Stefan nodded.
“Is that enough time, chief?”
It was Chief K’s turn to nod.
“Well then, that settles that.” Sieinski chirped, looking very pleased with himself.
“I’ll notify headquarters,” Stefan said.
Sieinski waved his hand dismissively. “No need. I’ll take care of it,” he said dismissively.
Stefan eyed Sieinski. Bullshit, he was thinking. Sieinski had no intention of sending a message to headquarters.
“Anything else?
“No, sir,” Stefan said. And then he left.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“How about a tour, sailor?”
Stefan looked up from his cup of coffee and can of fruit, his eyes red with fatigue. He had been thinking about a long soak in one of those big, claw-foot tubs you find in the best hotels. Water hot enough to make you gasp. Steam rising lazily from the surface like mist from a glassy sea on a cold Arctic morning. Sieinski’s suite had probably boasted one. Stefan regretted not checking the bathroom to find out. No doubt, it would have been large enough to accommodate his bulk, and a pleasant squeeze for two. What was her name? Marie. Yes, she would be a welcome addition to any tub. He would scrub her back with a coarse scrub, and then let her return the favor. Or this woman with the broken nose who had just interrupted his peace and quiet. Stefan eyed her sharply. It wasn’t hard to imagine her in a bathtub either, not that she appeared to need one right at the moment. Stefan could see his gaze was making her uncomfortable, but he didn’t take his eyes from her. She shifted her weight, crossed her arms. Of course, washing aboard a submarine was out of the question. Fresh water was much too precious to waste on something as wasteful as a bath or shower. The same with shaving, though Stefan had noticed that Sieinski managed to get around that particular rule. Prerogatives of the captain—of this captain, anyway. How had Kate managed to make herself look so, well, wonderful? Stefan wondered. Her pale skin was freshly-scrubbed, her hair, pulled back into a ponytail, gleamed in the dim light. The shirt and pants were her own, but even they looked clean.
“What’s your secret?” he said.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean, how do you look so, so clean while the rest of us already look and, I imagine, smell like a bunch of Neanderthals.”
Kate gave a relieved laugh. “Oh, well, thank you. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but I suppose I can let you know. Cooky let me use leftover water to clean up a bit. I was still picking dried blood out of my hair. It was ick. He took pity on me.”
“Ick?” Stefan said, trying the English word out loud. “You know, dirty,” Kate explained in Polish.
“Oh, yes, I can see that,” Stefan said. “Ick,” he said again. “I think I like that English word.” He took the last spoonful of fruit, held the sweet flesh in his mouth before swallowing.
“That was some interesting fireworks earlier….”
“Depth charges,” Stefan said, licking syrup from his lips. “Simple but effective. Essentially barrels stuffed with high-explosives set to detonate at specific depths. Or they can be put on timers. They are delivered either via ship or plane. If they explode close enough, they sudden compression can crush our hull like a tin can.” To demonstrate, he grabbed the empty fruit can and squeezed. He slammed the crumpled remain down on the table. It was a useful reminder.
Kate tried a wane smile. “Yes, easy to forget all that, isn’t it. We are underwater, aren’t we. Are we safe?”
Stefan shrugged. “For now. We stay here until dark, and then surface.”
“I suppose you’ll go looking for a ship or two to sink.” Kate couldn’t restrain a shudder, imagining what it would be like. “Boys like sinking things, don’t they?”
Stefan didn’t smile this time. “It has to be done,” he said simply. “Though we will not hunt tonight.” His eyes darkened with disappointment.
“Really? Why not? Isn’t that what war is all about? Kill or be killed.”
Stefan combed his beard with his fingers. “Yes, that’s about right. Politicians talk and talk and talk. I suppose it makes them feel like they are accomplishing something. In this case, however, it simply gave Hitler a chance to rearm.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
“What gave you the idea that I’m fair?” Stefan stared at her a moment, and then continued. “And now the Polish people pay the price. And for the soldiers and sailors, our leaders point us in a direction. We go. In this case, our captain has ordered us to port—Tallinn.”
“Estonia?”
“That is correct. It is a neutral port.”
“But why?”
Stefan shrugged. “He believes the repairs our Dutch friends made to get us out of Gdynia will not hold.”
“And you?”
Stefan’s forehead creased. For just a moment, he felt a million years old. His voice cracked with fatigue when he replied. “My job is to follow orders. There will be time enough to hunt. I daresay a day or two won’t make much difference. Repairs can’t hurt. And, of course, the benefit to you is that we will have you safely ashore by morning.” The image of Kate taking a bath flickered through his mind. “You and your friend and the three engineers. Then we fix the Eagle, and rejoin our sister ships in the battle. If we are lucky, they have left some prey for us.”
“Oh,” Kate said, blinking at the sudden turn of events. She had never really worried about what would happen to them, not until the depth charges began. And then, like the rest of the crew, she wondered if they would ever get off the ship, or if it would become their tomb. She also hadn’t considered the problem she and Reggie and the engineers had created for the crew of the Eagle. How do you get rid of noncombatants, people in the way? War wasn’t a game that allowed timeouts, let you set aside the people who didn’t want to play, and then resume the contest. “I didn’t realize you were so anxious to get rid of us.”
Stefan let his breath out. “Even under the best of conditions, we live too closely together. Men, we are like rats, we adjust to it. But throw a female into the mix, even one that is supposed to bring us luck, and it can only go bad.”
“Don’t think I can handle it?” Kate said, hands on her hips, eyes hot. Well, it wasn’t me who peed her pants when this place started shaking….”
Stefan felt a wash of fatigue held up his hands in surrender. He was too tired to argue. Besides, he had never been good around women. They were too quick with their tongues. And he was always saying the wrong thing. He pushed back his chair and struggled wearily to his feet. “No, I didn’t mean that at all. In fact, I think there’s very little you couldn’t handle,” he said frankly.
On impulse, he took off his battered cap and placed it on her head. “And to demonstrate my sincerity, I dub thee Seaman Kate, the most official unofficial member of the crew with all the rights and privileges that come with that lofty status.”
Kate touched the hat and smiled. “Seawoman,” Kate corrected.
Stefan bowed deeply. “Whatever you wish, m’lady.”
“What about me?” Reggie leaned in. When he saw the hat on Kate’s head, he gave a knowing laugh.
“You can be a seawoman, too,” Kate said quickly.
Reggie elbowed her in the side.
Stefan took his time, leaned to one side to inspect the front of Reggie’s trousers and then nodded. “I suppose you pass the test, too,” he growled. “He changed them, right?”
“Probably,” Kate said with a laugh. “During the attack, he held my hand the entire time, you know, babbling like an infant.”
“I did no such thing,” Reggie protested hotly.
Kate started to hand Stefan’s hat back.