The Last Days Read Online Free

and go back towards the mainland.”
    “Yes Sir!” Jamison responded as he picked up the mic that would broadcast his voice over the ships outside speakers. He started talking in Chinese.
    The Captain held his binoculars up to his face as he studied the boats off the port side of the ship.
    “They aren’t leaving Jamison. Are you sure you are using the correct dialect. Try something else, Mandarin or something.” The Captain said without lowering the binoculars.
    Jamison spoke into the mic again as the Captain watched the boats.
    “Jamison, are you sure you are speaking Chinese? “ The Captain laughed.
    “Yes Sir! I’ve tried a couple different dialects. No matter what dialect they speak, they had to have gotten the message.” Jamison replied.
    “Captain, look at this.” One of the men at the console said as he zoomed the ships cameras in on the closest boat.
    The boat grew larger on the screen.
     
    “There is blood everywhere. Something happened on that boat. There are about a dozen people lying on the deck. They look like they are dead or at least unconscious. I think they might need help. They may not be able to turn the boat around on their own.”
    “Davis, take six armed men, take Jamison and board that boat and see what the hell is going on. The rest of you keep alert. This could be a set up. Be ready to unleash all hell if they try anything.”  The Captain ordered. “Helm, hold us here. Jamison, take the skimmer out to that boat. I don’t want to get any closer to those things until I know what they are up to.”
     
    Jamison followed Davis out to the armed men waiting in the skimmer. As soon as Jamison was in the skimmer, it was lowered down into the water. After unhooking the cables, the engines started and the skimmer made its way out towards the fishing boat that floated aimlessly in the rising and falling swells.
    Jamison turned and looked at Davis. “Keep alert. I don’t like this. Something about this isn’t right.”
    Davis laughed. “Just stay behind me until we clear the deck. If there is something not right, we have enough firepower to handle it.”
    Jamison laughed. “There is also something about all these men with large guns and sharp objects in a rubber boat that doesn’t make me feel too confident. We could be in trouble if anyone in that fishing boat drops a fishing hook in here.”
    Davis laughed. “It would take more than a few fishing hooks to sink the skimmer.”
    Jamison pushed his finger into the side of the boat and watched as rubber pushed inward. “If you say so?”
    Davis smiled. “You can swim? Right?”
    Jamison ignored Davis as he studied the fishing boat they were rapidly approaching.
     
    The skimmer bumped against the side of the fishing boat as the sailor guiding the skimmer cut the engines.
    Davis tossed a boarding net up over the sides and three men quickly climbed up to the deck of the fishing boat and secured the deck for the rest of the boarding party.
    When Davis and Jamison climbed on board, the other members of their party were standing in a semicircle on the deck with their weapons out in front of them as they scanned the boat for threats.
    The boat was small, only about forty feet long. One small cabin area rose up out of the center of the boat. The deck was covered with smeared blood. Ten mangled bloody bodies laid motionless across the deck. The sound of movement could be heard below deck.
    “What the hell happened here?” Jamison said as he looked at the condition of the bloody boat.
    Davis shouted. “Roberts starboard, Tomson Port. The rest of you with me. We are going to clear the cabin to see what is below. Jamison, stay behind us. We might need you to talk to any survivors down there.”
     
    Davis moved slowly towards the cabin door and the sounds coming from below. Two men flanked his left and the other two men flanked his right side. Jamison followed in the center of the formation and listened, trying to make sense of the sounds coming