Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-05-07
CHAPTER XIV


when Thomas returned saying,
"Come on deck. It's here!"
They followed him to the rail- The
misty rain and gray sky and sea
made it difficult to focus their vi
sion but Joan suddenly saw the peri
scope of a submarine rising slowly
from the water.
'There it is! l see it,"
eyes. That is it," Paul said quiz
city.
Karl appeared from the captain
quarters. They could see him de-
scending the narrow flight of stairs.
He was dressed in uniform and
called sharp commands to three sal
lors who stood at the rail preparing
to lower small boat.
els Karl going to the submarine"
Joan asked.
Probably they will come to the
Ship" Paul said speculatively.
eyes, that's right" Thomas put
in, nodding his head. 'I've seen
them do it before. Karl gives them
the papers and they're gone again."
'You don't think Karl has found
out that you changed those plans?"
Joan said nervously.
"He doesn't seem to-
Men appeared from the hold of
the ship. All stood at attention as
the hatch of the submarine opened
and two officers appeared. AS Thorn
as had predicted, the boat carried
them to the ship and they all went
to the pilot house.
"What will they do now?" Joan
asked.
"Get the papers and go back"
"And all those plans will be
used?"
eyes. Not only plans for bomb
ing planes, but formulas for explo-
sives and poison gas. This spy ring
has connections in every part of our
country. It's a powerful organiza-
ton and the leaders the one we
want. Getting Karl alone wouldn't
do any good. If he were in jail
the rest of his life, it wouldn't stop
the rest of them"
'How terrible!". Joan shuddered.
'That isn't the worst of it, Paul
went on. II 1They intimidate people
who have relatives in Germany,
threatening to- harm them unless
money and aid is given. Many peo-
pie are drawn into it this way"
"Yes!" Thomas cried. ttThats
x1yl of IN Ko,1 411J
me my wife would be put into a
concentration camp if / didn't give
him five thousand dollars. She was
still in Germany, you see, so tried
to raise the money but I couldn't.
So Karl offered to put it up for me
if would come on this ship. But
I've never heard from my wife
since"
''We may as we'll 60 inside" Paul
said. Apparently this conference
is going to take some time"
81 don't like the look of it, Thorn
as insisted. Usually they're here
only few minutes
"Do you really think anything is
wrong?" Joan asked anxiously as
she and Paul went into the lounge.
1T doesn't look too good" Paul
admitted. "Be ready for anything.
If you want your purse, you'd bet
ter get it now. We may be off the
ship before another hour passes. -
Automatically Joan went into her
cabin and gathered up her things.
It seemed fantastic that they could
escape from a boat in mid-ocean.
Cali set?" Paul said as she stood
resolutely before him.
Ready for anything!" Joan said
bravely.
But almost an hour passed and
nothing happened. The ship rested
TRANQUILITY by the side of the SUBJ
marine. The rain continued. Thorn
as watched from the deck. Paul
smoked endless cigarettes as he
paced the length of the cabin. 81
don't like this delay" he admitted.
Things aren't going as I had
planned"
Thomas came into the cabin where
Joan and Paul waited, with tea and
toast. 'There must be something
wrong" he whispered. Karl must
have found out about those plans. -
Paul frowned but said, mot
necessarily"
"But if he has, what then? How
will we ever escape?" Joan put in.
Thomas poured the tea and his
hand trembled. Hell know l helped
you. He'll kill me-"
Joan, remembering Eric Strom,
was filled with vague terror. Her