Death Island

by Nick Carter

The little outrigger rose to meet this wave, and Carter got to the other side of it easily, heading — as best he could figure — directly north toward Hiva Faui as the storm deepened.

  Eleven

  Throughout the night the wind kept shifting counterclockwise from the west and finally from the south. Nick Carter had been blown far to the east of his intended course, but as the wind shifted he was better able to make headway, finally rocketing to the north toward Hiva Faui.

  Most of the time he could not see the waves, but whenever a flash of lightning would light up the sky, he would catch a glimpse of mountainous waves that towered far above him, momentarily blocking the strong wind.

  The little outrigger canoe was never in any serious danger, Carter decided early in the evening. It was very uncomfortable, bouncing up and down with the waves, and it was very wet, but there never seemed to be any danger of the boat breaking apart and going down. The natives had designed their boats for these waters, and they had designed them well.

  Carter did a lot of thinking about Gabrielle, and he decided that the story about her background was probably true. She was not a good enough actress to have convinced him of it if the story were not true. But he suspected that Governor Rondine had some other hold on her as well. Something that made her do whatever it was she was told.

  He also did a lot of thinking about the Chinese base on Natu Faui and the U.S. satellite tracking and receiving station on Hiva Faui. Two countries were both in this part of the world for the same reasons: the U.S. because from here they could easily spy on the Chinese, and the Chinese because from these islands they commanded the entire western Pacific basin — from Japan to Australia — with their submarines.

  At times Carter paddled hard, and it seemed as if he made headway. But mostly he just lay back in the canoe and let the wind and waves propel him to the north.

  He actually dozed off a few times during the night, and he found that he had gone from pitch-black to a dull, dirty gray with no real awareness of the passage of time.

  He sat up and shivered. He was soaked to the skin and very cold even though the air temperature had to be in the mid- to high seventies.

  It was dawn, and although the rain had stopped for the moment, the sky was still heavily overcast. The wind was blowing with much more force than it had been when Carter left Natu Faui.

  Dead ahead about two or three miles, the surf was breaking on the beach of a large island. Hiva Faui, Carter hoped, but he was not at all sure. It looked like any other island, except for Natu Faui with its distinctive volcano.

  If it was Hiva Faui, he suspected he was somewhere mid-island. Coming up on it from the south, the satellite station would be to the west, and the town of Hiva Faui would be to the right, to the east.

  He picked up one of the paddles and began angling the outrigger to the east. From time to time he looked at his watch. It was nearing seven o'clock. The Starfish was due at the public docks at any time now. He wanted to be there when the governor was summoned to the docks. He wanted to see what the man was going to do. He also wanted to see what Gabrielle's reaction would be… if she had been brought back.

  There was much more to this business, Carter suspected, than met the eye. The Chinese maintained a base on Natu Faui, but he believed it was with the knowledge and cooperation of Governor Rondine. He did not think very much happened on these islands without the governor's knowledge.

  Sooner or later, he knew he was going to have to deal with the governor and the man's organization. There had been plenty of muscle visible at the party. And most of the people who had arrived from the other islands in this part of the Pacific were probably just as involved in their own schemes on other islands. They would have to be dealt with eventually as well.

  The canoe, headed at an angle to the very large waves, would ride up over the top of one, its outrigger in midair at times. Then the canoe would tip to the down side and race down the front of the wave, burying its nose momentarily in the trough. Then it would start up the next one.

  Slowly Carter angled the canoe farther and farther down the island, finally rounding a headland that gave protection to the harbor of the town.

  Even from outside the breakwater Carter could see the sail of the Starfish alongside the long public docks. It seemed as if there were a lot of people on the dock and in the square. There seemed to be a lot of cars parked along the main road.

  Carter redoubled his efforts, sending the outrigger up and over the last few large waves before he shot through the breakwater and into the protection of the inner harbor.

  Lightning flashed to the south and west, and moments later it began to pour, the rain coming down so hard it flattened the waves outside the breakwater and obliterated Carter's view of everything more than a few yards away.

  He kept pushing, stroke after stroke, the paddle biting deeply and cleanly into the water, propelling the lightweight canoe through the water so fast it created a substantial bow wave. Carter felt that he was using up what small amounts of reserve strength he had left, but it was absolutely essential that the commander of the Starfish understand what he was up against before he turned back out to sea to face the Chinese subs.

  There was no telling what the on-board surveillance equipment had picked up already, or what Governor Rondine was telling the commander.

  The rain lessened momentarily. It was long enough for Carter to see that a lot of people had left the dock, but others had opened umbrellas and remained.

  The Starfish was still there. There were crewmen on the deck. Carter could make them out from where he was.

  He stopped long enough to raise his paddle and swing it back and forth over his head, but then the rain intensified, and he went back to his paddling.

  The rain slowed down again for a time when Carter was still a couple of hundred yards from the dock, and someone aboard the sub spotted him.

  Within a minute or so an inflatable was brought up on deck, shoved in the water, and an outboard motor was attached. Four crewmen climbed aboard, and they headed out to him. Carter stopped paddling.

  When they were just a few yards away, the crewman operating the motor swore out loud and cut the engine.

  "Good morning," Carter said.

  "Holy shit," the crewman said again. "Mr. Carter?"

  "Right," Carter said. The inflatable had drifted closer. One of the crewmen tossed Carter a line that he made fast at the bow of the canoe.

  "They said you may have gone down in the crash of a chopper on one of the other islands, sir," the petty officer said.

  "I wasn't aboard," Carter called. "Get me back. I have to talk with your skipper."

  "Aye-aye, sir," the crewman said, and he started the inflatable's motor, turned back toward the sub, and headed out, the outrigger pulled along behind.

  There were a half-dozen crewmen on the deck of the sub and several officers on the dock with about three or four dozen civilians.

  Carter immediately recognized Governor Rondine in the midst of the group, several burly-looking men holding large umbrellas over him.

  Gabrielle was nowhere to be seen in the group, but as they came up to the sub, so that Carter was in clear view of everyone on the dock, the governor nodded. One of his people hurried back to the road, where he got in one of the cars and took off. As the car turned the corner toward the square. Carter was certain he caught a glimpse of Gabrielle in the back seat.

  Carter scrambled aboard the submarine just as a tall, well-built man in his late forties or early fifties came from the dock and around the sail.

  "Mr. Carter?" he asked.

  Carter nodded, and they shook hands.

  "I'm Captain Don Petti. We were told that you may have crashed aboard a helicopter on the island of Natu Faui."

  "The chief of security for the receiver station, Richard Fenster, was killed. I wasn't aboard."

  Captain Petti glanced down at the frail outrigger, then back at Carter. "You came across in that? Last night?"

  "Rig
ht," Carter said. "But there isn't a whole hell of a lot of time left us. I'm going to need your complete cooperation for the next twenty-four hours, Captain."

  "You got it, Carter. My orders were to assist you in any way possible. They came from the Joint Chiefs themselves."

  "Good," Carter said. "First of all, I want you to invite the island's governor aboard and down to the wardroom."

  "Can do."

  "I'm going to say some things down there that aren't completely true. I want you to go along with me. Tell your officers the same thing."

  "Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" the captain asked, his right eyebrow raising.

  "As soon as we get rid of the governor, you'll get a full briefing. And believe me, it's damned important, and time is critical."

  "Right," the captain said. He turned to one of his crewmen. "Take Mr. Carter below to the officer's wardroom. Make sure we have coffee. Get him something warm and dry to wear. And have Mr. Patterson and his people assemble on the double."

  "Aye-aye, sir," the crewman said, and Carter followed him belowdecks as Captain Petti went back around to the dock to invite Governor Rondine aboard.

  Down two levels, the crewman led Carter aft and then into a large, tastefully furnished wardroom. There were a lot of crewmen hurrying back and forth throughout the boat. They would be hurrying even more as soon as their officers were briefed, Carter thought.

  "Mr. Patterson, Mr. Patterson, to the wardroom on the double, with section red," the crewman spoke into the ship's intercom.

  Section red aboard the sub referred to its intelligence gathering section. Carter figured that Patterson was probably the section chief.

  The crewman, whose name tag said MacPherson, poured Carter a cup of coffee. "Be right back, sir, with a change of clothing."

  "Just bring me a towel, MacPherson," Carter said. "Stand by on the change of clothes."

  "Yes, sir," the man said, and he left the wardroom.

  He was back a moment or two later with a large bath towel. "Dungarees okay, sir?"

  "That'll be fine as soon as we're done in here."

  "Yes, sir," the crewman said and left.

  Captain Petti appeared in the doorway, and he motioned for someone else to enter first. Governor Rondine stepped into view, his eyes locking with Carter's, and then he walked inside, his impressive bulk seeming to fill the room.

  Captain Petti and a half-dozen other officers all filed in as well, and when they were seated, a steward came in and poured them all coffee.

  "We thought you were dead, Mr. Carter," the governor said dryly in English.

  "I was lucky," Carter said. "But I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

  The governor waited.

  "Your wife came with us to Natu Faui. I lost her in the jungle. She's probably still there."

  The governor ponderously shook his head. "Like you she braved the storm aboard one of the native outriggers. She was rescued this morning less than a half hour before this warship showed up." The governor turned to Captain Petti. "And I will restate my demand, Captain, that this vessel be removed immediately from French territorial waters."

  Captain Petti smiled graciously. "I am sorry, sir, but that will not be possible for just a few hours. We have orders to come here on an inspection tour of our installation. The treaty between our governments allows for such inspection tours."

  "By aircraft."

  "The mode of transportation, I believe, has not been specified, sir."

  The governor was about to protest further, but Carter interrupted him.

  "You don't understand, Governor, but there is serious trouble on Natu Faui."

  The governor turned to Carter.

  "Our helicopter didn't just crash. It was shot down."

  For a moment the governor's expression did not change, but finally he laughed. "By the natives? With bow and arrow? An incredibly lucky shot."

  "No, sir, not by the natives. By some kind of a rocket or perhaps a bazooka."

  "The natives do not have such weapons, Mr. Carter."

  "No, they don't," Carter said. He turned to the captain and the sub's officers, and he quickly explained what had happened with the helicopter, then about the light show, and finally about the antenna. But he did not tell them that he had followed Gabrielle to the sub pen entrance, nor did he tell them that he had swum into the cavern.

  "That's incredible," Captain Petti said.

  Governor Rondine was eyeing Carter. "What are you saying, Carter? That someone is inciting the natives to riot against your people?"

  "Yes."

  "Who?"

  "There were Chinese characters on the dish antenna. I saw them clearly."

  Captain Petti sat forward at that. "The Chinese? Communist Chinese?"

  "I don't know who else, Captain," Carter said. "It's not likely they'd have a base on the island. We'd have known about it by now. It was a dish antenna. I'm sure the signals are sent to the island by satellite."

  "What are you suggesting we do about it, Carter?" the captain asked.

  "I want to go over there this morning, take a party inland, and dismantle the antenna and the receiving equipment at the amphitheater."

  Captain Petti nodded. He turned to Governor Rondine, who was looking just a little smug. "It's French territory, Governor. Do we have your permission to operate such a mission, or should we go through diplomatic channels?"

  "You have my permission. Captain. In fact I will join you there. I will come over by helicopter as an observer. If there is, as Mr. Carter suggests, Chinese equipment on Natu Faui, I want to know about it, and I want it destroyed. A formal complaint will be lodged at the U.N. as well, I assure you."

  "Fine, "Captain Petti said, standing. "Then we can get underway within… two hours, shall we say?"

  The governor had gotten to his feet. "We will watch for you, Captain." he said. "When you pull out we will head over to the island."

  "Very good, Governor," the captain said, and he detailed one of his people to show the governor off the boat.

  MacPherson came back. "I have your dry clothing, sir," he said to Carter and handed over a pair of jeans.

  When he was gone Carter got up and motioned for the door to be closed as he unbuttoned his soggy shirt.

  "We have an extremely serious situation on our hands here, gentlemen," Carter said, pulling off his shirt. He unstrapped his stiletto and his Luger, and laid the weapons on the table.

  "What's the actual situation over there, Carter?" the captain asked.

  "What I told Rondine was essentially correct, as far as it went, but not only is there Chinese equipment on that island, there is a Communist base. A submarine pen."

  "Jesus," one of the officers swore.

  "We're going to have to get some kind of authorization even to be here," the captain said. "We can't mess with a possible confrontation."

  "Send a radio signal out of here, and they'll know that I discovered their base. But there'll be a confrontation in any event. One of their subs left the pen late last night."

  "It's out, on the loose? Nearby?"

  "Presumably," Carter said.

  "Damn," Petti said, running his fingers through his gray hair. He looked up at Carter. "You'd better start at the beginning, Mr. Carter, and give me every bit of it, and then tell me what you want us to do. I'll have to decide whether or not this vessel can handle it."

  One of the officers got up, went to a sideboard, and brought back a bottle of bourbon. He poured a measure of it into his coffee, then passed the bottle around.

  Carter went over everything that had happened to him from the moment he had arrived on Hiva Faui until he was picked up by the crewmen with the inflatable.

  When he was finished, the officers were all silent for a long time. Captain Petti finally spoke up.

  "I'd like to ask if you're absolutely sure of your facts. But it's your business to be sure. And besides, you can't mistake a pair of Red Chinese subs in an island cavern."

/>   "No," Carter said, drying off and then getting dressed. "I need some oil and a rag."

  One of the officers went out to get the things. Carter sat down and began taking apart Wilhelmina. The Luger had been in salt water for a long time.

  "You evidently have a plan in mind," Captain Petti said.

  Carter nodded.

  "I almost hate to ask what it is," the captain said. "But before we get started I want you to understand that my orders do not include compromising this boat. If and when it comes to a standoff between us and the Chinese subs, I will have to have further authority. If I can't get it, we will have to get out of here. They are not our waters."

  "By the time that occurs, we will have done what was needed."

  * * *

  Carter had finished cleaning his weapons, and Captain Petti was busy getting his boat and crew ready for the operation on Natu Faui, when Justin Owen and Bob Tieggs showed up on the dock.

  The first officer, Lt. Ashcroft, was just going up to talk to them when Carter came out of the wardroom. He went up with the man.

  They were both shocked to see Carter, and they hurried across to him.

  "Christ, they said you were probably dead," Tieggs said, pounding Carter on the back.

  "Fenster was killed."

  "That's what the governor told us," Owen said. "But we thought you had gone down too. They were going to send someone over this morning as soon as the weather calmed down."

  "The bastards sabotaged our other chopper," Tieggs said bitterly. "Otherwise I would have been over there and back by now."

  Owen had turned to the first officer. "I'd like to speak with the captain."

  "Captain Petti sends his regrets, sir, but we are making ready to sail, and he is extremely busy."

  "Don't worry about it," Carter said. "We're going to take care of the problem."

  "I'd like to come along," Tieggs said.

  "I'm sorry, sir, but that won't be possible," Lt. Ashcroft said before Carter could speak.

  "Goddamnit, Nick, I want to come along!" Tieggs insisted.

  "It's not your job. Bob," Carter said gently. "But there is something else you can do for me."