Final Option (Oregon Files 14)

As the XO picked up the satellite phone, Jefferson saw fire spit from one of the Oerlikon cannons.

She shoved Vargas to the deck and yelled, “Everyone get down!” just as the 20mm shells blasted the Deepwater’s superstructure.

55

Because the Portland was still behind the island, with no clear view of the Deepwater, Tate was watching the feed from the Abtao’s camera. The Oerlikon’s gunfire ripped into the satellite dish and antennae mounted on top of the bridge, blowing them to bits. Now there was no way for the ship to call for help.

“Good shooting, Durchenko,” Tate said into the radio.

“Thank you, Commander,” Durchenko replied.

He switched the comm channel to the boat garage.

“Is the assault team ready?” he asked Catherine Ballard, who was in charge of the boarding party.

“Li has the RHIB ready to go,” Ballard answered. “Shouldn’t take us long to get over there. I’m not expecting any resistance, but we’re set if they’re foolish enough to try.”

“Excellent,” Tate said with a grin. The ambush had gone exactly as planned. “As soon as Durchenko has disabled their ship, head on over.”

“Can’t wait.”

He switched back to the Abtao. “Durchenko, take out the engine room. We don’t want them trying to escape into that fog. But remember, we want hostages, so don’t use your 76mm gun and sink her by accident.”

“Aye, Commander.”

The Portland was now rounding the edge of the island, so Tate had the main view screen in the op center switch to a view of both the Abtao and the Deepwater. The man on the Oerlikon swung its aim over to the Deepwater’s stern and began to pour shells into the hull.

Tate was capturing it all on video, a rogue Chilean Navy ship destroying an American research vessel. He wanted to see the CIA make sense of that.

The NUMA ship was turning, so the engine obviously hadn’t been disabled yet. However, it would only take a few more seconds of concentrated fire to tear the engine room completely apart.

The Abtao didn’t get the chance. An Exocet missile shrieked out of the fog and smashed into the bow of the Chilean boat. The resulting explosion was so powerful that it ripped the 76mm gun off its mount and shredded the men on the Oerlikons. The bridge’s windows shattered, and the hull was set aflame.

Tate leaped out of his chair. “What just happened?”

The missile boat began to take on water through the gaping hole in its front. It would go down quickly. Durchenko must have realized the boat was lost. He fired all four of his Harpoon anti-ship missiles at the same time that a second Exocet lanced out of the mist. It struck the Abtao amidships, breaking it in two. The bow end capsized while the stern settled into the water. They’d both be gone within a minute.

None of the four Harpoons targeted the Deepwater. Instead, they disappeared into the fog where the Exocets had come from.

The Deepwater’s screws were churning water behind it. It was about to escape into that same fog.

Tate screamed at Farouk, who was gawking at the screen. “Engage the sonic disruptor! We’re going to stop them one way or the other.”

The Egyptian engineer nodded. “Engaging the weapon.”

As he said it, a familiar shape loomed out of the mist like a nightmare. Tate recognized the distinctive bow of the Oregon.

The front of the ship was on fire, and there was a hole in the deck where the Exocets were launched from. The forward crane was dangling over the side. Still, with all that damage, she steamed forward like a juggernaut.

She passed the Deepwater and turned smartly to shield the NUMA ship, protecting it from the effects of the sonic disruptor. Obviously, the weapon was not having the desired effect on the Oregon.

“Fire our Exocets!” Tate yelled at the weapons officer.

“At which ship?”

“Both ships, you idiot!”

“Firing.”