“So, are you on board, Rob?” Dillon asked.
“I guess so. Anyway I’ve always been a sucker for an adventure and we are the good guys, right?”
“Just one thing, Rob. This goes no further than these four walls.” Dillon said.
“I’ve got no problem with that, Jake.”
“Good, just as long as it stays like that.” Dillon said.
“I’ll say goodnight then, and see you at the dock first thing in the morning, Jake.”
Malakoff, sitting on the bridge deck of the Solitaire, looked through night-vision binoculars towards the Fisherman’s Lodge on the cliff top above Bonne Nuit. And a few moments later, the lights came on in Rob Chapman’s place.
“So he’s back,” he said to Kurt who was standing beside him.
“It would seem, that your plan to bring them all together is working, Mien Herr. All we need to do now is to wait for Dillon and Chapman to make their move sometime tomorrow morning.” Kurt said.
“The bugs on board the two boats are working, I presume?”
“I checked them earlier this evening, Mien Herr.”
“Good, then you’ll be able to follow whichever boat they are in, thanks to the bugs. Take the inflatable, but I insist you keep your distance, Kurt. There will be no contact with them, until I give the order. Understood?”
Kurt nodded and said, “Should I take the two divers with me, Mien Herr?”
“Why not, but I doubt that anything will come of it. Chapman doesn’t know where U-683 is Kurt, of that I’m convinced. All that they’ve done is asked him for his advice on any possible locations. You wait and see; they’ll simply bumble around and do nothing but waste their time.” Malakoff sighed and shook his head.
“Is there something wrong, Mien Herr?”
“The Cunningham girl not knowing the location of the U-boat, is not right, Kurt. Quite frankly, I’m still of the opinion that she has the answer to this little puzzle. But, no matter. We’ll just have to rely on Mr Dillon and his associates to find the U-boat for us. By the way, if we did find the tunnel entrance and needed to blast our way in could Mazzarin and Zola deal with that?”
“That would not be a problem, Monsieur. We have various types of explosives and detonators on board, and both men are fully trained to deal with any situation.” Captain Armand said confidently.
“Excellent, gentlemen,” Malakoff stood up, and then said. “I would wish you luck tomorrow, but I’m extremely pleased to see that you’re not relying on luck alone. Goodnight.”
Armand remained on the bridge, staring out into the night time, and Pierre slipped out of the shadows.
“Forgive me, Monsieur Malakoff. But can I go with the others in the morning?”
“So, you want to get even with Mr Dillon, do you?” Malakoff laughed. “Why not. And enjoy it while you can, Pierre.” Malakoff patted the burly Frenchman on the shoulder and walked off to his private quarters, still laughing.
Chapter Eleven
It was a bright sunny morning when Dillon, LJ, and Vince walked down to the harbour. The Wave Dancer was moving out to sea with six or seven people seated in the stern.
“Perhaps he changed his mind,” Dillon said thoughtfully.
“No I don’t think so.” LJ said, adding. “He’s got far too much moral fibre running through his body for a change of heart.”
At that moment Chapman came around the corner in his pickup, got out and dropped the tailgate. He lifted out a rack of three air tanks and then another two racks after that. Placing them all onto sack trucks, he pushed it along the dock towards them.
“Sorry I’m late, Jake. I’m afraid that little incident over at my place last night spooked my sister. I’ve just had to arrange for a friend to come over and keep her company.”
“We thought you’d changed your mind, Rob,” Dillon said looking out towards Wave Dancer.
“No way. I’ve said I’ll help you, and I will. That was one of the other divers who I sometimes work with going off with a group of tourists for the morning. Unfortunately, his boat developed an engine problem, and as he’s gotten me out of the hole on more than one occasion. Well, I felt duty bound to lend him mine for the day. I’m sorry, and I know that I should have called you, to ask if we could take your boat out today?” Chapman said.
“That’s fine with me, Rob. Let’s waste no more time, and get the air tanks and kit bags on board, and then we can get going.” Dillon said, slightly annoyed at Chapman’s lack of professionalism.
“Of course you know that I’ll want a reduction in your fee for using Dillon’s boat, don’t you Rob?”
“I’ve got no problem with that, Edward.” Chapman said amiably.
They all got on board the power cruiser, Chapman immediately stowed the air tanks into the racks at the stern of the twenty-six foot craft. Dillon climbed the ladder to the wheelhouse where he sat on one of the swivel chairs, while Vince busied himself checking the instruments and computer hardware that he’d brought on board with him. When Chapman had finished, he went up and joined LJ, and Dillon.
As they eased back away from the mooring buoy, Dillon slipped out of his seat to allow Chapman to take over, while he went below to check his dive gear. He’d put everything into a big camouflaged army type holdall, underneath his equipment was one of the MP5 carbines, fully loaded and ready for action plus extra clips. There was also his Glock automatic which he always carried when he was on assignment. Dillon looked around the main cabin, and eventually found what he was looking for. A pocket, just inside one of the forward stowage lockers with just enough space to hide the holstered weapon.
He went back up the ladder and joined the others. “How long before we get there?”
“No more than ten minutes.” Chapman grinned at LJ, who was looking a little worse for wear as the boat rose up and dropped down with each wave. “You okay, Edward?”
“I’ll let you know. I’m assuming of course, that our new found friend, Malakoff is on our trail somewhere back there?” LJ said pointing behind them, “No doubt stalking us at a distance from that oversized gin palace, the Solitaire?”
“I’ve been checking every so often, and as yet I’ve seen nothing but clear blue sea and a few sailing boats back there. Any way, Malakoff wouldn’t be able to follow in the Solitaire, Edward. Simply because it’s far too large and cumbersome, he’d be more likely to use that inflatable rib that he came ashore in last evening. That’s the ideal boat for these waters, and fast too, it’s good for twenty-six or twenty eight knots.”
Dillon said, “Vince, break out the rations, will you?”
A moment later, Vince appeared at the bottom of the ladder holding a bottle of single malt whisky, and four glasses. He passed them up to Dillon, who poured out four good measures and then passed them around to the others. LJ raised an eyebrow and gave Dillon a look of despair.
“I know it’s early, but it’s good for sea sickness, and all other ailments known to man.” Dillon said toasting his boss, and then promptly emptied his glass in one gulp. Chapman followed suit, and so did Vince. LJ gingerly swigged at his, and then proclaimed that he was feeling a little better.
Dillon got out the binoculars, focused and checked astern. There were a number of yachts, and the cross channel car ferry on its way back to Poole on the English mainland, but no sign of the inflatable rib anywhere.
“There’s not a sign of them.” Dillon said.
“I find that just a little bit odd, don’t you?” LJ mused.
“You’re worrying for no reason, Edward. After all, had it been lurking back there, Jake would have spotted it through the glasses.” Chapman told him. “Now, just so you know, I’m going to take us out about a mile, and then head back to shore just as the U-boat may have done. So let’s get this tub moving, shall we?” He pushed both throttles forward and took the power cruiser out to open water fast.