by Nigel Seed
The light from the stars in the clear sky above was only just enough to show them the entrance to the cave as they reached it. While that starlight made life a little more difficult it did reduce their chance of being seen from the deck of the target ship. The lead swimmer turned into the cave and swam slowly, skimming the cave floor and chasing shimmering clouds of small fish back into their holes in the rocks. The other swimmers followed him slowly with spaces between them so as to reduce disturbance of the calm water in the cave.
The swim through the cave was almost a let-down after the fear of the unknown and within a few minutes they were all below the hull of the yacht that was resting on the water above them, at the rear end of the cave. Looking up through the crystal clear water they could see the mooring lines strung fore and aft that held the boat clear of the jagged coral formations around it. They were outlined by the dim light coming from the rear end of the yacht. There was a narrow gang plank rigged from the rear swimming platform to the shore, to allow the sentries to move backwards and forwards to their posts.
The team assembled on the bottom, holding on to irregularities in the cave floor to keep themselves from drifting. As they hung in the warm water, keeping as still as possible, the fish ventured back out of their hiding places and came to explore the strange new creatures. Jim watched fascinated as fish nibbled around the edge of his diving mask and peered in at him.
There was no sound from the hull above them. They should have been able to hear generators or pumps through the water, but there was nothing, just the large streamlined shape of the hull hanging above them. Two divers rose from the bottom and started very carefully to swim inverted along the hull. They could not use a light in the clear water without being seen from above so they searched through touch. A delicate operation if they were to avoid the possibility of puncturing their skin on the barnacles and other growths adhering to the hull they were skimming under. They found the edges of the large hatch leading to the moon pool and felt around it for the smaller door that would give access to the hatch control.
After ten minutes of careful searching they found the smaller access door and opened it. With a tiny laser flashlight they examined the controls inside. There were just two controls, a large, circular, ribbed button and a keyway drive with a crank handle mounted next to it. It was time for the distraction. One of the searchers rose gently to the surface until his head just slid out of the oily, smooth water without creating the slightest ripple. Once his head and waterproof radio were clear of the water he made the prearranged three clicks to indicate readiness. He waited until he heard the two-click acknowledgment and then slid slowly back down into the water. He had two minutes to wait before the noise and commotion started above him. He returned to his companion and tapped him on the shoulder, then drifted down to the waiting group to signal them to be ready to move. Then he moved gently back upwards to re-join the other searcher by the control panel. They waited.
The noise of the Flash Bang grenades in the cave was loud even underwater and the brilliant light illuminated the channel, scaring fish around them and causing them to dash for cover in the rocks. The sound of pounding feet and shouting could be heard through the hull as the crew ran to react to the above water threat.
An M-67 fragmentation grenade landed on the foredeck and the shards of metal that flew from its explosion cleared three enemy personnel from the deck before they could do any damage. One, bleeding heavily, was thrown over the side by the blast and drifted past the divers, weighted down by the assault rifle he wore across his chest and the extra ammunition in his pockets. The ripples and splash were useful further cover for their own movements below the yacht.
Pressing the ribbed button inside the control panel was having no effect, the electrical power generators must be needed to operate the door. The crank handle was fitted into the keyway. As it turned the main clam doors of the hatchway started to move slowly outwards. As soon as there was enough gap between the clamshell doors two SEALs from the main group swam through and surfaced in the moon pool, weapons at the ready. As anticipated, the diving compartment was empty with all the attention focussed on the main decks to defend against an attack.
The doors continued to open and all the divers entered the moon pool and clambered up the two ladders set in the fore and aft bulkheads. As soon as they were on the deck that ran around the pool they shed their diving equipment and swim fins. MP5 submachine guns were removed from the waterproof bags and loaded.
Chapter 52
Illuminated in the feeble light from the moon pool and the dim emergency lighting on the bulkheads they saw that, as expected, there were doorways forward and aft of the diving compartment. The attacking party split into two groups with Martinez steering Jim and his team into the one heading aft. They opened the watertight door carefully and peered inside. They were entering a workshop with benches along the walls and tool racks mounted above them. It was deserted. They went through it checking as they did that there was nobody hiding in the dark corners waiting to ambush them. At the end of the workshop they came to another watertight door, this one slightly open. A quick look inside showed no movement. The door swung open with a heavy push and they stepped through.
They were in the engine room with two large, powerful diesel engines set one to each side of the compartment and a self-contained generator mounted at the aft end. They checked around again to clear the room; it was empty of any enemies. They turned to the open tread metal steps of the catwalk that led up to the next deck and were about to mount it when a door above them crashed open and two men in dark blue coveralls ran in. They saw the black suited invaders below them and skidded to a halt. As they turned to run back out they opened their mouths to shout a warning. With speed that surprised Jim, Martinez and one of the other SEALs had raised their weapons, aimed and put two rounds into each man from their silenced MP5s. The crewmen fell to the deck like dumped sacks of potatoes. The two leading SEALs stepped forward and checked their necks for a pulse. Both men were gone beyond pain and worry. They stepped over them and headed for the upper door, with the rest of the team following.
The door at the head of the steel stairs stood open and showed a passageway, lined with doors beyond.
“Crew quarters,” Martinez whispered and with hand gestures split the team into two halves, to cover each side.
The SEAL teams moved through and rapidly checked each crew cabin leapfrogging as they went. The signs of a hasty exit were obvious in each one with sheets thrown to the side of the bunks, chairs knocked to the deck and general disarray everywhere. The only exits from the crew quarters were back through the engine room or forward up a set of stairs. With the crew quarters cleared, the first four men moved carefully up the narrow staircase, weapons raised and ready.
At the top of the short flights of stair was a door into a passageway. To the right was the galley and to the left a large well-furnished dining room with glass sliding doors that let out onto a covered deck. Half the men moved to check the modern, well-equipped kitchen while the remainder, with Martinez, slipped into the dining room. This was too well furnished to be for crew use and the ornate curving staircase leading up indicated that this was intended for the owner and his guests. The team from the kitchen returned and moved to check the outside deck while the Martinez group climbed the stairs.
One of the SEALs produced a black, metal tube with an eyepiece and held it up so that it protruded slightly above the level of the deck above. The personal periscope showed the room above to be empty, so the SEALs moved on up the stairs. The first man stopped with his eyes at floor level and checked again to make sure the periscope had not missed anything. The room was still clear.
The group moved quickly and silently into the ornate cabin which was furnished as a large lounge area. The sliding glass doors at the aft end of the room let out onto the helideck which was clear at the moment. Around the side of the cabin were large picture windows that showed a promenade deck outside. They checked
if this was the deck with the machine guns mounted on it, but saw nothing.
The SEALs were all business, checking to ensure they had not been detected, ensuring there were no weapons in the area and identifying the next move. Jim and his two men were standing amazed at the luxury they saw around them and this was on a boat, what must this man’s house be like? Jim noticed that Andrei was standing motionless staring forward. He turned to see what he was looking at. At the forward end of the luxury cabin was a large and well-stocked bar. On the rear wall of the bar, partially hidden by bottles was a large and beautifully detailed religious painting.
“Something special?”
Andrei nodded “Oh yes, I have seen pictures of that all my life. Unless I am confused that is the triptych from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in Moscow. It was the center of the Russian Orthodox Church until Stalin had it destroyed to make way for a monstrosity called the ‘Palace of the Soviets’. The artistic treasures like that one were removed to museums. This and others were taken to a place of safety to protect it when the Germans invaded and they were never seen again. This is one of the most precious treasures of a country with many artistic treasures. It belongs back in the Cathedral that has now been rebuilt as an exact replica of the old one. For this creature to have mounted it in a bar is a sacrilege to the Russian people.”
Jim looked at Andrei’s face, there was a dark fury there he had not seen before.
“I guess this was not here when you were last on board then?”
Andrei dragged his eyes away from the painting. “No it was not. It makes me wonder what else he has on here that he has looted from other thieves in New York. Major, whatever happens, this ship must not be sunk, that triptych alone is worth more to my people than anything you could imagine.”
Martinez walked over to them, he glanced at the bar. “Nice painting. Time to move on.”
Chapter 53
In the forward part of the ship, the other SEAL group had moved out of the diving compartment and found themselves in a well-equipped laboratory. It would have been a useful cover story should any Customs investigator have queried the use of the moon pool and extensive range of diving equipment. The team checked the room swiftly, opening cupboards and large storage bins to ensure there were no nasty surprises left behind for them.
Many of the bins contained sacks of money sorted into the different national currencies. Others held jewelry in sample trays. Paintings and icons were stacked on end inside cupboards. This one dimly lit compartment put Aladdin’s fabled cave to shame. At the forward end of the laboratory, they moved through a watertight door that led into a large storage room. Diving equipment was mounted in purpose built racks around the narrowing sides with wetsuits hanging to dry from cables strung from side to side. An open tread metal stairway led upwards. The first SEAL up the stairway peeped through the small porthole set in the door at the top. This area was far more luxurious than anything they had seen before.
He saw nobody and eased the door open. He stepped through, followed by the rest of the group who fanned out along the wood paneled corridor. Paintings with special lighting above them hung on the walls and thick carpet covered the deck. The wooden doors along the passageway were a deep lustrous mahogany color with solid brass handles and fittings. This must be where the owner accommodated his important guests, when he wasn’t engaged in major robberies and wholesale slaughter.
Each cabin was dealt with in a practiced routine by three men at a time. Every cabin was checked and cleared before the next door was opened. Although the cabins were large and well-furnished, none of them stood out as being special enough for a master cabin fit for the owner of a luxury yacht of this size. At the aft end of the passage a door led into the galley that had already been searched. A door on this level would allow a room service to these cabins that actually had hot food delivered before the sauces started to congeal.
Halfway along the passage there was a wide, carpeted staircase either side. These two staircases turned as they rose and combined into a single one that led into an open area forward of the lounge and bar area. Doors on either side led out to a side deck. Behind the staircase as it rose into the open area was a further door, wider than the rest with large paintings on both sides and two bronze statues of Roman soldiers as door guardians.
The SEALs positioned themselves on either side of this door and then entered rapidly. The cabin was obviously for the owner of this vessel. The room was the full width of the ship with thick carpets and a luxurious lounging area with a plasma TV screen mounted on the wall. At the forward end of the space was a very large, ornate, four poster bed, an incongruous sight on a modern yacht. His and hers bathrooms were on each side of the bed and an impressive array of wardrobes and mirrors flanked these. The art work on the walls was a strange mixture of old and modern, probably put there because of its value and not for aesthetic reasons. Curtains swooped around the forward bulkhead and when the first SEAL checked behind them cautiously he found a wide picture window that looked out across the foredeck and into the cave.
Two bodies lay on the foredeck, victims of the fragmentation grenade that had started the assault. They lay in a spreading pool of blood and were not moving. Looking over them he could see the cave walls stretching out in front of the boat, then turning right toward the sea. The moon had risen now and the silvery light reflected off the calm water inside the cave and lit up the interior in a way that might seem magical to the romantic.
The SEAL looking through the window was not a romantic. All he could see was that, with the increased level of light, the two SEALs still on the cave walls were at greater risk of detection if they exposed themselves to fire from the enemy on the yacht. As he watched, another burst of fire came from the cave entrance, to be answered by loud automatic gunfire from an upper deck. The two HALO jumpers were doing their best to keep Romanov’s crew focused away from the assault team.
Having secured the lower three decks the two group leaders along with Andrei and Jim met in front of the impressive bar. A drink about this time would have been very welcome but would be even more so once the job was complete.
Martinez started the improvised council of war with, “OK, three decks clear and many of the proceeds of the robbery found. The bearer bonds that the President is so interested in are still missing. The two men rushing into the engine room were probably going to start engines so they could be ready to get the hell out of Dodge. The rest will realize soon that they have not succeeded and will investigate. Since there is nobody on these decks they must be above us manning the machine guns and preparing to defend the ship. They know there are our people in the cave, but they will not know how many yet. If they realize there are only two they may try an attack around the cave walls. What we need to know is, what is above us. Run me through the description of the boat again, Andrei.”
The Russian looked thoughtful. “As I described at the briefing, there is one more full deck above. As you say, that is where the heavy weapons are mounted. There is a promenade deck on both sides and around the front. At the rear of that deck is a sunbathing deck for when Romanov is entertaining his Mafia colleagues and their lady friends. There is a covered saloon area which has a small swimming pool inside it. At the forward end is a raised area which is the bridge and at the back of that is a viewing gallery for guests so they can see what is going on when entering port or when underway. The communications room is behind the viewing gallery and above the saloon. On top of the saloon there are two inflatable speedboats and some toys for guests to play with on the water. The gun that covers the helideck is at the rear of that sunbathing deck, but behind another boat so it does not worry the guests.”
“So how do we get up there without getting our heads blown off?”
“There are stairways on each side of the deck at this level that lead up on to that deck. They are fairly open and would be dangerous. The machine guns are mounted both in front and behind these staircases. Forward of this bar is an intern
al staircase that leads up into the saloon for use in stormy or cold weather and there is another small door near the master’s cabin that leads up straight into the bridge.”
Chapter 54
The attack plan was limited by the access they had to the top deck. Two men were to return to the guest dining room to ensure nobody left the ship by the rear ramp to attack the two SEALs in the cave. The rest would split up and climb all the staircases at the same time. Their arrival on the upper deck would be preceded by a shower of Flash Bang grenades to disorientate the defenders. Martinez removed a radio from a waterproof bag at his belt and warned the two men in the cave that they were about to appear on the upper deck. That would try and avoid any blue on blue casualties and, once the confusion started on the ship, they could provide over watch and selective sniper fire if a target presented itself.
The team split into smaller groups and headed for the stairways they had been allocated. Every man checked his weapon and ensured the magazine was properly in place and full. They eased the pistols in their holsters and cocked the submachine guns. All of them knew this was going to be an action carried out fast and at close quarters, any hesitation or mistake could be fatal. There was no false bravado or high fives. These men were controlled and professional, with an almost mystic trust in the comrades alongside them. The leaders of the small groups stared at their watches as they counted down the last thirty seconds before the coordinated movement began.
