Beware the Bright Moon

CHAPTER 13

  SEPTEMBER 5TH –DAY 156; BRIGHT MOON DAY 45

  Doris and John were ready by afternoon. It was early morning in Washington.

  “We’re ready, Captain,” John informed him. “Don’t forget: You aren’t going to get more than five or six minutes. Once they’re on to us, they’ll begin the trace. And they’ll get us if we stay on the line too long. If I tell you to break off, you have to break off.”

  “Write down the number you want us to call and we’ll enter it,” said Doris.

  Matthew handed her the number he’d written down on a piece of paper. She entered it into the program and they waited. Matthew put the head set on.

  “Keep your eyes open, sonar.” Jeff nodded. John signaled that he’d made contact.

  A woman’s voice answered with a pleasant oriental accent. “Far East Imports.”

  “Hello, Rose. This is Matthew Carlsen. I’d like to speak with Mr. Tong please.” Su Li raised her head and gaped at him.

  “Mr. Carlsen! We thought you were dead!”

  “Rose, I need to speak to Mr. Tong right away. It’s urgent.”

  “Just a minute, Mr. Carlsen. I’ll contact him immediately.”

  “Thank you.” He glanced at his wife while he waited. She was staring, open-mouthed.

  Chin Lee Tong sat at his desk talking to his brother-in-law when the secretary buzzed.

  “Yes, Rose?”

  “Mathew Carlsen is on the telephone. He says it’s urgent.”

  Tong looked wide-eyed at Tsien. “We’ll take it, Rose.”

  “Yes, sir. Line two.”

  “Thank you, Rose.”

  Tong picked up the phone and turned on the speaker. His hands were shaking and his heart beat violently.

  “Matthew?” Tong struggled to keep the tremor out of his voice.

  “Yes, Mr. Tong. We have little time to talk. This call is being routed through several satellites, and it can be traced. I’m on a ship called the Bright Moon with several survivors from the Evening Star.”

  “I’ve heard of the ship, Matthew. The newspapers have reported it as a terrorist ship, which has attacked a number of naval and civilian vessels.”

  “That’s not true, sir. This ship is a United States naval vessel, probably the USS Washington. We found her, abandoned on an island off the coast of Africa. She’s been disguised as a civilian ship, but she is definitely military.”

  “They got one relay, Captain,” said John.

  “Sir, they’re beginning to trace us back. We have to hurry. A naval submarine is following us. It looks like someone is trying to get rid of us before anyone finds out who we are. We’re pretty sure there is something illegal going on.”

  “Got another one, two left,” said John.

  “Transmission, Captain,” said the radioman. “It looks like he’s sending a satellite signal.”

  “You sure it’s him?” asked Roland.

  “Gotta be him. There’s no ship scheduled in this area.”

  Roland looked at the radioman. “Can you get a fix on him?”

  The radioman made some minor adjustments on his panel. “Bearing three-one-nine, sir. My guess is that he’s about thirty miles north of us.”

  “Lay in a course to intercept. He’s been going north for a couple of days. West will put him too close to the coast. Let’s assume he’ll change course eastward this time. Ahead, flank.”

  “We are investigating this already, Matthew. We have suspected for a while, but we have had little evidence. Now, at least we know we’re not shooting in the dark, as you say.”

  “We gotta hang up,” said John, “there’s only one left.”

  “No, sir, you aren’t,” confirmed Matthew. “They’ve traced us to the last satellite, sir. I have to hang up. I’ll call you back tomorrow, same time.”

  “Wait, Matthew!” For Chin Lee Tong, this would be the closest he ever got to shouting. “My daughter, Su Li Chiang was aboard the Evening Star when it went down. Is she with you?”

  Matthew looked at Su Li as it dawned on him why she had been staring at him. “Yes, sir, she is. She’s my wife.”

  “Thank you, Matthew.” Chin Lee Tong was unable to suppress the break in his voice. “We will do everything we can.”

  “Captain!” warned John.

  “Gotta go, sir. We’ll call again tomorrow.” Matthew broke the connection. “Maintain course. Increase speed to forty knots.”

  “Increasing speed to forty knots.”

  “Lost him, Captain. Transmission has stopped.”

  “Who do you think he’s calling, Tom?” asked the XO.

  “I don’t know, and I don’t give a damn. I just want to nail him. I’m getting tired of chasing his butt all over the ocean.”

  Matthew was still looking at Su Li. “Doris, ask everyone to meet in the dining hall in fifteen minutes.”

  “Aye, Captain.” As Doris relayed his commands Matthew watched Su Li. He could see by her expression that she was struggling to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

  “Change course to zero-eight-zero,” he ordered ten minutes later, “speed twelve knots.”

  Ron and Carl repeated the commands.

  “Put the ship on auto pilot.”

  “Are you sure?” Ron asked.

  “We all need to make this meeting,” Matthew said.

  “Aye, aye.”

  They made their way to the dining room. Matthew and Su Li followed behind.

  “So?” Matthew looked at her with a half-smile.

  She smiled back in the same manner. “He is my father –and this Chinese gentleman you have been telling me about?”

  “Chin Lee Tong. And So Ling is your mother and Ming Lau Tsien is your uncle.” Su Li nodded.

  “So he is going to do everything he can,” Matthew told them after informing them of the telephone conversation with Chin Lee Tong.

  Dave spoke up. “Are you sure you can depend on him?”

  Matthew still had trouble tolerating Dave since the confrontation over going back to the island. Will and a few others had put Dave in his place, but he was wearing on Matthew and his voice revealed it. “One hundred percent.”

  “Why should he help us?” Dave wanted to know. “He’s Chinese. What does he care about us?”

  “I’ve known the man for over twenty years, and he has always come through.” Matthew gritted his teeth and gestured toward Su Li. “But even if he doesn’t care about us, he certainly cares about his daughter.”

  Dave gasped. He’d made a fool of himself. He shut up and sat down.

  Matthew glared at him. Dave never seemed to learn. Matthew terminated the meeting.

  “Let’s get back to the bridge. Shirley, take Su Li’s place on the bridge. You can page me if anything comes up.”

  “I can’t believe I never made the connection,” he told Su Li when they came up on deck. “You’re so much like your mother. You even look like her.”

  Su Li smiled, then became serious. “My father is very influential. But this? Do you think he can help us?”

  “If anyone can, he can. I don’t think he’s ever become involved in the internal affairs of the US, but he has an incentive this time: You.”

  “And you. You are obviously a close friend.” They walked without talking until they stopped at the bow.

  “My father and my uncle talked much about an American who saved their lives and helped them escape from Hong Kong when the Chinese tried to kill them. They said he did not have to help, but did it anyway because he was an honorable man.

  “According to my father, he was almost killed –put his life on the line. Uncle Ming Lau said he was the kind of man I should have married. Of course, it was too late.” She laughed. “My father said the American may have been honorable, but he stupidly married a domineering woman. She was the boss, and he was the follower.”

  Matthew laughed. “That is Mr. Tong. Exactly the way he would say it.”

  “He was a very brave man, they said. It was you, Matthew??
?? She looked at him intently.

  “Yes. I met him and your uncle in Hong Kong when I was on R&R after the fire on the Forrestal.” Humbled by the memory, he looked down at the water as if to hide his face.

  “It was purely coincidental. I got lost in the city and ended up in an alley where I stumbled onto five or six guys beating up a couple of men. I jumped into the fight without even thinking about the consequences. I could have chosen the wrong side and not even known it until later.

  “They were outnumbered, so I helped them out; not that they were doing so bad. I know a little self-defense, but, they were masters at it. I don’t think I helped at all, but my jumping in confused the attackers. They must have thought there were others behind me, so they beat it.

  “After that, I hid your father and Ming Lau in a hotel until I could get the authorities to help. They got him and your uncle out of the country and into the United States. You must have been in your early twenties about then.”

  “Twenty-four. You make it sound so simple. My father said you were in constant danger. Mao’s men would have killed you if they had caught you.”

  He made a face. “It wasn’t that bad. I was in civilian clothes when they first saw me and in uniform after that. It wasn’t that easy to recognize me. In fact, I had a more problems with the US authorities. They thought I was crazy. I ended up going to the embassy. They knew of your father and your uncle and got the ball rolling. After that it was easy.”

  “That is not what my father says, and I believe him. I think you make it sound easy because you are embarrassed.”

  He laughed and changed the subject. “How did you get out of Hong Kong?”

  “My father sent for me when he settled in the United States. No one was after me. It was very easy for me to leave.”

  “Why is it I never met you. Your father and mother never talked about you.”

  “I was married soon after coming to states.”

  He changed the subject. “You know that your father and uncle will do everything they can. They even know Timothy Brandt, a reporter for the Washington Post. He’s another contact I thought of calling. It wouldn’t surprise me if they get in touch with him. Your father has worked with him before.”

  Timothy Brandt walked up the stairway to the apartment complex where he lived. He was about to open the main door when a man stepped out of the shadows in front of him.

  “Would you come with me please, Mr. Brandt?” the man asked in a soft voice. “Chin Lee Tong would like to speak with you.”

  Brandt recognized Ming Lau Tsien, Tong’s brother-in-law. Brandt followed him out to the street. Tsien was well over seventy, but he still moved with catlike grace. As they reached the street, a limousine pulled up to the curb. Tsien opened the door and gestured to Brandt to get in. He sat facing the rear of the car and Tsien sat beside him.

  Chin Lee Tong and Admiral Roebuck sat in the back seat. Tong apologized. “I’m sorry for the cloak and dagger activities, Mr. Brandt.”

  Brandt nodded.

  “Admiral Williams is aware that you are asking questions about Randolph Johnson.”

  Brandt pressed his lips together and nodded again. “The admiral appears to have a long reach. We haven’t got much, yet. Probably won’t either, but we’ll have to be a little more discreet.” He looked at Roebuck and wondered if he was the leak. No, he decided. Roebuck wouldn’t have told the admiral anything.

  Tong nodded. “What can you tell us, Mr. Brandt?”

  “Not a whole lot. We know that the Bright Moon isn’t a freighter, and we’re positive that she can’t be the USS Maryland. It would have taken too long to outfit her. We’re pretty sure that if Matthew is alive and on the ship, he wouldn’t be using the name USS Washington if she wasn’t the USS Washington. So we think it was the USS Maryland that collided with the Seaview.”

  He turned his gaze out the window and then looked back at Tong. “I know this sounds farfetched, sir.”

  “On the contrary, Mr. Brandt. Please continue.”

  “We’ve checked on the crew of the USS Washington. It seemed impossible at first that they could have been on another ship without knowing it. What we found out was that the original crew was either sent to school or on leave, and a new crew was substituted for that particular mission.” He noted a look of surprise flash across Roebuck’s face.

  “According to the information we got, the navy wanted to find out how well another crew could acclimate to a new ship. After the accident, both crews were reassigned. That explains why no one got suspicious.” Roebuck looked positively miserable. Brandt felt sorry for him. Nonetheless, he continued.

  “All of this is conjecture. We don’t have a shred of evidence, but there has to be some witnesses who know that the USS Maryland wasn’t sunk in a military exercise as it was reported. And there has to be someone who witnessed the make-over of the USS Washington to the Bright Moon.”

  Brandt paused, and shook his head. “I don’t know. It seems so absurd –the whole thing. We don’t even know who’s on the Bright Moon. Maybe they are terrorists, but I have this feeling in my bones, Mr. Tong that there’s more to that ship than meets the eye.” He looked apologetically at Roebuck before he said the next part. “And Admiral Williams seems to be doing his best to keep everyone from finding out what it is.”

  Tong took a deep breath. “What do you think, Jacob?”

  Roebuck took a while to answer. “They claim that they are on the USS Washington, a ship that sank almost four months ago. The captain of the Sea Princess claims that the captain of the Bright Moon identified himself as Matthew Carlsen who was on the Evening Star, which sank three weeks before that. It sounds preposterous.” He grimaced at Brandt, then looked at Tong. “But I believe it. Every bit of it. And I believe Admiral Williams is involved.”

  Brandt grimaced. “Just like that? I’m not even sure I believe it.”

  “Nevertheless, it is true,” stated Tong. “My son-in-law, Matthew Carlsen, called me this morning, via satellite. He and my daughter are on that ship.” There was a long pause as Brandt and Roebuck digested this.

  Brandt spoke first. “What do we do now?”

  Roebuck answered. “You investigated Admiral Williams’ involvement in the Contra affair. I was certain you were going to expose him, but the admiral seems to have nine lives. Maybe this time we can eliminate a few of them.”

  “We cannot publicize this information without proof,” said Tong. “The ship is still at sea and Admiral Williams is looking for her.” He gestured toward Admiral Roebuck. “And you cannot arrest him based on a telephone call to me. If the Bright Moon is sunk, there is no evidence and Admiral Williams goes free.”

  Tong paused. His intent gaze held them. “I will not allow that to happen.”

  The look on his face made Brandt shiver.

  It was Dave and Roberta’s turn in the officer’s quarters.

  “Dave,” said Roberta sternly, “you have to stop bullying people. You’re not always right. Even when you are, you alienate people. Look what you did to Su Li. You insulted her with your comment about her father.”

  “I’m not prejudiced. I just wondered if he really gave a damn.”

  “I know. But don’t you think he cares about his own daughter?”

  “I didn’t know she was his daughter. Did you?”

  “No. But that’s not the point. Matthew apparently is a personal friend of his. Don’t you think he cares about Matthew?”

  “Yeah, I suppose.”

  “If you had thought of that, you would have saved yourself a lot of trouble. You have got to change your approach, Dave.”

  He sighed, knowing she was right, but she didn’t know the whole reason.

  “I was just afraid.”

  “We’re all afraid, Dave.”

  “I know that, but this is different. Sure, I’m afraid for myself, but every time I see this ship blowing up, I see you. Of all the people in the world, you’re the only one who treats me with respect. I love you.
Every time I think of the danger, I’m afraid for you, and my thinking goes right out the window.”

  He cupped her face in his hand. Roberta covered his hand with hers.

  He sighed again. “I know I act like an idiot sometimes. I don’t mean to.”

  “I know. I know.”

  SEPTEMBER 6TH –DAY 157; BRIGHT MOON DAY 46

  “Got him again, Captain. He’s trying another satellite transmission.”

  “Can you pin him down?” Roland asked.

  “Bearing three-four-zero. Can’t get a distance, sir.”

  “Come to course three-four-zero. Increase speed to flank.”

  “Aye, aye, sir. Steering to three-four-zero. Increasing to flank speed.”

  “Hello, Matthew Carlsen here.”

  “Just one second, Mr. Carlsen.” Rose immediately patched him through. Chin Lee Tong was ready.

  “Hello, Matthew.”

  “Mr. Tong. What can you tell us? Do you have any idea who may be involved in this?”

  “We believe it is Admiral Williams, Matthew.”

  “Admiral Williams! Why, he’s on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

  “I knew it went right to the top,” muttered Ron.

  “He has covered himself well,” continued Tong. “It is difficult to find evidence, and we can do nothing before we can prove it. We have involved Timothy Brandt and his wife.”

  “That’s good, sir. They’re good at this sort of thing.” He looked at John who shook his head. So far, no one had picked them up.

  “Sir, what can we do from this end? We’ve been identifying ourselves as the USS Washington, hoping that someone would become suspicious. That sub is still chasing us. I think he’s picking us up because of our contacts with other ships. He might even be able to pick up our transmission to you.”

  “It is not necessary to contact any more ships, Matthew. Admiral Jacob Roebuck is aware of your identity.”

  “Admiral Roebuck?”

  “Yes, he is investigating the matter from the military side. He is quite capable.”

  “I see,” said Matthew. He didn’t really. He remembered his encounters with Sears & Roebuck. But if Tong thought he was capable, then Matthew must have missed something.

  “We are doing all what we can here, Matthew. How much fuel do you have left?”

  “Twelve to fourteen days. We may be able to stretch that by avoiding other ships. We don’t have to use fuel getting away from the sub if he can’t find us.”

  “They’re on to us, Captain,” John broke in. “You’ve got one, maybe two minutes left.”

  “They’ve picked up our transmission, sir. We’ve only got a couple of minutes left.”

  “Got him, sir,” said Bailey to Roland. “He’s bearing three-four-three at twenty thousand yards. Course is zero-eight-zero. Speed ten knots.”

  “Plot an intercept course,” ordered Roland. The navigator plotted the course.

  “Recommend course three-five-five, sir. Intercept in seven point four minutes at present speed.”

  “Lay it in.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” acknowledge the helm. “Coming to course three-five-five.”

  “Any ships due in this area, Bailey?”

  “None, sir. It’s him.”

  “Then there is no more to be said, Matthew,” said Tong. “We will wait for your call. So Ling and I are very pleased with your marriage to our daughter. Please tell her this for us.”

  “I’ll do that,” Matthew assured him. “Thank you.”

  “Sonar contact,” broke in Jeff. “Bearing one-six-three; twenty thousand yards; depth one hundred fifty; speed fifty knots.”

  “General Quarters,” ordered Matthew and Ron started the alarm.

  “We’ve got company again,” Matthew said into the mouthpiece. “Gotta go. Good-bye, sir.”

  “Good-bye, Matthew. Please take care.” Tong pleaded, but Matthew had already hung up.

  The reports began to come in. Ron acknowledged them.

  “Can we outrun him?”

  “He’s already up to speed. And we’re only doing ten knots. We’re not gonna be able to get rid of him this time.”

  “Who’s manning the rocket launchers?”

  “Dave at the bow, and Will at the stern?”

  “Dave?”

  “He’s dying for some payback.”

  Matthew shook his head. “So miracles do happen. What’s the range of the sub’s torpedoes?”

  “Ten to fifteen thousand yards, I think. It has to get within four thousand yards of us to have a sure shot. We can’t outrun a torpedo, but if it’s farther away than four thousand yards, we might be able to hold out until it spends itself –That’s a guess.”

  “Continue same course and speed. Let’s wait and see what their captain’s going to do.”

  “Take her up to sixty-five feet,” Roland ordered. “Where is she now?”

  “Contact bearing three-four-six; eleven thousand yards; course and speed unchanged,” replied Bailey.

  “Maybe he doesn’t see us yet,” said Chapel.

  “Don’t believe it. He can’t outrun us this time. We’re moving’ too fast. He’s waitin’ to see what we’re gonna do.”

  “Distance, eight thousand yards. New depth, sixty-five feet, Captain,” reported Jeff.

  “Hold course,” ordered Matthew. “Increase speed to twenty knots.”

  “Contact increasing speed to twenty knots, sir,” reported Bailey. “Holding same course.”

  “Plot a new intercept course and lay it in,” said Roland. “Flood torpedo bays.”

  “Torpedo bays flooded,” came the reply a little later.

  “Open outer doors.”

  “Opening outer doors.”

  “Ready torpedoes one and four,” commanded Roland.

  “Readying torpedoes one and four.”

  “Range six thousand yards. He’s opening the torpedo doors.”

  Matthew sighed and looked at Su Li on navigation and wondered what to do this time. He recalled the remark she had made almost four months ago. “You will find a way, Matthew.” He’d better. He held all of their lives in his hands.

  They had been at sea for forty-six days. According to Chuck, who kept track of the time, it was a hundred fifty-seven days since the Evening Star had gone down. And they had survived.

  But that could change very quickly if he didn’t come up with another miracle. The Forrestal loomed in his mind, but he forced it out. He would never allow that scene to paralyze him again. He looked at the people working on the bridge; Marie on radar, Jeff sonar, Doris on communications, and Ron at the engineering console. Carl was at the helm and his wife, Shirley, was sitting behind Su Li, who was on navigation. Shirley had chosen to be with her husband even though Su Li was on duty this time. The idea of keeping families together on the bridge had worked out.

  Su Li caught his gaze and smiled. His features softened as he returned her smile. Just a quick glance like the one she had just given him exhilarated him every time.

  They had all become close friends. More than that, they had become family. They relied upon one another; supported one another; loved one another. Mathew had never felt so fulfilled. If they could just make it through this mess. That was the important thing right now. He focused his attention to the problem at hand.

  “Range?”

  “Four thousand five hundred yards,” reported Jeff. “Bearing one-nine-five.”

  “Suggestions anyone?”

  “No idea,” said Ron. The others shook their heads.

  He sighed. “Come right to one-nine-five. Increase speed to flank.”

  They waited. That was the worst part –the waiting.

  “Still coming at us, sir,” reported Bailey. “Speed forty-three knots; range four thousand yards.”

  “He’s trying to get in our range again,” said Chapel. “He can accelerate pretty quick.”

  “He won’t have time this time,” said Roland. “Give him fifteen seconds to get closer. After t
hat, he can turn in any direction he wants. It won’t matter what he does.”

  “Ready the rocket launchers,” Matthew ordered. “Fire on my signal. Not before.”

  Ron relayed the order. Will and Dave acknowledged.

  “Fire one,” ordered Roland. They could hear the whoosh as the torpedo left the bay.

  “Torpedo!” shouted Jeff. “Bearing one-nine-five; range three thousand yards. Impact in forty-seven seconds.”

  “We’ll never make it,” said Ron. “It’ll be on us while we’re still fifteen hundred yards from the sub.”

  “Steady as she goes,” commanded Matthew calmly. He looked at Su Li. She returned his gaze, unflinching.

  “Impact in thirty seconds.”

  “He must know he can’t outrun it,” Chapel said puzzled. “What’s he doing?”

  “Maybe he thinks he can outmaneuver it,” Roland suggested.

  “No way! He can’t turn that fast.”

  “They’re hailing us,” reported communications. “Same as before, sir. USS Washington, Captain Matthew Carlsen commanding, serial number B-129557. They say they are unarmed and ask us to acknowledge. Shall I, sir?”

  “Negative. Do not acknowledge.”

  “Unarmed,” snorted Chapel. “Tell that to the ships they’ve attacked.”

  “Impact in twenty seconds,” reported Jeff. “Range seven hundred yards.”

  “Can they see it?” Ron checked with the men on deck.

  “Negative,” replied Ron.

  “Ready bow launcher,” ordered Matthew. “Shoot about fifty yards in front of the torpedo and about twenty yards to the right of it as soon as he sees it. Tell him to fire at will, but to report exactly when he fires.”

  “Aye, aye.” Ron relayed the command.

  “Impact in ten seconds,” reported Jeff.

  “Firing rocket launcher.”

  “Hard to port,” commanded Matthew. “All back on port engine.”

  “Whoa!” hollered Bailey, and ripped his earphones off. “They must’ve shot at it, sir.” He waited a few seconds and put one side to his ear. “Course changing to one-six-three.” He paused. “Torpedo has lost acquisition.”

  Roland looked at Chapel in shock.

  “It’s gone by us!” cried Jeff.

  “Plot an intercept to that sub,” shouted Matthew.

  “Recommended course, two-zero-zero,” answered Su Li.

  “Come to course two-zero-zero.”

  “Contact changing course to two-zero-zero,” said Bailey. “He’s coming right at us sir.”

  “Emergency dive,” commanded Roland. “Hard to port.”

  “He’s diving,” shouted Jeff. “Changing course to starboard.”

  “Navigation! Plot intercept and call out course changes,” commanded Matthew. “Helm! Follow navigation. Update course every ten seconds.”

  “Course, two-one-zero,” said Su Li crisply.

  “Course, two-one-zero.” Carl turned the helm.

  “Torpedo has re-acquired,” Bailey reported to Roland. “Impact in twenty-five seconds. Contact bearing zero-three-zero; range six hundred yards.”

  “He’s gonna be right over us, Captain!” Chapel cried.

  “Course, two-one-five,” commanded Su Li.

  “Course, two-one-five,” repeated Carl.

  “Impact fifteen seconds!”

  “Ready aft rocket launcher,” commanded Matthew. “Shoot to the left of the torpedo a little in front of her. Fire when ready and report exactly when he fires.”

  Ron relayed to Will. They waited.

  “Firing now, Captain.”

  “Hard to port!” Matthew waited until the ship was into her turn. “All stop.”

  “All stop!” acknowledged Ron. The ship’s momentum carried her to port.

  “Torpedo has lost acquisition, Captain.”

  “Lost contact, Captain,” reported Bailey. “She’s disappeared.”

  “Impossible!” exclaimed Roland. “Where could she go?”

  “Captain! Torpedo has re-acquired!” shouted Bailey. “On us!”

  “Detonate!” shouted Roland. “Detonate!”

  They felt the concussion on the Bright Moon.

  “Torpedo detonated before it hit target, Captain.” Jeff informed him. “They must have done it themselves. That was pretty close.”

  “All ahead flank,” ordered Matthew. “Course one-three-five. Keep hailing them, Doris. Tell them if they’ve been hit we’ll standby to help.”

  “Coming to flank speed, course one-three-five.”

  “Damage report!” commanded Roland.

  “Sir! She’s hailing us,” reported communications. “She says she’ll standby if we’ve sustained damage.”

  Chapel looked at Roland in confusion. “No damage, sir. We just got shook up some.” He took a deep breath. “This guy’s crazy!”

  Roland sat and thought for a moment. “I’d say he’s pretty cool. He heads right toward a torpedo, diverts it, and then leads it right back at us so we have to detonate it, and all the time he’s hailin’ us with his identification. I’d say he’s trying to tell us somethin’.”

  “I’d say he was trying to put us away. We damn near bit the dust that time. He outright attacked us.”

  Roland raised his hand to stop his XO. “With our own torpedo? No, that was a self-defense tactic. He had no choice, and even offered to help if we sustained damage. If you remember, we attacked him. He hasn’t once fired on us.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t have torpedoes.”

  “That’s not it. There’s somethin’ goin’ on.” Roland looked at sonar. “What do ya got, Bailey?”

  “He’s heading on course one-three-five; twelve thousand yards, sir.”

  “You going to chase him?”

  “Nah. He’s goin’ in the opposite direction. By the time we turn this tub around, he’ll be out of range. He’ll only change course and we’ll lose him anyway.”

  “Contact lost, Captain,” Jeff reported.

  “Stand down from General Quarters,” commanded Matthew. “Call for a shift change. Good job, folks. I thought we were goners this time.”

  Doris canceled GQ and everyone relaxed while they waited for the next crew to take over the bridge.

  “Maintain present course and speed for twenty minutes and then change course to zero-nine-zero,” Matthew ordered. “Hold present speed for an additional twenty minutes and then drop to twelve knots.”

  “Aye, captain,” acknowledged Will.

  At the meeting afterward, Dave raised his hand. Roberta glared at him. He kept his gaze straight on Matthew.

  Matthew called on him.

  “Why can’t we just sail the ship right into port? Then they have to take a look at us. Once they identify us, we’ll be in the clear.”

  “Because we’ll never make it into port. They’ve already billed us as a terrorist ship, and we’e supposedly attacked several ships already. Right now, we just have a sub on our tail. Once we get within the two-hundred-mile limit, we’ll have the whole United States Navy after us.”

  Dave looked dejected.

  “I’m sorry,” said Matthew. “We can’t take the chance.” He studied Dave for a moment. “You did a good job out there, Dave.”

  Dave hadn’t expected praise. He smiled and nodded.

  “Your father asked me to tell you that he and your mother were very pleased about our marriage,” Matthew told Su Li later when they were alone in their cabin.

  She sighed, and didn’t answer, but he could see that it affected her. She put her arms around him, and wept softly. “I love you so much.” He held her close.

  After a while, she spoke quietly. “My father didn’t like my husband and my mother agreed with him. She was ashamed and said I was stupid for marrying him. My uncle didn’t like him either. He said I should have let my father choose my husband, as in the old custom; then I would have had a better man, one who would bring honor to me and to our family. He said I should have married an honorable man wh
o cared more for me than for himself, or my money. They were correct. I suffered many years because of it.”

  He could see it pained her to talk about it. “You don’t need to tell me this.”

  “I want to. When I was twenty, I married a man in Hong Kong. He helped my father get our family and friends out of China. He was killed before you met my father and my uncle. The same people who tried to kill my father. We were only married two years.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago. For a while, I taught school in Hong Kong. My father sent for me after he and my mother settled in the United States. I stayed with them until I was almost thirty. Then I met my second husband. We were married almost fifteen years. He knew my father disliked him, so he isolated me from my family by moving me half way across the country. It was very difficult to have contact with them.

  “My mother was very hurt. My father became so angry that he ostracized me. He hoped my husband would leave me when I was cut off from any inheritance. My husband thought they would eventually give in since I was their only child. When he saw they were serious, he left me as soon as he found a woman who had money. I was so ashamed; I couldn’t face my parents. I didn’t even tell them he left. But my father knew. He came and brought me home. He has never talked about it. That is why you never met me.”

  She looked down at the floor. “I was so afraid that he would reject you as he did my last husband. I would not have been able to deal with that.”

  He smiled. “Actually, I think we had their blessing even before I met you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, he called me before I left to wish me a good trip. He didn’t tell me you were on the Evening Star. He knew we’d find one another.”

  “You think he wanted us to meet?”

  He laughed. “Well, there’s a little more to that story. Your father and mother invited me to visit them after the cruise.” He gave her a sly look. “He told me that his daughter would be visiting. ‘You and she have much in common,’ he said. I wouldn’t be surprised if your father set the whole thing up by sticking you on the same ship that I would be on.”

  “Matthew! That is devious!”

  “You don’t know your father. I think he was preparing me. He even knew I was wearing my wedding ring. ‘Take the ring off, Matthew. It’s time,’, he told me. That old fox. I knew he was trying to get me married.”

  “Did you accept his invitation?”

  “Yes. He must have been as surprised as I was. That’s not like me.”

  “Why did you?”

  “I’ve known your father a long time. We’ve always kept in touch. I’ve done some work for him, but that’s not the reason for the contact. There’s always been something deeper. I was glad for the invitation. And if you were anything like your mother–”

  She laughed, delighted. “My father always wanted a son.”

  She became serious. “Even when I first met you, when I looked into your eyes, I knew I would be in love with you. I was disappointed to see the wedding ring, and very glad when it was gone.”

  He smiled, his turn to be delighted. He put his arms around her. They snuggled into the sofa.