Chapter 46
Singapore, Central Business District, South East Asian Institute of Strategic Threats
November 13, 2006, 02:45 local time
His plan had worked, but not well enough to prevent one of the tankers being holed and its contents spilling out and catching fire. Without the tugs, several of those tankers would now be ablaze.
Dr. Kunderan now saw how his plan could have been better and the LNG carrier's collision with the tanker avoided. The tugs needed to react more quickly, and start pushing the oncoming ship sooner. They also needed to move the tankers out of the way of the oncoming ship. If there was ever a next time, they would do better.
Charles asked, “Will the fire spread to the other ships?”
“That's the next task for the tugs. Now the LNG carrier is past the tankers in the Roads, they can concentrate on getting the other tankers clear of the burning ship and its spilled cargo.”
Dr. Kunderan watched the tugs start to implement the second part of his plan. The tugs were working together to move the tankers closest to the burning ship. The ship's liquid cargo was still spilling from the gash in its side and feeding the spreading fire. An area of the ocean, at least two hundred meters across, was now burning. He saw one tug go right through the flames to reach a ship the fire was about to engulf. Judging by the speed at which the liquid was spreading across the surface of the ocean, and the color of the flames, the holed tanker held gasoline.
Dr. Kunderan thought it could have been much worse. Had the LNG carrier rammed two or three more ships, holing them and setting their cargoes ablaze, it might well have caused an unstoppable spreading chain reaction, with one tanker after another catching fire and releasing their cargo into the firestorm.
The LNG carrier was now several kilometers past the Roads, and unless it turned around and came back, it looked like the tugs had the situation under control.
He shifted his attention back to the LNG carrier. Even though it was now more than ten kilometers away from him, he could see it clearly through the high-powered binoculars. The ship was too far away to make out any details of what was happening on board. In the far distance, he could see two US naval vessels leaving the Changi Naval Base.
Charles mobile phone rang and he answered.
“This is Captain Fordham. Charles, I'm passing this information on to you, because we have officially informed the Singaporean government. They have until the LNG carrier reaches a point five kilometers from the Changi Naval Base to stop the ship. After that, we will use the Seventh Fleet's naval assets against the ship.”
Charles asked, “Are there US military personnel on board the LNG carrier?”
“Yes there are, but they have been ordered to evacuate the ship immediately. However, you should know that we have technical difficulties in communicating with two of the personnel on board and it's not clear if they are evacuating the ship.”
“Is one of those people, Delisle Jackson?”
“Yes it is. The other person is Corporal Bao.”
“Do you think they got off the ship?”
“No, we don't believe so.”
“Thank you for telling me that. What is going to happen?”
“All I can tell you is that the US Navy will use all necessary means to prevent the LNG carrier reaching the entrance to Changi Naval Base. I have to go now, Charles.”
Charles thought that 'all necessary means' sounded ominously like the Navy were prepared to seriously damage the gas carrier and risk a large release of gas in order to stop the ship”
Charles turned to Dr. Kunderan. “Anand, that was Captain Fordham. He told me that if Singapore doesn't stop the LNG carrier before it gets to the Changi Naval Base, the US Navy will. He also told me that Delisle Jackson and Joseph Bao are on the LNG carrier.”
Dr. Kunderan's voice registered surprise. “You mean your body guard and driver?”
“That was just a cover for them. I know Delisle well. We have worked closely together in the past and I consider him a friend. He wouldn't to tell me why he was here, but I suspected he was involved in some kind covert operation. It seems that operation was directed against the hijackers.”
In the distance, Dr. Kunderan could just make out a number of helicopters approaching the LNG Carrier. He raised his binoculars to get a closer look, then said to Charles, “It looks like the Singaporean Armed Forces are about to stage an assault on the ship.”
As Dr. Kunderan and Charles watched the helicopters, they stopped a couple of kilometers from the LNG carrier and hovered in the air. Dr. Kunderan wondered what they were waiting for.
Chapter 47
November 13, 2006, 02:45 local time
His plan had worked, but not well enough to prevent one of the tankers being holed and its contents spilling out and catching fire. Without the tugs, several of those tankers would now be ablaze.
Dr. Kunderan now saw how his plan could have been better and the LNG carrier's collision with the tanker avoided. The tugs needed to react more quickly, and start pushing the oncoming ship sooner. They also needed to move the tankers out of the way of the oncoming ship. If there was ever a next time, they would do better.
Charles asked, “Will the fire spread to the other ships?”
“That's the next task for the tugs. Now the LNG carrier is past the tankers in the Roads, they can concentrate on getting the other tankers clear of the burning ship and its spilled cargo.”
Dr. Kunderan watched the tugs start to implement the second part of his plan. The tugs were working together to move the tankers closest to the burning ship. The ship's liquid cargo was still spilling from the gash in its side and feeding the spreading fire. An area of the ocean, at least two hundred meters across, was now burning. He saw one tug go right through the flames to reach a ship the fire was about to engulf. Judging by the speed at which the liquid was spreading across the surface of the ocean, and the color of the flames, the holed tanker held gasoline.
Dr. Kunderan thought it could have been much worse. Had the LNG carrier rammed two or three more ships, holing them and setting their cargoes ablaze, it might well have caused an unstoppable spreading chain reaction, with one tanker after another catching fire and releasing their cargo into the firestorm.
The LNG carrier was now several kilometers past the Roads, and unless it turned around and came back, it looked like the tugs had the situation under control.
He shifted his attention back to the LNG carrier. Even though it was now more than ten kilometers away from him, he could see it clearly through the high-powered binoculars. The ship was too far away to make out any details of what was happening on board. In the far distance, he could see two US naval vessels leaving the Changi Naval Base.
Charles mobile phone rang and he answered.
“This is Captain Fordham. Charles, I'm passing this information on to you, because we have officially informed the Singaporean government. They have until the LNG carrier reaches a point five kilometers from the Changi Naval Base to stop the ship. After that, we will use the Seventh Fleet's naval assets against the ship.”
Charles asked, “Are there US military personnel on board the LNG carrier?”
“Yes there are, but they have been ordered to evacuate the ship immediately. However, you should know that we have technical difficulties in communicating with two of the personnel on board and it's not clear if they are evacuating the ship.”
“Is one of those people, Delisle Jackson?”
“Yes it is. The other person is Corporal Bao.”
“Do you think they got off the ship?”
“No, we don't believe so.”
“Thank you for telling me that. What is going to happen?”
“All I can tell you is that the US Navy will use all necessary means to prevent the LNG carrier reaching the entrance to Changi Naval Base. I have to go now, Charles.”
Charles thought that 'all necessary means' sounded ominously like the Navy were prepared to seriously damage the gas carrier and risk a large release of gas in order to stop the ship”
Charles turned to Dr. Kunderan. “Anand, that was Captain Fordham. He told me that if Singapore doesn't stop the LNG carrier before it gets to the Changi Naval Base, the US Navy will. He also told me that Delisle Jackson and Joseph Bao are on the LNG carrier.”
Dr. Kunderan's voice registered surprise. “You mean your body guard and driver?”
“That was just a cover for them. I know Delisle well. We have worked closely together in the past and I consider him a friend. He wouldn't to tell me why he was here, but I suspected he was involved in some kind covert operation. It seems that operation was directed against the hijackers.”
In the distance, Dr. Kunderan could just make out a number of helicopters approaching the LNG Carrier. He raised his binoculars to get a closer look, then said to Charles, “It looks like the Singaporean Armed Forces are about to stage an assault on the ship.”
As Dr. Kunderan and Charles watched the helicopters, they stopped a couple of kilometers from the LNG carrier and hovered in the air. Dr. Kunderan wondered what they were waiting for.
Chapter 47
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