Come Alive Ch. 04

"I'll be damned," he whispered, then: "Here, take a look."

She took the binos and aimed where he had just been looking: "What is that?"

"Submarine. See the red star?"

"Are we within 12 miles of the coast?" she asked nervously.

"Seven point five. Should I call it in?"

She nodded her head vigorously, handing the mic to him.

"Pan-pan-pan, Sailing Vessel Time Bandit to Coast Guard Stavanger."

"Stavanger to Bandit, go ahead."

"Stavanger, be advised we have a Russian submarine on the surface venting steam and smoke, location about seven miles off the coast, standby to copy lat/lon."

"Standing by."

"Bandit, our location North 58-20-04 East 5-49-19. Seven miles off Egersund channel entrance."

"Received, stand-by one."

"Stavanger, Bandit, people coming on deck now, waving at us."

"Bandit, Stavanger received. Be advised, stay upwind of any steam or smoke."

"Bandit copies."

Rolf came up into the cockpit and Dina handed him the binoculars; she pointed out the sub and the boy started reporting what he was seeing. "Two people just jumped into the water. I see flames coming out of a hatch. Okay, more people jumping into the water...Henry, I think she is sinking!"

"Stavanger, Bandit, we have people in the water and it appears the vessel is in danger of sinking."

"Stavanger received. Bandit, be advised helicopters are en route and do not approach the vessel for any reason, repeat any reason. Life rafts will be dropped, surface units are on the way."

"Okay Stavanger, got it. Be advised twenty plus in the water, no rafts deployed, vessel settling by the stern quickly now..."

A shattering boom washed across Bandit's deck and Taggart looked up in time to see two Norwegian F-16s skimming along a hundred feet over the waves, followed by what looked like a dark gray 737 bristling with sinister-looking antennas.

"Ah, Bandit here, we've got multiple aircraft overhead now."

"Stavanger received. Can you report local wind speed and direction, please...?"

"Bandit reporting average wind speed 32 knots, gusts to 44 knots, wind now directly from the east to east-southeast, call it 110 degrees average. We now have forty plus people in the water, vessel now about one-half submerged. A C-130 is now on low approach...now dropping life rafts and smoke markers..."

"Bandit, request you break off now and divert to CG Stavanger for radiologic assessment and monitoring."

Taggart looked at Dina and when their eyes met he could see the fear in both her eyes and Rolf's.

"Bandit en route Stavanger, our ETA about ten to twelve hours."

"Bandit, can you make Egersund sooner?"

"Roger, we're about an hour out of Egersund."

"Okay Bandit, divert Egersund; report on arrival and you will be directed to quarantine facilities once in the channel."

"Bandit understood."

He looked at the scene before he turned into the wind: now with four F-16s overhead and that weird looking 737 circling the scene, and at least four helicopters hovered over the stricken sub. He could see converging tracks of several more vessels responding to the scene, and Rolf spotted two frigates coming from the north, crashing through the waves as they raced to the area, sending huge plumes of spray into the air.

"Rolf, would you take the helm, please?"

His hands shaking badly now, Henry went below and dropped onto the bed. Clyde came over and licked his forehead before settling in close to Henry, then he felt Dina rolling up his sleeve, giving him a shot. He pulled the pup close before his world began spinning violently; even his face felt like it was twitching now and his right leg flailed uncontrollably. A minute later he felt the assault easing, then he saw Dina sitting by his side and he smiled. She ran her fingers through his hair for a while, at least until this latest crisis passed.

"I'm not sure I can go on like this," he said, his voice coarse and brittle now.

She shrugged. "We just need to find the best balance of medications, then you'll do better."

He nodded.

"Anyway," she continued, "you need to feel better by the time the authorities get here, or they may put an end to this voyage whether you agree or not."

"Okay, Doc."

"You rest a few more minutes. I'll come for you when I see the channel buoy."

+++++

He woke up in a hospital room, another IV hooked up to his port, and he felt more nauseous than he ever had in his life. He looked at the evil-looking bag hanging beside his bed and started to cry.

(c) 2020 adrian leverkühn | abw | next part in a week or so