“I will Tosser, well done.”
She went back to see Crutch again, earlier this time. During the visit she said she had to use the toilet and took a wrong turn, she was exploring. It was all memorised, the layout, any camera’s and of course personnel.
Later in the city, Tosser walked into a cafe with PCs and internet access. She paid and was allocated a machine. She set to work and finally attached the Paint file to an email and saved it as a draft. She sent a text to Dubai. “Over to you Silky, the file is attached.”
SILK PURSE ENTERED the British embassy in Dubai.
“I’m here to see the trade attaché.”
She was taken to his office. He was, of course, SIS himself.
“Hi, I need the private room.” She sat at a desk in the secure room and made a call to London.
“Rudolph. We’ve visited Crutch in jail.”
“You what?”
“Later. I’ve sent you a sketch Tosser’s made of the inside layout of the prison.
I’ve thought about this long and hard. I realise what a big step it is, but I see no alternative. As head of the Middle East section. I’m requesting Operation Nimrod.”
Rudolph put a hand to his forehead.
“Bloody hell. Silky, I’ll have to run this past the PM. I’ll get a grilling. Let’s know your reasons.”
“Rudolph. First, you know we must. Second…”
He listened and knew she’d got it right. It didn’t make it any easier, this was going to be a bastard. A very risky bastard.
Chapter 12
“CAN YOU CONFIRM OUR location, CPO Benson?” asked Navigation Officer Nikki Kaminski.
“Aye Sir, It’s like Grand central station out there. Ships of all kinds and lots of them. Singapore is like a beehive.”
“Sir.” Nathan looked over at her. She wore a smirk, he tried not to match it.
“We’re off Singapore. I recommend coming to three hundred degrees in twelve minutes, for the transit of the Malacca Strait.”
“Call the course change when you think it’s time Kaminski.”
“Sir.” Nathan sat at the Conn working on his mission computer. Crew eval reports, even on active duty you couldn’t get away this from this stuff. He overheard Kaminski.
“Benson, what’s the Shang up to?”
“It made the turn a few minutes ago Sir.”
“Ok Plansman, right rudder, come to three hundred and make your course steady.”
“Three hundred aye, Sir.”
The two Roll-on Roll-off vessels made their way up the strait followed below by the Shang SSN, followed by the USS Stonewall Jackson.
THE LONG MARCH 08 HEARD the two ships passing and raised her periscope to confirm their identities, satisfied she dived and followed them several miles behind.
Her sonar officer saluted and reported.
“Captain Sir. I have a faint unexpected sound. An unknown boat is following the Long March 09. She’s at a similar depth, very hard to track, but I heard her when she turned to make her way up the strait. I can’t identify, all I can say is she’s too quiet to be a nuclear boat.”
Huang’s eyebrows raised, this was unexpected.
“I see, it’s possible that it’s a Singapore boat, maybe an Archer Class or maybe one of the new type 218 class from Europe. They’re small and quiet.” It was unexpected, but they were in Singapore’s area of operations. Captain Huang knew that the city state was not to be underestimated, well equipped and well trained, they were a player in this part of the world.
“Keep a careful watch on this contact, move closer up. The type 218 isn’t well known in these waters, let’s see if we can get more information on it.”
BENSON’S WORLD WAS awash with sound, the sea had its own character, part mystery part open book. The cacophony of Singapore was now fading behind. He listened to her, she spoke to few. He was able to black out the thrashing of the two surface ships they followed, also the subtler Shang class boat following them. Biologics were plentiful, shoals of fish, whales and other sounds, he knew they were biologics but what they actually were, he’d no idea. There was something else. After several appearances he became more certain, it had now reached the threshold.
“Sir,” he turned and spoke to the Captain, “I think I have something. I think it’s artificial.”
“Where Benson?” asked Nathan.
“Sir I’m speculating but the tail is picking something up, something intermittent. Lucy’s getting a sniff Sir.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know Sir, I’m not sure.”
“Give me your gut feeling, what do you think it is. Give me your best wild ass guess.”
Benson was reluctant. But he had to.
“It maybe something following us. But I could be wrong.”
“I asked for your gut’s view.” Benson pursed his lips.
“We may have another boat out there.”
“Your best guess?”
“Above fifty percent. That all I’ve got Sir.” Nathan trusted Benson, the man was a fish at times. How to find out? He didn’t want to give the game away, to let the other boat know they’d been rumbled.
“Weaps, load Pointers in tubes five and six.”
“Aye Sir.” After a few minutes it was done. The two underwater drones were ready.
“Sir, we have Pointers Ren and Stimpy loaded.” They always had names Nathan knew, these two were named after the sick and twisted, but must watch, cartoon characters he watched as an early teen. Much to his parents’ annoyance.
“Weaps, I want you to launch Ren and have him take up our position, configure him to sound like us.”
“Sir, flood tube five. Open outer doors. Launch tube five. Reload with Harpoon.”
“Ren is away and holding position right in front of us, Sir.”
“Cut his wire. Plansman come to port, gently on the left rudder. Slow by one fifth.”
USS Stonewall Jackson moved to port and slowed slightly, leaving Ren in position mimicking their sounds. He looked to Benson, the man had his hands over his phones, elbows on his console, eyes shut. He was playing underwater Chess with himself.
“Yes. Sir, I’ve got him. A boat is following Ren, he’s alongside now. The computer library doesn’t know its head from its ass. I’m sixty five percent sure it’s a Shang class, make that seventy.”
Nathan let the Chinese nuke make her way by them up the strait. “Planesman, right rudder slowly now. Benson, let me know when we’re in his wake.” The boat moved quietly, slowly to starboard.
“We’re there Sir, he’s dead ahead, range two miles.”
“Trim fore and aft. Slowly make your depth one five zero feet.”
“One five Aye Sir.” The plainsman pulled back on his yoke. The deck rose upward to the bow.
“Lemineux, stream the communication buoy.”
“Aye Sir.” The buoy rode its way to the surface, Nathan typed out a message
Secure satellite acquisition, Sir.”
“Send this.” He forwarded the file.
PRIORITY RED
R 2713557Z JUL 86 ZY11
STONEWALL JACKSON
CIA-OPS// ID C796TF722//
TO CIA OPS LANGLEY//COMSUBPAC//N18//
NAVAL INTEL OPS/04
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS:/7
IN MALACCA STRAIT. A SECOND SHANG DETECTED FOLLOWING US, WE ARE NOW FOLLOWING IT. SOON WE WILL BE IN OPEN OCEAN. REQUEST PERMISSION TO USE EXTREME PREJUDICE.
“IF A MAN CONSULTS WHETHER HE IS TO FIGHT, WHEN HE HAS THE POWER IN HIS OWN HANDS, IT IS CERTAIN THAT HIS OPINION IS AGAINST FIGHTING.
ADMIRAL HORATIO NELSON.”
YOUR ORDERS SOONEST PLEASE.