Ruthless Pirates & Governments (Page 25)

~~~(POV: Dannon Mayer)~~~

~~~(Location: On Front Tip Of Chinese Cargo Ship, International Waters, Pacific Ocean)~~~

~~~(Date, Time, Year: May 23rd, 4:57 PM GMT, 2022)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 21 Years)~~~

The cargo ship is stacked to the brim with containers. All varying in colors and what they've got inside them. The ocean breeze washes over me, and my cape gently billows in the wind. I take a deep breath and enjoy the moment for what it is.

Peace.

But I'm taken back to reality as I hear shouts coming from the bridge. The world turns transparent and blue. I focus on where the shouts are coming from. A total of nine pirates, all of them armed to the teeth.

The entire bridge crew is being held hostage. My head tilts forward so I can see through the entire ship. There are some crew members who aren't captured. They're hiding.

They're being hunted. The nine pirates on the bridge aren't the only ones here. A total of five fully armed pirates are also searching through the ship for any crew they can find. Luckily, no one has died yet.

I've gotten here before any lives could be lost. Taking care of the pirates who are holding the bridge crew hostage is more important.

Then I can handle the stragglers searching through the ship.

~~~(POV: Jacky Herald)~~~

~~~(Location: Chinese Cargo Ship, International Waters, Pacific Ocean)~~~

~~~(Date, Time, Year: May 23rd, 5:00 PM GMT, 2022)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 26 Years)~~~

The group of pirates have us huddled together in a circle. The leader of the group has a gnarly scar across his face. One that's healed and looks many years old. All they're doing is watching us.

I look back and forth between all the pirates in my view; there are some behind. But they've told us if we move too much, we'll be killed. So not risking it.

There are a total of nine from what I can tell, but I saw the leader give orders for a smaller group to sweep the ship. They've done this before and with success, from what I'm seeing. Facing off against experienced pirates wasn't in the job description.

Mom and Dad were right.

Being a crewman isn't a good career path, but it's not like I can just mess around anymore. I've got a kid to provide for. Putting my dreams on hold to raise him is what comes first. I know Maddie will never forgive me if I die here.

I close my eyes and think back to the day I departed for this job. My girlfriend and son were waving me goodbye from the docks. Now, I'm on my knees, waiting for my head to be cut off.

I've heard the stories of what these people do to us. We're expendable. Worthless. Something that only has a limited shelf life. I can never know why someone can be so cruel. So evil. Growing up in the middle class didn't prepare me for this.

"You."

The leader speaks, and almost everyones heads turn up. Looking at him, not wanting to get killed for not paying attention. As I also look, I can't help shaking a little. He's looking directly at me. His eyes are locked with mine.

"What do you think will happen when no money comes?"

His English is a bit slow, and his rough voice makes it hard to understand him. He unholsters his weapon and points it directly at me. If I had any liquid in my bladder, I know I'd pee myself. This isn't something I've ever dealt with before.

Being on the other end of a weapon. My life is in the hands of someone else. Whether I live or die isn't for me to decide.

"Boom!"

My entire body shakes, and I shiver in my spot as he releases a large boom from his mouth. Smiling half a second later, all the pirates in the room start laughing. Enjoying someone else's fear and pain.

I don't know what to call it. I've never seen this before. Threatening someone's life and laughing about it.

"All of you will die."

His laughing and smiling instantly fall. His eyes to the man on his knees closest to him. He instantly raises the gun and pulls the trigger. All of us close our eyes and look away.

CRAAAAASSSSHHHHH!!!

BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

For some reason, it feels like the whole room shakes. I'm pelted with what feels like shards of glass. There is no follow-up and after a single second. Chaos erupts. Gunfire from all around us erupts. I can feel the heat and sounds of bullets passing over my head.

"ARRG!"

"AAAH!"

"RAAA!!"

The sounds of groans and struggles circle around us. After what seems like a couple of seconds, all the noise has stopped. There is nothing but silence. I'm afraid to open my eyes and see that I'm the only one left alive.

Or that I'm at the gates of heaven or hell.

"It's alright, everyone; you're safe now."

The voice speaks perfect English, and I slowly lift my head to see who is there. As I open my eyes, I see bodies all around the room. They look to be unconscious. None of the pirates were killed.

My attention turns to the broken window that overlooks the cargo of the ship. What I see there makes my heart throb to almost a painful degree.

Dannon Mayer.

The world-famous Alien is floating outside the window. It's now that I know I'm safe, and my entire body relaxes as I fall on my back and start breathing heavily.

I'm saved!!

~~~(POV: Dannon Mayer)~~~

~~~(Location: Chinese Cargo Ship, International Waters, Pacific Ocean)~~~

~~~(Date, Time, Year: May 23rd, 5:02 PM GMT, 2022)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 21 Years)~~~

The hostages of the nine pirates slowly stand up as I float outside the bridge window. When I heard that pirates are ruthless, I didn't think they'd just kill someone to pass the time. Lucky for the man who was about to die, I showed up.

I turn my attention to a door below me, and I slowly and gently float down. Landing on the metal of the ship. Once I open the door, I'm immediately fired upon by two of the five remaining pirates. Bullets bounce off me and recoil in all directions.

Reflecting off the walls and damaging circuits and pipes. Instantly, the world slows down. I start walking forward, gently pushing the bullets away. As I stand in front of the two, they're frozen in place. Looks of aggression on their faces.

I hit them both on the forehead with my index finger, and their eyes rolled into the backs of their heads. The world speeds back up to normal, and they fall unconscious. The bullets I redirected behind me bounce all over.

The world moves as I blur as I dart down the hall, and I make my way to the remaining three pirates. Knocking them unconscious as well. It takes around 10 seconds, but I gather all the pirates and bind them.

Using zip-ties and ropes, it's been a few minutes since I stopped what's happened here. And now I think it's a good time to leave and go home.

ZZZRRRSHHH

"Come in, come in. This is Admiral Zeng Houxi."

As I'm about to lift off the ground and float away, a voice comes through one of the radios. A chinaman, from the sounds of it, his English is better than the pirates I've apprehended.

For some reason, everyone on the bridge looks in my direction. But instead, I look in the direction of the captain. Who is also Chinese. Better him than me. He sees that I want him to be the one who deals with this.

Quickly taking the radio and talking to the Admiral on the other end of the radio. Speaking in their native language. I can speak every language on Earth, but I'm not interested in what's being talked about. I walk out onto the deck and prepare to leave.

"Wait!"

This time, an American stops me. I turn around and see it's one of the people from the bridge crew that was taken hostage. I stand tall and wait for him to continue. He seems surprised that I've stopped, and he almost forgets what he's about to ask me.

"Mind taking a picture with me? My wife and son are big fans."

Normally, I'd say no to pictures or interviews. But there aren't large crowds or cameras everywhere. I simply nod my head, and he smiles as he struggles to pull out his phone.

He moves to my side and holds the phone out. There is a great height difference. But it's not going to make the picture difficult to take.

After a few pictures, he pulls away and inspects them.

"These are good."

He closes his phone and places it back in his pocket. Looking back at me as he does.

"Thanks for saving us."

All I do is give a nod and turn around. Gently floating off the metal walkway as I do. Turning toward the sky and blasting through the clouds.

Pirates aren't on the smartest side, but maybe this entire event will be something that keeps them from being so bold. After all, it takes some serious balls to hijack a Chinese cargo ship. There aren't many people crazy enough to do something like that.

As I enter the stratosphere, I decide to stop moving entirely and just float there. Enjoying the freedom from gravity and sound. I spread out my arms and relax my entire body. I turn in space and look down on the Earth below.

So many people are going to react differently to what I've done today. I didn't take any lives, and the pirates I stopped didn't receive any permanent injuries. However, this was a state matter. Something two governments were handling.

They won't like the fact I've interfered in something I had no business being in.

For most of my life, I've stayed back. Stayed out of the world. Now that I've done something like this. Putting myself in government affairs. Who knows what'll come from it... But they're alive.

The people on that ship are alive.

~~~(POV: Nicole Deymer)~~~

~~~(Location: Oregon State University, Dorm Room C12, Corvallis, Oregon)~~~

~~~(Date, Time, Year: May 23rd, 9:45 AM PST, 2022)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 20 Years)~~~

Monday classes are usually slower than most of the week, but I've finished until this afternoon when I have two more classes. Until then, I'm just enjoying some alone time in my dorm room. Getting away from everyone.

People like to talk to me. Strangers. All of them ask me what Dannon is like. Who he is. What my relationship with him is like. It gets pretty annoying. Reporters have tried getting to me with false identities.

In many media members' minds, anything is fair game to get to me. But it's something I'll have to get used to since I know who Dannon is.

"We've gotten word from sources in the military that Dannon Mayer has taken care of the hijacked Chinese cargo ship."

My thoughts are instantly stopped as I hear the TV. I lean up in my bed and grab the remote. Turning it up.

"Surprisingly, all pirates have been apprehended without loss of life. All crew members of both China and America are also unharmed."

Wow...

He really did something like this. Messing with something like this is dangerous. Yet, he saved everyone's life and made sure the pirates could be put to trial for their crimes.

The military of both China and America would've just killed them.

"This event has stirred questions for the American government. Since American lives were threatened, people want the pirates to be put on trial in the US. However, China doesn't intend to give up the captured pirates."

Even though Dannon did everything right, something wrong is coming out of this. Political tension between China and the US. It's nothing new, but this just shows that not everyone will be happy with a good thing being done.

I lean my head back against the wall and cuddle into my blanket more. Enjoying the softness of the pillows between my back and the wall.

"The media is still being denied access to Dannon Mayer or any of his close associates."

Yeah, right, you guys are using every tactic you can to break into campus grounds to talk to Cassie or me.

"Congress is meeting tomorrow to discuss this recent situation caused by Dannon."

I have to shut off the TV after I hear that. It's not his fault.

He did the right thing. No question about it.

Stop making him someone to constantly question.

No lives were lost. Good or bad ones.

~~~(POV: Eloise Mayer)~~~

~~~(Location: Mayer Ranch, Umatilla County, Oregon)~~~

~~~(Date, Time, Year: May 23rd, 9:51 AM PST, 2022)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 38 years)~~~

"Congress is meeting tomorrow to discuss this recent situation caused by Dannon."

"That's a complete load of SHIT!!"

I can't hold my anger back as I pick up the remote and throw it at the TV as hard as I can. Breaking the remote and cracking the TV. It flickers a few times and breaks after a second. Turning off as it does.

Falling back against the couch is what I do next, breathing hard and trying to ease my angry heart. I look at the kitchen and see Dannon looking at me from the opening.

"Sorry."

Even my sorry sounds angry as I respond to the questioning look of my son. All he does is crack an amused smile and go back to making food. I don't understand how he can be so okay with this.

They're making something out of a perfect attempt at saving lives. If the militaries of the two nations interfered, lots of people would've died.

My son did a better job than they ever could've!!

"No, it's okay. Get it out. It doesn't really bother me since I knew they'd do something to make it more than what it was. But I guess you weren't really expecting this."

The calm and level-headed response from my son makes me feel a little foolish for reacting the way I did. But I just can't help it. The Mom in me wants to scream and thrash in defense of her little boy.

But he's a man now, and he can take of things himself. He handled this perfectly. In the end, all the government can do is complain that he interfered where he shouldn't have.

That's all he did. He didn't kill or seriously hurt anyone. He saved lives.

"I just hate how label and twist everything you do. I don't know how you handle it so well, sweetie. If it were me they were talking about, I'd hop on some social media and cuss them out."

Maybe that's one of the reasons my son doesn't have social media. To avoid things like this.

A situation where he could lose his temper. I should consider getting rid of the ones I have. I rarely use them as is, but I've had fun talking with my childhood friends.

It's been nice to have people to speak to.