The docks of Istanbul were a vibrant mosaic of color and sound, with the call of seagulls merging with the distant hum of ship engines and the lively chatter of dockworkers. But for Hffyl and his group, it was a frantic race against time.
The moment they burst out of Ahmet's car, Hffyl yelled, "To the ships! NOW!"
His urgent tone cut through the din, grabbing the attention of Mei Ling and Kadir, who were a few steps behind due to helping the injured Rizal.
Just as they were sprinting toward their ships, the ominous wail of sirens sliced through the air. They turned to see several police cars skidding to a halt, officers pouring out and giving chase.
"Damn it! We can't catch a break!" Mei Ling exclaimed, her breathing heavy from both the exertion and rising panic.
Kadir, with surprising agility for his size, threw an empty crate across their path to hinder the officers, but it only slowed them down momentarily.
Zul, who was on deck, saw the commotion and quickly lowered a plank for them. "Hurry up!" he shouted, waving them on.
As they clambered aboard the MV Sirena, Captain Ajwad already had the engines running, prepared to make a swift escape. Hffyl gave him a nod of appreciation.
With an echoing roar, the ship's engines kicked into high gear. The MV Sirena began pulling away from the docks, its speed remarkable for its size.
From the deck, the group could see the frustrated policemen, some yelling into their radios, others shaking their fists.
The massive sails of the Srikandi billowed as they caught the wind, its silhouette quickly becoming a speck against the vastness of the sea.
As the MV Sirena and the Srikandi sailed further away from Istanbul, the crew's attention shifted to their injured comrade, Rizal. Nurse Murni had him laid down in the ship's infirmary, a small but well-equipped room stocked with medical supplies. The ship gently rocked with the waves, and the soothing sound of the sea seemed to contrast the urgency of the situation.
Nurse Murni, with her calm demeanor and steady hands, began tending to Rizal's bullet wound. She was assisted by Faiz, who handed her instruments and materials while offering reassurance.
"It's not too deep, but we need to make sure there's no infection," Nurse Murni explained to Rizal, who winced as she cleaned the wound.
Rizal, his face pale but determined, nodded and tried to maintain his composure. "I'll be fine, just get me patched up so we can figure out our next move."
Meanwhile, in the Srikandi, Kadir realized that he didn't have his passport with him. He had never anticipated getting involved in such a whirlwind adventure, and it now left him in a difficult situation.
On the MV Sirena, the crew exchanged tense glances as they spotted the coast guard vessels on the horizon. The Turkish authorities were clearly not giving up on pursuing them. Captain Ajwad and Aini, the navigator, huddled together, studying the charts and GPS coordinates to plot the safest course.
But then, something unexpected happened. Hffyl, who had been observing the Srikandi closely, suddenly realized something crucial. He approached Captain Ajwad and Mei Ling, who were scanning the horizon for signs of the coast guards.
"The Srikandi," Hffyl began in his slow voice, "it can't be detected by radar or sonar, but it's still visible to the naked eye."
Captain Ajwad and Mei Ling exchanged puzzled glances. "Are you sure, Hffyl?" Mei Ling asked, seeking clarification.
Hffyl nodded. "Yes. And it can generate a fog to hide itself before disappearing."
The implications of this revelation hung in the air. The Srikandi, their mysterious sailship from another era, possessed capabilities that were beyond their understanding. It was a valuable asset, but also a potential source of danger if they couldn't control it.
Aini, her eyes wide with wonder, remarked, "It's like the ship can create its own cover."
Captain Ajwad nodded, a plan forming in his mind. "Let's use this to our advantage. We'll head into the fog and try to lose them. If we can navigate safely through it, we might just escape the coast guards."
The Srikandi started doing its thing. A fog, thick and cool, began to wrap around the ship like a comforting blanket. In minutes, it was so dense that you couldn't see your hand if you stretched it out in front of you.
"Damn, that's some heavy fog," Dollah exclaimed, looking around with wide eyes.
"You can say that again," Mei Ling responded, her voice tinged with wonder.
The MV Sirena's horn blared loudly, making everyone jump. "Guess they're trying to keep track of us," Hffyl commented with a shrug, used to the ship's quirks.
Captain Ajwad adjusted his hat, squinting into the mist. "We need to stay close, but not too close. We don't want to accidentally crash into each other."
Faiz chimed in, "And I'd prefer not to do any more repairs anytime soon!"
As the ships moved deeper into the fog, a tense silence settled among the crew. They could hear the distant sounds of the coast guards, their shouts muffled by the fog. It was like playing a game of hide and seek on a gigantic scale.
After what felt like hours, but was probably just minutes, the fog began to thin, revealing the open sea ahead.
"We did it!" shouted Aini, laughing with relief.
Hffyl, always the quiet one, just smiled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Told you the Srikandi had a few tricks up her sleeve."
Captain Ajwad clapped Hffyl on the back. "Good job, kid. Now, let's get some distance between us and Istanbul."
"Wait, what?!" Captain Ajwad almost shouted, looking at the navigation system in disbelief. He leaned closer to the Furuno NavNet, a state-of-the-art marine GPS chartplotter they used on the MV Sirena.
First Mate Rizal, despite his injury, had come up to the navigation room and was equally baffled. "How did we end up here so quickly? We were just near Istanbul!"
Aini, the navigator, quickly double-checked the coordinates. "The system's not glitching. This is real. Look," she pointed at the screen which clearly showed their location in the Gulf of Oman, "We're much closer to Iran now."
Mei Ling, ever the tech-savvy one, pulled out her tablet and cross-referenced the ship's coordinates using another GPS app. "It matches. But how is this possible?"
Hffyl, looking out at the sea, mused aloud, "The Srikandi's fog... it might have done more than just conceal us." He seemed to be piecing something together but didn't elaborate further.
Captain Ajwad, ever practical, got everyone's attention. "Okay, it doesn't matter how we got here for now. We're in unfamiliar waters, and we need to adjust our course quickly. Aini, plot a safe route. We don't want to end up in Iranian waters without permission."
Everyone got to work, the urgency clear. The mystery of their sudden shift in location would have to wait. Right now, they had a ship to steer safely.