Richard Johnson - Deadly Cargo - A Chilling Naval Terrorism Thriller

Roberts stepped back into the cabin and looked at the chart. He waved his arms in resignation. “Why not! Couldn’t be any worse than this place.”

Three days later, Martin squinted at the monitor. “The metal detector is picking up something. Nothing on the screen yet. Only the signal from the magnetometer.”

“How high is it set?”

Martin looked away from the screen. “High. At this depth, it needs to be high. Especially to read something that’s buried under centuries of silt and muck.”

“Well, chase it down and see what it is. If we can find a cannon, or even a cannon ball, or maybe part of the anchor or chain…”

“It isn’t a strong enough signal for any of that,” Martin said. “It could be nails in a plank or something. If it’s anything that’s part of the debris trail, we can track it to the main wreck.” He pushed the joystick, and the ROV moved toward the sea floor. “Still can’t see anything, but the signal is getting stronger.”

“Good.” Roberts leaned in and watched the monitor, as Martin manipulated the ROV to zero in on the signal.

“I’m on it,” Martin shouted. “Signal is strong. Still can’t tell what it is, though.”

“Can you get it in the scoop?”

Martin twitched the joystick back and forth, and a cloud of silt rose from the sea floor, obscuring the view through the ROV camera. “Can’t see a thing. I’ll have to feel my way along.” A moment later, Martin whispered, as if he were afraid that a loud voice might disturb the ROV. “Got it.”

“Bring it up. I’ll get the big net ready.”

Bill Martin stayed at the controls, his eyes riveted to the monitor. Fenster Roberts stepped outside to the aft deck and moved the boom into position. A moment later, the bright yellow underwater pod broke the surface. Roberts swung the big net below the ROV and lifted it aboard.

His job finished at the controls, Martin stepped onto the rear deck and found Roberts bent over the ROV. “What is it?” he asked. “What did we find?”

Roberts stood up, a look of disappointment on his face.

“Nothing but this flashlight.”

Richard H. Johnson is the author of Rich Johnson’s Guide to Wilderness Survival as well as The Ultimate Survival Manual, and Rich Johnson’s Guide to Trailer Boat Sailing.

Rich is one of America’s best-known experts on wilderness survival, urban suvival, disaster survival, emergency preparedness, and sailing. As an Army National Guard Special Forces veteran, he developed his outdoor skills further while living off the land and off the grid for a year in wilds of southern Utah with his wife Becky and two young children.

He has been a regular columnist for Outdoor Life magazine and has published hundreds of articles on outdoor subjects. Find him at www.facebook.com/rich.johnson

© Rich Johnson 2017

|Rich Johnson has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

First published by Endeavour Press Ltd in 2017.