Nathan knew something was up the minute he found USHS Solace. The hospital ship looked fine physically with no traces of the virus on her. She was lucky there.
But as soon as she saw him coming towards her she cried out "Nathan stop! No! It's not safe!"
"You don't appear sick." He said, pausing in his course.
"It's not the virus. They-they thought I had the cure. They've taken my crew hostage. There were gunshots. I fear-I fear they killed them." She whimpered.
"Attacking a hospital ship is in direct violation of Geneva." Nathan growled. "I'll make them pay, Solace. I swear."
She bowed her head. "Just be careful." She whimpered. "These guys aren't amateurs. When they came here aboard a submarine, I..."
Nathan cut her off. "Submarine?!" He exclaimed.
She nodded. "I saw her sail. She's Royal Navy." She replied.
"Damn. Just what I need." Nathan groaned.
His destroyer instincts began to come to life. For any DD a submarine meant only one thing, danger and death. They were natural enemies, and had been since their creation. A submarine was a destroyer's natural predator and it took all of Nathan's willpower to remain at Solace side rather than run to the nearest port, out of the sub's reach.
"Where is this sub?" He asked, his voice tense.
"I don't know." Solace whimpered. "I saw her briefly and then she vanished. Be careful Nathan. She's a sneaky one."
"I consider myself warned." He assured her and lowered his small boats.
A voice came over the radio. "US Navy. Be warned, we can and we will make you surrender." It carried a distinctive British accent, which was surprising.
"USS Nathan James here, identify yourself!" Nathan snarled.
Silence greeted him and with a frustrated snarl, Nathan whacked his bow on the water.
It wasn't long after that Shattery got a call from Chandler, telling him of the planned ambush on the enemy combatants, whoever they were.
Nathan's small AA mounts twirled around and aimed on the door on Solace's top deck in preparation for the ambush.
"We have to get in closer to be in range." Shattery said.
"Sir, any closer and we'll collide!" Nathan called.
"I don't care!" Shattery growled. "Bring me in closer. Find me something to shoot!"
Nathan revved his previously idle engines. "With pleasure."
When the first guy appeared, driven to the open deck by Chandler's gunfire, Nathan didn't wait for the gunner to shoot. He took control himself and pounded the man's guts full of lead.
"Oh yeah!" He cried. "That's what I'm talking about!"
The other two popped smoke to hide their retreat.
"These guys are good." Nathan said to Solace.
"I did warn you." She whimpered. She looked very, very afraid.
"Solace, what is it?" Nathan asked. "What's wrong?"
"My-my engine room. They've rigged it. Remote detonator." She replied.
Nathan gasped. "Everyone off Solace, now!" He roared through the comms.
"Make way!" said a familiar voice. It was Tex. Nathan saw him running across Solace's deck, carrying something.
Up on her bow were Chandler and another guy. He wasn't sure who but he had a feeling it was the guy who was behind that voice he'd heard earlier. He held a detonator in his hand and suddenly everything made sense to Nathan.
"Down now!" He roared to the officers on his bridge just as the button was pushed and Tex threw the detonator over the side. It exploded harmlessly in between the two ships as the detonator man leaped over the side and didn't come up for air. Only a shower of bubbles appeared and Nathan had a feeling he knew what they were.
Nathan smiled. "You're welcome." He replied.
"Who were those guys?" He asked Chandler.
"I don't know. But that guy didn't come up for air." Chandler replied.
"I know. I'm getting the distinct feeling of being watched. Every instinct I have is telling me to run. I'm a destroyer so you know what that means." Nathan said.
"You're the deer being watched by the cougar." Chandler murmured.
"We'll find that sneaky bitch. We will!" Nathan growled.
