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〃A wasted wish； but I agree；〃 Cabrillo said。
〃We don't know what the navy is sending；〃 Hanley noted； 〃but we can safely assume there won't be surface ships involvedour sensors don't detect any other vessels for a hundred miles。〃
〃They launched cruise missiles from the Persian Gulf into downtown Baghdad；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃so we can assume either missile or aircraft support。〃
〃The enemy has rockets on the fast…attack corvette； and some long guns that can fire high…explosive rounds； plus the frigate should have some Chinese…made cruise…type missiles。〃
〃They any good？〃 Cabrillo asked。
〃Not as accurate as ours；〃 Hanley admitted； 〃but they can sink a ship。〃
〃The hydrofoil？〃
〃Deck…mounted machine guns only；〃 Hanley said。
〃And the Zodiacs are being pursued by harbor patrol boats？〃
〃Correct；〃 Hanley said。 〃A pair of forty…six…foot aluminum cruisers with diesel power。 They each have a single bow…mounted machine gun。〃
〃Radios？〃
〃Nothing special；〃 Hanley said。
〃So even if we took out the harbor boats；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃the Zodiacs would still need to pass the trio of vessels on our tail。〃
〃I'm afraid so；〃 Hanley agreed。 Cabrillo started sketching on a yellow pad with a black Magic Marker。 When he finished； he handed the pad to Hanley。 〃Make sense to you？〃
〃Yep；〃 Hanley said。
〃Okay then；〃 Cabrillo said forcefully； 〃hard a' starboard。 We're going back toward land。〃
ADAMS EASED THE cyclic to the left and banked the R…44。 A few seconds earlier he had passed to port of the Chinese corvette and had just picked up a glimpse of the vessel through the fog。 It was a wonder the Chinese vessel had not fired on himsurely they had detected the helicopter as it flew toward land。 The frigate was fast approaching and Adams planned to give it a wide berth。
He was keeping the Robinson five to ten feet above the tops of the wavesmaybe that was shielding him from detection； but Adams doubted it。 To avoid radar detection； he needed to be closer to the wave topstwo； three feet maximum。 With the weapons pods hanging from each side of his skids and seawater detrimental to their correct opera tion； Adams was taking no chances。 If he had to trade avoiding fire from the Chinese ships to arriving too high to help his team members he'd do it。
Adams eased forward on the cyclic and watched as the governor adjusted his rotor speed。 He was doing 130 miles an hour； and according to his calculations he should be seeing the first Zodiac one minute forty…five seconds after he passed the frigate。 He strained his eyes to catch sight of the Chinese vessel； while at the same time watching the dash…mounted storm scope； which was sending a radar signal into the weather。
HUXLEY POINTED TO the dash of the Zodiac but said nothing。 Seng nodded； then bent down and shouted into her ear。 〃If I was to guess；〃 he screamed； 〃I'd say we have something partially blocking the raw water intake holes on the drive。 Might be something as simple as a piece of soaked paper or part of a plastic bagthe problem is； we need to stop and raise the outboard out of the water to check。〃
〃It doesn't seem to be getting any worse；〃 Julia Huxley said。
〃No； it doesn't；〃 Seng said。 〃We are in the low red and staying there。 If the engine can run at those temperatures for a little longer； we might just make it out of here alive。〃
Huxley scanned the water through the fog as they raced along。 She turned and caught a quick glimpse of the Zodiac being piloted by Kasim off the starboard stern。 The pair of diesel cruisers had yet to get close enough to catch sight of either vessel； and if they maintained their speed they never would。
〃Too bad we can't ask for a time out；〃 Huxley said； 〃so I can clean the water intake。〃
Eddie Seng strained to hear Huxley's voice over the noise of his racing outboard motor。 Something else was causing his ears to perk upa slight thumping ing from the bow。 Then； through the fog； he caught a glimpse of the R…44。 And a voice came over the radio。
THE MAND BRIDGE on the Gale Force was a buzz of shouted instructions。 Messages were repeated more than once as the news that the Oregon was starting a turn back to land was relayed from radar operator to captain； captain to helmsman； then around to the other officers。 The event was relayed to the captains of the corvette and the frigate； who immediately began to slow。
Captain Ching figured it would take the Oregon close to a nautical mile to plete the turn。
Once again； Ching would underestimate。
WITH MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS ENGINES powering the Oregon； there was no need to slow down to change directions on the drives。 There were no shafts to twist； no props to bend； no gears to strip。 The water jets from the stern came out of a rectangular shaft with a scoop on the end that could be diverted like the thrust of a Harrier jet engine to the fore or to the rear。 With the push of a few buttons； one of the propulsion engineers could divert the flow of one engine forward and one back and the Oregon would almost pivot on！ her keel； so long as the speeds were kept below thirty knots。 Such an…j abrupt maneuver made for a rough ridethe ship would kneel over and the gunwales would dip almost into the waterbut the Corporation had done it more than once。 Other than a few broken dishes and other objects being tossed around； the Oregon had been none the worse for the wear。
The engineer plotted in a turn…radius profile on the puter that resembled a U…turn。 Then he alerted the control room that they were ready。 Once the ship mander gave the order； the engineer simply pushed a button and held on to a nearby table as the Oregon threaded herself across the surface of the water as if she were on rails。 Down in the engine room； Sam Pryor glanced over at Gunther Reinholt； who had just disconnected his IV and was sipping from a cup of strong coffee after inputting the mand for the turn。
〃Elementary； Mr。 Reinholt；〃 Pryor said； smiling。 〃Indubitably； Mr。 Pryor；〃 Reinholt said。
Both men stared at the lying…down U…shaped track on the puter screen for a second。
〃Mr。 Chairman；〃 Reinholt said over the inter； 〃we're ready when you are。〃
〃WE'RE GOING TO do a fast turn and bunch up the three ships chasing us；〃 Cabrillo said over a scrambled radio link。 〃You will need to take out the pair of cruisers fast so the Zodiacs can slow before they run up on the stern of the frigate。〃
〃Understand；〃 Adams said。
〃We'll alert Seng and Kasim to slow as soon as the cruisers are disabled。〃
〃I'll blow all the ordnance of the port pod on the lead cruiser；〃 Adams said； 〃and the starboard on the following craft。 That should stop them cold。〃
〃Do your best to hit them in the sterns；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃If possible； we want to keep casualties to a minimum。〃
AT ALMOST THE same instant that the lead harbor police patrol boat caught sight of Kasim's Zodiac in the lessening fog； the lookout also reported a helicopter approaching from out to sea。 Adams had turned and looped the R…44 around to intercept the lead boat straight on her rear quarter。 Placing the crosshairs on the firing screen on the rear third of the forty…six…foot aluminum ship； Adams flipped a switch so all the missiles were targeted to the same spot just above the waterline。 Then he took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger。
The lookout caught a quick glimpse of the bubble canopy of the helicopter a second before the port weapons pod erupted with a volley of four missiles。 The missiles were smallonly slightly thicker than a man's armbut their noses were packed with high explosives。 With a six…foot plume of fire belching from the rear； the missiles raced across the gap and slammed into the side of the lead cruiser and severed the bow from the stern as easily as a machete through a pineapple。
The captain just had time to sound the alarm to abandon ship before the bow started sinking。
〃NOW； MR。 REINHOLT；〃 Cabrillo said as an alarm sounded throughout the ship。
Reinholt reached up to the console and pushed a red button； then took hold of the table next to him in a death grip。 The Oregon keeled over and started to turn。 It was as if the ship were on the track of a roller coaster。 The g forces were severe。 Everyone in the ship clutched the nearest immovable object and bent their knees like mogul skiers on a gnarly slope。 A few moments later； the Oregon came out of the fallen U and rolled upright again。
Lincoln； sitting in a tall fire control chair with a seat belt across his lap； shouted； 〃Yeah； baby。〃
〃We'll pass abreast of the hydrofoil in twenty seconds；〃 Hanley said。
〃Hit them in the pontoon； Mr。 Lincoln；〃 Cabrillo said。
〃WHAT THE…〃 CHING started to say as he watched the massive r T cargo shlp change directions。 〃Hard a' port；〃 he ordered But before the order could be earned out； the Oregon was almost alongside them。
〃EVERYWHERE I GO； I'm just a gigolo 。 。 。；〃 Lincoln sang as he lined up his target and fired。
The missile battery on the bow of the Oregon popped up and rotated toward the target。 Now； at Lincoln's mand； a pair of Harpoon missiles burst from their launchers and streaked across the distance。 They slammed into the thin slab…sided pontoon that reached down into the water and blew it off as cleanly as a guillotine would a finger。
The Gale Force was still making fast forward speed when she was hit。 Once the pontoon allowing her to ride up above the waterline disappeared； her main deck lurched to the side； then began to topple over。 She didn't quite flip over on her backit was more of a crippled disintegration into the water。 The helmsman managed to place the engines in neutral before she flipped； and that saved lives if not the ship。
A minute after being hit； the Gale Force had her decks awash and she was rapidly sinking。
Captain Deng Ching was bleeding from his nose and mouth after slamming into the mand console。 He was in a daze from pain。 The second in mand gave the order to abandon ship。
〃A HELICOPTER JUST attacked；〃 the captain of the rapidly sinking harbor police boat shouted into a portable radio as he climbed into the emergency raft。 〃Our boat is sinking。〃
〃Understood；〃 the captain of the second harbor boat said。 〃We'll e pick you up。〃
〃I'll shoot a flare。〃
〃We'll watch for it。〃
Then the captain turned to a sailor nearby。 〃Man the deck gun；〃 he said quickly； 〃and if any aircraft approaches； shoot it down。〃
The first time had worked so well； Adams decided to do it again。 Once again approaching from the port side； he lined up the crosshairs on the second harbor boat and pushed the button。 Nothing happened。 Perhaps the starboard weapons pod had been splashed with more seawater than had the port。 Maybe it was simply that the few extra minutes of time had allowed the fog and rain to seep into the circuitry。 It could have been a glitchthis was the first time the weapons pod had been usedand rarely did a system work flawlessly the first time out。
Whatever the case； the missiles wouldn't fire from the tubes。
The R…44 passed over the harbor patrol boat just as the sailor yanked back the lever on the deck gun and flicked off the safety。 He pivoted the gun to the correct height and started shooting at the rear of the retreating helicopter。 Adams felt the cyclic get mushy as a single bullet nicked a control rod to the main rotor。 He flew away into the fog to assess the situation。
〃Control；〃 he said over a secure channel on the radio。 〃I've eliminated one target； but now my horse is wounded and they broke my bow。〃
Hanley took the call in the control room of the Oregon。 He scanned the radar screen before answering。 〃Do you have control of the craft？〃
〃It's not too bad；〃 Adams said calmly。 〃I think I can set her down okay。〃
〃We're ing in your direction now；〃 Hanley said。 〃Blow the pods and bring the ship home。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 Adams asked。
〃There's a toggle switch on the weapons control panel；〃 Hanley said。 〃Flip up the cover and lower the switch and the racks will drop free。 We'll deal with the second boat。〃
Adams started an arc toward the harbor boat。 〃Give me a second；〃 he said。 〃I have an idea。〃
ACROSS THE ROOM； Juan Cabrillo was on the satellite teleph