“Yes, sir,” they said almost in unison.
The paddle was tied to the boat and then the raft tied with two lines—the second being backup in the event the first came loose—to the foot of th
e rope ladder. The sailors slowly slid the boat down the side of the sub.
The sailors came to attention and saluted Canidy.
“Good luck, sir,” the one who attached the ladder said.
“Thanks,” he said, returning the salutes. “I think I’m going to need it.”
He adjusted the straps of the duffel that he had slung over his right shoulder, then got to his knees beside the ladder and, with great effort, began working his way down its difficult rungs.
As he descended, he heard the sound of water lapping against the hull. With the lapping getting louder, he knew he was close to the surface of the water.
He found the rubber boat bobbing in the sea.
Carefully, and slowly, he reached out with his left foot and tried first to locate the damned thing and then, if successful, step into it.
After a moment, he felt the familiar sensation of his shoe touching rubber.
But the boat bobbed away.
When he tried again and reached farther with his foot—his right foot slipped on the rope ladder.
He clung to the ladder with his hands with all his energy.
He hung by his hands a moment—Now, that was close to disaster—then one at a time put both feet back on the ladder, and when he was sure of his footing he slowly reached again for the boat.
He got it.
He then carefully managed to get his right foot in the ring of rubber. He knelt—his knees getting soaked from water that had collected inside the boat—and slowly worked his hands down the rope ladder.
He was completely inside now and floating just fine.
Here’s where I suddenly flip.
Or the sub starts to submerge with me still attached.
Moving as quickly as he dared, he untied the paddle, then the lines attaching the boat to the ladder.
He tugged twice on the ladder to signal he was free of it, then with his hand pushed off of the sub hull.
The fucking massive sub hull, from this perspective, he thought, looking up and watching the ladder being recovered.
He took the paddle, unfolded it, dipped the blade in the water to his right and stroked.
The boat made almost a complete revolution.
Shit!
Forgot about that…
He carefully reached the paddle out in front of him, toward shore, dipped the blade again, and brought the blade straight back toward him.
The rubber boat moved forward.
He pulled this way for about five minutes when he suddenly felt the boat moving far more quickly than he could possibly paddle it.