Firestorm sts-5

by Keith Douglass

  "Damn close to shore. We might be able to ground one of those beasties back there. Let's hear some sound out of those fifties."

  The other IBS saw the reverse targeting and did likewise. Murdock hoped it would be enough. Now, with a definite target, he was sure the Chinese would have radioed to their base and alerted some heavier craft and maybe some air-power. He knew the Chinese had good attack choppers and some sleek new fighters. Either one would be bad news.

  Jaybird Sterling gave a shout of joy. "Put out one of the damn running lights," he chortled. "Don't know what else I hit. They must know by now that we have some firepower."

  The two patrol boats behind them did seem to slack off their forward charge.

  "They are regrouping," Dewitt said. The other rubber boat had come alongside. "Wish we could capture one of those patrol boats and use it to charge straight out the bay and into the night to the east."

  "Dreaming, L-T," Ronson said. "I figure we'll be swimming before this fracas is over. These Mainlanders don't like to lose even a little skirmish, and we spanked their asses good back there at the airfield."

  The sniper rifles continued to send messages to the patrol boats. Murdock had checked ammo totals and told the men to conserve. They didn't know what they might need the big fifties for down the road. The two patrol boats were definitely holding back. Murdock wished he knew why.

  Then he found out.

  Both the Chinese boats opened up with.50-caliber machine guns. They must have had to change mounts or bring them from the aft decks. The big rounds began slapping into the water short. Murdock and Dewitt turned their boats away from each other. Dewitt was closest to the shore and he hugged it. Murdock guided his IBS thirty meters away toward the center of the bay.

  "Cease fire," Murdock said into his lip mike. "Hide, don't give them a target."

  The fifties went silent. The attacking boats behind them closed to a shorter range and fired the heavy fifties in bursts now that tracked across the water where the SEALS still moved slowly toward the mouth of the bay.

  Murdock cautioned his men to stay low in the boat. "They probably don't have radar on those buckets, but we don't want to give anything away."

  They moved forward, the silent IBS engines propelling them closer to the mouth. Murdock figured they were still a mile short of the ocean.

  The machine guns behind them fired again, picking up the series of five-round bursts. Most of them went toward the shore.

  "Trouble!" Murdock heard in his earpiece. It was Dewitt.

  "We've taken two rounds, our IBS is going limp, and we have a casualty. We can make shore. Will save all of the masks and fins. Mind joining us?"

  Murdock turned his boat toward the shore. Before he motored into the hail of.50-caliber rounds, the Chinese slowed, then stopped the firing.

  "They must be encouraged that they haven't had any return fire," Ronson said. Murdock agreed.

  "Dewitt, some help here?" Murdock said into his mike.

  Murdock's radio sounded. "I see you. Turn left about ten meters and then straight into the shore. We've found a little cover here. Some logs and an old foundation of a building. Our IBS is flat."

  "Roger that."

  Murdock had almost thirty seconds to decide what to do. One boat down meant both boats were down.

  "We're going in. Grab your masks and fins and hope we can use them later. Right now we have some dogface ground-soldier work to do. That L in SEAL still stands for land. Let's hit the beach running. If we can hide the boat, fine.

  There was no way to hide the boat. When they were all out with their equipment, Murdock slashed it twice with his combat knife and pushed it into the water to deflate and sink.

  They found Dewitt and his men behind crumbling rock foundations ten meters from the shoreline.

  It was the best protection Murdock had seen all night.

  "We stay silent unless they spot us," Murdock said. "Don't even breathe heavy."

  The fourteen men crouched in place. Only Doc Ellsworth was busy.

  "We have one casualty," Dewitt whispered to Murdock. "Johnson took a hit through the chest up high, but it's one of those damn fifties. We patched him some. The round went out his back. Missed his lung, I'd say."

  They heard the Chinese patrol craft working slowly toward them. The boats fired now and then. Once they put on a burst of speed and snapped on searchlights working both sides of the shoreline. "Gonna fucking miss us," Jaybird whispered.

  Doc crawled over and touched Murdock's shoulder. "He's hit bad. Lost a lot of blood. I patched him up some. Took two shots of morphine to keep him quiet. He won't travel good."

  "Swim?"

  "Float in a body bag."

  "Thanks. Stay with him."

  The boats worked closer. The one on the side of the bay snapped on its lights every ten seconds or so, let it burn for a quick look at the shore, then snapped it off.

  Murdock had a hole in the foundation through which he watched the boat come closer. The searchlight jolted on and swept the beach directly in front of them. Murdock sucked in a breath. Half of one of the IBSS showed on the muddy bank. It was deflated flat, but looked out of place. It would be a bright beacon for the Chinese.

  The light held on the raft. The patrol boat cut its engine. Machine-gun fire raked the beach and the tall grass behind it. When the firing stopped, the SEALS could hear the Chinese chattering.

  The boat still had its running lights on. Murdock figured it was no more than forty meters off shore. The heavy machine gun spoke again, this time spraying the grass and the end of the foundations. Everyone was in the Chinese dirt two feet below the top of the native rocks and mortar.

  Murdock checked his peephole. The boat came forward slowly toward shore.

  "We've got to take them out," Murdock whispered in his mike. "Let's get ready. On me. Here we go." He lifted up and put his CAR-15 over the top of the foundation. The searchlight on the boat was off. He sighted it on the bow where the machine gun had to be and fired a five-round burst.

  Ten.50-caliber weapons and three CARS fired a half second after he did. The rounds ripped into the suspicious boat with the force of a 105 round exploding. The small pilothouse windows crashed, the deck was swept with.223-caliber rounds, and the exploding fifties broke up the ship from stem to stern. For a moment it wallowed, then went dead in the bay waters.

  They heard splashes on the far side. No more sound came from the patrol boat.

  Murdock called a cease-fire. All was quiet. They could see the running lights on the other patrol boat a half mile away on the far side of the bay.

  "Will it run?" Murdock asked his mike. "If it will it's an even trade. Ronson and Sterling, get out there and see if we left enough of that tub intact so we can use it to make a run down the bay for glory."

  15

  Saturday, May 16

  0232 hours

  Min River Bay

  China Mainland Coast

  Lieutenant Blake Murdock watched his two men slide into the water and swim strongly toward the Chinese patrol boat. It drifted slowly toward the mouth of the bay. Outgoing tide. He had forgotten about that. It could be a help. The dead craft floated twenty meters offshore.

  He heard the growl of the other Chinese patrol boat across the bay. It was less than half a mile away and coming toward them fast. Murdock could see the lights on the craft as it cut slightly downstream to counter the tidal current. It would be five minutes before the Chinese came close enough to evaluate their sister ship.

  He watched through the dusky China night as Ronson and Sterling climbed on board and vanished inside the patrol boat. His other men had strung out along the shoreline at combat intervals. Two men faced back the way they had come as a rear guard.

  It seemed like an hour before Murdock heard the Chinese patrol boat's engine turn over, then catch and the heavy pounding of the diesel engine steadied down. The craft edged slowly toward shore. Ronson showed at the rail and waved. His fist pumped up and down. The Plato
on Leader pointed at the two men nearest him and then at the boat.

  They carried their gear, waded out, then swam the last twenty feet to the side of the craft, where they could push their weapons on board and crawl up. They waited to take Johnson on board until the boat was almost aground. Magic Brown and Ken Ching carried and floated the wounded SEAL to the craft, and four men lifted him on board. Doc was there, and put him on the deck and went to work on him again. Doc swore as he tended the bullet wound. Murdock scowled. That meant that Johnson was in bad shape.

  The last two men off the shore were the two officers. The boat was so close to China that they tossed their weapons onboard and didn't have to swim.

  "The control panel got shot up, L-T," Ronson said. "Twisted a few wires back together and she's good as new. Almost."

  Dewitt checked the oncoming Chinese patrol boat. "She's about two hundred yards off and throttled down," he said. "I'd say her crew is looking us over. Hope they don't have night-vision goggles."

  Murdock looked at the other boat, then at Ronson. "Ease her along the shore seaward. We'll see what our buddies over there do."

  The craft turned and edged along the shore for twenty meters. Then the Chinese crew snapped on a searchlight and swept over Murdock's navy.

  He had positioned four of the.50-caliber Mcmillans along the starboard side facing the other boat. The gunners had instructions to open fire if the enemy searchlight came on. The first booming shot from the heavy sniper rifles smashed the searchlight, and three more rounds slammed into the pilothouse. A small-caliber machine gun opened up aft on the other boat, but he didn't have the range.

  Three CAR-15s splattered bursts of.223 lead into the aft section and the pilothouse, and the Chinese gunned their motor and pulled back another hundred yards. They returned some rifle fire, but evidently didn't have a bow.50-caliber weapon.

  "Gun it," Murdock said, and Ronson shoved the throttles forward and the little boat jolted ahead toward the bay's mouth. Now the other Chinese boat turned and followed, with half-a-dozen guns slamming hot lead at the SEALS' ticket home.

  The men with the Mcmillan fifties moved aft and kept up their fire. It was less effective now, but held the Chinese well off.

  Gradually Murdock's crew pulled farther away from the trailer, and Murdock stared from inside the pilothouse at the bay mouth now less than two hundred yards ahead.

  Jaybird was at Murdock's elbow. "So, say we make it out of the bay, what the hell then? They must have been alerted about us by now. They should have something in the air soon. I hear the Chinese have a good attack chopper."

  "I don't know about their choppers, but they do have a good little jet fighter with rockets. I'm not sure it has night-attack capability. We just play it by ear out here. We're not into the open sea yet."

  As if to punctuate the statement, a burst of machine-gun rounds from the chasing patrol boat slammed into the pilothouse and sent chips of wood and glass flying. Murdock felt a sting on his cheek, and found blood on his hand when he investigated. The three men in there ducked, but Ronson kept the boat on full throttle charging toward the bay mouth.

  Murdock crawled from the pilothouse and moved two more fifties to the back.

  "Get rid of some of your ammo," he told them. "See if you can cripple that hound dog on our trail."

  The firing picked up from the heavy weapons, and fire from the other boat trailed off. Then they were at the swells of the East China Sea as the little craft slipped out the bay entrance.

  "They must have some cutters or destroyers in Foochow," Jaybird said.

  "Probably. Due east, Ronson. We need at least a mile offshore before we blow up this baby."

  Murdock called for Doc Ellsworth, who came up shaking his head. "Ain't good, Skipper. Lost so damn much blood. If we have to go into the water, he won't make it. Plasma won't do no good now."

  Murdock nodded. Behind them the patrol boat had given up the chase. It sat just outside the bay for a couple of minutes, then sailed north toward Foochow.

  That was when Murdock and the other men heard the heavy growl of a larger, high-speed ship. The sound came from the north.

  "Called off the puppy and sent out a real fighting dog," Magic Brown said. "This mutt won't be scared off by our fifties."

  "Frazier," Murdock called. "Rig two charges below with ten-minute timers, but don't set the timers yet. We're gonna get wet. Get your masks and flippers on, the SEALS are going back to mother."

  Doc Ellsworth came over to Murdock. "You better come take a look at Johnson. He's getting worse. He can talk, but that's about all."

  Murdock knelt on the aft deck where Johnson lay. Even in the faint night light he looked pale.

  "Hang in there, buddy. We're out and away and should find that sub soon."

  "Can't do it, Skipper. Been a good cruise with you. Take care of the guys."

  A flash of pain jolted Johnson, and he lifted his head off the deck, then let it down. "Oh, damn, but that hurts. Why does it hurt so bad, Doc?"

  "Don't know, Johnson. I'll give you another shot of morphine. That will make it stop hurting."

  "Save it, Doc. You might need it. This is my last mission. Sorry I got in the wrong place."

  "Johnson, we'll get you through," Murdock said. "Just hang in there."

  Johnson closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and died.

  "He's gone, sir."

  "Yeah, good man. Goddammit!"

  "We taking him back with us, L-T?"

  "Absolutely. Your job, Doc. Use a buddy line around his chest. We're going in the water but we won't be moving fast." Doc nodded and left.

  "Ronson, aim this thing southeast and tie down the wheel. When that motherfucker out there gets within three hundred yards, we all go over the side. Then you give her full throttle and get wet yourself."

  "Roger that, Lieutenant."

  The SEALS got ready to go back to the safety of the water. Whenever things get too hot or they need cover and protection, SEALS always go into the water. It's their second home. They're at ease there, comfortable, in familiar territory. This time all they had were their fins and masks. No scuba, no Draeger LAR-V rebreathing gear. Just them and the East China Sea.

  Murdock checked on Doc. He had Johnson zipped up in a thin plastic sea-green body bag. Doc tied a buddy line around the bag at Johnson's chest.

  "Never done this before, Skipper. Hope to hell I never have to do it again."

  "We won't leave him behind, Doc. We'll pace ourselves to your speed. We'll be more than a mile off when we hit the water."

  Doc nodded, and the platoon leader checked his other men. He found nobody else wounded except for some scrapes and tears and two of them dinged with scratches from flying glass.

  The growl of the attack craft came closer now. They couldn't see it through the darkness, but it evidently had them on radar and had zeroed in on their course.

  "Dump your weapons and extra ammo," Murdock told them. "Won't do us a damn bit of good against this mad dog coming. We're on swim-and-fin time. Evade and escape. Magic, I want you to stay with Doc and help out with Johnson.

  "Holt, get aft and dangle one of those sonar beepers in the wet. Maybe our sub friend is nearby somewhere. He damn well better be."

  Murdock could see a searchlight now from the cutter.

  "Southwest, Ronson, tie her down."

  Two minutes later they could see the hulk of the Chinese raider bearing down on them. She was bigger than Murdock had suspected.

  "Let's go for a swim, men," Murdock said. "Doc and Johnson first. Set the timer on those charges. Let's get the hell out of Dodge."

  The SEALS went over the side and grouped quickly. Ronson was next to last off and Frazier, who set the timers on the charge of C-4, was the last one out.

  They watched the patrol boat steam away from them, and saw the dark shadow of the Chinese warship veer away from them as it followed the boat.

  Five minutes after they went into the water they had joined up, established th
eir buddy lines, and were set to move.

  "We stay on the surface unless that ship comes back looking for us and gets too close," Murdock said. "We'll move east away from the mainland. That sub commander will thank us for every quarter of a mile we get away from Mother China back there."

  Murdock put Doc in the lead with Magic Brown as they towed the body bag. So far it was floating thanks to the trapped air inside the plastic bag. Doc established a slow crawl stroke and they moved away from China.

  Two minutes later a flash of light blossomed on the sea to the southeast.

  "Right on sched," Frazier said. "Good-bye patrol boat."

  They heard the large Chinese ship's engines again.

  "They're coming back," Murdock said. "If he gets anywhere close or that damned searchlight is about to hit us, we duck-dive until it's dark and clear."

  Five minutes later the Chinese cutter swept past them a quarter of a mile seaward. The big searchlight came nowhere near their position. They continued to swim away from shore.

  Doc called to Murdock, who swam up beside him.

  "Losing air out of the bag, L-T. The things weren't designed to be float bags. Air coming out around the end of the zipper. Another ten minutes and we'll be towing him underwater."

  "You're on point, we'll follow at your speed."

  They had been in the water for forty-five minutes by then. They hadn't planned on a swim and had decided back on the carrier not to wear wet suits under their land-action cammies. Now the cold was starting to get to all of them. Not as bad as a four-hour training session off Coronado in winter, but cold enough to numb fingers and toes.

  "He's coming back," Magic called softly.

  The hulk of the Chinese cutter was almost on them this time. They waited until the searchlight swung their way, then dove. It took both Magic and Doc to keep Johnson's body bag just below the surface of the choppy green water. They kicked downward and stroked down and managed to keep the green bag submerged until the yellow light above them swung past. Both surfaced with lungs burning.

  They all came up and sounded off in a quick count, and Murdock knew he had all of his men. They watched the dark hulk of the cutter slowly move away from them heading for the coast.