Night Of Error

by Desmond Bagley

'Geordie's right,' said Campbell. 'We can't take anything on trust. The whole ship must be checked out.'

  The girls sat silent through this but I could sense their frustration matched ours. If the intention had been to foul up our operations it might have succeeded. But if it was also intended to dishearten us then Kane had read his man wrongly – Campbell of all of us was the most determined to put things right and carry on.

  I drained my glass. 'Let's get to it. I kept the laboratory locked but I suppose I'd better give that a going over too.'

  We went back to Esmerelda, rounding up crewmen along the way, and I went immediately below to the laboratory. A couple of hours' work showed nothing wrong – the spectroscope was in order, and the contents of all the bottles seemed to agree with their labels. It was a waste of time from one point of view, and then again it wasn't. At least I knew my lab wasn't gimmicked.

  Ian came down with fuel oil samples from the main tanks. 'Skipper wants these tested,' he said.

  Tested for what?'

  He grinned. 'Anything that shouldn't be in fuel oil.'

  I poured the samples into Petri dishes and burned them. The sample from the starboard tank left little deposit, but that from the port tank left a gummy mess on the bottom of the dish.

  I went on deck to see Geordie. 'The port fuel tank's been got at,' I told him. 'I think it's been doctored with sugar.'

  Geordie swore a blue streak. 'I thought we were using a hell of a lot of sugar. So that's where it went. How's the starboard tank?'

  'It seems all right.'

  'Kane couldn't get at the starboard tank without being seen – it's right by the wheel. The port tank is different. I remember he used to sit just about there quite often, when he was off watch.'

  'It wouldn't be difficult – a pound of sugar at a time.'

  'We've been sailing a lot, too. If we hadn't we'd have found out sooner – the hard way. But all the fuel we've used has come from the ready use tank in the engine room, and we just kept topping that up in port.'

  Campbell came up. 'What are the long faces for?'

  I told him and he cursed violently.

  'We dump it,' I said. 'We can't dump it in harbour – they'd scream blue murder- so we go to sea and dump it.'

  'All right,' said Geordie. 'I'll fill the header tank from the starboard main tank. We'll need some power to be going on with.'

  'Nothing doing,' said Campbell. 'Kane might have been clever enough to put something else in there. Fill the header rank with new fuel from the Shell agent here.' He paused. 'It's going to be difficult. There's probably a lot of undissolved sugar lying on the bottom of the tank. When you put in new fuel you may be just as badly off.'

  I said, 'I can test for sugar in water. We'll keep washing out until we're clean. How are their water supplies here, Geordie? I'd rather use fresh than salt.'

  'We're lucky. In the dry season they can run short, but I think right now is okay. We'll have to pay through the nose, though.'

  He thought about the job. 'We'll have to wait until the tanks dry out. Maybe I can rig up a contraption that'll pump hot air into the tanks – that should speed the dry-out.'

  'Do that,' said Campbell. 'How long do you think it'll take us to get ready for sea again?'

  We did some figuring and the answer was again not less than a week. Campbell shrugged. That's it, then. But we've lost our lead. We'll be lucky to get out of here before Ramirez pitches up.'

  'He may wait until we go,' I said.

  But guessing was futile, and we left it at that.* 3*

  Next day we went to sea and pumped out both main tanks and refilled them with water from the fresh water tanks. I checked for sugar and found an appreciable quantity in the water of the port tank, so we pumped out again and went back to Nuku'alofa. We filled up with fresh water again, both in the water and the fuel tanks, much to the surprise of the suppliers, and then put to sea again.

  I still found a little undissolved sugar in the port tank, so we did it all again. By this time I reckoned we were clean so we put back to port and Geordie rigged up his hot air contraption to dry out the tanks before we put in new fuel oil. A couple of days was spent on this and we used partial crews each time, spelling the others to have time ashore. God knows what stories were put about in the port, but our lads had orders to remain quiet and ignorant.

  While Geordie and one team were checking the winch and its auxiliary equipment, aided by Campbell, Ian set another group to stripping Esmerelda. They took down all the rigging, both running and standing, and inspected everything. They found nothing wrong and we were sure we were fit for sea when they had finished. But it took time.

  No more of Kane's sabotage came to light. He had carefully selected the two things which could do us the most damage -doctored grease and sugar in the fuel. If he hadn't been watched he might have got away with a lot more, and as it was he'd done more than enough.

  Campbell was Napoleonic about the food stores. 'Dump the lot,' he said.

  'We've no need to dump the canned stuff,' objected Ian, his thrifty Scot's soul aghast.

  But Campbell insisted. 'Dump the lot. That son of a bitch was too clever for my liking. I've no hankering for cyanide in my stew.'

  So on our last run out to sea for testing we dumped the food supplies, and also recalibrated the echometers against proven and charted soundings. They were all right but it was as well to make sure. The local tradesmen were delighted at our liberal purchase of fresh food stocks, and no doubt it all added to the gossip concerning the Esmerelda. Seven days after we had discovered Kane's sabotage Geordie said, That just about does it. We're ready for sea.'

  'Let's hope Kane hasn't left any surprises we haven't found,' I said. 'I'd hate to start dredging and then find the bottom falling out of the ship. How's the engine, Geordie?'

  He grimaced. 'Nothing wrong there. But we had to pull everything down to make sure.'

  'That's the hellish thing about sabotage. Not being sure.'

  When we assembled in the hotel lounge that evening Campbell asked me about the next move. 'How do we go about it?'

  'I'm working on the assumption that there may be something between Falcon and Minerva. That's a distance of three hundred miles. We go to Falcon and take a bottom sample every ten miles on a direct course to Minerva. If we don't find anything, then we sample on parallel courses east and west.'

  'So our first step is to find Falcon Island.'

  I became thoughtful, shook my head and presently said, 'No, I've changed my mind. I think we'll start at Minerva- do it the other way around.'

  They were interested. 'Why would you do that – why should it matter?' Campbell asked.

  'Mark was an oceanographer and he was presumably working on the same lines as we are – volcanic theories much like the ones I've postulated. If the high-cobalt nodules are anywhere near Falcon, why should he mention Minerva at all? I think the nodules are quite a distance from Falcon, quite close to Minerva perhaps. And when Mark indicated them in his diary he thought of the source – which is Falcon – and the vicinity, Minerva.'

  'That sounds logical,' said Campbell. 'But it might mean that the nodules aren't placed on a direct course between Falcon and Minerva. Hell, they could be on the other side of those reefs.'

  'Or scattered all the way along,' suggested Clare. Which was also feasible.

  I said, 'This is what we do. We leave here and sail due west until we hit the track between Falcon and Minerva. We turn towards Minerva and take samples every ten miles. If we don't find anything then, we come back to Falcon and on a parallel course, sampling all the way, go round Falcon and move back again further out. How's that?'

  We talked it over for a while and then went in for dinner. I was glad we were going to sea again; every time we put into port something seemed to go wrong, whether it was arson, wrongful arrest, sabotage or just plain bad news.

  During the meal Clare nudged me and murmured. 'Look over there.'

  I looked around but couldn't see
anything out of order. 'What's the matter?'

  She said quietly, The waiters have just put two tables together over there, and laid them for dinner. There are places for eight.'

  I took another look and she was right. 'Ramirez!' I exclaimed and she nodded. 'Could well be.'

  We glanced towards the doorway, but saw nobody there.

  'Don't tell Pop,' she whispered to me. 'He'll get mad if he sees Ramirez. I don't want us to have a scene – I want us to get him away quietly.'

  'You'd better get him up to bed then – if you can. Geordie and I will check out now and go back to Esmerelda to push things on – we'll try and leave early tomorrow morning. You be there.'

  'I can manage it,' she said.

  They didn't come into the dining room while we were there, and Clare and Paula got the old man upstairs without him being aware that he was being moved like a chess piece – they seemed to be good at it, and I was hopeful that they'd handle him as well the next day. As soon as they'd gone I said to Geordie, 'We think Ramirez has arrived. We'd better pack up here.'

  'How do you know?'

  'Clare's been Sherlocking, and I think she's right.' I indicated the waiting table.

  We went straight to the desk and settled up, taking advantage of an empty foyer, and then went up to our room to pack our gear. I took one of the two. 38 revolvers which Campbell had entrusted to me and tossed it to Geordie. 'The boss says this is for you. Can you use it?'

  He held it in his hand. 'Just let me get Kane or Hadley at the other end of it and I'll show you. Got any ammo?'

  We split the ammunition, loaded the guns and went downstairs with our duffle bags. I was conscious of the weight of the gun in my jacket pocket and felt a bit ridiculous, as though I were impersonating a fifth-rate movie gangster. But there was nothing funny about it really – I might have to use that gun.

  Halfway down the winding stairs I checked and put out my hand to stop Geordie. The foyer seemed full of people and I heard a drift of conversation. It was in Spanish.

  We waited until the crowd had moved into the dining room, led by a tall, thin, hawklike man who must have been Ramirez. He tallied with Campbell's description, though I couldn't see the scar, and I felt a wave of angry nausea in my throat at the sight of him. When the foyer was empty we carried on.

  We found Ian on the deck of Esmerelda. Geordie asked abruptly, 'Any new ships come in during the last hour or so?'

  'Aye,' said Ian. 'That one.' He pointed across the water and I saw the dark loom of a boat anchored a little way out. It was difficult to tell her size, but from her riding light I judged her to be about the same size as Esmerelda, maybe a bit bigger but not much.

  'That is Suarez-Navarro,' said Geordie and Ian stared at him aghast.

  'I want the crew rousted out. I want a watch – two men on each side and a look-out up the foremast. And I don't want any extra lights – I don't want to show that anything out of the ordinary is happening. I want her ready to be moved at a moment's notice. How many are on board?'

  'Most of the lads, and I can round up the others easily enough.'

  'Do that, right away.'

  'Aye aye, sir,' said Ian smartly and went below at a dead run.

  Geordie looked across at her. 'I wonder if Hadley's over there – or Kane?' he said softly.

  I said, They weren't in Ramirez's party in the hotel. Perhaps they're too scared to come ashore – there must be warrants out for them in every port in the Pacific by now. On the other hand, there's no reason for them to be on board her at all. Hadley's still got the Pearl, remember, and we've got no proof that they came here, or joined up with Ramirez after leaving Papeete.'

  True,' said Geordie glumly.

  'I've got things to do in the lab,' I said. 'I have to make ready for sea. I'll see you later.'

  I had been working for an hour when Geordie and Ian came in to see me. 'We've got an idea,' Geordie said. They both looked alive with something that I felt could be called mischief.

  'What is it?'

  The boys think that Kane and Hadley may be across there, on Ramirez's ship. They want to go and get them.'

  'Christ, they can't do that!'

  'Why not?'

  'You know damn well they're most unlikely to be there. This is just an excuse for any nonsense they're cooking up.'

  'But suppose they are? It would solve a hell of a lot of problems. We hand them over to the police and that scuppers Ramirez. He'll be too busy explaining why he's harbouring a couple of wanted murderers to be able to follow us.'

  I thought about it and shook my head. 'No, it's too risky, too damn close to piracy. Campbell wouldn't like it at all.'

  'Look,' said Geordie, 'the boys are all steamed up. They didn't like your stories, they didn't like what those two did on Tanakabu, and they sure as hell didn't like the week's work they've had to put in here because of Kane. They're tired of being pushed around – some of them were shot at in Tanakabu lagoon and they didn't like that either. I don't know if I can stop them.'

  I looked at the glint in Geordie's eye. 'I don't suppose you've tried too hard, have you, Geordie?'

  He bristled. 'Why the hell should I? I've got scores to settle with Hadley too, remember. He gave me a pistol whipping, don't forget that. And it's my ship that Kane's been sabotaging, not Campbell's!'

  'Suppose they aren't there after all?'

  'We'll be bound to learn something to our advantage.' I noticed he was now including himself in the venture and had given up any pretence of being against it.

  Ian said, 'Ach, Mike, it's all laid on. It'll be as easy as lifting a trout from the stream when the keeper's having a dram in the pub.'

  'Oh, it's all laid on, is it? Would you mind telling me what the pair of you have been up to?'

  Ian looked at Geordie, who said, 'Well, it's like this, Mike. I thought a guard was all very well in its way, but a bit negative, if you know what I mean. So I sent a couple of boys ashore to scout around. They found a lot of the crew of that hooker in a pub, drinking themselves silly. A tough-looking mob, true, but they're almost out of it already. All dagoes.'

  'And no Kane or Hadley?'

  'No one spotted them. Anyway with your lot at the hotel, there are precious few bodies left on Ramirez's ship.'

  I said, 'They'll be keeping a watch too. Ramirez isn't a damn fool, and he knows we're here.'

  'Right enough,' agreed Geordie. 'But I've gone into that too. I sent Taffy and Bill Hunter out in a boat to have a look. Bill's the best swimmer we've got, and he had a good look at that ship.' He chuckled suddenly. 'Do you know what he did? He swam right round her first, then he hauled himself aboard on the port side, had a good look round the deck, then let himself into the water on the starboard side and came back to report. That's the sort of watch they're keeping over there.'

  'It would have to be done very quietly,' I mused.

  'Ach, that's no trouble,' said Ian. 'We're a quiet lot.'

  'Just about as quiet as a bunch of sharks. They don't make much noise either.'

  'Well, what about it?' said Geordie imploringly.

  There would have to be no guns. No killing. Just bare fists.'

  'Or maybe the odd belaying pin,' offered Ian gently.

  'You're a bloodthirsty lot. It's a damn silly idea, but I'll agree to it – conditionally.'

  Geordie grinned delightedly. 'I knew you had something of your father in you, Mike!'

  I said, 'Dad would have had you court-martialled for disobedience and subordination, and you damn well know it. All right, here are the conditions. One – if you find Kane or Hadley we hand them over to the police intact to the last hair of their heads. We don't want to ruin our own case. Two – if we don't find them you get back here fast. We'll have to get the hell out of Nuku'alofa anyway – Ramirez will be looking for us and maybe the cops too. That means, three – that Campbell and the girls will have to be got aboard.'

  Geordie's face fell. 'That means the whole thing's off. He'll never stand for it,
not with the girls along.'

  'He doesn't have to know about it too soon – if we time it right. You send someone up to the hotel and get him aboard at just the right time.'

  'The right time being when it's too late to stop us,' said Geordie. 'Mike, laddie, you're going to have a hell of a time explaining to the old man what we're doing.'

  'I'll leave the explanations until afterwards,' I said. 'I've got another condition, number four – I'm coming with you. I've got scores to settle myself.'* 4*

  The timing was a bit tricky. We didn't know how long Ramirez and company were going to stay in the hotel, nor even if they intended returning to their ship that night. We didn't want to bump into them because then there certainly would be noise.

  Again, Campbell and the girls had to be got out of the hotel under the nose of Ramirez, another tricky bit. So we made a plan.

  Geordie had picked Nick Dugan to bring Campbell from the hotel. 'He's probably the best scrapper of the lot of us,' he said. 'But he's never quiet in his fighting. It's best we keep him out of the main operation, and he'll not take it well.'

  I had a word with Nick and sent him off immediately. 'You've got two jobs,' I told him. 'The first is to keep an eye on Ramirez. If any of them make a move to go back to their ship, you nip down to the waterfront and flash a signal to us. Then the operation is definitely off. Got that?'

  'Right.' As it turned out he was surprisingly meek.

  'We'll be starting off at eleven-thirty. At exactly that time you get into Mr Campbell's room and give him a note which I'll write. No sooner and no later than eleven-thirty – that's important.'

  'I understand,' said Nick.

  'Have you got a watch?'

  He showed me his wrist watch and, as we synchronized, I wondered how many times my father had done the same before an operation.

  'I settled their bills along with mine – they don't need to stop at the desk. No porters. Get them back here as fast as you can, and as quietly – and don't let Ramirez or any of his crowd see you.'

  I also had a word with Bill Hunter. 'What sort of watch are they keeping over there, Bill?'

  He smiled. 'I suppose they think they're keeping a good one – by their standards. It's nothing to worry about, though. It'll be a piece of cake.'