Torpedoed

Trouble is brewing in the banana republic of Bianco for both His Excellency El Presidente, and British Consul Brent. Rebels, led by Diego de Costa, the trusted Minister of the Marines and the Customs and Lieutenant d'Enriquo, the gunnery officer of the small republic's one battleship, have taken over the vessel and the town. Most of the British citizens have taken refuge at the consulate or have been evacuated to the small cruiser in Bianco's port, H. M. S. Audacious. But there are two major issues; the Consul's daughter, Pamela, and Canadian Lieutenant Bill Armstrong have been kidnapped by the rebels and now held hostage on the battleship El Mirante, and El Presidente was visiting the consulate when the war broke out and is now under the protective custody of the British Empire. De Costa informs the Audacious' commander, Captain Markham, that if El Presidente is not turned over to the rebels in six hours, the 15-inch guns of the battleship will blow the consulate to bits. Markham, who cannot fire first as the aggressor and is out-gunned anyway is, with only his six-inch guns, in a bit of a sticky-wicket mess. Or, in the words of El Presidente: "Death she as light as one leetle feather...Duty she as heavy...." —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>