HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAR SCRATCH FREE

Chapter 10. An “Unfortunate Incident.”

Chapter 10 in the novel, "Ten Days That Changed The World," a sequel to an earlier novel called "Stillpoint, a novel of war, peace, politics and Palestine." "Ten Days," is in the process of being written. When a chapter is completed it is posted. I hope you find it of interest. Please feel free to share it with friends.The following information is helpful for those who have not read "Stillpoint." In it we come to know David Tremaine a former philosophy professor now president of the US. We learn also of Travis, a versatile general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and respected friend. Samara is a young Palestinian woman, friend of the sage Nasir. She helped in a daring rescue and is brought to the US for her safety. She now works as a translator for Tremaine.An "Unfortunate Incident."It was eight o'clock as the launch turned toward deep water. An off shore wind had come up and spray, streaming from the breaking waves, scintillated like fine particles of gold in the low sun of morning. The launch rolled slightly as it straightened and set course for the Eisenhower. Ashraf, Tremaine and Samara stood on the beach and waved as the powerful motors propelled the boat through the surf.Two gunboats, one from the north, the other from the south, turned toward them at high speed, their bows high as they accelerated. They were large with powerful engines, but no match for the launch. Travis watched the boat approaching from the south. Two men emerged on deck wearing orange flotation jackets. In moments they moved to the forward gun. As the boat reached planing speed the bow dropped and he saw a puff of smoke and a shell tore into the water just ahead of them. McManus cut the throttle and the launch settled as it came to a halt. In moments the gunboats were beside them, one on either side. An officer leaned over the rail. "Put your weapons on the deck where we can see them," he shouted."We have no weapons," Travis yelled back."We are coming aboard," the officer shouted as a dingy suddenly appeared from the stern of the gunboat and approached the launch. The six men it carried were all well armed. The crew of the gunboat to their right, which stood off from the launch had four black AKs trained on them.In moments the dingy was alongside. Travis and Hahn Shan took the lines tossed to the launch and tied them off. "Who's in charge here?" an officer asked McManus.Before McManus could respond, Travis interjected, "I am."The officer turned toward him. "Who are you?""General J.P. Travis.""Show me your ID."Travis showed him."Search the vessel for weapons," the officer ordered his men. "What is your destination?" he demanded as the search got under way."We are headed for the Eisenhower."The men finished the search. "Nothing, no weapons on board sir.""Search them," he ordered. His men conducted a thorough body search."No weapons, sir.""What is your name?" the officer said looking at McManus. McManus told him. "And you?" he said staring at Hahn Shan. Hahn Shan told him. "Sit down," the officer said, pointing to the front of the launch. Turning his back on them he spoke into a microphone on his shoulder. A brief conversation ensued. Turning, he looked at Travis. "Alright," he said, "you can proceed."The Israelis untied the lines, and dropped into the dingy. In seconds they were headed toward the gunboat.McManus waited until they were well clear before he pushed the throttle wide open and the launch leaped forward. Travis and Hahn Shan watched as the gunboats fell astern and then separating began patrolling the coast again. As they approached the Eisenhower McManus circled the giant ship before easing into the lee, beneath the massive flight deck that now hung over them. Hahn Shan embraced Travis and thanked McManus. When he turned a bosun's chair had been lowered. Travis held it steady as Hahn Shan got in and snapped the buckle around his waist. Travis gave the signal and Hahn Shan ascended toward one of the decks just below the flight deck.McManus moved the launch away from the carrier and headed to the Ross. …………Tremaine, Samara and Ashraf had just arrived at Nasrudin's place and were seating themselves at their usual table when Hameed and Jamal arrived. They seemed out of breath. "What is happened?" Ashraf asked."More tanks have been moved to the border. Troops are building up too, but positioned well behind the tanks. Something's under way. It looks like they are getting ready to move.""I will get some coffee," Samara offered and went to the kitchen."Is the buildup along the whole perimeter or just in certain places?" Ashraf asked. "Along the whole perimeter but in the more open spaces in the wall the concentration is greater." Hameed responded.Samara returned and sat next to Tremaine."Tanks and troops are building up along the Egyptian border," Jamal said. "It looks as if they will cross into Egypt and seal off southern Gaza. The number of drone flights has increased over the area too, becoming almost continuous, so I suspect they are trying to locate as many tunnels as they can."Ashraf looked at Tremaine who would sat quietly listening to the conversation as Samara translated."Will they push into Egypt to seal off the south?" Tremaine asked. "I think that's what they have in mind," Jamal replied and Ashraf and Hameed nodded in agreement.Sharazad arrived carrying a tray of coffee and a plate of short breads. Handing the coffee around she took a seat next to Samara. "In places," Hameed continued, "they've taken up positions on hills and berms, any elevated area from which they can train their guns on Gaza.""I did not think they would consider invading Gaza," Tremaine said. "I did not either," Ashraf responded, "but it looks like they might try.""Dr. Mandur thinks it is pressure tactics on their part. Exerting pressure by using threat but without actually committing any outright attack," Hameed said. "Psychological warfare," Tremaine added. "Yes," Hameed nodded. "We need to start moving people away from the border and bring them closer to the coast." Ashraf commented."We've begun that. We've tried to make it as innocuous as possible but it could also be one of the things the Israelis are aware of even when it happens at night." Hameed responded. "The good thing is the people understand. The preparation has been thorough and they are behind it, pleased to play a part in the 'war effort.' Jala and her friends have done an excellent job, the people listen to her."Tremaine was surprised by Hameed's comment. He would not been aware before of Jala's involvement; although he should have known she and her husband would have been working together.…………Travis had gone aboard the Ross while McManus remained on the launch. Using a secure line he ordered four fast cat troop carriers now off the coast of Egypt to proceed at once and join the Ross and Eisenhower. They would arrive within twenty four hours and provide eight thousand troops. He knew the Israelis had been watching the ships since shortly after they would entered the Mediterranean. They would been part of joint military maneuvers involving US, British and French warships in the three weeks preceding the Ross's arrival off Gaza. As soon as Travis and the four journalists boarded the launch and the lines cast off, it swung away from the destroyer, circling around it until Gaza lay dead ahead. McManus opened the throttle and the launch surged forward. The four journalists, experienced war correspondents, were from CNN, the BBC, CBC and Al Jazeera. Picked by their respective organizations they would come at the request of Tremaine who wanted them in Gaza where they could report first hand on the events he would anticipated were about to unfold.Travis picked up the glasses and scanned the gun boats. Two of them had turned in their direction but seemed to be making no attempt to intercept. He noticed the guns on their fore decks were manned. 'Where were the other gunboats,' he wondered. Lowering the glasses his eyes swept south. Nothing. To the north the Aircraft carrier rode at anchor. As the launch headed toward Gaza the angle changed and he saw two gunboats, previously obscured by the carrier, suddenly appear, spray flying under their grey blue hulls, as they headed south at high speed. The forward guns he noted were manned.The launch heading into the wind sliced through the waves with a slight surfing motion sending spray flying in every direction. Suddenly Travis heard a sound behind him and turning saw the dark silhouette of an Apache Longbow bearing down on them. McManus had seen it but held his course steady as the helicopter approached from astern. Travis watched, as a missile released from a pod, streaked toward them, passing over the launch as it headed toward Gaza. It struck something on the beach leaving a plume of smoke drifting out to sea.To his left Travis watched the two gunboats come about and face the shore. The engines had been cut and he saw the boats settle in the water. McManus kept the throttle open as the launch passed on the port side. The gunboats to starboard were still under way but passing astern they turned as though following the wake of the launch. With the glasses on them he watched as they appeared to fall behind. 'What are they up to?' he wondered. He noticed a flash of flame and watched as another missile streaked toward them, passing twenty feet over their heads. It seemed to be going in the same direction as that fired by the helicopter.Focusing on the shore he saw a small crowd of people gathered on the beach. With a sickening feeling he realized he was staring at the part of the beach where the kids played soccer and the mothers watched. He and Tremaine had even sat and watched from the same place. He saw the first missile had struck a fisherman's shack on the seawall. Suddenly the crowd scattered in every direction. Momentarily he glimpsed what appeared to be several bodies in the sand. Then the second missile hit the beach and once more smoke and sand rose on an orange plume of fire. As the smoke cleared he could see ambulances arriving at the end of the lane that led to the beach. Two of the reporters had been filming the events while the two remaining journalists hung on to them, trying to keep them in the boat as it pounded and slithered on a following sea.As the launch approached shallow water McManus spun the wheel and cut the engines. The launch surged toward the shore stern first on a wave of its own momentum. While the coxswain secured the boat, Travis grabbed a medical kit and he and the Journalists dropped into three feet of water and made their way to shore. Once on land they raced up the beach toward the place of death. …………. That evening the film footage went viral. Four children killed, sixteen badly injured. Two adults had died and four more had been wounded. A stunned world watched in horror at the dismembered children lying in the sand. A young boy of about twelve sat against the sea wall, his face strangely calm trying to stop his intestines falling in the sand.An Israeli spokesman claimed it was an unfortunate incident. They had no idea children would be on the beach. The helicopter and gunboat had only been trying to stop a powerful launch entering a war zone at high speed. When asked why they would fired on an American naval vessel the spokesman explained they had no idea it was an American naval vessel.The camera panned to footage from the launch showing two missiles passing over-head and striking the beach. The final frames showed a launch swinging at anchor close to the shore of Gaza, an American flag on its stern fluttering in an offshore wind