Hunter Killer

by Geoffrey Jenkins

  Aren't you playing this game a little too cosy, Commander?' asked MKG. Sure, sure, guessing's fine ; Tyler will do this, Tyler will do that. But what if he doesn't? What if Tyler out-thinks you, smells the double-cross?'

  ' We sit at Love-Apple Crossing, waiting.'

  What!'

  A bunch of fishermen with an island girl—everyday

  islanders, all of us. We'll have lines over the side of the cutter and big hats on our heads. Adele or André will answer any questions in incomprehensible Creole. Under our keel

  will be Little Bear, also waiting.'

  MKG assumed a remote faraway look which was to become more and more frequent in the coming days. He clapped

  Peace gently on the shoulder.

  Adele said, with a peculiar inflexion, 'John, shall we get

  the radio going?'

  We left the group and went to the radio shack.

  As we entered, I started towards the cut aerial, but Adele closed the door sharply. I turned to face her. She was standing with her back to the door, her face dealthy white. She started to pull a scrap of paper from her blouse, but her

  hands trembled so violently that she could not manage it.

  It was a fake!' she choked. I suspected him before, but

  here's proof—'

  A deadly fear spread over me. Peace?'

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  She nodded, and handed me the scrap of paper. It was

  simply a jumble of letters. I shook my head at it.

  ' He forgot this, among the others he faked. You see, the

  signals pad is carbon-backed—one copy for filing, the other for the captain. This is the copy.'

  She took the slip and read out the code:

  ' President of the United States to Marvin K. Green, via Seychelles x unless you reply personally to this via same channel within six hours I shall assume the kid- napping report of Willowtrack to be correct and that you are no longer a free agent x whatever the circumstances, the Little Bear project is to be called off now x' There was a long silence. I said, The version Peace passed

  on to MKG read something like this: " You have my personal authorization to continue with the Little Bear mission as planned." '

  Adele sat down in the operator's chair, taking a grip on

  herself. She nodded at the severed wire. 'Fix that first—

  anything may be happening.

  It was only a matter of minutes to fix the wire. Adele checked the set. My thoughts were in turmoil.

  Do we tell MKG?' she asked, her eyes on me. Perhaps

  she wondered whether my own loyalty to Peace would prevail. The implications are too colossal to contemplate,' I said. '

  No wonder Thornton and Tyler were throwing everything into the search.

  `Far from the President recalling the Seventh Fleet, he

  must be urging them on,' she said, fiddling with the dials. She held up her hand. Wait !'

  It was Mauritius Radio:

  . . . an announcement of major importance. The President of the United States announces that an incident has taken place which is without parallel in American history.

  The Vice-President, Markin K. Green, has been kidnapped by

  foreign agents. The White House states that although the

  circumstances of the abduction are not clear, it appears that the Vice-President was on his way to superintend the testfiring of a secret new American missile in the Indian Ocean when the kidnapping took place. The Vice-President was

  seized aboard the nuclear submarine Willowtrack and conveyed aboard another submarine, which was then shadowed to a remote atoll barrier reef named St Brandon. Although this submarine has since been located, the Vice-President has disappeared. In view of grave fears being ex175 pressed for the safety of Marvin K. Green, the United States Seventh Fleet in Limuria waters has been deployed under

  command of Admiral Thornton and is now searching the area.

  The search is, however, being impeded by a cyclone.

  The White House announcement adds that the situation is aggravated by the fact that the secret missile which was to have been test-fired by the Vice-President has also disappeared. It was being transported in a French freighter named Semittanté. Captain Revs Tyler, the famous American submarine ace who was decorated for his epoch-making dash

  under the ice-cap of Antarctica, is in command of Willow- track and is leading the search.

  Peace must know he can't get away with it !' exclaimed

  Adele. How could he have faked that signal from the President?'

  Because,' said a menacing voice from the doorway, nothing can justify Little Bear except MKG.' We spun round. It was Peace. He stood swinging with the

  motion of the ship, spray on his turtle-necked sweater and

  black trousers. He held the Remington lightly by the triggerguard and in his other hand was the hocked Colt. The lightness of his movements lent him the air of a predator about to spring.

  I jerked my head at the loudspeaker. ' You heard that?'

  Aye,' he said, 'I heard.' He watched us both for a moment and then closed the door behind him, still with that air of coiled power about to strike. He spoke to Adele. '

  How did you find out—did I muff the code?'

  It's of no consequence how we know,' I retorted angrily. It is,' he replied. I want to know how many people I have to deal with.'

  The signals pad had a carbon backing,' said Adele. You

  overlooked it.' I wondered whether I could jump Peace. Adele sensed it. John, don't!'

  So it's only you two, then,' said Peace. He put the weapons on the table, but he stayed close.

  Geoffrey,' I said, your devotion to Little Bear has gone

  beyond the point of sanity.'

  Sanity does not enter into this,' he answered. Every mile an hour the gale puts on, every foot the sea rises, puts the odds more on my side. Are—you—going—to—tellhim?'

  I walked deliberately past the pistols and confronted him. We've sailed before on tough missions, Geoffrey, but we won through because right was on our side.'

  Who are you to set yourselves up as a judge of my 176

  actions?' he blazed back. 'Right! What is right in this instance? Is it wrong to have one's heart in a weapon whose lethal efficacy is obscured by petty rivalries between Services and a bunch of politicians who don't know Polaris from a

  pump-handle? This thing is big—bigger than we dream of!

  It is power, power unlimited in the hands of the nation who owns it! Now it's to be sold down the river because some

  bloody fool thinks we've kidnapped the Vice-President!'

  That's not the way of it and you know it,' I snapped back. MKG risked himself and his standing in the first place by consenting to the test-fire. That is the measure of his

  faith in Little Bear. But then it was secret and he was safeguarded. Now the whole world knows ; his position is endangered ; the President has called it off. You can't go on with it!'

  The Seventh Fleet plus the whole world versus us!' he

  said. I looked at him and marvelled inwardly. He wanted

  the odds as high as that.

  ' Are you going to tell him?' he repeated.

  ' If we don't, someone else will,' I said. There's Boz Blair, Pete Allingham

  '

  No. This is the only radio aboard Semittanté. I've told Mac to keep the transistor under guard.' We did not reply

  and he went on, By tomorrow we should be at Love-Apple

  Crossing. I shall sink Semittanté. The space-shot will still go on.'

  MKG is undertaking it voluntarily,' said Adele. ' You force him to take a space-ride.'

  If he doesn't know, he will go through with it,' he replied. He swung on us, his voice harsh. Think, if you break the

  news to him, you will sacrifice the West's nuclear weapon

  lead for the next decade at least. Can you reconcile that

  with your consciences? The consequences of your discreet />
  silence are immeasurable in the field of future peace. Has

  either of you the right, without express permission from the DNI, to back down on the mission? Have you?'

  You'll be launching MKG under false pretences,' I said.

  Put that way, yes. But it does not invalidate the weapon

  or the need to show the world how mighty a thing Little Bear is.'

  I looked deep into Adele's eyes and saw the conflict raging in them, too.

  Give me just one day until I can scuttle this bag of bones,'

  Peace went on vigorously. Leave it to me after that. All I

  ask is your silence.'

  And if not?'

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  Peace picked up the telephone, dialled the engine-room.

  Mac—come to the radio-room. Drop whatever you are

  doing.

  The sea beat like drum-fire against the old hull. It seemed like hours until Mac came.

  Peace picked up the Remington, handed it, to Mac. He took the Colt himself. Adele was pale.

  `,Mac,' he said, the President has blown the gaff on the

  Little Bear mission. MKG doesn't know. John and Adele heard the broadcast. The others don't know, either. If MKG has an inkling, the mission is off. I faked a signal so that he would carry on. Now—' he waved at us--' it's in danger.'

  Mac eyed us with his bloodshot eyes. I'm an old shipmate of Number One, sir, and I wouldn't like to hurt him. There are plenty of spare places in the engine-room where I could look after him. The girl's easy.'

  It means as much as that to you, Geoffrey?'

  He didn't look me in the face but nodded. I'd rather you

  came along, John, but nothing will stop me—do you hear—.

  nothing!'

  And if Tyler and Thornton catch up with you?'

  I'll see you right,' he replied. I'll take the whole rap. I'll say, what you did, you did under duress. Try and see it as a hunt, without the other implications, which aren't your concern anyway—they're MKG's.' He turned to Adele. I need you, too. The end will justify the means.'

  ' What if MKG comes and listens to the radio here?' she asked. Soon every radio station in the world will carry the story.'

  The seas will be breaking right across the deck shortly,'

  said Peace. I'll put the radio shack out of bounds to everyone except John on the grounds of limbs or ribs being broken. I'll tell 'em we can't afford injuries to the launch team, or to MKG.'

  I made up my mind. ' You deserve to luck out, Geoffrey,' I said. I'm not with you in the way I was before, but for old times' sake, I'm not against you. I can't speak for Adele.'

  She hesitated and then said, ' It's too big a decision for

  me to take alone. I would like to signal the DNI-'

  That's out of the question,' answered Peace. You are still under his orders, remember. As far as I am concerned, they stand. He didn't offer you any loopholes: if this happened, then that. He ordered you, go ahead.'

  ' Like John, I am not for or against,' she said unhappily.

  You have my word for my silence too.'

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  Peace nodded to Mac, who left, morose as ever, throwing down the pistol.

  Peace opened his mouth as if to say something as he left,

  but changed his mind and said formally, Thank you both.

  This is the only way left. I'd rather it had been otherwise.'

  When he had gone, Adele concentrated on the radio and I rigged a lifeline from the radio shack along the upper deck. The barometer was alarmingly low and squalls burst at intervals from the north-east. Although it was barely five o'clock, the sky was dark and grey scud streamed across the heavens. I didn't care for the way the old ship was behaving, either. She was putting her bows under and the seas were sweeping right back to the winches on the foredeck. It was

  the beginning of a wild night. Somewhere in the north-east

  was the centre of the cyclone—a wild-lashed convulsion of sea which had sent better ships than Semittanté to the bottom. As I put the last knots into the lifeline, I saw Boz Blair and his men struggling to secure the long crate containing Little Bear. I went aft and helped them double-lash the crate to the deck with a two-inch manila. We then ran a heavy wire through one of the deck winches and drew it tight for additional security. Shouting above the howl of the wind, I reminded Boz to cut it free when we scuttled the ship. Astern, throwing her bows high in the air and much closer now, was Bellatrix.

  Boz indicated the end of the case. ' Lend me your axe!'

  he shouted. ' Gotta get the loose gear out and stow it in the cutter.'

  I handed him the axe and he chopped open the crate. Under

  heavy plastic waterproofing we found three small cases, one marked SPACE-SUIT', the second DATICO and the third '

  vu RADIO', in clear stencilling. Boz yanked one towards him, freeing the lashing of tarred paper and plastic. Beyond —

  and a thrill of awe passed through me ,as Boz gestured—

  Little Bear's nose-cone reflected the dull light.

  The interior of the crate smelt like a new car—tarry, plastic, sterile. Boz and I crawled in farther. Behind the thick plastic protective membrane of the casing was the capsule,

  its rubber-cushioned seat and safety straps facing us from behind the perspex. There was an array of instruments and, fixed in the transparent canopy on a stay, was some sort of gyro or altimeter. A thick rubber cable, heavily waterproofed, was sealed into the side of the casing. Attached to one end was a metal ball which looked like a dunking helo's sonar buoy. That was all we would see on the surface once

  179

  MKG was submerged in the missile. A telescopic radio antenna was attached to the hull. The sight of the sleek metal cylinder seemed to mitigate, somehow, the burden of the

  secret inside me.

  Hearing a sound, I spun round, my nerves sandpapered by the sight of the sinister weapon and the crisis it had caused. It was the Texan.

  ' The dame wants you in the radio shack,' he said. ' Seems

  it's off limits to all of us now—and I must admit it's goddam'

  rough going up there.' He explained Peace's ban to Boz. Commander doesn't want any broken limbs amongst us.'

  Like Boz, though, his interest seemed entirely focused on

  Little Bear.

  At the radio shack, Adele said, Geoffrey wants you to black out this place. He doesn't want a light showing anywhere tonight.' She smiled gravely at me. Every radio station in the world is interrupting its programmes with monotonous regularity to give the latest on the MKG crisis. I thought the Voice of America announcer would have kittens the first time he came on the air with the news.'

  I stayed and listened with her. Stunned reaction, incredulity, disbelief—the ether could not hold them all. Space experts discounted the attempt, but the National Space Administration seemed to give credence to it by saying the earth would be in the most favourable position for a space-shot a week hence. Experts, within the bounds of security and supposition, tried to assess Little Bear's chances of reaching Santa Fe. The President remained silent. The one thing the listening world did not seem to take into account, however, was the cyclone. Arm-chair strategists and geographical experts all had their say about how easy it would be to locate any ship, anywhere, any time, in the Sea of Limuria.

  Tyler and Thornton were ominously silent. I thought of those deep-diving subs 500 feet down closing relentlessly towards us, patiently searching, searching. I had finished the improvized black-out when Adele raised her hand.

  Here it came!—the close Morse grouping, the expert, rapid sending of the Seventh Fleet. Adele's hand danced over the paper.

  Blue Force to Red Force x Semittanté transmission too short for reliable fix x on basis of fixes from Blue and Red Forces evaluate her position as north-west St Brandon and west of Saya de Mal ha x subs on their way x weather deteriorating x how is it with you? Tyler was brief :

  180

 
Damage and casualties all surface ships x cowboys hove to x search birds roosting x Willowtrack making all available speed with two other subs to general area in- dicated by Semittanté fix x

  I took it to Peace on the bridge. They'll be here by morning,' he said. MKG stood silent by the wheel, his thoughts beyond the streaming windows, across the-storm-swept sea.

  Semittanté plunged into the night.

  Two hours later, after Mac had reported that Semittanté was taking in water through cracked bow plates, Peace altered course in complete darkness towards Love-Apple Crossing. As she swung round to take the sea astern, Semittanté gave us a breath-stopping moment. A heavy sea broke aboard, carrying

  away the starboard boats and tearing the for'ard hatchway

  from its roaming. Tons of water poured in. Semittanté lay over like a heeled cur ; I thought she would never come up. Mac's voice in the voicepipe was fluent with profanity. He

  wasn't sure if the pumps could cope, he said. Boz's men and I tried to lash a tarpaulin over the shattered coamings, but it was torn from our hands and whirled away into the night. Bruised, with fingernails bleeding, we fought our way back

  to the bridge.

  Chagos, Mauritius, St Brandon, Tromelin, and Chepe on

  Agalega broadcast continuous cyclone warnings. It seemed that the eye of the storm still lay well to the east. Adele at my insistence tried to snatch some sleep on a rough couch I arranged in the radio shack. Peace, MKG, Andre and I kept the old ship alive while the launch team dozed fitfully in the chart-room. With the run of the sea and the wind astern, she made for her last resting-place.

  When it was light enough to see at about eight o'clock the

  next morning, Boz brought us all hot cocoa and bully-beef

  sandwiches. We ate the rough fare hungrily. There was no

  sun, only a transparency in the grey, but the sea seemed somewhat easier. There was no sign of Bellatrix. I took Adele's ' breakfast' to her and she reported silence from the searchers, but the news bulletins were anything but silent: Moscow offered Soviet planes and tracking stations '

  .n the interests of world peace '. The BBC said that if the kidnappers were British, they were unscrupulous adventurers who had assumed the name of one of Britain's most illustrious naval officers who was buried recently with full honours Ain the Sea of Limuria.' When Peace joined us, he saw in this an official disavowal of himself, but shrugged his shoulders and said it had happened to him before. Behind-the-scenes