Deep Sea Chapter 20

20.

The Surface

Lord Henry stood there at Big Jaws pier watching the captured warriors being led into the holding structure. The wounded were tended to the side, while the unhurt ones were made to sit in the middle with the armed guards watching over them.  He had sent out patrols to search for the warriors that may be on the island. The only surviving senior warrior was a Senior Sailor Teoh. The squat older sailor stood before him with his hands bound behind him. His tunic was removed and left only with his balloon pants. He stood there solidly against the cold wind from the sea.

“Tell him that his men will be taken care of.” Lord Henry spoke through his interpreter, another warrior who could speak both languages volunteered to translate. “Before we do that I need to know more of his fleet.”

The Senior Sailor refused to reply and spat at the Lordship. Sergeant Major was to strike the other when Lord Henry stopped him.

“His hostility is expected. We are after all his enemy.” Lord Henry told the Sergeant Major. “Let us be civilized about it. Serve him the hot meals and give him a blanket.”

Lord Henry then turned away to look at the captured warriors. They were proud warriors but like all warriors, they may be defeated but they won’t give up. They will fight him if they are given a chance. He walked to the comfort of the nearby tavern to have his hot meal. When he was to reach the doorway his instinct told him to stand aside. The thrown bone-handled dagger barely missed him and was embedded into the door frame.

“Assassin!” The Sergeant Major called out while he stood back to back with his Lordship. A figure wet from the cold seawater was at the edge of the pier. He was dressed in the black garbs with a belt of daggers across his chest. His face was covered by the wrapped strips of cloth and held two daggers in his hands. The guards there rushed to cover the assassin while more of Lord Henry’s men also joined in. The Senior Sailor tried to rally the warriors to fight but they were thwarted by the leveled machine guns pointed at them. The warning shots were fired by one of the two machine guns there to prevent an escape outbreak.

The assassin himself was surrounded but like any cornered creature, he fought back. He rushed at the nearest guard to slash at the throat with his swift move. He had then moved in on the second guard and grabbed the man to use a shield.

“Back!” The assassin called out. He had his right arm around the surprised guard’ neck while his left hand still holding the dagger pointed at the others. “He dies!”.

The Sergeant Major had rushed forth but he was stopped by the Pastor.

“He’s mine, Sergeant Major.” Pastor Galen told the non-commissioned officer. “Be a faithful sheep and also tell God not to intervene. The shepherd needs to prove his worth to the flock of sheep.”

Pastor Galen drew out the bayonet knife from his waist belt. He motioned to the assassin.

“You and me. We do the fight alone.” Pastor Galen winked at the assassin. “Honourable death to the defeated.”

The assassin released his hostage and then stepped forth to face the Pastor. He bowed to the other before he took his knife fighting stance with the reverse grip. The reverse grip gives the handler more power to the slash and it can be used as a grappling weapon. Pastor Galen held him with the hammer grip to favor his thrust moves.

Pastor Galen feigned a forward thrust towards the assassin and was deflected by the other. The assassin moved in with a side inward left swing with the left hand which Pastor Galen had to step back. The assassin followed through with a series of swings that the Pastor sidestepped or retreated. Pastor Galen parried the thrust and tried to break the defense of the assassin but it was not effective. He then circled the assassin but the attacks still came on.

It was on the fifth swing when the assassin struck blood on the pastor’s left forearm.

“First blood to you.” Pastor Galen voiced out in pain. “I guess the kid’s gloves are off now.”

Pastor Galen flexed his shoulders and went into the battle crouch with his bayonet leveled out in his right hand. He had done his knife-fighting at the docks before he was in the Army. He knew a few moves that may even the score. Pastor Galen moved in with his counter-attack with the thrusts and send the assassin on the retreat It was then he saw the opening to strike hard. He slammed his right fist with the hilt on the swinging left hand when the assassin tried to hit back. When the assassin lowered his hand in pain the Pastor moved in with the left hook on the side of the face. He then followed up with a right thrust with the bayonet knife into the left ribs of the assassin. Once the knife was thrust in between the ribs, he twisted the knife before pushing in deeper.

“God! Forgive my sins.” Pastor Galen cried out in penance. He then held the dead assassin in his arms and gave the assassin the last rites.

Across the sea distance near to the coast of the island on the cruiser ship of the main fleet Senior Captain Fei Hung looked at the assembled Captains of the ships.

“The second fleet will join us soon. It will dispense off two of its troopship to take on the secondary mission of capturing the small island. They will join with our scout ships already docked at the small island.” The Captain explained the tasks. “The other ships in the second fleet will proceed to join us before they land on the nearby shores. We will proceed to provide for the landing. Then after we will move on to capture the southern ports. Our tasks are to destroy their ships and then proceed to establish a beachhead. We shall take back our pride to appease the ancestors.”

The Depth

The mood on the Sea King was pensive while the ballasts of the ship were jettison of its water. Once the water was removed the space in the ballast was filled with air which gave the ship buoyancy. It slowly climbed out of the depths to reach the surface. When it hit the surface, the crews rushed to pry open the hatches. The first breath of the fresh air was greeted with relief. Then the crews make their way up the ladders and onto the outer hull. It was wet and slick on the hull surface but it was the joy of being outside. They took to view the surrounding waters and at times the dolphins may come alongside. 

On that day the sight was different. Awash on the riding waves was the remains of the other ship. There were the broken wood pieces with parts of the piping attached to it. Then there was the debris of metals and unknown parts floating there. Among the debris were the gory sights of the human parts half gnarled or torn by the strong jaws of the predators. One of the crews took out the long handle grappling hook to pull in dead bodies. It was missing the left leg but the other parts were intact. He hauled it up and then reached for another.

“Let us give them a proper burial.” Captain Arthur called out to the crews. After some time, the alarm was heard. A crew member on the sentry watch called out on the arrival of a ship.

“All crews to their stations.” Captain Arthur called out but he stopped when he saw the ten bodies laid on the hull. He turned to his First Officer.

“Get the harpoons armed. We will wait out the ship.” Captain Arthur gave the order. It was a reckless move but he will change it then.

On the deck of the troopship Grey Mist; Captain Tee Huat saw the massacre on the plains. He had tried to sail nearer to the shores but the water depth was too low. He gave orders to lower the lifeboats and had the rowed to the shores. It was a noble move for he did save some fleeing warriors. He had then sailed on to the open sea hoping to return for more survivals. He cursed at the superiors who sent the warriors to their death. They should have learned more about the defenses before committing the warriors. He directed the ship to sail back some hours ago and was told that there was a ship on the horizon.

“Steer in that direction!” Captain Tee Huat called out. He was older than the other Captains’ and with his incapacitated left arm he was benevolent that he could still command a ship.

“Captain, it’s the enemy.” The crew on the crow watch called out. Captain Tee Huat looked to his own ship. It was a paddle steamer with a length of two hundred feet and a beam across sixty feet with the draft at 8 feet. It housed a steam engine that paddles the side wheels. It was armed with our cannons on its upper deck for defenses purposes and four machine guns.

“Man the guns.” The call went out to the crews which scrambled to take their positions. They were between fear and anger in their emotions. The former was because the crews were not warriors but then there was the anger to avenge their dead warriors.

“Hold all positions.” Captain Tee Huat then laid the looking glass to his right eye. He adjusted the glass there to magnify the other ship. It was not like his and appeared to drag the water surface. He saw then he saw the lined bodies and was fuming with rage. He was to give the command to shoot when he saw the ship signaling his ship. It was a strange mode but like all maritime sailors, the waving of the flags was a form of signaling.

“I’ll be darned if they know my signals.” First Officer Stacy called out. She had used the flags to communicate between ships during the voyages. Captain Arthur did not take his eyes off the other ship. If there were any signs of shooting he was diving the ship.

“Tell them we are friendly. They can collect their bodies.” Captain Arthur called out. The signals were sent out but there was no reply. The ship was still approaching. Then it slowed down.

“Slow the ship.” Captain Tee Huat called out. He did not understand the signals but something tells him that the Captain there was trying to tell him something.

“Lower the lifeboats.” Captain Tee Huat gave the command. “I want to go over there.”

On the Sea King Captain Arthur exhaled out in relief. The lowering of the lifeboat was a good sign. They may not have to kill each other after all. He then took himself to the outer hull to meet the oncoming boat. Stacy had instructed the machine guns to be trained on the boat.

“Captain Arthur of the Sea King.” Captain hailed the crews on the boat. The five men crew on the boat stood there and stared at him. They looked to the dead bodies lying there. Captain Arthur nodded as if he understood them. Two of the crews stepped forth to carry the bodies to the boat where another two received them. The fifth crew stepped up and approached the Captain.

Captain Arthur looked at the newly arrived person. Both of them looked equal in the age group. He then took out his right hand to shake but the other ignored his hand. Instead the other did a slight bow towards the Captain.

That was the only friendly exchange in the war.