Death Blow sts-14

by Keith Douglass

  “We’ve had cover on you for about an hour,” the CAG on the aircraft carrier Stennis said. “You can talk to them on channel two on your dial. I’ll turn you over to them.”

  Murdock made contact on the first transmission.

  “Skyhigh, this is the Queen, glad you’re nearby. We’re pushing away from the dock now. No alarm yet. Will let you know what’s happening.”

  “Good, Queen. We’re flying CAP about ten miles off shore. Can be in your area in three or four minutes. Good luck.”

  Murdock watched the huge ship edge away from the pier. She used some kind of side thrusters that blew water to the side of the ship to ease her into or away from a dock. At last they were twenty feet away, but not anywhere near far enough to start a turn. The engines purred and they moved like a snail with an outhouse on its back.

  Murdock scowled. Damn, what about those destroyers he heard were based in Hong Kong? They could do thirty to thirty-two knots. The Queen could make twenty if she were at top speed. No contest if one of the Chinese destroyers was sent on a chase. He had no idea where the nearest Chinese military air base might be. The Tomcats could take care of the fighters, and the F18s could handle patrol boats, but would they sink a destroyer?

  They were forty yards away from the pier when the nose of the big ship began to come around so she could head out of the harbor, and to the northwest at the same time. A siren wailed from the pier and Murdock could see the flashing lights of a police vehicle.

  “Somebody knows that we’re gone,” the captain said.

  Soon they were turned and picked up speed as they headed northwest out of the port. Far back, Murdock could see lights coming toward them, could be a patrol boat. He went to the Motorola.

  “Gunners on the EAR, how many shots do you have left on this charge?”

  Bradford came on first. “I’d say six.”

  Train answered next. “Near as I can tell I have seven left.”

  “Good, both of you get on the Pomenade deck. One on each side as far forward as practical. We may have some company soon. I see one, now three sets of lights heading our way. We’ll wait until they get in range and listen to them order us back to the dock. When they are close enough and before they open fire, we hit them with one round of EAR. That should put them dead in the water.”

  “That’s a roger,” Bradford said. “Weapons free?”

  “No, on my command.”

  “Roger,” Train said.

  Captain Prestwick moved over by Murdock. “This is quite a team you have here. You really get things done.”

  “Our job, Captain. I just hope we don’t have any major problems, like a Chinese destroyer or a frigate. Both could do serious damage to your bridge, which is where they would shoot with machine guns and rockets.”

  The captain paled and Murdock hurried on.

  “We have jet fighters for support if we need them. They will track any warship and fend it off well out of range. At least we hope they will. We can handle the smaller patrol and harbor boats.

  “Patrol boat coming up fast on our stern,” one of the crew on the bridge said.

  “Right. Steady as she goes. We need to get away from here as fast as we can.”

  “What’s that, Captain, twenty knots?”

  “We’re going twenty-two right now. We’ll see.”

  “Coming up fast, Skipper,” Bradford said. “She looks to be about a forty footer.”

  “Let her come by you both. EAR guns hold your position near the bow on the Pomenade. That’s where your shots will be from. The patrol craft will try hailing us first, I’m sure.”

  “If not?” Train asked.

  “If any shots are fired by the craft, you have weapons free to fire one round.”

  “Confirmed,” Bradford and Train said almost at the same time.

  “Patrol craft at three hundred yards astern, Captain,” the First Officer said.

  “Noted.”

  Murdock left the bridge, ran down the steps to the Promenade deck and hurried forward. He was on Train’s side. He spotted the SEAL about forty yards ahead of him. He could also see the first patrol boat jolting through the quiet waters at top speed and closing the gap between the boats.

  Train turned as Murdock came up. “My side,” Train said. “He can’t be fifty yards off.”

  Train held the EAR weapon tightly against his thigh to make it hard to see as the patrol craft caught the luxury liner and moved ahead toward the bow. It slowed opposite the high bridge and a loudspeaker sounded.

  “Queen of the Seas, you are commanded to throttle back and take on boarders. I say again, throttle back to all stop and prepare to take on boarders.”

  The big ship kept moving, turning away slightly from the patrol boat. The small craft matched the turn and gave the warning again. When there was no response to the command, a man hurried on the fore deck of the craft and sat at what looked like a machine gun.

  “Fire, Train,” Murdock said. It took him a moment to refine his sight on the broad side of the ship and fired. The whoosh came and then almost at once the man on the machine gun fell off the seat and lay on the deck. The boat kept moving but Murdock figured there was no one conscious on board. Lam was still on the bridge.

  “Lam, ask the captain to make a sharper turn, I think the patrol boat is on auto pilot. The personnel on board are taking a nap.”

  Murdock saw the big boat swing more to the left. This time the patrol boat did not follow, it kept moving straight ahead and would, Murdock decided, until it ran out of diesel or was boarded by friendly forces.

  He turned to look for the other patrol boats he’d seen before as lights. He found only one, and it was five minutes away.

  “Anderson, find me on the forward Promenade deck with the SATCOM.” Two minutes later Murdock took the handset.

  “Skyhigh, this is Queen, talk to me.”

  “Queen, holding ten out. Any problems?

  “We had one patrol boat that we took care of. Another set of lights coming but about the same size. How long does it take to get a Chinese destroyer up to power and moving after us?”

  “I’d say three hours. Could have personnel problems. In two hours you’ll be well into international waters.”

  “What about those channels and all the islands? Doesn’t that mean the international part is twenty beyond them?”

  “Not sure, Queen. I’ll ask the professor.”

  There was a lot of empty air. The boat behind them was gaining rapidly. It must be doing forty knots. Still two minutes away.

  “Queen, nobody awake is sure. You’re hitting the West Lamma Channel, I’d bet. That puts you nine miles from the tip of the north end of Victoria and you’re past the last Chinese Island. That’s a half hour for you guys at twenty-two knots.”

  “Sounds better. We have one small problem in that patrol boat. She’s almost here. Hold.”

  Murdock still carried the Bull Pup. He worked aft to a good firing position and waited. He knew the Chinese patrol craft would be in radio contact with each other. When the lead boat went dead on the air, the back one wouldn’t take any chances. Its commander would open fire as soon as he was within range. Murdock checked the laser sighting on the boat and figured it was about a mile and a half away. In another half mile the patrol boat’s .50 caliber would be in range, and Murdock would bet the ranch that he would fire.

  Time seemed to crawl by. Murdock checked the patrol rig twice a minute. That didn’t make it come any sooner. Now Murdock was following the boat with the scope and the laser. He could see someone onboard, on a .50-caliber machine gun. The man charged in a round. Do it now.

  Murdock lasered on the boat and fired. The jolt to his shoulder as the 20mm round went off and spun out of the barrel was as usual; but it had been a while, and it surprised Murdock. He got on target with his scope again and saw the round explode in the small boat’s antenna. He worked the bolt and fired again, this time the round exploded on target slightly forward, smashing out the glass in
the small bridge area and probably killing the driver.

  The boat made a slow turn to the left and then went dead.

  “Nice shooting, Skipper,” Train said. “That motherfucker was about ready to rake us with some fifties, wasn’t he?”

  “He was.”

  “Now what other problems can we try and stay away from?”

  “Skipper,” Lam called.

  “Go, Lam.”

  “The captain wants you up here pronto. To the bridge.”

  “I’m moving.”

  Three minutes later, Murdock walked into the bridge and looked at Captain Prestwick who put down the phone and scowled. He shook his head and then saw Murdock.

  “Our commo people have been monitoring Chinese radio in the port. The boys over there are mad as hell. They know they have lost two patrol boats and they are working on getting a frigate under way. The frigate was due to sail at six this morning which is just a little more than two hours from now. So she was getting steam up and going through pre-sailing procedures. They just compressed those and the frigate will be ready to sail in thirty minutes.

  “We’ve turned around the tip of Victoria, and are on a heading almost due south, but we have about ten miles to sail to get out of the islands down there. So technically we’ll still be in Chinese water. In a half hour we should make it to the islands, but not out the twenty miles of territorial water that China claims. You better call in your big guys with the wings on them for some help.”

  19

  Murdock picked up the SATCOM handset and hit the send button.

  “Skyhigh give us a call. This is Queen.”

  “Read you, Queen. Que pasada?”

  “Small problem. A frigate in Hong Kong was getting ready to sail on an exercise at oh six hundred. They will now shove off in twenty-three minutes. We’ll just about be at the edge of the Chinese islands down there by the time they catch us. Any ideas?”

  “We’ll discourage them before they get to you. Some flyovers, maybe a rocket or two across their bow. Give them the idea we don’t want them following you.”

  “Sounds good to me. You have guns free?”

  “Will check with CAG but we should be free.”

  “Weapons we have can’t stop a frigate. Good luck, Skyhigh.”

  “Same-o, same-o in the wet.”

  Captain Prestwick looked at Murdock. “That’s pretty heavy action you’re talking about.”

  “Only kind the Chinese understand. A slap in the face doesn’t help much. A roundhouse right to the jaw is more effective. A CIA guy I know says our State Department has authorized extreme measures to rescue your ship. They say the Chinese have committed an extreme act of barbarism in kidnapping four thousand people. They say the international community will accept any action to get you back, including what otherwise might be considered an act of war. See how important this ship and you people are?”

  Captain Prestwick smiled. “Well now, it’s good to know that we were missed. When we get free, we’ll have some other problems to deal with. For example we’re three days behind our schedule. We might not have dockage at our next stop, and our supplies might run a little low.”

  “Damn,” Murdock said. “The rich guys will have only one entrée instead of their choice of three?”

  The captain laughed. “Yeah, I guess that’s about the size of it. But will we get complaints!”

  “Tell them they have been a part of history, and work up something in your print shop to commemorate the occasion. Then sign it for all twelve hundred and you should have a winner.”

  The captain brightened. “Well now, that does sound like a good idea.”

  The phone rang and a crewman pointed to the captain. He took it and listened for a minute. “Yes, understood.” He hung up.

  “One more small problem. Our overhead radar reports that a flight of three aircraft is approaching us from the east at mach one speed. They suspect they are Chinese fighter aircraft.”

  Murdock took the SATCOM handset again.

  “Skyhigh, we have any Tomcats up there? We just picked up three bogies coming in from the east. Probably MiGs. You have any data?”

  “We have them. Three Cats will meet them for some friendly conversation. The Cats don’t have weapons free unless fired upon. We have your ship in sight, will buzz you in about five to let you know we’re in the area, then check on that Chinese dinner delivery frigate.”

  “That’s a roger, Skyhigh. Good luck.”

  Murdock had the Motorola on while he talked to the pilots. Now he had some reaction.

  “Hey, Skipper, would the EAR work on a MiG?” Jaybird asked.

  “Might, if he came in close enough. Say you had a head-on shot when he was on a strafing run. Might knock him out, which would in effect shoot down the sucker.”

  “What’s the range of the EAR?” Bradford asked. “Know we’ve used them out six hundred yards.”

  “Don’t remember anything farther,” Murdock said. “Something we should test when we get a chance. Set up targets and watch for a blast effect. Or maybe just put Bradford out a thousand yards and see if we can get to him.”

  “I’ll pass on that one, skipper.”

  Murdock went down from the bridge to the Lido deck to watch for the jets. He wondered if there would be a long-range missile duel, or if they would come up, and do flybys, and wave at each other.

  The pair of F18s thundered by at two hundred feet over the Queen of the Sea, one on each side. The cracking, roaring, blasting sound of the jet engines must have awakened half the ship’s people. Then the Hornets lifted up, and kept flying toward Hong Kong where the Chinese Navy frigate should soon be getting under way.

  Anderson brought the SATCOM to the Lido deck where he set it up and they followed the aircraft talk on channel two.

  “Tom One, I have three bogies at twenty thousand feet out about forty miles and closing.”

  “Roger that, One. No radar yet. If they lock on, we’ve got a war on our hands.”

  “If they lock and fire, we do the same. Roger that, Tom Two.”

  Captain Prestwick came down and stood with them. “The Chinese Navy radio, unscrambled, just reported that the frigate Dandong five forty-three has just cast off and is on the way. We are twelve minutes to the bottom of the islands. It should take the frigate thirty minutes to move the thirteen miles to the bottom of the islands at twenty-six knots. We may just slip out past the Chinese islands, but still be well within the twenty miles of territorial waters that China claims.”

  “Queen calling from Skyhigh. Your ears on?”

  “Yeah good buddy, you must have been on the road with your CB. What’s cooking?”

  “CAG says we can’t overfly Hong Kong, so we’re sliding back into your area and around the islands. How long before the frigate gets to your position?”

  “Skyhigh, the captain estimates we’ll be six or eight miles past the islands into territorial waters when the frigate catches us.”

  “Oh, yeah. We can claim anything past three miles is international waters. He won’t be there for another twenty-eight minutes. We’re low on juice, going to take a drink from a tanker and be back. Watch the store for us.”

  “Roger that, Skyhigh.”

  The three men stood there, watching the sky, then looking at the island they were passing. Chinese territory. A few minutes later they all looked at their watches.

  “We still have twenty-two minutes before he catches us,” Anderson said.

  The speaker on the SATCOM came on.

  “Queen, can you read the Tomcats?”

  “Loud and clear, Toms.”

  “We’re edging back out of Chinese air, and taking the bogies with us generally west of your position. Teasing them away from you. We’ll keep in the territorial zone if possible. So far they are coming to us. No radar, no lock-ons, no firings.”

  “Good, Tom One. We don’t want them raking the Queen with twenty-millimeter fire.”

  “Roger that. We’ll keep in contac
t.”

  The men stood there watching the blue water boiling past the big ship. Were they moving fast enough? Murdock wished that he knew. They worked slowly past a big island on the left that must be five miles long. He could see lights from at least one town, so it was inhabited. That was the last one, the one they had to get out beyond three miles to claim international water.

  Murdock watched to the rear to see if he could see the Chinese Naval frigate coming up. Not so far. It would have lights, or maybe not. He wasn’t sure. He did know that they would beat the frigate to international waters but not by much. Once there, the F18s would have their say. Now all he could do was stand and watch.

  “Queen, come in,” the SATCOM speaker said.

  “Yes, Queen here.”

  “Tom One. The MiGs are going with us. Estimate that we’re about two hundred miles from your position. MiGs are hanging back, must be trying to figure out what we’re doing. We penetrated their air space by ten miles, now we’re back in the wet and going generally northwest. They keep about five miles behind us. So far no radar targeting, which is what we like. Take care.”

  “Thanks, Tom One. Be careful up there.”

  Captain Prestwick had been staring to the rear and he nodded. “Yes, I can see the frigate. She’s showing lights and charging along. Maybe a mile behind us. What time is it?”

  “Four twenty-five,” Murdock said. “It gets light here about what oh five thirty? Another hour of darkness.”

  “Frigate should overtake us in another half hour. See the island over there? That’s Pok Liu Chau. I’ve seen her on the charts often enough. Five miles long and the end of Chinese territory around here. Three miles beyond that and we’re in better shape.”

  “Queen, this is Skyhigh.”

  “Skyhigh, the frigate is closing,” Murdock said. “We’ll just about be in the three-mile area when she matches us.”

  “If she fires any weapons at or near you, we have weapons free,” the pilot said.