Distant Thunder

53

Stone’s phone rang again.

“Lance?” Dino asked.

“Yes.” Stone picked up the phone. “Now what?”

“Calm down, Stone,” Lance said soothingly. “Anger is self-destructive.”

“Well, I’m looking for somebody else to destroy,” Stone said. “Have you got any suggestions as to who or how we’re going to be attacked?”

“Well, you’re pretty exposed out there. You could take the tourist plane back, I guess. No, wait. It’s always fully booked.”

“Anything else?”

“A moving target is harder to hit. Why don’t you weigh anchor and get the hell out of there?”

“Finally, a sensible suggestion from somebody! Captain!” Stone shouted into the intercom. “Weigh anchor and sail for Key West and the sub base! Warp speed!”

“Yes, sir!” Engines were started, and a grinding noise signaled the anchor coming up. They moved toward the channel and sailed around the fort, then headed east.

“Let’s get back to the main deck,” Stone said, gathering up a couple of the rifles. “We’re too noticeable up here.”

They all clambered down the stairs and disported themselves around the fantail. Vanessa stripped off her bikini top, and Viv got Dino with a backhand when he turned to look at the half-naked woman. Stone enjoyed the view.

Captain Todd came to them. “We’re making fifteen knots through the water,” he said, “but we’re using a hell of a lot of fuel. Shall we bear the expense?”

“Damn the torpedoes and the expenses,” Stone said, “full speed ahead!”

“I think we’ve got enough fuel to make the sub base,” the skipper said.

“Think?” Stone said. “I think we’d better know! There’s no fuel between here and Key West.”

“Okay, I know,” Todd said. “We’ll have an hour’s fuel when we get there.”

“You’d better arrange for the oiler to meet us at the sub base, in case we have to run for it again.”

“Done.” The skipper beat a retreat before Stone could think of other orders.

“This is just wonderful,” Vanessa said, leaning back to get the most sun. Stone was hoping she’d take off the bikini bottom, too, but he didn’t want to rile Viv further by asking her to.

“Wonderful,” Vanessa said again.

Stone scanned the horizon behind them. “Wonderful, except for that,” he said, nodding at a black dot behind them on the horizon. “Distant thunder.”

“What?” Dino asked. “I don’t see anything.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t get any bigger,” Stone said. Fifteen minutes later, it was bigger.

“I see it,” Dino said. “How fast do you think he’s going?”

“Faster than we are,” Stone said. “Let’s hope she’s burning fuel as fast as we are, too.”

They watched the dot grow larger, then, an hour later, become, identifiably, a boat.

“Looks like a trawler of some kind,” Dino said, holding up a pair of the yacht’s binoculars.

“Let’s hope so. Trawlers aren’t all that fast,” Stone replied.

The boat grew larger. “Dino,” Stone said, “please go below and get the bomb, and bring it and all its pieces up here.”

“Do you know how to put it together?” Dino asked.

“No, but Vanessa does.”

Vanessa opened an eye. “Did I hear my name mentioned?”

“Yes. Dino has gone to get the bomb. It will be your job to get it in working order, and pretty quick, too. In the meantime, we’ll use you for distraction.”

“Okay. You want me to take my bottoms off, too?”

“Sure,” Stone replied offhandedly, “why not?”

Viv seemed to have dozed off. Dino would be glad.

Dino made the main deck again and tiptoed to the fantail, holding a paper shopping bag by the handles. Viv dozed on.

“I’m going to need a towel and some tools,” Vanessa said. “The tools are in my ready bag.”

“Dino?” Stone said. “Ready bag?” He tossed Vanessa the smallest towel he could find, and she spread it over her lap and shook out the contents of the paper bag onto it.

Dino returned with the ready kit and handed it to her, obviously disappointed with the location of the towel.

“Now, let’s see,” Vanessa said. “How does this go?”

Stone winced. Dino looked horrified.