Hunter Killer

8 BLOW AND GO

The two skippers stared at one another. Peace said nothing. His face was bleak, withdrawn. Tyler watched him as narrowly as a boxer coming out of his corner. He backed away to the intercom, facing Peace all the time, felt for the instrument, dialled. Hold it, Lou, I'm coming through' His vowels grew more pronounced with tension. ' Dan, keep the radio antenna up when we submerge, see. We'll be at sixty feet-I gotta lot of signalling to do. What-again!'

He moved forward towards Peace to the length of the intercom cord. His voice was menacing. So you're on the level, are you, the late Commander Geoffrey Peace! Every signal of mine is being jammed at this moment.'

Nonsense!' Peace retorted.

I was glad that Tyler had to use his hands to hold the intercom. Otherwise he might have been at Peace's throat. He listened again. Goddam it! Here in the bay?'

He rammed it down. His face was livid. He said slowly,

Peace-or whatever your name is-if that goddam' sub of yours doesn't stop jamming me, I'll-I'll-sink her!'

Revs,' MKG interposed, pull yourself together! I recog98 nize Commander Peace-I know him personally. Why would a

British sub jam you anyway?'

' British?' Tyler flared. Does a friendly sub jam another on a top-secret mission like this? You'll all stay here until I' ve sorted this one out.' He pushed past to the door.

Revs!' called MKG. The tough skipper paused. 'If you go on like this, you'll live to regret it.'

There was a moment's uncertainty about Tyler, then he said curtly, ' If this guy had been who he said he was, I might… No! I wasn't sure, even then. Now it's the other way. I'm signalling New London. Then I'm going after Semittante.' Will you take it upon yourself to act in direct opposition to the orders of the President? You have your orders. Obey them!'

The cabin did not seem big enough to hold three such towering personalities.

Revs shook his head, as if trying to clear it. ' My orders

•

MKG'S voice was resonant, hard. I order you to go ahead with the mission as planned!'

Tyler jerked round, so that his face was away from MKG. He picked up the intercom. Dan! Get that other sub. Signal her skipper is coming on a trial evolution with Willow- track. Yeah, that's what I said, trial evolution. Say he'll be away a day or two. And, if you can get past that jamming, say Commander Peace's orders are that the sub must remain here in the Bay of the Two Capitaines until-until further orders. Got that?'

Peace moved towards Tyler. The big American put down the intercom, his hands hanging ready at his sides.

T y l e r – '

' Keep back!' he replied. Keep away from me, Peace. You're a prisoner and you and Garland will stay so. You can't get away. Like on a plane, you can't step outside.'

Peace turned with a gesture of his hand towards MKG. Tyler spoke into another phone. Lou! Tell that other sub's dinghy to stand clear. Pull the plug. Sixty feet. Handsomely. Use the pumps.'

The speaker clicked on. Captain-Control: ship rigged for dive and compensated.'

I could see the impact of his decision upon Tyler. The tall, rangy figure seemed to sag slightly. At the door, he half reached out his hand towards MKG but, as if ashamed of the gesture, hastily plunged it into the cigar box.

You're already smoking, Revs! ' MKG'S voice struck like a sjambok.

Tyler ground out the cigar savagely. I am, goddammit.'

Listen for the last time, Revs,' said MKG. I have a date to keep with Little Bear. I mean to keep it.'

Not this way,' repeated Tyler doggedly. ' I'll go after the freighter first. Little Bear!' mKG's voice sharpened. One of the very few prototypes of Little Bear.

Aye,' retorted the big American. ' That's the kicker.' He glared at Peace and myself. I'd say this whole story is a frame-up to get a classified weapon to the Reds and to kidnap the Vice-President of the United States.'

God's truth-' began Peace, but Tyler was gone, the door slamming behind him. Within seconds came the familiar whirr of the pumps and the rush of water as Willowtrack started to submerge. It is a delicate manceuvre to take a nuclear sub down without engines, but Tyler rightly boasted he had a Gold Crew. She went down smooth as a lift.

MKG and Peace stood silent. There was nothing we could do. We were completely in Tyler's hands.

Mica took one of Tyler's cigars and lit it, staring at the burning tip. It's the way we planned it or nothing,' he said at length.

I said, Tyler sees his duty to the office of the VicePresident as overruling all other considerations.'

He didn't give me time even to explain about the CIA man, the leak and all the rest of it,' added Peace.

' Revs is the low man on the totem-pole,' MKG answered wryly. Strange, having someone else try and teach one one's duty as Vice-President. I thought his loyalty to me-'

I don't understand the jamming of Willowtrack's radio by Devastation,' said Peace. I don't like it, either. I gave no orders.'

The thought struck me like a body-blow: suppose it wasn't

Devastation?

What if there's another sub in the bay?' I asked swiftly. What if the CIA had another United States nuclear sub shadow us?'

No,' replied Peace. The u.s. Navy's too deep in this, isn' t it, MKG?'

The Vice-President nodded.

' But what if it's a Red sub?' Peace continued.

My god!' exclaimed MKG as we stared at him. Maybe I' ll need Revs's protection after all. What makes you say that, Commander?'

Peace glanced at me. The girl, Adele. What if she has homed a Red sub on to us?'

The thought left me sick.

`We'll find out-soon!' snapped Peace. MKG, what have you aboard this sub that you need for the Little Bear launch?'

MKG rose slowly to his feet, dropping the cigar unheedingly on the table. ' I don't get you. Space-suit-instruments anything like that?'

No. Boz Blair's got the space-suit and other gear.' He stared, puzzled, at Peace. I've got a few countdown details

– a few of the final stable table settings, but Boz has duplicates of them all. The White House code, of course.'

Nothing heavy you need?'

What have you got in mind, Commander?'

Tyler said you can't simply step outside a submarine. But you can, you know. Blow and go 1'

Blow and go?'

We must hurry, while Tyler is in. the Control Centre.

Every nuclear sub has three escape hatches-'

Peace's daring plan broke upon me when I remembered the escape tube Bob Peters had shown me when conducting me round Devastation. He had told me of the three escape routes: the usual one via the bridge and sail, and two others, one for'ard and one aft. I had seen the forward escape trunk myself. The hatches leading from these escape trunks were the only ones in the ship which were independent of the main ballast-control panel. The men escaping operated them.

MKG stood transfixed at Peace's rapid explanation. ' But when they see us with escape gear..

No, no! No apparatus is needed. That's why it's called blow and go. All you have to do once you're inside the hatch is to equalize the air pressure inside the escape tube with that of the ocean outside. You allow water into the trunk until pressure is equal. Then, you just open a side hatch and step out into the water. You heard Tyler say we'll only be sixty feet down. It's a piece of cake at that depth.

But our lungs will burst.' MKG hesitated.

There isn't time to explain it all now-you'll have to take my word for it. It's a well-tried and tested method-buoyant ascent, it's called. You get compressed air in your lungs in the escape tube. As you rise to the surface, the compressed air expands and blows itself out.'

No masks?'

No, there is no equipment at all. It takes only about six seconds to rise to the surface from sixty feet. Can you swim?'

MKG grinned. Let's go, fellahs 1'

' Devastation's dinghy won't be far,' I added.

It was unbelievably easy. MKG led. We made our way down the short passageway to the cabin which MKG shared with the SINS expert, who was at his general quarters station in the control-room. MKG flung open a suitcase, took out some documents, tied them into a plastic bag which previously had held a shirt, and thrust the parcel into his seakhakis' pocket. He scrabbled deeper and pulled out a flat wooden case.

You won't want a pistol,' Peace said.

This isn't an ordinary hand-gun.' He snapped it open. There, with 100 shells banked round, was the finest weapon I had ever seen. It looked like a pistol, but it had a bolt action.

Remington XP 100,' MKG said tersely._ 221 Fire Ball shells highest velocity ever fired by a hand-gun. Sort of holster rifle.'

Peace found another plastic shirt-cover in which he wrapped the gun, while MKG did the same to some other papers. In the passageway I felt naked. I wanted to rush. MKG sauntered casually, talking to Peace as if he were showing him the ship.

We reached the main forward bulkhead which separates the torpedo compartment from the rest of the ship-one of the five main watertight compartments into which the hull is divided. My stomach dropped as we stepped over the high lintel. Fear of discovery vied with fear of the unknown plunge into the sea which Peace had outlined. I shut the bulkhead door behind us. The narrow passageway ahead was lined with light-alloy bunks, their Pullman-type curtains drawn. The 20-foot-long Mk 18 torpedoes, loaded with 500 lbs of TNT in the head and driven by over a ton of mixed water, alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, seemed as outmoded as a spear compared to a carbine in the deadly complexity of Willowtrack's main armament. Two torpedo-men were checking the tubes. One of them paused, his hand on a big clamp. The news obviously hadn't reached them yet.

Hi, MKG! he called cheerfully. We fixed the homing gear in t'other sonofabitch. You were right on the pickle-barrel about the trouble.'

The other crewman grinned and Mica, acting magnificently, replied, Well, that's sure good, fellahs-the thing won't run and hit us in the ass, now.'

They all laughed. MKG said, You guys, I want you to meet Commander Peace, from the British sub. He's coming for a ride with us. Wants to see Willowtrack's escape gear.'

Can't leave this right now,' replied the other torpedoman. But Jeez, MKG-help yourself.'

Close t'hatch, willya-there's going to be some hammering in a moment,' added the first man.

Sure, boys, I'll do that.

We edged through a low steel door. Peace slammed it. In front of us was the ' trunk ', a heavy bronze tube running out of sight into the bulkhead. Hung round it from the steel beams were sacks of onions for the galley. It struck a homely note. Peace flung his weight against the big locking dogs and snapped open the hatch into the tube.

Aren't there any lights?' I asked.

Peace's voice came from inside. Somewhere here is a self-illuminating dial. Quick!'

MKG gave a quick glance about and edged in. I followed. Peace clamped the hatch shut behind us. I felt the smooth polish of the coffin-like interior. It is one thing to be shown an escape apparatus as an interested bystander, another to stake one's life on it. I wished I had listened more carefully to Bob Peters.

Here's the ladder to the upper hatch,' said Peace's disembodied voice. ' Wait, here's a toggle by the clock.' I heard the click of the switch and a faint light came on from the self-contained waterproof of batteries. The depth needle steadied as Willowtrack took up her periscope depth. The bronze glowed evilly in the poor light.

Strip!' ordered Peace.

MKG unzipped his khaki and I tugged at buttons. Then MKG stood in his underpants, the Remington in one hand and his two plastic-wrapped packets of documents in the other.

The gurgling of the forward trim tank echoed through the confined space.

Peace put his foot on the first rung of the ladder. ' Right? Remember, ballast-control will sense it as soon as I flood.'

He indicated two valves at chest level. When the pressure equalizes, open those and step out, John.'

Peace swung himself up. A locking wheel creaked. A stream of sea-water cascaded in. However hardened a submariner is, this is still the awful moment he fears above all else-when water comes rushing in., In a moment it was up to our knees.

Pressure-watch it!' called Peace.

My eyes went to the big dial. The needle was swinging upwards. God! It seemed loaded with lead!

The water rose to my thighs. Suddenly there was a new

note. The diving officer had detected the inrush of water.

He was pumping water from the for'ard trim tank.

Our discarded clothes, as if unwilling to be separated from us, clung soggily around our bodies. Peace spun the valve to its maximum. The water shot up to our armpits.

Pressure!'

My ears roared as the air compressed in the upper area of the trunk. I began to feel dizzy. Breathing was difficult. Blow and go!' commanded Peace.

I nodded to MKG and inadvertently took a deep breath. It was like a hot iron shoved into my chest. I started to cry out, but I knew I had to save every breath of air for the ascent. I plunged under, tugged hard at the wheel valve. It seemed to come away in my hand-it was in perfect order.

Don't hold your breath!' warned Peace.

I ducked under and spun the second locking valve. With quite unnecessary force I tugged at the escape door. It opened as if it had been counter-balanced. I paused. A faint sunlight glow of green came from above as I stood poised on the metal step. Then I lurched forward. An iron band clamped round my chest. The pain was acute. I let go my breath and shot upwards. Bubbles boiled from my mouth, uncontrollably. The pain vanished. It was like stepping into an ever-lightening room. Deep green changed to light, to turquoise, to blue-I was blinking in bright sunshine! I was on the surface. Devastation's black hull was close and our dinghy was stroking for it.

There was a splash near me-MKG! He screwed up his eyes, grinned and swam awkwardly to me, keeping the Remington and his papers clear. Before he could speak, Peace broke surface.

He laughed. Blow and go! You need a tranquillizer beforehand, Commander!'

Peace cupped his hands. 'Devastation! Boat ahoy! Here!'

In reaction, I found myself laughing out loud at the stunned surprise of the four ratings. They gazed unbelievingly as our clothes appeared one garment by one in slow motion from the depths.

The men dug their paddles in. The petty officer in charge burst out, Strike a bleeding light! It's. Commander. Peace!'

Jesus!' exclaimed a rating.

The third poised his paddle in mid-stroke. ' The skipper'e' s become a flaming merman!'

' Slap it about!' retorted Peace good-humouredly. Just testing Willowtrack's escape gear. Here, haul us aboard.' The petty officer looked uncertainly at MKG "Im too, sir?'

Peace grinned "Im too. Now-Devastation! Smartly, lads.

The boat sped across the water. There was a burst of chatter from the men on the deck casing. Peace, naked except for his underpants, stood up.

Peters, on the flying bridge, stood thunderstruck. ' Sir l'

This is an exercise!' yelled Peace. Clear the casing!

Clear the bridge! Stand by to dive!'

We hustled unceremoniously through the forward hatch.

The diving alarm sounded as we reached the control-room.

Peace, dripping water, went to the diving-stand.

Peters's agitated voice came through the bridge speaker.

Control-Bridge. All clear topside.'

Officers; automatically carrying out the drill, did not take their eyes off Peace. They-and the crew-would talk about this until it became a legend.

Jettison the anchor!' snapped Peace.

Jettison the anchor-aye aye, sir!' repeated a startled junior officer and spoke rapidly to the torpedo-room. No time to rig the ship to dive and compensate her. Peace was taking her down like a train, relying on his own skill and the diving officer's.

' Shut the induction, Bob!' he ordered.

The toggle on the BCP went over; the hatch clanged to. Open the vents!' said Peace. Take her down! Periscope depth! Left full rudder! Ahead flank! Course two-sevenzero. Smartly!'

The diving officer's hands raced across the panel. Engineroom annunciators flicked to maximum speed. I felt the propeller bite and Devastation, badly out of trim but diving hard, swung in a half-circle to take her westwards out of the bay. Peace called, Sounding!'

Forty feet!'

There were less than thirty under us! If a coral finger projected from this uncharted bottom… Follow the bottom down to the thirty-fathom mark. I want continuous soundings.' Peace beckoned to me. ' It's thirty fathoms for about a mile westwards of the point. After that it falls away to a couple of thousand. I'm taking her deep.'

You don't think Tyler hasn't heard all this fuss of our getaway?' I asked sombrely. Willowtrack is good-bloody good Geoffrey.

Tyler will come after us, you can be sure of that,' he replied tersely. Sonar?'

Confused echoes bearing one-eight-zero degrees, range two thousand yards. Can't make anything of it yet, sir!'

Two thousand yards! That meant we had a flying start over Willowtrack. Sonar is not accurate under 2,000 yards. Willowtrack would be having our own listening problems, exaggerated by the racing propeller and St Brandon's broken agglomeration of coral-heads, islets and reefs. On our present course, however, we would soon be in deep water. Peace knew that the hot sun must have created a thermal layer in the water offshore anything up to 200 feet deep. Sound even the sound of our full-ahead engines-would be distorted, reflected, deflected, by this layer. I guessed he would play the layer to the full, but he would lose it pretty soon if he headed deep and far from the land as apparently he was doing. For the moment, however, we were safe by virtue of our high-tailing start. It was a respite, no more.

Peters came across and said formally to Peace, outlined against the unreal glow of green and red from the instruments, Wish to report, sir, radio out of action.'

' How?' The dark shadows masked Peace's eyes and the strange light emphasized his cheek-bones, so that he looked like some avenging angel at the controls.

' While you were aboard Willowtrack, sir, Williams was on duty. Maybe he didn't hear her coming

Her!' I gasped.

Peters became agitated: Mam'zelle Adele, sir. She broke into the radio-room with a pistol.

A Colt with a hocked hammer, I'll bet,' said Peace grimly.

Williams didn't hear, sir-maybe he was dozing from the effects of the long shifts he's worked. Before he knew where he was, she'd hit him over the head with the butt and dragged him out here-' he jerked his head towards the steel door of the radio-room-' and before we could do anything, she had locked the door. She's been there ever since.'

My God!' exclaimed Peace. His glance went across to me, and then to the. Remington case in MKG's hands. Better stay out of this, John.'

No,' I shouted. No! You can't-'

Peters said levelly, ' I've tried to reason with her, sir. She merely says that if anyone breaks in, she'll shoot.'

Peace took the pistol case from MKG. Eyes left their instruments as he dropped a heavy 221 Fire Ball shell on to the breech platform, tilted the barrel down, and snicked the bolt shut.

I grabbed at the heavy weapon. ' Geoffrey, you can't…!'

His eyes were blank as he turned on me. There are a hundred men whose safety depends on-' He inclined his head towards the locked door. You are only one. So is. she. Stand by!'

Peters and MKG grabbed me by the arms.

He strode over to the radio-room and raised the Reining-ton. Open!' he called. Open-or I fire!'

I found myself struggling and shouting as a voice answered from inside in the deadly quiet of the Control Centre.

Then the door flew open and Adele stood there, the Colt in her hand.

Drop it!' I yelled. 'Adele, drop it, or he'll shoot!'

She smiled and threw the Colt at Peace's feet. Ah,

Commander,' she said quietly.

I wrenched free and darted across. Peace swung the

Remington's short barrel so that it arched over both of us. Stand back!'

She said matter-of-factly to Peace, 'You saw the signal about yourself-the funeral?'

Yes.' There was no inflexion in his voice.

As soon as I read it, I guessed Tyler would think you a fake-whatever you said,' she went on. She looked across at MKG. Is that the Vice-President?'

Yes.'

I'm glad you got him out.'

Suddenly Peace dropped the barrel of the wicked-looking weapon and with his free hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close. He burst out laughing. ' By all the devilfish in Limuria!' he exclaimed. So it was you! You jammed Willowtrack to give me time!'

She laughed too, glancing a little uncertainly at me. I knew, after what you had said, that the Exec wouldn't allow me near the radio. Extreme measures were called for. So I took the pistol. Williams-is he hurt?'

No, just stunned.' He looked at her= in amazement and admiration. And I thought..

He clunked back the bolt of the Remington and spat on the tip of the shell.

She grinned. Epitaph for a spy!'

Thanks to you, we've got a start on Tyler,' Peace went on quickly. And it'll need all our brains to outsmart him.'

Suddenly he seemed to become aware of his naked torso. He grinned at her. Clothes-captain's cabin! Come on, MKG, Bob, Adele-don't just stand there, John, pick up that darned gun of hers and come!'

She smiled and hooked her arm in mine. We all went through to Peach's cabin. Peace talked from the shower 107 cubicle as he pulled on fresh clothes, handing some to MKG also. He outlined to Peters what had happened aboard Willowtrack. He re-entered the cabin, with MKG, who was silent, thoughtful.

We've got to fight this like a man with one hand tied behind his back,' Peace observed. MKG interrupted gravely, Commander, there is to be no shooting.'

Tyler is acting from the best of motives-I know that,' replied Peace. His first duty, as he sees it, is to protect the Vice-President. Now he's on our tail. But thanks to Adele, he hasn't had the opportunity to get off a message.'

It's a question of trying to out-think and out-guess him until I can get a message to the President,' began MKG. Tyler must be reassured from the highest level.'

He'll take a lot of reassurance,' said Peace grimly. ' You saw that for yourself. Not even your word, MKG, was good enough for him. Our escape won't make it easier. He is convinced we are a couple of spies who have shanghaied the

Vice-President.'

I found my voice at last. Adele still kept her arm in mine. Tyler won't-can't-shoot for fear of injuring you.'

Peters said quietly, Devastation has taken aboard an awful responsibility, sir.'

The decision is mine, Bob,' replied MKG. ' The responsibility likewise is mine. Remember that.'

Peters glowed under the strange magnetism of the man.

Aye aye, sir. Once Tyler's news gets around, we'll have a power of people against us.'

MKG smiled and turned and turned to Peace. What's in your mind-Willowtrack-wise, Commander?'

Peace found a chart from his desk and smoothed out the parchment. North-eastwards, St Brandon stretched for about

25 miles, shaped like a primitive bludgeon, narrow one end, thick the other. From Raphael, one of the few inhabited islands, Peace and I had explored the great barrier reef from an island pirogue; a wild jumble of coral-heads, racing seas and small passages amid bursting spray. A plume of foam, held fifty feet aloft by the trade wind, streamed perpetually across the eastern side of the reef-thundering, booming, drenching. Old Andre, the only fisherman Peace could induce to take us because of local superstition about the reef, had commended his soul to God at the wild sight. But we had discovered-and partially charted-an unknown inlet in the coral about five miles long and one broad. It had a seaward entrance. There was, however, nothing on ordinary 108 charts to show it existed. When he had recovered himself, old Andre assured us with a grin that this knowledge of the reef passage was as good as a pension-a fish pension, he called it-for now he knew rich fishing-grounds where no other islander dared venture.

MKG read out an annotation on the side of Peace's chart. `

No vessel dare approach this seaward face of the reef.' His eyes held the question. Peters was uneasy.

Peace replied obliquely, Our first task is to try and shake off Willowtrack.

Easy to say,' I interjected. ' Tyler's the best-'

I could see by the set line of Peace's jaw how worried he was. He replied quietly, If Tyler catches either Devastation with the Vice-President or Semitiante with Little Bear, our game is up. Semitiantes course is west of St Brandon-we're heading east. If Tyler

…' He shrugged off the thought.

Our immediate task is to lay a trail away from Semitiante and at the same time give Tyler the slip.'

Go for deep water,' suggested Peters.

Peace shook his head. In deep sea Willowtrack is certain to pick us up. We must stick to St Brandon, our best bet.

Already we're starting to get clear of ground echoes and the mush of sound which comes from the reef, which means that

Tyler can hear us. Willowtrack is faster than Devastation. All Tyler needs to do if we head deep is to sit on our tail. He won't lose us once we're a firm contact, you can lay any money. Even if Devastation flees right across the Indian Ocean at maximum depth, Tyler will stick. If I try and make a break, he's got the heels of me. If I surface, he'll surface. He will stop at nothing to get the Vice-President safely back in his hands. Everything we've done has served to confirm that we've kidnapped him.'

I ran a finger-nail up the chart showing the jagged 25 miles of St Brandon's reef. So you're going to lose him among this lot, Geoffrey?'

I'll try,' he replied.

MKG screwed up his eyes in that far-horizon way of his and spoke to Adele. Your jamming was a fine bit of work.

You see, I cannot signal the White House in my special code before a fixed time at sunset every evening. We've still about six hours to wait. Once the President knows what the situation is, he can instruct the Navy to call off Tyler.'

Why not simply radio the President now?' I asked.

MKG shook his head..` When I left, the President and I arranged that the sunset time only would be used.' He gestured towards the documents in his plastic bag. Not even the Navy knows the code. The President and I have a special preamble, just to make sure that if anyone got hold of that, it would still be recognized as bogus.'

Adele said, Let me signal the White House, in plain language, now.'

Look at it from the other point of view-from Tyler's. A signal reaches New London submarine HQ from Tyler saying the Vice-President has been snatched by-' he grinned at us-' by a couple of Red agents. Meantime, should a plain signal, without my special code, also come in, that would smell to high heaven! If I were the President in such circumstances, that, plus Tyler's statements, would certainly add up to a kidnapping.'

As we spoke, Peace was becoming more restive. He said sharply, ' MKG, I don't think the others know just how much Little Bear and the SNAP project mean to us. You're still going along with it, aren't you?'

MKG nodded. Provided all is above-board with the White House. I'm willing to keep the secret tight before Tyler shoots off his mouth and ruins everything.'

' Good!' exclaimed Peace. But there'll be no signalling while I dodge Tyler. One radio emissioin will give Tyler a fix which will enable him to pinpoint us within a couple of miles. Today is February 6th; on February 16th we will launch Little Bear, as scheduled.'

MKG seemed taken aback at Peace's tone. There is one exception to what you're saying, Commander. My signal to the White House goes out each day at sunset, irrespective.'

I now recalled Peace's attitude when the DNI had insisted on the one reservation in the mission as far as MKG was concerned, namely, that he had the right at any time to call it off if he felt it was prejudicing his high office or the nation. We seemed to be stumbling over the same obstacle again.

' We'll get it off somehow,' he replied, so perfunctorily that all my doubts remained. Would he dare? Not even Peace, I told myself, for all his faith and devotion to Little Bear and its enormous implications for the future of two great navies, would dare run counter to MKG'S express wishes.

' Bob, John,' went on Peace, changing the subject abruptly, ' look at this chart-'

Peters broke in, If you're trying to evade Willowtrack, why are you going full ahead now and kicking up such a racket that she's bound to hear it, if she hasn't done so already?'

The old thrill of the chase was upon me. Peters was vibrating with interest. MKG became excited, controlled, as 110

Peace outlined his escape plan. It was, I believe, the point at which he failed to appreciate Peace's deadly single-mindedness about Little Bear and SNAP. At the moment I'm manufacturing a " knuckle " of sound,' he said. I'll lead Willowtrack on.'

I too was carried away. I've sailed with this foxy bastard.' I grinned across at Peace. He's laying a false trail right now. I'd say that Willowtrack at this moment is picking up on her sonar a confused but distinguishable echo-on a steady line, heading deep. That echo, however, won't be clear enough-' Peace nodded confirmation of my outline of his tactics-' for her to be sure that it's Devastation, but it's strong enough to give Tyler a pretty fair hunch. Then, suddenly, Devastation will go full astern-'

Hard astern after full ahead makes a sort of " solid sound ". Willowtrack will come right up against a wall of sound while we go ultra-quiet-every blasted thing off which makes a noise, the men without their shoes, even-and we sneak away up the coastline. We stay close to the barrier reef so that the seas breaking against it mask our getaway.'

Are breaking seas enough?' asked MKG.

These waves on St Brandon reef will sound like all hell on sonar,' Peace added. Heavy as a Force Six sea.'

What's the weather up to?' I asked.

Peters smiled at Adele. When I last had access to the radio-room, met. at Chagos reported a big cyclone build-up beginning.'

MKG's eyes again screwed up. Little Bear is an act of faith with me,' he said tersely. The rest of us stared, under the spell of the man. ' I have to take that space-ride. It's not only the weapon; science is the faith which put me where I am today, and Little Bear is its supreme justification'

My eyes were on Peace. The hard mouth softened a little and his eyes glowed. Peace would stop at nothing to launch

Little Bear.

If you give Revs the slip, Commander, what then?' asked MKG.

Semittante' exclaimed Peace. ' I must have Semitiante' MKG held up his hand. The moment Tyler misses you, don't you think he won't go for exactly the same target Semitiante? She's as important as I am in this hunt, perhaps even more so, for if he can locate Semittante, he can put paid to the mission without crossing swords with me. Tyler will sanitize the ocean between here and Love-Apple Crossing.

Don't underestimate Tyler.'

Tyler-you heard him say it himself-hasn't any forward briefing on the mission beyond the St Brandon rendezvous,'

Peace replied. That was his main cause for suspicion. He is unaware of two vital points of information: where Semitiante is, or where the launch is to take place. He's got a hell of a lot of ocean to sift, either way.'

At thirty knots, plus all her search equipment, Willow- track will pick up Semitiante before we do,' MKG said. Revs knows-you told him-that Semitiante had cleared Mauritius a few days ago.'

Let me send Semittante a bogus radio message in French and arrange a rendezvous between ourselves and her,' Adele suggested.

No,' replied Peace. One radio emission-' he drew his hand across his throat-' and we've had it. Another thing I know that Tyler doesn't: since the days of my piratical ancestor Sir John Peace, and the corsair Surcouf, the seas round St Brandon have had a bad name, especially the eastern coastline where we're now headed. I'm certain that Semitiante will avoid the east and take the western side of St Brandon. It's more likely still, seeing the weather is deteriorating.' Peace rounded on Peters. Bob, once we've shaken off Willowtrack, Devastation will become a liability to the launch. From then on, you take over command from me.'

Peters looked disappointed, puzzled. Aye aye, sir. But what about you?' he asked MKG. I'd like to be there to see you safely launched, sir.'

We-myself, MKG, John Adele-will trans-ship from

Devastation to my yacht Bellatrix. I gave Trevor-Davis his orders and I know exactly where to intercept her.

I pored over the chart, Adele with me. As I see it,' I said, we are at the moment about three hundred miles from the original rendezvous-point with Semitiante.

Correct,' said Peace. That rendezvous was a hundred miles south of Love-Apple Crossing.'

Peace pulled out another, smaller-scale chart and I did a quick calculation. I stabbed at a point north of Love-Apple Crossing. Bellatrix's route lies between Love-Apple Crossing and Agalega; the two islands are about fifty miles apart. Bellatrix's course is a constant factor in our plans.'

The intercom broke in imperatively. Peace listened, slapped it down. Willowtrack's closing. We've work to do.'

Peace, MKG and Peters hurried out. I waited behind for a moment. I smoothed Adele's sun-bleached hair. She raised her face to mine. Peace can't win,' she said softly. ' I don't believe MKG will go through with it. Remember what the DNI said-if MKG'S secret were known, Tyler would call in the whole of the Seventh Fleet.

I half-opened my mouth to tell her my fears about Peace, but stopped. ' I've sailed with him before,' I replied slowly, and when I thought he was dead, I still said to the petty officer in the DNI's garden, Peace is a brave, dangerous, ruthless bastard who has killed more men than he can remember.'