Simms nodded and sat. Castillo handed Simms the note and studied him carefully for a reaction.
“What’s this?” asked Simms. His bushy eyebrows rose innocently.
“Something I found on the floor about an hour ago.”
“Well, this sounds serious. Very serious indeed!”
“Think so? I don’t.”
“Why not?” Simms blinked.
“I think it’s a bluff. I don’t think anyone on this boat would do such a thing.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, you need to look at the big picture. A year from now I can envision a community with elected leaders and a bright future. Anyone who threatened that society. Anyone who, let’s say, tried to kill people of that society would be an outcast. There are many things we need to fear in this world, but we can’t fear each other. We would not want someone in our midst we couldn’t turn our back on. Someone we couldn’t trust.”
Simms said nothing. He only stared ominously.
“And I’ve already had the places checked where a saboteur would logically place a bomb to destroy us all: torpedo room, launch tubes, engine room, command and control. They were clean.” Castillo sat back and sighed. “I think I’m going to let you keep that note, Miles. Let’s just pretend I never saw it. Okay?”
Simms’s face looked hateful. “Damn it, Castillo,” he bellowed. “I’m a captain and you’re only a commander. I outrank you and I know about things like this. I’ve had more experience than you!”
“Well, with all due respect, Captain Simms. The navies that commissioned us no longer exist, so I think ranks don’t matter anymore.”
“Your navy doesn’t exist,” snapped Simms. “But mine does. Two weeks ago I served an English monarch named Elizabeth. Remember?”
“A different queen, a different time, Miles!” thundered Castillo. “And I’m still the commander of this ship!” Castillo stopped and took a slow breath to get control of his emotions. “Can we level with each other?”
Simms said nothing. He eyed Castillo suspiciously.
“I’ve just about made up my mind on this thing. I’ve looked at all available information, and I’ve decided we just can’t stand idly by, but I’m going to need help. Can I count on you?”
Simms still said nothing. He didn’t completely trust Castillo. He only glowered blackly.
“Most of our weapon systems have been compromised by the lightning strike that hit us. To be the most effective, I’m going to need buy in by the British admiralty…so we can make maximum use of what we have. Now, I’ve considered approaching Lord Howard or Admiral Drake but that just seems like a winless situation to me. ‘Hello, Lord Howard, I’m here to help you. I’m from the future.’“ Castillo shifted in his chair and scrutinized Simms to see if any of this was having an effect. “They would throw me in an asylum. I’d never see the light of day again.”
Simms seemed to change. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from him. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, taking Castillo’s measure. “Are you serious?”
“Like a heart attack.”
“What can I do?”
“Bring Drake or Howard to me. I want to put an attack plan together. I need their input.”
“How am I going to do that?”
“The English fleet is at anchor at Dover right now, I believe. I would like you to head up a team, Miles. Kansas will get you close. Take an inflatable and anyone else you need.”
Simms took a deep breath. “Just to be clear. You want me to kidnap Admiral Drake or Lord Howard?”
“Yes.”
He said nothing for long seconds, then, “Okay.” He rose from his chair.
Castillo cleared his throat and said, “Oh…and about that note.”
Simms tore it carefully into small pieces, smiled and said, “What note?”
• • •
“I’ve been reading up on Sir Francis Drake,” said Tanaka. “I think he’s our best bet. He and an Admiral Hawkins were expert seamen, but Lord Howard got his appointment through his political connections, not a seafaring man at all.”
Once again there was a crowd in Kansas’s control room. They had left the Flemish coast and gone to the English coast to observe the English fleet at anchor off Dover.
“We only have another couple hours of daylight,” said Castillo. “Where do you think Drake is?”
“His flagship was the Revenge. A four masted, 46 gun galleon-style warship with decks and sterncastle trimmed in white and red. I have a drawing of it here from a book I found in the ship’s library.” Tanaka handed out pictures to everyone in the control room.
“These tall ships all look alike to me,” said Lambert, frowning.
They were looking at a cluster of 30 ships, some of which were very battered with jagged gaping holes in their sides and missing masts. Castillo slowly swept the cameras over the ships and zoomed occasionally. He moved on to a smaller cluster.
“Drake raided many Spanish outposts and was personally responsible for sinking or capturing over 50 vessels,” said Tanaka. “He had a fearsome reputation, and just the rumor that he was coming was enough to turn settlements into ghost towns. The Spanish hated him. They called him El Draque, which means the dragon. Drake liked that nickname so much, he put a dragon on his personal crest.”
“How about that one,” said Lambert pointing. “It has red and white.”
“A three-master,” said Tanaka. “We’re looking for four.”
Lambert wrinkled her nose. “How about the one behind it?” She held the drawing at arm’s length up to the large viewing screen.
“That looks pretty close,” said Castillo.
“Sir,” asked Tanaka, “could you zoom on the flag at the top of the third mast on that ship?”
Castillo touched his screen controls and the picture zoomed in on the fluttering flag at the top of the third mast.
“That’s it!” exclaimed Tanaka. “That’s Drake’s crest! The battle ax above the shield with a red dragon! It’s the Revenge!”
“Okay,” said Castillo, then turning to Simms. “We’re going to get you as close as we can after nightfall. Then you and your team will launch in the inflatable. Do you have what you need?”
“I think so. We’re going to carry enough tranquilizer darts to knock out half the crew. Hopefully it won’t come to that.”
“Good luck, Miles! We’ll track your progress from here.”
• • •
Simms asked for volunteers and got 33. He selected Chief Brown, Lieutenant Anderson, Commander Taylor and at the last minute decided to include Lieutenant Guerrero when she told him she held a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. They took with them grappling hooks, rope, an assault ladder, 2 MP-5 assault rifles, 2 tasers and 3 tranquilizer dart rifles. They all had helmet cams and remote talkers.
The scarlet of the western twilight sky threw crimson rays across the English fleet, highlighting the yard arms and rails of the ships and accenting the ripples around the peaceful hulls of the ships at anchor. Pennants and flags snapped in the breeze. Then the scarlet faded to deep indigo and finally to black. A long dark shape broke the water’s surface outside the harbor. A small watercraft separated from it and silently moved toward the anchored ships.
Simms stopped the inflatable when he saw a sailor throw a bucket of something over the side of a nearby ship. He wasn’t sure if they’d been spotted. Their propane outboard motor was quiet and there were carpenters hammering. Battle damage was being repaired on several ships. After a time, he decided it was safe to continue. But he stopped again when he saw more men moving along the deck of another ship.
“There seems to be a lot of activity,” said Simms.
“Yes,” agreed Castillo in Simms’s ear.
When they were within 100 yards of Revenge, they saw a small boat alongside, loading. They stopped and watched.
“What’s going on?” asked Castillo.
“I think someone’s going ashore,” said Simms.
&
nbsp; “Is it Drake?”
“I don’t know.” They watched as four men came down a ladder and entered the boat. They all picked up an oar and waited. Another man came into view at the top of the ladder and the oarsmen turned toward him. He was talking to somebody. No, he was giving orders to somebody, thought Simms. “I think that’s Drake,” said Simms.
“How do you know?” asked Castillo.
“I don’t, but he seems to have an air of authority.”
The man came down the ladder, got settled into the boat and it cast off. The oarsmen began to pull for shore. Simms had a hunch and he decided to play it. He gunned the motor and closed the distance to the small boat. “Get ready with the tranq rifles, lads,” he said. They leveled the tranquilizer rifles and when they were within 20 yards of the small boat, Simms cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Admiral Drake!”
The figure sitting in the center of the boat turned and said, “Yes?”
Pffft! Pffft! Pffft!
Three oarsmen slapped at their necks as if sting by an insect, then they collapsed. The riflemen reloaded.
Pffft! Pffft!
The last oarsman and Admiral Drake collapsed.
• • •
Castillo could not believe he was staring at the great English explorer, privateer and legendary war hero Sir Francis Drake. He expected him to be taller. Although he was laying on a bed in the infirmary, Castillo could estimate his height to be about 5’ 7” and he had a substantial pot belly. He was about 49 years old, had a closely cropped reddish brown beard, a round fine-featured face and receding curly coarse brown hair like steel wool. He had a horizontal scar on his right cheek that ran from his right ear half way to his nose. He was wearing a deep blue doublet with gold buttons and fringed gold shoulder caps, under which he wore a white cotton shirt with lace cuffs and a lace collar. His leggings were white cotton and his boots were black, shiny and buckled. His face was absolutely ordinary. It didn’t look heroic or movie star handsome. He looked just like a banker or a supermarket manager or something.
“What’s that odor?” asked Lambert, sniffing.
Everyone sniffed. Castillo said, “It’s kind of a delicate balance between rotting meat, Limburger cheese and…”
“Lilacs?” suggested Lambert.
“Yes, lilacs,” said Castillo.
“The English nobility used to use heavy perfumes to make up for their lack of hygiene,” said Simms, coughing.
Doc Aultman appeared at the door. “Has he stirred yet?”
“No,” responded Castillo.
“It shouldn’t be long now. I’ve put the other four on the tables in the ward room. I made a makeshift infirmary in there. I thought it would be better if they saw each other when they awakened.”
“Okay, good!” said Castillo. “Just watch them and make sure no one loses their heads.”
Drake began to stir.
“Here we go,” said Castillo.
As Drake’s eyes fluttered open, Castillo saw the exhaustion. The whites of his olive eyes were laced with red and heavy pouches hung under each. There were spidery lines around his eyes, furrows across his brow and his face was the color of clabbered milk. His breathing seemed to be labored. This was a man who had not slept in some time. He’d obviously been preoccupied.
Drake opened his eyes wide and took in his surroundings. He turned to see four unfamiliar faces staring at him and two more in the passageway. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, held his head with one hand, looked up and bellowed, “Kill me or ransom me! What’s it to be?”
Castillo chuckled. “No, admiral. Neither. We’re going to send you back to your ship, but first we have a proposal.”
“A…pro…”
Maybe that was a poor choice of words. “We are going to destroy the Spanish fleet,” said Castillo. “But we’d like your help.”
“Who are you?” asked Drake suspiciously.
“Oh, sorry,” said Castillo. “I am Commander Don Castillo, United States Navy.”
They each introduced themselves and as they did so, Castillo watched Drake carefully. He was like a predator watching his prey, gaging strengths and weaknesses. He could see him measuring each one of them. He is deciding which one would be the weak link. Who he could take first, second and so forth. Good thing they had taken his weapons.
“If I came to you and said I was going to destroy the Spanish fleet, not only would you not believe me, you would probably have me locked up. So instead, I brought you to my ship.”
“Ship?” asked Drake.
“Yes, you’re on a ship, admiral,” said Simms.
Drake rapped on a wall and scoffed, “This is not a ship. You have sport with me.”
“It is a ship, sir,” said Castillo. “A very advanced ship. Some of what we have here will look like witchcraft to you, but I assure you it’s not.”
“And believe us when we tell you,” said Simms. “We can destroy the Spanish.”
Drake shook his head as if to clear cobwebs. Then he looked at Castillo suspiciously and said, “Castillo is a Spanish name. Is it not?”
“Yes, but I’m not from Spain.”
“Where then? Your manner of speech is not known to me.”
“We come from that area you call the Americas. Virginia.”
“I’ve been there,” snapped Drake. “Tis nothing but wilderness and savages. Do I look a fool?”
“Now, yes,” said Castillo. “But in a hundred years, there will be many settlements and colonies there. In two hundred years the colonies will break from England and form a new country. In three hundred years there will be one of the most powerful economies in the world and in four hundred years an unrivaled military power and once again allied with England.”
Drake said nothing.
“It’s true, sir,” said Simms. “We want to help.”
“God’s boots! You’re all quite mad!” roared Drake. “And if you’ve no mind to hold me, free me! I’ve pressing affairs!” Drake abruptly stood up but swayed slightly, and Castillo reached out to steady him, but Drake shrugged him off.
“I think a tour is in order,” said Castillo. They all filed out with Castillo in the lead.
Their first stop was the wardroom. The four groggy oarsmen were sitting up and sipping hot tea. They were quite happy to see Admiral Drake.
“‘ey, yer lordship! Is quoyt a place, eh?” said a tall skinny one.
“Don’t settle. We’re leaving,” snapped Drake.
When they got to the control room, Drake stopped dead trying to absorb it all. He scowled at all the screens surrounding them.
“This is our Navigation station,” said Castillo pointing. “And this is sonar and communications. Over there is weapons control. In the front is command and control. In the very front on the biggest screen is your ship, the Revenge.”
There on the big screen was the Revenge at anchor in the dark, illuminated by the moonlight, a man with a lantern walking on deck. Drake walked to the screen, reached up and touched it. “What sorcery this?”
Castillo was expecting that word. How do you explain something like this to someone who’d never seen anything more complicated than a sextant?
“This is like a window to the outside, admiral. Wally,” said Castillo, “can you replay the video from this morning?”
“Yes, sir.” Anderson touched controls on his screen and the picture on the large forward screen changed. It showed the scene from that morning with supplies and horses coming down the long pier at Flanders and being loaded onto ships of the Armada.
“What you’re seeing here, admiral, is the Spanish loading supplies and men this morning at Flanders. We watched them most of the morning, before we came to Dover to find you.”
Drake’s jaw dropped. “God’s boots! It is the eye of God!”
“Well, not really. It might seem…”
“It dawns on me, and I embrace it! In our darkest hour, we prayed, and our prayer was heard. You are God sent!” Drake suddenly was
very animated. “This is the hand of God!”
“I don’t think so, but there are those in my crew who would agree with you.”
Drake began to knock on things again with his knuckles. “What is this? Iron?”
“We’re made of mostly steel and aluminum.”
“Steel and what?”
“A very light strong metal, sir.”
“Ah! Where are your sails?”
Castillo chuckled. “No sails. We don’t need wind. We use something very powerful. This ship can travel at a speed of 35…let’s just say we can travel faster than a galloping horse.”
Drake expressed surprise. “You jest with me, verily!”
“Come, admiral. Let’s go up above.”
Castillo led Drake down the passageway to a ladder trailed by Taylor, Simms and Lambert and finally up through the access trunk in the sail. They emerged in the bridge well at the top of the conning tower. Castillo checked and saw both small boats were tied securely to the Kansas’s aft deck and he donned a headset and ordered maneuvering to make turns for 25 knots. As the ship began to move, Drake expressed open-mouthed surprise as the night air began to buffet them and water began to sluice up over the nose of Kansas, split by the sail and sliding off its sides in a loud hiss.
“Your weather deck is spare,” asked Drake. “Where be your guns?”
“When we attack, we go under the water so we can not be seen. We have weapons that fly. In jest, we call them birds. We also have weapons that travel through the water. We call them fish.”
“Birds and fish! Ha!”
“How happened you to be here? By what device did God send you?” asked Drake.
Castillo looked from Taylor to Lambert. “Who would like to explain that one?”
They all took a turn at trying to explain the series of events that caused them to time travel, or dimension shift. In the end Drake only shook his head and laughed.
• • •
Castillo reclaimed his wardroom again and sent Drake’s recovered oarsmen to the messdeck for food and ale. Around the wardroom table were Castillo, Drake, Taylor, Simms, Tanaka, Anderson, Unger, Guerrero, and Chief Brown. Castillo ordered ale and tea for everyone.
“I’m going to turn the floor over to our weapons officer first,” said Castillo. “Lieutenant Walter Anderson.”
Deadly Apparition Page 18
