We traded rounds with each other when I finally caught him in the shoulder, and he tumbled away.
By that time, two more goons had reached the aft deck, and another set of two hustled along the side deck.
They all opened fire, and muzzle flash flickered.
This was really a bad idea.
I veered the tiny boat away and ducked for cover.
Then one of them shouldered an RPG and took aim. They pulled the trigger, and the rocket spit fire, hissing through the air. It tore across the water and ripped across the bow, narrowly missing the boat.
It plowed into the water 30 yards away and detonated.
The explosion sent a plume of water into the sky.
To hell with that. Two can play that game.
I grabbed the rocket launcher, removed the safety, and took aim at the engine compartment.
The Endeavor was a lot bigger target than I was.
The goons kept firing at me. Bullets snapped through the air.
I timed my shot with the rise and fall of the swells and squeezed the trigger.
The grenade launched and zipped across the swells and drilled into the starboard side at the stern.
The explosion erupted in an amber ball, billowing black smoke. The grenade tore through steel and blasted into the engine compartment.
The RPG-7 was designed as an anti-tank weapon, and the shape charge created a high-velocity jet of molten metal. The fragmentation ripped through the engine compartment,rupturing fuel lines and setting the compartment ablaze.
The impact rocked the boat.
Flames and smoke billowed from the gaping hole in the side of the vessel.
Needless to say, the Endeavor lost all forward momentum.
I couldn't help but smile.
The blast had decimated the fire suppression system, and the blaze raged with abandon.
By that time, one of the thugs had reloaded the rocket launcher. He took aim and fired at me. The missile hissed a trail of smoke as it streaked straight for the boat.
This time his aim was better.
I had milliseconds to sprint to the stern and dive into the water before impact.
The boat exploded as I hit the inky swells.
An amber ball rolled into the sky.
Shards of fiberglass and plastic spewed in all directions.
I surfaced as debris rained down.
The Endeavor started taking on water, and the fire had spread. Pretty soon, the thugs on the aft deck scampered around, trying to figure out what the hell to do next.
The Endeavor was going down. It was only a matter of time.
