A Voice from the Shadows

By Beth A. Kauffman

 

Revised version of my second Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea story that appeared originally in Silent Running 4 in 1999

 

 

Waves crashed on the rocky shore and voices echoed in the mist.  Distant voices that he knew: voices from the past. A solitary figure stood on a cliff, staring at the ocean below.  The figure’s  thoughts centered on the rhythm of the surf.  Alone.  He was alone.  Again.  An overwhelming sense of foreboding filled him and he turned, catching a glimpse of someone behind him in the shadows.  The body moved out of sight and before he could stop it, disappeared.  “Wait!” he cried.  “Don’t go!  Please!  Come back!”

 

“Admiral!   Admiral, are you there?”  The voice of his Executive Officer Chip Morton dragged Admiral Harriman Nelson back from his dream.  The same dream he’d had every night since the Seaview had arrived off the coast of San Marco.  Nelson raised his head and realized he had fallen asleep at his desk while waiting for news.

He ran a hand through his red hair and pressed the button on the intercom.

“I...I’m here, Mr. Morton.  Is there any word?”

“None, sir.  He missed the last two check-ins.  What are your orders?”

Morton’s voice betrayed the worry he felt over his friend, Lee Crane who had gone to the island of San Marco almost three days ago to complete a mission for the government.  Word had reached Washington of the possibility that the government of San Marco had developed a biological weapon and was prepared to use it against its own people in a radical attempt at ending a fifteen-year long revolution.  Lee had gone ashore to establish the validity of the accusation.  He was to have met members of the rebel forces who were to take him to the development site.  His orders were to establish the level of progress and report in every four hours.  The first check-ins had gone as planned, but the last two hadn’t.  It was now over eight hours since they’d had any contact with him.

Nelson rubbed his weary eyes and reached a decision.

“Chip, I want a combat team of five men to meet me in the Control Room in twenty minutes.  No, make that fifteen.  I want them armed with side arms and dressed in jungle fatigues.  I also want them fitted out with rifles from the arms locker and equipped with all the necessary provisions and equipment for several days.  Take volunteers only.  Out.”

“Aye, sir!”

Nelson rose from his chair, walked to his closet and took out his fatigues, trying to put the dream from his mind as he dressed.  Why?  Why that dream again?  It had been so long ago.  It was part of his past and had nothing to do with the present.  He had to stop thinking of it.  He had a mission to complete and a friend to find.

 

**********

 

Fifteen minutes later, Nelson strode into the Control Room to find most of his team already waiting.  Chief Francis Sharkey, Seamen Kowalski, Patterson and Wolfe stood checking their side arms.

“I asked for five men.  Is this all that volunteered?”

“No, sir,” said a voice from behind him.  “I’m sorry it took me so long.  I had to make sure Lt. O’Brien knew the orders,” Chip Morton said as he walked into the Control Room and buckled on his side arm.

“Chip...” Nelson began.

“I know, sir.  You want me to stay here and keep an eye on things.  I can’t.  He’s my friend too and I can’t just stay here when he might be in big trouble.  Not this time.”  Staring hard at the admiral, he waited for Nelson to order him to stay behind.

Not accustomed to Morton challenging his orders, Nelson gave him a hard look, debating what to do.  Lee and Chip were good friends and Nelson felt, in some way, like a father, or a big brother perhaps to them both.  He would have liked to protect them, but he understood what Chip wanted.

“All right,” Nelson agreed after a moment.  “This time, you win.”

“Listen up.  We’ll head to the same beach the captain landed on and work our way inland, searching for any clues to tell us which way to go.  Any questions?  All right.  Let’s move out.”

The landing party climbed the ladder to the deck of the submarine and boarded a rubber raft that had been placed against the hull. 

Several minutes later, they scrambled up the rocky coast and hid the raft, extra provisions and a spare radio in a large crevice.  Nelson stopped for a moment and looked about, seeing the familiar shoreline and cliffs.  The memory of the dream came back to him, overwhelming him, and for a moment his senses swam.

No.  It couldn’t be.  It was so long ago.  It...

“Admiral?  Are you all right, sir?”  Morton had reached out a hand to steady his commanding officer.

“Yes.  Yes, I’m fine.  It’s... just been a long time.  A long, long time,” he said softly as he looked about at the desolate coastline.  A steep cliff rose in front of them.  The only way to the top was a narrow, rocky track.

“You’ve been here before, sir?” Sharkey asked.

“Yes, Chief.  A lifetime ago,” the admiral said sadly as he began to climb the rocky trail up the cliff.

The others stared after the admiral in puzzlement and then began the climb.

They reached the top of the rocky bluff in short order and searched about for any sign that Crane had been there. 

“Kowalski, you and Wolfe head in that direction and search for any sign of someone having passed through recently.  Chip, you and Patterson go that way and Chief, you come with me.”

 “Admiral!” Chip yelled a few minutes later.  “Over here!”

Nelson and the others raced off in the direction of Morton’s voice.

“Here, sir,” Morton said pointing to the ground.  “Branches have been hacked away with a knife or machete.  It looks like a trail.”

Examining the ground, Nelson agreed that someone recently had passed through.

“Chip, contact Mr. OBrien and tell him we’ve found a trail we hope is Crane’s.  We’ll check in every four hours.”

“All right.  Let’s move out.  Quietly.  Keep your eyes open,” Nelson said when Chip had completed the transmission.

The small force moved off down the trail, eyes moving from side to side in their search.

After four hours, Nelson called a halt.  They moved off the trail and settled in a sheltered cove for a rest.

“Nelson to Seaview.  Nelson to Seaview.  Come in Seaview,” Nelson called quietly into the radio.

“This is Seaview.  Go ahead, Admiral,” answered Lt. O’Brien.

“Bobby, we’ve found no sign of Crane other than the trail.  We’ll continue searching and keep in touch.  Any problems on your end?”

“Not really a problem, sir.  There seems to be some activity on the surface.  The ships profile as destroyers.”

“Are they in a search pattern?” Nelson asked, concerned.  O’Brien was capable but young.  If it came down to a fight, he hoped Bobby was up for it.

“No sir.  They just seem to be...sitting there.  They’re about 4000 yards off our port bow and stationary.”

Running his thumb over his bottom lip, Nelson was quiet for a moment as he pondered possible scenarios.  The government of San Marco was not on good terms with the United States.  If they had any inkling that a U.S. submarine was in its waters, they wouldn’t hesitate to bomb it.

“Bobby, head slowly to deeper waters,” he said after a moment.  “Don’t give those destroyers any reason to know you’re there.  Understand?  Keep alert.  If there’s trouble, contact me immediately.”

“I understand, Admiral.  Good luck in finding the Skipper.  Seaview out.”

“Bobby’s a good officer, sir.  You don’t have to worry about him,” Morton said quietly as he sat down beside Nelson, knowing the other man was concerned.

Nelson nodded slowly.  “I know, Chip.  He wouldn’t be on Seaview if I had any doubts about him or his ability to command.”  Nelson sat for a time, staring off into the jungle. Questions that seemed to have no answers filled his mind.  Where was Crane?  What had happened?  And what were those destroyers doing hanging about?  Did they know the Seaview was there?  He rubbed a hand over his eyes and leaned his head back.  If only he had the answers.

“You look tired, sir.” Morton said, with a touch of worry in his voice.

 “I’m all right, Chip,” Nelson said quietly as he turned his head to look at his exec and smiled slightly.  “I...I just haven’t slept well lately.”

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with our missing captain would it?”

“That...and other things, Chip.”

Morton turned to look at Nelson and noticed a sadness in his eyes.  “Anything you want to talk about?” he asked softly, hoping he wasn’t intruding on Nelson’s personal space.

For a long time Nelson was quiet and Chip began to think Nelson hadn’t heard him or was ignoring the question.

“I was here a long time ago, Chip,” he began in a voice so soft, Morton had to strain to hear.  “It was at the beginning of the revolution when the rebels were seeking American backing for their cause.  I was sent here to scope out the needs of the rebels and the logistics of American support.”  Nelson closed his eyes and tried to block out the memories, but they flooded back anyway and he became lost in another time.

“Sir?”  Morton’s concerned voice brought Nelson back to the present.  “Are you all right?”

Nelson jerked his head up and turned away from Morton for a moment.

“Yes, Chip.  I’m fine.  It’s just that there are too many memories here.  Memories I thought were gone,” he said sadly.

 “Anyway,” he continued.  “I ended up being here for about six months.  I lived with the rebels, ate with them and, at times, fought with them against the government forces.  At the end of that time I....,” Nelson stopped for just a moment.  “I came home.  End of story,” he said abruptly, standing up and heading back towards the trail.

“All right.  Let’s get moving again,” Nelson said gruffly.

Chip climbed to his feet and looked questioningly at the back of the retreating admiral.  There was more to it than what the admiral had said.  Something he had left unsaid had happened here.  Something that had affected the admiral in some way had taken place.  Chip shrugged and followed the others down the trail.  If and when Nelson wanted to talk about it, he would be there to listen.

 

**********

 

The group had been walking for about three hours after their break when they were suddenly confronted on the trail in front of them by two armed men.  The admiral and his men stopped and looked behind them.  Two more men were on the trail behind them pointing assault rifles at them.

One of the men in the first group spoke to them in Spanish.  The admiral walked ahead of the Seaview’s group to talk to them.  Listening to the admiral effortlessly converse with them, he smiled to himself.  He’d never known the admiral was so fluent in Spanish, but then the admiral was constantly surprising him.

After a moment’s conversation, the admiral laughed heartily and the other man grabbed Nelson and pulled him into to back pounding hug, which the admiral returned. Both men turned back to the Seaview’s group wearing big smiles.

“It’s all right, men.  I know these people,” Nelson said happily.  “I haven’t seen them in years.  This is Juan DeVega,” he said pointing to the first man.  “And this is Pablo, Tomas, Raul and Diego. They are members of the rebel army.”

Juan told his men to put their weapons down, and then explained to them in Spanish who Nelson and his men were.  Two of the men, Tomas and Raul, rushed forward and shook Nelson’s hand.

Amazed, the men of the Seaview watched their commanding officer laugh and talk with the insurgents.  They seated themselves on the ground and talked like old friends, expounding on how the years had changed them all.  After a time, Nelson asked the men if they knew anything of Captain Crane. 

“Yes,” replied Juan, the apparent leader of the group.  “Two days ago, two of our men met your friend at the rendezvous.  We haven’t heard from them since.  It shouldn’t have taken them that long to reach the site.”

“Is that what you are doing here then, looking for your friends?” asked Nelson, visibly upset.

“Yes.  When they did not return when they should have, we came to find them.  Perhaps we will look together, eh Harry?”

“I guess it would be best if we stayed together.  You know where this installation is?” Nelson asked Juan.

“Oh yes.  We discovered it by accident on a scouting mission a few weeks ago.  That is when we contacted your government.”

“Come,” the rebel leader said rising from the ground.  “We will go now.”

After contacting the Seaview for a check-in, the two groups, now banded together, set off down the trail.  They walked for another four hours in the gathering dusk before stopping for the night in a cave that had obviously been used more than once as a stopping place.  Foodstuffs, blankets and ammunition lined the walls and fire pits were dug into the rock floor of the cave. 

“We will be safe here, Harry.  The government has never come close to discovering our hiding places,” Juan said with a laugh.  “We have caves like this set up all over our territory.  In fact, mi hermano, I will cook you and your men your favorite camp meal.  Do you remember?”

Nelson grimaced at the memory.  “Not baked campfire Spam, Juan!  I haven’t eaten that stuff since I left here!” Nelson said laughing.

Morton smiled at the exchange between the two men.  The admiral seemed to have lost that edge of sadness about him.  Whatever it had been about this place, he seemed to have forgotten it.  Shaking his head, Chip reached down for his sleeping bag and unrolled it, setting up his camp for the night.

Later in the evening, the others asleep, Nelson and Juan sat in the night and talked softly of things from the past.  At one point, Chip awoke to find Nelson, his head bowed and shaking, and Juan with a hand on his shoulder as if sharing in some heartbreak.  Morton started to rise, but thought better of it.  Whatever was wrong, it seemed to be a matter between the two men.  He lay back down but protectively watched Nelson and the other man until they both retired for the night.

Toward dawn, Chip was awakened by soft cries coming from the admiral.  The older man tossed in his sleep and moaned.  Chip rose from his pallet and crawled to the admiral’s side. 

“No.  No.  Not again.  No.  Please.  Please, don’t go,” he called softly.

“Admiral?  Admiral?  Are you all right?” he asked, shaking him lightly.

Nelson’s eyes flew open at the jostling.  His eyes traveled from Chip’s concerned face to the cavern, as if trying to place where he was.

“Chip... where...”  The confused look on the admiral’s face left quickly and was replaced by one of embarrassment.  “I’m...all right, Mr. Morton.”

“Yes, sir,” Chip said moving away a bit.  He looked about at the others and was relieved to see they still slept.

“How many times have you had that dream, sir?” Chip asked, watching the admiral sit up and run a hand through his mussed red hair.

Nelson looked up suddenly.  “What makes you think I’ve had that dream before, Chip?”

“Just a guess, sir.  You said you hadn’t been sleeping well.  I think I see why.”

Harriman Nelson lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut.  Looking up into his exec’s concerned eyes, he said, “A few times.  Ever since we came into San Marco’s waters I’ve had the same dream.  It is always the same.  I’m on the shore and there is someone there with me but I can’t see who.  There’s this feeling of danger and that’s when the dream ends.”

He rose from his sleeping bag and walked to the almost dead fire, stoking it until it blazed, then sat staring at the flames.

After a moment’s hesitation, Chip rose and walked to the admiral’s side and sat down. 

“Do you know what the dream means, sir?”

“How the...!” he yelled, then said in a softer tone.  “How should I know, Chip?  I only know I know who the person is in the shadows, but I can’t place them.”

“Maybe it has something to do with when you were here last.  Some part of your life here that...”

“I think I have thought about it all I want to for now, Mr. Morton,” Nelson said, rising from the fireside.  He walked a short distance away then stopped and turned.  “Thanks, Chip.  I…I don’t mean to sound so gruff.  It’s just...”

“I understand, Admiral.  It’s ok,” he said trying to give a reassuring smile.

By this time, the others had begun to stir.  Nelson looked about him at the activity and walked to the cave opening.  He was still standing there, staring out at the awakening jungle when Chip approached and handed him a plate filled with food.

“Here, sir.  You should eat something.”

“Thanks, Chip,” Nelson said as he took the plate and slowly ate, his eyes never leaving the jungle before him.

“He’ll be all right, sir.  We’ll find him,” Chip said staring out at the same scene.

“What?  Oh, yes.  I hope so.  And soon.  I think I’ll go see how close we are to moving out,” he said in a distracted way.

Chip turned a questioning stare at the admiral.  He shook his head and walked back into the interior of the cave to begin packing his things.

A half hour later the group was on the trail again after having attempted repeatedly to make contact with the Seaview.  Either they were too far inland to be heard or the government was jamming their signals.  The latter explanation was the most logical and the one that worried Nelson the most.  There was no reason for the signals to be jammed unless the government knew of their presence here.  And that did not bode well for any of them.

 The group continued down the trail for the remainder of the morning with no sign of Crane or the others.

“Hold up,” Nelson said when they had walked for most of the morning and part of the afternoon.  “Let’s rest.”

The others gratefully agreed and slumped to the ground.  An attempt was made again to contact the Seaview, but it met with the same results.

A short time later, Tomas, who had gone out ahead to scout, slipped back into the camp.  He put a finger to his lips and pointed down the trail.  The men picked up their rifles and held them ready.

Someone was making their way through the jungle in a not too quiet fashion.  The group waited tensely until finally someone lurched into camp.  He was dressed as the others in the uniform of the rebel party and was covered with blood.  He looked up and, seeing Juan, reached out a hand and collapsed into his arms.

Shock marking his face, Juan laid the man on the ground and checked his wounds.  He said something to Tomas and began to tend the man’s wounds.  But the injured man fought him and tried to speak.  He spoke in soft, weak tones to Juan and then stiffened.  The men of the Seaview knew he was dead before Juan could even move.

He laid his friend back down and then turned to Nelson with anguished eyes.

“They killed him.  Our men were captured yesterday coming from the installation with your captain.  Enrique escaped, but he was shot in the attempt.”

Nelson stared at the man on the ground, his teeth clenched in anger.  “How far ahead of us are they?”

“Not long.  Maybe... five hours,” he said, rising.  “They will be moving slowly.  We can catch them before nightfall.” He gestured for two of his men to pull the body off the trail.  “Come.  Let’s go.”

“Juan!” Nelson called.  He gestured towards the body.  “Enrique.  He needs to be buried.”

Juan stared at his friend’s body for a moment, and then closed his eyes.  “There is no time, mi hermano,” he said sadly.  “Enrique would understand.  We waste time.  Let’s be off.”  Juan gave orders to Raul and Tomas, who sprinted down the trail ahead of the column.

Juan turned back to Nelson and the others.  “They will scout the road ahead of us and look for signs the men we seek passed by.”

The men continued down the trail, keeping as quiet as possible.  Juan led and the others followed with Nelson bringing up the rear.  Chip found himself walking beside Juan and took the opportunity to ask him the question that had plagued him since the Seaview’s group had joined with the revolutionaries. 

“Juan, you keep calling the admiral ‘mi hermano’.  Is there some reason for that?”

Juan gave a short laugh and turned to look at his companion.  “I call him mi hermano because that is what he is, mi amigo.  My brother.  Or he should have been my brother,” he said with a sad, wistful tone.  He looked back again and saw the question in Morton’s eyes.

“You do not understand, do you?  He never told you or the others?”  At Morton’s shrug of bafflement, Juan continued in a quiet tone, looking back to make sure Nelson was out of earshot.  “When he was here before, when he lived with us and fought with us for those long months, he and my sister, Maria, fell in love.  They would have married but...”

“But?”

Juan’s expression grew even sadder and he seemed hesitant to speak.  “She was... killed by government troops.  When he left, I never saw him again until now.  But he did not forget us.  Packages would arrive mysteriously from contacts we have in the capital.  Packages of medicine, books, parts for radios-whatever we needed it seemed to be there, when we needed it.”

“And these packages came from the admiral?”  At Juan’s nod, Morton asked, “How do you know?” he asked, knowing the admiral would never openly aid the rebels.

Juan smiled.  “The letters were always signed with his code name, a name only we would know-El Tiburon.”

Morton slowed his gait and turned back to look at the admiral, who seemed lost in thought.  El Tiburon-the Shark.  Appropriate he thought with a smile.

Three hours passed before the group was met on the trail by Tomas.  He hurriedly spoke to Juan, who turned to Nelson.

“Tomas says they are in front of us.  They have stopped for the night and are bedding down.  He reports there are twenty-five government troops guarding your captain and our man.”

“Crane, is he all right?”  Nelson asked with concern.

“Tomas says both men appear fine.  They are tied up but seem to be uninjured aside from a few bruises.”

Relief filled Nelson at the news Crane appeared unhurt.  “What’s our next move?”

Juan looked at the little slice of light that made its way to the jungle floor.  “It is near dark now.  We will wait until midnight.  They should be asleep by then.  Two of us will sneak into the camp and overcome the guards.  You and I will then free our men.  The rest of us will wait on the perimeter.  If there is trouble, and only if, we will attack.”

The men continued down the road quietly.  Within a half hour they were met by Raul, who gestured that the camp was near.  Using hand signals, Juan directed the men to encircle the camp.  Nelson and Juan remained on the side nearest the captives.   The group hunkered down for a long wait, keeping constant watch on the camp and their men, who seemed to be ignored by their captors.

Morton, off to Nelson’s left watched the two men as they crouched in the undergrowth, whispering.  He found it hard to believe the things Juan had told him of the admiral.  Not the part about how he had been in love.  But the fact the admiral had, over the past fifteen years, provided the rebels with supplies with no one knowing.  Morton shook his head and returned his gaze to the encampment.  Maybe others did know, and had simply chosen to ignore it.  After all, he was Harriman Nelson, he thought with a slight smile.

The hours to midnight came and went until it was time.  Two guards in the camp had taken up positions on either side of the grounds.  Crane and Juan’s man, Jaime, were asleep along with the other men, save the guards.

Two men from the rebel group crept silently towards the guards, one from the north side and one from the south.  Without a sound, the men dispatched their targets and dragged them back into the brush.

Nodding to Nelson, Juan began to crawl towards the captives with Nelson close behind.  They reached the men and, placing a hand over their mouths, woke them.

Surprise and joy flooded Crane’s face as he saw his friend attempting to free him from his bonds.  The men worked quickly and silently until finally the men were free.  Juan motioned the men to stillness when they heard the rustling of one of the troops moving.  They held their breath as they waited for the man to quiet and once again fall asleep.

When all was silent again, Crane, Jaime, Nelson and Juan crawled towards the dark brush.  When they had reached the sanctuary of the darkness, Juan gave the signal to the waiting men to move back towards the trail.

After what seemed an eternity, the men reached the trail without incident.  Now far enough away from the encampment, they allowed themselves to give into the joy they felt at freeing their friends.

“Admiral!  How did you find us?  We thought we were goners!”  Crane asked excitedly as he shook everyone’s hand.

“Ask Juan.  He was the one that got us here,” Nelson said, gesturing to his friend.  “But I think that can wait.  We should keep moving.  We want to be as far from here as we can when they realize what has happened.”

“I agree, mi hermano,” Juan said as he shook Crane’s outstretched hand.  “But we should stay off the trail as much as possible.  It will make it harder for them to follow us.”

With that, the group, except for Pablo and Diego, who waited until the column was far ahead before they too started, continued on, picking their way carefully through the dense underbrush in the black jungle night.

After walking for more than three hours, Juan signaled a halt. The air was still in the early morning darkness and the heat of the new day was still a few hours off.  Nelson, Crane and the others collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. 

“We should rest as well as we can for a few hours.  Pablo and Diego will keep watch on the trail for the troops,” Juan said as he handed food to Crane and Jaime.  “Eat mis amigos and rest.  I will stand watch.  You will need your strength.”

Nelson walked to Crane’s side and sat down.  “So, what did you find out?  Is it there?”

Crane looked up from his plate and nodded.  “They have all the equipment to start production on biological weapons very soon.  Not more than a few weeks away, from what I saw.”

 “But there is no sign of production now?”

“No.  They were still setting up their base and moving in the supplies.  But it won’t be long.”

Rubbing his forehead, Nelson nodded.  “We don’t have much time then.  We can’t seem to contact the Seaview.  We need to get back as quickly as we can.  Washington is going to need all the time it can get to use this information.  Good job, Lee,” Nelson said slapping Crane on the leg.  “Now get some rest.”

Crane finished eating and bedded down as well as he could in the jungle brush.  Nelson walked to Juan’s side and sat down, intending to stand watch too.

“You should sleep too, mi hermano.  It is a long walk back to your boat.”

Nelson lowered his head and spoke softly to Juan.  “I’d just as soon not.  I... haven’t been able to sleep well since we arrived off the coast of this... place,” he said as he looked about him.

Juan looked at the man he called brother and nodded his head.  “You dream of her, don’t you?”

Surprised, Nelson’s head shot up.  “No!  No... it ...isn’t her.  It’s...I don’t know what it is.  It’s just a feeling.  Like... there’s something I’m not seeing.  Something I’m missing.  Something...” he gave up, shrugged his shoulders and settled down to wait, not seeing the look that passed over Juan’s face.

After the excitement of the past few hours, Crane found sleep an elusive quarry. He rolled over and glanced in the direction of Nelson and Juan, who continued to talk softly.  He raised his head as he heard, what he thought was soft laughter, come from the admiral.  With a puzzled look, he lowered his head and heard Chip whisper, “They’re old friends, Lee.  The admiral was here at the beginning of the revolution.  He and Juan seem to have a lot of reminiscing to do.  Or a lot of commiserating.”

 “Commiserating?  That’s a strange word to use.”

Morton was just about to explain when the sound of someone or something crashing through the brush interrupted.  Immediately alert, the men jumped to their feet, their guns pointed in the direction of the noise.

Pablo and Diego raced through the brush and into the clearing.  They ran to Juan and began to talk rapidly, occasionally pointing down towards the trail.

Nelson and Juan gathered their things quickly and informed the others that the troops had found their trail and were closing in on them.  Supplies and rifles were hurriedly gathered and the column started out once more at a fast pace. 

After more than an hour, the column reached a clearing that was bathed in the jungle dawn’s brilliant light.  The men hunkered down as they stared at the meadow before them.  From one side to the other, the field was more than 200 yards across-200 yards with no protection.

Juan turned to the others.  “We must cross here.  The way to the left and the right is clogged with impenetrable vines.  This is our only choice.  I will go first and make sure the way is clear.  When I am across safely, the rest of you follow.  Stay low.  And run fast.”

Juan prepared to make his run, but Nelson put a hand on his arm.  “Be careful.  I don’t want to lose you too, eh?”

“I will, mi hermano.  You just make sure you cover me and run fast.  Like old times, no?” he said with a smile.

Nelson smiled back and nodded.  “Yes.  Like old times.”

Juan raced to the far side of the meadow, crouching low as he ran.  He made the far side without drawing any gunfire and waved for the next man to follow.

Kowalski went first, followed in succession by the remaining members of both groups, none drawing gunfire, until Nelson and Crane were the last two. 

“All right, Lee.  Your turn,” Nelson said as he peered behind them into the still dark jungle.

“No.  I’ll cover you.  Get going.”

“Lee, now is not the time to argue.  Move out!”

“With all due respect, sir, I think....”

“Lee, I am not the one with the information our country needs.  You are.  Now go.  That’s an order!”

Knowing it was useless to argue, he set off.

He hadn’t gone more than twenty yards when the air erupted with gunfire.  Crane turned back to see Nelson crouched and firing into the jungle darkness.  He started to go back to help when Nelson suddenly jumped up and started running to the far side of the field.  It wasn’t long before he reached Crane and grabbed his arm.

“Come on!  Let’s get out of here!” Nelson said without stopping.

The two men raced across the field while the men on the other side put down a volley of gunfire.

Crane and Nelson were still fifty yards from the waiting men when Crane suddenly fell.  Nelson turned and raced back to help him to his feet.

“Are you all right?”  At Crane’s nod, the two men turned back towards their goal, as bullets ripped into the ground around them.  Kowalski and Patterson ran out from the relative safety of the brush and fired round after round at the pursuers, covering Nelson and Crane as best they could.

“Get back, Ski, Pat!  We’re...”  The admiral’s words were suddenly cut off and he grunted.

“Admiral!  Are you all right?”  Crane asked as Nelson stumbled.

Regaining his balance, Nelson nodded and continued on.

The four men reached the far side and plunged into the jungle brush.  They turned and began to fire at the now retreating troops. Bodies of the government forces littered the ground.  Few of the attackers had escaped unscathed from the short battle.

The men of the Seaview watched the retreating forms disappear into the thicket on the far side of the meadow.  Juan gestured to Tomas and Pablo who ran back across the meadow.

“They will keep tabs on our friends and make sure they do not attempt to sneak up on us again,” Juan said as he walked to Nelson and slapped him on the back, not noticing Nelson’s grimace.

“You are not as fast as you once were, mi hermano.  Perhaps you spend too much time behind a desk, eh?”

 “Perhaps,” Nelson said weakly.  “We should continue on.  We don’t want to get caught again.  We still have a long way to go.”

“I agree.  I am afraid they will not give up, now that they know you know of their secret, Captain.  Come.  Let’s be off,” Juan said as he headed off down the trail.  The others followed behind him, Nelson once again bringing up the rear.

 

**********

 

Morning came and slipped into afternoon before the men stopped to rest.  Sharkey looked back to find that the admiral was no longer behind him.  “Captain!  The admiral, he’s not there.”

Crane walked to Sharkey’s side and looked down the trail they had just traversed.

“How long has he been gone?” Crane asked, worry marking his face.

“I don’t know, sir.  He stumbled a few times but he kept saying he was all right.  I just figured...”

“Juan!  The admiral is gone.  I’m going back to find him,” Crane said as he turned to head back down the trail.

At that moment, the men saw Nelson come around a bend in the trail, doubled over and apparently in pain.

“Admiral!  What’s wrong?” Crane yelled as he and Juan ran down the track to Nelson.

Nelson stumbled and nearly fell when the two men reached him.  Crane stretched out a hand to steady him.

“I’m sorry, Lee...I...don’t think...”  Before either of them could react, Nelson collapsed, Crane catching him in his arms before he reached the ground.  Gently, he laid him down and removed his hand from his friend’s back.   He stared at it in horror.  It was covered with blood.

“Dios Mio,” Juan whispered.  “He’s been shot.”  He turned to give orders to Raul and Diego, who ran off.

Crane knelt by Nelson’s side and looked down in disbelief at the face of his friend.  He was bathed in sweat and his breathing was labored.  “Admiral!  Can you hear me?”

Nelson’s eyes flickered open and for a moment he stared about him as if he didn’t know where he was, then he focused on Crane’s worried face. Fighting the tide of darkness that threatened to carry him away, Nelson struggled to speak.  “I...I’m sorry, Lee.  I...tried to…keep up.  I knew we couldn’t afford to...to be stopped for long.”

“That last moment on the field, when you came back for me...when you stumbled, that’s when you were hit?”

Nelson ignored the question, knowing where Crane’s thoughts were going.  He closed his eyes against the pain.  “I... thought I could keep up.  I...”

A crashing in the brush drew the men’s attention, but they relaxed when they saw that Raul and Diego had returned carrying what looked, to the men of the Seaview, to be cobwebs.  They rushed to Juan’s side and handed him the webs.  He knelt beside Nelson and explained to the dumbfounded men that the webs were used to stop bleeding.  Turning Nelson over, he tore the shirt from his back, exposing the nasty wound and placed the threads in the gash, trying to ignore Nelson’s moans.  He then took a bag that Raul handed him and opened it to reveal medical supplies.  Together, Juan and Crane bandaged the admiral’s wound as best they could.

They turned him over and noticed that he had passed out during their ministrations.  Crane stared at him with a worried expression.  His breathing was shallow and his face was a deathly shade of white.

“What do we do now?” Crane asked Juan as he rose from Nelson’s side.  “He needs proper treatment.  He’ll die if we don’t get him help, and soon!”

“I know, Captain.  I know.  We will make a litter and carry him to our nearest base.  We have a doctor there.”

“How far away is that?” Crane asked, his eyes never leaving the admiral’s face.

 “Five, maybe six hours,” Juan said softly as he looked into the face of the troubled captain. 

Crane lifted his eyes from the admiral.  “Five or six hours!  That’s too long!   He could be dead by then!”

 “I know.  But there is no other choice.  This is not America with hospitals in every town, Captain!  We do what we can.  And some times...it isn’t enough,” he said sadly, as he directed his men to make a litter.

Staring down at Nelson, Crane felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.  If he hadn’t argued with him...if he hadn’t fallen...maybe he wouldn’t have been shot.  Crane sat back down on the ground by Nelson’s side, accepting the futility of the thoughts.  Nothing could change what happened.  The only thing that mattered was getting the admiral the help he needed in time.

Sharkey, Morton and the others moved off to watch the rebels prepare the litter.  “I can’t believe it,” Sharkey said, shaking his head.  “The admiral…  I should have known something was wrong when he didn’t keep up.  I just...thought he was keeping watch behind him.”

“I know, Chief.  It’s not your fault,” Morton said, watching as Crane bathed the admiral’s face with a wet rag.  “You get to feeling that nothing can touch him.  I mean...how many times has he cheated death?”

“Well, he’s done it before, sirs, and he’ll do it again.  No bullet from some nobody government soldier is going to do him in.  You can take my word for it,” Kowalski said as he moved closer to the admiral and Crane.

“Admiral.  Can you hear me?  It’s Lee.  We’re going to take you to a camp nearby.  There’s a doctor there.  Juan says they can help you.  We should be there in a few hours.”

Nelson rolled his head from side to side and said softly.  “No, Lee.  No.  Not enough time.  The President needs the information you have.  It could end this war.  No time...to stop.  You must keep on.”

 “I don’t give a barnacle for this war.  Nor do I care what the President wants.  All I care about now is that you get the help you need.  We’ll get you to this camp and stay there until you’re able to go on.  And not before.”

“There is another option, Captain,” said Juan who had come up beside Crane.

“What?” Crane asked.

“You and your men go on.  I will send a man with you to guide you.  The rest of us will take Harry to our camp.  You report your information to your President and come back.  By then...Harry will be better able to make the trip to his boat.”  Crane noticed that Juan left out the fact the admiral could very well be dead by then too.

“No.  I think we should stay together.”

“Captain, you may not care a barnacle, as you put it, for this war, but my men have given their lives to it.  And Harry has given up much for its cause, too.  Can you deny us...him...our retribution?  Can you deny us our release from this hell?”

“At the expense of his life?” Crane said angrily, gesturing to the admiral.  “Yes, I can.”

“Gentlemen.  I...I believe I can end this argument,” Nelson said weakly.  “I will... go on with...with Juan.  You and the others... will go on to the Seaview.  When...you have finished making your report, you... can come back for me.  Then and only then.”

“Admiral!  I can’t let you sacrifice yourself for...”

“I’ve made…my decision, Lee.” 

“Admiral, please…”

“You have...your orders, Captain.”  Nelson stared his captain in the eye and said softly, “Lee, I...I trust these people.”

“With your life?” Crane asked softly.

“Yes,” he said, his voice weakening.

Seeing that there was no way he could talk the admiral out of his plan, Crane reluctantly agreed.  He helped the men to pick Nelson up, careful to avoid any unnecessary jostling, and put him on the litter. 

Juan turned to Crane.  “You will come with us for a time until the trails branch.  Then Raul will guide you to the shore.  He will stay with you until you have made your report, then he will guide you back to our base.”  Juan dropped his gaze until it rested on Nelson, who was once again unconscious.  “We will do all we can to help him.  His life is as precious to me as it is to you, Captain,” he said as he turned to stare unflinchingly at Crane.

For a moment, Crane stared back at Juan, searching his eyes for substantiation, then nodded slightly.  “I believe it is.  I’m not sure why...but I believe you.”

“All right.  We move out,” Juan said, as Patterson and Kowalski reached for the litter handles.

The heat of the day had faded somewhat before the men stopped again.  Ahead of them was a fork in the trail.  One trail continued on towards the sea and the other, the barest hint of a path, climbed a steep hillside until it disappeared into thick brush.

Kowalski and Patterson put the litter down and turned to look back at the captain who stared at the intersecting trails in consternation.  Juan had come up beside Crane and stared up the steep slope.  “Up there is our main camp.  It has remained hidden for a good many years.”  He looked over his shoulder at Crane.  “If all goes well, you and your men will be at our camp in a few days.”

Crane turned his gaze from the hillside and looked at Juan.  “Why do we need a guide?  Finding the shoreline can’t be that hard.  And you have shown us the trail to your camp.  I would think you would need your man to help you get the admiral to this base.”

Juan gave a short laugh and looked at his men who smiled slightly.  “I have shown you the trail, yes.  But I have not shown you the way.”

At Crane’s puzzled expression, Juan continued, “The way is not as easy as you think, Captain.  We have not been able to maintain this base for all these years because it is easy to find.  No, you will need Raul’s help to find it.” 

“Come.  We waste time,” he said as he reached for the litter.

Crane reached out a hand and stopped him.  “Wait.”  He knelt beside the litter and placed his hand gently on Nelson’s brow, smoothing the damp curls from his forehead. “Admiral.  We’re at the intersection now.  Are you sure you want us to go on without you?”

Stirring from his stupor, Nelson slowly opened his eyes, struggling to focus on his friend’s face.  “There’s no...choice, Lee.  Ending this war means... means everything to me,” he said, so weakly Crane had to strain to hear.  “More than you can...imagine.  I...lost something...I will...will never be able...to... get back.  I want them...to pay.”

The effort of speaking those few words seemed to exhaust the admiral.  Crane stared at his best friend, knowing that it might be the last time he ever saw him alive.  He reached out a hand and clasped the older man on the shoulder.  “All right.  You win.  But when we get to this secret base, I expect to see you up and giving orders.  Understood?”

Nelson laughed softly, then grimaced at the pain it caused.  “Agreed,” he said weakly.  “Now go.”

Crane stared at Nelson a moment longer, hoping he knew how much it cost him to give in to his order. He stood and looked back at his men.  “All right.  The sooner we get to the Seaview, the sooner we get back.  Let’s go.”

He reached down and placed a soft hand on the admiral’s hand lying unmoving on the ground. Nelson’s pain filled eyes opened and he gripped Crane’s hand as firmly as he could, stared hard at him for a moment, then smiled briefly at his friend and nodded. Crane caught the look the admiral gave him, and nodded back, content the other knew his thoughts.  Standing quickly, he turned and began to walk resolutely down the trail after Raul, trying his hardest to not look back.  Morton, Sharkey, Kowalski, Patterson and Wolfe followed the captain, each stopping to say a final whispered word of farewell to the admiral, who acknowledged each briefly.

“You have good friends and good men, mi hermano,” Juan said as he knelt by Nelson’s side.  “I am glad this is so.  You must stay strong.  For them as well as me.”  He rose, grabbed the litter once again and started up the steep trail.

 

**********

 

Crane and his men followed Raul down the trail that led to the sea.  A cool breeze eased the heat of the jungle somewhat, although the men didn’t seem to notice.  Each man was lost in his own thoughts of the admiral and the job ahead of them.

When the light from the setting sun faded to dusk, Raul stopped suddenly and waited for the others to catch up.  “We must stop for the night.  There is a glade up ahead that is sheltered and unobservable from the trail.  We will spend the night there and continue on in the morning,” he said as he started off once again.

 “You speak English.  I didn’t know,” Crane said in surprise as he caught up to Raul. 

 “Yes.  I speak your language,” the young man said as he turned to look at Crane, who now walked beside him.  “I learned when I was a small boy.  At the start of the revolution, El Tiburon taught me and others to speak your English.”

Before Crane could question who El Tiburon was, Raul stopped and gestured to a cove that was set well back in the jungle thicket.  If they had not had their attention drawn to it, they would not have known it was there.  Surrounded on three sides by thick shrubs, it was unnoticeable from the road, just as Raul had said.

The men set up their camp for the night.  Rations were handed out and the men ate in silence, their thoughts centered on the admiral.  It was decided that Morton would take the first watch until midnight, when Raul would take over until dawn.

Raul and the others settled down for the night while Morton found a spot near the perimeter of the camp and placed himself in a position to keep the trail covered.

Sleep once again eluded the captain as his thoughts returned to the admiral.  Was he all right?  Had they reached the camp safely?  What had he meant when he said he had lost something he would never be able to get back?  And who was El Tiburon?  Feeling the futility in attempting to sleep, Crane got up and walked softly to where Morton kept watch and sat down.

“Can’t sleep?” Morton asked.

Rubbing a hand over his stubbled face, he smiled and said, “What gives you that idea?”

Morton laughed softly and turned to look at his friend.  “You know, I said this just the other day to the admiral, and now I’m going to say it to you.  He’ll be all right.”

Crane looked away for a moment, and then dropped his gaze to the ground.  “He’s hurt pretty badly, Chip.”

“He’s come through worse.”

“Yes, but...”

“You have to believe he’ll be all right, Lee.  You can’t think the worst.  Juan knows what he’s doing.”

 “You and the admiral seem to put a lot of stock in this Juan.  How come?”

Chip laughed and looked at Crane.  “Because he’s the admiral’s brother.”

At Crane’s astonished look, Morton explained about El Tiburon and Juan’s sister’s relationship to Nelson.

“Well, that certainly explains a lot,” Crane said as he scanned the jungle night.  “It’s amazing to me that you can know a person for many years and never really know him.”

“Not so amazing when that man is Admiral Harriman Nelson,” Morton said smiling.  “He’s…quite a complicated man I think.  Why don’t you go try to get some sleep.  It isn’t that long till we’ll be moving again.”

Crane nodded and walked back to his place.  Sleep was a long time in coming, but finally it came.

 

**********

 

Blackness swirled about and voices hovered just out of his reach.  A sensation of movement suddenly ceased and he heard the voices again, closer this time and more urgent.  The voices were of people he knew, but the knowledge of who it was that spoke passed swiftly from him as he felt a stab of agonizing pain in his back. He felt movement once again and then heard the voices once more. Before he could open his eyes to see where he was and who the voices belonged to, he felt a stab of pain in his arm and then knew no more.

***********

 

Midnight came and went.  In an isolated cave system in the hills of San Marco, Juan walked about the camp, checking and double checking that all was secure.  The base had remained undiscovered for three years only because those that used it were careful to keep its presence secret.  For the government to discover the cave would have meant many deaths, and the probable collapse of the revolution.  Every operation against the government came from this location.  Every contact with the outside world came from here and it was here that the Seaview would contact them concerning the success of the mission.

Restless, Juan walked back to the operations area again to await word of Nelson.  It had been four hours since they had arrived at the camp carrying Nelson, who was near death.  The doctor took one look at him and told Juan not to expect miracles.  Then he had disappeared into the cave with him.  That was the last he had seen of Harry or the doctor.

Jaime walked to him from one of the fire pits and handed him a cup of coffee.  “It is late.  You should sleep.”

“You want me to sleep and you hand me a cup of Jose’s coffee?” he laughed.

Jaime laughed.  “It is good to hear you laugh.  There have been few times in the past years that I have heard you do so.”

“Perhaps there will be time for it in the future.”

“Do you believe it will make a difference to the outside world that our illustrious Presidente is developing a biological weapon?”

“It had better, mi amigo, for after he subdues his own people, he will start on the rest of the world.”

“And what of him,” Jaime said gesturing into the cave.

“What of him?”

“If he lives, will you tell him?”

Juan looked away for a moment.  “It is not for me to decide.”

“If not you, then who?”

Juan threw the remainder of the coffee out into the dark of the night and turned to Jaime.  “You know who.  Do not ask me again.  It is not my decision to make.   I was against what was done before.  You know that.  I had no voice then and I will have no voice now.”  With that, Juan turned and entered the cave to await word of Nelson, the man he called brother.

 

**********

 

Dawn broke over the humid, misty jungle.  Raul rose from his perch and summoned the others to wakefulness.  Slowly, the men rose and set about eating a hasty breakfast, anxious to be on their way.

“How far yet, Raul?” Crane asked as he hurried to catch up to the man who led them.

Raul looked about him and said, “We should be there by noon.  If all goes well.”

“Are you expecting trouble?”

Raul laughed.  “I always expect trouble.  It is something I was taught.”

Crane struggled to keep up with the young man.  “You must have been very young when the revolution started.  Did your father teach you what you needed to know to be a revolutionary?”

Raul stopped suddenly and turned to Crane.  “One does not learn to be a revolutionary, senor.  One day you are a small boy, enjoying life in the only home you have ever known, and the next you are running for your life from government troops because your father said the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time.  No.  I did not learn to be what I am.  I just became it.  I had no choice.”

Raul began walking again, slower this time.  “In the beginning, your people sent advisors to us to teach us what we needed to know and provided us with weapons.  Then they abandoned us.  Different president, different policy,” he said with a shrug. 

“All but one man.  Even though it was against the will of his government, he sent us supplies and aided us in ways we needed.  He even offered to send me to college and provide a life for me in the States.”

Crane’s gaze was thoughtful.  “El Tiburon.”

“Si.  If things had been different, Admiral Nelson would be my uncle.”  Tired of the talk, Raul lengthened his stride and resumed his blistering pace.

 

**********

 

Juan paced anxiously in front of the cave entrance.  It had been over twelve hours since they had brought Nelson to the camp.  Twelve hours and still no word.  What was taking so long?

As if in answer to his question, Jaime appeared at his side.  “The doctor wishes to see you.”

Juan looked into Jaime’s face to see if there was any hint of what the news would be. Seeing nothing, he sighed and went inside to search out the doctor.

He found him nearby, slouched against a far wall and eating what was probably the first food he’d had in many hours.  Steeling himself, Juan walked to him.

Looking up, exhaustion written on his face, the doctor sighed and put down his plate.  “It’s not good.  But you know that already,” he said without a trace of an accent.  The man, Stephen Edwards, had come to San Marco three years ago and offered his services to the rebels.  No explanation for the act was given and none asked.  He had been there ever since, healing their wounds and presiding over the funerals of the ones he couldn’t save.

“He’s lost a lot of blood.  Luckily, the bullet didn’t pass through any major organs but there is some infection.  However, I have no antibiotics.  We need more supplies, Juan.  When can we expect Miquel and the others to get back?”  Miquel and four others had left the base three days ago in an attempt to obtain medical supplies from some of the nearby villages.

Juan looked decidedly uncomfortable.  “They should be here soon,” he said turning away to stare at the cave entrance.

Confused, Stephen asked what was wrong.

Juan turned back to the doctor and smiled.  “Nothing.  Nothing.  It is just...I am concerned for my friend.”

Nodding, Stephen gestured to the back of the cave.  “You can go to him if you wish.  He’s not conscious, but he may know you’re there.”

 Casting one last look at the cave entrance, he turned and went to Nelson.

The “room” Nelson was in was a fairly large cavern lighted by several lamps as well as by a campfire burning nearby.  Nelson lay on a pallet on the floor close to the fire.  Juan walked to his side and knelt beside him.  He shook his head as he took in his friend’s pallor.  Drenched in sweat, he tossed his head lightly from side to side.  He moaned once or twice and muttered something Juan couldn’t hear.

“You should not have come back,” Juan whispered, taking a rag nearby and wetting it.  “There are things you do not know.  Things it is better you do not know.”  He gently bathed Nelson’s face, wet the rag again and placed it on Nelson’s forehead and sat down.  “I am sorry.  It was not my idea.  Perhaps you can forgive me someday.   Forgive...all of us,” he said looking out towards the cave entrance.

 

*********

 

 

Crane and the others reached the cliffs above the shoreline shortly after noon.   The wicked sun beat down upon them as they prepared to descend to the shore.  Raul hesitated for a moment, then turned back in the direction from which they had just come.

Crane stopped and looked at Raul.  “Is something wrong?”

 “Si senor.  I think something is very wrong.  We must hurry.”

“What is it?  What’s wrong?”  Crane asked, looking behind them into the jungle brush.  Most of the men had already started the descent.  Only Crane and Raul remained on the cliff face.

“They come.  We must hurry.  Now!”

“Who?”

“The government troops!  We do not have much time.  Please!  Go!”

Crane started his descent while Raul guarded the trail.  When Crane had reached the halfway point of the trail, Raul started down also.  The others waited at the bottom while the two men climbed down quickly.

Raul had no sooner reached the shoreline when gunfire exploded about them.  The shots rang off the rocks and hissed into the water as Crane and the others raced for what little cover there was.  Wolfe wasn’t fast enough and was hit in the leg.  Raul ran from the boulder he was hiding behind and grabbed Wolfe, attempting to drag him back behind cover.  They had almost reached safety when Raul was hit by a burst from a machine gun and went down in a heap.

Crane ran from his concealment and dragged both men behind the rock and to protection.  Patterson, Sharkey, Kowalski and Morton returned fire and saw with some satisfaction, their shots hit their targets.  The faces on the crag disappeared from the edge as the rifle fire from the men below exploded about them.

“Sir!  The Seaview!” Kowalski yelled, gesturing to the shore.

The men watched as the Seaview rose from the water. Apparently Lt. O’Brien had been keeping an eye on the shoreline.

“Right.  Let’s move now while we can!”  Crane helped Wolfe to his feet and guided him to the raft which was already in the water.  Patterson and Sharkey went back for Raul while Morton and Kowalski kept the men covered as best they could.

The men launched the raft and rowed quickly to the waiting submarine.

Before the soldiers on the cliff could finish climbing down to the shore, Crane and the others had rendezvoused with the Seaview and were taking their wounded below.  Looking up before descending the ladder, Sharkey suddenly yelled and pointed. “Sir!  The destroyers!  They’re back!”

“Get below!  Quickly!”  Crane yelled.

Crane and Sharkey went below in a hurry with Crane shouting orders as he went.

“Close all hatches!  Lt. O’Brien!  Take us down!  Level off at 200 feet!”

“Two hundred feet, aye!”

  Helm, hard right rudder!  Come to a course of 190,” Crane ordered as he walked to the sonar post which Kowalski had now taken over.  “What do you have, Ski?”

“I’m picking up two destroyers off our port bow.”

“They must be the destroyers we’ve been playing tag with for the past few days,” O’Brien said, watching the sonar screen.  “They never fired on us but they seemed to shadow our every move.”

“Well, they aren’t shadowing us now.  They’re...”

Crane’s words were cut off as the sub was rocked by depth charges. Crane stared at the screen in consternation.

Morton had come up beside Crane and was staring at the screen also.  “Lee, what about the admiral?  We have to go back for him.”

Turning to look Morton in the eyes, Crane hesitated for a moment.  “We can’t, Chip.  Not now.  My first responsibility is to this boat.  We can’t be found in San Marco waters.  You know what that would mean.”  The Seaview was rocked by another depth charge.

“Helm!  Hard left rudder!  Slow to one third!”  The Seaview maneuvered through the San Marco waters but the destroyers dogged their every move. 

“Sir!  The destroyers are...” Kowalski’s words were cut off as a depth charge exploded on top of the sub.  Sparks flew from the instrument panels and the boat rocked from side to side.

“Damage control!  Report!” yelled Crane as he helped Morton to his feet.

“Minimal damage to circuits.  No flooding reported, sir.”

“All right.  We’re going to try to make a run for it.  All ahead flank,” 

Several interminable minutes went by before Crane asked, “Ski, how are we doing?”

“We seem to be outrunning them, sir,” he said, surprise in his voice.

“That isn’t surprising considering how old their navy’s ships are.  Or at least how old they are reported to be,” Morton said.

Crane straightened up from his huddle over the sonar screen and smiled slightly.  “Yes.  Maybe our information was correct for a change?”

“Sparks!  Try raising the rebel stronghold.  Use the same frequency as before.”

A few moments went by before Sparks called to the captain, “I can’t raise them, sir.  The radio’s been damaged.”

“How long until it can be repaired?” Crane asked impatiently.

Sparks had the console open and was peering inside at the wiring.  A blue haze of smoke could be seen coming from the console area.  He turned to the captain and said, “Just a guess, sir, but I don’t think I can repair it quickly.”

“How long?”  Crane asked again.

Sparks glanced back at the wiring and hesitated a moment before replying.  “I don’t think I can get it fixed for a few days.  The whole thing is a mess.”

Crane closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his forehead.  “All right.  Get started.”

Sparks sprang to do as he was ordered.  Morton walked to Crane’s side and asked, “What now?  How do we...”

Suddenly, Doc’s voice came over the intercom. “Captain, I think you had better get down here now.”

Crane acknowledged the message and set off for the sickbay.

A few minutes later he arrived to see Doc hovered over Raul’s still form.  Crane looked to his left and saw Wolfe lying in a bunk apparently asleep.

Gesturing to Wolfe, he asked, “How is he?”

Doc straightened up and grimaced slightly.  “Wolfe will be fine.  The wound was superficial.  But I am concerned about this guy.  He’s taken a bullet to the abdomen and one to the leg.  I need to operate now.”

“Will he make it?” Crane asked with deep concern.

“I don’t know.  His injuries are life threatening, Captain.”

“You have got to save him.  The admiral’s life depends on it.”

 “The admiral?  What’s he got to do with this?”

Quickly, Crane filled him in on all that had happened since the admiral’s arrival.

“So you see if he doesn’t show us the way, we can’t get to the admiral.  Or at least that’s what this Juan said.”

 “Even if he survives this surgery, he won’t be leading any rescue parties in the near future.”

Crane slammed his hand into the bunk he was leaning on.  “He’s got to!  Or at least tell us how to get to him!  We can’t just leave him out there.  Who knows what’s happened.”  In a softer tone, he added, “We don’t even know if the admiral’s still alive.”

 “I’ll do all I can, Skipper.  I just hope it’s enough.”

Crane left the sickbay and walked slowly back up to the Control Room, a plan forming in his mind.  He just hoped he could pull it off.

He entered the Control Room and saw with satisfaction the men busily engaged in getting the ship back to normal.

Chip walked to the charting table where Crane stood twirling a pencil, seemingly lost in thought.

“How’s Raul?”

“Not good.  Doc doesn’t know if he’s going to make it.  Even if he does, he won’t be able to lead us to this base any time soon.”

“So what do we do?  We can’t leave the admiral out there!”

“I know, Chip.  And we aren’t,” he said straightening up.  “I’m going back to the island.  Maybe with walkie talkies we can get in touch with the base.”

“That’s if the government has stopped jamming the signals.  And what do you mean you’re going back to the island?” Chip asked suddenly understanding the import of Crane’s words.  “The admiral wanted the information you have to get back to Washington.  If you go back there you...”

“Look, Chip.  The radio is out.  We can’t reach the rebel base.  We can’t reach Washington.  I can’t just sit here and do nothing when I can go back to the island and try to help the admiral.”  Crane’s voice rose as he spoke, his face a mask of worry.

“I’m sorry.  I just...I can’t sit here and do nothing while the admiral may be dying or...”

“Or already dead?” Chip finished quietly.

Crane dropped his gaze to the table top and shook his head.  “I have to know.  One way or the other.  I can’t leave him there without trying to help him.  I just can’t.”

“I’ll leave all the information I was able to gather here with you.  If the radio is fixed before I get back, forward it.  I don’t care if they don’t like who it is coming from,” Crane said cutting Chip off before he could protest.

“I assume I’m to stay here then?” Morton asked quietly, his eyes focused on the charts.

 “I need you here, Chip.  If those destroyers come back I want you here to take care of them.  And the sub.  Bobby’s a good officer, but I want to know you’re here to take command.  I’ll take Sharkey, Kowalski and Patterson with me.  They at least are familiar with the terrain and the situation.”

Chip nodded, clearly not happy, but understanding.

An hour later, Crane and the others were ready.  The captain stopped to give Morton final orders before leaving as well as a packet of papers he had prepared concerning the weapon and it’s location as well as any other pertinent information.

“Any sign of the destroyers?”

“None.  They seem to have left the area.  For now at least,” Morton said.

“If those destroyers put in another appearance, I want you to get the Seaview out of here.  We won’t be able to contact you until you get the radio fixed so have the periscope island manned at all times.  We’ll signal you when we’re ready to come back.  Hopefully, with the admiral.”

“How long will you search for this base?” Chip asked.

Crane shrugged.  “I’ll give it at least three days.  If we don’t find him by then...we’ll head back.  If the radio gets fixed before we get back, try contacting the base and tell them we are searching for them.  Any questions?  All right.  Let’s move.”

“Lee?  Be careful.  And bring him back, huh?  Bring all of you back safely.”

Crane nodded and headed up the ladder.

 

***********

 

Juan awoke with a start and stared about him as he tried to determine what had awakened him.  Nelson lay on the pallet as he had since he was brought to the base.  His color was a bit better, Juan thought, but his temperature had apparently risen.

Edwards entered the “room” at that point excitedly holding a package of medicine in his hands.  “They’re here, Juan!  They got the medicine we need!” he said as he hurriedly loaded a syringe with an antibiotic and injected Nelson with it.  “He has a chance now.”

Juan stared at Nelson for a moment longer and then asked, “Is everyone back?”

Absorbed in his patient, Edwards didn’t answer.  Juan got up slowly from the floor of the cave and stretched.  He had spent too many hours on the floor beside his friend.  Casting one last look at Nelson, Juan went into the larger part of the cave and saw that the scavenging party had indeed returned.  He looked at one particular member of the party and sighed.  It would have to be now.  There was no more time, he thought as he walked to the group that was now celebrating.

 

**********

 

Nelson drifted.  He heard voices again.  A voice he knew echoed in his brain: a voice from long ago.  But it was impossible.  He struggled to open his eyes.  He had to see.  Fighting against the darkness, he succeeded in opening his eyes slightly.  Wherever he was, it was dark and cold.  Then he heard the voice again.  It was sad.  Turning his head he saw a form bowed over him.  It was a woman and she appeared to be praying.  Sensing he was awake, she looked up.  Tears streamed from her dark eyes and she kept saying how sorry she was.  Recognition slammed into Nelson like a freight train.  No!  It couldn’t be!  It was impossible!  Fighting against the rising darkness became futile and Nelson finally gave into its inky blackness.

Juan entered the room and stared down at the two forms.  One unconscious and the other huddled over, weeping.  He shook his head as he turned to go.  It should not have come to this.  But it had and there was no way to go back.

Sadly, he walked away from the scene and was greeted by a cacophony of excited voices.  He entered the main room and saw that Pablo had returned.  He was disheveled and appeared to be bleeding from several small wounds.  Juan walked quickly to where he stood, swaying on his feet, as he related how he and Diego had been captured and tortured.  Pablo had escaped from the government encampment but he felt sure that Diego had told the troops of the location of the rebel base.

The group turned at Juan’s arrival and looked to him for guidance.  He hesitated only a moment before he gave the order to break camp and take all they could with them to other sites they used.

Juan turned to see Edwards looking at him with dismay.  “I can’t move him.  He’ll die if we move him far,” he said gesturing to the room where Nelson lay.

“You must move him.  He cannot be found here.”

“He’ll die!”

“There is no choice!”  In a softer tone Juan said, “I know what it means if we move him.  I also know what it means if he is caught by the government.  I won’t let him go through that.”

“No.  We will not leave him.  He must come with us,” said a feminine voice from behind the two men.

They turned to see the woman that had been kneeling over Nelson emerge from the cavern.  Her tears were dried and she carried herself with self assurance.

“You are the leader, mi hermano, but I will not leave him.  Not again,” she said softly.  “After all these years, I will not leave him again.”

Juan nodded and smiled at his sister.  “Si, Maria, he will come.  You know where to take him?”

“I know.  You will follow soon?”

“Yes.  Help Steven to pack up as much of the medicine as you can.  I will help the others.  And do not worry.  He will be all right.”

Maria looked over her shoulder to the room where Nelson, her onetime fiancé lay and whispered, “Perhaps.  But will he forgive me?”

 

**********

 

Two days later found the men of the Seaview searching the hillside Juan had pointed out to them.  They had followed the path till it had dead ended at a large rock wall.

“I don’t get it, Skipper,” said Sharkey.  “The path just stops.  We’ve followed this rock wall to the east and the west and there just isn’t anything!  No opening except for that small pathway that was blocked by that boulder.”

Crane stared at the same wall and shook his head.  “I don’t know either, Chief.  Maybe Juan was trying to throw us off.  Maybe there is something we just aren’t seeing.  Or...” 

Suddenly the jungle around them was rocked by an explosion.  Regaining their balance, they stared about them. 

“What was that?” asked Kowalski.

“I don’t know, Ski.  Head down that way and see if you can see anything.”

“Aye sir.”

Kowalski headed off in the direction of the blast but came running back a short time later.  “Sir!  Government troops!  They were in that passageway and are headed this way!  If that base was up there, they just blew it to kingdom come!”

“All right.  Quick, men!  Head down the trail.  Go!  I’ll cover you.”

The men headed off down the trail.  Crane remained on the ledge until the men had made it partway down the slope, then he took off after them.  He had gotten about half way down the path when the air around him erupted in gunfire.  He saw the men had reached the relative safety of some rocks at the bottom of the trail.  The government gunfire was met with a fusillade from the Seaview’s men and Crane made the rocks safely.  Shots were exchanged with none meeting its intended target.

“Sir!  We can’t keep this up!” shouted Sharkey above the din of the battle.

“I know!”  Crane looked about him and noticed that the trail the troops were on was surrounded by thick brush.  The only way for them to go was back up or to continue down.

“Chief!  Do you have any grenades?”

Sharkey smiled and reached into his pack.  “I sure do, Skipper.  You just tell me what to do with them.”

Crane whispered to Ski and Pat to move off down the trail towards the sea when the grenades went off.  They nodded their understanding and started to move slowly away while Crane and Sharkey continued to fire.

“Ok, Chief.  On the count of three, throw the grenades!”

The men launched their grenades in unison and they took off running down the trail, turning to fire every once in a while.  Crane thought they were going to make it until Sharkey suddenly went down.  Crane raced back to help him up and saw blood streaming from a wound in his upper chest.  Putting his arm under him, he half carried, half dragged him down the trail.

“Come on, Chief.  You can make it.”

Kowalski and Patterson had stopped at a wide spot in the trail lined with rocks and were waiting for Sharkey and Crane.  When Crane carried Sharkey past the men, they began firing at the pursuing troops.  The area they had chosen provided excellent cover and the troops, not expecting the fleeing men to stop, were cut down by the barrage of bullets.

The battle went on a few moments longer until the soldiers began to slink away in the jungle, despite the angry yells of their commanding officer.

A few moments more and he too thought better of continuing the losing battle and fled also.

Crane turned to look at Sharkey and saw he had passed out, blood still flowing from his chest.  Remembering what they had learned from Juan, Kowalski and Patterson found cobwebs and gave them to Crane who took them and bandaged the wound as best as he could.  He looked down at Sharkey and shook his head.

“This is becoming a habit with this place,” he muttered as he gathered the supplies together and repacked them.

“What do we do now, Skipper?” Patterson asked.

 “We don’t seem to have much choice.  We’ve got to get the chief back to the Seaview.”

“And give up on the admiral, sir?”

 Misery filling him, Crane hesitated a moment before answering.

“For now.  Let’s just hope the rebels got away from those troops and weren’t still at their base when the explosions went off.”

Crane unpacked the litter they had brought along for Nelson and laid Sharkey on it carefully.

“All right.  Let’s go.  If we walk straight through, we should be at the shore around midnight.”

Kowalski and Patterson picked up the litter while Crane followed behind, his insides twisting as he thought about Nelson.  Leaving him behind again tore at Crane, but he was fast running out of options. He could only hope and pray the admiral was alive and mending.  And that he understood why they hadn’t returned.

The next few hours passed slowly for the men.  Sharkey woke a few times and was dismayed to hear the search for the admiral had been suspended.

Shortly after midnight, the group came to the bluff and carried Sharkey down the steep trail to the shoreline.  Pulling a flashlight from his pack, Crane signaled the Seaview and within a few moments, saw the sub rise from the sea.

They loaded Sharkey on the raft and rowed quickly to the waiting boat.  Sharkey was taken below and Morton gave the order to dive and move off.  Crane quickly apprised Morton of what had happened on the island.

“So, we have no idea at all where he is.  Or if he’s still alive.  Or if the rebel base survived the explosions.  What’s the situation here?”

“We were hit again by those destroyers.  The hull plates along frames 45 through 53 are weakened.  We won’t be able to dive below 200 feet.  That cuts our maneuverability if those destroyers come back.  Also, the radio is still not operational.  The antenna was damaged in the last run in.  We aren’t going to be able to contact anyone until we can get it fixed.”

Lowering his head, Crane tried hard not to let the hopelessness overcome him. “How did you get them off your backs?  We didn’t see any sign of them.”

Morton smiled.  “Oh, just emptied our garbage bins and added some oil to the mix.  Must have convinced them because they took off around the headlands shortly after that.  Haven’t seen them since.”

“You used that old trick?” Crane laughed.

“It worked!  What are your plans now, Lee?”

 “I don’t know.  Sharkey’s hurt pretty badly along with Raul.  The Seaview can’t take another pounding.  I have no idea where to look for the admiral.  And I need to get the information back to Washington as soon as I can, which won’t be soon with the radio still out.”

Crane was silent for a moment, indecision warring with duty within him.  “I’m afraid we’re going to have to head for home, make our repairs, tend our wounded and come back when we can.”

“And leave the admiral here?” Chip asked softly, not daring to look Crane in the eyes.

“What would you have me do?  I have no idea where to look for him!  Or any way to communicate with the rebels!”  Crane softened his tone and looked at Chip, grief in his eyes.  “Set a course for Santa Barbara.  Best possible speed,” he said, turned on his heel and left the Control Room.

 

***********

 

Steamy mist rose from the jungle floor and swirled about the small remote mountain village.  A lone figure sat by the opening of a hut in the hamlet and stared, waiting.  It had been too long.  He should have been here by now.  Something must have happened.

“Maria?  He’s waking up.  The infection seems under control.  Do you want to see him?” a voice behind her said.

She lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut.  What would she say?  What excuse for the hell she had allowed him to go through? 

With a sigh, she rose and turned to face the young doctor.  “I will see him.  It may be the last time he wishes it though.”  She started to walk past him when he reached out a hand to stop her.

“Juan will be all right.  He always has been.”

She turned her eyes to him.  “Si.  He always has been.  Tell me when he comes.”

Worry for her brother tried to cloud out the fear she felt at facing the man she had loved and, in fact, still loved.  She walked into the hut and stared down at the man lying before her.  Nelson had survived the journey to the village, but had been weakened by it.  His breathing, to her relief, was better and his color continued to improve.  No more was he the deathly shade of white he had been.

She sat down on the floor beside him and picked up one of his hands to hold in her own.

“I wish that you had never come back.  To see you like this, I...” she closed her eyes to shut out the memories of what they had once been to each other.  She tried but failed as the memories flooded back anyway and, for a time, she was lost in them.  Lost till she felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and opened her eyes to see him staring at her in shock.

“You...you aren’t a dream.  Are you?” Nelson asked weakly.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head.  “No.  I am real, my love.”

“L...love?  How... can you call me that wh...when you...you lied to me?”

Her tears formed tracks down her cheeks as she struggled to answer.

“I did not lie to you.  No one did.  At first.”

“At first?  I... was told you were...were dead.  Killed during the... patrol you went out on.”

She nodded her head as she remembered the time of which he spoke.

“Yes.  We were attacked by the government troops shortly after we left the base camp.  The others, save for Enrique Santiago and I, were killed.  I was hurt.  Enrique escaped.”  Maria stroked his hand as she spoke, unmindful of his glare.

“Enrique assumed I was dead and told the others, including Juan.  I was captured by the soldiers and taken to the capital where I was cared for until I was well enough to be questioned.”

“How long?”

Maria looked up into his eyes and dropped her gaze once more.  “I was told it was about a month before I was brought before the Presidente.  Four more months of interrogation and finally I was able to escape with the help of one of the soldiers there.  It took me another month before I was able to find my brother.”

Nelson struggled to sit up.  “And... in all...all that time...since then, it never...never occurred to you to...to let me know?” he asked.

She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down.  “You must not get up.  You will start to bleed again.”

Weakened as he was, he didn’t disagree.  “You didn’t answer me.”

She looked him in the eye and flinched from the pain she saw there.  Physical pain as well as emotional.

“When I returned to the cadre, Juan wanted to contact you.   To tell you.  You had been gone for almost four months by then.  Enough time, I thought, for you to forget and begin to heal.”  She dropped her eyes once more when she saw disbelief cloud his eyes.

“Heal?!!  Forget?!  I loved you!  How could I forget?”

“I didn’t belong in your world. I saw that even if you didn’t.  My place was with my people.  With...”

“I never forced you to...to promise to come with me.  If you hadn’t come I... I would have stayed.  You... knew that.”

“Yes.  I know.  You would have.  And all your hopes and dreams would have been gone.  For me.”

“I was...was willing to...”

She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek, encouraged when he didn’t pull away.  “I know you would have been willing.  When I got back, I realized I wasn’t willing to let you.  And I refused to leave my brother and the others to fight my fight.”

“So you...you let me...let me... believe the...the woman I loved... was...was...”  Nelson’s voice began to weaken and his eyes began to droop.  Within a few moments, he was once again asleep.

Maria stared at him for a few minutes more, continuing to stroke his cheek.  How easy it would have been then to have let him know she was alive.  How different things would have been.  What kind of life would they have had?

Her musings were cut short by the sounds of excited voices.  She rose and walked to the front of the hut.  Before her was her brother, dirty and disheveled, but alive.  She ran to him and put her arms about him.

“Juan!  I was so worried!  Where have you been?”

Juan pulled back from her embrace and looked her in the eye.  “Paying back a debt.  The government’s research lab is gone.  Destroyed!  No more do we need to worry about our great Presidente’s biological weapon!”

“But how?  When...?”

“After the last of our people left the caves, I and several others took the last of our munitions and went back to the facility.  We waited till night, crept inside, planted the explosives and watched the whole thing explode!”

Maria searched her brother’s eyes.  “It was that easy?” she said with disbelief.

Juan’s face fell and he turned from her.  “No.  It was not that easy.  Jose and Miquel are dead.”  He turned back and smiled once more.  “But the laboratory is gone, Maria!  Don’t you see what that means?  How can the Presidente not make peace with us now?”

Maria smiled as she looked at her brother.  “Perhaps, Juan.  We will see.”  She turned back to stare into the dark hut.

“I am sorry.  I almost forgot.  How is he?”

 “He lives.  He was awake for a little while.  He knows,” she said softly, turning to him.  She walked away from the hut and stood at the edge of the clearing, not daring to look her brother in the eye.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she closed her eyes.

“You knew it would be hard.  You knew he might...”

“Might?  He hates me, Juan!  And he has every right.  If only...”

“If only what?  If only you had told him?  If only he had stayed?  What, Maria?”  He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.  “You cannot live in the past, wishing for things that can never be!  But you can live now.  He is here.  Now.  Talk to him.  Be there.”

Maria looked into her brother’s eyes and smiled sadly.  “Perhaps.  We shall see.”  She turned on her heel and headed in the exact opposite direction from where Nelson lay.

Juan watched his sister walk off and shook his head.  So much heartache.  He turned back to where the revelers now stood, still celebrating their victory.  They had much to rejoice in and he left them to their jubilee, stooping to enter the hut.

He walked to where Nelson lay and seated himself beside him.  His thoughts became lost in the past and he didn’t realize until he spoke that Nelson was awake.

“So.  You knew and you didn’t tell me?” he said weakly.

Juan dropped his gaze from Nelson’s pale face and nodded.  “Si.  I argued with her, but she does not listen.  You should know that.”

Nelson snorted.  “I remember,” he said softly.

“Do not hate her, mi hermano.  What she did was very hard for her.”

“And it wasn’t hard for me?”

Juan looked away for a moment.  “You went on.  Your dreams, the ones you told us of, became reality.  Your submarine, the Seaview is real.  Your Institute is real.  Would all that have happened if you had stayed here?  If Maria had come with you?”

Nelson closed his eyes and was quiet for a long time.  So long that Juan began to rise, thinking he had fallen asleep again.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at Juan.  “I don’t know.  Those months after I got back...I...was lost.   I tried to forget.  Tried to put all those memories away and go on.  And I did.  Slowly.  And yes, my dreams became reality.”

“Would they if Maria were there with you?  Would you have had the fire to find a way to make those dreams become reality, mi hermano?”

Once again Nelson closed his eyes and sighed deeply.  “I don’t know Juan.  I... don’t know.”

Juan patted him on the shoulder and rose.  “You must sleep.  If Edwards finds me keeping you awake, I will be banned from here.  Sleep, mi hermano.  Sleep.”

Nelson nodded once and was asleep.

 

**********

 

The next few days passed quickly for Nelson who spent the majority of each day asleep.  Each time he awoke, it was to the smiling face of Maria, who had become his constant companion and nurse.  As his strength returned, his anger faded.  Inexplicably, the hurt lessened, and in its place he found that things were much as they had been.  The joking manner between them was restored and they relived events they both remembered.

“I remember when Raul was just a little boy,” Nelson said laughing.  “He used to follow Juan around and imitate everything he did.”

“Si.  He did.”  Maria joined in the laughter, as happy as she had been in years.  “Juan tired of it at times, but he never let Raul know.”

“I suppose Juan was a sort of surrogate father for Raul,” Nelson said thoughtfully.

Maria dropped her gaze and the joking manner was gone.  “Si.  I think he was.  When our brother, Eduardo, was killed, he had no one but Juan and me.  We became his family and, in time, so did the cadre.”

Nelson grew quiet and Maria turned at his sudden change.

“You worry about your people don’t you?”

 “They should have been here by now.  Even if the base was destroyed, Raul would know where to find you, wouldn’t he?”

“Yes.  He would know.  I too worry.  And Juan, though he tries not to show it.  With our radio destroyed there is no way we can contact the outside world.  But Juan has sent a few men into the capital to see what they can find out.  Perhaps they will even find a radio for us.  But in the meantime, you must eat to regain your strength.”

Nelson looked up into Maria’s eyes and, for a time, forgot.

 

**********

 

Captain Crane paced the deck of the Seaview and watched as Raul and Sharkey were transferred to a waiting ambulance that would take the men to the hospital.  Both men had recovered to some extent during the slow journey back to Santa Barbara.  The Seaview herself, however, was in for a few repairs before she would be seaworthy enough to go back to San Marco:  A situation that did not sit well with her captain.

“Have you heard anything?” a voice behind him said.

Turning, Crane found Morton standing behind him staring at the same scene.

“Yes.  I’m to be in Washington by tomorrow morning for testimony on the biological weapons charges.  Although from what I hear, the rebels have destroyed the lab, so what I’m needed for I have no idea.”

“That should be good news, Lee.  If the rebels destroyed the lab, then they weren’t all killed in the attack.  The admiral could be still alive.”

 “Could be, Chip,” Crane said softly as he continued to stare about him.   His frustration at the delay was eating at him.  The not knowing was almost painful.  Over the years, the admiral had come to mean a great deal to Crane and he was hard put to describe the relationship. To him, it didn’t need defining.  He and the admiral had become family and that was all there was to that.  Family didn’t abandon each other as he had done.  Family stuck by each other. He’d find a way back to San Marco if it was the last thing he ever did.

He smacked his hand on the side of the boat.  “I need to know for sure.  I need to get back there.  Now.” 

“How?  The Seaview will be in dry-dock for at least two weeks, from the last estimates I heard.  Raul won’t be out of the hospital, from what Doc said, for another week.  And to go back there without Raul is...”

“I know, I know.  He’s already told us there are several places they could be hiding.  None of which he feels we would be able to find on our own,” he said turning to go back inside the sub.

The two men climbed down the ladder and entered the Control Room.  Crane walked to the Observation Nose and stared out at the activity on the dock.

“So what do we do?” Morton asked.

Nervously twisting the ring on his finger, Crane was silent for a long time as he tried desperately to come up with a plan to find the admiral, but came up empty.  Sighing heavily, his shoulders drooped in defeat. 

“As much as I don’t want to do it, I guess I go to Washington and we wait.”

 

**********

 

The next two weeks dragged by.  Crane shuttled between Washington, where he testified any number of times on the situation in San Marco, and the Naval dry-dock, where he harassed the workers into hurrying the job.  In between, he found himself visiting with Raul and Sharkey.  Both had been released and were recovering nicely, if not patiently, at Sharkey’s apartment.

Finally, the day arrived when the Seaview was ready to sail.  Supplies were loaded aboard and all personnel eagerly awaited the voyage back to San Marco.

Crane stood on the conning tower and stared down restlessly at the activity below.  The last of the men had come aboard and he awaited Raul’s arrival impatiently.

“Any sign of him?”

Crane turned at the sound of Morton’s voice behind him.  “No.  What’s keeping him?  He’s already...”

“He’s only five minutes late, Lee.  Ease up.”

Crane looked about to argue then stopped.  “You’re right.  I just want to get going.”

“So does everyone else on board.  It’s a pretty tense bunch down there right now.  They’re antsy to get going, find the admiral and bring him home.”

“I know what they’re feeling.  I want to get this over with. And bring him back,” he said, looking away for a moment.

Morton didn’t reply, knowing it wasn’t necessary.  Chip knew how Lee felt about the admiral and about having to leave him behind.  He only hoped they found the admiral alive.  If they didn’t, Lee would have a hard time forgiving himself and he knew the guilt would eat away at him.

“There he is!” Crane said.

“Who’s that with him?” asked Morton.

The two men peered at the figures walking slowly down the steps leading to the dock, carrying duffel bags.

“It’s Sharkey!” replied Morton.  “I thought he was told to stay behind.”

“Yes.  He was.  Looks like he has other ideas.”

Smiling slightly, Crane watched the two men walk to the gangplank.  Sharkey hesitated a moment, then looked up and asked, “Permission to...uh...come aboard, sir?”

Crane frowned slightly.  A full minute passed before he answered. “Permission granted, Chief.”

Sharkey smiled in relief and the two men scampered over the gangplank.

“Thank you sir.  I couldn’t stay behind.  And I’m feeling fine.  So’s Raul.  We’re both ready to...”

“Easy, Chief.  I already said you could come along.  Stow your gear and show Raul to a cabin.”

“Yes, sir.  And thank you,” Sharkey said as he and Raul climbed down the ladder.

Morton looked over at Crane with a smile.  “Well, Lee.  The crew is present and accounted for.  What are we waiting for?”

“Not a thing, Chip.  Not a thing.  Let’s get going.  Set a course for San Marco.  Flank speed.”

The men cleared the decks and the sleek submarine set off for, what they all hoped was a rendezvous with the admiral.

 

**********

 

The two weeks had dragged by for the men of the Seaview, but for Admiral Harriman Nelson, they had flown by.  Thanks to Maria’s nurturing, he was up and walking.  Although he still tired easily, each day he found a bit more of his strength returning.  The remote village had become their home.  Juan and the others came and went, but Maria was always there with her smiling face and laughing eyes.

“You are stronger every day.  Soon you will be as you were,” Maria said as she and Nelson walked through the village.  Everywhere he walked, he saw people from his past, people he recognized and people that recognized him.

“No,” he whispered.  “Not as I was.”

They continued walking in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.  Time passed and they soon found themselves outside the village once again.  A hubbub of voices greeted them as they edged closer to the village.

“Maria!  Maria!  It has happened!”  Juan and two others from the rebel force descended upon them.  “We just got back from the capital!  Word has reached them there that the lab was destroyed!” 

Juan turned to his friend and continued, “And better still, the Seaview reached port a few weeks ago.  Your Captain Crane has testified before the UN and Washington concerning the threat of biological weapons.  There is now official pressure from the UN to end the war!”

Nelson and Maria joined in the celebration, each glad to know the hell of the past few years would soon come to an end.

After a time, Nelson walked off by himself.  Concern for his crew seemed unfounded now that he knew of their safe arrival in the States. Yet he wondered at their reasons for not finding him.  Not that he hadn’t enjoyed, for the most part, the past few weeks; for he had.  At least he knew Lee was all right, he thought with a smile.  And the war would be over soon.  There was no doubt of that now.  And then?

“Where did you go?” asked a voice behind him.

Turning, he saw Maria walking slowly towards him and he stopped and waited for her.  “I was just...thinking,” he said slowly.

“Oh?  About what?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around one of his and stared into his eyes.

They started walking once more.  Nelson hesitated for a moment and then said, “What will you do when the revolution is over?  Will you stay here?  Or...come with me?”  Nelson said as he slowed his pace, not daring to look at her.

Maria stopped and stared openmouthed at Nelson’s back.  He turned back, saw the look in her eyes and glanced away.

“I guess I have my answer,” he said before she could say a word.  He started off back down the trail to the village.

Maria ran to catch up to him and reached out a hand to grab his arm.  She spun him around and was distressed to see him grimace in pain.  “I’m sorry!  I forgot!  Please, you do not understand!  I...I never thought to see you again, much less hear you ask me to come back with you.  Can you forget?  Can you put behind you all the pain I caused?”

Nelson turned away for a moment and stared off into the distance.  After a time he looked back at her and smiled slightly.  “Forget what?”

Maria walked slowly to his side and reached out a hand to stroke his cheek.  She searched his eyes.  “You are sure?”

At Nelson’s nod, she hesitated a moment and then said, “Si.  I will come with you to America.”

“Just like that?  No questions?  No fears?  Just yes?”

“I hesitated once before and lost you.  I thought forever.  I will not make the same mistake twice. Any fear or questions we will face together.”

He gathered her in his arms and stared into her eyes.  “Will you marry me?  Be my wife?”

She smiled as she gazed up at him.  “Of course, my love.  There is nothing I want more than to be yours forever.”

Nelson found he could breathe again and he lowered his head, his focus on her lips.  Gently he kissed her, then looked into her eyes.  Smiling, she put a hand on the side of his face and gently stroked his cheek then leaned in for a kiss of her own that was not as gentle or chaste as Nelson’s had been.  After a long time wrapped in each other’s arms, they pulled apart reluctantly.  With a groan, Nelson put his arm around Maria.  “You’re killing me.  You know that don’t you?” he asked softly as they strolled slowly back to the village and the celebration.

 

**********

 

The days passed quickly for Nelson, Maria and the cadre.  The prospect of peace gave everyone a reason to smile and a reason to enjoy life for a change.

“You will have to tell Juan,” Nelson said one night on one of their walks.

Maria sighed and nodded.  “I know.  I will.  Soon.  I just...”

“Just what?”

She walked to the edge of the hillside that overlooked the valley.  “He has been my whole family, my life, for so long.  I don’t know how to say what needs to be said.”

Nelson came to stand beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, he drew her close.  The night sky was visible here and thousands of stars blinked on its inky canvas.  In the distance, he could just barely see the shoreline.

“He will understand.  I think he knows already.”

 “How?” she asked as she up at him in surprise. 

“He sees it.  How you look at me and I at you.”  Nelson smiled and looked back to the valley floor.  “Yes.  He knows.”

Together they stood, arms wrapped about each other, as they stared out across the valley floor.  The sounds of night creatures scurrying about broke the silence.  She turned her eyes to his and saw sadness there, and questions. 

“They will come.  Soon.”

“And how do you know that?” he asked as he turned to her.  “Intuition?”

She smiled at him and nodded.  “It is my gift.  You will see.”

They shared a few lingering kisses until Nelson moaned and pulled away.  “We should get back before we’re missed.”

“I do not care if we are missed,” she said as she leaned in to kiss the man she loved.  Smiling, Nelson gave in but stopped when they heard the sounds of raised voices in the village.

“Something has happened,” Maria said as she pulled away, listening.  “Come!”

The two lovers climbed quickly back up the trail to the village, their arms around each other and were surprised to see fires lit and people gathered around the far end of the village.

“Something has happened,” Maria said as she hurried up the trail with Nelson close behind her.

Juan and the others were clustered around a group of men talking and laughing.  When Juan saw Maria and Nelson come up the trail, he smiled and turned to talk to someone in the center of the group.  The throng separated and it was then Nelson saw Lee turn in his direction. 

A smile lit Crane’s face as he saw for himself that the admiral was indeed all right.

“Admiral!” he said as he strode from the group, his hand outstretched.  “Juan said you had recovered but...well I’m glad to see he was right!”  The two men clasped hands, then hugged each other briefly.

“Lee!  I was beginning to wonder if perhaps you had forgotten me!” Nelson said with a laugh as he slapped Crane’s arms.  The rest of the group, Morton, Kowalski, Patterson and Raul also joined in the joyful welcoming.

Juan, Maria and the others from the cadre seemed to melt into the background as the Seaview’s men seated themselves and launched into an explanation of all that had occurred to keep them from coming back.

“Well,” said Nelson.  “Sounds like you’ve been busy.  I trust Sharkey is all right?”

“He’s fine.  He insisted on coming along even though Doc said he wasn’t up to it.  If we hadn’t left the sub without telling him, he probably would have tried to sneak along somehow,” Morton laughed.

 “So.  You got to America anyway,” Nelson said as he turned to Raul.

Raul smiled and dipped his head.  “Si.  I saw many things while there.  Mostly from the hospital, but the chief showed me some of the sights when we were released.”

Nelson stared thoughtfully at the young man.  “The chief did, huh?  I may have to have a talk with him,” Nelson said as seriously as he could, while trying to hide his smile.

Glancing off to his left, Nelson smiled as he watched Maria come towards him.  He rose stiffly to his feet and grimaced at the exertion.  Lee jumped to his feet to help the admiral, but was waved off.  “Gentlemen, I have someone I need to introduce you to,” he said gesturing to Maria, who had brought the group food and drink.

Hesitantly, Maria walked to Nelson’s side and smiled up at him as he wrapped an arm about her waist.  “Fifteen years ago, I came here on a mission for the government.  And fifteen years ago...I fell in love with the woman you see here.”

Crane and Morton stared incredulously at Maria.  Crane was the first to regain his speech.  “But, sir, we were told that she...that Maria was...was dead.”

Smiling, Nelson looked down at the woman beside him.  “So was I.  It’s a long story but the only thing that really matters is, she has agreed to be my wife and to return to the States with me.”

For a moment the air was still and then Crane, Morton, Patterson and Kowalski all jumped to their feet in an effort to be the first to congratulate the happy couple.   Nelson and Maria accepted the congratulations of the group happily.  Behind them, Juan stepped from the shadows and started to walk down the trail away from the village.  Maria stopped in her celebration and watched as her brother slowly descended the trail.  She pulled from Nelson’s embrace and started after him.  She turned back for a moment and looked into Nelson’s eyes and saw understanding there.

“Go to him.”

The group watched as Maria hurried to catch up to her brother.

“Problems, Admiral?” Lee asked as he came to stand beside his friend.

Nelson hesitated for a moment, still watching the two and then said, “No.  Not for me.”  He looked away and continued, “Juan didn’t know about her leaving, although I think he knew it would happen.  It will be hard for him to let go.”

Putting a hand on Crane’s shoulder, he smiled and said, “Let’s go make plans to go home, Lee.”

The men walked off through the village to plan their homecoming.

 

**********

 

Maria and Juan talked for a long time of things past and of the future.

“You are sure?” Juan asked as the two approached the village once again.

Maria stopped and looked into her brother’s eyes.  She saw a sadness there but also a peace.

“The revolution will be over soon.  Our Presidente cannot continue to fight with the weight of international censure upon him.  That means a new government, a new set of rules, a new system.  You will have a big part to play in that.  Me?  I will be in the way with all my opinions,” she laughed.

Juan laughed lightly.  He put his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.  “You do love him?  Enough to give up everything you have ever known, everyone you have ever known to move to a new country that will be as alien to you as...as...,” he gestured about, then looked to the sky.  “As another planet?”

 “Yes.  I love him enough for all that and more,” she said smiling and wrapping her arms about his waist.

“Good.  Then I give you my blessing,” he said with a smile.  “I know he will make you happy.  He is a good man.”

“Si.  My only regret is that you and the others will not be there to see me wed.  You will not be there to give me away.” 

“Then why not be married here in front of our people?  Father Esteban is visiting us!  You could be married here and then have another ceremony in America with Harry and his friends.”

Maria smiled broadly.  “Do you think we could?  I…I would like that very much!”

“Then let us go ask my soon-to-be-brother and see what he says!”

Giggling like a school girl, Maria ran back towards the village in search of her intended and found him talking intently with his friends.

She walked slowly up to him, not wanting to intrude and inexplicably felt a bit unsure of herself.

As if he sensed her presence, Nelson stopped in mid sentence and smiled at her, dragging her to his side.  “Is everything all right?” he asked in concern at her tentative expression.

“Everything is wonderful.  I just…could I speak to you alone,” she said casting an apologetic look to the others.

“Gentlemen, I’ll be right back,” Nelson said with a small smile, his eyes never leaving hers.  He allowed himself to be pulled away a short distance where he listened intently to Maria’s proposition.

“We could be married here, my love, with my people and Juan!  And have another ceremony in America with your friends and family!   Father Esteban is here.  He could perform the ceremony or we could ask your captain!  Can he not perform a…?”

“Whoa!  Slow down!” Nelson said laughing.  “First, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.  Of course you would want to be with Juan and your friends and family.  Forgive me for being impatient to take you away,” he said as he stroked her cheek gently.  “And second, I will marry you whenever and wherever you want.  The only problem is I have no ring to give you.”

“I do not care about rings.  That can come later if you wish it.  Is tomorrow too soon?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around him and drew him close.

“I’d marry you this instant but I think we should let your family and friends have a little time to prepare something.  Don’t you?  Tomorrow sounds wonderful,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her, unmindful of his friends that watched.

A chorus of throat clearings from Crane and Morton and the two drew away, laughing.  “Shall we tell them our plans?” he asked as he was already drawing her to them.

 

**********

 

Brilliant blue sky greeted the morning of the wedding.  Excitement and joy filled the village as the wedding ceremony many thought should have taken place years ago approached.

“If you stop fidgeting, I can fix this shirt, Admiral,” Crane said as he tried to adjust the shirt Juan had given Nelson the night before.  Feeling the clothes Nelson had were not appropriate for his only sister’s wedding, Juan had acquired a pair of white loose fitting pants along with a pale blue shirt that was a bit baggy.  “Looks like you’ve lost some weight,” Crane said laughing.

“Probably.  I’ll just have to let Maria feed me for a bit.  That should put the weight back on!”

“That’s about the best I can do, Admiral.  I don’t think it looks too bad.”

“Well, thank you for that ringing endorsement,” Nelson said laughing.

Crane looked closely at his best friend and smiled.  He couldn’t remember when he had ever seen him look as happy and carefree as he did right now.  He was filled with delight at the admiral’s happiness.

Sensing Crane’s eyes on him, Nelson turned and smiled.  “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you agreed to be my best man, Lee.”

“And who else would do it?” he said chuckling.  Turning serious for a moment, he reached out a hand and clasped Nelson’s shoulder.  “I would have fought anyone else for the honor, you know.”

The sound of bells ringing from the town center was the signal the ceremony was about to begin.  Nervously, Nelson tugged again at the unfamiliar shirt and looked at Crane with a slight smile.  “I can’t believe I’m about to get married!”

“You can’t believe it!  I leave you here to go off and finish the mission and come back to find you madly in love, giggling like a teenager and sneaking off into the night with a beautiful woman!”

“I have never giggled in my life, Captain!” Nelson said indignantly.  “As for the others…I plead the fifth.” he said with a big smile.

Juan came into the room the two men were in and looked inside.  “Are you ready, mi hermano?  Maria is impatient to begin.”

“I’m ready, Juan.  Very ready.  In a few minutes, we truly will be hermanos, eh?”

“We were always brothers, Harry.  Just a different kind.  Like your captain here I think. Yes?”

“Yes,” Nelson said as he gripped Lee’s arm. “Brothers.”

 “Well, let’s get this moving!  I have a woman that has agreed to marry me with all my shortcomings.  It’s probably best I don’t keep her waiting or she may change her mind!”

Lee and Harry walked to the front of the altar in the local church and stood waiting anxiously. Chip, Patterson and Kowalski were seated in the front row and smiled broadly as they watched their superior officers fidget.

Morton knew the moment his commanding officer saw his bride.  A change came over his face and he relaxed, a small smile on his lips, as he watched her walk down the flower strewn aisle on Juan’s arm.  Her eyes never left his as she walked to meet him. Hugging Juan, briefly as he handed Maria over to him, Nelson took Maria’s hand in his and led her to stand in front of the local priest, Father Esteban.

“Who gives these two to be wedded?” he asked.

“We do!” the whole church yelled in unison, earning a bark of laughter from Nelson.

“Well, there would seem to be agreement that these two should be married.  Maria, I have known you for many years.  I watched you grow into the beautiful woman you are now.  Do you take this man to be your husband forever?”

“I do.  Forever,” she said loud enough for the whole church and part of the village to hear.

“And you, Harriman.  I have known you, and known of you, for many years.  Do you take this woman to be your wife forever?”

“I do.  Forever and a day,” he said smiling.

“Then by the power vested in me by God the Father, I pronounce you husband and wife!”

“You may…”

Before he could finish, Nelson drew Maria to him and kissed her long and hard.

“…kiss your bride,” Father Esteban finished with a laugh.

Nelson and Maria drew apart then kissed again quickly before Harry drew her down the aisle and to a feast hastily planned for them.  The rest of the day was spent in celebrating the union of two people that deserved only happiness.  Night closed in quickly and the party began to wane, the revelers trundling off tiredly to their homes leaving the newlyweds alone.

 “I love you, Harry.  I will always love you,” she said as she stopped outside the hut that had become her home, anxious to begin their life together, and gazed into his eyes.

He ran a soft hand down her cheek.  “And I will always love you, my love.  Always,” he said as he kissed her.

Smiling, they entered the house, wrapped in each others arms and ready to begin their lives together.

 

**********

The next day went quickly as preparations were made to leave the village.  Men sent into the capital reported that the end of the war seemed imminent.  As proof, the radio signals ceased being jammed and the men from the Seaview were able to contact their ship.  The joy of the crew could be heard over the radio as Crane reported that the admiral was in good health and about to leave the village for the Seaview and was bringing a surprise with him. 

“Yes, O’Brien.  We’re leaving the village now.  We should be at the shore in about eight hours.  Stay submerged just in case someone on the other side hasn’t heard about the peace.  Right.  Out.”

“Well, Admiral.  Are you ready?” Crane asked.

“Very ready, Lee,” he said as he turned to the people gathered about him.  Reaching out a trembling hand, he shook hands with the villagers who had protected him, cared for him and had made him a part of their village.  He stopped in front Dr. Edward s and stared at him, shaking his head.  “How do I say goodbye to you?  How do I say thank you for all you’ve done?”

Edwards smiled and put out his hand.  “Don’t say good-bye.  Come back someday.  We’ll be here.”

Nelson took the outstretched hand and nodded.  “And if you ever get bored with life here or they throw you out, come see me in Santa Barbara.  I’m sure there will always be a job for you there.”

Edwards dipped his head in acknowledgment.  Nelson waited for Maria to finish her good-byes to her friends, then took her hand in his and turned to see Crane and the others from the Seaview gathered off down the trail, waiting patiently.  Raul and Juan headed down the trail and joined the others from the Seaview.

“Well, Lee.  What are we waiting for?” Nelson said as he caught up with the waiting group.

“Not a thing, Admiral.  Not a thing.”

The walk to the landing site took just over eight hours.  Through the mist, Nelson could see the surf pounding the shore line.  It was the same shore, the same surf from his dream and for an instant, Nelson felt a shiver of fear course through him like a premonition.  He stopped and looked about him anxiously, but saw nothing that warranted the frisson of fear that coursed through him.

“Anything wrong, Admiral?” Lee asked as he came up beside him.

Nelson looked to his friend and shrugged his shoulders.  “I...I don’t know.  I...feel danger.  Like I did in the dream.”

“Dream?”

Realizing Crane had no way of knowing what he meant, he explained about the dream he’d had about the island and the shore.

He laughed then and said, “I guess I’m putting too much stock in dreams.  Perhaps I’m more tired than I thought.”  He rubbed a hand over his eyes and then said, “Let’s be off, Lee.  It will be good to get home.”

The group, including Raul and Juan, clambered down the cliff.  Crane went to the radio and contacted the Seaview while the others milled about.  Nelson turned to see Maria saying her good-byes to her brother.  A twinge of sadness washed over him as he realized he might never see Juan or the others again. 

Juan walked to him and held out his hand.  “Good-bye, mi hermano.  You will treat her well, no?”

Taking the outstretched hand, Nelson shook it, then pulled Juan into an embrace.  “You don’t need to ask that.  You know I will.”

  “Admiral, the Seaview is surfaced and ready to take us aboard,” Crane said, hesitant to break up the farewells.

Nelson released his brother-in-law with a final slap on the back, and turned to the others.  At that moment, a shot rang out from the cliff above, scuffing the sand in front of Nelson.  Before the group could respond, another shot rang out and the men on the shore answered back with gunfire of their own.

A few seconds later, Crane called a halt to the firing when there were no more shots from the cliff.

“Kowalski!  Patterson! See if our friend up there is dead or ready to give up.”

The two scampered carefully up the cliff with Raul close behind.

“NO!  Dear God, no!”

At Nelson’s agonized cry, Crane whirled around to see his friend sitting on the ground with Maria’s obviously lifeless body wrapped in his, blood drenching her shirt.  Juan knelt nearby rocking back and forth in anguish.  Nelson looked up and Crane saw the tears that coursed down his best friend’s face. 

“She...she threw herself in front of me.  She...”  Overcome, he broke down and sobbed as he pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her hair.

Crane stared at the scene before him in disbelief.  The war was virtually over.  All that remained was to hammer out a few agreements and the revolution would be over.  How could this happen?  How could their joy suddenly be turned to such horror? 

He looked up and saw Chip Morton staring back at him with shock and horror on his face.  Slowly, Chip fell to his knees by Maria’s head and watched his commanding officer grieve, knowing there was nothing he could say or do to help him.

Crane turned away from the scene and saw Kowalski, Patterson and Raul approaching from the cliff.  He went to them, hoping to be able to tell Raul without his first seeing the body.

“Raul.  Wait.  I’m sorry.  Maria...Maria is...”  But he got no further as Raul looked past Crane to see Nelson and Juan on the ground, and the body of his aunt and surrogate mother in the arms of the man she had waited for for fifteen years.

“No!  Maria!” he cried as he ran to where she lay.

 “I...I don’t believe it, sir,” Patterson said as he walked slowly to the captain, disbelief and grief on his face as he watched the scene before him. 

“How…how could this…I...” Kowalski said.  He looked away and then continued, giving his report.  “That guy up there, he...he’s dead.  Looks like he was alone.  He didn’t have a radio with him so I guess he didn’t hear about the cease-fire.  He just thought he was doing his job.”

His eyes never leaving the admiral, Crane could only nod.  He had been so happy, so relieved to find him alive.  The news of Maria being alive had seemed an impossible dream for his friend, the wedding, only yesterday, a fairy tale and now, all he could see was the pain etched deeply on Nelson’s and the anguish in his eyes.

Anger, sorrow and disbelief overwhelmed him as he walked to Nelson and knelt beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders to support him.  He wasn’t sure the admiral even knew he was there, but he stayed just the same in an attempt to share his friend’s grief.

How long they knelt in the sand with Maria’s body would forever be a mystery to Nelson.  He remembered the feel of her body hitting him, knocking him down.  He remembered looking into her eyes and knowing she couldn’t see him-would never see him again-and his heart broke into a thousand pieces. Her love had been a precious gift she’d freely held out to him: a gift he’d taken only to have it knocked from his grasp before he had a firm hold of it.

He had no recollection of picking her lifeless body up and carrying it back up the cliff to a secluded glade where they dug a grave out of the soft soil and laid her in her eternal resting place. 

Vaguely, he heard Crane saying some words over the grave after it was filled in, but what the words were held no import to him.  The only thing that was significant to him was the fact his life suddenly had no meaning.  His wife-dear God his wife!-was dead and Nelson felt as though his heart had been torn from him.  All their whispered plans were never to be.

The fresh mound of dirt held his full attention for a moment longer before he turned to Juan standing beside him.  His despair, anger and hate were mirrored in his brother-in-law’s eyes and he reached out a trembling hand to him, clasping his shoulder tightly.  Together they stood beside her grave, united by grief as tears coursed unchecked down their cheeks.

They parted company with Raul and Juan a little while later.  The two walked slowly back up the trail to the village now hidden in the mists, while the men of the Seaview boarded their raft and rowed to the waiting submarine. 

The welcome Admiral Nelson received upon descending the ladder to the Control Room of his boat was raucous to say the least, his crew overjoyed at having their commanding officer back alive and well.  He made an attempt to show his gratitude to his crew, but failed.  A smile that never really reached his eyes was all he could manage as he felt himself drowning in misery.

After accepting their handshakes and words of welcome, he thanked them, made an excuse about being tired and left the Control Room for his cabin, leaving Crane to explain to the crew what had happened.  Each word was met with disbelief and sorrow for their commanding officer.

 

**********

 

The trip back to Santa Barbara was not the lighthearted affair the crew had anticipated.  No one, save for the captain, Morton, and Doctor Jamieson, who insisted on checking the admiral’s wound for himself, had seen much of the admiral since his return.  Most of his time on the trip back was spent in his cabin with a few brief stints spent in the lab: a place that normally held endless opportunities for diversions but seemed to fail miserably now.

“Have you seen the admiral?” Morton asked Crane one morning a few days after they had left San Marco as he came into the Control Room.  “I just went to his cabin but he isn’t there.  He’s not in the lab either.”

Crane turned at the sound of Morton’s voice and frowned.  “I haven’t seen him.  Not since last night when I took him something to eat.  Why?”

 “This just came in from Washington,” Morton said as he waved a piece of paper in his hand.  “The President of San Marco has fled the country and has requested asylum from Cuba.”

Crane snorted.  “They deserve each other.”  He reached out and took the message.  “I think I know where I can find him.”

He walked to the closed doors that separated the Control Room from the Observation Nose and pushed the button to open them slightly.  In the dim light he saw the admiral sitting by the window, staring out the windows, oblivious to his presence.

Hesitating a moment, Crane walked into the room, closing the doors behind him.  Silently, he crossed the distance to the admiral and stood behind him for a moment, then reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder.

Nelson gave no indication he felt the touch.  Crane pulled a chair up and sat down slowly, his eyes never leaving the admiral’s haggard face.  Finally, Nelson turned his head and looked his friend in the eye.  Crane was startled anew to see the bleakness there.  Nelson’s eyes had always held such fire and brightness that the change in him was unsettling.

 “This just came in, sir.  It’s from Washington,” Crane said as he held out the paper.  “President Cristobal has fled the country.  The war is over.”

Nelson closed his eyes for a moment and then looked back out the window.  “Thank God.  Finally.”

Crane shifted his gaze to the sea beyond the windows for a moment also, then looked back.  “We’ll dock in Santa Barbara tomorrow.  Probably around 1200 hours.  The press has been informed we will dock around 1600 hours.  I didn’t think you would want any press people hanging around.”

 “Thanks, Lee.  I would just...”

At that moment, Morton opened the doors to the nose and walked to the two men.

“What is it, Chip?” Crane asked, standing up.

Morton walked to Nelson and stood looking down at him. “Sir, this just came in from the Institute.  Funding for that project of yours for the Navy has been denied.  It just came over the wire.”

Crane turned to look at the admiral.  Color began to suffuse Nelson’s face and his eyes turned a dangerous shade of blue.  He rose slowly from his chair, grimacing slightly at the pull on his wound.  “They what?” he asked softly.

Afraid to be caught in the storm he knew was coming, Crane stepped back a bit from Nelson.

“Of all the pig-headed, idiotic, bureaucratic stupidity!” he said as he slammed his hand into the chair.  He began to pace the Observation Nose, the color in his face deepening.  “I’ve given two years of my own time and money to that project and now they say forget it?” 

He stopped his pacing and headed for the doors, smashing his hand onto the control button.  The doors slid open to reveal the Control Room crew, trying hard to pretend they had heard nothing.  Nelson started through the doors and bellowed for Sparks to raise Senator Karl and put the call through to his cabin.  He began to head for his cabin, then stopped suddenly and turned back to Lee and Chip.  Crane was relieved to see some of the bleakness in Nelson’s eyes had been replaced by the old fire.

Hesitating a moment, Nelson moved back to stand beside his officers and friends.  “Lee.   Chip.   Thanks.  I...I couldn’t have gotten through the past few days without you both.  I...” He closed his eyes for a second as he struggled to control his emotions and then looked at them once more.  “It…will take some time.  I know that, but...”

“It’s all right, Admiral.  We’ll be here.  All of us,” Crane said, gesturing to the crew scattered about the Control Room.

Nelson’s gaze roamed the Control Room and the men that looked back at him with respect, concerned looks and slight nods of agreement.  Pride filled him for a moment as he contemplated the men he had chosen for his crew and he nodded to them briefly, then headed off to his cabin to do battle with the pig headed, idiotic, bureaucratic fools

 

The End

 

Copyright by Beth Kauffman 1999

 

BKauff81@aol.com