Deadly Apparition

by G. Ernest Smith

  Anderson had an easy smile and looked every bit the California surfer with his whip thin body, tan face and wind swept blond hair. “The lightning strike took out our horizontal launch tubes and five of our vertical systems. All we have available are seven birds, five Tomahawks and two Harpoons. But the Tomahawks are GPS guided.”

  There were groans all around the table.

  “They can be guided manually, can’t they?” asked Tanaka. “From the tactical screens?”

  “I don’t know. The guy who knows all that stuff…”

  “Is not here, I know,” said Castillo. “But you can figure it out, right? You have all the manuals.”

  “Yes, sir. I’m sure I can,” answered Anderson, but Castillo detected some doubt in his voice.

  “Is there any chance we can get a horizontal tube up and operational?” asked Castillo.

  “Well,” said Anderson, “we don’t have any weapons technicians on board either, sir.”

  Castillo turned to his left and said, “Unger, you have a lot of comm and sonar technicians. Who’s your best?”

  Unger had a dark handsome face with pewter framed glasses. “Safir probably. Smitty’s pretty good too. But all they know is comm and sonar equipment.”

  “Get them both working on those tubes. Anderson, give them the manuals and schematics. I need at least one horizontal tube! I want to be able to launch Mark 48’s.”

  Drake tried to follow the discussion with raised eyebrow as if he were watching a game of lawn tennis. He concentrated on one speaker, then another, then another.

  “Are you aware, sir,” said Anderson, “that of our twenty ADCAPs, only twelve are warloads. The rest are dummies.”

  “Dummies?” asked Tanaka.

  “Yes, remember when we were testing torpedo guidance systems? We still have those. They’re launchable, but they have dummy heads.”

  “Even a dummy head traveling at 55 would punch a hole through an old wooden ship,” said Tanaka. “A Mark 48 weighs 3000 pounds!”

  “True. And a warload carries 650 pounds of high explosive. PBXN-103,” replied Anderson.

  “My God,” said Tanaka. “That would probably turn one of these wooden ships into matchsticks!”

  “So would a Tomahawk.”

  “Okay,” interrupted Castillo. “The question is moot anyway if we can’t get at least one torpedo tube up and running…and if we can’t figure out how to guide our Tomahawks without GPS. We may not be able to do much of anything.”

  Drake cleared his throat. “Ha! I give ear to your lively words but little understanding. These old wooden ships as you are want to call them are perhaps even more fragile than you believe. The Spanish rushed many of these ships into service using butted plank, which allows for faster assembly. The result is an inferior ship. One that leaks.”

  “I read about that,” said Tanaka. “Many of the old galleons had full time caulking crews. All they did was pump bilges and caulk the whole time they were at sea. Their job was to keep the ship afloat.”

  “So what you’re saying, admiral,” began Castillo, “is we don’t need to score a direct hit. If we strike a ship, we’re likely to take down all ships in the immediate vicinity because we will open up leaks in their hulls.”

  “I think you take my meaning,” replied Drake.

  “How would you launch an attack on the Armada using our powerful explosives, admiral?”

  “When we strike at their flanks, the Spanish crowd in upon each other. That’s when I would direct a powerful explosive. When they’re so close, they will entangle each other in their haste to maneuver.”

  “All that remains then,” said Castillo, “is to get our weapon systems up and running.”

  Drake abruptly stood, holding high his glass of ale and said, “I propose a toast, men!”

  All in the room rose, holding out their glasses of ale or mugs of tea.

  “To success!” They all clinked glasses and drank. “And thanks be to God for sending you to us by whatever strange device.” Drake eyed Castillo, winked and added, “And I don’t think we really want to mention this to anyone else. If that glorified clerk, Howard, were to hear of this, he’d want to see for himself, then Hawkins, then Essex, there’d be no end to the parade.”

  “Agreed!” said Castillo.

  “And I think my first act,” said Drake, “after battle will be to transfer my flag. This will be my new flagship, and I think I’ll rename her Revenge Almighty!”

  This last statement brought befuddled silence and concerned stares at Castillo.

  Chapter 14

  “Admiral, we’re not joining the English Navy,” said Castillo.

  “What? Then why come you here?” asked Drake.

  “We’re here to help you against the Spanish Armada, sir.”

  “And then what? You’re going to take leave?”

  “Yes, we’re going to establish a colony somewhere.”

  Drake gaped for long seconds in disbelief. “But that flies in the face of God’s plan!”

  Would it do any good to explain the prime directive to Drake? Probably not, thought Castillo. “I believe God planned for us to create a colony in this world.”

  There was heavy weather in Drake’s stare. Dark storm clouds. “So you ally with us now and who tomorrow?” roared Drake, slapping the table. The gold fringe on his shoulder caps quivered. “The Spanish?”

  “No, admiral. After we help you defeat the Spanish, we’ll leave. We plan to establish a settlement.”

  “So taunt us with your God ship and its God-like powers,” bellowed Drake, “then dismiss us, leaving us to our never-ending struggle against the tyrants of Spain and France, will you? You’ll not leave! I’ll not allow it,” snarled Drake. He reached for his belt. That’s when he realized he did not have his cutlass. “Not only false friends are you, but thieves, as well.”

  Castillo turned to Anderson. “Could you get the admiral’s weapons? I think they’re in the infirmary.”

  “Yes, sir.” Anderson exited the wardroom.

  “Are you Catholic, Castillo?” asked Drake.

  “Yes, but not a practicing one.”

  “I don’t take your meaning.”

  “I just mean it’s been quite a while since I’ve been to mass.”

  “So…you are the worst of Catholics. A Godless one,” spat Drake. “You’ll be with Spanish whores in a fortnight.”

  Castillo stood and unbuttoned his shirt to show Drake the two knife scars beneath his collar bone and the two foot long burns that ran across his chest like dark purple ruts in a plowed field. “The Spanish did this to me. And this!” He held up his three-fingered left hand. “I have no love for the Spanish! That’s why I’m here. You should understand that, admiral. We’re, after all, both men of the sea. We’re both…”

  “Bah!” blasted Drake. “Men of the sea! Been deafened by cannon fire, have you? Seen smoke so thick across the water it looks a blanket of fleece, have you? Heard the dying screams of your brave men coming to you from across the sea, have you?” He stopped, breathing heavily.

  “Okay,” said Castillo. “I take your point, admiral. We are from different times. Different worlds. Your battles are a lot more savage. There’s a lot more death and suffering. With technology our fighting is a lot more sanitized.” Castillo collapsed into a chair, sighed and said, “If you don’t want our help, just say so, admiral, and we’ll be gone.”

  Drake had murder in his eye, a vein in his forehead was standing out in bold relief. Then he softened. Castillo could see the wheels turning. The old pirate was scheming. “A colony, say you. Why not here? England has land abundant, and sweet fresh water lakes and good crop land. What better place to consecrate your new endeavor?”

  “Well,” responded Castillo. He looked about the room and was met with questioning looks. “We’ll discuss it. We’ll have to take a vote.”

  “A vote?” Drake said it as if it were a new concept to him.

  “Yes, it’s an American thing.”
<
br />   “What is to consider? It’s for you, no mistake! You’ll be given land, all you want. And riches. And titles! You can even have your slaves.” Drake gestured to Taylor and Chief Brown, who glared intensely back at him, bristling.

  “Slaves?” Castillo couldn’t believe it. “You know. I don’t think we’re going to need a vote after all. I’m going to turn you down on your offer. I can’t speak for everyone here, but I am an American and I plan to stay an American even though my country won’t exist for another two hundred years. It’s a state of mind really. It’s belief in families and fairness and a level playing field for everyone. England in this century is not for us.”

  In a bad bit of timing, Anderson came in and laid before Drake a cutlass and a dagger both with carved ivory handles. Drake reached out, gripped the cutlass tightly, stood and eyed each man in the room, as if issuing a challenge. He was measuring them again, Castillo realized. After long seconds he replaced the cutlass in its sheath on his belt. He did the same with his dagger.

  “Before you go, admiral. We want you to take this.” Castillo picked up a small cardboard box and opened it to reveal a small black electronic device the size of a broach. “It’s a communicator. It goes in your ear like this.” Castillo demonstrated on himself. “I will be able to hear your voice and you can hear mine in your ear from a great distance. There is a small button here. See? This turns it on.”

  Drake made no move to take it. Castillo held his intense stare and felt its heat. “You’d better take it, admiral. You may need to contact us.”

  Finally he snatched it away from him. “Bah!” he snorted and stormed out. Castillo directed him to the messdeck where his men were waiting and then showed them to the aft deck where their small boat was moored.

  Castillo, Taylor and Lambert watched them row away. “Do you think he’ll call us?” asked Taylor.

  “I don’t know,” answered Lambert. “He seemed pretty mad.”

  “He’s an explorer,” said Castillo. “And a statesman, but first and foremost he’s a privateer. He’s used to taking what he wants, and this time he saw something he wanted badly but couldn’t have, and it rankled him. But I think he’ll call.”

  Hardly a soul slept on Kansas that night. Anderson and Tanaka sat at the tactical Tomahawk control screens, reading manuals and trying to figure out how to manually direct a Tomahawk in flight or at least program a flight path into it without benefit of GPS. There was a lot of head scratching.

  Electronic Technicians Jahl Safir and Robert Smith worked on torpedo tube one. They used their analytical skills to troubleshoot the circuitry. They did continuity checks, replaced two bad connectors and poured over schematics. There was more head scratching.

  Castillo ordered Kansas back to the Armada staging area off the coast of Flanders. He and the control room crew continued to monitor the Spanish preparing their invasion fleet in the dark. There was a different group of ships being loaded than the ones they saw before. There were lanterns all down the docks and piers where the loading operation was being performed. The flow of supplies and men had slowed. They were approaching readiness. Castillo knew the clock was ticking and wondered how long they really had before this vast fleet of ships sailed against England. There were ten large barge-like ships which appeared to be little more than platforms for hauling troops and horses. This was obviously how they intended to move most of their army up the Thames.

  Castillo didn’t like the idea of a Tomahawk attack. The detonation of several 1000 pound warheads above these ships would kill many. At least with a torpedo attack, the compression wave would be underwater and the crews would have a chance to abandon ship and possibly be rescued. But he didn’t lie to himself. Many would die either way. That’s why war is so unthinkable. It’s simply homicide on a grand scale.

  By morning there were many bleary-eyed crew members but no change of status. Anderson and Tanaka had figured out how to kill the GPS receivers on the Tomahawks but not how to direct them manually. Safir and Smitty had determined that there was power to the function controls on tube one, but no command was reaching the doors. Castillo had determined the Spanish fleet was ready to move.

  Lambert found Castillo in his stateroom. She knocked.

  “Come in,” he called.

  She found him sitting at his desk, staring at his family pictures. “How’s it going?”

  “Okay.”

  “Has Drake called in?”

  “Not yet.”

  “You look lonely in here.” There was worry in her blue eyes.

  “One man’s loneliness is another man’s solitude,” said Castillo dismissively.

  “What?”

  Castillo gave her a smile. “Funny, isn’t it? How some people can’t stand to be alone and others crave it?”

  “Which type are you?”

  “A little of both, I guess. Sometimes I want company and other times I want to be alone with my own thoughts.”

  “Do you want me to go?” She looked slightly hurt.

  “No, Susan. I like your company. Maybe a little too much.”

  “What does that mean?” She asked, puzzled.

  “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m tired. And I’m concerned about what we’re about to do.”

  “What are your concerns?”

  “We’re going to kill people, Susan. Some of them are evil, but most are not. They’re just men following orders…family men…fathers…brothers. I don’t like the idea of a Tomahawk strike. I want to use Mark 48’s if we can.”

  Lambert said nothing.

  There was a knock on the door frame. It was Lieutenant Guerrero. “It looks like the Armada is getting under way, sir.”

  “Shit! Okay, thanks, Maria.” Castillo and Lambert went up the passageway to the control room. He could see ships unfurling canvas and leaving the piers on the big screen. The sun had been up for only an hour.

  “They have the tide and the wind with them,” said Tanaka. “And they’re taking advantage of it.”

  Castillo turned to Anderson and asked, “Any progress on the Tomahawks?”

  Anderson looked troubled. “No, and we’re up against a lot, sir. The vehicle was designed to fly 1000 miles and strike a land target. Eric and I worked on it all night and we came up against the built-in safeguards. The vehicle doesn’t arm until it flies a hundred miles. We’re too close to our targets, sir. We investigated flying a vehicle 50 miles away and making a U-turn, but if the vehicle tries to boomerang there is another safing mechanism which disarms it. The only way we’re going to be able to use these vehicles is if we drive 100 miles away and then launch.”

  “Shit! At top speed we could be 100 miles away in about three hours. It’s a last resort, but it can be done.”

  “The only good news I have for you is our two Harpoons are useable. But they use radar to home on a target at sea and I don’t know how strong a return they’ll get off a wooden sailing vessel.”

  “Alright. Thanks, Wally. Right now, I’ll take any good news I can get.” Castillo turned to Lieutenant Bud Unger and asked, “Any word from Admiral Drake, Bud?”

  “No, sir. Nothing so far.”

  “The comm station is up and running?”

  “Yes, sir. Don’t worry. As soon as he talks we’ll get it here.”

  “Alright then. Mr. Taylor set the maneuvering watch. We’re going to shadow these ships.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Taylor. He picked up a receiver and made an announced throughout the ship:

  Set maneuvering watch. Now, set maneuvering watch.

  Men filed in and took their stations and soon Kansas was moving very slowly so as not to out pace the slow moving Spanish fleet.

  In the center of the first and second crescent formations were the barges holding General Parma’s soldiers, horses and cannon. They each had a ship towing them.

  It took some time for them to get into formation and then begin moving as a unit.

  “With no direction from Drake, I will wait un
til the English attack the flanks of the first crescent,” said Castillo, “before I launch Harpoons. Drake said that the Spanish squeeze together tightly when they’re under attack. That will give our Harpoons maximum effect.”

  Castillo picked up his receiver and dialed the torpedo room.

  “Yes, sir,” someone answered.

  “This is the captain. Do you have a progress report for me?”

  “Yes, sir. I think we’re close. This is Robert Smith. We’ve been able to cannibalize from the other controllers, and we got a good health check just now, but I think we’ve got a problem somewhere else, sir. Jahl is looking at it right now. We really are kind of learning as we go on this thing.”

  “I understand, Smitty. Thank you and Safir for taking this on. I know it’s not your thing. Keep working on it.”

  He turned to Lambert, “It would be nice to have some teeth. Without weapons we…”

  “Sir!…” interrupted Unger. “I think we’ve got Drake!”

  “Put him on speaker.” Castillo picked up his receiver.

  A voice began speaking from the overhead speakers. “Hello! Hailing Castillo, the American! Can you hear me?”

  Castillo spoke into his receiver, “Yes, admiral. I hear you. Can you hear me?”

  “God’s boots! I can! This is sorcery!”

  Castillo heard Lambert giggle. “The Spanish invasion has started, admiral. They are heading for the English coast. We’re following them.”

  “I’m afraid it’s over for us. God has sent us an ill wind.”

  Tanaka turned to Castillo. “The wind is out of the east southeast. I’ll bet they’re harbor locked.”

  “You can’t leave Dover, admiral?”

  “Lest God favors us with a shift of wind.” Castillo could hear the fatigue in Drake’s voice. “How fares your struggles, commander?”

  “We have a few weapons…birds. Still no fish, but I have confidence in my people, admiral. They’re very good.”

  “May God smile upon you, commander. I would wish you fair winds, but you have no need, do you? You and your ship are all that oppose them now. We pray for you.”