Neutron Force by Don Pendleton

Author:Don Pendleton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Worldwide Library
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Atlantic Ocean

The control room of the nuclear submarine was large, cool, and brightly lit by a hundred twinkling lights on the complex controls panels, a military rainbow of indicators showing the detailed status of the billion-dollar war machine.

Bent over the navigation table, the captain and first mate of HMS Vanguard were studying the charts of the undersea canyons they were planning to travel through in a few days. At the moment, the Vanguard was safe at the bottom of the ocean more than a mile beneath their hull.

Suddenly the radio operator appeared in the hatchway, looking around anxiously. Then he rushed toward the captain.

“What is it, Sparks?” Captain Richard Danvers asked, straightening and putting aside the compass and ruler.

“Message from the Citadel for you, sir,” the man replied, passing over a folded piece of paper.

“From where?” the captain asked with a frown, opening the sheet.

“Direct from the Big C, sir,” Sparks whispered, as if afraid to invoke the dreaded name. “I decoded it twice to make sure this wasn’t a garbled transmission, or anything.”

“I see what you mean,” Danvers muttered, reading it again himself. “That will be all, Sparks. Carry on.”

“Yes, sir,” the radioman answered, obviously disappointed that there wasn’t any additional information forthcoming.

“Trouble, sir?” Executive Office John White asked, tilting his head.

“I should say so,” Danvers said. “NavCom, prepare to change course!”

“Aye, aye sir!” the man at the navigation control replied.

Checking the paper, Danvers read off the coordinates.

“Sir, that’s going to put us in the commercial lanes,” the executive officer said with a worried tone, as the boat began to tilt slightly.

“Yes, I know. Full speed, helmsman, if you please!”

“Aye, sir,” the man called. “Full speed!”

Everybody in the control room began to exchange puzzled glances, but withheld any comments.

Reaching upward, the captain took down a hand mike and pressed the transmit switch with a thumb. “Red alert,” he said, the words echoing throughout the entire submarine. “Red alert. All hands to battle stations! Prepare for surface action!”

A Klaxon started to sound.

Releasing the switch, the captain pressed it down again. “Torpedo room,” he demanded.

“Torpedo room, here, sir,” a voice replied.

“Load all tubes, Tigers to the port, Sharks to Starboard.”

“Sir?” the man gasped. “That is, I mean…aye, aye, sir!”

Clearing the line, the captain pressed the switch once more. “Arms master, prepare an Away Team.”

“Aye, sir.” There was a pause. “Is this a drill, Captain?”

“Put some heat into that, mister!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Helmsman, up bubble seven degrees. Blow all tanks.”

“Aye, aye, sir! Prepare to surface!”

As the Vanguard started to angle for the surface, White moved close to the captain. He could see the controlled anger in the commander’s face.

“What the bloody hell is going on, Chuck?” the XO whispered urgently. “Are we at war?”

“Read for yourself,” the captain said, passing over the paper. “We have a seek and destroy order from the Citadel.”

Unfolding the paper, White read the short message, then read it twice more.

“I thought the Edinburgh blew up from a fuel leak,” the XO said softly, returning the radio message.

“Apparently not,” Danvers rasped, tucking the slip of paper into his uniform pocket.

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