Jack Ryan 1 - Without Remorse by Tom Clancy Read Free Book Online Page A

four knots before starting the turn south. He'd done this all before, and grumbled that if he did it one more time he'd have special stationery printed up for the bills.
    Kelly brought Springer alongside very slowly, mindful of the boat he was towing. He scurried off the bridge to drop his fenders, then jumped ashore to tie off a pair of spring lines before heading towards the Hatteras. The owner already had his mooring lines set up, and tossed them to Kelly on the quay while he set his fenders. Hauling the boat in a few feet was a good chance to show his muscles to Pam. It only took five minutes to get her snugged in, after which Kelly did the same with Springer.
    'This is yours?'
    'Sure enough,' Kelly replied. 'Welcome to my sandbar.'
    'Sam Rosen,' the man said, holding his hand out. He'd pulled a shirt on, and while he had a strong grip, Kelly noted that his hands were so soft as to be dainty.
    'John Kelly.'
    'My wife, Sarah.'
    Kelly laughed. 'You must be the navigator.'
    Sarah was short, overweight, and her brown eyes wavered between amusement and embarrassment. 'Somebody needs to thank you for your help,' she observed in a New York accent.
    'A law of the sea, ma'am. What went wrong?'
    'The chart shows six feet where we struck. This boat only takes four! And low tide was five hours ago!' the lady snapped. She wasn't angry at Kelly, but he was the closest target, and her husband had already heard what she thought.
    'Sandbar, it's been building there from the storms we had last winter, but my charts show less than that. Besides, it's a soft bottom.'
    Pam came up just then, wearing clothing that was nearly respectable, and Kelly realized he didn't know her last name.
    'Hi, I'm Pam.'
    'Y'all want to freshen up? We have all day to look at the problem.' There was general agreement on that point, and Kelly led them off to his home.
    'What the hell is that?' Sam Rosen asked. 'That' was one of the bunkers that had been built in 1943, two thousand square feet, with a roof fully three feet thick. The entire structure was reinforced concrete and was almost as sturdy as it looked. A second, smaller bunker lay beside it.
    'This place used to belong to the Navy,' Kelly explained, 'but I lease it now.'
    'Nice dock they built for you,' Rosen noted.
    'Not bad at all,' Kelly agreed. 'Mind if I ask what you do?'
    'Surgeon,' Rosen replied.
    'Oh, yeah?' That explained the hands.
    'Professor of surgery,' Sarah corrected. 'But he can't drive a boat worth a damn!'
    'The goddamned charts were off!' the professor grumbled as Kelly led them inside. 'Didn't you hear?'
    'People, that's history now, and lunch and a beer will allow us to consider it in comfort.' Kelly surprised himself with his words. Just then his ears caught a sharp crack coming across the water from somewhere to the south. It was funny how sound carried across the water.
    "What was that?' Sam Rosen had sharp ears, too.
    'Probably some kid taking a muskrat with his .22,' Kelly judged. 'It's a pretty quiet neighborhood, except for that. In the fall it can get a little noisy around dawn - ducks and geese.'
    'I can see the blinds. You hunt?'
    'Not anymore,' Kelly replied.
    Rosen looked at him with understanding, and Kelly decided to reevaluate him for a second time.
    'How long?'
    'Long enough. How'd you know?'
    'Right after I finished residency, I made it to Iwo and Okinawa. Hospital ship.'
    'Hmm, kamikaze time?'
    Rosen nodded. 'Yeah, lots of fun. What were you on?'
    'Usually my belly,' Kelly answered with a grin.
    'UDT? You look like a frogman,' Rosen said. 'I had to fix a few of those.'
    'Pretty much the same thing, but dumber.' Kelly dialed the combination lock and pulled the heavy steel door open.
    The inside of the bunker surprised the visitors. When Kelly had taken possession of the place, it had been divided into three large, bare rooms by stout concrete walls, but now it looked almost like a house, with painted drywall and rugs. Even the ceiling was covered. The narrow viewslits