On the Edge of Darkness (Special Force Orca Book 1) by Anthony Molloy Page A

much progress. Curious; in his experience E-boat skippers like the ‘Andrew’s’ gunboat skippers, mad bastards who liked to charge about everywhere at a rate of knots.
    He crawled flat-bellied over the gunwale and into the boat. Keeping one eye on the still distant E-boat he eased the branches into place one by one.
    Satisfied he peered over the gunwale of the sea boat and studied the other vessel, ugly looking things, more like the barges he seen on canals; but they had a fearsome reputation. They said they were better fighting boats than the British equivalent …bigger anyway.
    He sneaked silently back over the boat’s gunwale and belly-crawled back as fast as he could to the shelter of the tree line.
     
    *     *     *
     
    Blake skidded to a halt in a shower of powdery snow. Across the cold expanse of water the ‘Nishga’ lay quiet behind her camouflage netting.
    He was searching for his torch to signal her when he heard a thump below him. Leaning out he could see the ship ’s cutter unloading gear on the rock shelf below the cliff.
    “ Below!” he called; half a dozen red faces looked up at him. “Get back to the ship; tell them there’s a Jerry E-boat coming this way.”
    The coxswain of the boat cupped his hands around his mouth, ” You coming back with us, ‘Royal’?”
    “ No, I’m getting back to me mate,” he waved and turning quickly dropped back down the slope as fast as his skis could carry him.
     
    *     *     *
     
    “Is that all he had to say?” asked Captain Barr.
    “ Yes sir, he seemed in a hurry to get back.” said the cutter’s coxswain.
    “ Very Good, thank you, Leading Hand, carry on…” he stayed exactly how he was, deep in thought. After several moments he turned to Grant who had been patiently waiting beside him.
    “ Number One, go to action stations… quietly, no alarm, no pipes, use the gangway staff to call the watch below. Train all the guns that can bear, out to starboard in readiness. If she comes round that corner I want her blasted out of the water before she can get a signal off.”
    “ Aye, Aye sir, shall I get the men on the depth charges to man the tackles on the nets, we don’t want to set them alight… if we have to open fire.”
    Barr nodded, “Good point, Number One, what would I do without you.”
    “ Warm yourself at the fire, sir?” But Barr hadn’t heard him he had started pacing the day cabin, hands clasped behind his back, chin on his chest.
     
    *     *     *
     
    O’Neill
     
    The E-boat was now spluttering her way pass O’Neill’s hastily camouflaged sea boat, “‘erh engines don’t sound too healthy, ‘Nervous’.”
    “ No, you’re right…If she breaks down now, she’ll be between us and the bloody ship!”
    “ She’s turning in towards the shore”.
    They could see a man, in a white jumper, working his way for ’ard coiling a rope in one hand as he went.
    “ She’s going to tie up…Look!
    “ Bloody hell, she’s got between us and the ‘Nishga’. We got to get word to them.”
    “ She’s too close to us for my liking. Only wants someone to take a stroll…”
    “ You get back to ‘Spooky’ and the rest of the mob, tell them what’s happened and tell ‘em to keep quiet and stay where they are, out of sight, you got me?”
     
    *     *     *
     
    Bushel
     
    “You see what’s happened?” whispered Bushel, as Blake crawled to his side. He was pointing to the E-boat, now almost directly below them on the far bank. “She’s got engine trouble by the sounds of her, and she’s pulled in there, right next to our bloody sea boat. She’s probably going to make repairs, or worst still, wait for help”
    “ Blimey! What are you ganna do, Corp?”
    “ I’m going home to me mum, I don’t know about you”
    Blake grinned, “Thought you were too old to ‘ave a mum, Corp.”
    The thirty-year old chose to ignore the remark. “You stay ‘ere; if they get wind of us, or those silly