‘Max! Thank heavens you’re here,’ she called through the panicked squall of wind and rain that lashed against them. Max was new to the business, but even with little solid experience, she was proving to be one of the best spies Alex Crane had ever come across. Brilliant. Clever. A natural. ‘We’ve only got minutes before this whole ship is blown into the sky and us with it,’ Alex spoke into her lapel transceiver in her usual direct and unflappable manner. Max knew she had to think, and fast. The wind buffeted against her like an overzealous bully as she dangled by a rope from the battered helicopter overhead. The aircraft swayed above them like a cancan dancer, its blades kicking out against the blue-black sky, lit by the angry flare of lightning. She operated the helicopter by remote control, trying to manoeuvre herself closer to the mast and Alex before the lit fuse inside the vessel ignited the cargo of deadly explosives. All she had to do was expertly guide the helicopter closer, making sure a sudden updraft didn’t spin it out of control and send it spiralling into the sea.
