Poseidon's Ransom

Chapter Two

Summers in the West of Scotland are short lived and generally far cooler than the rest of the country. The stiff breeze coming off the waters of Gare Loch chilled the air and the gathering clouds heralded another wet day.

HMS Poseidon rested at its mooring in the Faslane Naval Base. The watery sunlight, glinting on the sleek black hull gave off a benign appearance that belied the true capability of this deadly war machine.

The jeep came to a stop a few yards from the gangway. The two Naval Police came smartly to attention and snapped a salute as the officer stepped out of the vehicle. Returning the salute, the officer walked onto the gangway as his smartphone beeped.

In his cabin, Commander Gordon Dowling fought to stay calm. He’d been in many stressful situations throughout his career and always managed to control his emotions and respond professionally. He was known for his cool and calm leadership. But this was different. This was personal. This was his family. The call on the gangway had shocked him, the voice of the American, speaking matter-of-factly about killing his wife and sons.

‘Stay calm and act normally, Commander,’ he’d been told.

The knock on the door broke into his thoughts. He cleared his throat and said, ‘Come.’

The door slid open and Stephen Pike, the First Officer entered. Pike’s face was solemn. He closed the door and said, ‘Is this for real?’

Dowling and Pike had served together for the last three years but had known each other for more than fifteen. They were not only colleagues, but close friends.

‘Take a seat, Steve.’ Dowling went to the small fridge and took out two bottles of water. Handing one to Pike, he said, ‘What did they tell you?’

Pike’s face looked drained. He ran his hand over his bald head and exhaled deeply. ‘They have my mother and father… To do as instructed… Not to call the police. To come and speak to you.’

Dowling swallowed half the contents of the bottle, then fiddled with the cap as he looked at his second in command. ‘They have Kathy and my boys. They said they’d kill them if I didn’t comply with instructions.’

Pike leaned back in the small chair, ‘And what were they?’

‘To do nothing and wait until you came to me. Further instructions would follow. For a split second I thought you had something to do with this.’

‘Are you serious, Gordon?’

The shocked look on the First Officer’s face brought a, ‘Sorry, Steve,’ from Dowling, ‘Christ, what the hell d’ these bastards want?’