It was night and back at Engebi, and Carl sat at the bar at the Stress Reliever. He had the Santa Monica picture in his hand, but he tore out Ben and Sandy's body and taped Diana and him together. He didn't want to show her this modified version of the picture, so he still had plans to trash it in Hawaii and tell her he lost it at Engebi.
Carl finished his beer and got off the barstool.
He left the Stress Reliever and walked back to the Humble Abode.
While he walked down the aisle between numerous tents, Henry approached him and stopped. "Well, Carl, I guess this is it. I heard you're now leaving tomorrow," he said.
"Yeah," Carl replied.
"I wish you the best of luck and take care of Ben's kid for us," Henry replied, then stuck out his hand.
"I will," Carl said while he shook Henry's hand.
Carl and Henry smiled at each other and walked away in separate directions.
Carl entered the Humble Abode, where only two officers relaxed on their bunks.
As soon as Carl walked back to his bunk, he grabbed his seabag and dropped it on his bed. He looked over and saw that Ben's seabag was still under his bunk, and his locker still had his personal items.
Carl grabbed his uniforms and shoved them into his seabag but left one for tomorrow's trip off the island.
I'll call Diana in Hawaii. He thought to himself while he dropped his modified Santa Monica picture into his seabag then zipped it up.
Weaver entered the Humble Abode. The two officers on their bunks saw him and jumped up and snapped to attention.
"As you were," Weaver told them.
The two officers got back in their bunks.
Weaver walked up to Carl's bunk and saw his seabag on is bunk.
"Packing for your trip home tomorrow, son?" Weaver asked.
"Yes, sir," Carl replied.
"Good. Listen, I know you're Ben's best friend, so, I was wondering if you could pack his personal items and take it along with you?" Weaver asked.
"Yes sir," Carl replied, knowing that if he refused, it could raise some suspicions, and he didn't want that right now.
Weaver stuck out his hand. "Good luck, son," Weaver said.
Carl shook his hands, then Weaver walked out of the Humble Abode.
Carl walked over to Ben's bunk. He reached under it and removed his sea bag. He walked over and opened up Ben's locker. He immediately saw his Santa Monica picture, and he dropped it in Ben's seabag. He then proceeded to shove all of Ben's uniforms in the sea bag. After he emptied the locker into the sea bag, he zipped it up. He left the bag on Ben's bunk and walked back over to his bunk.
He grabbed his seabag and set it down by his locker. He lay down on his bunk and stared up at the top of the tent. He fought hard to dismiss the events of that day in the South Pacific from his mind.
But the scenes of the moments he shot at Ben and Trevor started to haunt him. His eyes welled up, but he knew he couldn't undo everything, so he continued to fight those taunting memories.
He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Back on Namorik, Trevor and Ben took turns sleeping in the vegetation. They were starving but didn't want to risk being getting caught while they searched for food.
Then it was around 2:00 a.m. and Ben and Trevor quietly walked out of the vegetation and headed to the clearing.
There was a half-moon out, and the night sky was full of twinkling stars. There was enough moonlight for them to see an airstrip with ten Zero's parked in the clearing.
"Is this that new airstrip we've been searching for?" Trevor quietly asked Ben.
"Yeah. I believe it is," he replied. "Let's move farther down toward the base," Ben quietly said.
They quietly walked 100 feet farther down the jungle. They peeked out around a tree and saw two large fuel storage tanks near the strip. At the far end of the airstrip, they saw tents, huts and a bulldozer.
"Why don't we just steal a Zero?" Trevor suggested to Ben.
"We can't risk getting shot down by our own planes. After all, they would shoot first then ask questions later," Ben answered.
"You were shot down by the Americans," Trevor said.
Ben thought about his comment then he looked pissed. "Some best friend. I can't wait to get my hands around his neck," Ben said with hatred in his eyes.
Ben looked at the far end of the airstrip toward the tents.
"Let's find their radio," Ben said.
"Do you know how to use one?" Trevor asked after thinking this could ruin their plans.
"I had some training as you should have," Ben replied and looked at Trevor and wondered why he would ask that question.
"Oh yeah, I forgot," Trevor answered and hoped Ben believed his line.
They cautiously walked away through the jungle.
Fifteen minutes later, Trevor and Ben peeked around a tree and got a good view of the tents. Then they saw that one of the tents, thirty feet from where they looked, had a radio antenna by the side of it.
"Bingo, we have a radio," Ben quietly told Trevor.
Then they saw a Japanese soldier with a rifle, and a bayonet knife, while he walked around the tent.
"But we have some resistance," Ben said while he removed his knife from his flight suit.
Trevor noticed the soldier, and he frowned.
"You're not going to kill him, are you?" Trevor asked
"It's either them or us. I don't have a choice during the war," Ben replied.
Ben quietly walked away toward the radio tent.
Trevor watched while Ben snuck up on the guard from behind. Ben quickly covered the soldier's mouth and swiftly slit his throat. The soldier dropped dead into Ben arms. Ben quietly lowered him to the ground then he removed his rifle.
Ben dragged the dead soldier back to Trevor.
Trevor looked in horror at the dead soldier on the ground by his feet. He saw blood oozing out of his slit throat and started to gag, but he looked away, and the gagging stopped.
Ben handed Trevor the rifle. Ben then removed all the ammo from the dead soldier and gave it to Trevor.
Ben grabbed the soldier's collar and dragged him to some vegetation and shoved him inside, so he was hidden from view.
"Cover me," he told Trevor while he handed him the rifle.
Ben cautiously walked away and went back to the tent.
Trevor got his rifle ready to shoot any Jap that would come after Ben.
Ben cautiously walked around the side of the tent. He peeked around the corner, and the coast was clear.
Ben walked around the corner and slowly opened the flap to the tent and peeked inside.
Inside the tent sat a Japanese kid who was the radio operator. It was a dreary night, and the kid worked ten hours so far, and he fought from falling asleep.
Ben quietly tiptoed inside.
The radio operator turned around and saw Ben. He was a little sleepy, so it didn't dawn on him that a Marine was standing five feet from him. Then it dawned on him that one of the Americans he heard could be on the island was in his tent. He jumped up startled and wanted to cry out, but nothing came out of his mouth.
Ben rushed him and stabbed the kid in his stomach. His eyes widened in shock over being stabbed. Then Ben gave the knife a few thrusts, and the kid dropped to his knees dead.
Ben lowered the kid to the floor, and he closed his eyelids. He quickly removed his ammo from the kid uniform then put it in his pocket.
Ben rushed over to the radio and sat down. He studied the radio over for a few seconds to relearn what he was taught.
Back in the jungle, Trevor looked nervous while he watched the radio hut. Then he saw another Japanese soldier with a rifle walk to the tent. He got nervous while he debated on what to do.
He cautiously walked to the tent to sneak up on the soldier.
Inside the radio tent, Ben turned a knob for the frequency for their base. He wore the headphones and grabbed the microphone.
"Devil's den, this is Fireball ten. I repeat, Devil's Den, this is Fireball ten," he said into the microphone. There were a few seconds of silence while Ben waited for a response. "Devil's den, this is Fireball ten," Ben repeated into the microphone. He paused for a response from Engebi.
Back at Engebi, Keith was asleep in his bunk in the radio tent.
"I repeat, Devil's den; this is Fireball ten," Ben repeated from the radio's speakers.
Keith's eyes opened, and he wasn't sure he heard correctly and thought it was a dream. But instinct made him get up, and he rushed over to his microphone and wore his headset.
"Caller trying to establish contact with the Devil's den, please repeat your transmission," Keith said into the microphone.
"This is Fireball ten," Ben repeated from the radio speakers.
Keith's eyes widened in shock over what he heard. "Fireball ten? Fireball eleven told us you were dead," Keith said into his microphone.
Then Keith removed his headset and ran to the flap of the tent, and he stuck his head outside. "Someone get Colonel Weaver to the radio tent. It's an emergency! I repeat, it's an emergency," he screamed out.
Four Marines on their way back from the Stress Reliever head Keith and they ran in the direction of Weaver's hut.
Back on Namorik, someone entered the tent. Ben looked and saw that Japanese soldier at the tent entrance. The soldier looked surprised to see a Marine at their radio, and he immediately took aim at Ben.
Ben froze and swallowed hard, thinking the end of his life was coming within a few minutes.
The soldier's eyes widened in shock then he fell flat on his face. Then Ben saw a bayonet knife stuck in the middle of the kids back.
Trevor entered the tent with a smile. "It's either him or you, and I choose you," Trevor said.
"Thanks, buddy," Ben said then went back to the radio.
"Fireball ten, are you still there?" Weaver's voice came across the radio.
"Yes sir," Ben replied into the microphone.
Trevor watched the door for more Japs.
"We were told you were dead by Fireball eleven," Weaver replied.
"No sir, I'm alive. And I'm on Namorik. That's were the new Jap airstrip is located. I have Fireball fourteen with me. Fireball eleven shot us down. Repeat. Fireball eleven shot us down and tried to kill us," Ben said into the microphone.
"Copy Fireball ten. We'll send help in the morning," Weaver replied.
"The new airstrip is on the north end of Namorik. We'll hide out on the northeastern tip of Matamat. We'll make sure there's no air resistance," Ben answered.
"Copy Fireball ten and don't get yourself killed," Weaver replied.
"Copy sir. Send airstrike in the morning and a PBY when it's safe," Ben said then he removed the headset and reset the frequency to where it was initially set.
Ben grabbed the dead operator and soldier's rifles and slung them around his shoulders. They grabbed the dead Japanese by their collars and dragged them to the tent flap. They peeked outside, and the coast was clear.
Trevor and Ben dragged the dead Japanese bodies to some other vegetation in the jungle and covered them with some leaves.
Ben looked at the Zero's across the airstrip and got a smirk.
"We have one more mission to ensure our planes won't have any resistance."
Ben grabbed one of the rifles and walked down the jungle toward the planes. Trevor followed Ben toward the planes.
Back at Engebi, everybody was asleep in the Humble Abode.
Weaver entered with Hall and turned on the lights and stood by the tent flap, and then he blew a whistle.
Everybody jumped up awake and startled after hearing the whistle. They looked around in a daze and saw Weaver and Hall at the flap.
They all jumped out of their bunks and stood at attention.
"At ease," he said, and everybody relaxed. Then Weaver looked serious. We just received a radio transmission from Lieutenant Grayson. He and Lieutenant Walker are alive," he told everybody.
Everybody in the tent jumped up and cheered except for Carl, who looked extremely nervous.
"They're stranded on Namorik and reported that the new Japanese airstrip is located the north end of the island. I need nine volunteers to leave at dawn," Weaver said.
"I'll go, sir," Henry yelled out from his bunk.
Then everybody in the tent all volunteered. Even Carl volunteered to go on this mission.
"Stay away from Matamat. Grayson and Walker will be hiding there," Weaver ordered.
Then Weaver and Hall walked up to Carl's bunk.
Carl shook a little, and Weaver sensed he was nervous about something.
"Eastman, I want you to unpack Grayson's seabag and put everything back in his locker."
"Yes sir," Carl answered nervously and rushed over to Ben's bunk.
He unzipped Ben's seabag and immediately placed everything back in Ben's locker. Then when he was done, rushed back to his bunk.
"Sir, I must go on this mission. Ben's my best friend," Carl insisted.
Weaver gave Carl a stern look. "Guards!" he yelled out.
Two Marine Sergeants with sidearms rushed inside the tent.
Weaver glared at Carl who started shaking in fear and looked white as a ghost.
Everybody in the tent looked shocked while the two guards rushed up to Carl.
"Arrest Lieutenant Eastman," Weaver ordered.
Carl looked scared to death. "What for sir?" he nervously asked.
"Captain Grayson and Lieutenant Walker will explain after we rescue them," Weaver said.
Carl looked ashamed while his fellow pilots and friends looked bewildered while they watched the guards escorted him out of the tent.
Weaver looked at Henry. "You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you and you," he said while he pointed at the eight pilots for the mission. "Get your flight suits on, we'll have a briefing in thirty minutes," Weaver said then he walked out of the tent with Hall right behind him.
"What the hell did Carl do?" one pilot asked while he got dressed in his flight suit.
"I don't like the sound of this as it might have something to do with Ben and Trevor getting shot down," Henry said while he got dressed in his flight suit.
Everybody else in the tent looked stunned over what just happened with Carl.
Once he was outside the Humble Abode, the guards handcuffed Carl's arms behind his back and then shackled his legs since they don't have a jail cell with bars.
Carl's eyes welled up while he was escorted to a tent that was used as a brig.