Harry Heron: No Quarter

by Patrick G Cox

  HARRY HERON:

  NO QUARTER

  Book Three of the Harry Heron Adventure Series

  Patrick G. Cox

  Harry Heron: No Quarter

  Copyright © 2017 Patrick G. Cox

  Paperback ISBN: 9781946824035

  Ebook ISBN: 9781946824042

  www.harryheron.com

  Cover design by Kura Carpenter

  www.kuracarpenterdesign.blogspot.com

  Editing and Interior Book Design by Janet Angelo of

  IndieGo Publishing LLC

  www.indiegopublishing.com

  Harry Heron: No Quarter is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons living or dead is coincidental. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher or the author except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

  The Harry Heron Adventure Series

  __________________________________________

  Harry Heron: Midshipman’s Journey

  Harry Heron: Into the Unknown

  Harry Heron: No Quarter

  Harry Heron: Savage Fugitive

  Harry Heron: Awakening Threat

  Harry Heron: Hope Transcends

  OTHER BOOKS by PATRICK G. COX

  __________________________________________

  A Baltic Affair

  Limehouse Boys

  Magnus Patricius: The Remarkable Life of St Patrick the Man

  Part One – Fleet College

  __________________________________________

  Chapter 1 – Fresh Start

  Chapter 2 – Shades of the Past

  Chapter 3 – The Yotties

  Chapter 4 – Lacertian Cadets

  Chapter 5 – Ingenuity

  Chapter 6 – Frustrated Attempt

  Chapter 7 – Hornet’s Nest

  Chapter 8 – Our Own Resources

  Chapter 9 – Interference

  Chapter 10 – Skulduggery

  Chapter 11 – Der Große Kurfürst

  Chapter 12 – Suspicion

  Chapter 13 – Sabotage

  Chapter 14 – Seeing Double

  Chapter 15 – Death on Camera

  Chapter 16 – Enquiry

  Chapter 17 – Back on Track

  Chapter 18 – Firing Exercise

  Chapter 19 – Bad Judgment

  Chapter 20 – Regatta Week

  Chapter 21 – Against Wind and Water

  Chapter 22 – Time to Move On

  Part Two – Fleet Deployment

  _______________________________________________

  Chapter 23 – New Ship, New Challenges

  Chapter 24 – Ferghal’s Oneupmanship

  Chapter 25 – Outward Bound

  Chapter 26 – Pangaea, Again

  Chapter 27 – Convoy to Seraphis

  Chapter 28 – Diversion

  Chapter 29 – Ambushed

  Chapter 30 – Survivors

  Chapter 31 – Consortium Strikes

  Chapter 32 – Engage the Enemy

  Chapter 33 – Farewell to Hell

  Chapter 34 – Breakthrough

  Chapter 35 – Surprise

  Chapter 36 – Unwelcome Passengers

  Chapter 37 – Fight or Die

  Chapter 38 – No Quarter Asked, None Given

  Chapter 39 – Taking Command

  Chapter 40 – Long Way Home

  Part One – Fleet College

  Chapter 1 – Fresh Start

  Harry was so focused on sailing the Bermudan sloop that he thought nothing of the boat following some distance astern, but something about it registered a feeling of disquiet in his mind, and he glanced back at it now and then. This feeling amplified when the boat came up astern at full speed then slowed, apparently content to follow Harry through a crowd of small dinghies and pleasure craft. Harry dismissed his sense of unease with logic. This was, after all, a busy waterway, with the approach to the yacht harbour at Bangor, or across the Lough at Carrickfergus, and, of course, the many large and small vessels entering or leaving Belfast itself.

  “We’ll have to tack again to achieve the approach to Bangor,” he remarked to Ferghal. “I shall hold this course until we are level with the channel buoy.”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n,” Ferghal said with a grin, saluting Harry. They had been friends since childhood, though Harry’s station was a notch above Ferghal’s, something Harry never gave a thought to. Sometimes Ferghal still struggled to understand that now they were equals in the eyes of society in the year 2206, a very different world indeed from the one they mysteriously departed in 1804.

  Harry was becoming concerned with the boat following them. Glancing astern, he frowned. “Our shadow is with us still, gaining a little. Under power he has no reliance on the wind, but his machine does not appear to have the speed to shorten the chase.”

  Ferghal looked back at the boat and assessed its speed. “Not yet, but when we tack, he may take the shorter route.”

  Harry considered this. “So he may, but I do not see a reason to be concerned. He just sits in our wake at present.”

  Harry’s guardian, Commodore Heron, had been very explicit before the two young men set out on this jaunt. If they noticed anyone or anything behaving in a manner that was out of the ordinary, they were to contact him immediately.

  Watching the following boat, Ferghal let out an uneasy breath. “I like him not. We should not have left Sci’gara ashore. She takes her guardian duties very seriously, does that astute Lacertian, and Sci’genza will give you one of her respectful lectures, I think.”

  Harry grinned. “No doubt I shall get a lecture from the Commodore as well. His lectures are far easier to suffer than Sci’genza’s politeness, though her lectures are endurable because of her alien beauty, strange as it is.” He glanced at the hefty channel marker buoy as they swept past it. They were clear of other craft and had this part of the Lough to themselves, but the boat shadowing them persisted on their heels like a dog intent on its chase.

  Making a decision, Harry said, “Ready, Ferghal? Let’s tack now.”

  Putting the helm over, Harry swung the bow through the eye of the wind while Ferghal and the pair of youths hired in Bangor brought the foresail smartly across and sheeted it home. The boat surged forward on her new course, responding well to the wind on the new tack.

  “They’ve altered course,” Ferghal called out. “I think they steer to cross our path.”

  Harry checked. “You are correct.” He paused. “Damn. Contact the Commodore.”

  “The link is jammed. There’s no way to make contact with the Commodore or Security.” Ferghal glared at the boat. “They are closing fast.” He noted its increased speed and the men clinging to the grab rails along the side of the wheelhouse. “Four of them, armed. And we are not.” Ferghal flexed his shoulders. “What do ye plan?”

  “From their approach, they will attempt to pass close alongside and board as they do.” Harry thought quickly. “Pass the mainsheet to me here, and warn Maurice and Donald I will gybe as soon as these rogues attempt to board us.”

  “Aye. We’ve not much time. Two or three minutes at most.” Ferghal casually passed the tail of the mainsheet onto the compass binnacle. He signalled the two youths forward. “Stand by for a little old fashioned sailin’, lads. We’ve unwanted visitors. Just take care o’ yourselves.”

  “Here, stand off!” Harry shouted at the approaching boat. “You’re endangering us.”

  One of the men laughed and said something over his shoulder to the others. Addressing Harry, he shouted, “You can’t outrun us in that sloop. You might as well give
up.”

  “Go to the devil.” Harry luffed slightly, causing the sloop to cross the track of the approaching boat. As he expected, the other boat’s helmsman bore up, increasing his speed just enough to put his boat in the position he wanted. The gap closed rapidly.

  “Stand by, Ferghal. Are they ready to use their weapons?”

  “Doesn’t look like it. They cling to the rail.”

  “Good.” Harry glanced over his shoulder. “Stand by.”

  The pursuing boat surged up alongside, and as soon as the two hulls touched, the men leapt. Harry put the sloop’s wheel hard over, reopening the gap. One man grabbed the rail but missed the deck, falling into the water to drag alongside. The other three made the deck.

  Harry was counting on these men not knowing that the gybe would bring wind across the stern of the boat, and the danger that posed. Tripping the mainsail from the jam cleat, he let the mainsheet run free as they rolled under the helm, and the sloop continued her turn.

  Ferghal threw himself flat as the mainsail changed sides with a lurch, the rigid boom along its bottom edge slamming unchecked across the deck. Two of the intruders saw it coming. A third man, his attention focused on helping the man in the water, failed to see the danger until it was too late, and it caught him square in the chest as the wind filled the sail.

  One of the men lunged toward Ferghal just as Harry put the helm hard over in the opposite direction. Once again the boom slammed across, almost catching the fourth man as he heaved his companion aboard. The launch, having attempted to follow Harry’s manoeuvres, was now right across the sloop’s bow.

  The boats collided, and a bellow of rage accompanied by the sound of breaking glass drew Harry’s attention. He laughed when he saw Maurice retrieve the spinnaker boom and prepare to use it a second time on the man in the other boat’s wheelhouse. Donald, he noticed, was laying into one of the men, and Ferghal had already flung one overboard and was lunging toward another to give him the heave-ho as well. That man chose to leap overboard rather than smack the water with the force Ferghal’s muscles would propel him, and when he plunged in, he had to swim for his life as the two vessels ground together then parted before the launch sped away, apparently out of control.

  The last of the attackers also leaped overboard and swam for the motorboat, which now sat idling in the water.

  “The comlink is active again,” Ferghal announced. “I’ve contacted security.” He grinned as Maurice and Donald joined him, having finished tending the sails.

  “That was a handy bit o’ use o’ the spinnaker pole,” said Harry.

  Donald smiled, his face ruddy from the bit of fun they’d had. “Aye, it was nothin’,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I could do it in my sleep if I had to!”

  Maurice laughed. “They’ll find they’ve another problem soon.” He tossed a length of cable into the cockpit. “Snagged it with the snaphook. Didn’t expect t’ whole throttle unit t’ come away. Someone didn’t take care o’ t’ boat properly.”

  “Looks like the police are after them,” said Harry, catching sight of the patrol boat speeding past. “Just as well, their mate won’t be coming to pick them up in a hurry.”

  Ferghal clambered out of the cabin. “We’re not taking water, but we’ve damage for’ard. The owners’ll not be happy.” Seating himself, he studied Harry. “We were lucky, my friend, but we might not be so lucky next time, and I have a feeling there will be a next time.”

  “I’M GIVING THEM BOTH THE YACHT MASTER TICKET.” Captain Montgomery, chief examiner for the Maritime Qualifications Board, leaned back in the settee. “Frankly, I think young Harry could probably take command of a cargo hauler. Ferghal’s a superb seaman, but he needs a little more confidence in command.” He sipped the tea. “Incredible story, and I think their experience at sea in the wooden walls is evident in their advanced skill level. Harry was twelve when they went to sea?”

  The Commodore nodded then shifted his position, wedged as he was into a corner of the settle against the heel of the yacht and the slight pitch as she beat back to port. “His own choice, he says. Nearly drove his parents to despair the way he tells it. His father was a Major in the Fusiliers and the holder of the farm and the house we live in.” Smiling, he glanced at the open hatch. “The Major did his best to dissuade Harry, I gather, and Ferghal took it upon himself to follow where Harry led. Ferghal’s father was the Major’s groom, according to the records we’ve dug up, and Ferghal helped in the stables when he wasn’t being schooled.”

  “Unusual for the son of a groom to be sent to school in those days, wasn’t it?”

  “I don’t know the full story, but it appears Harry was a handful, and his father decided that Ferghal was a steadying influence in his early years. They were involved in some sort of scrape after the rebellion in 1797, and Ferghal saved Harry, then Harry managed to rescue Ferghal, and the Major decided they should be schooled together. He hired a tutor and set them both to work.” He laughed. “And to keep them where he could watch them, I think. They seem to have a way of attracting trouble on occasion.”

  “Typical Irishmen then.” Captain Montgomery laughed. “Hallo, we must be on approach.”

  “You’re right.” The Commodore stood as the yacht’s angle changed, and he was forced to grip the edge of the table as she heeled in the opposite direction. Overhead the sails rattled briefly, then the light through the hatch changed. Both men made for the hatch as the boat came to a stop with a slight bump. They emerged on deck to find both boys securing the mooring lines to the jetty with the sails already down.

  “I’m impressed.” Captain Montgomery looked forward to see Ferghal lashing the mainsail, but he directed his question to Harry. “You sailed her onto the jetty with the wind in this quarter?”

  A puzzled frown crossed Harry’s forehead. “Of course, sir.” Realization dawned, and he blushed. “Oh, I forgot — the boat has a mechanical engine.”

  A splash farther along the quay drew their attention.

  “Someone’s fallen in!” exclaimed the Captain.

  The Commodore frowned. “Doesn’t look eager to be rescued,” he observed as the person surfaced and swam determinedly toward the harbour entrance. “Damned strange direction to swim if you’ve fallen in.” He touched his comlink. “Security.” After a pause, he gave his location, adding, “We’ve something unusual — a swimmer making for the sea, not the shore, after apparently falling in from the quay. If you’ve anyone handy, you might want to find out why.”

  “THE DEVICE WAS INTENDED TO ALLOW SOMEONE to redirect the module.” The Commodore’s anger showed. “The man they pulled out of the sea claims it was an attempt to make contact with Harry and Ferghal for an interview.”

  “You don’t believe that, I can see.” Niamh watched her brother pace the room. “What else have your security people told you?”

  His back was to her as he stared out of the window at Scrabo, crowned by the tower built to honour a long dead Lord Castlereagh. “The man is known to them, a private investigator apparently, one who’s been involved in activities that interest them. You know their usual form — never tell anyone anything if they can avoid it. They did let slip that he is known to be working for an agency associated with the Johnstone Pharmaceutical Group. That bunch are always involved when something nefarious happens, it seems.”

  “Right you are.” Niamh joined him at the window. “So they haven’t given up.”

  “No, nor will they until someone exposes their fraudulent research operations and puts an end to it.” Clasping his hands firmly behind him, he added, “I’ve been assured this man’s activities are at an end. They’ve enough to bring charges on several matters unrelated to Harry, and they’ll increase their surveillance on the boys. Someone, and they know who, is very keen to get their hands on Harry in particular, with Ferghal as a bonus.” Turning, he summoned Herbert, his android butler, and ordered a whiskey. “The enquiry is postponed again, which works in
our favour. We can get the boys settled into the Fleet College. They will be much more protected there.”

  HARRY HEFTED HIS HOLDALL AND ATTACHÉ CASE from the baggage space of the transport module that had brought him and Ferghal to the College. He still found this mode of transport fascinating, having grown up in the age of horse-drawn carriages. It seemed astonishing that he could simply contact a central control unit and request transport to any destination.

  The College architecture was an interesting blend of old and new. Set on the shores of a huge lake, the original buildings formed the heart of a large and extensive complex. He took in the vista, paying particular attention to the ornate facades of the historic buildings, reminiscent of the grandeur of a long gone Empire.

  Automatically he checked the small pen-like device that he and Ferghal carried with them everywhere, which allowed them to block out the link to any AI they were near. While it did not completely shut off the link, it did reduce the distraction it caused. It also helped hide the fact that they had the unique ability to link to any AI when they needed to.

  “What think you, Ferghal?” Harry grinned as his companion studied the campus map they’d received. “It’s bigger and grander than I expected, but we’ll manage, I think. Are we in the right place?”

  Ferghal’s expression revealed that he was even more nervous than Harry was.

  “Aye, Master . . . I mean Harry. We’ll find our feet, I’m thinking.” Ferghal grinned to relieve the tension. “If I can find the entrance for the likes o’ us, that is!” His booming laugh startled a few cadets who passed by. “The Commodore says we’ve a lot to learn yet, and this spell at the College’ll give us a chance to get a wider perspective on the Fleet.” Ferghal made a wry face. “I think I’m needing classes in how to be a gent.”

  “I feel adrift in this new world too, Ferghal. We’re in this together. I have no greater advantage than you have.” Harry clapped his friend on the back. “We both have to walk in there and greet our fellow College mates who have grown up in an era four hundred years in advance of our own childhood years. No wonder we feel lost!” They laughed again.