with scuba equipment than you have, Officer Latham."
'1 doubt that," Drew had replied.
"I was trained at the Scripps Institute in San Diego, and you don't get any better than that."
"And I learned with Frederik in the Black Sea, four weeks of preparation-our cover was a sporting husband and wife. If Stanley's memory is intact, he might recall the exercise."
"I do, young lady," Witkowski had said.
"We paid for the whole operation.. .. Freddie de V brought back a couple of hundred underwater shots of the Soviet vessels in and around Sevastopol.
Tonnage, displacement, the whole enchilada."
"I took at least a third of those photographs," added Karin defiantly.
"All right," Latham had conceded, "but if we get out of this alive, you're going to have to learn that you don't wear the pants in the family."
"And you'll not get into mine unless you change your attitude.. Did you just ask me to marry you?"
"I've asked you before-not in so many words, but plain enough what new?"
"Put a cap on it, you two ordered Witkowski.
"Here comes
The commando captain approached and squatted in front of them.
"I've gone over the strategy with our skipper and he can find no holes. Now, let me go over it again with you people."
Captain Christian Dietz's plan, if not a masterpiece of confusion, was certainly designed to elude penetration during the moments of hostile activity. Trailing the dark green motorboat, hauled by a rope, was a black PVC life raft with a 250 hp engine, capable of making 40 knots an hour. In addition, rolled up at the bow was a black tarpaulin that could be released over the entire raft, engine included. The strategy was simplicity itself-if everything worked according to schedule.
A mile or so out of its slip, Tratipman's small boat would be attacked by the underwater N-2 unit, its gas jets plugged by liquid steel caps that would harden in seconds. Then from all sides the roving television cameras were to be shorted out by silent pellets exploded from pistols as powerful as .357 Magnums. The unit would then board Traupman's boat, rip out all other communications equipment, sedate the doctor, and deliver him to the black PVC raft with the Deuxieme captain, who would roll out the black tarpaulin. Traupman's boat would then be set on automatic pilot upriver, while the unit returned to their painted dark green motorboat to head into shore near Traupman's destination.
The first two exercises worked. Under the guidance of Lieutenant Anthony'and Captain Dietz, Latham, Witkowski, and Karin surfaced beside the speeding boat, grabbing whatever ribs they could find and shoving the steel caps into the small circular gas holes marked by small red circles. The craft slowed down; it was heading into shore. As one, all five climbed on board, facing a terrified Traupman.
"Was ist los?" he screamed, reaching for his radio. It was instantly torn out by Latham, while Karin walked up to the Nazi, ripped open his jacket, and inserted a needle into the flesh beneath his shirt.
"I will have you shot .. . !" were the last words Traupman spoke before falling to the deck.
"Get him into the raft!" yelled Witkowski as the black
PVC pulled alongside and the Nazi's body was lowered over the gunwale.
"Now, full speed out of here!"
"I'll circle the boat and put it on auto, north-northwest!" cried Christian Dietz.
"What the hell is that?"
"Not to worry, Cons-Op," replied Lieutenant Gerald Anthony.
"It's straight up the Rhine, curves included. We studied the maps."
1.1Traupman was headed toward that yellow light on a dock over on the left," said Karin.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" said Drew.
"I hope so, for I will not be denied."
"Then over the sides and swim to our own boat, if we can see it."
"I anchored it, Cons-Op," said Anthony.
"It's right over there-no more than a hundred feet away. Once we're on board, I'll steer it into shore under a bunch of trees."
"How would you like to be a'colonel, Lieutenant?"
"I'd love it!" cried Captain Dietz, returning from making sure Traupman was under black cover in the motorized raft and was on his way to the opposite side of the Rhine.
"Let him pay for my dinners.. .. Let's get out of here! We've got to send this hunk of wood upriver."
The suggestion came none too soon, for within minutes, as Traupman's empty boat reached the center of the Rhine, the marina helicopter descended, as if to provide rescue equipment. Instead, a continuous fusillade of machine gun rounds sprayed the craft, circling twice, and finally blowing it apart with