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"They've been slipping small barges through the passage, here and here, usually after midnight," Ross said, roughly circling an area on the map that lay between the two officers on the flying bridge. "We're going to have to move on from here tonight, anyhow. So why not try our luck where the reefs get nice and tight for them?"
Ke
His friend smiled. "Sure you won't get run over in the dark?"
"Eyes like a cat, my friend. Like a cat!"
"The morals, too," Ross replied, gri
Ke
"Over there, Mr. Ke
Ke
"Goddamn," he muttered. "Chief, better tell the men to put their pants back on. Looks like we have polite company for a change."
George Ross was nearly dancing from foot to foot beside him. "Are they-?"
"Yup," said Ke
The sound of the outboard reached them only when the boat was about twenty-five feet away. Chief Rollins whistled in admiration as it bumped up against the side of the torpedo boat. "She's a beauty," he said.
"Thank you, Chief," one of the women said as she effortlessly hauled herself up over the side. "I take it you mean the boat, right?"
Rollins hardly knew where to look, and Ke
"Captain Jane Willet, commanding HMAS Havoc," she declared, and snapped a salute directly at Ke
"I'm Lieutenant Ke
"We are," said Willet, squinting in the fierce tropical sun. Ke
Lieutenant Ross stepped forward eagerly, cutting his friend off. "It's an honor, Captain Willet. And a privilege."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," replied the submariner. She appeared somewhat taken aback by his earnestness. Ke
Ropes dropped down to secure Willet's launch as another pair of her shipmates came over the side of the 101: a second woman, smaller and a few years younger than Willet, and an old salt who wouldn't have looked out of place on Ke
"If you'll excuse me, this doesn't look like a standard early-series Elco, Lieutenant. You got a lot of mods here."
Ke
Willet's boat chief walked over to the nearest ca
"You didn't really see this sort of configuration until late forty-three, forty-four," said Chief Flemming. "You know, pound for pound, the old PT boats were just about the heaviest hitters of the war."
"You'll have to excuse, Roy," said Willet. "He's an enthusiast."
Ke
Willet saw him checking them out. "Sorry, we don't mean to be rude, Lieutenant. But you're way behind enemy lines here. And good ma
Ke
"We are." She nodded. "How would you like to do me a big favor?"
"Anything for a lady."
Willet gave him a lopsided grin. "That's what I hear."
Ke
The four officers repaired to the now very cramped flying bridge, while Chief Petty Officer Flemming disappeared on a tour of the boat with Collins. Willet's security detail took up positions fore and aft and politely refused to talk to anyone. Sneaking a look at them occasionally, Ke