Anupa stood there naked in front of the three prisoners. Three unkempt rough shaven men. Their lustful stares bored into her, she’d never felt more exposed, more vulnerable in her life. They wanted her, she could see, but they held back wary. The man to the left started to masturbate. One of them finally stood and ran his hands over her breasts. The other one now stood and rubbed her bottom and her groin. Both men were erect. Was this it? She was to be raped by the prisoners? She tried pushing them away, but it made them all the worse. They both pushed her up against the bars and fought each other for her groin, they rubbed her repeatedly. The man on the bench just watched and masturbated. It reached the stage where she knew this was it.
It would happen soon. Oh God, no, no.
The Turkish wrestler returned, he shouted something, and the men backed away, their eyes full of lust and greed. And something else, fear. The fear was strongest, it kept them at bay.
Anupa’s breathing slowly returned to normal. He placed the blindfold on her and led her away and back into the room that she was kept in. He took off the blindfold, then turned and left the room. She dressed then sat and shook. They’d just told her, we can have you raped. We can do as we please. Tell us what we want. She shuddered and then finally at length, she slept.
BENSON LISTENED WITH big ears. Hughes/Oki bow and flank sonars in passive mode searched the seas. The boat slowly trailed east and west towing, the lure. The towed array sonar, the lure is towed kilometres behind the boat. The wizards of underwater deception, L-3 Chesapeake Sciences Corp have produced a secret device not even the Captain or Chief Engineer are allowed to know how it works. Supply it with power, connect it to the CRAY sensor computer like this, then take what it gives you.
It will listen, jam, lure enemy torpedoes. The sonar community said if you ask Lucy lure nicely she will make you breakfast and tell you who’s going to win the Kentucky Derby.
Benson could barely believe his ears when he first used her, now she was taken for granted.
“Sir, it’s happening. Lucy’s starting to whisper to me. It’s far off the north but it sounds like two slow shit shifters coming our way.”
“Good, let me know when you’re near sure.”
Long minutes passed by Benson sat with his head in his hands, he lived out there in the sea.
He frowned.
“Sir, I’m near sure. There’s two of them, if you come south they pass us by then you can follow them. They’re doing fourteen kts, four miles west of our position.”
“Good work Benson. Left rudder, ahead two thirds, make one eight degrees.”
“Two thirds at one eight zero Sir” The boat heeled to the left and came to her new heading.
“That’s it Sir. They’re alongside now four miles west.”
“Right rudder.”
“Two hundred degrees, two three hundred.”
“Hold steady at two four hundred.”
“Two four hundred Aye Sir.”
“Benson? Range to his tack?”
“One point eight miles.” The boat moved closer to the quarry’s tack.”
“Point five miles Sir?”
“Prepare to come to periscope depth.”
“Coming to six eight feet.” Nathan waited. He sat by his Conn monitor and raised the photonic mast set a sweep from two seven zero to one eighty degrees. The periscope raised above the surface did it sweep and retracted. One the monitor he saw the two merchant roll on roll off ships. He zoomed into the stern on both ships in turn.
The Luzon star and the Pacific sealift.
“That’s it. Stream the comms buoy. Make this report.”
The buoy made satellite contact and reported. Target acquired, following into East China Sea.
“Make your depth two hundred feet. Steady one eight six degrees. Follow those ships.”
“Are you happy tracking six miles behind, Benson?”
“No problem Sir.” The boat fell behind.
Nathan walked up to Kaminski’s station.
“I want you to work with the Planesman and Benson. Follow the ships, keep an eye on their track and keep me informed.”
“Sir.” Her pony tail bobbed in that way he liked, but said nothing.
He turned to the XO. “A long sail to Iran now Sayers.”
“Yeah, this is the boring bit.” Nathan smiled, then give the XO a sly look.
“Boring? The worst bits always are.” He walked aft to see the Engineers. He shook his head; the boring bits always seem to bite your ass.
THEY SAT AT THE TABLE in Rudolph’s office. River traffic sailed by.
“You know I have to go,” said Silk Purse.
Rudolph looked at the river he needed to weigh up the implications.
“Rudolph, we know the man’s Mossad, he’s been in contact with Crutch. She’s been off the grid for far too long. I’m being quizzed by the department, they know some shit’s gone down. Tosser’s been on to me nearly every day. We can’t hang people out to dry.”
“I know but…”
Silk purse sat back and waited, she wouldn’t push it. If all else failed she’d bring up the Odessa debacle, she knew Rudolph still sweated over it. Could he have done something different?
She waited, let him say something, let it fester in his lap. It was basic sales technique, give them enough space and they’ll often talk themselves into a sale. She’d learned that a lifetime ago at the perfume counter in Debenhams.
He sighed.
“The UAE?” She nodded.
“Ok, do it, but be careful. Watch your pockets. Find out what he wants.”
“Thanks Sir.” She got up and headed for the door before he changed his mind.
“Silk Purse.” She turned.
“Yes Sir.”
“Get our girl out.” She smiled.
“Count on it.”
She walked back into the Middle East section and up to a desk where a blond girl sat and worked. She looked up at her boss.
“Hi.”
“You free the next few days?”
“Yes, why?”
“Get packed for the warm weather. We’re going to the United Arab Emirates.”
“We are?” she asked, puzzled.
“We’re on Crutch’s trail.” Tosser beamed and punched the air.
“Right on. At last.”
Chapter 11
“So Weaps give me the run down,” said Nathan. They stood in the torpedo room, the six hatch doors filled the forward bulkhead.
“Sir, our warload is six Mk48 CBASS in tubes one to six. In the three VPM tubes we have twenty one Tomahawk, three of which are factor 100 warheads.”
USS Stonewall Jackson’s armaments included six conventional Torpedo tubes that could be loaded with Harpoon, sea skimming anti-ship missiles. Aft of the sail were three vertical VPM launch tubes with seven Tomahawk BGM-109 cruise missiles in each. The factor 100 warheads were nuclear weapons, it was USN black humour. Where factor 100 means you’d need to be wearing sun block with an SPF of 100.
“Ok Weaps, load tubes five and six with Harpoon, we may or may not need them.” Nathan leaned against one of the MK48 fish.
“How many Pointers do we have?”
“We’ve four Sir.” Nathan nodded.
The Pointer is a Torpedo tube launched, retrievable self-propelled underwater drone. It can be wire guided or free swimming. Named after the hunting Dog, it can act as a passive or active sonar detector. A Pointer has the ability to appear to an enemy as a submarine and can deploy counter measures. Unarmed, but a great remote sensor or a tool to spread confusion among any opponents.
“Any other issues?”
“Not really Sir we have some electrical problems but the Engineer….”
“Captain to the Conn,” sounded out the intercom.