Mega 3: When Giants Collide (Mega Series) by Jake Bible

okay?”
    “Okay,” Mike nodded.
     
    ***
     
    Everyone filed into the briefing room, chatting and laughing as usual. At least until they saw the look on Ballantine’s face, and the shattered sat phone on the table.
    “That wasn’t a good phone call,” Thorne stated.
    “No, Commander, it was not,” Ballantine replied then waved towards everyone. “Don’t bother sitting, the briefing is postponed for now. We have a bigger task at hand.”
    “Such as?” Thorne asked.
    “We have to double check this ship to make sure there are no tracking devices or locating beacons,” Ballantine said.
    “I thought that had been done,” Thorne said.
    “As had I,” Ballantine replied, “but the information I just received proves otherwise. Apparently, while I was conversing with my acquaintance, something began to broadcast our location.”
    “Just now?” Darren asked. “How?”
    “I don’t know, Mr. Chambers,” Ballantine sneered. “If I did, then this wouldn’t be so distressing, would it?”
    “Back off, Ballantine,” Kinsey said. “Same team, asshole.”
    “Yes, yes, I’m sorry,” Ballantine said then sighed and leaned back in his chair as Carlos, Ingrid, and Moshi arrived at the briefing room’s doorway. “What can you tell me?”
    All three of the techs held modified tablets in their hands. Moshi looked at Ingrid and Ingrid looked at Carlos.
    “The armory is clear,” Carlos said.
    “Toyshop,” Max said under his breath.
    “As I knew it would be,” Carlos glared. “All company tech has been removed from every single device. There isn’t a piece of hardware down there that is connected to the company in any way. They’d have better luck tracking a single drop of seawater than tracking us.”
    “Do you have more scanners?” Ballantine asked.
    “As many as needed,” Ingrid said.
    “Good, then assign one to each member of the crew and break the ship up into grids,” Ballantine ordered. “We shut down the power until we find what is giving off the signal.”
    “Shut down the power?” Darren asked.
    “That way we don’t have any interference from the B3,” Ingrid said. “If our scanners pick anything up, then we’ll know it’s not tied into the ship and could be the tracking device.”
    “You want us to be sitting ducks while we have ships on our ass and a giant shark hunting for us?” Thorne growled. “At what fucking point does that make sense?”
    “It makes sense because where we are going, no one can know about,” Ballantine said. “I would rather risk those ships and that shark catching up to us than exposing our destination.”
    “Is it a secret clubhouse?” Max asked.
    “No girls allowed?” Shane asked.
    “There better be girls allowed,” Kinsey said.
    “How about no little dicks allowed?” Lucy asked.
    “Max will be fine then,” Darby said.
    Everyone turned and looked at the Reynolds brother. He just winked and gave a thumbs up.
    “GODDAMMIT!” Ballantine roared as he slammed his fists down on the table. “This is fucking serious! I am tired of the constant jokes and sarcasm! From now on you act like fucking professionals or I throw you off my ship!”
    “Marty is captain of the B3,” Darren said, “it’s his ship, not yours.”
    “Don’t test me, Mr. Chambers,” Ballantine snapped.
    “Don’t test the chain of command on a ship at sea, Ballantine,” Thorne said as he stepped in front of the group, taking Ballantine’s focus all on himself. “Things fall apart very quickly when that chain of command is fucked with. It’s there for a reason.”
    “Captain Lake works for me,” Ballantine replied. “There’s your chain of command.”
    “Everyone out,” Thorne said.
    “Yes, everyone out,” Ballantine said. “You have scanning to do.”
    Carlos, Ingrid, and Moshi left immediately, but no one else moved until Thorne looked over his shoulder and nodded. They were reluctant, and made sure Ballantine was very aware of that, but they departed and left