60
They confronted us with a world of commotion.
Or what prevailed before our entrance paralysed them in whatever positions they stopped. Suspended in situ, remaining on the huge black shape commanding the site.
The width is at least twice that of any ordinary sub.
Without the boat-style edges of her predecessors, the Lavrov stayed elliptic in construction.
The conventional V-designed slendernesses left her forward end rested hemi-spherical.
There was no deck. The sheer surfaces and bows advanced to the top of the frame. Allowing a slender fore-and-aft working space, precarious in its polished convexity, that they railed it off in this mystery harbour.
A hundred feet from the apex, the narrow, large conning-tower rose. Half-way up the sides and stuck out stubbily at suitable angles were the swept-back auxiliary diving places of the submarine.
Tried to catch what lay far aft, but the lights obscured the viewpoint of that end of the vessel.
The crew stared as if the lavas of Vesuvius showered over them years ago. The others, backs bent, were remaining on the snout of the sub. Holding a cable hooked up to a massive crate, which two frogmen were encouraging to raise free of the water.
On the extreme left, supervising activities, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Beside him, the Captain of the Lavrov and Grant Tilbury, the Minister for Agricultural and Biosecurity.
This was their significant day. Climax of their dreams, and not miss a moment of it.
The ones for me. Advanced forward until I could see the barrel of the machine-gun, and until they could likewise learn that I was pointing at them.
"Everybody, stop what you are doing," I announced. "Order your men, Wheatley, that if they move, if they try, I'll kill everyone. Do you understand?"
"Yes." The guttural tone was sombre, but he gave the command
"Great. You'll come aboard our craft one at a time.
"Please keep still."
The voice lacked resonance.
But the revolver pushed hard against my vertebra, brought its own information, not misinterpreted.
"Perfect. Draw your hand away from the gun.
Taking a pace forward, I withdrew my palm. This left me holding the machine-pistol by the barrel.
"Lay it on the deck."
Useless as a club, laid it on the damp wood. Captured before. To prove that I was a bona fide professional, lifted my hands high and turned.
"Why, Sheena Ryder!" I said. Again, I knew what to do. How to act. The correct tone for the circumvented agent, bantering but bitter. "I wondered where you might be hiding."
She wore a sombre sweater and trousers, but didn't look as spruce as the last time I'd seen her. She was soaking wet. Her face was a lifeless white and without explanation. The eyes were still.
"Been for a swim, by any chance?"
"Once you entered, hurtling through the doors, I lowered myself into the water and climbed on board when you stopped."
"Did you? How ingenious. Why don't you change out of those clothes before you catch your death?"
She ignored me. She spoke to Tom. "Switch off the light."
"Do as the lady says," I suggested.
He did as instructed. Wheatley said: "Throw that gun over the side, Major."
"Do as he suggests," I directed.
He threw the weapon. The two politicians came strolling in our direction. Their crew sprouted guns. I considered this display of equipped power and declared: "You knew we were coming."
"We were waiting," he stated. "The Lavrov possesses the highest specification of detection apparatus in the world. We saw you were moving the minute you left Cape Ore. I assumed you realised that, but maybe we have been wrong overestimating you."
"Don't be so confident," I said with contempt.
"I guess I can affirm you have fucked this up," the secretary of state declared. His optimism did not deceive me. He'd have moved into uncontrollable amusement when I broke apart on the rack.
"Don't exult too if your delight at your own good fortune is hasty."
He chuckled again until he looked in jeopardy of seizures.
"I do not think I am premature. And how do you enjoy that, Mr Secret Agent?"
"What are you planning on doing?
"Naïve. What are you going to do? You realise easily. Did you know where he was?"
"I don't speak to executioners."
"I guess we'll shoot the elderly fellow through the foot," Tilbury beamed. "a second later through the arm, next the femur…"
"By elimination." I blurted out.
"Explain yourself."
"This is not one of your last-minute jobs. You have prepared this for ages. This base is perfect for the Lavrov to use.
"How clever of you?"
"The trawler tethered fore-and-aft in a meagre common harbour south of here. It's free of any rock, and it includes more aerials and satellite dishes than fishing nets. You expected it was there to give you back-up and help. Well, gentlemen, that vessel does not belong to the motherland, it belongs to the Ukrainian navy."
glances.
"You're lying," the minister said.
"Am I?"
Tilbury and Wheatley consulted for a few minutes.
"That will satisfy your paymasters in the Kremlin," I tormented.
Another hiatus.
"Let's kill him. Tie up the loose ends."
They were a brisk and business-comparable outfit.