“Yeah, those jokers. Those fish boys. Bunch of nancies, if you ask me.”
As the fishing fleet and the boats from the village came closer, everyone relaxed. Jack looked over and saw the crewmen of both Peter the Great and Shiloh were also lining the rails, weapons relaxed as they stared in awe at the approaching wave of humanity.
“Ooh,” the young sailor said beside Jack. The boy rubbed his belly as he spied the roasted pigs and birds that filled the boats from the island. The music seemed South Pacific in its natural sounds of whistles, drums, and flutes. Russian sailors started cheering their guests as they came on. Even the Americans on Shiloh cheered.
Ropes were thrown from both landside and seaward as the boats came in. Russian sailors tied off the ropes and then threw over old rope ladders and lowered the gangway as close to the violet sea as they could get. Sailors started assisting women, men, and children aboard the Russian battle cruiser. Food by the boatload was handed up to the happy men of the Simbirsk.
“It seems our hosts have invited themselves to dinner, Colonel.”
Collins and his company turned and saw that Captain Kreshenko had joined them. He was wearing a white shirt with his rank on the collar. His first officer, Dishlakov, was at his side.
“It does seem, Captain,” Jack said as he turned back and watched the joyous, very much smaller men and women step aboard the largest object they had ever seen before. They touched the rough steel of her turrets and the wood of her deck. They were amazed by the portholes and bridge windows. Several of the more agile men climbed up cables, jabbered something in their native tongue, which would elicit laughs from their visitors, and then the brave man suddenly jumped from the cable and dove forty feet into the violet waters accompanied by many a cheer from the Russians, the British, and the Americans.
The fishing fleet tied up, and load upon load of fish was handed up to waiting arms. Fruits, vegetables, and other exotic growth were brought on board.
“Perhaps we can set aside suspicions and our natural animosity for one evening, Colonel. I will inform your Captain Johnson that he and his off-duty crewmen may join us. Unarmed, of course.”
“Of course. And I’m sure Captain Johnson would be happy to accept.”
“Of course, we will see to it that the on-duty personnel on board Shiloh receive their share of this marvelous bounty.”
With that, Captain Kreshenko and Second Captain Dishlakov turned and left.
Jack turned to Carl, and the SEAL and just shrugged. “A breakthrough?”
Collins only raised a brow to the observation.
“Huh. He probably just wants to separate the crew of Shiloh and then murder us all during the freakin’ dessert course,” Jenks mumbled and then went to assist an older woman on board as she struggled with her grip on one of the old rope ladders.
Ryan watched the master chief and then turned to face Jack and Carl.
“He might just have a point about being whacked at dessert. I think I saw that movie.”
* * *
The foredeck of Simbirsk was covered in old World War II green blankets that had once been donated by the United States to her Russian allies at the opening of the war against Nazi Germany. Food of varying varieties extended fifty yards and covered an immense section of deck. Kreshenko had allowed another hundred sailors from Peter the Great to join them, and they and Shiloh’s crew eyed each other from opposite sides of the blankets. The villagers and the men from their mining operations and their fishing fleet were interspersed with both crews and seemed not to notice the distrust among them. It was obvious distrust was not something these gentle people understood. The gathering had made Jack wary because he didn’t know what the natives’ play was. It was almost as if they sensed these men were different from those previous thugs that had introduced a form of slavery to their island. Collins knew he felt an obligation to their cause but could not find an avenue that could help them, other than all-out war with their Russian companions. That would ensure that none of them ever saw home again.
Jack’s eyes continually roamed the faces on deck, but thus far, there was no sign that Colonel Salkukoff intended to join them. Also missing was Professor Gervais and most of the Russian commandos. Jack pointed this fact out to Everett, who agreed that he too had noticed.
One point of decent news was the fact that for the past half hour, Captains Kreshenko and Johnson were in deep conversation as they walked the deck, speaking only where they were assured they were alone.
Both crews seemed to be accepting of their guests. Americans and Russians alike were kind and very amused by the antics of the villagers. Food by the pound was being consumed by all. Baked fish and other delicacies were placed on steel plates supplied by the engineers, and acetylene torches were used to the amazement of the fishermen and others to heat the fresh bounty of the strangest fish species any of them had ever seen. They were strange enough that Charlie Ellenshaw cringed every time one of these was thrown hissing onto the hot steel. He was running from man to man, trying to see what it was they had caught before the fish vanished forever before his inspection. Crazy Charlie was so excited that he had men from both nations laughing at the way in which he tried inspecting everything before it was consumed. He even went as far as taking a plate from a Russian sailor and looking it over, much to the shock of the man eating it. Still, the crews seemed at ease enough for the moment to excuse the excesses of the past two days.
Jack was also smiling as he watched the excitement of his friend. That was when he saw Henri standing aloof next to the number-one turret. He was in the dark far beyond the powerful deck lighting. Collins silently stood and placed his hand on Carl’s shoulder to keep him from following.
“It looks like our Frenchman has something on his mind. I’ll be right back.”
Jack walked over and stood next to Farbeaux as the Frenchman watched the festivities.
“A beautiful people,” was all he said.
“Yes, they are. It’s a shame our kind has interfered here,” Jack said as he watched a group of young girls no older than ten dance for the sailors to raucous cheers. The female members of Shiloh wowed the young girls with parcels full of makeup and small mirrors. It seemed the vagaries of female social standards translated well to species rather than the situation.
“Coming from our world, it seems we should be used to the loss of innocence. We have learned acceptance of a certain amount and go on justifying it in that manner,” Henri said as he exhaled deeply. He finally turned and faced Jack. “Professor Gervais is dead.”
Collins forced himself to relax as he stepped closer to the Frenchman. “Not by your hand, I hope,” he said as he felt the anger already start to well up inside.
“I do not kill harmless old fools, Colonel. You should know that about me by now. No, the good professor hung himself right next to the phase shift engine.”
Jack exhaled and then leaned against the bridge bulkhead. “Suicide,” he said as he inwardly damned himself by not making Jenks stay close to Gervais at all times. Now, so many answers and a possible ally in their escaping this mess were gone.
“Yes, but it seems strange that four fingers on his right and two on the left were snapped in half. Do you suppose he had difficulty in tying the noose around his neck?”
“You saying it was forced?”
“In the circles I have been privy to, Colonel, men such as Gervais never commit suicide. They blame, they become sorrowful for what they have done, some turn to Jesus, others to the bottle, but most never go out that way—too much of a coward. No, he was murdered.”
“My investigation says suicide, Colonel Farbeaux. Otherwise, you would have been the first person questioned if there were the least bit of suspicion as to the cause of death.”
Jack frowned as he realized the Russian had come upon them unheard. He could see Henri tense up at the sudden appearance of Salkukoff and his six commandos. Two of them were removing the covered body of Gervais from down below.
&n
bsp; “Unfortunate, to say the least,” Jack said as he turned and faced Salkukoff.
“He has served his purpose on this mission, Colonel Collins. He has confirmed the phase shift system is still functional. His recommendation to me an hour before he decided to exit this world was that we could make the attempt at getting back to our own dimension at any time.”
“That has yet to be agreed upon by my engineer, Master Chief Jenks.”
Salkukoff smiled and placed his hands behind his back and then rocked on his heels.
“I’m afraid your calculations are far beyond your understanding of the situation, Colonel Collins. You assume that you still have jurisdiction in this matter. Your right of salvage, I think you quoted upon our initial meeting.”
Jack remained quiet, as he knew this wasn’t his play. It was Salkukoff’s.
“For tonight, we will allow these men to enjoy themselves.” He started to turn. “It would be a shame for us to have hostilities while our innocent guests are aboard.” He started walking and then stopped and faced Collins and Farbeaux once more. “After all, they have a hard enough life as it is facing the Wasakoo.”
“The very same Wasakoo you turned into pirates?”
“That was a fortunate coincidence. The Wasakoo had already stumbled up the book on board Simbirsk during the original experiment. We just happened to take advantage of it. The idiots actually think Treasure Island is like a bible of sorts. Pretty adventurous of them, agreed? Good evening, gentlemen.”
They watched the Russian and his escort of killers move away and smile and taste the offered food. Two more went the long way around while carrying the covered body of Gervais.
“May I assume the good colonel knows a little more than he did just last night?” Henri inquired. “I think we just met the architect of this whole situation. The Wasakoo—do you think he even knew he spilled the beans?”
“All he did was confirm the facts we already know, Colonel. I mean, who could make something like the Wasakoo up? I mean, if I made up a name, I would have chosen Klingon, or Romulan, or the Sith, or something.” Jack smiled.
“I am always amazed at the way in which you come to your conclusions, Colonel. Totally amazed.”
Jack merely walked away without further comment. Henri watched and then slowly followed, shaking his head at the irreverent way he joked during the most stressful times.
* * *
The radar operators on both Peter the Great and Shiloh were relieved early for their chance to join the visitors and eat their food. In the confusion of operators changing shifts, they all missed the large red blip that appeared and then vanished just as quickly.
Death was over the far horizon and was watching them closely.
* * *
Salkukoff and his commandos had transferred the body of Professor Gervais to a waiting whaleboat. Twenty-six commandos sat waiting for Salkukoff to join them as the colonel conferred with Captain Kreshenko.
“I have concerns, Colonel Salkukoff. Even though my men are jovial at the moment, I don’t expect them to take the news of this apparent suicide well. They all knew of the professor’s importance in getting them back home. Morale will plummet.”
“That is why we are removing the body to Peter the Great for storage. Allow your sailors this time to forget about their situation and enjoy the company of these”—he paused as he gestured to the hundred small boats tied to the anchored ships—“people.”
Kreshenko watched as Salkukoff waited for more questions, but the captain merely stepped back to allow the colonel his way. He watched the dark-haired man step easily into the whaleboat and then turned away. He paused when he saw the Frenchman looking at him in the light of the strangely shattered moon overhead—even stranger now that the smashed orb was rising higher into the sky with its trailing tail of moon debris.
“Interesting man,” Henri said as he stepped forward and faced the Russian sea captain.
“Interesting term, maybe? But the man is one who I’ve known for a very long time. Maybe not him, but others like him. They have been hiding in the shadows since the fall of the old regime.” Kreshenko looked directly into the Frenchman’s blue eyes. “These are men who rejoice in the troubles and sorrows of our world.” He started forward to rejoin the men at the bow and their revelry with the villagers but stopped as he came astride Henri. “I suspect he would have little or no compunction to bring that chaotic philosophy to this world also.”
“Captain?”
Kreshenko stopped but did not turn.
“We all may have to make some hard choices in the next few hours.”
Kreshenko allowed his shoulders to slump as the Frenchman made it clear that their survival might just depend on him and only him. But still the captain moved off in silence.
Farbeaux turned and went to the stern railing of the old warship and watched as the whaleboat started off toward Peter the Great. He saw the boat pause momentarily, and then it slowly moved off again. His eyes went to the anchored Shiloh and saw that her above-deck crew were relaxed, as most of them had just returned from the fabulous feast brought to them by the villagers. Again, his eyes turned away and watched the violet-whitish foam from the Russian boat as it vanished around the port side of Peter the Great.
“Is it bothering you as much as it is me?”
Henri heard Jack’s voice but remained fixed on Peter the Great five hundred yards away. “If you knew my thoughts at the moment, Colonel, you wouldn’t like them.”
Collins stepped up and stood next to the Frenchman. Although Jack would never fully trust Henri, he knew his instincts were infallible when it came to pegging the intentions of bad people. He knew Farbeaux was one of those bad men who used common sense in the way he did business.
“Where will he strike first?” Jack asked as his eyes also remained on the giant missile cruiser anchored across the way.
“It will not be where we suspect it will come, Colonel,” Henri said as he finally turned away from the sea and faced Jack. “That man cannot allow even his own people to return to our world. They have seen and heard far too much. Whoever is pulling Salkukoff’s strings wants their venture here and their treasonous activities toward Moscow kept quiet. And I suspect that for many years they have excelled in doing just that—silencing those who know of them.”
“Kreshenko?”
“I don’t know what is running through that man’s mind. He’s disciplined, he’s loyal to a fault, and he is a career navy man. I suspect Captain Everett or that little naval aviator, Ryan, would have a better chance at getting into his head.”
“I’ve recommended that already. One thing is for sure: until we have an accurate guess as to what that murderous bastard has planned for us, we need Captain Kreshenko to make the right choice.”
Henri chuckled as he gestured for Jack to precede him back to the bow and the festivities there.
“So, we are hoping for a career Russian military officer to make the right choice between helping us Westerners or committing wholesale treason?”
“That about sums it up, Colonel.”
“Luckily, there is a precedent that shows the average Russian is capable of a little revolt against authority on occasion.”
“That, Colonel, sir, is what we are banking on.”
* * *
Sailors from both nations helped the villagers load their belongings into their small boats. The native people of this strange world were not going home empty-handed. Americans and Russians both gave freely of their own possessions. Children were leaving with so much candy, cakes baked by both mess crews, and other items such as mirrors and clothing. The villagers were now wearing everything from New York Yankees caps to Russian national hockey team jerseys. The natives were leaving with assorted pots, pans, and utensils that amazed and wowed each and every one of them. The sailors waved their good-byes from the railings of both Simbirsk and Shiloh.
Captain Kreshenko, who had not said a word to anyone during the final stages of this diplom
atic endeavor, allowed the men of Peter the Great and Shiloh to continue to mix. There were now well over three hundred men comprising both crews on the old battle cruiser. They mingled and spoke in broken English among themselves, and as sailors, they all had similar stories of their duties and of home. Even Captain Johnson and his officers were enjoying learning more about Russian procedures. Even more surprising was the fact that the strict Captain Kreshenko allowed it.
Charlie Ellenshaw was abnormally silent as he stood alone watching the sails of the fishing boats grow smaller in the moonlight. He leaned heavily against the railing and didn’t notice the master chief step up next to him. The old navy man was eating something that resembled a banana but was totally dark green in color, but looked ripe after peeling.
“I didn’t see you eat anything tonight, Nerdly.”
Charlie turned and saw the master chief and shook his head. “Sometimes I don’t know how you and Colonel Collins can do it.”
“What’s that?” Jenks asked as he tossed the green banana peel into the sea.
“Professor Gervais. I believe he was a kind and gentle man who was murdered because of someone’s political or military aims. I feel terrible I spoke to him in the manner in which I did. Just terrible.”
“I’ll excuse you for that one, Doc, since you are an endangered species of hippie and all of that. We do it because if we don’t, others will meet the same fate as the good professor. This is a screwed-up world we live in, even here in this whacked-out place. And I know you probably think Gervais was a good man forced to do bad things, but that’s the choice most people in the scientific field must decide on for themselves. Now, as for what I would do?” Jenks paused and lit his after-dinner cigar. “Simple—I would have blown the whole project to hell and back before doing what he did. All he had to do was say something.” Jenks slapped Charlie on the back. “I think you’re one of those opposite-thinking kind, Nerdly. I think you would have screamed to high heaven if you knew about this experiment. And that, Chucky, would have gotten you a note on a toe tag in the morgue.”
“Thank you … I think,” Ellenshaw said.
Beyond the Sea--An Event Group Thriller Page 26