“What do we do as soon as we get out of the sub, sir?”
“Try and not make any fuss on the surface. Get down quickly to ten feet and take your place in the formation. We’re likely to get help from a light breeze, but we’re bound to create turbulence on the surface. Keep it down as much as you can.”
“What about signals underwater, sir? Suppose a mask goes wrong or something.”
“Thumbs down for any kind of emergency. Arm held straight out for a big fish. Thumbs up means `I understand’ or `Coming to help you.’ That’s all you’ll need.” Bond smiled. “If the feet go up, that’s the signal that you’ve had it.”
The men laughed various kinds of laugh.
There came the sudden voice of the P.A. system. “Swimming party to the escape hatch. I repeat, swimming party to the escape hatch. Don equipment, Don equipment. Commander Bond to the attack center, please.”
The whine of the engines died to a moan and then was silent. There was a slight bump as the Manta hit bottom.
23.
Naked Warfare
Bond shot upward out of the escape hatch in a blast of compressed air. Far above him the surface of the sea was a glittering plate of quicksilver bubbling and swirling with the small waves that Bond was glad to see had materialized. The balloon of air rushed on past him and he watched it hit the silver ceiling like a small bomb. There was a sharp pain in his ears. To get decompression he fought with his fins and slowed down until he hung suspended ten feet below the surface.
Below him the long black shape of the Manta looked sinister and dangerous. He thought of the electric light blazing inside her and a hundred men going about their business. It gave him a creepy feeling. NOW there came a great explosion from the escape hatch as if the Manta was firing at Bond, and the black projectile of Leiter shot up at him through the burst of silver air bubbles. Bond moved out of his path and swam on up to the surface. Cautiously he looked above the small flurry of the waves. The Disco , still blacked out, lay stopped less than a mile away to his left. There were no signs of activity on board. A mile to the north lay the long dark outline of Grand Bahama edged with the white of sand and small waves. There were small patches of broken white on the coral and niggerheads in the intervening water. Above the island, on top of the tall rocket gantries that showed as indistinct black skeletons, the red aircraft warning lights winked on and off. Bond got his bearings and quietly jackknifed his body down below the surface. He stopped at about ten feet and, keeping his body pointed like a compass needle along the course he would have to follow, lay, paddling softly with his fins to keep position, and waited for the rest of his team.
***
Ten minutes before, Commander Pedersen’s stolid calm had given way to controlled excitement. “By gum, it’s working out like you said it would!” he had said wonderingly when Bond came into the attack center. “They hove to just about ten minutes ago, and since then the Sonar keeps on picking up odd noises, underwater noises, just what one would expect if they were getting things mobilized in that underwater compartment of theirs. Nothing else to go on, but it’s quite enough. I guess you and the boys had better get going. As soon as you’re out of the way, I’m going to float up a surface antenna and get a signal off to Navy Department, give them a Sitrep and have the missile station warned to stand by to evacuate if things go wrong. Then I’m going to come up to twenty feet or so and have two tubes loaded and keep a periscope watch. I’m issuing Petty Officer Fallon with a second flare. I’ve told him to keep out of trouble as much as he can and be ready to let off the second flare if it looks as if things are going really bad for our side. Unlikely, but I can’t take chances with things as they are. If that second flare comes up, I’m going to close in. Knock a piece or two off the Disco with the four-inch and then board her. Then I’m going to be rough as hell until that bomb’s been recovered and rendered safe.” The captain shook his head doubtfully. He ran his hand over the black iron filings of his crew-cut. “This is one hell of a situation, Commander. We’ll just have to play it by ear.” He held out his hand. “Well. You’d better get going. Good luck. I hope my boys’ll be a credit to the ship.”