Chapter 8

For the rest of the morning, Grant made notes, looked at charts, and helped resolved various issues as they arose. One of those was an idea by the ‘Coasty’ Cal Peterson and Brad Tyson.

“Grant, you have a minute?” asked Brad.

“Sure Chief, what’s on your mind?”

“We may have come up with a way to extend the range of the Stiletto.”

“Now, you definitely have my attention. Tell me about it?”

“We’ve some really heavy duty inflatable bladders that we were using to test some of the radar equipment.”

“I remember them. Their low profile shape made them a bitch for our radar to detect.”

“Well, Cal noticed them and pictured one of them placed on the back deck of the Stiletto. We checked, and it fits. If we built a frame to help hold it in place and added a detachable cover / deflector to reduce friction and give it some protection during high speed runs, then we could carry at least an extra four hundred gallons of fuel. When you got close to your destination the bladder could be drained into the fuel tank. The empty bladder and its deflector could then be stored in a tightly sealed locker at the end of the deck.”

“What about the Zodiac and its motor?”

“They’re stored under the deck where the bladder will sit. If they’re needed before the bladder is emptied, then there’s an access from the rear of the boat.”

“Brad, I could see how this could work for the trip tomorrow, but it could be a disaster if we got into an engagement with another ship or a shore battery.”

“It would be easy to rig a quick release mechanism that would dump the bladder into the sea. With a signal radio installed, then you could come back after the engagement and remount it on the deck.”

“Based on how much fuel is inside, that bladder will weigh between fifteen hundred and three thousand pounds. How do you propose to remount something like that in the middle of the ocean?”

“We’ve already devised a way to raise or lower the craft’s waterline, and have made it so we can have the bow and stern at different levels. In this case, the aft can be lowered to its maximum and an electric winch can then pull it onto the boat when the frame surrounding the bladder is matched up with the support rails on the boat.”

“I guess that answers my questions. Make it happen.”

A short time later Beth knocked on the frame of Grant’s office door. He looked up, and smiled when he saw her face, and he could almost feel her happiness at his reaction.

“Sioux sent me to tell you that lunch is ready. She found some sweet peppers in the fridge that were getting a little old, so she made fajitas. You better hurry, or there may not be any left.”

Grant jumped out of his chair and joined Beth as they headed to the kitchen. It was very crowded and he made a mental note to discuss increasing this space. In fact, they may need to build another structure alongside and connect them. It could hold a larger kitchen area, as well as double the bedrooms. It would be good if each bedroom had its own en-suite. As for this building, the kitchen dining area could be used to provide a better place for Beth’s clinic, and much of the rest could be converted to offices and a conference room and a war room.

Beth seated him at the head of the table and then sat at his right. It pleased him to see the husbands and wives sitting together, but he was surprised to see that Missy was able to join them. He also noted that Charles Young was sitting between the two runaway slaves they had found. As he filled his plate he noticed the absence of the teens and his children.

When he mentioned it to Beth, she answered, “Sioux and I figured that they would be bored by the adults talking, so my daughters are watching your children and spending time with Michael and Bobby.”

Grant smiled while he corrected her, saying, “It’s our teens watching our younger children.”

Beth was briefly stunned at Grant’s statement, and tears flowed freely as she realized the depth of his statement. For a brief moment she wanted to question it, but when he lovingly squeezed her hand she comprehended the real meaning of what Grant was saying. He wasn’t only accepting her as his wife, but announcing that he was also accepting her children on an equal basis as his, and that he saw her as his children’s mother. This blessed her, but added a fear that he might not grant Sabrina that same status. It would later be proven that the fear was unfounded.

Hoping to divert attention from Beth’s tears, Grant said, “Missy, I’m glad to see you able to join us. Are you feeling better?”

“A bit, but according to Beth I should be back to full speed very quickly.”

Turning back to his new wife, Grant asked, “So you were able to identify the problem?”

“Actually, it was problems, but I think everything is under control.”

“What was wrong, if I can ask?”

Beth looked at Missy for approval, and when the young woman nodded, Beth explained, “Her blood test showed she was extremely anemic and had low levels of certain minerals. There were also some traces of a toxin that can occasionally be produced by the fetus when it’s under stress, and this was adding to Missy’s declining health. The anemia and mineral deficiencies were easily solved with an iron supplement and prenatal vitamins.”

“What about the stress problem?”

“The ultrasound showed that the fetus was in the wrong place and was not fully attached to the uterine wall. Brad, Jerry and Jenifer helped me create an instrument that enabled me to enter the uterus and correct the problem without surgery. The timing was crucial, as the improper placement was affecting the formation of the follicle and the release of progesterone and other hormones. If this had not been corrected, in another few hours Missy would have miscarried.”

Grant was pleased both at his new wife’s skill, but also that Missy and Larry’s marriage would not have started out with such tragedy. The incident also gave him insight as to the character of the one that had sent them on this journey. Even though he felt he could use the couple’s skills, the compassion shown for Missy’s unborn child stated that Oscar, whoever or whatever he was, was due their respect and trust.

After an excellent lunch that was laced with updates concerning different projects, Grant announced, “I want to ask everyone to give me some time with my younger children, so unless a major emergency occurs, I need to be left alone for at least an hour.”

Beth sensed that Grant was even excluding her, but she didn’t feel slighted. He was soon going into harm’s way and the little ones needed a feeling of assurance that with everything that was going on, he still loved them. Thus, without being asked, she went to the room where the teens and younger children were eating and brought Mark and Tracy to their father.

Grant gave her a kiss of thanks and led the kids to his bedroom to read to them and give them time to just talk to him about things that were important to them. When Beth looked in on them an hour and a half later, the three were asleep; Grant was laying on his back with a child cuddled close on each shoulder. The book that he’d been reading was still open on his lap. She grabbed her cell phone from her purse and took a quick picture. She felt it would one day be an important memory for the family.

Grant was wakened a short time later by the stirring of his children. They were trying to cuddle even closer to their dad, and as little Tracy later expressed, “We wanted to pour our love into our Dad’s heart.” A few minutes later, the two children decided that it was time to return to their adventures, so they kissed Grant, climbed off the bed, and headed down the hall. After washing his face and brushing his hair, Grant followed.

He felt his first task was to get an update from those whom he considered his chief advisers: John, Sioux and Beth. He also included Sabrina in the group, but he didn’t think she’d returned.

Calling the three together, Grant asked, “How are things progressing?”

John answered, “The Stiletto is almost ready, but Brad is still having some difficulty with the missile pylons being able to retract and extend without letting in a lot of water. Jerry has added additional sonar sensors and integrated them to the existing screen. This will give you a much better picture of the bottom in front of you, as well as to each side. Now, he’s working on extending the range of the radar and the radio.”

“I appreciate his efforts, but we didn’t need this before, why would we need it now?”

“We no longer have the GPS and communication satellites. He’s trying to utilize the computer to match the radar readings with our charts to give you an additional navigational aid. As for the radio, he’s adding an extendable antenna like we have on the sailboat and the Viking. Since there’s no other traffic on the planet we should get reception for close to a hundred miles. Mike, Cal and Zeke are going with you and will try to stay close enough on your return trip to maintain communication through a small radio hidden in your luggage.”

“If we got in trouble I doubt they could get to us fast enough to help,” observed Grant.

“That may be true, but they could help get you out of there if there’s a firefight, or if necessary, rescue you from some jail. Even in the worst case, they would at least have an idea of where you were each day. Then, if we had to start a search we would’ve some idea where to look.”

“I don’t like to think about that possibility, but I guess I have to be realistic and think more like a naval officer and less like a scientist. Besides, if something does happen to me my family should have the right to know if I’m alive or not. Anything else regarding the Stiletto?”

“Only that we’ve decided to omit the eyes and shark’s mouth for this trip. In the time available, we couldn’t do an adequate job in working out all the details.”

“John, I’m just blown away at what our people have accomplished in less than a day. Besides the Stiletto, what has everyone been working on?”

“The wives, teens and Larry Price have been helping Drew and Trey empty Eric’s vans and trailers and create a computerized inventory of what is being stored in what is becoming our armory. One point of information is that Drew says there are numerous weapons and corresponding ammunition and accessories that he’s never seen before.”

“Really? Such as?”

“Three cases of Russian VSS silenced sniper rifles, two cases of Swiss OM 50 Nemesis Mark three rifles and three cases of Barrett M 82s. There are twenty cases of ammo for the Russian rifles and thirty cases of fifty cal BMG, which is used by both the Barrett and the Nemesis.”

“That’s a lot of firepower.”

“A lot of specialized firepower. I looked the VSS up on the Internet. It uses a large subsonic round necked to a nine millimeter bullet. It’s semi-automatic and the silencer is an integrated part of the rifle. It’s effective out to four hundred meters, but even at night, its sound will carry less than a hundred meters. The gun is not available on the open market.”

Grant whistled, and said, “A few of those in the trees next to a battlefield could easily devastate a British force, and no one would even know they were there.”

“I agree, and both the fifty cal guns could be used to eliminate officers and artillery installations.”

Grant thought for a second, and then said, “John, you and I know that with these and the other weapons we have we could make the revolution a very short war. At the same time, I think it’s important that these people earn their freedom, not just have it handed to them. We can assist in certain battles to keep the British from overrunning the American forces and try to minimize the extra-battle atrocities. We can train competent medical people, help produce and store food for the people and the soldiers, and even give them some assistance with weapons, but, ultimately, these people must still purchase their freedom with blood. It can’t be handed to them or it will have little or no value.”

At that moment, Grant and John’s conversation was interrupted by enthusiastic clapping. When they turned toward the sound they found Pat Allen standing at the doorway. Beth and several others were standing beside her and their actions added a very strong underline to Grant’s statement.

Beth came to Grant and gave him a large and passionate hug, while she said, “I knew I had a smart husband. I just didn’t realize how smart he really was. I’m feeling better and better about our future and the future of this country.”

Grant gave Beth a kiss, and asked, “And what have you been doing this afternoon?”

“Mostly, I’ve been getting more of my equipment set up and taking an inventory of the medicines that Oscar has provided. In addition, I’ve been vaccinating everyone for everything from Yellow Fever to Small Pox. Which reminds me; you’re one of the few left to get their shots.”

“Dear sweet Beth. Do I have to? I really hate needles.”

“For that remark, I ought to let you actually suffer through a series of shots. Instead, I guess I’ll relent and utilize the compressed air device provided by Oscar. It’s more like what you see Bones use on Star Trek.”

Sounding totally shocked, Grant exclaimed, “Don’t tell me I’m marrying a Trekkie?”

Beth grinned, held up her right hand with the first two fingers and the last two fingers forming a ‘V,’ and proclaimed, “Live long and prosper.”

Grant made a big production of placing his head in his hands and groaning in seeming despair. The laughter that filled the room let Grant know that no one bought his act.

Pat capped it off by saying, “Grant, don’t quit your day job.”

After that, even Grant couldn’t keep a straight face, though he did grimace a bit when Beth injected the vaccines in his left shoulder.

Looking at the time, Grant asked, “Has anyone heard from Sabrina? I would’ve thought she would be back by now.”

“Marcel radioed a few minutes ago that they would be leaving shortly. They were waiting on Eric, Thomas and some others to arrive.”

Having nothing else to do at the moment, Grant wandered out to the Stiletto to check on the progress. He could see several of his men working with the pylon idea, but they all seemed somewhat befuddled.

“Still having a leaking problem?” Grant asked.

“Yes, and nothing we’ve tried has worked.”

Grant looked carefully at their design, and asked, “Are you open to a suggestion?”

“I’m open for anything at this point,” proclaimed an exasperated Brad.

“Instead of having the pylons extend and retract at a ninety degree angle, slant them downward a few degrees and retract them into a slip that will automatically drain the water before the window or slot is closed and locked.”

Brad smacked himself in the head and exclaimed, “I feel so stupid. Since the missile was designed for the Apache helicopter, I was trying to follow what went before. The problem is that air doesn’t need to drain, but water does. I should have this through in a couple of hours. As for the rest of the boat, it’s ready to go when you are.”