Sapphires

Blue saw the men onboard the freighter turn the cannon and machine gun toward the Burma side of the Mekong. 'Orange and Green have been spotted!' He quickly surveyed the river like a quarterback scans a football field for open receivers. Two of the four boats heading toward the Burma side swerved and headed toward him. 'So have we!'

The machine gun opened fire toward Orange and Green. Green returned the fire. At that moment, the torpedoes hit, rocking the freighter. The machine gun continued to fire as the crew loaded the cannons. Black, using an automatic weapon, strafed the freighter. Suddenly, smoke billowed from the freighter's hole, and the ship began settling in the water. The crew and gunners scrambled and started abandoning ship, carrying any floatation possible. The cannons never fired a shot.

Blue headed straight for the escort vessels coming his way, revving his engine to ramming speed. 'Okay,' Blue said to himself, 'who’s going to be chicken?' Black fired at the lead oncoming unit, wounding its gunner. Before they even got close, the chase vessel veered, and Black strafed its engine, disabling it. Suddenly, Orange's clear, calm voice came over the transmitter. 'Blue, Green's hit. We need help.'

Blue picked up a microphone. 'We'll cover, Orange. Head home. Can Green drop the mines?'

'Yes, but don't know how long he'll last. Bleeding pretty bad,' he said. Suddenly an explosion ripped the water. One of the chase boats had hit a mine.

'Two down, two to go,' Blue said as he raced to cover Orange's retreat. He marveled as Orange maneuvered his vessel through the many fishing boats on the river, his boat's rooster tail spewing high and long. 'Way to go, man!' Blue yelled, cutting off the Zawatees' remaining chase boats just short of the rooster tail. He picked up behind Orange.

Black scattered several mines in their wake. The chase boats took evasive action, but one hit a mine and exploded. The other resumed the chase, but its speed was no match for the Sapphires’ boats. It gradually lost ground.

Blue picked up the microphone. 'How's Green?'

'Still conscious. He's hit in his upper left shoulder, and his head's bleeding pretty bad. Needs help and quick.'

'Clear and Yellow, do you copy?' Blue asked.

'Yes,' came the simultaneous reply.

'Are you ready?'

'We were born ready.'

Black motioned for the microphone. Blue tossed it to her. 'How's Green doing?' she asked.

'He's losing a lot of blood.'

'Apply a tourniquet!' she ordered.

'I'll have to stop, Black, and, under the circumstances, that would be rather difficult.'

Black advised Blue, who said, 'Tell him to stop after the first bend on the road home.'

Black repeated the order, then said, 'We'll cover your back door.'

Both boats, still spewing large rooster tails, turned up a deep, narrow tributary. Abruptly, they slowed and made their way into Burma, carefully avoiding branches drooping from the dense forest canopy. Blue stationed his boat behind a heavy overhang and cut his engine, waiting to see if the chase boat followed. The jungle engulfed them. He and Black listened as Orange slowed down, then stopped.

The smothering humidity seemed to weight down even the trees. Sweat quickly drenched both Blue and Black. A bird squawked. They both jumped. They looked at each other and hesitatingly smiled. Gradually, the pulsating sound of an engine permeated the dense forest. As the noise grew louder, Blue signaled Black. She picked up a semiautomatic shotgun and released its safety. They heard voices above the engine’s rumble. Black lifted the shotgun to her shoulder. Blue picked up a smoke bomb, held its handle, and pulled the pin. When the approaching vessel's bow protruded in front of the overhang, Blue tossed the bomb into the chase boat, and Black cut loose with three shots at its waterline. Its bow immediately settled below the surface, and its two occupants rolled overboard. Black placed a shot behind them, and they ducked under. Shortly their heads bobbed up. Black again shot toward them, the water exploding behind the would-be pursuers. Again they ducked under. Finally, chased by Black's accurate shooting, the men scurried ashore and bolted into the surrounding jungle, guided by one final shotgun blast.

'Just thought I'd cheer them on,' she said, smiling. 'After all, I'm supposed to save, not take, lives.'

Blue grinned, picked up the radio, and asked, 'How's Green?'

'Bleeding's stopped, but he needs help. We're almost there. How did you guys make out?'

'All's clear, Sapphires. Let's go home.'

* * *

Back aboard the yacht, Pyinnya picked up the microphone. 'Boonsong, get a salvage crew down here now.' He gave the freighter's location on the river. 'I think most of this load can be salvaged. The freighter sank almost intact, putting out any fire before it got to the product. Some of the superstructure is above the river. We've marked it so it won't be a navigation hazard. We'll stand watch until the salvage crew gets here.'

'Be there before nightfall,' came Boonsong's reply. 'Did you get any of the raiders?'

'Wounded one, but all got away,' Pyinnya answered dryly. 'But the scanner paid off. I'll tell you when we get back. Set up a time tomorrow morning to talk with Mama.'

'She won't be happy.'

'Neither am I. This is one smart, well-equipped group we're up against. Over and out.' He turned to Anaya. 'Okay,' he said, picking up a pencil and pad. 'Let's make sure we got this right. Names--Green, Orange, Black, Blue, Yellow, and Clear.' He paused. 'Obviously code names.' He sighed. 'Green is hit in the right arm or shoulder, also the head. Black appears to be a woman. All sound like Americans. Someone said something about sapphires going home.' He hesitated, tapped his pencil on

the instrument panel, stared at the sunken freighter, then underlined and circled the word sapphires.

'But why?'