按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
er was swinging in to take on a load of fish； coconuts； or tobacco。
It would take three trawlers to break it off the bar and guide it； he decided。 Langstree would scream like hell； but that was something Kip had encountered before。 He closed and locked the office door and in another moment was in his jeep； driving out of the Square toward the harbor below。
Six
A SWIRL OF dark smoke from straining diesel engines stained the blue of the afternoon sky。 The men on the trawlers' decks called back and forth to each other as they yanked at thick hawsers and cables； securing them around heavy…duty cleats and bollards。 Lines drew tight； ing up out of the sea with a popping sound； sending droplets of water flying。 Someone called out； 〃Pull！ Break her ass； there！〃
Timbers creaked； the noise of diesels mounted； their vibrations pounding decks and churning the guts of the blacks who worked there。 Sweat rolled off their backs beneath the hot sun。 〃Give 'er more；〃 the captain of the Hellie shouted out； the stub of a Brazilian cigar clenched firmly in his teeth。 〃e on； mon！〃 Water boiled at the stern。 The captain looked across to the other trawler； the Lucy J。 Leen； stretched tight on its spiderweb of hawsers。 The Lucy's diesels were smoking； and it looked as if her captain was going to have to drop his main lines。
The Hellie's master squinted and exhaled a large cloud of blue smoke。 Christ A'mighty！ That big bitch had her nose stuck tight in sand； she wasn't going to move； no matter how much power they squeezed into the engines。 One of the starboard lines was fraying fast； he saw it and pointed； 〃Hey！ You men watch your fuckin' heads when that baby es flyin' back； you hear me？〃
Another trawler； a rickety old boat with a smaller draft； had secured lines onto the hulk's bow； pulling its nose out of the sand while the other bigger boats hauled at its length。 The thing was heavy…heavier than she looked。 The Hellie's master didn't want his diesels wrecked； and he was almost ready to tell his first mate to shut them down。 But he'd told Steve Kip he'd do his best； and by God that's what he was going to do。 〃We're heatin'！〃 someone cried out； and the captain yelled back； 〃Let 'er heat！〃
The props were foaming wild water at the sterns of the trawlers； now sand was ing up； too。 That was a lot of power working in there。 Shit！ The captain grunted and chewed the butt。 Fuckin' thing won't move！
But suddenly there was a sliding sound and the Hellie lurched forward。 〃Ease up！〃 the captain called out sharply。 〃Drop her down a few notches！〃 The diesels immediately began to rumble more quietly； and a man in the stern on the trawler securing the bow lines waved his arms。
〃Okay；〃 the captain called out toward the squat wheelhouse。 〃Full ahead。〃
〃Full ahead！〃 The order went back； by way of two or three crewmen。
The Hellie began to move back； as did the Lucy J。 Leen； still smoking badly； and the sliding noise intensified。 Then； abruptly； it ceased。 The submarine's bow began to swing free； and the beat…up trawler tightened its hawsers to keep control over the thing。 Holding the U…boat secured within their circle； the trawler armada moved at a crawl past the wharfs where the crew of a Bahaman freighter watched from their aft deck。 The swells rolled in toward the fishing wharfs； bobbing the small boats up and down against their tire…brows and bumpers； spreading out beneath the pilings； and smashing into the beach in a mass of oil…streaked foam。
The trawlers moved along the semicircle of the harbor； past the village toward the boatyard beyond。 Past a couple of old； submerged wrecks with masts and funnels protruding from blue water； past another large trawler at anchor； past the boatyard wharfs they moved。 The Hellie's captain looked along the port deck and could see the aluminum drydock shelters。 The largest one； the one used as a temporary shelter for patrol boats during the war； was right on the lip of the sea。 It had been built on a concrete bedding with a large door that could be raised or lowered and a dam and pumping system that could allow flooding； now the captain could see the open shelter doorway。 It was set amid a jumble of unused； rotting piers the navy had built and then abandoned。 It was going to be damned tricky getting such a length in there； damned tricky。
He watched the angle of the swells as they flowed around Kiss Bottom's bommies。 The sea was running a bit rough this afternoon； and that was going to cause more problems。 The Hellie's master had been a first mate on a British ocean…going salvage tug； and that was the primary reason Kip had asked him to oversee the operation。 He'd towed for the British navy in the latter years of the war and had brought in many dead or dying ships to the Navy facilities here in this very harbor。 He twisted around to check the lines。 Number four fraying badly； number two as well。 Goddamn it！ he snarled to himself。 No good rope in the islands these days！ The Lucy J。 Leen was cutting back somewhat due to her overtaxed diesels； someone was going to catch hell about letting those engines get in such a shit…awful shape。
Dark…green water roiled inside the abandoned naval shelter。 He could see the workmen waiting with their sturdy hawsers to secure the hulk。 The trawlers passed the shelter； the smaller craft with the bow lines turned in front of the submarine and made for the open doorway。 Diesels shrilled； but in another moment the hulk responded and started moving bow…first toward the shelter。 Simultaneously the larger boats cut their engines； now it was up to the small boat to line up the submarine with the shelter and take it in。 Moving steadily and slowly； the bow trawler maneuvered into position； heading its own nose into the darkness of the shelter。 The other boats swung around； using their bined power to haul the U…boat forward。 At the last moment the small boat dropped its lines and swung sharply to starboard； the U…boat was cutting a bow…wake； moving too fast； so the trawlers cut back on their engines to slow it。
The U…boat moved into the shelter； and though its speed had been reduced； it still sent water crashing into the concrete sides of the shelter basin。 Its bow crunched against concrete even as men leaped aboard her and caught lines to tie the boat to iron cleats。 The trawlers dropped their lines then and swung off； and for a moment the heavy swells thrown up by the action of the boats sent foam and spray flying inside the drydock basin。 The dock workers fought to lash the hulk down； but as the swells subsided the water smoothed out and the boat held firm between tightly pulled fore and aft hawsers。
Kip stood and looked at the thing。 God； what a machine！ He took a last puff on his cigarette and tossed it into the brackish water； the butt hissed and went up underneath the hull。 He was standing on a wide concrete platform level with the hull which ran around the entire shelter。 Ladders leading off the platform that would normally have gone down to a dry pit were almost submerged。 Behind Kip was an abandoned work area now jammed with old crates and forgotten machinery； a carpentry area where a stack of timber lay； an electricia