Ryan waved. “As soon as you like.”
The
“We did it,” Ryan said.
“We certainly did.” Keogh offered him a cigarette. “Only one matter of interest still to be resolved.”
“And what’s that?” Ryan asked, accepting a light.
“Oh, exactly at what point on the way to Kilalla they intend to hit us.”
“Well, the best way of handling that is to impress them,” Ryan said. “Get your AK out and I’ll do the same. Conspicuous display at all times.”
“And I’m carrying, too,” Kathleen said. “I’ve got my Colt in my inside pocket.”
“For God’s sake, stay out of it, girl, and leave it to Martin and me.”
He got back in the cab, opened the case, and took out the other AK. He got down again, held it against his thigh, and moved to the rail. There were a couple of ship’s boats on either side at the stern suspended in davits and an inflatable in yellow plastic with an outboard motor.
“Handy for his illicit runs ashore,” Ryan observed.
“The outboard looks pretty good to me,” Keogh said. “Close to brand new.”
“Probably stolen if I know Tully.”
“So what do we do now?” Keogh asked.
“Give him time. He’s got to work the ship. We’ll wait till we’re a few miles out to sea, then we’ll have words.”
He looked up at the wheelhouse and saw Tully looking down at them from the stern window. Ryan waved, grinning.
IN THE WHEELHOUSE, Muller was again at the wheel. Tully sat at the chart table, Dolan standing beside him. Grant and Fox were below in the engine room.
“You see what they’re carrying?” Dolan demanded.
“Yes, AKs.”
“Those things could cut us to pieces.”
“I know. We’ve got to box clever. Hide your gun in the chart drawer, Muller’s too, then go below and tell Fox and Grant to stow theirs somewhere in the engine room. I’ll keep mine in my pocket.”
“But I don’t understand.”
“Look, it’s obvious he’s leaving us to make our way out to sea. After a while, he’ll be coming to see me, and armed like that there’s nothing we can do. They’ll search the lot of us at gun point and won’t find anything.”
“Except yours.”
“Which might make Ryan think that’s all there is.” Dolan looked dubious and Tully pushed him. “Go on, get moving. I’ve got a course to lay.”
Dolan went out and Muller said in his heavily accented English, “So, we still go to Kilalla?”
“Well, we can’t exactly turn due south. Ryan’s no fool. For the time being we’ll simply make for the coast of County Down in a general way until we see what happens.”
“With guns such as they have it could be difficult.”
“You worry too much,” Tully said. “It’s going to work, and I’m going to take that truck from them one way or another, I promise you.”
RYAN WAITED FOR an hour before making his move. “Right,” he said, “you stay up in the cab, Kathleen, nice and comfortable, while Martin and I go and sort out the bad guys.”
“I could die for a cup of tea.”
“Well, if you look in the case beside the weapons you’ll find a damn great Thermos flask, courtesy of Mary Power. There’s an old cake tin in there, too. No cake, just ham and cheese sandwiches.”
“Uncle Michael, you’re the wonder of the world. You think of everything.”
“Not this time. Thank Mary Power.” He turned to Keogh. “Here we go, Martin, moment of truth.”
TULLY WATCHED THEM coming, Ryan in the lead, and debated for a wild moment trying to shoot him as he mounted the steel ladder to the bridge, but hastily abandoned the idea as Keogh stood back, AK raised to cover Ryan. Ryan reached the bridge safely and stood outside the open door covering Tully, Muller at the wheel, and Dolan.
“Top of the morning,” Ryan said and raised his voice. “Come away up, Martin.”
Keogh joined him a moment later. “There you are, Tully, how’s the ear?”
Tully glowered at him. “It’s been better.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Search them,” Ryan told him.
Keogh quickly ran a hand over Muller, then Dolan. He found the Smith amp; Wesson revolver Tully had in his pocket.
“Very naughty,” Ryan said. “I’m surprised at you.”
“I’m the captain,” Tully protested. “What do you expect?”
“Oh, almost anything from you. Where are the other two?”
“Grant and Fox are in the engine room.”
“We’ll pay them a visit and take another look at this pig boat on the way.”
“As you like.” Tully shrugged and went to the voice pipe and whistled. Fox replied and Tully said, “Mr. Ryan wants a look at the engine room. We’re on our way down.”
“Good,” Ryan said. “Let’s get moving.” He nodded to Dolan. “You too.”
FROM THE DECK below the wheelhouse a companionway led to a narrow passage, door on either side. One of the doors had
“Is this for the whole boat?”
“No, I have a separate one,” Tully said. “It goes with my cabin. That’s under the wheelhouse.”
“And these other doors?”
“Crew quarters.”
Keogh opened the doors and had a glimpse of untidy bunks and general disorder. “What a stink. Doesn’t anybody wash on this boat?”
Tully was enraged but kept his mouth shut. Ryan said, “So where’s the engine room?”
“End of the passage.”
“Right, lead the way the both of you.”
Tully opened a door at the end and the throbbing of the engines became very pronounced. They went down a companionway and found themselves in the engine room itself, Grant and Fox oiling the pistons and other moving parts.
They paused in their work and Tully said, “Is everything okay?”
“As much as it ever will be with this old bag of bones,” Grant told him.
Keogh said, “Hands high, boys.”
Ryan raised his rifle and, sullenly, they did as they were told. Keogh retired, satisfied. “Clean as a whistle.”
“Fine,” Ryan said. “We’ll go back, then.”
SIX
THE SEA WAS building up as they went out on deck, and the
