Free The Rybinsk Deception by Colin D. Peel Page A

confirmation that the mine had been attached to the Pishan ’s hull, telling them to back off to a safer distance.
    ‘Well?’ Coburn was waiting to hear if the operation had been successful.
    The Frenchman handed him a radio receiver. ‘With that you can listen for yourself,’ he said. ‘The mine is in position above the waterline four metres aft of the hawsehole for the anchor chain.’
    The news was good, but not sufficiently reassuring to eliminate the knot in Coburn’s stomach. He was still apprehensive, knowing this was the easy bit, and until someone tried to get on board they would have no idea of the level of resistance they might encounter.
    Hari was endeavouring to read a piece of paper in the moonlight. ‘If this information you give me from the IMB is correct, the captain’s name is Juan Celestino,’ he said. ‘So I think we shall alert him with our halogens to find out how pleased he is to hear from us.’
    Coburn had seen the halogen lights in use before. The technique was intended to intimidate, illuminating the entire vessel in intense white light to blind any crew members who were keeping watch, but only switched on in two or three second bursts to prevent the lights and the launches from becoming targets.
    On the one occasion that Coburn had witnessed the strategy in action, the response had been unexpected – a volley of rifle fire from a well-armed crew who somehow or other had received warning of an imminent boarding. Two of Hari’s men had been wounded, and only after a half-hour of negotiation and threats had the captain been persuaded to relinquish control of his ship.
    Tonight there was no gunfire. The first burst of light had lit up the Pishan from bow to stern, revealing details of the freighter that had been impossible to see before, but so far it had generated no reaction of any kind.
    To find out why, Hari used his radio to contact the bridge. ‘My name is Fuente,’ he said. ‘If I am not already speaking to Captain Celestino, you have thirty seconds to get him out of bed before I detonate mines which have been attached to your ship’s hull three metres below your waterline. These mines will also be detonated unless you immediately switch off your Automatic Identification System, or if any member of your crew attempts to communicate with other ships on other radio frequencies, or uses satellite phones, flares or issues distress signals of any kind, by any means.’
    A delay of one or two seconds was followed by a crackling over the radio and the sound of someone coughing. ‘This is Celestino. What do you want?’
    ‘Good evening to you.’ Hari looked relieved. ‘I have four boats and twenty men alongside your vessel,’ he said. ‘You will maintain your present course but reduce speed to not more than five knots to allow my men to board you. Should you refuse to comply with these instructions, I will at once stand off and fire the mines. Do you understand?’
    ‘Yes, I understand.’ Celestino sounded nervous. ‘You have still not told me what you want.’
    ‘We shall discuss it once I am on board and I have the pleasure of meeting you.’ Hari took a small transmitter from his pocket. ‘In the meantime, to prove I have the capability to do what I have said I can do, please inform your crew that this is a demonstration only.’ He grinned at Coburn, then pressed a button on the transmitter.
    From the bow of the Pishan a brilliant flash of light was followed by a blast that left Coburn’s ears ringing. He was dazzled for several seconds, unable to tell whether the mine had actually holed the hull.
    Whether it had or not, the so-called demonstration had changed his mind about how effective Hari’s bluff was likely to be, and it was difficult to imagine any captain wanting to find out if his ship was carrying more mines below its waterline.
    The captain of the Pishan elected not to take the risk. The wave at the freighter’s bow started to drop, and at the same time the