Tom’s own pulse was far from calm. Leaving the radio on, he took over the controls from Hank. Soon the Sea Hound broke water. Tom scanned 164 AQUATOMIC TRACKER
the darkened ocean anxiously. They had been trailing the Rockwell at a distance of several miles, and the freighter had continued on course, unaware of the seacopter’s near encounter with the missile. By now the Rockwell was over the horizon-probably with Vaxilis’ submarine close on its tail. Neither was within sonar range of the Sea Hound.
“We’ll take to the air,” Tom told his crew. “Let’s hope we warned those Navy boys in timel”
Reversing blade pitch, he gunned the rotor turbine. The Sea Hound leaped aloft in a steep arc, then jetted in pursuit of the freighter.
“There she is!” Hank exclaimed presently.
Dead ahead, below them, the Rockwell was visible in the moonlight. Her wake had faded, indicating that she had heaved to. At such a distance it was hard to see exactly what was happening, but her lifeboats appeared to be already in the water. Tom swooped toward them.
Boom! A red ball of fire blossomed from the freighter’s starboard side. A cloud of hissing steam and smoke billowed up as the vessel listed heavily and started to capsize.
“Call the Sky Queen!” Tom exclaimed to Hank. The huge Flying Lab had been standing by at the Norfolk Naval Air Station in case of emergency.
Tom switched on all the lights, including the search beam, and brought the Sea Hound hovering down to the water. One of the lifeboats had swamped and foundered as a result of the geyser-166 AQUATOMIC TRACKER
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