Red Tide, стр. 82

That was when the drone flew in through the open door. Cheng threw his arms around the device and carried it to the deck. Muzzle flashes appeared as a machine gun began to chatter, and was quickly joined by a second weapon, as bullets pinged the hull. “We’re pulling out,” Ryson announced. “Half astern. Open fire.”

A tongue of fire appeared as the 30mm rotary cannon began to fire short bursts. The shells destroyed the shack at the end of the pier. Then, as Gunner’s Mate Wes Cory swept the outgoing fire from left to right, a police car exploded—and a storefront was destroyed moments later.

Meanwhile, Cheng was smashing the drone into the deck, even as a disembodied voice ordered him to surrender. Kelsey had been outside with the sat phone to her ear. She entered the wheelhouse. “Stop!” she shouted. “She’s here! In a skiff! Off the stern.”

Ryson thumbed the switch. “Deck crew to the stern. Our passenger is in a small boat. Get him aboard.”

“I can see the boat,” a lookout said. “We’re on it.”

The small arms fire had died away, only to be supplanted by the rhythmic thud, thud, thud of a heavy machine gun, as a six-wheeled armored personnel carrier appeared on the scene. The Queen shuddered as large caliber shells pounded her hull.

Cory didn’t like that and brought the 30 to bear on the vehicle. Dozens of high explosive shells struck the vehicle’s turret and blew it off. A fountain of fire shot up into the air, and secondary explosions rocked the APC, as reserve ammo bins began to cook off.

“That’s right motherfuckers,” Cory declared. “Your fucking pea shooter is a fucking piece of fucking shit!”

“Belay that bullshit,” Conte ordered. “And learn a new word.”

“We have a girl,” the Chief announced. “But there’s no sign of a man.”

“Secure her,” Ryson ordered. “Full speed astern. We’re out of here. All hands will prepare for a running fight. I’m looking at you, Fire Control … We’re going to need those anti-ship missiles. All eight of them. Get the Stingers on deck.”

The Type 22 had been carrying six anti-ship missiles when captured. And, once the boat was approved for the trip to China, Ryson put in a request for two TL-10 Sky Dragons to fill the empty tubes.

There was only one country other than China that used them and that was Axis member Iran. But as luck would have it, thirty-six TL-10s had been aboard a ship bound for Iran, and were intercepted in the Arabian Sea. Two were flown in. So, the Queen had teeth. But only eight of them.

Water churned white as the Camo Queen backed out, turned to the southeast, and Ryson ordered “Full speed ahead.” Then he turned to Conte. “Get ahold of the operations folks at INDOPACCOM. Give them a sitrep. Tell them we’re going to need a full-on extraction by the North Dakota. And the sooner the better. The Chinese are going to come after us with everything they have. Oh, and the North Dakota is going to need backup. Do you read me?”

“Five-by-five,” Conte replied. “I’m on it.”

Confident that things were at least momentarily under control Ryson hurried aft. A girl? Instead of a man? Was that intentional? Or had an innocent fisherwoman been kidnapped?

Ryson ran into the Chief Bosun’s Mate by the missile array. “Where’s Kelsey? Have you seen her?”

“She took the girl and went below,” the chief replied. “Permission to speak freely?”

“Of course.”

“Both were crying. They know each other.”

That was completely unexpected. What the hell? “Thanks, Chief. Make the rounds. You know what to say.”

Chief Bossert had been in the navy for seventeen years. He nodded. “Yes, sir. I know what to say. There ain’t nothin’ to worry about.”

Ryson grinned. “Exactly.”

Ryson went below, made his way to Kelsey’s cabin, and rapped on the hatch. It was Kelsey who opened it. But it was the other woman who claimed Ryson’s attention. Li jing. He was looking at a Eurasian version of George Parker’s first wife.

Ryson looked from the woman in the blue prison outfit to Kelsey. “Your sister?”

Kelsey bit her lower lip. “Yes.”

“So, the Mr. Pei story was a lie.”

“He exists,” Kelsey said miserably. “And he’s in prison. But yes, I lied. Rong is my sister. My half-sister. The Chinese were using her to blackmail my family. They forced us to do terrible things.”

Ryson was filled with rage. His fists were clenched. The Parkers were double agents. His voice was tight. “I’m no lawyer. Maybe this is treason. Or maybe it’s something else. But you are going to prison. If it was up to me, you’d be taken out and shot. In fact, I’d be happy to do the job myself.”

Tears trickled down Kelsey’s cheeks. Her eyes beseeched him. “Please, Max … Please forgive me.”

“Never,” Ryson replied. “And, if one person on this boat dies his, or her, blood will be on your hands.”

Ryson took hold of a wrist, towed Kelsey out into the passageway, and bellowed. “Find Chief Bossert!”

Bossert arrived thirty seconds later. “Sir?”

“Take Ms. Parker into custody. Chain her to something. The other woman is her sister. Restrain her as well. Do you understand?”

Bossert was understandably confused, but nodded his head. Orders were orders. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. I’ll be on the bridge.”

Ryson arrived in the wheelhouse to find that more bad news was waiting for him. “The North Dakota is supposed to check in with INDOPACCOM every hour on the hour,” Conte told him. “And the next contact is thirty-six minutes away.”

Ryson swore. There was no way to make radio contact with a sub unless it deployed an antenna. And it would be necessary for thirty-six minutes to pass before the sub could receive new orders.

How far away would the North Dakota be when that occurred? It would be a matter of luck. Meanwhile, as the Camo Queen ran for her life, at least half of the Chinese navy would be in hot pursuit.

The first indication of this came as new blips appeared on the CIC’s radar