by Chogan Swan
“Aylie,” Amber said. “What was that?”
“Letters to her,” Ayleana said. “Letters and songs.”
“Songs?”
“The dymba wrote her songs. Songs about her battle to get to this planet and her quest to finish the hunt.” Ayleana shook her head. “I wanted to let her have time with her friends.”
Amber nodded, but her face betrayed confusion. “But they were your friends too.”
Ayleana shrugged and waved for them all to keep moving. “I have the memories, but she was the one who was really there. She doesn’t remember saying goodbye. It’s past time she had the chance to do that.”
CHAPTER 28 – WAR BOAT
Kaitlin rested her hands on the railing. Standing at El Salvador ’s bow was a treat for her. Now that they had reached warmer waters, she could watch dolphins surfing the bow wave or flying fish skipping across the water. They had crossed the equator about 2,200 kilometers back and had just passed Tobago on the port bow a half hour earlier. One of the crew had told her they would be turning soon to begin steaming through the Caribbean to the Bahía de Campeche.
Kaitlin wasn’t sure why he used the word ‘steaming’ when El Salvador and the other vessels in their convoy all had 2-stroke diesel motors, but she liked the word and could see why it hadn’t fallen out of use—almost as though the word itself was moving under its own steam.
She smiled.
Behind her, footsteps pounded across the deck. Without thinking she cleared her windbreaker out of the way of her holster as she glanced over her shoulder before relaxing. “What is it, Tony?” she said, lowering her hand from ready position.
Usually, Anthony Harris had a joke for her whenever they met, but this time all he said was, “Sheriff Sannhetsdottir, The captain requests you meet him on the bridge at your earliest convenience.”
He took a few seconds to get his breathing under control. “On a ship, that means run,” he said between gasps.
“Thanks, Tony. You really need to stop smoking, my friend.” Kaitlin turned and dashed for the ladder to the bridge. She doubted it was a real emergency, but she savored the chance to run all out.
When she pulled the hatch to the bridge open, the sober faces of everyone gathered there cast those assumptions into doubt. Edward, Humana, Shwyd, Ayleana, Amber and Kest were all gathered around the communications station listening to someone giving orders in Spanish with an accent strange to her. No one responded to the incoming messages as they studied the video screens from reconnaissance drones that revealed a warship shaped like a Coastguard cutter, plowing through the waves, moving fast. From the angle of the shadow it cast, it was heading southeast.
“Someone was bound to spot us on satellite and get curious,” Edward was saying.
He looked over his shoulder at Kaitlin. “That’s a Venezuelan Guaiquerí-class offshore patrol boat. They have a small chopper on deck and two semi-rigid boats. We can’t really stop their bird from flying over our heads. But we’re in international waters and we damned sure don’t need to put up with them boarding us like he’s threatening. It looks like you are on deck, Sheriff.”
“Is that the captain of the boat talking now?”
“Whoever it is, he’s only identified as the ship’s name and number.”
“How long before they show up on the doorstep?” Kaitlin said.
“About 2o minutes at the rate she’s coming.”
“Why haven’t you sounded general quarters yet?”
“Because that means we’ll be breaking radio silence to notify base, and I need your authorization for that,” Edward said.
Kaitlin frowned. Edward was going strictly by the book on this, and the whole conversation was, no doubt, being recorded. She considered the options. Venezuela had not recognized the Nii Federation. She blew out a quick breath. It would have to be one of the most difficult negotiation scenarios she’d prepared for.
At least it wasn’t one of the Lupo-class missile frigates … yet. The cutter probably had help on the way though, and El Salvador was a long way from their destination in Veracruz.
Kaitlin turned to Humana and Shwyd. “I think we need a show of strength early, before they get close enough for things to really get ugly.”
Humana nodded. “I agree. You issue the warning then, and I’ll set up the shot across the bow.”
“Okay,” said Kaitlin. She took a deep breath.
Geronimo!
She turned to Edward again. “As an elected representative equivalent to head of state of an aligned power to the Nii Federation, I am canceling radio silence under article 12 of executive order number 2 to open diplomatic efforts and avoid war.”
Edward hit a toggle and the whistle and announcement for GQ began sounding across the ship. Shouts from the deck and the sound of feet running answered the signal.
Kaitlin turned to Edward. “Captain, if you would be so kind as to open communications—”
“Let Amber do it,” Humana said as her fingers flew across her touch screen phone. “Edward’s Spanish is terrible.”
Edward smiled and handed the microphone to Amber.
Amber took it with a polite head nod. “Thank you, Captain.” She squeezed the push-to-talk.
As Amber spoke, Kaitlin translated it in her head even while she focused on what to say when it was her turn.
“Patrol ship of the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela,” Amber said. “You are approaching an armed convoy with a peaceful mission under the governance of the Nii Federation. We are transporting the head of state of one of our aligned powers. Please have your captain stand by for Valle de Aguas Head-of-State Kaitlin Sannhetsdottir. Please turn over communication to your captain now.”
Kaitlin almost grinned. Valle de Aguas sounded so much fancier than Wet Gulch.
Amber handed the microphone to Kaitlin.
Kaitlin took it pushed the transmit button. “Buenas tardes, Capitán. Habla usted Ingles?”
“Si… Yes, this is Capitán Bendigas I speak English, Señora.” The radio signal was clear and free of static.
“Wonderful. Please let me know if anything that I say is unclear. I have a translator standing by….”
She dropped her voice to a more private and person-to-person tone. “Capitán, this is a volatile situation you have stumbled into. This convoy is in international waters and under the protection of the Nii Federation. We are armed and unwilling to submit to an unwarranted boarding. If you continue to approach after threatening to board us, we have every right to consider that a hostile action and defend ourselves. You will only get one warning. Is any of that unclear, Capitán?”
“With regrets, Señora. I have my orders. Your ships are suspected of an illegal salvage operation and I must inspect your vessels.”
“Capitán, I will assure you that we will have government inspectors and UN observers present when we make landfall in Veracruz. But your government has failed to recognize the Nii Federation. So—in my judgment—that rules your navy’s ships out as a neutral party and we will not allow you to board. I will allow you…”
She glanced to Humana who held up a sheet of paper. “… fifteen seconds to turn back or change course before I order my forces to fire. Fifteen seconds starting now.”
Kaitlin turned to the monitors, wishing they held more information than what sailed on top of the water. At the end of a tense fifteen seconds, she thumbed the transmit button.
“Warning shot,” she said.
A moment later, she could see a blurred flash of missile exhaust and a geyser of water appear directly in the path of the Venezuelan cutter where the missile—launched from the XYMBI stealth submarine—had re-entered the water. As the cutter passed over the entry point, the expansion from its explosive warhead threw up a watery eruption that tossed the 99-meter-long cutter several meters into the air. She smacked down again, listing to port, with her bow raised about seven degrees over her stern.
Water shot up in a wave as she impacted the surface. The follow-up ge
yser of the explosion swamped her decks, washing a dozen sailors into the guardrail. Her list to port dipped her decks lower under water. For a long handful of seconds, Kaitlin thought she was going to founder, but the pilot had reacted quickly, shutting down the propeller.
The pilot’s quick reaction was the only thing that kept the boat from driving itself sideways into the tossing sea where she would have turned and capsized. As it was, she was still listing heavily to port. Obviously, a good amount of water had gotten below decks.
Kaitlin hit the transmit button. “I’m sorry you were put in this situation, Capitán,” she said. “I hope no one was seriously injured. Please let me know if you need assistance. I can send over our ship’s boats if need be.”
The captain did not answer.
Probably better that way.
“Perhaps…,” Kaitlin said, turning to Humana. “It might be wise for us to invite our allies… Mexico for example… to join us in a joint naval exercise.”
She tapped her finger on her chin. “Now that we’ve had to break radio silence and fire a warning shot, it might be best if we pulled out the stops and got to Veracruz as soon as we can.”
Humana nodded agreement. “A Mexican task force including: Bravo, Galiana and Sierra are south of Jamaica now, already heading our way,” she said. “That should be adequate. Both the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico are pretty sparsely populated with warships these days. Most of the US navy is in the Atlantic or the Pacific right now, saving fuel as much as possible, so we have the pool mostly to ourselves.”
“Good to know,” said Kaitlin. “Thank you, Captain.” She handed the microphone back to Edward then left the bridge and headed back to the bow.
As she looked out at the sea, it wasn’t long before the Venezuelan patrol boat came into naked-eye view. As El Salvador—now steaming north at 10 knots—passed, Kaitlin watched the cutter’s crew frantically pumping water from the bilge. The replay of the patrol boat almost keeling over ran again and again through her mind’s eye.
Kaitlin went to the bow for an hour to watch the dolphins play, hoping tomorrow she might be able to enjoy the sight again.
CHAPTER 29 – MORE HALF-DAYS OFF
The Caribbean trade wind from the east cooled Kest’s sweat-slicked torso but—on his leeward side—it failed to keep an errant trickle from sliding from his scalp to his left eye. He ignored it, keeping his gaze on Kaitlin’s flickering fists and feet as he blocked and dodged her full-contact combinations.
He also ignored the temptation to focus on her eyes—twin chips of intense jade green that refused to tell him anything of her intentions as her punishing strikes glanced from his gloves and forearms in their relentless attempts to pass his guard.
She’s going to grind you down … need to grapple.
He wasn’t used to anyone outlasting him. When Kaitlin had arrived on El Salvador, he could keep up with her, but since then it seemed she’d been training even harder than he had.
Kaitlin kept hammering at him, occasionally passing his guard to tag his face. Her reach was longer, and his counterpunches had to travel up to reach her. In the two months that she’d been on El Salvador, her height had passed the six-foot mark. She was taller than he was by at least two inches. He was still heavier, but right now, he wouldn’t take odds on her not being just as strong.
Surely not stronger …
The thought wasn’t as reassuring as he would have liked. The continuing evidence from the impacts of her fists offered a convincing argument that he was in denial.
He dropped his center of gravity to attempt a grass-cutter sweep, but it passed under her quick hop, and he had to roll away to escape a flying snap kick aimed at his head.
As he came to his feet, Kest saw her closing with him and bumped her arm upwards as it extended for a right jab. The counter let him slip close and tie her up with a front chokehold.
His feeling of satisfaction at the move exploded in a burst of light.
∆ ∆ ∆
The awareness that he was no longer standing fought its way to the surface of his mind.
“Saw that coming.” The voice—Calypso’s—drifted to him from far away, flavored with sympathetic amusement.
Kest struggled to open his eyes. A dark-striped face hovered above him, and strong hands gripped his head in a gentle vice. His nose was filled by something….
His sinuses tickled at the feeling of movement inside as the something withdrew, and the vice released his head.
“Don’t get up for a few seconds,” Humana said. “The pads protected you from a severe concussion, but you ended up with a minor one. Since it’s not an emergency, Ayleana can decide on the details. It’s not my place to treat you when she’s available.”
“Yeah … ‘s fine,” Kest said, opening his eyes. “Not the first time I’ve been clocked. Good shot Kaitlin.”
“She’s not here,” Calypso said from somewhere behind him. “Shwyd took her back to our cabin.”
“Why?” Kest decided not to try turning his head to look at her just yet.
Calypso leaned over him, coming into his field of vision, but it was Humana who answered. “I told him to. I didn’t want to give your partner’s protective instincts a shock that might have turned into harsh words … or actions.”
“Why would it? Amber’s hit me harder than that … I think.”
Calypso chuckled. “I doubt it. You were out cold a full thirty seconds at least. The last time I saw her throw that kick, the guy on the receiving end was in the hospital for two days. Of course, that was without pads, and he really deserved it. I don’t think she was looking to use it on you. But when you managed to get the choke hold on her … I expect she just reacted and did what she would have needed to do in a real fight.”
“That lines up with my observations,” Humana said. “I also don’t think she meant to connect so hard.”
“You mean she kicked me in the head when I had her in a chokehold? How is that even possible?”
Calypso laughed. “That girl be like Gumbi, mestre. You best be glad she on your side.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that.” Kest turned his head with slow caution and pushed himself up to a sitting position.
Calypso put her hand under his arm. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
Kest felt Humana’s hands slide below his armpits. With a gentle tug, she set him on his feet. “Keep an arm around him in case he gets dizzy, Calypso,” she said. “Falling wouldn’t do anything to speed his recovery, nor would it gain me any credits with my branch-sister.”
Kest would have protested if he hadn’t wobbled right at that moment. Calypso’s arm around his waist and his wrist that she was holding tight to her shoulder caught him, keeping him steady.
“At least it’s your half-day off,” Calypso said. “You don’t have anything else to do anyway, right?” She chuckled.
Now that she’d reminded him…. “Just get me to my room, please,” he said, taking a first uncertain step in the wrong direction. Calypso turned him with a gentle pivot and guided him off the tatami and across the stern deck toward the portside railing. As they turned, Kest noted the catamaran-framed barge carrying Valishnu wallowing in their wake. The corvette, hidden below its heavy tarps, was riding fine—as it had been for weeks now.
Since they’d entered the Caribbean, the sailing had been much smoother, not to mention warmer.
Smooth sailing—except for almost getting into a war with Venezuela.
It was several more steps before he remembered his t-shirt was still back at the tatami and—with Calypso in a halter-top—her bare skin was touching a lot of his. It didn’t seem worth the effort to go back for the shirt.
As they approached the railing, the gangly frame of Kevin Suttner came around the corner of the cabin bulkhead and stopped to stare at them. “Are you adding another to your harem, Kest?” he said.
“NiceTalkingWithYouGottaGo,” said Kest as they brushed past.
“But you didn’t answer
my question,” Suttner called after him.
“I’ll let you know after my in-depth interview,” Calypso called back over her shoulder.
Kest frowned. “Don’t encourage him,” he said. “I’m not going to waste another second fending of his nosy questions about my sleeping arrangements. The guy is clueless.”
“Maybe I should suggest to Amber he needs to find a clue,” Calypso said, her wide grin flashing her brilliant smile.
Kest grinned. “No, I think Humana would be a better choice. There may be a brain chemistry reason he can’t catch social cues.”
Calypso shook her head. “Isn’t that just like you to give someone the benefit of the doubt? He’s probably just a jerk.”