TRANSIT

The Caliphate spy, a Javanese carpenter known simply as Adil, resettled himself against a comfortable groove in the sandal- wood tree. The small, shaded clearing in the hills overlooking Dili had been his home for three days. He shared it with an aged feral cat, which remained hidden throughout the day, and an irritable monkey, which occasionally tried to shit on his head. He had considered shooting the filthy animal, but his orders were explicit. He was  to remain unnoticed as  long as  the crusaders were anchored off East Timor, observing their fleet and sending reports via microburst laser link, but only in the event of a “significant development.”

Fish Guts – John R. Johnson & Jose J. Clavell

 

USCGC Matinicus (WPB-1315)

 

On Patrol in the Caribbean

 

            Chief Warrant Officer William “Wild Bill” Elliott, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Matinicus, carefully eyed its deck as he followed his morning inspection ritual. He was the only warrant officer in the post wave Coast Guard commanding a 110 ft. cutter and his ship filled him with pride. Still, after thirty days underway there were specks of rust starting to show through the paint on the bulkheads and sides of the cutter. The Matinicus could cruise for 60 days with ample provisions but with the all new crew members that he had recruited that would be shortened. He ignored the men and women sleeping on the deck, but froze for a moment when he saw the covered five gallon bucket secured near the fantail and smelled the pungent odor emanating from it.