In Enemy Hands

By Pauline

Set in first season. My thanks to Helen for her beta.

Chip Morton, XO of the nuclear submarine Seaview, tapped his pencil against the report he was reading, occasionally casting a glance around the control room. Seaview was at station keeping while Lee and a party of divers were out collecting samples and observing the effects of pollution on the marine life. Seaview was part of a joint operation to monitor the effects of a hate drug that had leaked into the ocean from the island where General Tau and his scientists had been testing it. It would be years before the contamination of the island cleared up – if ever.

“Mr Morton, I have a contact. Bearing 104 degrees relative, range five thousand yards, closing fast,” the sonar operator sang out.

Chip hurried over to stand beside the seated technician. “Can you identify it?”

“Profiles like a sub, sir. But like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“Keep tracking it.” Chip turned and headed to the radio shack. “Sparks, there’s a sub on our tail. Contact them and request identification.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where’s the sub now?” Chip asked, returning to the sonar station.

“On our tail, sir, closing to three thousand yards.”

“Anything, Sparks?”

“No, sir – they’re not answering.”

Chip didn’t like it. Unclipping a mike, he called the missile room. “Missile room, there’s a sub stalking us, recall the divers, tell them to get back here pronto.”

“Aye, sir,” Chief Jones acknowledged.

“Mr Morton, torpedoes, dead astern!” the sonar man called urgently.

“Hard right rudder, all ahead flank!” Chip clicked the mic. “All hands stand to general quarters! Rig for explosion!”

As the ‘battle stations’ alarm sounded the control room became a hive of activity as crewmembers scurried to man their stations. Chip was aware that the divers hadn’t had time to reach Seaview, but the sub was a sitting duck, he had to take evasive action. With Seaview destroyed, the divers wouldn’t have anywhere to return to.

Both torpedoes sailed past Seaview and exploded. The turbulence rocked the submarine, throwing crewmen from their seats. Chip clung to the periscope mount in an effort to stay on his feet. He hoped that Lee and his party had managed to find some shelter. He doubted they’d had time to reach Seaview.

“Chip, what’s going on?” Nelson called over the intercom as Seaview settled back to an even keel.

Chip clicked the mic. “We’re under attack by an unidentified sub.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“More torpedoes, starboard side!” the sonar man reported as he resumed his seat.

“Dive, all dive. Hard left rudder, brace for impact!” Chip desperately wanted to know what was happening with Lee. If the first explosion hadn’t killed the diving party, the second surely would. However, there was no time for that now. Chip’s first priority had to be Seaview and the lives of the crew. “Missile room, load one and three with countermeasures and fire when ready.”

“Aye, sir.”

One torpedo exploded before reaching Seaview, thanks to the counter measures. Again, the sub pitched and rolled with the resulting turbulence spilling crewmen onto the deck.

******

Aboard the Kaiju, Captain Zheng gave the order to release his dive team. He was confident that Seaview would not return fire while they had divers in the water. Crane would be a prize catch, if he were still alive. He and his crew would need money; as renegades aboard a stolen submarine, they could not hope to return to their homeland.

“Divers away.”

“Ahead slow,” Zheng ordered. They would shadow the divers, ready to pick them up as soon as they had Crane secured. He followed their progress on a small TV screen hooked to a camera feed on the lead diver’s sled.

Their informants had been correct; the shallowness of the water around the forbidden island contained many underwater caves. It was easy to spot the American and his fellow divers, who had taken refuge. They had not been able to avoid the concussion from the torpedo explosions, however. The dive team moved quickly to Crane’s unconscious body and two of them took up position on either side of him, dragging him back to the Kaiju.

Zheng smiled. He would be well rewarded for Crane’s capture.

******

Chip snagged the mic. “Damage Control, report.”

“Damage Control, aye. Full watertight integrity, some minor damage. We have a team working on it.”

“Very well.”

Nelson unshipped a mic. “Lee, this is the Admiral – report.” Getting no response, he tried again. “Lee, what’s your condition?”

Chip clicked the mic he was still holding. “Missile room, what about the divers?”

Sorry, Mr Morton – they didn’t make it back.”

“Sonar?” Nelson moved to the sonar station.

The operator shook his head. “Sorry, sir; those explosions stirred up all kinds of stuff, I can’t get a clear reading.”

“Activate nose and sail cameras,” Nelson ordered. Both he and Chip moved to the view screen as it came to life, showing the unconscious divers and the team from the other sub, headed away with Crane.

Nelson swung from the screen. “All stop. Chip, get a diving party out and tell Doc to meet me in the missile room, we may need him.”

“Aye, sir.” Chip unclipped a mic. “Chief Jones, get a diving party out. Sickbay, have Doc report to the missile room.”

******

Chief Jones was just securing the hatch behind the divers as Nelson entered the missile room.

“Divers away, Admiral.”

Nelson nodded. “Very good, Curly.” He desperately wanted to go after Lee, but they couldn’t abandon the other divers if there was a chance they were still alive. So they were forced to wait and worry. Time seemed to stop while they waited for the divers to return. In the meantime, Jamieson arrived with his corpsmen and two stretchers.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard the divers enter

The escape chamber and a minute later the light changed to green. Chief Jones opened the hatch and Jamieson’s team moved in to help with the unconscious divers.

“Are they alive?” Nelson asked.

Jamieson looked up and gave a brief nod.

Nelson took the mic from the side of the escape chamber. “Chip, get us underway.”

“Aye, sir,” Chip acknowledged.

“Keep me informed, Doc. I’ll be in the control room.” Nelson hurried out, headed forward, his expression grim.

******

The sensation of cold brought Lee back to consciousness. Shivering, he opened his eyes, realizing he was lying on a metal floor. Head pounding and ears ringing, trying to get to his feet, he realized that he was chained to a pipe in a small compartment. The vibrations through the deck and the slight metallic taste of the air told him that he was aboard a sub.

Slowly things were coming back to him; he’d been diving, collecting samples when Seaview was attacked. Fortunately, the warning from Seaview had given them time to find partial shelter, but the force of the exploding torpedoes had still knocked him out. He felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Stifling a groan, he managed to lever himself into a sitting position and gingerly rested back against the metal wall until the room stopped spinning. How long had he been here and where were Kowalski and Richardson?

Lee looked around his prison for anything that he could use to unlock the manacle on his wrists, but his captors had made sure that there was nothing within reach. He’d have to wait for an opportunity to present itself.

******

Chip’s call over the intercom interrupted Nelson’s worrying about Lee.

“Admiral, we’re at dead stop, 2000 yards off their sub base. What are your orders?”

Nelson stopped his progress and headed for the nearest intercom. Grabbing the mic, he pressed the button. “Stand by, Chip. I’m going to be in my cabin making a few calls.” He knew that Chip was as anxious about Lee as he was.

“Aye, sir.”

Changing direction, Nelson headed for his cabin. Throwing himself behind his desk, he grabbed his phone and punched the button for the radio room.

“Sparks, get me Washington,” he ordered impatiently. While the bureaucrats dragged their feet, Lee was probably being tortured. His phone ringing interrupted his thoughts and he grabbed the receiver.

“Washington, Admiral,” Sparks announced.

“Thanks, Sparks. Somebody had better be listening,” he growled.

*****

It hadn’t been a long conversation. Nelson wanted to go in with a rescue party, but Washington didn’t want to risk cause a diplomatic incident. He’d pointed out that kidnapping Crane had been an act of aggression and that they had just cause to go in. However, the bureaucrats insisted that he give the diplomats a chance to secure Lee’s release. That had been three days ago. Idiots! Nelson rubbed the back of his neck. Seaview had kept station while the necessary diplomatic channels were thrashed out - with no results. No surprise there, Nelson thought with disgust. The powers that be had made noises, threatened sanctions, and all the while Lee Crane remained in the hands of ruthless men who cared nothing for the Geneva Convention. You could not reason with these people, they were fanatics. Goodness knows what they were doing to Lee. Nelson contemplated for a moment blowing up their sub-pen, which would have given them something to think about; however, he couldn’t risk Lee’s life.

Taking a packet of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, he shook one out and lit it, taking a long drag. Lee hated him smoking. Damn it! Lee had become an important part of his life, the son he’d never had. Seaview without Lee was just unthinkable.

Unable to sit any longer, he pushed to his feet and left the cabin, headed for the control room. Frustrated that more wasn’t being done to secure Lee’s release, he was sorely tempted to call Washington again and demand action; he was ready to take someone’s head off.

“Admiral.” Chip Morton glanced up from the chart table; he looked like he hadn’t slept much since Lee went missing.

Nelson could sympathise. They were all worried about Lee. It had been a long three days since Lee had been taken. Lee had been Seaview’s captain for less than a year, but he’d had an impact on all their lives. The crew would follow him anywhere and obeyed his orders without question.

“Chip, everything all right?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve just done a walk thought the boat and everything is secure.”

Nelson nodded. “Carry on.” He headed for the front porch, intending to sit for a while. He should hit his rack; he needed to be ready to lead a rescue party when Lee was found. Except sleep had been elusive, all he could think about was what was happening to Lee.

******

While they worried and counted the minutes on Seaview, Lee had lost track of time. They had taken his watch, along with his scuba gear. He’d been given water, and something that passed for food, but no one had been in to demand anything from him. What were they waiting for?

Suddenly the compartment hatch opened and two armed men entered, wearing uniforms that Lee recognised; he’d seen enough of them on the island when he and Nelson had been guests of General Tau. While one stood guard, the other unlocked the lead chain and gestured for Lee to stand. A little stiff from being in one position for too long and was still feeling the effects of the explosion, Lee used the pipe for support while he climbed to his feet. The man tugged on the chain, giving Lee no option but to go with them.

He was led through the narrow interior of the old sub, to the control room, where an officer met him.

“Who are you?” Lee asked.

“I’m Captain Zheng, and I’m in command of this vessel.”

“Why was I kidnapped?” Lee demanded belligerently.

“You were not kidnapped. You are a spy and will be handed over to the Imperial Guard for questioning.”

“I’m not a spy; we were on a scientific survey!”

“A ruse to cover the real reason for your submarine to be in these waters.” Zheng waved him away. “Take him ashore.”

Ashore? Had they really come back to the poisoned island? This was madness! Before he could say anything, he was hustled away.

******

The jungle was hot and humid; Lee had been walking for what seemed like hours. Sweat beaded his face and neck and ran down his back. He knew that sweat drained the body of salt and would quickly sap his strength. The manacles on his wrists and ankles hampered his progress and felt heavier with every mile. Lee licked dry lips; his escorts hadn’t offered him food or water during the trek through the jungle, although, he wanted nothing to do with either in this godforsaken place.

Even under the shade of the tree canopy, the jungle heat was fierce. In places, the lush vegetation was so dense that the trail almost disappeared. Surrounded by exotic plants and flowers, Lee wasn’t thinking about the orchids and flowering bamboo, he had other things to worry about. He tried not to dwell on what his captives had planned for him. He knew that Nelson would be looking for him; but would they get to him in time?

Finally, the trail opened onto a clearing surrounded by a high chain link fence and barbed wire. Inside were crude huts with either thatched or corrugated iron roofs that reminded him of an old prisoner of war camp. He was taken to the largest hut, confronting a man dressed in an elaborate uniform, his cold eyes staring down his nose at Lee.

“Well, Commander Crane, I am General Tang, welcome to your new home. I assure you, your stay will not be a pleasant one.”

“You have no right to bring me here. This is kidnapping,” Lee protested. “You won’t get away with this.”

“But we already have,” Tang smiled. “We’ll talk more later, when you are feeling more co-operative. Take him to his cell.”

Lee was used to danger and pain, he’d been in some hellish situations in the past and had survived. He resolved not tell them anything, no matter what they did to him.

*****

Once again, Lee was dragged out of his small, dark cell and deposited on the rough cement floor. How many times had it been now? Wearing only swim trunks, his body bruised and dirty, his wrists and ankles were torn and bloody from the heavy manacles he wore.

“You are a spy, tell us why you are here!” General Tang yelled at him.

Lee shook his head. “I’m not who you think I am, I’m not a spy.”

“We don’t believe you. You will tell us what we want to know.”

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know!”

“You will talk.”

One of the guards knelt and held Lee’s head while a funnel was forced into his mouth and water was poured into it. He immediately began to choke, afraid that he was going to die, and struggled against the men holding him. Apparently, they didn’t want to kill him, not yet. Released, he turned onto his side, coughing up water and trying to get air into his lungs. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold out before he got sick from the interrogation methods and rough treatment.

Sometimes they fed him, other days they didn’t. He had resisted at first, afraid to eat, afraid that it would bring on the insanity again, but finally thirst had won out. Luckily, nothing had happened, although what he was getting was barely enough to keep him alive. Sometimes there was a bowl with a few tablespoons of rice, other times stale bread and hard cheese, and only two cups of water a day. His hair was a mess and he had several days’ growth of beard. He hadn’t been allowed to wash, except when they threw water over him. When he wasn’t being interrogated, he was left in the small cell. He hadn’t seen daylight since he’d arrived here. The inside of the building containing his cage was like an oven in the day and the air was stale. His only respite was when he was hauled out for questioning.

“Are you ready to talk?”

“I told you... I don’t know... what you’re... talking about,” he gasped between fits of coughing. His bruised ribs protested the extra strain it put on them.

“Do you take me for a fool?” Tang yelled. “We know who you are, Commander!” he raged, landing a vicious kick to Lee’s already bruised ribs.

“Right… I’m… Commander… Lee Crane, captain… of the… submarine Seaview,” Lee croaked. “No… spy.”

“Take him away,” Tang ordered.

******

Back he went to his small cell, not much more than a cage with no bed, just a hard compact floor. Lee used mind control techniques to try to sleep. He’d need all his strength to escape when an opportunity presented itself. However, sleep was becoming near impossible due to an irritating cough. He must be getting sick, he realised, just what he didn’t need on top of the dehydration and exhaustion. He wouldn’t be able to survive many more interrogation sessions.

When his evening ration of rice and water arrived, Lee found himself unable to eat. The food seemed to stick in his throat, making him cough and he gave up. Even the water hurt his throat. Sitting up helped his breathing, so Lee rested back against the cell wall and drew his knees up, resting his head on them. Rescue was unlikely. While he knew that Nelson wouldn’t abandon him, the encampment might be basic, but it was secure, and being in the jungle, any rescue attempt would not be easy.

When the guard came back for the plate and mug, Lee was dragged out again. He expected another interrogation session; instead, he was taken to a small office.

He understood enough of the language to know that the man with General Tang was not happy. Lee waited, listening to their heated discussion regarding his fate. He wished that someone would make a decision, he wasn’t sure that his legs would support him for much longer. His ears were ringing and he felt lightheaded, the weight of the chains seeming to increase with every passing moment.

When another coughing fit hit, he doubled over, clutching his ribs and sinking to his knees. He hoped that he’d given the impression that he was sicker than he was, although he didn’t need to do much faking.

“Your methods are not working. He cannot tell us anything if he is dead,” the other man raged. He gestured to the guard. “Bring him.”

******

Chip knocked at Nelson’s cabin door and waited for him to answer, before entering.

“Latest satellite pictures, Admiral.” Chip placed the printouts on the desk.

“Any news?” Nelson asked, looking up briefly.

Chip shook his head. “No, nothing, sir.” Sparks had been monitoring communications, but so far, there had been no news of Lee.

Picking up a magnifying glass, Nelson turned his attention to the images. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. They had learned from a contact that the camp where Lee was being held was somewhere in the jungle; that was all the information they had. With the thick vegetation, it would be almost impossible to spot it from aerial photos.

“How is Kowalski?” Nelson asked, breaking into Chip’s thoughts. He’d been injured when Lee had been kidnapped.

“Doc says he’ll be fine in a few days. It was only a flesh wound.”

“Very well, Chip. To hell with Washington. Have a shore party standing by, ready to shove off as soon as we have any news.”

“Aye, sir.”

******

Lee found himself in another cell, better than the last one. There was a metal framed bed, with a mattress and a pillow. Lee was helped to the bed where he sat down, grateful to be off his feet. He leaned back against the wall and waited to see what happened next.

The officer stayed while the guards left and returned later with a bucket of hot water, towels and a prison jumpsuit.

The officer stepped forward and removed the shackles. “Please don’t attempt anything stupid,” he said in mildly accented English. “I won’t kill you, but I will shoot you in the legs if you try to escape.”

Lee nodded. “I understand. Thank you,” he answered softly, playing the model prisoner.

“Don’t thank me yet. You may regret not co-operating with General Tang. You’ll be moved to a medical facility as soon as I can arrange transport.”

When he was once more alone, Lee washed and dunked his head into the water to wash his hair as well. The water helped revive him a little; he’d been so tired, he couldn’t think straight. After towelling dry, he put on the jumpsuit; they hadn’t given him any shoes, probably to deter him from trying to escape. He wondered what new game this man was playing; pretending to be his friend to gain his trust. Well, two could play that game. Lee would rest and wait for an opportunity to escape.

******

His transport turned out to be an old WWII ambulance. Lee was surprised that they hadn’t put him in restraints for the journey. They thought either that he wasn’t capable of an escape attempt, or they believed that he wouldn’t try.

He lay quiet while a medic fussed over him, cleaning and bandaging his wrists, inserting a cannula into his arm, starting an IV, and putting an oxygen mask on his face. The old ambulance wasn’t especially comfortable and it was a bumpy ride along the rough jungle tracks. Lee waited until they were some distance from the prison, but couldn’t afford to wait too long. Closing his eyes, he moaned and rolled his head, bringing the medic closer. Lee grabbed him around the neck and used the IV line to choke him. It took nearly all of his reserve strength, but finally the medic fell forward on top of him.

The guard that had been sitting in the back with them was on his feet. Lee shoved the unconscious man at him, the weight taking them both backwards. While the guard was frantically trying to untangle himself from the medic, Lee disconnected the IV, leaving the cannula in place; he’d take care of that later. Kicking open the back doors, he jumped and rolled, hitting the ground hard. Coming to his knees, he scrambled for the cover of the undergrowth. For a brief moment he lay there feeling nauseous and a little woozy, his ears buzzing, pain radiating through his already abused body. He hardly dared to breathe, as he lay listened to the sound of the ambulance recede into the distance.

He had to draw on all his reserves to force himself to move, needing to get out of there before the guard raised the alarm and they came back to look for him. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible under cover of darkness. At least the green jumpsuit gave him some camouflage amongst the jungle vegetation. Pushing up on his hands and knees, he managed to get to his feet and remain upright. Around him, the jungle was alive with the sounds of insects and other wildlife that came out to hunt at night. His eyes had adjusted enough for him to find his way through the thick undergrowth as he moved deeper into the darkness. The canopy above did not give much of a view of the night sky or the stars. One thing that he had come to realise was that this was not the contaminated island where he and Nelson had been subjected to the hate drug, but one of the chain of islands that made up the People’s Republic.

******

“Admiral, there’s a message for you,” Sparks called from the radio shack.

Nelson turned from the plot table and walked the short distance to the radio operator. “Thanks, Sparks.” He smiled as he read the message and hurried back to join Morton. “Message from our contact; Lee’s escaped. He’s given us coordinates for a rendezvous point.”

The relief on Chip’s face was obvious. “That’s good news.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Nelson turned his attention to the chart. “We can put a party ashore here,” he said, indicating a spot on the chart. “Bring her up to flank and head for this position, Chip.”

“Aye, sir.”

While Chip relayed the course change, Nelson called the missile room. “Chief, have a rescue team standing by to go ashore as soon as we reach the co-ordinates.”

“Aye, sir,” Jones’ craggy voice came over the intercom.

“What’s the plan, Admiral? How are we going to find Lee?” Chip asked.

“That’s a good question. I wish I had an answer.”

******

Lee could hear the sound of water. At first, he wasn’t sure if it wasn’t a dream; he was desperate for a drink. Following the sound, he found a hidden opening to a narrow gulley. A shallow stream meandered amongst the rock-covered floor. Lee crouched to splash water on his face and soothed his parched throat with the surprisingly cool water.

Moving further into the narrow chasm, he found it gradually opened into a small, secluded valley. Moonlight revealed a waterfall tumbling from the rocks surrounding the canyon, into a pool that looked very inviting after his trek through the humid heat of the jungle. This would be a good place to rest, every bruise was making itself known and every muscle in his abused body ached. Lee carefully checked around before stripping off and stepping under the waterfall. The cool water felt great, refreshing and reviving as it splashed onto his shoulders and poured down his torso. He tilted his head and worked the water through his hair with his fingers, staying under the cascading water until he felt clean again. There wasn’t much he could do about his beard, but now would be a good time to remove the cannula from his arm. It wasn’t easy to do one handed, but the water helped free the tape and he was able to remove the tube and pressed his thumb over the puncture to stop the bleeding.

Emerging from the waterfall, he sat on a moss-covered rock to let the heat dry him while he surveyed his surroundings, looking for a secure place where he could grab a few hours rest. He’d been allowed very little sleep while he’d been a guest of General Tang and the sleep deprivation, combined with the interrogation, had taken its toll.

******

Lee awoke to someone moving, none too quietly, close to where he’d settled in a depression behind some large rocks. He bit back a groan as sore muscles protested when he levered himself up to peer over the boulders. It was just starting to get light; he’d slept longer than he’d planned. His head ached and he felt dizzy. Despite the jungle heat, he was cold.

Not a good sign.

The unwelcomed intruder was the officer who had helped him. He watched the man move past his hiding place to the waterfall and fill a water bottle. Lee wondered where the others were; they must be out looking for him. He needed to get out of there and contact Seaview. He automatically glanced at his wrist, and then remembered that he no longer had his watch. Lee wished that he were armed.

******

The “officer” was Mark Seto, a third generation Japanese-American who’d joined Army Intelligence right out of college. They’d taken advantage of his language skills, intelligence and calm demeanour to forge an identity for him as someone who hated the United States and all it stood for. He’d been working deep undercover for the past two years since he’d infiltrated the People’s Republic, collecting intel on the so-called ‘friendly’ nation. Getting Lee Crane out would be his final mission, and he was looking forward to returning to the U.S.

He’d set the bait and hoped that Crane would take it. Crane was obviously tired and not thinking too clearly, for the trail he’d left behind had been easy to follow. Directing Cheng’s men in the opposite direction, Seto set out. They needed to get to the rendezvous point that he’d arranged with Nelson. Capping the water bottle, he tucked it into his pack and prepared to leave. He knew that Lee Crane wasn’t a man that trusted easily. He’d just have to try to persuade Crane that he really was trying to help him.

The cave behind the waterfall connected to a series of fissures and caverns that eventually led to the beach and a small inlet where he had arranged to meet with the rescue party from Seaview. Seto stepped into the cave and moved further inside, to where he could watch to see if Crane would follow him.

******

Lee slipped cautiously from his hiding place as the officer disappeared behind the waterfall. He’d watched for several minutes to see if he would re-appear before he’d decided that it was safe. Lee made his way over to the waterfall and capped his hands to drink, hoping that the cool water would help to quiet his rolling stomach.

The valley felt so peaceful, it was hard to imagine that there was any danger here; but the real danger was the human kind. He stood for a moment, contemplating his options. He didn’t think there was a lot to be gained by returning the way he had come. Weighing his options, he realized that the officer hadn’t returned. Was there a way out behind the waterfall? Cautiously he slipped behind the curtain of water and found a cave. Only too aware that creatures such as bats, spiders and scorpions dwelt in caves, he moved slowly, careful where he stepped. Luckily the noise from the waterfall was so loud, it blocked out any other sounds.

The cavern felt damp and he shivered. His mind wandered, conjuring up images of some of Cookie’s ‘special’ coffee and a hot meal. Patterns of light danced against the rock walls, created by the sunlight filtering through the waterfall. As he moved deeper into the cavern, it got darker and started to narrow. He was about to give up and return the way he had come when movement caught his attention. Lee tensed, prepared to fight.

Seto stepped from the shadows. “Commander Crane, my name is Mark Seto, Lieutenant, Army Intelligence. I’m here to get you out.”

“Why should I trust you?” Lee asked defensively.

“Because I helped you escape. You must realize that you wouldn’t have

gotten away otherwise.”

Lee hesitated, unsure that he trusted this man. It could explain why there were no restraints when he’d been placed in the ambulance.

“Here.” Mark hunted in his pack and produced Lee’s watch.

Lee took it warily. “Thanks.” He slipped it into the pocket of the jumpsuit, catching the bandage still on his wrist.

“Would you like me to change those bandages? I have a first aid kit.”

Lee shook his head. “It’ll keep.”

“In that case, we had better get moving, we don’t have much time. I’ve arranged to meet a rescue party from Seaview.” Mark pulled a flashlight out of his pack.

“You’ve been in contact with Seaview?” Lee regarded him suspiciously.

He nodded. “Yes, I spoke to Admiral Nelson. He is very worried about you. Believe me, I’m as anxious to get off this rock as you are,” he said, grinning. “I’ve gotten the feeling lately that General Tang isn’t satisfied with my credentials.”

“All right,” Lee agreed grudgingly. “I’ll be right behind you.”

He hadn’t seen anyone else enter the cave and just hoped that there wasn’t an ambush waiting for them. If this were a trap, what would it matter? They’d find him eventually, in any event.

With Mark leading the way, he followed. The rough surface underfoot tore the soles of his bare feet and he was soon limping, but determined to keep going.

******

Nelson stood at the plot table with Chip. “We’ll move in close enough to put a boat ashore and pick up Lee and the agent.”

Chip unshipped a mic. “Engine room, slow to one third. Manoeuvring, ten degrees right rudder.”

“Ten degrees, aye.”

“Sonar, anything?” Nelson asked, moving to stand behind the operator.

“No, Admiral – the board is clear.”

“Chip, take us up to periscope depth.”

“Aye, sir.”

Nelson stepped up to the periscope island and waited.

“Ninety feet.” Chip reported.

“Up scope.” Nelson turned the scope through a 180-degree sweep of the surface. Satisfied that there was no danger, he gave the order to surface.

******

Seaview surfaced and a Zodiac was quickly lowered into the water. Nelson and the rescue party climbed aboard and pushed away. As soon as they were clear, Seaview disappeared below the water again.

Nelson studied the beach through binoculars. It looked deserted. It had been an anxious wait to retrieve Lee, but he had some comfort in the fact that they had an agent working inside the military who had planned an escape route. They would be extracting the agent along with Lee.

Nelson continued to scan the beach as they grounded the boat in the shallows. Suddenly he saw two men emerge from the jungle. He smiled in relief at seeing Lee on his feet, although he was limping and being supported by another man, that he took to be the agent. Kowalski quickly moved to Lee’s side to help support him to the boat.

“Lee, it’s good to see you! Are you badly hurt?” Nelson asked.

Lee managed a smile. “Thanks, Admiral. I’ve had worse.”

Nelson turned his attention to the agent. “Lieutenant Seto? I understand that you’ll be coming with us.”

Seto nodded. “Yes, thank you, Admiral.”

“All right, gentlemen – let’s get out of here.”

Suppressing the urge to fuss over his young captain, Nelson resumed his place in the boat. He could hover later, in the relative privacy of sickbay. Although by now, the whole crew was aware of their father and son relationship, he tried to keep his feelings in check in front of the crew.

Lee had waved Kowalski away and was lying in the boat with his head resting on the combing. Nelson felt a sudden surge of parental affection. Lee looked so young and venerable. There were those who said that Lee was too young to command Seaview, but whatever anyone said, in Nelson’s view, Lee was the best, He’d shown extraordinary courage and leadership since taking command. Nelson wouldn’t want anyone captaining Seaview.

******

Nelson dropped the last few rungs of the ladder into the control room. “Chip, take her down and get us out of here!”

“Aye, sir.” Chip unclipped a mic from the periscope mount. “Clear the deck, standby to dive. Engine room, ahead flank.”

Nelson turned his attention to Lee. “Commander, you’re getting bloody footprints on the deck,” he observed.

Lee looked down. “Yes, sir – sorry, sir.”

“Patterson, escort the captain to sickbay,” Nelson ordered, unable to keep the smile from his face at Lee’s hangdog expression.

“Aye, sir.” Patterson moved to Lee’s side just as a corpsman arrived in the control room. Between them, they hustled Lee out of the control room.

Nelson wanted to follow Lee to sickbay, but Lee would want some privacy and Jamieson wouldn’t want him hovering and getting in the way. Instead, he turned his attention to the agent.

“Lieutenant, come with me. I’ll advise Washington that you are aboard. Chip, you have the conn.” Turning to go, he let the Army officer proceed him out of the control room, and then softly called, “Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Thank you.”

******

Doctor Will Jamieson smiled at the sight of Lee Crane asleep on his exam table. Still damp from the shower, Lee’s hair was a mess of curls. Several blankets covered his lower half, allowing Jamieson a view of some angry looking bruises around the ribcage.

“Skipper?” Jamieson cautiously touched Lee’s arm, not wanting to surprise him and end up getting decked.

“Not asleep, Jamie, “Lee replied sleepily without opening his eyes.

“I’m going to start with a chest exam and then we’ll see what else you’ve done to yourself.”

Lee gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

Lee remained quiet while Jamieson poked gently, occasionally grunting when the doctor hit a sore spot. The sodden bandages were quickly removed, the skin swabbed to examine under the microscope for infections. While his Corpsman prepared the slide, Jamieson cleaned the abrasions on Lee’s wrists.

“Owww!” Lee complained when the doctor wiped the antiseptic-soaked pad over the area.

“Sorry.”

Jamieson re-bandaged Lee’s wrists and pulled the cover up over his chest before moving down to treat his ankles and feet. Lee’s feet were cut and torn from walking without any shoes. He spent some time cleaning the wounds and bandaged both Lee’s feet. He finished and drew some blood, careful to avoid the worst of the bruising on Lee’s arm.

“Can I go to my cabin now?” Lee asked

“Not yet, skipper, I want to check the blood work first. Goodness knows what nasty bugs you’ve picked up. In the mean time, I want you to eat something and then get some sleep.”

“Sounds good, but I’m not sure I can stay awake.”

“Let’s get you into a bunk and I’ll wake you when your dinner arrives.”

******

Dinner turned out to be Minestrone soup and bread, a banana and Gatorade, all delivered by Chip. “Hey, sleeping beauty, you ready to eat?” He placed the tray on the table and moved it so that Lee could reach.

Lee opened his eyes and levered himself into a sitting position. “Great, I’m starving!” His expression fell as he took the cover off the tray. “What’s this? I was hoping for steak,” he complained.

Chip grinned. “Sorry, Jamie’s orders.” Chip glanced in the direction of the doctor’s office. “I’ll see if I can sneak you something later,” he whispered. “I take it you are feeling okay.”

Lee nodded as he picked up the spoon and tucked into the soup. “I’m fine, a few bruises is all – I’ve had worse.”

“I’m surprised you’re still here.”

Lee grinned mischievously as he dipped bread into the soup. “I’m lulling Jamie into a false sense of security.”

Chip snorted. “Good luck with that.”

What’s our status?”

Chip grinned. “Wondered how long it would take you to ask that. Everything is in the green.”

“Smart aleck,” Lee retorted good-naturedly. Chip was an extremely competent XO and Lee knew that he could rely on him to take care of Seaview.

“Hey, watch it, or I won’t bring you hot chocolate and cookies later.”

“What about Seto?” Lee asked, pushing the empty bowl away and reaching for the banana.

“In a guest cabin and don’t worry, I’ve put a guard on him. One that will follow him around as necessary.”

Lee nodded approval. “Good.”

“You don’t trust him?”

“I don’t know him enough to trust him. Seemed to me that he’d been with the People’s Republic for a long time.”

“Should I post a guard here as well?”

“No, Chip – I’m probably just being paranoid.” Lee smiled. “After all, he did help me escape.”

“We’ll find out soon. The admiral’s doing his usual thorough bit of checking.”

“I hope he turns out to be legit. Without his help, I’d still be on that island.” Lee closed his eyes and got comfortable. “Wake me when we’re someplace I care about, okay?”

******

When Lee next opened his eyes, the overheads had been turned down and there was light spilling out from Jamie’s office, where, Lee assumed, one of doc’s corpsmen was keeping watch.

Apart from some pain in his injured ribs, Lee was relatively comfortable. He lay quiet, not wanting to alert the corpsman that he was awake. Listening to the sounds of his grey lady, he reached out a hand to touch the bulkhead.

It had been a welcome sight, seeing her rise majestically from the ocean. When he had first heard of Nelson’s plans to build Seaview, he’d never dreamt that he would one day be her captain. Since taking command, he had faced some impossible situations, including what had almost been doomsday. Something that he hoped he would never have to face again. Even so, he wouldn’t change anything.

Tomorrow he would try to convince Jamie to release him to his cabin. The injuries to his feet would prevent him from prowling the boat, but he could pass the time doing paperwork – as long as he didn’t let doc catch him, he smiled to himself.

At the sound of the door opening, Lee turned to see who had entered. Seto approached the bunk, while his escort remained standing just inside the door.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Captain. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I’m fine, now that I’ve had a decent meal and some sleep.” He held out a hand. “Thanks for the assist, Lieutenant.”

Seto smiled and shook hands. “No need, Captain. I was just doing my job.”

“Thanks, anyway.” Lee looked around him to the guard. “I guess we’re still being careful.”

“It’s the same thing I’d be doing, sir. I understand that Admiral Nelson should be getting my bona fides any minute now.”

“What are your plans?”

Seto shook his head. “I think I’m out of it for good, sir. Pretty sure I wore out my welcome with the General and the rest of my so-called superiors at the People’s Republic. A few weeks of de-briefing, some time with my family, and then a desk job. I’ve been away too long.”

“Is there a Mrs Seto?”

“Good heavens, no – Army Intelligence prefers their operatives not to have too many personal ties.”

Lee understood that very well. A wife could quickly become a widow in their line of work.

“I had better go and let you rest. Good night, Captain.”

“Good night, Lieutenant.” Lee watched him leave and then glanced in the direction of Doc’s office. He could use a drink, his throat hurt and he had a slight headache. Throwing off the covers, he tried to swing his legs over the side of the bunk. His muscles were slow to respond and every part of him seemed to ache.

“Skipper, what are you doing?” The arrival of the corpsman interrupted his attempts.

“I wanted a drink, my throat is sore,” Lee admitted.

“Please get back into bed, skipper. I’ll call down to the galley and have something sent up. What would you like?”

“Something hot.”

“Sure thing, skipper.” The corpsman smiled as he helped Lee settle back into the bunk.

******

Perched on the exam table, Lee waited for Jamieson to give him his verdict.

Finally, the doctor looked up from Lee’s chart and regarded his patient before speaking. “I’ll release you to your cabin on condition that you rest and take the medication I am prescribing. You’ve picked up some microbes, probably from the water, you have a throat infection and the wounds on your wrists are infected. You’ll need to have the dressings changed every day.”

“Okay, Jamie – I promise to behave.”

“You may experience some intestinal disturbance and feel tired for a few days. All things considered, you were lucky it wasn’t worse.”

Lee flashed him a smile. “I’m tough.”

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you, so don’t even think about disobeying my orders,” Jamieson warned.

Lee slide down off the exam table and fastened the sickbay robe. “Can I go now?”

“I suppose you want to walk out?”

Damn right! There was no way he was going to his cabin in a wheelchair. “You suppose right.”

“All right, we’ll do it your way,” Jamieson conceded.

******

As much as Lee loved captaining Seaview, the last mission had taken more out of him than he was willing to admit to anyone. After being released from sickbay, he’d spend several days recovering. He’d been surprised at how tired he had felt. Nelson had visited and they had talked about what had happened while he’d been held prisoner. Lee had spent some of the time writing his report and Nelson had flown him and Lieutenant Seto to Washington for de-briefing. The Admiral had insisted on accompanying Lee, to ensure that he was not roped into any ONI assignments. Afterwards, they had enjoyed a meal at Il Porto, Nelson’s favourite restaurant in Georgetown. A bowl of Manicotti alla Florentina and a few glasses of Ruffino Riserva later, and he’d felt better than he had in days. The return to Santa Barbara had been uneventful.

Now he was looking forward to some leave. Walking from the administration building, he headed to where his Corvette was waiting for him. If he was honest, he wasn’t looking forward to going home to his apartment, not just yet. The place was only ever meant to be temporary, until he found something close to the beach. Nelson had offered him one of the officers’ quarters on the NIMR grounds, but that would put him within easy reach of his CMO. Ever since Will Jamieson had joined Seaview, it had been a constant battle of wills between them whenever Lee was sick or injured. Lee’s own take on anything medical was to ignore it and let it get better by itself. Unfortunately, the doctor usually took exception to Lee’s views. Better to be as far away from him as possible when he could.

Dumping his briefcase on the passenger seat, Lee climbed in behind the wheel and sat, considering. Maybe a walk on the beach before he headed home would do some good, and free him from any chance of remaining in Jamie’s clutches. Decision made, he started the car and pulled out of his parking space, headed for the ocean.

*End*