Geoffrey Jenkins: Hunter Killer

I saw a ball with a cable attached fall from the helo's winch into the sea to mark the wreck. We waited, breathless. The observer's voice went on:

' Routine dunking check x negative no contact x'

Peace gave a great sigh of relief. In less than a minute the helo swung the sonar ball back into position with the winch and, following the reef, disappeared westwards.

Peace said quietly, At least we know exactly where

Semittante lies.'

We glided across the lagoon, silent with our own thoughts.

Andre, with his uncanny sense of place, brought the cutter to rest over the wreck. Her outline was clear; Little Bear's long crate lay on deck. Without speaking we dropped the cutter' s anchor cable attached to a length of line and a chunk of bois mangue.

Then we stole back across the lagoon through the lengthening shadows, waiting for the night, waiting for the morning.

Fifteen hours to launch!

At six o'clock that evening they had not found Little Bear. In the gathering dusk the cutter lay over Semittante. Peace stood ready in his rubber diving-suit to go down and cut the missile adrift. The tension triggered off by the sweep of the helicopter was now enhanced by the nearness of the blastoff. It was clear in the faces of Boz Blair, Trevor-Davis and the three other Americans who waited for the missile to check it. MKG alone seemed calm, almost detached.

The stream of operational messages from Red and Blue

Forces did nothing to lessen the air of tension. Although the helo search had moved westwards from Love-Apple Crossing towards Agalega, 50 miles away, the surface forces of carriers, destroyers and nuclear subs had not yet entered Grid E-13.

Nor had the vP-5's, which Peace dreaded most. They might come tonight.

Since our arrival back in the cutter, the conversation had been exclusively technical centering round the launch, for which Peace was, I think, grateful, for MKG did not renew his request to listen to newscasts. Mac chain-smoked and watched us from the background of the tight launch team circle,

Peace gave the thumbs-up sign and slipped into the calm water of the lagoon, axe in hand.

We waited.

Boz gave a sharp intake of breath. There was a flurry' of water and the missile broke surface close by, shedding its tail of wooden crating. The long, silver-white thing, fifty-five feet long, six round the nose, and thickening at the tail like a sailor's bell-bottomed pants, pitched easily in the slight swell. The capsule nose-cone was behind the waterproof membrane. Beyond the reef, the sea grumbled. Let's get alongside her,' Boz exclaimed. This is where we take over.' The men started to grin, easing the tension. They had a job to do which would occupy all their thoughts and effort during the night. MKG was to assist for the first few hours and then return to Vingt-Cinq Coups. For us, the long night of waiting lay ahead.

Adele shivered. ' It looks so small.'

MKG smiled at her, saying nothing. But Boz's exuberance was starting to return at the sight of Little Bear. Best in a 209 small lucky packet, they say. Why, that goddam' great Sirius rocket-'

Pete the Texan laughed. ' Aw, come off it, Boz. If this guy gets talking about Sirius, he'll blow a gasket.'

Peace surfaced and stripped off his Scuba mask. We hauled him into the boat and eased alongside Little Bear. Boz made fast to the capsule's side hatch. Andre gazed in speechless wonderment. Boz held a checklist.

' It's a complex business,' he said. Me and the boys will go over everything during the night. How long are you staying, MKG?'

' Till about ten,' replied MM.

We'll come out in the cutter and fetch you back,' said

Peace.

Boz had the pleased air of a showman. He gestured toWards a small pistol switch in the capsule's cockpit. It projected prominently in front of the heavily-padded seat, around whose back were draped safety straps.

See that? That controls the movements of the power plant rods. Trev here's the expert on that-snAp!'

I wondered what was going on in Peace's mind. The sight of the missile seemed to disquiet him.

Boz went on. Before Trev pulls rods, which starts the reactor-or, as we space boys say, it goes critical-we have to check the instrument panels, the monitoring circuits, valves and emergency alarms. They're energized by a small battery unit until the main power starts coming through from the reactor. Each of us has his own department.'

' Let's get going, Boz,' said the big Texan.

You wouldn't think to look at this bum that he's an expert on missile valves,' Boz remarked good-humouredly.

It looks very dark in there,' Adele murmured.

I know-have to know-the position of every switch, every lever, even in total darkness,' replied MKG.

He does, too,' added Boz. Right, fellahs: Now, we'll want a couple of hours before the instruments start to wake up under main power. It also takes some time after she's gone critical to mount full power for the pumps and so on. You can't do anything further here for the moment, Commander.'

' Power-noise,' replied Peace. ' Electric light-pinpoint for search planes. Pumps-target for sonar.'

' Sorry, Commander, but that's the way it is. We'll try and black out the perspex canopy from inside, but we gotta have a good light to check. We can't shorten the drill. Same with the countdown. Once we start the sequencer count, whatever happens in that last hour before the blast-off, we're committed.'

Even if Tyler should show up?' I asked.

MKG replied slowly, Once I'm submerged and counting, for God's sake don't let Tyler do anything rash. This little honey will smash anything on her way up. I don't want the lives of Tyler and his crew on my conscience.'

But it's Boz on the surface who presses the firing-button,' I said.

This is all theorizing,' said Peace shortly. We'll meet the situation as it arises.

MKG eyed him speculatively for a long moment. Then Boz took a key and unlocked the side hatchway through the casing into the cockpit.

He signed to Trevor-Davis. Come on, fellah, she's all yours to start with.'

Trevor-Davis lowered himself on to the cushioned chair and looked at us through the Perspex, He raised his right hand, forefinger and thumb circled together. Then he dropped his hand to the pistol-grip switch. We waited. Then, on his left, a dial glowed and a needle quivered.

During the next hour as Boz and his team went to work the instruments came alive one by one-the first had been the power-level reading of the reactor. Boz told us at intervals of coming and going into the cockpit that the others were pressures, velocity of steam flow, monitoring checks. Then suddenly the cockpit was flooded with the bright glow of electric light. Trevor-Davis, who had taken over again from one of the Americans, smiled up at us. Little Bear began to vibrate as the steam built up to full pressure in the reactor. I think we'll leave you to it,' Peace told MKG and the team. He glanced uneasily at the east and at the moon.

We're wide, wide open.'

Mac, at Peace's order, used the engine to take us back quickly to the shore. He seemed to have it in perfect running order. The American team had to accompany us, since the cockpit could only accommodate one man at a time.

Peace, Adele, Mac and I jumped out on to the sand. MKG and Boz nodded goodbye; all their thoughts were on Little

Bear.

We walked slowly up to Vingt-Cinq Coups.

Twelve hours to blast-off!

We sat against the coral wall of the hut, waiting for the news from Mauritius. Peace's eyes wandered frequently across the lagoon to the muted patch of light where Little Bear lay. Mauritius Radio came through:

Up to a few hours ago, neither the person of Marvin K. Green, Vice-President of the United States, nor the French freighter Semittante had been located by the massive search conducted by the American Seventh Fleet. Tonight the eyes of the world are on the Sea of Limuria. The focus of the search is now in the vicinity of the neighbouring isles of Agalega and Love-Apple Crossing. American fliers report that both these places have been heavily hit by the recent cyclone.'