Hunter Killer

The search is, however, being impeded by a cyclone.

The White House announcement adds that the situation is aggravated by the fact that the secret missile which was to have been test-fired by the Vice-President has also disappeared. It was being transported in a French freighter named Semittante. Captain Revs Tyler, the famous American submarine ace who was decorated for his epoch-making dash under the ice-cap of Antarctica, is in command of Willow- track and is leading the search.

Peace must know he can't get away with it!' exclaimed

Adele. How could he have faked that signal from the President?'

Because,' said a menacing voice from the doorway, nothing can justify Little Bear except MKG.' We spun round. It was Peace. He stood swinging with the motion of the ship, spray on his turtle-necked sweater and black trousers. He held the Remington lightly by the triggerguard and in his other hand was the hocked Colt. The lightness of his movements lent him the air of a predator about to spring.

I jerked my head at the loudspeaker. ' You heard that?'

Aye,' he said, 'I heard.' He watched us both for a moment and then closed the door behind him, still with that air of coiled power about to strike. He spoke to Adele. '

Jenkins, Geoffrey

Hunter Killer

How did you find out-did I muff the code?'

It's of no consequence how we know,' I retorted angrily. It is,' he replied. I want to know how many people I have to deal with.'

The signals pad had a carbon backing,' said Adele. You overlooked it.' I wondered whether I could jump Peace. Adele sensed it. John, don't!'

So it's only you two, then,' said Peace. He put the weapons on the table, but he stayed close.

Geoffrey,' I said, your devotion to Little Bear has gone beyond the point of sanity.'

Sanity does not enter into this,' he answered. Every mile an hour the gale puts on, every foot the sea rises, puts the odds more on my side. Are-you-going-to-tellhim?'

I walked deliberately past the pistols and confronted him. We've sailed before on tough missions, Geoffrey, but we won through because right was on our side.'

Who are you to set yourselves up as a judge of my 176 actions?' he blazed back. 'Right! What is right in this instance? Is it wrong to have one's heart in a weapon whose lethal efficacy is obscured by petty rivalries between Services and a bunch of politicians who don't know Polaris from a pump-handle? This thing is big-bigger than we dream of!

It is power, power unlimited in the hands of the nation who owns it! Now it's to be sold down the river because some bloody fool thinks we've kidnapped the Vice-President!'

That's not the way of it and you know it,' I snapped back. MKG risked himself and his standing in the first place by consenting to the test-fire. That is the measure of his faith in Little Bear. But then it was secret and he was safeguarded. Now the whole world knows; his position is endangered; the President has called it off. You can't go on with it!'

The Seventh Fleet plus the whole world versus us!' he said. I looked at him and marvelled inwardly. He wanted the odds as high as that.

' Are you going to tell him?' he repeated.

' If we don't, someone else will,' I said. There's Boz Blair, Pete Allingham

No. This is the only radio aboard Semittante. I've told Mac to keep the transistor under guard.' We did not reply and he went on, By tomorrow we should be at Love-Apple

Crossing. I shall sink Semittante. The space-shot will still go on.'

MKG is undertaking it voluntarily,' said Adele. ' You force him to take a space-ride.'

If he doesn't know, he will go through with it,' he replied. He swung on us, his voice harsh. Think, if you break the news to him, you will sacrifice the West's nuclear weapon lead for the next decade at least. Can you reconcile that with your consciences? The consequences of your discreet silence are immeasurable in the field of future peace. Has either of you the right, without express permission from the DNI, to back down on the mission? Have you?'

You'll be launching MKG under false pretences,' I said.

Put that way, yes. But it does not invalidate the weapon or the need to show the world how mighty a thing Little Bear is.'

I looked deep into Adele's eyes and saw the conflict raging in them, too.

Give me just one day until I can scuttle this bag of bones,'

Peace went on vigorously. Leave it to me after that. All I ask is your silence.'

And if not?'

Peace picked up the telephone, dialled the engine-room.

Mac-come to the radio-room. Drop whatever you are doing.

The sea beat like drum-fire against the old hull. It seemed like hours until Mac came.

Peace picked up the Remington, handed it, to Mac. He took the Colt himself. Adele was pale.

`, Mac,' he said, the President has blown the gaff on the

Little Bear mission. MKG doesn't know. John and Adele heard the broadcast. The others don't know, either. If MKG has an inkling, the mission is off. I faked a signal so that he would carry on. Now-' he waved at us-' it's in danger.'

Mac eyed us with his bloodshot eyes. I'm an old shipmate of Number One, sir, and I wouldn't like to hurt him. There are plenty of spare places in the engine-room where I could look after him. The girl's easy.'

It means as much as that to you, Geoffrey?'

He didn't look me in the face but nodded. I'd rather you came along, John, but nothing will stop me-do you hear-. nothing!'

And if Tyler and Thornton catch up with you?'

I'll see you right,' he replied. I'll take the whole rap. I'll say, what you did, you did under duress. Try and see it as a hunt, without the other implications, which aren't your concern anyway-they're MKG's.' He turned to Adele. I need you, too. The end will justify the means.'

' What if MKG comes and listens to the radio here?' she asked. Soon every radio station in the world will carry the story.'

The seas will be breaking right across the deck shortly,' said Peace. I'll put the radio shack out of bounds to everyone except John on the grounds of limbs or ribs being broken. I'll tell 'em we can't afford injuries to the launch team, or to MKG.'

I made up my mind. ' You deserve to luck out, Geoffrey,' I said. I'm not with you in the way I was before, but for old times' sake, I'm not against you. I can't speak for Adele.'

She hesitated and then said, ' It's too big a decision for me to take alone. I would like to signal the DNI-'

That's out of the question,' answered Peace. You are still under his orders, remember. As far as I am concerned, they stand. He didn't offer you any loopholes: if this happened, then that. He ordered you, go ahead.'

' Like John, I am not for or against,' she said unhappily.

You have my word for my silence too.'

Peace nodded to Mac, who left, morose as ever, throwing down the pistol.

Peace opened his mouth as if to say something as he left, but changed his mind and said formally, Thank you both.

This is the only way left. I'd rather it had been otherwise.'

When he had gone, Adele concentrated on the radio and I rigged a lifeline from the radio shack along the upper deck. The barometer was alarmingly low and squalls burst at intervals from the north-east. Although it was barely five o'clock, the sky was dark and grey scud streamed across the heavens. I didn't care for the way the old ship was behaving, either. She was putting her bows under and the seas were sweeping right back to the winches on the foredeck. It was the beginning of a wild night. Somewhere in the north-east was the centre of the cyclone-a wild-lashed convulsion of sea which had sent better ships than Semittante to the bottom. As I put the last knots into the lifeline, I saw Boz Blair and his men struggling to secure the long crate containing Little Bear. I went aft and helped them double-lash the crate to the deck with a two-inch manila. We then ran a heavy wire through one of the deck winches and drew it tight for additional security. Shouting above the howl of the wind, I reminded Boz to cut it free when we scuttled the ship. Astern, throwing her bows high in the air and much closer now, was Bellatrix.