The Final Chapter

By Pauline Owers

A ‘WHN’ to The Deadly Dolls

With thanks to Helen for her beta and her guidance.

Five Days Earlier…

The net was heavy, the body making it hard to maneuver. He grunted with the effort of manipulating the arms just right, draping the net over the coral, securing it to stay put and not lift off. Not that there was much current down this deep, but you never knew.

The dive had taken longer than he’d liked, and so he’d had to pick up some samples along the way, to justify the time he’d spent underwater. Luckily this part of the reef was rich with just the kind of coral the doc liked. She’d be happy with what he’d picked up.

One last heavy “click,” and the arm released with a satisfying thud. He checked out the port. The net was in place, the body motionless within the checkered ropes. Too bad for the guy, he’d been a good worker. Just too nosy for his own good. Nosy got you killed.

The DSV began slowly rising upwards, towards the bright Pacific sunlight.

Chapter 1

It was over; Professor Multiple was dead, along with his puppets, the danger past. Nelson walked away, leaving Lee standing at the plot table. Lee turned to Sharkey who was hovering beside him. “Chief, get a detail and make sure that all these dolls or puppets or whatever they are, are destroyed.”

“Aye, sir. You two, get over here,” Sharkey ordered as he gathered up the puppets from the plot table.

Lee sighed, head and shoulders drooping, raising a fist to cautiously rub his forehead. He was feeling bruised and battered, still a little spooked by what had happened.

Chip Morton dropped a hand on Lee’s shoulder. You okay?”

Reminding himself that Chip was the real thing, Lee lowered his hand and nodded as he turned to look at his XO. “Yes, fine, Chip. You better check our course and speed. And send a damage control party to the armoury.”

“Aye, sir,” Chip moved away to carry out the order.

Lee stood for a moment surveying the control room. All stations were manned and ready. His gaze stopped on Kowalski at the sonar station as he remembered his encounter with the puppet that had taken the crewman’s place, and his desperate fight with ‘it’ in the armoury. Things could have easily turned out so differently.

Returning his attention to the chart table, Lee struggled to unclipped a mic. “This is the Captain. All departments report your condition.”

xxxxxx

Chip watched as Nelson left the Control Room. He sometimes found Nelson’s apparent indifferent attitude to Lee hard to understand. They were as close as father and son, yet there were times like now, when Nelson either didn’t seem to care, or seemed oblivious to Lee’s feelings, expecting him to carry on as if nothing had happened.

Yes, Lee was an officer and Seaview’s Captain, trained to deal with the difficulties and responsibility of command, but what Lee and all of them had faced had gone beyond anything serving in the Navy could throw at them. And dammit, they had just picked Lee up off the deck. Lee for his part had a tendency to bottle things up and usually refused to admit that there was anything wrong. Although neither man ever admitted how close their relationship was, Chip knew how important Nelson’s opinion was to Lee. Lee had found it hard after the death of his father, in spite of his mother’s efforts; Lee had missed the support of a father figure growing up. Since Lee had taken command of Seaview, Nelson had become that support, in many ways. Chip hoped that in time, Nelson would say “something” to Lee. If not, getting Lee to open up was next to impossible, but they had been friends a long time and Chip had become adept at coaxing Lee into talking.

While there was no outward sign of trauma, Lee was sporting some vivid bruising to his face and were those scorch marks on Lee’s shirt? Chip worried what other injuries Lee might have. Chip, like the rest of the crew, had been asleep while the battle for control of the boat had taken place. Lee was very good at hiding things and the last place he would go for help would be Sickbay. He seemed to think that if he ignored any health problems, they would go away.

Chip was kept busy for the next few minutes, checking helm control and going over the printout from the satellite to confirm their position against the charts. They had been taken some distance from their original course and Chip had to plot a new course that would bring them back to where they were supposed to be. Seaview was headed for Hawaii to investigate the reported discovery of rare Gold Coral atop the underwater volcano called “Cross Seamount”, 100 miles south of Oahu, the biggest island in the chain.

“We’re on course, proceeding at Standard,” Chip reported when Lee returned from a circuit of the control room. “Will you want to bring her up to Flank?”

“No, that won’t be necessary, the coral’s not going anywhere.” Lee carefully unshipped a mic. “Admiral, this is Crane.”

“Yes, Lee.”

“We’re back on course for the seamount.”

“Very good, Lee. I’ll be in my cabin.”

“Yes, Admiral.” There was a slight pause, and then Lee said, “Sir, do you want to be topside while we get rid of…everything?”

Nelson said nothing for a long time. “No, Lee, I expect you have everything under control. I’ve got work to do here. Tell my steward I’ll expect dinner in my cabin. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Aye, sir.” Nelson wanted no reminders of what had happened either, then. Who could blame him? Being taunted by a lookalike puppet, seeing the crew replaced by zombie-like duplicates, who would want any kind of memory of this.

“We’re ready, skipper,” Sharkey reported over the intercom.

Very well, Chief, standby.” Lee clicked the mic to clear it. “Engine Room, all stop. Chip, surface the boat.”

“Surface, aye.”

Lee waited while his orders were carried out and Seaview rose to the surface. He’d feel better when the puppets had been destroyed. He was thankful that things had not been worse. The crew was safe; they had been asleep while he and the Admiral had fought for control of the Seaview.

Daylight flooded in through the observation nose as they surfaced and a crewman approached, handing Lee his jacket. Lee nodded his thanks and shrugged it on as the deck detail cracked the hatch, the smell of salt air wafting in through the open hatch. Lee exited via the sail hatch onto the deck, where he was meeting Sharkey and the special detail topside. The puppets had been loaded onto a wooden raft and lowered over the side. Sharkey handed Lee the flame thrower.

Lee nodded. “Thanks, Chief.” Lee aimed the flames at the puppets and kept it playing over the pallet until he was sure that they were all well alight. Lowering the flame thrower, Lee watched the puppets burn as the raft slowly drifted away. “Chief, I want that raft completely destroyed, nothing, I repeat nothing left.”

“Aye, sir. We’ve rigged it with explosives.” Sharkey handed Lee a detonator. “Just press the button when you are ready, Skipper.”

Lee waited another minute until all the puppets had been burned and there was nothing but a pile of ashes, before he pressed the button. The wooden raft shattered into pieces and immediately started to sink. “Secure the detail.” Lee turned and headed back to the hatch.

He spent a few minutes checking their position on the chart table, Chip by his side.

“Lee, you look exhausted. Why don’t you turn in? Everything is under control here.”

Morton’s suggestion had Kowalski casting the two officers a sideways glance. He whole heartedly agreed with the exec’s assessment of Crane. ‘Ski couldn’t see Crane’s face, but he’d seen the bruises, but at least there was no blood on the skipper’s slightly crumpled uniform. The whole control room crew had been concerned at finding the skipper unconscious when they had arrived in the control room. ‘Ski still wasn’t totally sure of what had gone on. One minute he’d been in the control room looking at an image of himself and the next, he’d woken up in his rack with no memory of how he’d gotten there.

Crane nodded. “I think I will. You have the Conn, Chip.”

Ski watched as the captain headed up the spiral staircase for officers’ country. He didn’t understand why no-one had called sickbay or sent Crane to get checked out by the doc. Everyone knew of Crane’s dislike of all things medical, he would not report to sickbay voluntarily. Sure, he’d seen the skipper in worse shape, and he was all too aware of Crane’s dislike of being fussed over, but even so...

xxxxx

Lee closed his cabin door and lent back against it, one hand still on the handle. Now that the adrenalin rush was wearing off, he felt physically and emotionally exhausted. Pulling loose his tie, he pushed away from the support of the door and walked slowly across the cabin towards the head. He needed a shower; he’d spent the last several hours crawling through Seaview’s ventilation system, fighting with whatever or whoever was trying to take over his boat and been beaten unconscious. Not to mention the electric burns to his hands after he’d locked the remote power switch. He couldn’t believe that he’d escaped a visit to Sickbay, but how long could he escape Chip’s scrutiny? He’d been run ragged and was going to be sore in the morning, that was for sure.

Peeling out of his grubby uniform, he dumped it in the hamper and headed to the shower. The warm water sluicing over his shoulders and body helped to ease some of the soreness. He soaped up and rinsed, washing away the grime he’d accumulated during the struggle for control of Seaview. Turning off the water he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He winced as he caught sight of himself in the mirror, his face, shoulders and body sported a colourful array of bruises.

Emerging from the head with a towel wrapped around his middle, Lee padded across to the bunk. As much as he hated to admit it, he was tired and was looking forward to getting horizontal and sleeping. He had more bruises than he cared to count. His pyjamas were neatly folded on his bunk and for a moment he considered going to bed in his skivvies, rather than struggling into pyjamas. While the water had helped the burns on his hands, now that he was dry and they were exposed to the air, they stung painfully. It was only the thought of his friend’s reaction that made him decide he’d better wear the pyjamas. Chip was sure to stop by when he came off duty. Lee blew out a breath. Chip wasn’t going to be satisfied with anything less than the whole story. He often complained that Lee left him in the dark.

Everything seemed to take twice as long, he’d just finished fastening his robe when there was a knock at the door. “Come.”

The mess steward entered with a tray. “Mr Morton asked for a tray to be brought for you, skipper.”

Lee couldn’t help smiling. Chip strikes again. “Thanks.” He turned and waited while the steward put the tray down on the desk.

“No problem, sir. Enjoy your meal.”

Lee nodded and sat down. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but he knew he’d better make an effort to eat some of it. Lifting the cover, he found lobster tails with pasta salad. Next to that was a slice of cherry pie for dessert and a pot of coffee. He was never going to eat all this. Picking up his knife and fork, he set to work.

xxxxxx

Chip knocked on Lee’s cabin door, and after getting no reply, entered. He was surprised to find Lee asleep in his bunk. He’d expected to find his work-a-holic captain doing paperwork. Chip walked over to take a closer look at his friend. Lee was lying on his back, the blankets drawn up to his chest. The bruises on Lee’s face had developed into a rainbow of colour.

Chip again found himself getting angry. He quietly went to the head and soaked a cloth in cold water, rung it out and returned to place it on Lee’s forehead.

“Ummm,” Lee stirred and half opened his eyes. “Chip?” he asked sleepily.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“S’okay, been expecting you. Playing nursemaid?” Lee teased.

“How do you feel? Do you need anything?”

Lee yawned. “No, thanks. Just tired.”

“In other words, go away and leave you alone.”

“Lee smiled. “Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you for breakfast.”

“Go back to sleep.” Chip turned away and picked up the tray, noting that Lee had eaten more than he’d expected him to.

xxxxxx

Nelson paused with pen in hand, looking at the sheet of paper lying on the desk in front of him. What the devil was he going to tell Inter-Allied? He could hardly tell them that puppets had taken over the Seaview; he’d end up in a straightjacket. Especially with only Crane as a witness to what had taken place.

He hadn’t been sure what he would find when he berthed the Flying Sub and climbed up into the control room. His first concern had been the security of Seaview and her weapons. He’d been anxious after finding Sharkey and Morton kneeling beside an unconscious Crane. Over the four years that Lee had been Seaview’s captain, their relationship had gone beyond that of C.O and subordinate, they had become as close as father and son; although neither of them acknowledged it. He was extremely proud of Lee, although he’d never told him how he felt. Not only was he Lee’s friend, he was also his CO and a four-star admiral, he was supposed to remain dispassionate and focused. Even though Seaview was a civilian boat, years of Navy discipline had conditioned him. Expressing feelings was frowned upon, especially on a sub and he found himself hesitant to talk about anything. However, there was something about the young captain that brought out his parental side. He’d never allowed himself to get so close to anyone before, certainly not a junior officer.

Aware of how Lee hated fuss, he hadn’t sent him to be checked by Jamieson, but in hindsight, maybe he should have. Lee had been unconscious for several minutes. The bruises on Lee’s face were all too evident and he could have a concussion or other injuries. Lee was very good at putting on a front of well-being. Realising that he had let his thoughts stray, he returned his attention to the report he was trying to write.

Chapter 2

Day 2 - AM

Lee was already sitting eating a bowl of oatmeal when Chip arrived in the wardroom. Chip took a seat opposite Lee. “Morning, Lee – you’re up early.”

Lee paused in eating and looked up. “Morning, Chip.”

“How can you eat that stuff?”

“I like oatmeal. Better than all that fat you’re going to stuff your face with,” he joked as the steward placed a loaded tray in front of Chip.

“It’s protein and the body can cope better with it than with that,” Chip gestured towards Lee’s bowl. “It isn’t a natural food.” Chip picked up his fork and started in on his own breakfast.

Lee smiled and returned his attention back to his oatmeal. For several minutes they ate in silence until Lee’s spoon clattered to the table.

Chip looked at his friend to catch a fleeting look of annoyance as Lee grimaced and picked up the dropped spoon, placing it in the now empty bowl. Chip raised a questioning eyebrow, but Lee ignored him and reached for his coffee, emptied the cup and stood up.

“I’m going to make a report to the admiral. See you in the control room in a few minutes.”

“Okay, Lee,” Chip said, wondering what that look on Lee’s face had been. He knew he wouldn’t get an answer if he asked.

*

Lee knocked at Nelson’s cabin door and entered at his call. Nelson was seated at his desk and looked up as Lee entered.

“Come in, Lee. How are you feeling?”

Lee smiled warmly. “I’m fine, Admiral.” Closing the door, he walked over and perched on the corner of Nelson’s desk. “We’re at all stop, one thousand yards off the seamount, at five hundred feet.”

“That’s good, Lee. We’ll need to stay clear of the fishing boats that catch tuna in this area.”

“Yes, sir,” Lee nodded agreement.

“Harvesting the coral is strictly controlled. I’ll lead the diving party to collect samples. We’ll need the special breathing mixture.”

“I have a diving party standing by.”

“I also want to study the tidal currents over the seamount and collect samples of the plankton that the fish feed on,” Nelson continued enthusiastically.

Lee smiled at the Admiral’s enthusiasm. “I’ll see to it, Admiral.” He came to his feet and turned to leave.

“Thanks, Lee.”

Lee paused with a hand on the door and turned. They hadn’t really talked about what had happened. The Admiral seemed to have set it aside to focus on his research.

Nelson glanced up. “Was there something else, Lee?”

Lee shook his head. “No, Admiral. I’ll be in the missile if you need me.”

“Fine, Lee.”

Leaving the cabin, Lee headed aft to the missile room to check on the divers and make sure that the Admiral’s dive gear was ready. He knew that it was a short reprieve from Chip’s scrutiny. Chip could be like a dog with a bone, he’d keep worrying until he got an answer. The fact that Lee was his C.O didn’t stop him. Yes, he was sore, but he really didn’t need a visit to sickbay. What had started out as a scientific mission had turned into a nightmare before they had even been at sea for 24 hours. Fortunately, he and Nelson had managed to defeat the alien and his puppets that had taken over the Seaview. He didn’t want to contemplate what might have been.

xxxxxx

The first dive went well, Lee following the divers on the monitor in the control room. Lee hoped that the rest of the cruise would be uneventful. He was disappointed that he couldn’t participate in the dive. He’d been looking forward to diving on the reefs around the island. There were some unique fish species in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. However, he knew better than to dive with his injured hands, even wearing gloves, which he hated. He was waiting in the missile room when Nelson and his team returned to the boat. He watched as Sharkey opened the hatch and two crewmen stepped forward to help the divers with their equipment.

Nelson divested himself of his air tanks and let a crewman take them from him. “Make sure those samples are taken straight to the lab,” Nelson ordered as he unzipped his wetsuit jacket.

“How did it go, Admiral?” Lee asked.

Nelson smiled. “Fine, Lee. I want to examine the specimens in the lab. Hawaiian Gold Coral varies widely, its colour ranges from a sandy beige to almost black.”

“Will you want to make another dive today?”

Nelson glanced at his watch. “I’ll take another team out after I’ve looked at the specimens we’ve collected. I’ll be in the lab if you need me.”

Lee nodded. “Yes, sir.”

xxxxxx

Lee spent the rest of the morning working with the electrical team, trying to track down the elusive electrical problem that had been plaguing them since they left port. The men were used to their skipper getting his hands dirty. There had been extensive repairs required in the armoury, but at least that had eliminated the source of the problem.

Lee’s luck finally ran out when he entered the Wardroom and found Jamie already there. Lee stopped at the coffee urn before he took a seat next to Chip, keeping his head down to try and avoid the doctor’s scrutiny.

“Skipper, what the devil happened to you?” Jamieson asked, looking up from his tray. “Why didn’t you report your injuries?”

Lee couldn’t help grinning at the doctor’s slip in protocol. He was aware that he looked a mess, with the bruising to his face.

“I’m fine, Jamie.”

“Of course, you are. I don’t know why I even asked,” Jamieson replied, shaking his head.

“It looks worse than it is,” Lee assured him.

“I still want to see you in Sickbay after you’ve finished your lunch.”

“It’s not necessary, Jamie – I’m fine, really.”

Lee was rescued by Nelson entering, not realising what he had walked in on. “Lee, how do you fancy taking FS.1 out this afternoon?”

Lee smiled, glad of an excuse to escape. “Sure, Admiral. What do you need?”

“There are reports of Gem Coral; it has usual striations, called ‘Chatoyance’, similar to Cat’s Eye. The bed is at 1200 feet, too deep for divers, I thought we could use the Flying Sub to collect samples.” Nelson continued.

Lee nodded. “I’ll get on it straight after lunch, Admiral.” He replied, ignoring the glare he was getting from his CMO. Lee nodded his thanks to the mess steward as he placed a tray in front of him. He knew that it was probably a short reprieve and Jamie would exact his revenge later, but his injuries really were not that serious.

xxxxxx

Lee manoeuvred the Flying Sub into her berth below the observation nose and powered down the vehicle. He swung around at the sound of the hatch opening, expecting to see either Chip or Nelson, but was surprised when Jamieson descended the ladder.

“Doc, is something wrong?”

“Captain, since you couldn’t come to Sickbay, I came to you.”

Lee turned to Kowalski. “Kowalski, get those samples to the Admiral.”

“Aye, sir.” Kowalski moved to the locker and removed the container with the samples before making a hasty exit.

Lee waited until the crewman had disappeared up the ladder. “Okay, Jamie, I’ll come quietly,” he conceded. He may as well give in and get it over with. Lee unbuckled and pushed to his feet.

“After you.” Jamieson indicated the ladder.

Lee preceded the doctor up the ladder. After a quick stop at the Conn, Lee moved aft and accompanied the doctor to Sickbay without protest. There were occasions when Seaview’s CMO and her captain clashed over medical matters, especially when they pertained to Lee’s health, but in this instance, Lee was happy to let Jamie poke and prod, confident that he wouldn’t find anything necessitating Lee remaining in the medical centre.

Released by a disappointed Jamie twenty minutes later, Lee decided to check in with Nelson. He was interested in getting a closer look at the samples they had collected. Nelson was perched on a stool, head bowed over something he was looking at under a magnifying glass.

“Admiral?”

Nelson turned. “Lee, come in.”

Lee walked over to stand next to Nelson. “Are those the samples?”

“Yes, they are even better than I expected. They have a mysterious moving inner light,” Nelson enthused. “Here, take a look.” He handed the glass to Lee, noticing the new bandages on his hand and caught Lee’s wrist. “What’s this?”

“Minor electrical burns, nothing serious.”

Nelson scowled. “When did that happen?”

“When I closed the remote power switch,” Lee admitted, avoiding looking at Nelson.

Nelson released his wrist. “And you didn’t bother to report it?”

Lee shrugged. “We had more important things to worry about.”

“Harrumph. Did you need something?”

“No, Admiral, I just wanted to get a close look at the coral.” Lee turned his attention to the sample.

“I want to take the Flying Sub out and see for myself. Gold Coral only grows at a rate of approximately 3 inches a year. I want to see the extent of this bed and evaluate the biodiversity of these ecologically important zoanthids.”

“Well, there certainly appeared to be a lot of sea life around the area,” Lee replied thoughtfully as he studied the sample.

“By the way, there were shrimp and a small lobster in the sample you collected,” Nelson told him.

Lee walked over to the tank containing the samples. “That’s a lobster? It looks more like a strange spider.”

“Ummm, Squat Lobster. Not surprising at this depth,” Nelson replied.

”Don’t let me keep you from your work, Admiral.” Lee straightened, having successfully distracted Nelson from his injured hands.

“All right, Lee. I’ll see you for dinner,” Nelson answered distractedly.

“Yes, sir,” Lee turned to leave. It was a good day. At least now he didn’t have to avoid Jamieson any longer. And the admiral had found something to keep him from noticing anything wrong with his sub’s captain. Yes, a good day.

Chapter 3

Day3 AM

Nelson entered the control room down the spiral staircase. Lee turned from the plot table and smiled.

“All set?”

Nelson returned the smile. “Looking forward to it.” Nelson had regaled the wardroom at dinner with a lengthy description of what he hoped to find.

The two officers walked forward to where Chief Sharkey was waiting by the open hatch.

“Ready, Chief?” Nelson asked.

“Yes, sir,” Sharkey answered enthusiastically.

Nelson nodded. “Then let’s shove off.”

“Aye, sir,” Sharkey started down the ladder into the Flying Sub.

Nelson turned to Lee. “Mind the store, Lee.”

“Yes, Admiral. Be careful.”

“We’ll be fine, Lee.” Nelson told him, pausing before following Sharkey down the ladder.

Lee dogged the hatch and returned to the Control Room. “Stand by to launch Flying Sub.”

The sea mount was part of the Hawaiian – Emperor Chain, formed by black volcanic rock, only a small part of it visible above the water. The surrounding waters were rich in tuna, Blue Marlin and swordfish, making it a popular fishing ground. The most abundant coral was on the western slope. Nelson piloted the Flying Sub down, following the slope.

The Flying Sub’s lights illuminated the area, in contrast to the surrounding darkness. There was something eerie about being surrounded by total darkness beyond the Flying Sub’s lights. But the view through the windshield dispelled any thoughts of danger.

“Cameras are rolling,” Sharkey reported.

The sea never ceased to surprise Nelson; it was amazing that these delicate coral structures could survive the pressure at this depth. He wished that he could get a closer look, but the depth made that impossible. He would have to wait until he returned to Seaview to look at the specimens. For a moment he watched the vista of brightly coloured corals as the lights played over the bed, the camera’s recording the spectacle for further study back aboard.

“I’m going deeper, I want to see how far this bed extends.” Nelson angled the sub down. There was some evidence of past harvesting, with patches of bare rock.

“What’s that?” Sharkey asked.

Nelson brought the sub to a stop. “Looks like the remains of a dredging net.” He frowned. Harvesting coral for commercial use had been banned. Yet the metal looked in good condition. “Do you think you can reach it from here?”

“Aye, sir.” Sharkey manipulated the controls, extending the remote arm, until he could close the metal jaws around the object. Once secured, he started to retract the arm. It started to come free from the bottom, but there was something caught in the broken net. “Admiral, are you seein’ what I’m seein’?”

“Yes, Chief.” Nelson activated his throat mic. “FS.1 to Seaview, come in, Seaview.”

“This is Seaview. Go ahead, Admiral,” Sparks replied.

“Let me speak to Captain Crane.”

“Crane here, Admiral.” Lee’s familiar tone came over the radio after a short pause.

“Lee, send down the salvage net. We’ve got a dead diver. And you’d better contract the Coast Guard.”

“A dead diver?”

Nelson could hear the confusion in Lee’s voice. Anyone diving at this depth would be committing suicide.

“Yes, caught up in the remains of what looks like a dredging net.”

“I’ll get right on it, Admiral. Seaview out.”

Lee had a lot of questions, but they would have to wait until Nelson was back aboard. He handed the receiver to Sparks. “Get me the Coast Guard.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lee made his way back to the chart table. “Chip, move us in closer to the Flying Sub.”

“Aye, sir.”

Lee unclipped a mic. “Missile Room, prepare to lower the salvage net.”

“Aye, sir,” Chief Lynch acknowledged.

“Skipper, I’ve got your call to the Coast Guard,” Sparks called.

Lee hurried aft to speak to them. “This is Captain Crane of the submarine SSRN Seaview. Whom am I speaking to?”

“Lieutenant Michael Sanders, Honolulu Headquarters, United States Coast Guard, Captain Crane. What can I do for you?”

“Our Flying Sub has found the body of a diver at the base of the Cross Seamount, Lieutenant Sanders. They’re doing a recovery operation.”

“Any idea how it got there?”

“No, they were exploring the coral beds and discovered what seems to be the remains of a dredging net. The body’s tangled in the net.”

“Okay, Captain, give us your co-ordinates and we will rendezvous with you, sir. We’ll need to examine the body before it is removed from the net. If it’s not military we’ll have to call in Honolulu P.D. and turn it over to them -- don’t want to step on any toes, you get my drift.”

“I understand, Lieutenant. Chip, co-ordinates?” Lee called

Chip hurried across and handed Lee a slip of paper. “Thanks, Chip.” Lee relayed the location to the lieutenant, signed off and returned to the plot table.

“What’s going on, Lee?” Chip asked, turning from watching helm control. Lee filled him in on what the admiral had found during the exploration of the coral.

“At that depth?” Chip asked incredulously.

Lee nodded. “I know, it doesn’t make sense.” Lee took a few steps to stand behind the sonar man, watching as Seaview edged towards the Flying Sub’s position, still holding the mic, ready to call the missile room once they were in position.

“Two degrees right rudder.” Lee ordered.

“Two degrees, aye.”

Lee clicked the mic. “Missile Room, lower the net.” Lee replaced the mic. “Chip, I’ll be in the Missile Room. Stand by to surface once the Flying Sub is docked.”

“Aye, sir,” Chip acknowledged.

xxxxxx

Seaview was on the surface, Nelson and Lee stood in the sail, gazing out at the ocean. The body, along with the remains of the dredging net had been transferred to the Coast Guard cutter that was rapidly disappearing over the horizon.

“It’s been quite an eventful morning,” Nelson commented.

“What do you suppose happened to him?”

“You saw the body. I don’t think he got down there without help.”

Lee straightened from leaning on the combing and turned to look at Nelson. “So, you don’t think his death was an accident?”

“Do you?”

“Did you see the way the Lieutenant was looking at me? I got the impression that he thought I was responsible for the diver’s death,” Lee complained.

Nelson chuckled. “You have to admit, Lee – you do look a little beat up,” he teased, smiling mischievously. “Lucky for you, you have the whole crew as an alibi.”

“What now, Admiral?”

Nelson looked at his watch. “We did what we could with the body. Up to the Coast Guard now – and maybe the Honolulu police. Hopefully they’ll be able to identify him quickly. I suggest that we adjourn for lunch, and then get back to our work. This afternoon we can conduct the dye trace test, while we’re on the surface.”

“Aye, sir,” Lee knelt to open the deck hatch.

After snagging Chip on the way through the control room, the three officers headed to the wardroom. They helped themselves to coffee before sitting down. As Captain, Lee would normally be at the head of the table, but with the Admiral aboard Lee always deferred to him. The Admiral was right, it had been a long morning, and breakfast seemed a long time ago. Lee helped himself to a bread roll from the basket on the table, while they waited for the steward to bring their lunch.

“Did the Coast Guard have any idea who the diver might be?” Chip asked.

“The scuba gear was from the Blue Fin Oceanographic Research lab on Makapu’u Point. They did have a report that a diver’s been missing for several days, so it’s a pretty good bet that it’s him,” Nelson replied.

“Blue Fin, that’s a new one on me,” Chip remarked.

“They work with the Marine Fisheries service, monitoring the health of the fish stocks, as well as studying the coral,” Nelson replied.

“So, he could have caught someone illegally harvesting the coral, and they killed him,” Lee speculated. “We know it’s a problem in some areas. Maybe the Coast Guard can tell us if it’s starting to happen around here.”

“That’s certainly a possibility. It’s also possible that he was involved and his partners in crime decided they didn’t want to share,” Nelson suggested.

Lee nodded agreement. He didn’t like to think that the man was involved in anything, but whatever the cause, it was someone else’s problem now.

“So what’s next, Admiral?” Chip asked, pausing in buttering his own roll.

“We get on with what we came here for,” Nelson replied.

xxxxx

This corner of the compartment housing the DSV at the Blue Fin lab was quiet. Good place to meet his contact, who was due any minute. The message had been cryptic – “don’t be late.” Don’t think he wanted to be. There’d already been too many screw-ups. It hadn’t been his fault the guy had caught him snooping. He couldn’t let him found out what was going on, could he? Better to get rid of him and dump the body. Who would have foreseen a damn submarine finding the body. Not his fault.

A squeaking door and his stomach dropped to the floor. He crouched and spun around.

A bulky shadow filled the doorway, and then disappeared as the door was pulled shut. “You’re getting slow, Baxter. I could have killed you a half a dozen times by now.”

“Yeah, well…” his voice failed him, and he started again. “Well, I didn’t know anybody was after me, did I? I didn’t do anything. No reason to be worried.” He was worried, of course. This guy hadn’t moved from alongside the door, just stood, arms folded across his chest, legs apart, hardly seemed to be breathing. Baxter’s heart sped up again. His eyes darted from side to side, looking for an escape route.

“Relax, dude. I’m not here to kill you. Today. Did you get the notes and samples yet?”

“Not yet. I can’t help it if Tillman was getting suspicious. I was just waiting for the Doc to make a couple more dives, then I was gonna take everything and get out. That’s why I had to get rid of him. Ever since he disappeared, they’ve been more alert. I’m just gonna need a little more time, wait for everything to cool down a bit.” Seeing the man’s disapproving look, he added hastily, “Don’t worry, I’m working on it. I’ll have everything soon.”

“You better.”

“I will. How should I contact you?”

The door squeaked again as the man went through the opening and turned back. In front of his face he’d held up a long, thin dagger. The sun reflected off the metal into Baxter’s eyes, and he looked away. “Don’t worry, I’ll know.” He chuckled, a low and menacing sound. “Oh, and Baxter? Don’t screw it up again.”

Chapter 4

Day 4 AM

Nelson stood on the sail, watching the sunrise and enjoying a rare moment of tranquillity. Of course, it was mostly by his own choice that his life was so hectic. There was still so much that he wanted to do. With Seaview in demand, not just by the Navy, but from civilian companies and individuals, he did not have as much time as he would like for his own research projects. However, it took a lot of resources to maintain Seaview and the institute, making it a financial necessity to accept outside work.

His thoughts were interrupted by the radio operator.

“Admiral, I have Admiral Starke for you.”

“All right, Sparks, I’ll be right there,” he acknowledged, before bending to open the deck hatch. He wondered why Jiggs was calling at this hour. It was probably not a social call.

Reaching the bottom of the ladder, Nelson headed to the radio shack at the rear of the control room. Accepting the handset from Sparks, he greeted his old friend.

“Morning, Jiggs. I take it this isn’t a social call.”

“Morning, Harriman. I understand that you found the body of Lieutenant Tillman.”

So, ONI had worked fast; he could imagine the Coast Guard lieutenant’s – and probably Honolulu PD’s – faces when ONI had snatched the body out right out from underneath them, with no explanation given. “Well, I guess we did, then, Jiggs. So, an undercover operation. Care to fill me in?”

“You’re right, Harry, he was undercover, but I can’t go into details now. His autopsy turned up something interesting. They found some numbers written on his arm and it turns out they are co-ordinates. As you’re in the area, could you check them out?”

“All right, Jiggs. Give them to me and I’ll see what we turn up.”

“Tillman was in charge of the Blue Fin lab submersible. We don’t know what he stumbled upon,” Jiggs cautioned. “I’ll send you his last report. He mentions some concerns about some unexplained usage of the DSV, but hadn’t come to any conclusions yet. That was the last contact we had, from five days ago. I don’t have to tell you to be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Jiggs, you know Captain Crane. He’s very protective of Seaview.”

“Humph. Co-ordinates are 19° 3' 16.0020'' S and 169° 52' 2.0388'' W. That will put you right on top of whatever is there. Just get in, take a look and get out. We don’t need any heroics from Crane.”

“No more than I do, Admiral Starke, you can be sure of that. I’ll contact you when we get there. Seaview out.” Nelson gave the handset back to Sparks and headed forward to join Lee at the plot table.

Lee looked up as Nelson approached. “Is everything all right, Admiral?” he asked, looking at him questioningly.

“I hope so. Jiggs want us to check out these co-ordinates. They were found on the body – who happens to have been a Lieutenant Tillman, USN.” Nelson gave Lee the paper Sparks had written to co-ordinates on.

“Lieutenant?”

Nelson nodded. “It was some kind of undercover operation. Jiggs didn’t fill me in with the details. And no, he didn’t say anything about us getting involved, only that he wanted us to take a look.”

“Well, as long as Captain Bligh isn’t joining us, I think we can handle that,” Lee replied, picking up a pencil.

“Careful, Captain. That could be arranged,” Nelson warned jokingly.

“Yes, sir.” Lee grinned and lowered his gaze to the charts, ready to plot the course change. “It should only take us a couple of hours to reach the area. There’s nothing on the charts, but there are a lot of uncharted atolls in the area.”

“All right, Lee. Carry on. I’ll be in the lab.”

“Aye, sir.” Lee looked around to locate Chip, who was standing near Seaview’s powerful computer. “Chip.”

Chip hurried forward to join Lee at the chart table. “Yes, Lee.”

“Prepare to dive,” Lee ordered.

“Aye, sir.” Chip unshipped a mic. “Clear the bridge. Prepare to drive.”

The lookouts descended the ladder, closing the deck hatch behind them and Murphy took up station at ballast control.

“Kowalski, anything below us?” Lee asked. They were still in the area of the seamount and there were several smaller mounts in the range.

“No, sir.”

“All right, Mr Morton, take her down. Make depth 300 feet.”

“Aye, sir.” Chip clicked the mic. “Dive, all dive.” Placing the mic on the table, he pressed the dive klaxon.

Lee picked up the mic. “Engine room, ahead full.”

“Ahead full, aye.”

“Helm steer course 160.”

While Chip moved to helm control to monitor the depth gauge and precision depth recorder, Lee pulled the log out from beneath the chart table and logged their course change.

“Lee, have you got a few minutes?”

Lee looked up in surprise. “Sure, sir.”

“Then meet me in my cabin.” Nelson disappeared through the hatch while Lee exchanged a surprised look with Chip.

Lee shrugged. “Well, Chip, you’ve got the Conn.”

“Aye, sir.”

xxxxxx

Lee knocked on Nelson’s cabin door and entered. “You wanted to see me, Admiral?”

“Yes, Lee. Come in and sit down.”

Lee entered and took his usual place on the corner of Nelson’s desk.

“I’m not all together happy that Jiggs has only given me half the story. I’d like to know what we are getting ourselves into. Have you heard anything about an undercover operation involving the research lab?

Lee shook his head. “No, sorry, I haven’t. If there was an undercover operation, it would need to know.”

Nelson drummed his pen on the blotter. “Tillman was working undercover for a reason, I’d like to know what that was. It might tell us who is behind this.”

“And you think ONI is involved?”

“I think it is more than likely.”

“I could do some digging. See if anyone is willing to talk to me.” Lee offered. “I’d kind of like to know myself.” He knew a few agents who might be willing to throw him some crumbs.

Nelson nodded. “Do that, Lee. Let me know what you of you find out anything.”

“Aye, sir.” Lee got to his feet. It looked like things were going to get interesting.

xxxxxx

“Admiral, Captain, we’re approaching the co-ordinates,” Chip reported over the intercom, straightening from marking their position on the chart.

“Thanks, Chip, I’ll be right there,” Lee reported back. “Make all preparations and slow to one third.”

“One third, aye.”

Lee was in the control room in just a couple minutes, moving immediately to stand behind Sonar. “Anything, Kowalski?”

“No, sir. The board is clear.”

“Keep a sharp eye out,” Lee ordered. They had no idea what, if anything they would find. “All Stop,” Lee ordered, returning to stand beside Chip at the chart table.

“All stop, aye,” The engine room crew acknowledged over the intercom.

“Everything okay with the Admiral?”

“Yes, he’s just concerned about that dead diver. Not something that you’d expect to find around here.” He’d had Sparks send some coded communications to some of his fellow operatives in the agency and was waiting a response. He didn’t want to say anything in front of the crew. He’d fill Chip in later. When and if he had something concrete.

“What are we looking for, Lee?” Chip asked.

Lee shrugged. “I’m not sure, Chip. All I know is that it might have something to do with the dead diver.”

“So, what now?”

“That’s up to the Admiral.” Lee glanced uneasily around the control room. There was nothing registering on their instruments, but he had an uneasy feeling.

Nelson entered the control room via the rear hatch and walked forward to join Crane and Morton at the chart table.

“We’re at the co-ordinates, Admiral.” Lee indicated their position on the charts with the pencil he was holding.”

“Anything on instrumentation?” Nelson asked.

Lee shook his head. “No, nothing.”

Nelson glanced forward to the observation nose, but there was nothing visible beyond the ports. “What’s our depth?”

“Three hundred feet. The bottom has been slowly rising as we approached.”

Nelson studied the charts for a moment. The depth in this area varied from 8000ft and 2000ft, but was shallower around the islands. “I’ll take the Flying Sub out for a look around.”

“Why not let me take her out, Admiral?” Lee suggested.

Nelson smiled. “Afraid you’re missing out on the action, Lee?” He teased. Lee loved piloting his baby.

Lee smiled ruefully. “Yes, sir.” If he couldn’t dive, then piloting FS.1 was the next best thing.

“All right. Take a scanner and see if you pick up anything on the bottom. But be careful.”

“Aye, sir.” Lee turned. “Kowalski, get your flying jacket, you’re co-piloting.”

“Aye, sir,” Kowalski took off his headset and stood, handing over to another crewman.

“Chief, get the scanner.” Lee ordered.

“Aye, sir,” Sharkey acknowledged before he hurried towards the aft hatch.

xxxxxx

Lee piloted the Flying Sub, while beside him, Kowalski operated the scanner. The water was surprisingly clear and full of marine life. Fish darted away as the sub moved through their domain. A group of Spinner Dolphins appeared, apparently curious about the strange craft in their midst, diving and performing acrobatic manoeuvres around the sub. Lee couldn’t help smiling as he watched them. He switched on the camera, knowing that the admiral would be interested in the dolphins. Maybe later, they could spend some time in the area, studying them. Lee would not mind the opportunity to dive with them.

As FS.1 descended into deeper water, the clear turquoise water darkened, and Lee switched on the forward lights.

“Anything, Kowalski?”

“No, sir.”

“I’ll take her down to 1200.”

“Aye, sir.”

Lee watched the instruments as he angled the nose down, taking the Flying Sub deeper. The Dolphins stayed with them. Spinner Dolphins could dive up to 3000 feet, hunting for shrimp and squid, although their favourite food was tuna, which sometimes got them into trouble, as they got caught in fishing nets. Like the Dolphins, FS.1 cruised through the water, unhindered by the pressure on the hull. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Lee was enjoying piloting his baby. Levelling off at 1200ft, he continued the search.

Lee was beginning to think this was a waste of time. Maybe Tillman had merely noted the co-ordinates because he wanted to study the dolphins. They hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary. So, what had Tillman seen that had gotten him killed?

Lee activated his throat mic to call Seaview. “Flying sub to Seaview, come in Seaview.”

“Receiving you, Skipper. Hold for Admiral Nelson.” Spark’s replied.

“Nelson, go ahead, Lee,” Nelson came on the radio after a short pause.

“There’s nothing here but some Dolphins,” Lee told him.

“Dolphins?”

“Yes, Admiral. They seem interested in the flying sub. I’ve got the cameras rolling.”

“All right, Lee. Come on back. I’ll contact Jiggs and tell him that we did not find anything.”

“Aye, sir. Flying sub out.”

Lee put the flying sub into a turn to take them back to Seaview.

xxxxxx

Lee sat at the table in the observation nose, catching up on reports. As Captain, he didn’t have to stand watch, but he liked to be where the action was.

“Something wrong with your cabin, Lee?”

Lee turned and smiled at Nelson. “No, Admiral, I was just enjoying the front porch.”

Nelson nodded and sat down beside Lee.

For a moment Lee let his gaze wonder to the windows, although there wasn’t much to see at this depth.

“Something bothering you, Lee?”

Lee turned and looked at Nelson, caught by surprise. “No, why?”

Nelson gestured to the nose. “You’re working here instead of in your cabin.”

Lee shrugged. “Not that I’m aware.” For a moment he was silent, as he considered Nelson’s question. He didn’t know why he felt the need to work here, instead of his cabin. Although, if he was honest, his gut was telling him something was wrong. Had the Dolphins been trying to tell him something? Lee quickly dismissed the idea. “What did Admiral Starke say?” Lee asked, changing the subject.

“NIS and the coast guard are investigating Tillman’s death. At least now they have his body.”

“What do we do now?”

“How about we go and watch that film you took of the Dolphins?”

Lee smiled. “Sounds good. I was hoping that when we’re done, we could come back and spend some time here. I’ve always wanted to dive with Dolphins.”

Chapter 5

Day 5

Baxter stood on the viewing platform above Blue Fin labs, looking out across the ocean; the view was pretty spectacular. He’d heard that Seaview was in the area and had found Tillman’s body. That was a complication, but at least they had not shown any interest in the lab itself. But he sensed that now the body had been found, time was running out. It was a shame; he was actually enjoying the job.

He’d always been interested in the ocean. He’d done a stint in the Navy and a friend had taught him to scuba dive. Once he’d left the service, he’d gotten a job with a salvage company. The pay had been good and everything had been going great until his wife had found someone else. There’d been a messy and expensive divorce. One night, he’d gotten drunk and confronted the boyfriend. He was arrested and ended up losing his job. Things had gone downhill from there and he’d ended up homeless.

Then out of the blue he’d been approached by his present “employer.” He had the skills they needed and they somehow secured him this job at the labs, piloting the DSV. They wanted to know more about Dr Mollini’s work with marine toxins. There was a lot of money to be made in pharmaceuticals. Although he suspected that was not the real reason for their interest. However, that was none of his business; he was getting well paid for his part. So far, no-one had become aware of his extracurricular use of the sub. Well, nobody but Tillman, of course. But he’d taken care of that little problem. So, the sooner he was done with this the better, after which he planned to disappear to an island paradise, maybe the Bahamas or Caymans. Perhaps even start his own boat charter company. With a lot of money that couldn’t be traced, either.

Baxter looked at his watch. Time to move his plans forward. Dr. Mollini would be on her dive by now, and she wouldn’t be there to see him get everything he needed. Dr Mollini, a native Hawaiian, worked with some of the most dangerous marine toxins, trying to develop a new form of pain medication as well as antidotes and other medical applications. She’d been doing daily dives, looking for new specimens. She’d be gone, and the place would be deserted.

So he was as shocked as she was when he let himself into the lab and turned the corner into the locker room to find the doc removing her protective gear.

“What the hell, Doc, why aren’t you diving?”

“Just decided to finish up early. What are you doing here? Is something wrong with the DSV?”

“There’s been a change of plan, doc,” he told her.

“What are you talking about, what plan?”

“Get your notes and samples. We’re going for a little ride.” He produced a gun. “Don’t make me use this.”

For a moment she just stared at him in shock. “What do you want?”

“My employer is very interested in your research. Unfortunately, due to recent developments, I can’t wait any longer.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she told him definitely. Her heart was racing. Would he really kill her? She hoped that however he was working for wanted her alive.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Doctor. Now move, I don’t have all day.” He took a step closer.

Moving to her work station, she started gathering her notes and putting them into a leather case. “Do you really think that you can get out of here without being seen?”

“You’d better hope that I can. I’ve already killed Tillman and I won’t hesitate to kill anyone that tries to interfere.”

“Oh, god...you killed Tillman.” She was frantically trying to think of a way to escape. If they took her, they’d probably kill her once they had what they wanted.

“Yeah. You want to live, hurry up,” he warned.

She unlocked the cold store and retrieved the samples. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. Quit stalling. No-one is coming to the rescue.”

After securing the doctor in one of the rear passenger seats, Baxter loaded the extra air tanks, before taking the pilot seat. The lab’s DSV was equipped with an integrated navigation system and auto-pilot. Powered by lithium batteries, she had a top speed of 10 knots and could remain submerged for up to 5 hours, depending on how many people were onboard. With only the two of them, they should have enough air to last until they reached ‘Spinner’ Island, small uncharted island, named by the scientists who had spent time there, studying the dolphins. From there he could contact his employer and arrange a pickup. He’d loaded the extra tanks as a precaution. He might even be able to coax more speed out of the DSV, with less weight aboard. Starting the engines, they moved away from the launch area and did a quick check of all systems, before submerging. He could feel the doctor’s eyes boring into his back. Understandably, she wasn’t happy, but as long as she did not cause him any trouble, he would not hurt her.

“Might as well enjoy the view, Doc,” he called over his shoulder.

xxxxxx

“Are you looking forward to this morning’s dive, Lee?” Nelson asked, setting his cup back on its saucer.

Lee smiled. “Yes, Admiral. I’m hoping that the dolphins are still in the area.”

Nelson nodded. “Apparently, they have been known to interact with swimmers around the islands. However, you may be disappointed. They tend to rest in the shallows during the day and hunt in the evening. But if we do encounter any, don’t approach them, let them come to you.” He cautioned.

“I didn’t realise that you were so interested in dolphins.” Chip commented.

“I guess the Admiral’s influence is rubbing off on me,” Lee replied.

“Yeah. Just do us a favour and don’t bring a dolphin back aboard.” Chip teased.

“Absolutely not,” Nelson warned sternly, sharing a sly smile with Chip.

“No, sir,” Lee grinned, getting to his feet. “I’ll be in the control room, I want to check the weather topside.”

“I’ll meet you in the missile room,” Nelson looked at his watch. “In 30 minutes,” He suggested.

“Actually, Admiral, I was going to surface and use the deck as a dive platform.”

Nelson raised an eyebrow. “Alright Lee, I’ll meet you topside.”

“Aye, sir.”

After a stop in the missile room to order a raft prepared, Lee entered the control room and joined O’Brien at the chart table. “Status, Mr O’Brien?”

“We’re at station keeping, at a depth of 300 feet, sir.” The young lieutenant reported.

“Very good. Carry on.”

“Aye, sir.”

Lee turned his attention to the charts, checking their position; not that he didn’t trust O’Brien. The lieutenant would not be aboard if he was not competent. Next Lee moved to stand beside the sonar man. “Anything on sonar?”

“Just some biologicals at extreme range, sir.” The operator replied.

Lee hoped that the contacts were the dolphins. He knew that sonar could interfere with the dolphins’ echo-location, so he would not take Seaview too close.

“What’s the weather top side?” He asked, turning back to O’Brien.

“Sunny and clear, 28 degrees with a light swell.”

“Take us up to periscope depth, Mr O’Brien.”

“Periscope depth, aye.” O’Brien acknowledged.

Lee stepped up to the periscope and waited for O’Brien to confirm that they were at periscope depth. There had been more than enough excitement this cruise and he was looking forward to some recreational diving.

Two hours later Lee returned to Seaview. Climbing onto the deck, he pulled off his dive mask and hood. A deck detail was on deck to assist the dive team. Kowalski stepped forward to help Crane with his air tanks, as Lee divested himself of his gear.

“Thanks, Kowalski.”

Nelson had been correct; they had not encountered any dolphins, but he’d still enjoyed the dive. Unzipping his jacket, he accepted a towel from another crewman. For a moment Lee stood; after the madness that had marred the beginning of his cruise, it was good to feel the sun on his skin and the breeze that ruffled his damp hair.

“Coming, Lee?” Nelson broke into his thoughts.

Lee smiled. “Yes, Admiral.”

x

Chip stood at the chart table watching Lee, who now sat in the observation nose, drinking coffee and eating an oatmeal cookie, from the plate that appeared shortly after Lee had returned from his dive. Seaview’s cook knew that diving always gave Lee an appetite and he took any opportunity to feed his Captain. Another person who would be pleased that Lee was taking the time to relax and eat was Jamieson, Seaview’s CMO. He often complained that Lee did not eat enough.

Thinking of food, Chip wondered what was on the menu for lunch. Walking forward, Chip poured himself a cup of coffee and joined Lee. Hitching one hip onto the table, he helped himself to a cookie.

Seaview was still on the surface and sunlight lite the ‘front porch’. Things had returned to normal aboard the sub and Lee’s relaxed disposition promoted the relaxed atmosphere in the control room. Those crewmen not on duty had been allowed up on deck in small groups, and Chief Sharkey was in the sail, keeping an eye on things.

Lee looked up. “Chip?”

“Looks like the dive went well.”

“Yeah. I see someone tipped off Cookie.”

Chip shook his head. “Not guilty, it was all his idea. You know he thinks you need to eat more.”

Lee smiled and shook his head. “These are good, though.”

“Everything Cookie makes is good.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Excuse me, Captain. A crewman approached and handed him a piece of paper. “A weather advisory,”

“Thank you.” Lee accepted the paper and read it, then passed it to Chip.

Cyclonic 3 -5, Sea; moderate. Rain and thunderstorms.

“Tell Sharkey that I want the deck cleared ready to dive in thirty minutes.” Lee ordered.

“Aye, sir.” Chip came to his feet and headed to the conn.

xxxxxx

Lee leant back in his chair and closed the folder in front of him. With Seaview safely submerged, he’d spent the afternoon in his cabin, going over the damage control reports and reading through a proposal the Admiral was considering for a future cruise.

In spite of the way it has started, Lee was enjoying this cruise. He wished that there were more like this. It felt good to be able to enjoy a voyage without having to worry about anything or anyone trying to cause mayhem. He knew that there was more that the Admiral wanted to do, exploring the depths that they still knew very little about.

“Captain Crane, please report to the control room.” Chip Morton called over the intercom.

Lee reached out and pressed the button to reply. “On my way.”

Entering the control room down the spiral stairs from officers’ country, Lee found Chip standing beside Kowalski at the sonar station, one hand resting on the back of Kowalski’s chair, while Chip studied the sonar screen.

“What have you got?” Lee asked, moving to stand behind the sonar man.

“A small submersible,” Chip replied, glancing up from the sonar screen.

“They are a long way from anywhere. Any sign on a support ship?” Lee asked, suddenly suspicious. Maybe Tillman had been onto something after all.

Chip shook his head. “Nothing in range.”

“Have you tried contacting them?”

“Sparks has tried, but there’s no response.”

“Keep tracking it, Kowalski.”

“Aye, sir.”

Lee turned and headed the short distance to the periscope mount. “Up scope. Let’s see it we can get a look at them.”

Visibility wasn’t good at this depth. Lee got the impression of a cylindrical shaped vessel with lights mounted on the front. At least they appeared to have power, so it did not seem that they were in trouble.

“Chip, move us in closer. Ahead slow.”

“Aye, sir. Chip unshipped a mic. “Engine room, ahead dead slow.”

“Ahead dead slow, aye.”

“Manoeuvring, 15 degrees right rudder.”

Turning away from the periscope, Lee unshipped a mic. “Admiral, it’s Lee. Could you come to the control room?”

“Yes, Lee. On my way,” Nelson acknowledged.

Focusing back on the scope, Lee continued to watch the sub as Seaview moved closer. They could easily match the DSV’s speed, but he didn’t want to spook whoever was inside.

“What’s going on, Lee?” Nelson asked, arriving in the control room.

Lee turned again from the scope. “We’re tracking a small submersible. There’s no sign of a support vessel. Do you think it could be connected to Tillman’s murder?”

“Possible,” Nelson answered thoughtfully. He stepped up to the scope and Lee moved aside to allow him to take a look. After watching the DSV for a minute, Nelson turned to Lee. “Anything on the charts?”

Lee shook his head. “No, nothing.”

“I take it you intend to follow them?”

“Yes, sir – that was my intention.”

“Very well, Lee. Keep me posted. I’ll be in my cabin.”

“Aye, sir. Down scope.”

Both officers stepped down from the periscope island. Lee headed to join Chip at the chart table, while Nelson headed for the stairs to Officers’ country.

x

Lee took a step back from watching through the periscope. They had followed the DSV to a small, uncharted island. The pilot had surfaced the craft as close to the shore as possible, before appearing through the hatch. Lee had been concerned to see the woman, who was clearly not there by choice, as she was forced up the beach to a single-story building that stood close to the shallows, amongst coconut palms.

Lee looked at his watch, a plan already taking shape in his mind. He hoped that they would have time to wait until dark before attempting a rescue. Lowering the scope, Lee stepped down from the periscope well and joined Chip at the chart table.

“Sonar, keep a sharp watch for any other vessels.” He ordered.

“Aye, sir.” The operator acknowledged.

“What are you going to do?” Chip asked.

“We’ll wait until dark. I’ll take a shore party to rescue the woman and secure the DSV. The Admiral can notify Blue Fin that we have their sub.” The signage had been clearly visible once the DSV had popped to the surface.

Chip nodded and picked up a clipboard. “Who do you want in the shore party?”

“Kowalski, Patterson and have the MAA pick two men. We’ll go ashore in two rafts. Jungle fatigues and make sure everyone is armed.”

Chip nodded. “Anything else?”

Lee shook his head. “That’s all for now. We’ll surface as soon as it’s dark. Have the men assemble in the nose for briefing in thirty minutes. I’m going to inform the Admiral.”

“Aye, sir.”

x

Lee had just finished the briefing when Sparks called from the radio shack. “Skipper, I’m picking up a radio transmission from the island.”

Lee immediately hurried aft and took the spare handset to listen to the transmission. The pilot was contacting someone for a pick up. Damn. Lee hoped that they would be able to carry out their plan before whoever got here and complicated things.

“Stay on it,” he ordered, handing Sparks the handset and headed back to the chart table.

Chip Morton looked up from the printout he was studying as Lee approached.

“It looks like we might be having company,” Lee told him.

At that moment Nelson clattered down the spiral staircase and joined them at the plot table. “I’ve been in contact with the lab. They confirmed that it is their DSV. The woman is Dr. Mollini. She’s a marine biologist and toxicologist. She’s been working with marine toxins. Specifically, their use in the treatment of cancer and other medical applications.”

“What about the pilot. What do we know about him?” Lee asked.

“Well now, that’s where it gets interesting.” Nelson responded. “His name is Luke Baxter, although NIS is not sure if that is his real name. No-one seems to know how he got the job. We can assume that his record is also false.”

Lee blew out a breath. “Admiral, I don’t think we have a choice, we have to rescue the woman.”

“Unfortunately, I agree.” So much for not getting involved.

xxxxxx

The storm has passed, leaving the night calm and quiet. In the lead raft, Lee watched the bungalow as they approached the island. Seaview had submerged to periscope depth and Lee knew that Chip would be watching. Behind him, Sharkey and Patterson held onto the gunwale, while at the rear, Kowalski manned the outboard. The wind whipped through Lee’s dark hair, the spray soon turned it into unruly curls. Behind them, Lt. Caswell, Seaview’s MAA, and two of his men manned the second boat.

Kowalski slowed the raft as they neared the island, approaching from further down the beach to avoid being seen. A few yards from shore, he cut the engine and let their momentum carry the raft up onto the gentle sloping beach. When they reached the shallows, they jumped out and dragged the raft out of the water. Beside them, Caswell and his team did the same.

“Caswell , have one man stay with the boats. Let’s go.” Lee ordered, taking the lead.

“Aye, sir.” Caswell passed the order to one of his men.

They crept quietly towards the building; Lee wished that they knew more about the interior layout. Everything remained quiet as they approached. As far as Lee could see, there was only one way in, through the wooden door at the front.

“Caswell, take the back.” Lee ordered.

“Aye, sir.”

The bungalow was constructed of wood with rendered walls and a thatched roof. A light showed in one of the two windows. Lee and Kowalski took up position on one side of the door, with Patterson and Sharkey on the other.

“All right, get ready.” Lee kicked the door open and both he and Kowalski lobbed in tear gas grenades.

A shot rang out in response from inside. A bullet splintered the door frame near Lee’s left shoulder.

“Give it up, you’re surrounded,” Lee ordered.

“I’ll...kill the...woman,” Baxter shouted. The gas stung his eyes and burned his throat, making him cough. He wiped his sleeve across his watering eyes. Whoever they were they had not returned fire, probably afraid of hitting the doctor. The gas swirled around in the draught from the ceiling fan, making it difficult to see anything. He fired another shot in the direction of the door.

“Throw out the gun and come out with your hands up.”

Like hell he would. He had nothing to lose, he’d killed Tillman, they were not just going to let him walk away. He moved behind Mollini, who was sitting in a wooden dining chair, her wrists and ankles bound. He cut the ankle ties and pulled her to her feet, using her as a shield.

“Back off, or I’ll kill her.” He yelled.

“Please...let me go,” she pleaded.

“Shut up,” he growled. This was not supposed to happen. Where the hell was his pick up? He was running out of time and with the DSV’s batteries being almost exhausted, he had to find a way off the island. He slowly moved towards the door, holding the woman in front of him.

“Back off. I mean it, I’ll kill her.” He warned.

Lee lowered his gun and took a step back. “You don’t have anywhere to go. Seaview is out there.” He gestured towards the ocean where the sub had surfaced. “If you try to get off his island, they’ll blow you out of the water.”

“Not without killing her as well. Now back off.”

Lee caught Sharkey’s eye and gave a small nod, before returning his attention to Baxter. “Don’t do it. Let her go.”

“Caswell and his man appeared around the side of the building. Baxter looked desperate. He must realize that it was hopeless, he wasn’t getting off the island. Yet he refused to give up.

“Stay back,” Baxter warned, his gun pressed to doctor’s ribs. His eyes darted to Patterson and Sharkey, then back to Lee.

“Come on, Baxter. If that is your real name. It’s over.” Lee told him.

Baxter shook his head. “I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“You know that if you shoot her, we will shoot you? You’re not getting off this island.”

Lee holstered his weapon, getting ready to spring.

The doctor’s hands were bound in front of her. Her eyes looked pleading at Lee. She as clearly terrified. “Please...I don’t want to die,” she pleaded, struggling against Baxter’s hold.

Lee waited until Baxter had cleared the threshold.

“Now!”

He grabbed the woman, pulling her away from Baxter. At the same time, Sharkey and Patterson tackled Baxter. The gun discharged as Sharkey grabbed Baxter’s wrist. They hit the ground hard, Sharkey had a knee in Baxter’s back, a gun pointed at the back of his head.

“Don’t move a muscle,” Sharkey warned.

xxxxxx

Steele crouched in the shadow of a leaning coconut palm, watching event unfold. Damn, the boss would not be happy with the turn of events, but there was nothing Steele could do, he was outnumbered and out gunned. Besides which, he wasn’t getting paid enough to go up against the men from the Seaview. He was just supposed to pick up Baxter – the woman was a complication, don’t think she would be going along with them -- and delivered everything to the Qiulong. If whomever they were, wanted to take on Seaview, they were welcome.

He waited until everyone had returned to the sub before moving in to verify that they had not left anything behind. Although they doubted they had, he had to be sure. The door was still open and he slipped inside, pausing to check that there was no-one inside to ambush him. Nothing moved in response to his presence and he proceeded to do a quick search. As he suspected, the doctor’s samples and notes were gone.

After a quick check outside, he slipped away back into the undergrowth and headed back to his boat to report. Luckily, he’d left her on the side of the island, shielded from Seaview’s sonar.

xxxxxx

After being checked out by Seaview’s doctor, Dr. Mollini sat in the observation nose with Admiral Nelson, nibbling a sandwich and drinking coffee. She didn’t have much of an appetite, but couldn’t remember when she had last eaten.

Crane approached from the plot table. “Admiral, the submersible has been stowed in the missile room and we are on course for Hawaii.”

Nelson nodded. “Very well, Lee.”

Oh my, he was even sexier in the light. She hadn’t been able to see his face properly on the island.

“Doctor, your notes and samples have been recovered from the island and are in the Admiral’s lab.” Lee told her.

That soft sexy voice made her heart flutter. “Thank you, Captain. Thank you all. I was terrified, I dread to think what might have happened if you had not arrived when you did. What about Baxter?”

“He’s locked in the brig with a guard outside. He’s not going to hurt anyone.”

She nodded, still not totally happy with the thought of him being on the submarine.

Crane smiled. I’ve arranged a cabin for you; I hope you will be comfortable.”

“I’m sure I will. Although I am not sure I will get much sleep.”

“I’m sure doctor Jamieson could give you something to help you sleep,” Crane suggested.

“Coffee?” Nelson asked Crane.

“No, thank you, Admiral. I’m going to check all departments before I turn in.”

Nelson nodded. “Make sure you get some rest.”

“Aye, sir,” Lee smiled shyly. “Good night, Doctor, Admiral.” Lee turned and headed back to the plot table.

The rear view wasn’t bad either. And that smile...

“Doctor, I’ll have someone escort you to your cabin.” Nelson said.

She dragged her attention back to Nelson. “Thank you, but if you don’t mind Admiral, I’d like to stay a little longer.” She felt safer here surrounded by the crew. Although she’d really feel safe if Lee Crane escorted her to her cabin. Down girl; It was a good thing that she would not be aboard for long.

“Of course, Doctor. And don’t worry; they’ll be someone on guard outside your cabin all night,” he assured her.

Chapter 6

Lee stood with Nelson on the viewing platform above the research lab. They had delivered the DSV and their passengers, handing Baxter over to NIS. Lee leant on the rail, one foot resting on the lower one.

“Who do you think Baxter was working for, Admiral?”

“I don’t know. Any number of people could be interested in Dr. Mollini’s research. Pharmaceutical companies or a foreign power, interested in developing a weapon.” Nelson replied. After the way this cruise had started, Nelson had been wary of getting them involved in an unknown situation. Lee had already been through the wringer, and he’d been reluctant to place Lee in harm’s way again. Fortunately, Lee had once again beaten the odds, and come out unscathed. Taking a drag of his cigarette, Nelson glanced at Lee, who stood gazing out to where Seaview floated on the surface, waiting their return. Lee’s comment about diving with the dolphins had been the first tine Lee had actually shown an interest in sea life. Although Lee did enjoy diving, and went out at every opportunity. Maybe Lee would be open to getting involved with some of his scientific work, instead of being just Seaview’s captain.

“I guess you’re looking forward to getting back to Seaview and home, Admiral?” Lee finally spoke.

“Actually Lee, I was thinking of staying for a week or two. The lab needs a pilot for the DSV, and it would give me the opportunity to work with Dr. Burgess. He’s working on ways to seed coral and create new reefs. Why don’t you take Seaview back to the island and spend some time diving with the dolphins? You’ve earned some R &R, and I’m sure the crew would appreciate some shore time.”

Lee looked at him. “I don’t know, Admiral. Do you think it’s safe? Whoever is behind this could still be out there.” He objected.

“If whoever was behind this has any sense, they’ll be long gone.”

“Do you think that Baxter will talk?”

“Depends on how much he knows and who he is more afraid of.”

Lee nodded thoughtfully.

Nelson smiled. “If it makes you feel better, you can assign a security detail. But only two men, the laboratory staff will not want people under their feet.”

“Yes, Admiral.” Lee visibly relaxed.

“And Lee, try to stay out of trouble,” Nelson teased fondly.

Lee ducked his head. “Aye, sir.”

xxxxxx

Steele had come ashore further along the coast and picked up the vehicle left for him.

When he had reported what had gone down on the island, to the boss, he’d ordered him to take out Baxter before he had a chance to tell NIS anything.

He watched as two NIS agents took Baxter, one driving, while the other got into the back of the dark blue Plymouth with Baxter. They were probably headed for Pearl. It was a shame about Baxter, it wasn’t his fault that Seaview had been in the area resulting in him getting caught. But he had orders, he couldn’t afford to let personal feelings get in the way. He knew what would happen to him if he failed.

Starting his own vehicle, the hurried to get ahead of them. Driving the four miles, it took him around eight minutes to reach the entrance to a track where he planned to conceal his vehicle.

Pulling in, he waited for the Plymouth to appear. He didn’t have long to wait. He’d planted the explosives near the fuel tank. He hadn’t had time to wire it into the ignition, so he’d have to detonate it remotely. The agent driving might survive, but Baxter certainly wouldn’t. He’d be dead before he knew what hit him.

As the agent drove past, Steele detonated the explosives. The Plymouth exploded in a ball of flame and flipped over, continuing down the highway for several yards, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Several passing cars stopped. Time for him to disappear.

With Baxter eliminated, there was no-one to link him to any of this. No-one knew his true identity, not even the boss.

He returned the old Jeep Scrambler to where he’d picked it up. He wiped it down before leaving, even thought it would be crushed by the time he was back on his boat. His part in this was over.

End.

*Lee referred to Jiggs Stark as Admiral Bligh in Mutiny.