place. Now he feared from the increasing
Japanese activity that they might occupy the island. When they examined his copra
tanks and found them empty, all they would have to do was get some of his native
workers together to figure out that he had been double-dealing them, and they would
put him in a nice hole in the ground. No doubt he had a pile of money in Australia
in some bank. He’d contacted his business cronies to get him out, but since the Aussies
had no subs, the pressure came through Washington to Admiral Lockwood at ComSubPac.
“Meine Haus liegt hinten dem Walde,” Vandelmann blurted drunkenly, pointing toward
his plantation.
“Shithead says his house is over there,” Ketchel said, not looking up. He was leaning
against a tree.
“Yeah, I’d like to send him back to his house,” Osborne added, looking at him with
a hateful glance. “How about on the end of a torpedo, jackass?”
“Der Alte aber verlor sein ganzes Geld!” Vandelmann insisted.
Ketchel translated, “Ah, the asshole says he’s a poor old man who’s lost all of his
money.”
Several of the men chimed in at the same time, “Ah, drop dead! We’re just crying
our eyes out for ya!”
The German looked at Ketchel and said, “Űbersetzung?”
“Ja.” Ketchel sounded irritated. “Translation, ja, ja, I’ll translate for you. Though
I bet you understand everything in English just fine.”
Harry, Osborne, and Polavita all looked at each other. He wondered if they were thinking
what he was thinking. The Japanese were on the island. By now, they had probably
guessed what was going on with Vandelmann, and maybe guessed that some Allied force
was on the island as well.
The wind had started coming up since dawn. Could both rafts get off the island and
through the Cauldron? It remained to be seen. If they pulled out now, but were swept
back in, the enemy might be waiting for both. The patrol would be captured and the
mission would become a disaster. The orders were still there, hanging over Harry’s
head, and it was obvious what had to be done.
“All right, Duke, you know what to do! Get that machine gun of yours and set it up
over there on that rock or some other place with a good field of fire. Did we get
the three hundred rounds?”
Osborne nodded, then walked over to the trunk of a palm tree about fifteen feet away
and picked up the Browning automatic rifle that stood against it.
“Polavita, sprinkle Ketchel and Minton around with those Springfield rifles and a
lot of ammo. Duke will tell you where. Then come back here.”
“Yes, sir!”
Men didn’t use “yes sirs” and “no sirs” on board Bluefin . But this was an emergency,
and they all knew that discipline might save their lives.
In a moment, with the men placed, Polavita came back.
Harry bent down with Osborne and Polavita. “Tony, you need to make good on this .
. . ”
Several voices swept their way: “Sir, look!”
Everyone stood. Harry picked up a pair of binoculars and could see a truck rounding
the end of the island. The three bent down again.
“This mission is going to succeed or fail depending on if you can get through the
surf with that German right now. Take Botel, Czarik, and the big raft. That will
give you three men paddling and the German and Howie lying down in the bottom for
ballast. It ought to keep you from overturning.”
“Sir,” Polavita said, “I hate to leave you with Phoebe. He’s just a kid and he’s
afraid already.”
“That can’t be helped. I’m sorry to give you only three paddlers, but it’s the best
I can do for you and still hold this place. If you can’t get through, don’t get drowned,
get swept back in.”
Polavita nodded. He could see it was the only way.
“Go now, and we’ll try to hold them off with the gun. Send up a flare when you make
it. I need Duke here with me.”
The three men stood. “Okay, Harry, we’ll get you off this damn place,” Polavita promised.
Harry watched them take off at a run,
Japanese activity that they might occupy the island. When they examined his copra
tanks and found them empty, all they would have to do was get some of his native
workers together to figure out that he had been double-dealing them, and they would
put him in a nice hole in the ground. No doubt he had a pile of money in Australia
in some bank. He’d contacted his business cronies to get him out, but since the Aussies
had no subs, the pressure came through Washington to Admiral Lockwood at ComSubPac.
“Meine Haus liegt hinten dem Walde,” Vandelmann blurted drunkenly, pointing toward
his plantation.
“Shithead says his house is over there,” Ketchel said, not looking up. He was leaning
against a tree.
“Yeah, I’d like to send him back to his house,” Osborne added, looking at him with
a hateful glance. “How about on the end of a torpedo, jackass?”
“Der Alte aber verlor sein ganzes Geld!” Vandelmann insisted.
Ketchel translated, “Ah, the asshole says he’s a poor old man who’s lost all of his
money.”
Several of the men chimed in at the same time, “Ah, drop dead! We’re just crying
our eyes out for ya!”
The German looked at Ketchel and said, “Űbersetzung?”
“Ja.” Ketchel sounded irritated. “Translation, ja, ja, I’ll translate for you. Though
I bet you understand everything in English just fine.”
Harry, Osborne, and Polavita all looked at each other. He wondered if they were thinking
what he was thinking. The Japanese were on the island. By now, they had probably
guessed what was going on with Vandelmann, and maybe guessed that some Allied force
was on the island as well.
The wind had started coming up since dawn. Could both rafts get off the island and
through the Cauldron? It remained to be seen. If they pulled out now, but were swept
back in, the enemy might be waiting for both. The patrol would be captured and the
mission would become a disaster. The orders were still there, hanging over Harry’s
head, and it was obvious what had to be done.
“All right, Duke, you know what to do! Get that machine gun of yours and set it up
over there on that rock or some other place with a good field of fire. Did we get
the three hundred rounds?”
Osborne nodded, then walked over to the trunk of a palm tree about fifteen feet away
and picked up the Browning automatic rifle that stood against it.
“Polavita, sprinkle Ketchel and Minton around with those Springfield rifles and a
lot of ammo. Duke will tell you where. Then come back here.”
“Yes, sir!”
Men didn’t use “yes sirs” and “no sirs” on board Bluefin . But this was an emergency,
and they all knew that discipline might save their lives.
In a moment, with the men placed, Polavita came back.
Harry bent down with Osborne and Polavita. “Tony, you need to make good on this .
. . ”
Several voices swept their way: “Sir, look!”
Everyone stood. Harry picked up a pair of binoculars and could see a truck rounding
the end of the island. The three bent down again.
“This mission is going to succeed or fail depending on if you can get through the
surf with that German right now. Take Botel, Czarik, and the big raft. That will
give you three men paddling and the German and Howie lying down in the bottom for
ballast. It ought to keep you from overturning.”
“Sir,” Polavita said, “I hate to leave you with Phoebe. He’s just a kid and he’s
afraid already.”
“That can’t be helped. I’m sorry to give you only three paddlers, but it’s the best
I can do for you and still hold this place. If you can’t get through, don’t get drowned,
get swept back in.”
Polavita nodded. He could see it was the only way.
“Go now, and we’ll try to hold them off with the gun. Send up a flare when you make
it. I need Duke here with me.”
The three men stood. “Okay, Harry, we’ll get you off this damn place,” Polavita promised.
Harry watched them take off at a run,
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