On the Edge of Darkness (Special Force Orca Book 1) by Anthony Molloy
Authors: Anthony Molloy
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sea.
Midshipman Hogg appeared by Stone ’s side, “The skipper wants to know if you are ready. We are coming up into position now.” As he spoke the lean to starboard eased and the engines died away to a deep throaty rumble.
“ We’re ready, sir.”
“ Right! Stand by,” …I’ll give you the word from the bridge when we are in position”
* * *
Bushel was running flat out for the enemy emplacement. It had gone eerily silent following the explosions and he feared the worse.
The sandbagged perimeter appeared out of the dark, there was no challenge, no warning shots. Without pausing he leap-frogged over the bags. They were all dead, nothing moved. Silently, cautiously he advanced towards the emplacement itself
He burst through the door and found himself looking down the barrel of Stilson ’s Tommy gun. The marine held his gaze for a second before returning to his check of the bodies. He poked the point of the gun behind the bloody ear of a German private and turned him over with one booted foot.
“ Did you get the lot?” gasped Bushel.
“ Yeah, you were a lot of use.”
Bushel scratched th e top of his head, embarrassed, “Sorry about that, I couldn’t move a bloody muscle under that fat bastard. I assume it was you that copped him?”
The wiry marine nodded once.
Bushel turned away “We’d better get on…that light should be in place by now!”
* * *
Hogg’s young and high pitched voice waxed and waned in the stiff breeze, “Right PO slip two mines, keep one in reserve.”
Stone lifted an arm in acknowledgement. “Alright lads, you heard the officer… Wyatt, get the weight off the pin before you take it out, you ain’t going to move it like that.”
“ Bloody thing’s jammed… tight as a duck’s arse, PO.”
“ Get for’ard to the locker and get me a lever, a cable jack anything… whatever you can find.” He turned calling after Wyatt’s hurrying figure, “ and look sharp about it. Jerry’s peering up our hawse pipe!”
“ What’s happening down there? What’s the delay?” called Hogg.
“ Jammed, sir, I’ve sent Wyatt for a lever, here he is now… Gis it ‘ere”,
Stone snatched the wooden pole from the AB and rammed it in between the mine and the metal ramp, throwing his huge weight be hind it, “That’s it! Now get that fucking pin out.
The pin slid free, Stone pulled the jack clear and the black bulk of the mine rolled sluggishly forward… and stopped.
* * *
The two marines dropped the reins of the improvised sledge al lowing its own weight to bring it to a halt.
“ Gis a hand to turn it round to point out to sea…that’s it, let’s hope the bastard works! Some sodding thing’s gotta go right tonight…Get ready to make yourself scarce, we make tracks for the laying up position when I throw the switch, I don’t fancy sticking around in the light from this bastard and keep your eyes averted otherwise you’ll be as blind as a bat.” He threw the switch: nothing happened.
They looked at each other.
Bushel exhaled, “Fuck…You any good with electrics?”
Stilson shook his head .
“ I’ll try the little I know.” He placed a well aimed kick at the body of the light.
* * *
Stone yelled into the wind, “Bridge there! Can you turn her into the wind, sir? This rolling’s jamming the mine against the sides of the ramp”
Grant bent down and called through the wheelhouse door, “O’Neill, slow ahead all engines, starboard twenty.”
Suddenly the rocky outline of the cliffs to starboard lit up, a sequence of two long and one short split the night and then blinked abruptly out.
“ There’s the light, sir. At least the marines are on time!”
Grant covered his eyes with one hand as a second sequence flashed forth. “Trouble is that’s going to light us up like Blackpool Tower on a Saturday night. They’ll be able to see us for miles.”
“ Not
Midshipman Hogg appeared by Stone ’s side, “The skipper wants to know if you are ready. We are coming up into position now.” As he spoke the lean to starboard eased and the engines died away to a deep throaty rumble.
“ We’re ready, sir.”
“ Right! Stand by,” …I’ll give you the word from the bridge when we are in position”
* * *
Bushel was running flat out for the enemy emplacement. It had gone eerily silent following the explosions and he feared the worse.
The sandbagged perimeter appeared out of the dark, there was no challenge, no warning shots. Without pausing he leap-frogged over the bags. They were all dead, nothing moved. Silently, cautiously he advanced towards the emplacement itself
He burst through the door and found himself looking down the barrel of Stilson ’s Tommy gun. The marine held his gaze for a second before returning to his check of the bodies. He poked the point of the gun behind the bloody ear of a German private and turned him over with one booted foot.
“ Did you get the lot?” gasped Bushel.
“ Yeah, you were a lot of use.”
Bushel scratched th e top of his head, embarrassed, “Sorry about that, I couldn’t move a bloody muscle under that fat bastard. I assume it was you that copped him?”
The wiry marine nodded once.
Bushel turned away “We’d better get on…that light should be in place by now!”
* * *
Hogg’s young and high pitched voice waxed and waned in the stiff breeze, “Right PO slip two mines, keep one in reserve.”
Stone lifted an arm in acknowledgement. “Alright lads, you heard the officer… Wyatt, get the weight off the pin before you take it out, you ain’t going to move it like that.”
“ Bloody thing’s jammed… tight as a duck’s arse, PO.”
“ Get for’ard to the locker and get me a lever, a cable jack anything… whatever you can find.” He turned calling after Wyatt’s hurrying figure, “ and look sharp about it. Jerry’s peering up our hawse pipe!”
“ What’s happening down there? What’s the delay?” called Hogg.
“ Jammed, sir, I’ve sent Wyatt for a lever, here he is now… Gis it ‘ere”,
Stone snatched the wooden pole from the AB and rammed it in between the mine and the metal ramp, throwing his huge weight be hind it, “That’s it! Now get that fucking pin out.
The pin slid free, Stone pulled the jack clear and the black bulk of the mine rolled sluggishly forward… and stopped.
* * *
The two marines dropped the reins of the improvised sledge al lowing its own weight to bring it to a halt.
“ Gis a hand to turn it round to point out to sea…that’s it, let’s hope the bastard works! Some sodding thing’s gotta go right tonight…Get ready to make yourself scarce, we make tracks for the laying up position when I throw the switch, I don’t fancy sticking around in the light from this bastard and keep your eyes averted otherwise you’ll be as blind as a bat.” He threw the switch: nothing happened.
They looked at each other.
Bushel exhaled, “Fuck…You any good with electrics?”
Stilson shook his head .
“ I’ll try the little I know.” He placed a well aimed kick at the body of the light.
* * *
Stone yelled into the wind, “Bridge there! Can you turn her into the wind, sir? This rolling’s jamming the mine against the sides of the ramp”
Grant bent down and called through the wheelhouse door, “O’Neill, slow ahead all engines, starboard twenty.”
Suddenly the rocky outline of the cliffs to starboard lit up, a sequence of two long and one short split the night and then blinked abruptly out.
“ There’s the light, sir. At least the marines are on time!”
Grant covered his eyes with one hand as a second sequence flashed forth. “Trouble is that’s going to light us up like Blackpool Tower on a Saturday night. They’ll be able to see us for miles.”
“ Not
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