‘When we return to the Strait,’ Porter said, ‘I suggest you send off such a message.’
‘You wouldn’t object?’
He shrugged. ‘When I’m assigned to a case, I have responsibilities. If Richards elects to expose a project he’s handling under a Government contract, that’s his problem. Until I’m told to protect that submarine – if there is one – Richards can take his own risks.’
‘Will he actually let me tour the place?’
Porter grinned. ‘Sure. I think they’ll ask us to their house in the next few days, and if he doesn’t mention the shipyard to you, there’s no law that prevents you from jogging his memory,’
‘I was sure you’d step in and stop the whole thing!’
‘You improved my rating with my bosses when you sacrificed the Russian observation team in Hong Kong. You’ve done it again by telling me the Chinese are fishing for information. So I know of no reason to cut you off when you can do yourself good in Moscow, We’re partners, after all. What’s more, you’re my girl.’
Nancy rose, came to him and slid her arms around his neck. ‘I am, more than you know. But you’ll find out, beginning right now.’
As he followed her into the bedroom he congratulated himself for having conducted a successful manoeuvre. Nancy was shrewd in protecting her own interests, but she had been catapulted into a situation beyond her depth as an intelligence agent, and was hampered by her ingenuousness and her narcissism. He would bring off the trickiest caper of his career provided that he continued to convince her he was so infatuated with her that she could use him for her own purposes.
Eight
When they returned to the rented house from Seattle Nancy happily busied herself unpacking her new belongings, which filled several suitcases. While she was occupied Porter wandered off to the kitchen for a word with the housekeeper.
‘What’s new, Mrs Stevens?’
‘Miss Howard has called twice from the shipyard. She wants to see you as soon as it can be arranged.’
‘I think I know what’s troubling Miss Howard,’ he said with a smile. ‘I’ll drop out there right now.’
Explaining to Nancy that he wanted to contact his superiors with regard to their next cash payment to her, Porter first drove to the command post. There, as he anticipated, he found Black-man awaiting orders.
‘Tomorrow morning our little lady will be going to the shopping centre again to make another drop. I want a heavy tail placed on that courier. We’ve got to learn the next step in the
chain of communication so we can trace it to its source.’
‘We’ll follow him,’ Blackman said. ‘I won’t bungle again. It seems to me the courier will probably head for some point on the shore and go over to Vancouver Island by launch or helicopter. The natural transmittal centre hereabouts is Victoria, and by crossing an international border into British Columbia he can make surveillance more difficult.’
‘That’s what I’d do if I were wearing the courier’s boots,’ Porter said.
‘With your permission I’ll call Colonel Redfern of the Royal Mounted intelligence and alert him. Then he’ll be prepared to take over if the courier shows up in Victoria.’
‘Do it,’ Porter said, ‘and keep in touch with him by short wave throughout the operation. The Canadians are tired of being used as an espionage base by Moscow and Peking, and they’re bloody efficient, so I’m sure they’ll work with us.’
His arrangements completed, he drove rapidly to the shipyard, where he found Adrienne in an office bearing the legend,
Deputy Personnel Director.
She wasted no time. ‘Porter,’ she said, ‘either you’ve really flipped over the Wing woman or the part you’re playing has destroyed your perspective. Frank Richards has just told me she’s going to pay a visit to the yard – at your suggestion. Do you realize the risk we’ll be taking with someone who is still working against us? I think you’ve gone mad!’
He placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her angry diatribe. ‘Come with me,’ he said, ‘and then you’ll understand.’
They walked in silence to his car, which was parked behind the main administration building, and drove about a mile and a half to the far end of the shipyard.
‘You’re going the wrong way,’ Adrienne said. ‘The Neptune’s dock is at the far side of the yard.’
‘Keep that in mind,’ Porter said. We’re making a little preview tour of what Nancy Wing is going to see.’
They left the car and walked a short distance to an inner fence of electrified steel, topped by barbed wire. A sign adjacent to a small gate announced:
Armed guards were on patrol inside and outside the fence, just 112 as they were at the Neptune’s drydock, and a cluster of guards stood at the gate itself.
‘Hello, Bryan,’ Porter said to one of his own men, who was in charge of the group. ‘I’m taking Miss Howard on a little sightseeing tour.’
Adrienne had to sign in, as did Porter. It was obvious that she was annoyed, but she waited until she and Porter were alone again inside the gate. ‘I thought I was in charge at the Richards yard. How does it happen that Bryan is on duty here without my
knowledge?’
‘Bryan and a great many others,’ Porter said, ‘on direct assignment by the Director. This operation is my private baby, strictly outside your jurisdiction.’
They came to a high board fence, and had to be passed through an inner gate. Beyond it stood a drydock, where about one hundred men were at work, many of them using pneumatic drills as they bolted sections of metal together.
Porter led Adrienne up a steep flight of rough, wooden stairs, and at last they came to a scaffolding platform. From the heights they looked down on a huge ship under construction.
Adrienne was puzzled. ‘It looks like a submarine.’
‘It is,’ Porter answered. ‘The largest submarine ever constructed. It has an overall length of three-eighths of a mile, and fully loaded should have a gross weight of more than twenty-three thousand tons.’
‘My Lord. I thought there were no submarines afloat with a gross tonnage of more than nine thousand, absolute maximum.’
‘You’re right,’ Porter said. ‘The Neptune is going to be unique. Observe the construction of her sail. Looks a bit like a whale’s mouth, doesn’t it? Big enough to open and gobble up almost anything, even a smaller submarine.’
Adrienne glanced at him, but made no comment.
‘The construction of the aft deck is unique, too. Her silhouette is unlike that of any other submarine ever built in this country or Great Britain. Or Russia, for that matter.’
‘You say she’s being called the Neptune.’
‘Right. Her name and serial numbers will appear on her prow in the next day or two. Along with her periscope, atomic projectile emission plates and other paraphernalia/
T’m afraid I don’t understand.’
‘Neither will Nancy Wing,’ Porter said. ‘One of the many facets of Franklin Richards’ genius is his ability to build ships in sections, completing the job in a small fraction of the time that any other yard would require.’ He couldn’t help grinning as he added, ‘Richards designed her himself. In almost no time. And construction has been under way for only forty-eight hours.’
‘But that’s impossible!’
‘Richards knows it, the Director knows it and so do the workmen assigned to the job. Every last one of them a trusted Richards employee with years of seniority. The project should be nearing completion by the early part of next week.’