of days as we take on crew.’

Shah grunted in affirmation and, she was sure, nearly saluted her. ‘Corporal Birendra will take Subba and Sharma out to the vessel. I will remain with Thapa and you.’

‘Okay,’ said Jules, still unsure who was who, other than Shah and possibly Birendra. She did note the use of the military rank, too. ‘I imagine you fellows will have personal effects you want to pick up. And I suppose there’s a bill for your accommodation to be worked out?’

‘Yes and no,’ replied Shah. ‘We have personal items to gather. For the last week, however, we have provided security to our hotel in return for lodging. No bill.’

And soon after you’re gone, no hotel, Jules thought to herself. ‘Just one other thing, Mr Shah – or would you prefer “Sergeant”?’

‘That is your choice, Miss.’

‘Okay then. Your men here – I’m sorry to have to ask, and I mean no disrespect – but do they all speak good English? It’s just that it could be an issue in a tight spot, couldn’t it?’

Shah’s face split open into a wide grin. ‘The Queen’s English, ma’am. With a touch of sarf London, from the instructor in their barracks.’

‘All right,’ Jules smiled. ‘That will do fine. If you would like to detail a small party to pick up your gear from the hotel, I’ll draft up some papers for you to check and sign if acceptable. Then I’ll need your help transferring those stores behind you to my boat. We’ll run out to the yacht, you can meet the others, secure the ship, and then you and I and Mr… Thapa, was it? – we’ll get back on shore and round up some reliable crew.’

Shah indicated his agreement but he had one more question. ‘Do we have a destination, Miss?’

‘Please, “Jules” will be fine. And no, I have no idea where we are headed initially. Just the hell away from here and that bloody wave.’

It was late before they returned to port. Shah’s men loaded the cruiser in less than an hour, but motoring to and from the Aussie Rules was a nine-hour round trip. For now the marina’s own security staff, boosted by some freelance heavies, were more than up to the task of securing her boat and the small dockside lockup against any looters, but that wouldn’t always be the case. She was quietly relieved when Thapa took up watch on the 42-footer, while she and Mr Shah plotted out their next move.