Binary: An Encrypted to Cipher Bridge Short Story Read Online Free PDF

lightweight body armor as effective as Kevlar, but actually useful.”
    Zach pulled the turtleneck on. It certainly wasn’t as soft as brushed cotton, but could it really stop bullets? “How?”
    “We bake the boron and cotton at temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees. It fuses the material. Plus, there are copper nanowires in there that should actually catch the bullets.”
    “ Should ?” Zach asked.
    “At least according to the Swiss scientist who first described the process.”
    “It’s been tested, though, right?”
    Ronnie just looked out the forward window, whistling a little tune. What else should he have expected from Ronnie and Quirk? The world was their R&D proving ground.
    He smoothed the thick black fabric down and opened the bridge door.
    “I’ve cut the electricity to the netting, so you just need to get it unhooked. The retraction motor should take it from there.”
    Ronnie always made it seem so easy, didn’t she?
    Zack ducked as he headed out the door. He didn’t take a single step before he was shot in the arm. However, not only did the fabric stop the bullet, it enveloped it. He picked the bullet out.
    It really was miraculous.
    Another bullet hit him on the chest, shoving him back a step. It was going to leave a bruise, but it didn’t even crack a rib like it would have if he’d been in a standard vest. Most women baked cakes, not impenetrable body armor. But that was Ronnie for you. He’d much rather have a lightweight bulletproof turtleneck than a red velvet cake, any day.
    However, if they decided to go for a head or leg shot, he’d be done for, so Zach hurried over to the side of the boat and freed the netting. It rapidly whisked back into its hull storage unit.
    He was about to turn back to the bridge when a glint on the horizon caught his eye.
    Crap.
    * * *
    Ronnie pushed the boat’s throttle hard against the metal instrument panel. She knew she could eke a few more knots out of the yacht. Normally, top speed was calculated based on the ability of the engine to survive. She couldn’t care less if she ground the engine to dust. They just needed to get out to international waters.
    They were less than five minutes from the invisible line. There was a smudge on the horizon that should be the frigate.
    Zach burst into the bridge. “Get down!”
    He tackled her and they fell to the floor just as a missile hit the bridge. The windows exploded inward, showering them with glass.
    “Guess it isn’t RPG-proof,” Zach noted.
    “If they target the engines, we’re toast.”
    Of course, the next explosion was below deck.
    He could hear the grinding of gears as the yacht slowed.
    “I’ve got to get down there,” Ronnie said.
    “No, you’ve got to get your butts on deck,” Quirk said.
    Only then could they see the helicopter sweeping in from the west.
    “Do you have another bullet-proof shirt?” Zach asked. Ronnie knocked her knuckle against her sternum.
    “It’s my new little black dress. I wear it everywhere.”
    He took her hand and they made their way out of the demolished bridge. Smoke billowed out of the engine compartment. They were at a dead stop in the water.
    Ronnie scrambled out onto deck as the helicopter hovered overhead. It wasn’t the pilot’s fault this time. The guy couldn’t land the chopper on the yacht. It might have two hot tubs on deck, but there certainly wasn’t enough room to land.
    Zach laced his fingers together and gave Ronnie a boost up. She grabbed hold of the struts and pulled herself up from there. The helicopter swerved to avoid another missile. Zach climbed on top of the charred bridge and launched himself into the air. His arm caught the prop.
    Clearly, the pilot took that to mean he was aboard, as he zipped the chopper out over the open water, heading due east. Zach’s legs dangled as the helicopter gained speed. There was no way he could overcome gravity and acceleration. Instead, he just held on as they approached the frigate, which came into