Free The Last Airship by Christopher Cartwright Page B

has?
    Tom
already had an answer to his own question – more money.
    “What
if the ship were to sink?”
    “We
have state-of-the-art lifeboat aboard. We’ll evacuate well before the Hayward
Bulk reaches the reef, and you’ll find that we’ll be quite safe.”
    “No,
I’m sorry,” Tom paused. “What I mean is… from what you’ve described, whatever
it is that James Reilly is transporting, it is worth more than your ship,   and
we all knowthat even the best crew and ship can’t stay afloat
indefinitely without risk. So, what happens to his prized possessions?”
    “They
would still be quite safe.”
    “Even
if the ship sinks?”
    “Yes.
You see Tom, when Jimmy had his private vault built, he did so in such a way
that no one could break into it, even with a bomb. Structurally, if the Hayward
Bulk sank to the ocean floor and was completely destroyed, his private vault
would still be left safe at the sea bottom. Then, if and when he locates his
precious ship, the contents of the vault could be retrieved using a diving
hatch, which was designed with an air tight compartment. You know,the
kind they use in submarines?”
    “Okay,
so someone is trying to sink us so that they can steal whatever James Reilly
has in his private vault.”
    “But
even if we did sink, it would take months to gain access to the vault. You see,
the door is stronger than any bank vault, and would take months to break.”
    “How
does it open under normal operations?”
    “He
has a secret room onboard and there he maintains a digital fortress…”
    “A
what?” Tom asked.
    “A
digital fortress. Basically, it works like this. The system constantly transmits
a code every thirty seconds to the vault door telling it that everything is
okay. If it fails to do so, even once, or the ship stops moving, the door seals
shut.”
    “What
if someone destroys the computer?”
    “Then
the digital fortress fails to transmit and the vault locks. So, you see, it
would take a lot more than a terrorist act or accidental sinking of the ship,
for someone to steal the contents of James Reilly’s vault.”
    Tom
considered this for a moment.
    “Was
there something particularly important about his last most recent deposit, do
you think?”
    “Could
be. He never tells me, but he had additional security this last time, and he
told me to make certain that I arrived four days ahead of schedule, and then
left without loading any other cargo until we reached Newcastle.”
    “Oh
shit!” Tom said. “The Hayward Bulk is going to the bottom. Whatever James
Reilly has stored down there. It’s going to the bottom too, where no one can
protect it in this weather.”
    *
    Tom
watched as Captain Ambrose’s smile distorted into a look of surprise.
    “Why
in the world would he try to sink us?” The captain was serious when he
concluded, “Cyclone Petersham will do that for him soon enough.”
    “How
soon do you think?” Tom asked.
    “Four
hours, at most.”
    “So,
that’s it then. We’re all dead men?”
    “No,
there’s lifeboat ready and waiting for us to be evacuated into well before we
reach the reef. I’ve already sent a man out there to prepare it.”
    That
man then came through the door, soaking wet from the harsh storm outside, his
face displaying an emotion far more painful than that of profound fatigue.
    “Is
the lifeboat in order?”
    “No…”
    “What
do you mean, ‘no’?”
    “I
mean that it’s missing.”
    “Shit,
where does it normally rest?” Tom said.
    “Mid
ship, on the starboard side.”
    “Show
me.”
    The
man looked at the captain who nodded his approval, and Tom quickly followed him
to where the lifeboat should have been.
    The
crewman stopped at the spot where the large lifeboat would normally have been
secured to the deck, a spot where no wave, no matter how large, could possibly
knock it overboard. The mooring chains were all intact and the electronic winch
was hanging alongside the railing.
    “This
lifeboat wasn’t