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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 telephone i to Langston Overholt in Virginia。
〃We had to sink the vessel closest to us；〃 he said。 〃But there's a corvette and a frigate still to contend with。〃
Overholt was pacing in his office while talking on the speaker phone。 In front of his desk； sitting in a chair and dressed in full uniform； was a United States Navy mander who was attached to the CIA。 〃I have a naval officer here in my office。 My superiors are worried about fallout if you attack and sink the other two ships。 How far away from you are they？〃
〃We are in no imminent danger for a few more minutes；〃 Cabrillo stated。
〃If we can stop them in their tracks；〃 Overholt asked； 〃can you affect an escape？〃
Cabrillo thought for a minute before answering。 〃We can retrieve our men and the object we came for and be back at full steam in five to ten minutes；〃 he said。 〃As long as the Chinese don't launch any planes at us； I think we will be home free。〃
〃As of this instant；〃 Overholt said； 〃the only radio transmission that got through was about a helicopter attacking a harbor police boat。 Right now； at least as far as the Chinese are concerned； you're just a cargo ship they can't reach on the radio。 That could change； however； once the survivors of the ship you sank are collected。〃
〃By then we should be far out to sea traveling south；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃and back into the fog bank。 With the electronics on board； we can hide from ship…to…sea radar。 The fog will keep us hidden from above。〃 Overholt turned to the navy mander。 〃Will this new device affect our ship as well？〃
〃Not if they turn all the electronics off as it passes alongside。〃
〃Juan；〃 Overholt said； 〃did you hear that？〃
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃but I don't understand。〃
〃It's a new toy the navy has；〃 Overholt said； 〃called a FRITZY。 It is designed to short out electrical circuits and we believe it will disable the remaining ships。 What we'll need you to do is shut down all the systems on the Oregon when we give you the order。〃
Eric Stone was scanning the radar and said； 〃We're ing up on the Zodiacs now。〃
〃Slow to