Free Battlecraft (2006) by Jack - Seals 03 Terral Page B

the Filipino government. She had begun her career as a minesweeper in the Royal Navy, where she proved her worth to the Queen's sailors during ten years of service done mostly in the North Sea. Eventually she was sold to Singapore, who converted her to a support ship for mine-countermeasures missions. After a short but useful career in that nation's navy, she was purchased by the Philippines and redesignated a patrol boat to be used in antismuggling operations on the Philippine Sea, the South China Sea, the Pacific Ocean, and the Celebes Sea.
    Her only Filipino commander had been Batanza and during his five years as the skipper, he'd accomplished several self-benefiting goals. His primary fait accompli had been developing a successful program of stopping and robbing various smugglers on the high seas. His father-in-law, a Manila police inspector, had all the contacts necessary for the profitable disposal of goods and narcotics that the son-in-law brought in from his patrols. The family fortune flourished through these illegal enterprises, sending sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews to college or setting them up in business.
    Batanza had chosen a crew consisting of a trio of close officer friends and fifteen ratings of long-service sailors with whom he and his cohorts had established a close rapport. This comradeship had been developed through all that mutual support and sharing of spoils. They knew Abduruddin Suhanto's Greater Sunda Shipping Line well, having repeatedly plundered his four ships over a period of a decade and a half. There were other targets of opportunity as well, and all members of the Patrol Boat 22 crew could realistically expect a much richer retirement when their personal riches were combined with pensions from the Philippine Navy. All drove big American cars and were able to provide well for their families, as well as maintain attractive mistresses on the side.
    "Contact!" the radar operator called out. "Zero-one-one. Five kilometers."
    <4 That must be the Jakarta ," the executive officer said. This was Lieutenant Commander Ferdinand Aguinaldo, Batanza's best friend.
    "And right on schedule," Batanza said in happy satisfaction as he checked his watch. "Make the interception, Number One."
    "Aye, aye, sir," Aguinaldo replied.
    The distance between Patrol Boat 22 and the Jakarta narrowed rapidly, and in less than a half hour visual contact was made. Aguinaldo got on the radio and ordered the merchant vessel to heave to and prepare to transfer cargo. Captain Bacharahman Muharno's voice came back with an affirmative reply. His good humor was evident over the radio speaker. This time there would be no piracy involved. This was a business deal that would benefit everyone on both ships.
    The sea was calm and the maneuvering to bring the vessels close enough for the transfer of goods went smoothly and quickly. Batanza went out on the signal bridge with a bullhorn, waving to Muharno.
    "Ahoy, the Jakarta !" the commander said, speaking through the device. "How are you this afternoon, Captain?"
    Muharno, using his own bullhorn, waved back. "It is a beautiful day, is it not, Commander?"
    "Indeed! What have you brought us?"
    "An excellent shipment!" Muharno answered. "Stinger antiaircraft missile launchers. Sixty to be exact, along with one hundred missiles. That is two tons worth of cargo. Can your ship handle that much?"
    "Easily! What we can't get in the hold, we can stack on the deck," Batanza assured him. "We have taken much larger loads in the past."
    "I should have remembered," Muharno replied with a laugh. "This is not the first time cargo has been lifted from the Jakarta to your boat."
    By then the cargo nets bearing crates of Stingers were being hoisted up from the hold of the civilian vessel. They were swung over the portion of the deck just aft of the patrol boat's bridge, and then gently lowered to the waiting Philippine sailors. These men quickly picked up the weapons to pass them to other hands formed