Dark Side of the Street - Jack Higgins [55]
Chavasse told him and when he had finished, Youngblood laughed uncertainly. "He's trying to pull a fast one--he must be."
"Suit yourself," Vaughan said.
Chavasse shook his head. "He means it, Harry."
Youngblood stared at him for a long moment and then throttled down the engine until the boat was making no more than three or four knots and switched to automatic pilot.
"All right, so what are we going to do about it?"
Chavasse turned to Vaughan. "If it's fixed to the hull then you must have used an aqualung and skin-diving gear to put it there. Where is it?"
Vaughan shrugged. "Why not? You'll find it without any trouble anyway. In a locker under one of the bench seats in the saloon."
"There's your answer, Drum," Youngblood said. "As long as we can reach it, it can be defused."
"Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but not this baby," Vaughan said. "It can only be defused after complete dismantling and you have neither the equipment nor the facilities."
"Electromagnetic, I suppose?" Chavasse said.
Vaughan nodded. "And this tub has a steel hull so you'll never prise it loose, not under the conditions you're faced with. Try too hard and the damned thing might blow up anyway."
"What type is it?"
"Getting technical are we? But of course, I was forgetting--you were a captain in the Royal Engineers, weren't you?"
"Never mind the funny stuff," Youngblood said savagely. "Just answer him."
"Martinet Mark 4, and much good may it do you."
Chavasse burst into sudden laughter, unable to contain the wave of elation that swept through him and the smile died on Vaughan's face.
"What's so damned funny?"
"You are," Chavasse said. "You're a hundred thousand laughs." He turned to Youngblood. "If you'll stop the engines for about ten minutes, Harry, I'll find the aqualung he mentioned and go over the side."
"You mean you can fix it?" Youngblood said incredulously.
"To all intents and purposes, but I'll explain later. Just look after baby for me, will you?" And Chavasse moved back along the deck and went below.
It was bitterly cold down there in the dark water as he felt his way along the hull until he located the mine. He found the time switch and hung there for a moment, testing it with his fingers. If Vaughan had timed the explosion to take place within four hours then he must have moved the switch through four complete revolutions and the maximum was twelve. Chavasse turned the switch, counting slowly. Only when it refused to turn any more did he release his hold and drift up to the surface.
Youngblood and Molly helped him over the rail and he swore softly as the girl hauled on his left arm and pain coursed through him like fire.
"You all right, Drum?" Youngblood said anxiously.
"I am now." Chavasse turned to Vaughan who stood by the companionway, wrists tied in front of him. "Simple when you know how. The Martinet is a short term time bomb extensively used by both the Army and Navy. The timing device operates up to a maximum of twelve hours. All I had to do was move it on from the time of your choice. Right round the clock till we reached neutral again."
"You mean you've defused it?" Youngblood demanded.
"To all intents and purposes."
Vaughan sighed and shook his head. "We learn something new every day. What time do we reach Longue Pierre?"
"Seven-thirty or thereabouts," Youngblood said. "Why?"
"It's just that I can't wait to get there, old man," Vaughan said. "I'm sure it's going to be a barrel of laughs for everyone." He turned and disappeared down the companionway whistling cheerfully.
11
Fog in the Morning
Chavasse came awake to find Molly leaning over him, her hand on his shoulder. He had gone to sleep on one of the bench seats in the saloon and he swung his legs to the floor and took the mug of coffee she offered.
He swallowed some gratefully. "That's better. What time is it?"
"Six a.m."
"My God, have I slept that long?"
He went up the companionway, his coffee in one hand. Water slopped over the starboard rail and cold rain lashed his face as he walked along the heaving deck and went into the