The Chief raises his arm to signal the village operations officer that they are ready to begin. He drops his arm and shouts, “Go!” to DJ.
DJ walks slowly through the village with his bow at the ready. He’s impressed with the archery equipment they have here. He’d thought these guys were all bombs and bullets. This 4’ longbow with precision sight and night scope is much more high tech than the one he has on the boat. Maria won’t let him keep it in the house.
To his left, a cutout of a young child pops up. He holds his shot, even though the sudden movement startled him.
“Watch for the IEDs!” the Chief yells to him. The Improvised Explosive Devices are hidden throughout the village.
DJ makes his way up the street, swinging the bow back and forth. To his right, a figure holding a gun pops up in a window. DJ fires off an arrow hitting the target square in the chest. He doesn’t wait before re-loading and moving forward through the village. For the next twenty minutes, he stalks through the village, hitting all the bad guys and missing all the civilians. He only comes close to making one mistake. A woman with a child in her arms pops up in front of him, but he sends the arrow up and over her head as he realizes his error.
When he reaches the end of the village, he spots an improvised explosive device three feet to the right. He gets off a kill shot at the bandit standing in a nearby window. The device goes off with a loud bang, throwing dust up into the air, some of it raining down on DJ, who has crouched on the ground, covering his head with his hands.
The Chief walks up to DJ, extending a hand to help him up. “Nice shooting with that bow.”
DJ looks over at the bad guy cut out in the window, an arrow through his forehead.
◆◆◆
We all watch DJ from behind two-way glass, waiting our turn.
“Impressive,” says Alexis. “I might have to get him to teach me how to do that some time. I can see where it would come in handy.”
I look over at her, but I don’t say anything.
The rest of us go through the village, doing pretty well. I’m the last to go, and I’m nervous. Alexis is watching and I haven’t done anything like this since my days as a cop. I look at the choice of weapons and grab a rifle with a sound suppressor attached to the barrel. I walk into the village and crack a round into the chamber. The first figure to appear is a terrorist holding a cartoon bomb. I hit him in the chest. The rifle makes a spitting sound – very little noise. A nice change from all the kabooming we’ve been hearing all day. I jack another bullet into the rifle and keep moving through the village. I see the IED too late and it goes off. As I dodge to my left, I get off a shot before the concussion of the explosion hits me. I lie there dazed and disoriented. I roll over on my back and see the Master Chief standing above me, reaching out a hand to help me up.
“Nice shot, Bobby,” he says, “You got the bad guy, but you would have been injured had that bomb been real. Shake it off and keep moving.”
We go through the village numerous times until the Chief is happy with everyone’s results.
“Good work,” he tells us, “You sure none of you want to enlist?”
We all shake our heads and call out a chorus of, “No,” and “No, sir.”
“Fair enough,” he smiles, “the Commander wants to see us now that we’re all done. Let’s do a nice two mile jog to back at the base. Follow me.”
I let out a sigh as I fall in behind the others.
Chapter 49
“General, we have just received a transmission from the submarine. They are running late. They are asking what you want them to do,” his aide tells him.
The General thinks about the possibility of the U.S. Navy finding the submarine. “Send a message to the Captain to increase his speed to twenty knots after he crosses into U.S. waters. Tell him to listen for any type of tracking from the Americans. It’s imperative he keeps the appointed time of our rendezvous points. Did he say why they are behind schedule?
“No, sir,” replies his aide, “They must have encountered trouble. The Captain is a cautious man.”
The General thinks a bit longer before replying, “Contact the Captain. Inform him there will be a million dollar bonus if he can arrive on schedule. If he does not arrive on schedule, he and his crew will be executed. Then end the transmission. Do not give him the opportunity to reply. That is all,” he says, dismissing his aide.
He stands up from his desk and looks out the window at the Newport Beach Harbor. If he does not deliver the terrorist Aziz on time, he may be executed himself.
◆◆◆
The communications officer turns to look at Yuri, “Captain, we have received a reply from General Sandoval.”
“Yes?”
“I – ah –,” hesitates the officer.
“For God’s sake man, just tell me what it says,” barks Yuri.
“He says he will add a million dollars if we can arrive on schedule.”
“Tell him I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“He says if we don’t arrive on schedule, the entire crew will be executed.”
“Ah.”
“Should I still tell him it’s not possible?”
“No, of course not, you idiot. Don’t reply to the message,” Yuri turns to his First Officer, “Have our guest join me in my quarters for a cup of tea, please.”
As he makes his way to his quarters, Yuri knows what he has to do. If he fails in his mission, then the first person to die will be Aziz. Then he will scuttle the boat. He’d be taking himself and his crew to their deaths, but also cause The General’s death. If not his death, at least he would ruin what was left of The General’s life.
Chapter 50
When we arrive back at the barracks, Delany says, “Shower, get into some clean clothes and meet me back here in one hour. At that time, I’ll lay out our plan. The Master Chief and I will listen to your input, but you will have to be prepared to follow orders.”
Delany and Ferguson get back into the jeep and drive off toward the main base. I look over at Murph, Alexis, and DJ, but I don’t see John G. Where did he get to?
DJ is looking behind us and says, “Hey, check this out.”
We all turn to see the boat being towed out of the hangar.
“Holy shit,” says DJ, “What have they done to my boat?!”
We start to walk toward it, but before we can get close, we’re stopped by an MP, our buddy from yesterday.
“Commander’s orders,” he says, raising his rifle across in front of us, “You are not allowed near the boat until he returns.”
“But...” starts DJ.
Alexis stops him by putting her hand on his arm, “Do as Commander Delany has asked. He’ll explain everything when he returns.”
Another MP joins the first and we know they mean business.
“DJ,” I say, “It looks awesome from here. Let’s give Delany the benefit of the doubt and let him explain the alterations when he gets here. It could make us the fastest boat in Dana Point Harbor.”
He turns on me, “I don’t need any of this high-tech crap to win a race. I’m a good sailor with a good crew. That’s all it takes.”
“I know – that’s not what I meant. Look,” I say, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but a hot shower sounds pretty good right about now.”
We walk back to the barracks in silence, thinking about today and what lies ahead. Alexis waves to us as she heads toward another building, either a woman’s barracks or some kind of VIP quarters. There’s another set of clothes on our bunks. We shower, get dressed and walk back outside.
John G. is sitting on a bench looking at a pile of paperwork. I lean over him and recognize the pages Micky had hidden in the puzzle box.
“Where have you been?” I ask him, “We haven’t seen you since we got back from training.”
“I’ve been going through the paperwork that Micky stole from Sandoval,” he replies, looking up at me, “With what Micky stole and what new information I’ve uncov
ered, we might have a chance of getting Sandoval and shutting down a major drug cartel at the same time. If we can take the terrorist alive, we might even shut down a major terrorist cell. The boys at Gitmo are very good at finding out information from these Jihadists. Micky unknowingly found the coordinates for the cocaine drops coming up from Mexico. We’ll be able to guess his course by plotting his drop sites and find a place to ambush the submarine, Sandoval and stop those drugs from hitting the streets.”
He stands up and puts a hand on my shoulder, “Micky died a hero, Bobby.”
I can’t say anything I’m so overcome with emotion. Before I have to stop tears, Delaney and Ferguson pull up in the jeep and walk over to where we’re standing. DJ, Alexis and Murphy have joined us.
“Well, the good news is John G. has found new information that will help us in the attempt to capture Sandoval,” Delany tells us, “The bad news, we don’t have enough time to go through normal channels to find support for our operation. We’ll be on our own. Now, my question for all of you is; are you in or are you out? Now’s your chance to go home. We won’t hold it against you if you decide to stand down.”
I look around at the group and one by one, we all nod to each other.
“We’re in, Delaney,” I say, “Now, tell us your plan.”
Another Marine walks up from the dock toward us. He’s young, blond and doesn’t look old enough to shave.
“DJ, you and Bobby go with Sergeant Proffit here and he’ll explain all the work his group has done to your boat. The rest of you get your gear together. When these two are done, we’ll grab some chow and set sail. Once at sea, I’ll tell you the plan.”
DJ and I fall in behind Sergeant Proffit. I give our tight-assed MP buddy a little smile as we walk past him onto the dock. When we get to the boat, the Sergeant starts to explain the modifications to us.
“We did a major refit, starting with removing the lead from the keel and filling it with a new polymer that works the same as lead but cannot be detected by radar or sonar.” Proffit starts in a Georgia drawl, “We also applied a special coating over the entire hull similar to that used on our stealth fighters. We installed a new carbon fiber mast and rigging. We’ve replaced the sails with a new type of material that is superior in strength and is much lighter than conventional sail cloth.” He points to the areas of the boat as he tells us, and then motions us aboard.
“We installed a satellite link for navigations and a weapons bay down below,” he continues.
“Weapons? What kind of weapons?” DJ asks. It’s too late for him to get cold feet.
“Commander Delany will go over all that when necessary,” Proffit cuts him off. “There is dive gear in the forward locker. Basically, your boat is now undetectable by radar or sonar, allowing you to sail up to any ship without being detected by their technology. She’ll be more responsive and will sail better than she ever has before.”
“She sailed just fine before,” mutters DJ.
The Sergeant looks at him for a moment before continuing, “The Master Chief knows how to operate the new navigation station and you will be able to track your target once it acquires a lock on their signature.”
We both look at him, “Signature?” I say.
“Their vessel, sir,” he replies. “You should be able to locate the sub, but they shouldn’t be able to detect you. The guns are loaded and the safety protocols are in place.”
We spend another hour going over everything and finally Proffit asks us, “Do you have any questions, gentlemen?”
I do – are we insane? What have we gotten ourselves into? I keep them to myself. We nod and the Sergeant escorts us off the boat and into the mess hall where Delany and the rest are grabbing something to eat before we head out.
DJ sits down across from Delany, “So, the government has turned my sail boat into a floating stealth type weapon, do I have that right?” he asks.
Delany looks down at his coffee. “Yeah, DJ, I guess we did,” he raises his head and looks DJ straight in the eye, “But if we make it out of this alive, you’ll get to keep all the upgrades, courtesy of Uncle Sam. Now, you two get something to eat. We haven’t got much time.”
Ferguson stands up, “Sir, you and I should get the latest intelligence, then meet the rest of the crew at the boat.”
“Agreed,” Delaney stands up and we watch them leave the mess hall.
Chapter 51
I have the helm as DJ helps the others get settled below. I love sailing into the sunset on a beautiful night. It promises to be spectacular tonight. But, there are dark clouds on the horizon. As we navigate further out into the ocean, I start noticing boats appearing on the in the distance and I grab a pair of binoculars. I know what’s going on; Squid boats. Giant squid must be running and these boats are carrying fisherman who will try to catch these deep water behemoths.
“DJ, you have to check this out,” I call below.
DJ, Delaney and Murphy pop up and look at all the boats turning on bright lights that will attract the squid to the surface. They’re followed by John G., who steps onto the deck with a troubled look. “What’s up?” I ask him.
“We know where the original meeting place is and what time Sandoval is scheduled to meet the Russian sub, but the intel that Micky stole from Sandoval has two other alternate sites,” he says and turns to look at me and DJ. “Could you two look at these sites and give me your input? We only have one chance and if we get it wrong, Sandoval gets away.”
DJ takes the paper from him and says, “Alexis, would you please take the helm for a few minutes so Bobby and I can look at John’s map?”
DJ and I duck below where John has a coastal chart spread out on the table in front of him. I recognize the Dana Point harbor and see that the chart goes all the way past Los Angeles. John has taken a pencil and circled three spots, presumably the sites. DJ lights a cigarette as we both lean over to study the chart. After a moment, DJ looks up at me.
“Do you see what I see?” he asks.
“Yeah, deep water that goes into shallow coves. All of them are isolated but very accessible by boat. The submarine will have no trouble getting away.”
Delany looks over my shoulder, “Where do you think would be his first choice to try to make the transfer? You guys are familiar with this coast.”
I know what I think, but I want to hear DJ’s opinion before I say anything.
“I think,” he says, blowing smoke out the open hatch, “With all these squid boats out tonight, they’re going to have to change their plans and go with site number three.” He points to the chart, “The first two sites will be crowded, but site number three is off Crystal Cove. It’s isolated enough to do the exchange.”
“I think so, too,” I agree. “Sandoval will be able to get into the sub and get away. It’s out from a state park and no one will be anywhere near there at this time of night.
DJ continues, “I also think from there the Russian sub will be able to hug the coast as closely as possible to escape. No one would think to search for it close to the shoreline.”
The Master Chief has been listening and steps up, pointing to the chart and tapping Scotchman’s Cove, “If we can get here, three of us can be put in the water and have the boat sail out into the exchange site while we sneak up on the power boat Sandoval must be using for this. He sure won’t be swimming out to the sub. If we can get close enough to place charges on the sub’s propeller we can disable her, grab Sandoval, the drugs and the cash.”
“Not bad, Ferguson,” says Delany. “Let’s put together two teams: one for the water and one for the boat. How much dive gear do we have on board and what’s the weapon status?”
“Hold on,” I say. “I’m not getting into a wet suit and handling explosives, in the dark, no way.”
Delaney holds up his hand to stop me as the Master Chief continues, “During the training session we assessed the diving abilities of the civilians.” He’s talking as if we’re all not standing right here, “All have s
ome level of scuba experience, but Alexis, John, Delaney and I are the most qualified. I took the liberty of stowing the scuba gear for the four of us.”
I hope the relief doesn’t show on my face. DJ’s probably the best free diver on this tub, but Ferguson must have taken his family situation into consideration before assembling the dive team.
“Excellent,” says Delaney, “That leaves Bobby, DJ and Murphy standing by, waiting to move in on our signal.” He turns to look at us, “DJ could you relieve Alexis on the helm so we can get her up to speed? You can start to motor us toward our destination. Under the cover of darkness, we should be invisible. We’ll motor from here to within a mile of the site and sail in from there. The boat has been fitted with state-of-the-art black sails made of a lighter, firmer fabric,” says Delany. “You won’t even hear them in the wind.”
DJ shakes his head. “These bastards really did think of everything,” he says as we climb into the cockpit.
“Do you want to drive the boat for a while?” he asks me. “We can switch off every two hours or so.”
“Thanks, DJ, I’d love to see how she handles with all the enhancements. If we make it out of this, your boat will be unbeatable. The interior, all the new instruments they’ve installed and the high-tech sails, we’ll never lose a race again.”
DJ sits beside me, gazing out at the squid boats with all their colorful lights. “I don’t think the government will let me keep her, whether we’re successful or not, no matter what Delaney says. This boat is now a new, high-tech weapon that the military can sail into any hot spot and not be noticed. I’m pretty sure this is a shakedown cruise to test the equipment and the boat.”
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