Chapter 14

“Morty, wake up! Don’t make any noise, we’ve got company.”

“Company, Mitch? What are you talking about?”

“Security just called, there are four men heading for the dock and they’re armed, according to the guy in charge of security. He’s notified the police and called his office for backup, but they don’t have an armed response team available. He advises there’s nothing the two of them can do at the moment except to observe and record.”

“We don’t have weapons aboard. I never expected ... all right,” said Morty. “Wake up everyone and notify Frenchy, Sven, and Jim that I intend to get underway. Have Sven cast off the lines, then report to Jim in the engine room. We’ll move away from the dock using only the batteries, so tell them not to fire up the generator until we’re well out into the harbor and then I’ll want all impellers on line, control transferred to the helm. Don’t use the intercom, I’ll see the lights when Jim switches over to bridge control. If we keep the noise down, those men may not realize we’re gone.

“Mitch, you and Frenchy use those push poles I saw when I inspected the barge yesterday. They’re racked along the sides on the upper deck, under each of the rails. When you’re ready, push away from the dock as hard as you can. It won’t be easy, but the farther away we get, the better. The impellers whine, not loud, but even so the intruders will hear the noise if they’re close enough.”

“Got it, Morty. You’ll be at the helm? Where are we going?” asked Mitch.

“East until we clear the entrance, then south. We did our testing north of here, so whoever those people are they may expect us to head for an area we’re familiar with. Gary, Indiana, is down that way, and there may be other harbors between here and there. But if we can’t get away from the dock, nobody resists! Chances are those four are not here to kill anyone, they’re after the propulsion system. As soon as we’re away from the dock, anyone who wants to can slip over the side and make for the beach. I’ll stay at the helm.”

“What are you going to do, Morty?” Mitch asked.

“Get us out of their reach if I can, but if that fails there’s something else I can try. The impellers are in sealed containers and they’re mounted to the swivels with clamps, easy to release. I put the clamp system on to make changing out a defective impeller simple, but it gives me an option.”

“You can disable them from the helm, Morty?”

“You could call it that. Tell me as soon as everyone’s ready to go, then get as far away from the barge as you can. Anyone who doesn’t get away in time, take the boats.”

“I’ll be staying, Morty,” said Mitch. “What are you going to do? They’ll want you too, you know.”

“Don’t worry about me! I swim pretty good, so I’ll just make for one of those other boats over by the entrance. If I can’t get the barge away in time, I’ll try to wreck the impellers and wipe the computers. I’ll take the control unit with me too, so all they’ll get is a blank computer with a socket, not much information in other words, and I’ll see you back on shore when I get there. Your job is to get us away from the dock, I’ll take over as soon as we’re clear. You can still change your mind about staying, Mitch, but gather everyone that decides to leave and get them as far as you can from the barge.”

Mitch shook his head. “Morty, I doubt anyone will leave, we’ve got too much time and sweat invested in this. There might be something we can do to help if we stay on board.” Morty nodded, then headed for the captain’s chair and brought the computers on line. He looked toward the shore, but saw no movement; if the men were heading this way, as the security team had reported, maybe they were being cautious. Thumbing the toggle switch, he started the radar. Unfortunately, bringing it online would take a few seconds, and the intruders would almost certainly spot the antenna when it began rotating which was all to the good. They might decide to just abandon whatever they had in mind, but if they abandoned their cautious approach he might not have time to get the barge out of gunshot range. There was no way to tell.

Faint scraping sounds from the port side, followed by a pair of splashes, indicated that the mooring lines had been released. Sven was a bright fellow, so instead of bringing in the lines he’d simply dropped them over the side. Moments later, the lights on the console came on. Jim had brought the impellers on line and transferred control to the bridge.

“Yes!” Morty muttered. He flipped switches on the panel, and this was followed by whining from the portside swivel impellers. Morty added power and the barge began moving, slowly curving away from the dock to starboard.

The space between the gunwale and the dock widened. Judging the separation, Morty switched on the port impellers and added power so that the barge’s course straightened, taking them out into the harbor.

The gunmen now had no chance of boarding the barge, and probably little chance of hitting anyone on board should they open fire. The first sweep lit the scope as the radar came to life.

“Damn!” Two blips showed, positioned between the ground returns from the jetties at the harbor’s entrance.

“Jim, on intercom!”

Moments later the engineer replied. “You’ve got steerage way, right?”

“It won’t do us much good, I’m afraid, there are two boats waiting at the harbor entrance. They’re just sitting there, so I suspect they’re working with the land intruders. I can see flashing lights back on shore, so the police are on the way but they won’t get here in time, and I don’t think we can afford to take a chance. Here’s what I want you to do; I’m powering down the impellers, so as soon as they’re at idle unclamp the swivel locks. Just unclamp the locks and leave the impellers in place, and as soon as you’ve done that come topside. We’ll need the two service boats, so get them in the water but don’t leave without me. Got it?”

“Can do. What about the people on deck?”

“Load them in the boats, I’ll join you after I do what I can to sabotage the barge.”

“OK, I’ll take the portside boat, Sven will take the starboard. I’ll send most of the people with him, and if there’s anyone’s left after he’s loaded, you join them and me in the portside boat, okay?”

“I understand.”

“What are you going to do, Morty? You know that as soon as I release those clamps, the impellers aren’t locked down?”

“I’m counting on it, Jim! Unscrew the cable locking collars too, but leave the connectors plugged into their sockets. Every little bit helps, and I want the impellers as free as possible.”

“You’re going to destroy the impellers?”

“I’m going to try! We can always make more, the important thing is to keep the secret of how they work.”

Morty watched the radar display. The two boats at the harbor entrance had realized something was wrong, and both were now heading into the harbor. Splashes from near the bows indicated that both service boats had been launched. Morty watched the display for a moment, then slowly thumbed the gimbal controls. Gentle whines from below told him all he needed to know.

“We’re ready, Morty.”

“I’m coming. Make sure you’re not in line with the bow, all right?”

“We’re off to the sides. Sven is maybe twenty yards away, I’m holding on to a line amidships but nothing is tied on.”

“Good. Give me a minute.” Morty looked at the display. All the impellers showed dead ahead, no elevation. Shame, really, but now the quick-disconnect mechanism would pay off in a different way.

How strong was the bow of the barge? It was reinforced heavy steel, it would have to be to withstand the pressure from a tugboat’s push, but was it strong enough to destroy the impellers? There was only one way to find out.

Selecting all the impellers, in effect ganging them together, Morty grasped the joystick control and thumbed the power control to maximum, then slammed the stick forward against its stop. There was nothing more he could do; without waiting to see what happened, he stood up and walked to where the service boat waited.

Below decks, the unclamped impellers shot forward, flying free of the mounting swivels. Control and power cables popped loose and moments later the impellers smashed into the barge’s steel bow.

The barge shuddered. Loud crashes from below were followed moments later by heavy splashes ahead showing that some of the impellers had punched through the hull. Water poured in through the gaping holes and the barge began sinking, bow first, as Marty stepped into the service boat and found a seat. “I think it worked,” he said. “With luck, all the impellers went through the bow and what’s left of them is now scattered on the bottom, but even if they didn’t they’re smashed and the barge is sinking. That will make recovery difficult for anyone but us, especially now that the police will be watching. We should be able to find the wreckage, know where the barge sank and where what’s left of the impellers is located, but it would be dangerous for anyone else to attempt it.

“Jim, take us to shore. Frenchy, telephone the harbor police and tell them that we’ve been the victim of attempted piracy.”

Morty and Frenchy met the others in a waterfront restaurant after the harbor police had finished questioning them.

“I’m hungry, Morty. It’s been a long night.”

“I could eat, Frenchy. Who are those people? And how did they know we were working here?”

“No way to tell, Morty. Someone could have been tracking you since you flew the original Bedstead outside Panit’s window. It wasn’t just Panit either, other people saw you. But whoever they are, they had people on shore and boats out at the harbor entrance. That shows they’ve got resources and a high level of organization. I wonder if they’re the same ones who were spying on the warehouse?”