Hunter Killer

by Geoffrey Jenkins

  our high-tailing start. It was a respite, no more.

  Peters came across and said formally to Peace, outlined against the unreal glow of green and red from the instruments, Wish to report, sir, radio out of action.'

  ' How?' The dark shadows masked Peace's eyes and the

  strange light emphasized his cheek-bones, so that he looked like some avenging angel at the controls.

  ' While you were aboard Willowtrack, sir, Williams was on duty. Maybe he didn't hear her coming

  '

  Her!' I gasped.

  Peters became agitated: Mam'zelle Adele, sir. She broke

  into the radio-room with a pistol.

  A Colt with a hocked hammer, I'll bet,' said Peace grimly.

  Williams didn't hear, sir—maybe he was dozing from the

  effects of the long shifts he's worked. Before he knew where he was, she'd hit him over the head with the butt and dragged him out here—' he jerked his head towards the steel door of the radio-room—' and before we could do anything, she had locked the door. She's been there ever since.'

  My God!' exclaimed Peace. His glance went across to me, and then to the. Remington case in MKG's hands. Better

  stay out of this, John.'

  No,' I shouted. No! You can't—'

  Peters said levelly, ' I've tried to reason with her, sir. She merely says that if anyone breaks in, she'll shoot.'

  Peace took the pistol case from MKG. Eyes left their instruments as he dropped a heavy 221 Fire Ball shell on to the breech platform, tilted the barrel down, and snicked the bolt shut.

  I grabbed at the heavy weapon. ' Geoffrey, you can't . . .!'

  His eyes were blank as he turned on me. There are a

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  hundred men whose safety depends on—' He inclined

  his head towards the locked door. You are only one. So is.

  she. Stand by!'

  Peters and MKG grabbed me by the arms.

  He strode over to the radio-room and raised the Reining-ton. Open!' he called. Open—or I fire!'

  I found myself struggling and shouting as a voice answered

  from inside in the deadly quiet of the Control Centre.

  Then the door flew open and Adele stood there, the Colt

  in her hand.

  Drop it!' I yelled. 'Adele, drop it, or he'll shoot!'

  She smiled and threw the Colt at Peace's feet. Ah,

  Commander,' she said quietly.

  I wrenched free and darted across. Peace swung the

  Remington's short barrel so that it arched over both of us. Stand back!'

  She said matter-of-factly to Peace, 'You saw the signal

  about yourself—the funeral?'

  Yes.' There was no inflexion in his voice.

  As soon as I read it, I guessed Tyler would think you a

  fake—whatever you said,' she went on. She looked across at MKG. Is that the Vice-President?'

  Yes.'

  I'm glad you got him out.'

  Suddenly Peace dropped the barrel of the wicked-looking

  weapon and with his free hand grabbed her shoulder and

  pulled her close. He burst out laughing. ' By all the devilfish in Limuria!' he exclaimed. So it was you! You jammed Willowtrack to give me time!'

  She laughed too, glancing a little uncertainly at me. I

  knew, after what you had said, that the Exec wouldn't allow me near the radio. Extreme measures were called for. So I

  took the pistol. Williams—is he hurt?'

  No, just stunned.' He looked at her= in amazement and

  admiration. And I thought . .

  He clunked back the bolt of the Remington and spat on

  the tip of the shell.

  She grinned. Epitaph for a spy!'

  Thanks to you, we've got a start on Tyler,' Peace went on

  quickly. And it'll need all our brains to outsmart him.'

  Suddenly he seemed to become aware of his naked torso. He

  grinned at her. Clothes—captain's cabin! Come on, MKG, Bob, Adele—don't just stand there, John, pick up that darned gun of hers and come!'

  She smiled and hooked her arm in mine. We all went

  through to Peach's cabin. Peace talked from

  the shower 107

  cubicle as he pulled on fresh clothes, handing some to MKG

  also. He outlined to Peters what had happened aboard Willowtrack. He re-entered the cabin, with MKG, who was silent, thoughtful.

  We've got to fight this like a man with one hand tied behind his back,' Peace observed. MKG interrupted gravely, Commander, there is to be no shooting.'

  Tyler is acting from the best of motives—I know that,'

  replied Peace. His first duty, as he sees it, is to protect the Vice-President. Now he's on our tail. But thanks to Adele,

  he hasn't had the opportunity to get off a message.'

  It's a question of trying to out-think and out-guess him

  until I can get a message to the President,' began MKG. Tyler must be reassured from the highest level.'

  He'll take a lot of reassurance,' said Peace grimly. ' You

  saw that for yourself. Not even your word, MKG, was good enough for him. Our escape won't make it easier. He is

  convinced we are a couple of spies who have shanghaied the

  Vice-President.'

  I found my voice at last. Adele still kept her arm in mine. Tyler won't—can't—shoot for fear of injuring you.'

  Peters said quietly, Devastation has taken aboard an awful responsibility, sir.'

  The decision is mine, Bob,' replied MKG. ' The responsibility likewise is mine. Remember that.'

  Peters glowed under the strange magnetism of the man.

  Aye aye, sir. Once Tyler's news gets around, we'll have a

  power of people against us.'

  MKG smiled and turned and turned to Peace. What's in your mind—Willowtrack-wise, Commander?'

  Peace found a chart from his desk and smoothed out the

  parchment. North-eastwards, St Brandon stretched for about

  25 miles, shaped like a primitive bludgeon, narrow one end, thick the other. From Raphael, one of the few inhabited

  islands, Peace and I had explored the great barrier reef from an island pirogue; a wild jumble of coral-heads, racing seas and small passages amid bursting spray. A plume of foam,

  held fifty feet aloft by the trade wind, streamed perpetually across the eastern side of the reef—thundering, booming,

  drenching. Old Andre, the only fisherman Peace could induce to take us because of local superstition about the reef, had commended his soul to God at the wild sight. But we

  had discovered—and partially charted—an unknown inlet in

  the coral about five miles long and one broad. It had a seaward entrance. There was, however, nothing on ordinary 108

  charts to show it existed. When he had recovered himself, old Andre assured us with a grin that this knowledge of the reef passage was as good as a pension—a fish pension, he called

  it—for now he knew rich fishing-grounds where no other

  islander dared venture.

  MKG read out an annotation on the side of Peace's chart. `

  No vessel dare approach this seaward face of the reef.' His eyes held the question. Peters was uneasy.

  Peace replied obliquely, Our first task is to try and shake off Willowtrack.

  Easy to say,' I interjected. ' Tyler's the best—'

  I could see by the set line of Peace's jaw how worried he

  was. He replied quietly, Ìf Tyler catches either Devastation with the Vice-President or Semitianté with Little Bear, our game is up. Semitiantes course is west of St Brandon—we're heading east. If Tyler . . .' He shrugged off the thought.

  Our immediate task is to lay a trail away from Semitianté and at the same time give Tyler the slip.'

  Go for deep water,' suggested Peters.

  Peace shook his head. In deep sea Willowtrack is certain to pick
us up. We must stick to St Brandon, our best bet.

  Already we're starting to get clear of ground echoes and the mush of sound which comes from the reef, which means that

  Tyler can hear us. Willowtrack is faster than Devastation. All Tyler needs to do if we head deep is to sit on our tail. He won't lose us once we're a firm contact, you can lay any

  money. Even if Devastation flees right across the Indian Ocean at maximum depth, Tyler will stick. If I try and make a break, he's got the heels of me. If I surface, he'll surface. He will stop at nothing to get the Vice-President safely back in his hands. Everything we've done has served to confirm that we've kidnapped him.'

  I ran a finger-nail up the chart showing the jagged 25

  miles of St Brandon's reef. So you're going to lose him among this lot, Geoffrey?'

  I'll try,' he replied.

  MKG screwed up his eyes in that far-horizon way of his

  and spoke to Adele. Your jamming was a fine bit of work.

  You see, I cannot signal the White House in my special code before a fixed time at sunset every evening. We've still about six hours to wait. Once the President knows what the situation is, he can instruct the Navy to call off Tyler.'

  Why not simply radio the President now?' I asked.

  MKG shook his head. .` When I left, the President and I

  arranged that the sunset time only would be used.' He gestured towards the documents in his plastic bag. Not

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  even the Navy knows the code. The President and I have a

  special preamble, just to make sure that if anyone got hold of that, it would still be recognized as bogus.'

  Adele said, Let me signal the White House, in plain language, now.'

  Look at it from the other point of view—from Tyler's. A

  signal reaches New London submarine HQ from Tyler

  saying the Vice-President has been snatched by—' he grinned at us—' by a couple of Red agents. Meantime, should a plain signal, without my special code, also come in, that would

  smell to high heaven! If I were the President in such circumstances, that, plus Tyler's statements, would certainly add up to a kidnapping.'

  As we spoke, Peace was becoming more restive. He said

  sharply, ' MKG, I don't think the others know just how much Little Bear and the SNAP project mean to us. You're still going along with it, aren't you?'

  MKG nodded. Provided all is above-board with the White House. I'm willing to keep the secret tight before Tyler shoots off his mouth and ruins everything.'

  ' Good!' exclaimed Peace. But there'll be no signalling while I dodge Tyler. One radio emissioin will give Tyler a fix which will enable him to pinpoint us within a couple of miles. Today is February 6th ; on February 16th we will

  launch Little Bear, as scheduled.'

  MKG seemed taken aback at Peace's tone. There is one exception to what you're saying, Commander. My signal to

  the White House goes out each day at sunset, irrespective.'

  I now recalled Peace's attitude when the DNI had insisted on the one reservation in the mission as far as MKG was concerned, namely, that he had the right at any time to call it off if he felt it was prejudicing his high office or the nation. We seemed to be stumbling over the same obstacle again.

  ' We'll get it off somehow,' he replied, so perfunctorily that all my doubts remained. Would he dare? Not even Peace, I

  told myself, for all his faith and devotion to Little Bear and its enormous implications for the future of two great navies, would dare run counter to MKG'S express wishes.

  ' Bob, John,' went on Peace, changing the subject abruptly, '

  look at this chart—'

  Peters broke in, If you're trying to evade Willowtrack, why are you going full ahead now and kicking up such a

  racket that she's bound to hear it, if she hasn't done so

  already?'

  The old thrill of the chase was upon me. Peters was vibrating with interest. MKG became excited, controlled, as 110

  Peace outlined his escape plan. It was, I believe, the point at which he failed to appreciate Peace's deadly single-mindedness about Little Bear and SNAP. At the moment I'm manufacturing a " knuckle " of sound,' he said. I'll lead Willowtrack on.'

  I too was carried away. I've sailed with this foxy bastard.' I grinned across at Peace. He's laying a false trail right now. I'd say that Willowtrack at this moment is picking up on her sonar a confused but distinguishable echo—on a

  steady line, heading deep. That echo, however, won't be clear enough—' Peace nodded confirmation of my outline of his

  tactics—' for her to be sure that it's Devastation, but it's strong enough to give Tyler a pretty fair hunch. Then, suddenly, Devastation will go full astern—'

  Hard astern after full ahead makes a sort of " solid sound ". Willowtrack will come right up against a wall of sound while we go ultra-quiet—every blasted thing off which makes a noise, the men without their shoes, even—and we

  sneak away up the coastline. We stay close to the barrier reef so that the seas breaking against it mask our getaway.'

  Are breaking seas enough?' asked MKG.

  These waves on St Brandon reef will sound like all hell

  on sonar,' Peace added. Heavy as a Force Six sea.'

  What's the weather up to?' I asked.

  Peters smiled at Adele. When I last had access to the radio-room, met. at Chagos reported a big cyclone build-up

  beginning.'

  MKG's eyes again screwed up. Little Bear is an act of faith with me,' he said tersely. The rest of us stared, under the spell of the man. ' I have to take that space-ride. It's not only the weapon ; science is the faith which put me where I am today, and Little Bear is its supreme justification'

  My eyes were on Peace. The hard mouth softened a little

  and his eyes glowed. Peace would stop at nothing to launch

  Little Bear.

  If you give Revs the slip, Commander, what then?' asked

  MKG.

  Semittanté' exclaimed Peace. ' I must have Semitianté' MKG held up his hand. The moment Tyler misses you, don't you think he won't go for exactly the same target Semitianté? She's as important as I am in this hunt, perhaps even more so, for if he can locate Semittanté, he can put paid to the mission without crossing swords with me. Tyler will sanitize the ocean between here and Love-Apple Crossing.

  Don't underestimate Tyler.'

  Tyler—you heard him say it himself—hasn't any forward

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  briefing on the mission beyond the St Brandon rendezvous,'

  Peace replied. That was his main cause for suspicion. He

  is unaware of two vital points of information: where Semitianté is, or where the launch is to take place. He's got a hell of a lot of ocean to sift, either way.'

  At thirty knots, plus all her search equipment, Willow- track will pick up Semitianté before we do,' MKG said. Revs knows—you told him—that Semitianté had cleared Mauritius a few days ago.'

  Let me send Semittanté a bogus radio message in French and arrange a rendezvous between ourselves and her,' Adele suggested.

  No,' replied Peace. One radio emission—' he drew his

  hand across his throat—' and we've had it. Another thing I know that Tyler doesn't: since the days of my piratical ancestor Sir John Peace, and the corsair Surcouf, the seas

  round St Brandon have had a bad name, especially the eastern coastline where we're now headed. I'm certain that Semitianté will avoid the east and take the western side of St Brandon. It's more likely still, seeing the weather is deteriorating.' Peace rounded on Peters. Bob, once we've

  shaken off Willowtrack, Devastation will become a liability to the launch. From then on, you take over command from

  me.'

  Peters looked disappointed, puzzled. Aye aye, sir. But what about you?' he asked MKG. I'd like to be there to see you safely launched, sir.'

  We—myself, MKG, John Adele—will trans-sh
ip from

  Devastation to my yacht Bellatrix. I gave Trevor-Davis his orders and I know exactly where to intercept her.

  I pored over the chart, Adele with me. As I see it,' I said, we are at the moment about three hundred miles from

  the original rendezvous-point with Semitianté.

  Correct,' said Peace. That rendezvous was a hundred

  miles south of Love-Apple Crossing.'

  Peace pulled out another, smaller-scale chart and I did a quick calculation. I stabbed at a point north of Love-Apple Crossing. Bellatrix's route lies between Love-Apple Crossing and Agalega ; the two islands are about fifty miles apart. Bellatrix's course is a constant factor in our plans.'

  The intercom broke in imperatively. Peace listened, slapped it down. Willowtrack's closing. We've work to do.'

  Peace, MKG and Peters hurried out. I waited behind for a moment. I smoothed Adele's sun-bleached hair. She raised

  her face to mine. Peace can't win,' she said softly. ' I don't believe MKG will go through with it. Remember what the

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  DNI said—if MKG'S secret were known, Tyler would call in the whole of the Seventh Fleet.

  I half-opened my mouth to tell her my fears about Peace,

  but stopped. ' I've sailed with him before,' I replied slowly, and when I thought he was dead, I still said to the petty

  officer in the DNI's garden, Peace is a brave, dangerous, ruthless bastard who has killed more men than he can remember.'

  9 C O R A L P O L Y N Y A

  Peace was at the diving-stand when we went through to the

  Control Centre, the eerie light enhancing his black clothes. Adele pressed my hand and went to make her peace with

  Williams, the radio operator. The ballast-control petty officer had his hands out like a pianist waiting for the conductor's baton as he watched Peace. One planesman was in charge,

  which meant that Peace intended to change depth and course

  rapidly and suddenly—it is easier to manoeuvre fast with one man instead of two. He glanced nervously at the gyro compass repeater and rudder-angle indicator above his head and ran his tongue round his lips. The diving officer, instead of sitting in his normal languid position behind the divingstand, was swinging on his toes, feeling the ship. Peace was balancing Devastation—taking advantage of the

  layer of denser water which had masked our getaway—by

  sitting' on it. As she hung, he ordered a slight intake into the auxiliary tanks. It told me we had entered a layer of cold water: Peace would play' that to the utmost. I glanced at