Full Fathom Five: A Cold War naval adventure story (The Submariner Sinclair Naval Thriller Series Book 6) by John Wingate

Author:John Wingate [Wingate, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2021-03-06T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Highest Bidder

Peter’s first reaction, when he felt something below water tugging at his legs, was that the sharks had smelt them out. During the past hour, he had passed through the whole scale of terror and now he could hold on no longer. His strength was failing as he tried frantically to kick out with his legs. As he lapsed into a world of semi-consciousness, he felt strong arms beneath his shoulders: but Vasco could do little to help now.

Then slowly Peter realised that he was no longer smothered by foaming seas. He was still clenched to the log that had supported them through the maelstrom, but his arms had become steel bands when they stiffened in cramp. He was stranded on a gravel beach where, gasping for air, he lay like a floundering trout.

“You okay, Pete?”

Dimly he recognised Vasco’s voice. Then, as he regained his senses, he saw in the twilight his friend’s bulk above him.

“That you, Vasco?”

“Yeah, Pete, it’s me. We’re okay.”

They had been cast up on a shingle spit. As they took stock of themselves, they realised that the tide had swept them down on to the bank which dried out at the estuary of the Sarungan river.

“There’s Langadei Point, Peter. We must have been carried straight past it.”

Peter was shivering with shock and cold. Vasco forced him to his feet and, in their dripping shorts and shirts, they began to jog up and down the beach to regain their circulation.

“Look, Peter, there’s a light over there in the trees.”

Through the waving branches, a glow flickered from some oil lantern.

“You okay to investigate?” Vasco asked quietly. “Pollux will never find us here.”

The giddiness that swam before Peter’s eyes was rapidly diminishing. He shook himself and, when strength had returned to his legs, he swayed after his friend who had begun to pick his way down the beach to the beckoning light.

Trees lay flattened in frenzied confusion where the waterspout had swathed a trail of devastation. Twilight was swiftly turning to night, yet even now Peter could see the path where the tornado had struck.

“We’ll skirt the bank, then cut inland,” Vasco said. “Maybe the Dyaks will contact the ship for us.”

“If she hasn’t put to sea to avoid the storm,” Peter said.

“She ought to be back soon, now that it’s all over,” Vasco added as he gingerly felt his way across the beach. “Don’t like this, Pete. Can snakes see in the dark?”

Peter chuckled. He didn’t like the beastly things either, but soon the light came abreast of them. “Now for the forest,” Vasco said. “Watch where you’re walking.”

Peter was glad he had retained his gym shoes, for Vasco, who was barefoot, had already stopped to extract a thorn. Peter took over the lead from his friend and they began to thread their way into the jungle. As the trees engulfed them, he looked back over his shoulder to tell Vasco to remain where he was while he, Peter, fetched help.

“Stay there, Vasco,” he began. “I’ll go on…”

He never finished the sentence.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.