MERSING CHRONICLES

Chapter 11 Resupply

30 years ago: On Paku Point

Hiang's 70th Day in Secret Place

"We are expecting a resupply tomorrow," Nur said over the mike as he scanned the northern horizon.

"How does that work?" Hiang asked as she scanned the southern horizon.

"A submarine comes around about a km away and we go out to meet it and have the supplies dropped off."

"How do we meet it? We don't have a boat."

"We have a boat."

"You said we don't."

"I lied."

"Where is it?"

"You will see tomorrow."

"Meaning to ask you, what's the tune you hum to yourself when you were working on the 800-foot ladder?"

"When was that?

"A few days back, remember? Something was wrong with the communication line in the ladder and you spent an hour or two at the 400 foot point, and your humming could be heard echoing into the Control Room."

Nur recalled the event when the comm line with HQ was cut off and he traced the fault to a cut in the cable within the 800-foot tunnel. Water had gotten into the metal conduit protecting the cable and there was a break in the cable. He had to cut off the metal pipe at that point to reconnect the cables.

"Ren Guang's Colorful clouds chasing the Moon."

"I like that tune, just never knew what it was."

"Heard of Ren Guang?"

"No, should I?"

"Don't expect you to. A Chinese composer in the early 20th century. Famous only in China and only in the first half of the century. He was a communist who died in a fight between Kuomintang forces under Chiang Kai Shek and Communist troops. He was 40 years old."

After some time Nur added, "When the sub comes in tomorrow, you and your cousins will return to Singapore with it."

Hiang was too shocked for words.

"Why?" she asked after a few minutes.

"HQ orders. They know you are here."

"Do we have a choice?"

"Thought you would be glad to see your family again."

She felt conflicted. It would be great to see Mom and Pop again however she would miss this place and the Major. How does she explain this to Nur?

"I have come to like this place and the view," she said.

The next night, the three cousins and Nur were on the beach at 11:00 pm. They had a couple of shovels with them. All four had night vision goggles.

"Let's start digging here," Nur said pointing at a spot in the sand about 100-foot away from the water. "We have a boat in the ground."

John took a shovel and with Nur started digging in the sand. The cousins took turns while Nur kept going for over an hour. They uncovered a rubber-like fabric after about 5-foot below ground and then started digging around the edges. Eventually the entire 6-foot x 6-foot rubber-like object was uncovered. There was a zipper and Nur unzipped it.

"What's that?" John asked.

"A foldable Zodiac," Nur said dusting off sand from the fabric. "It's about 70 kg and I will need someone to help me drag this out of the hole."

After some minutes of heavy lifting and dragging, the entire rubber bag with its contents was above ground.

"I don't see the engine," Ken said.

"Ken, John, follow me," Nur said. "Bring the shovels."

They walked a further 30-foot away and Nur instructed the two to start digging.

Hiang and Nur worked to set up the Zodiac which had an aluminum floorboard and transom. The transom was that portion at the rear of the inflatable boat which supports the outboard engine. Pretty soon they had a 16-foot inflatable fully inflated and ready for the sea.

Ken and John uncovered another rubber like object after digging 5-foot, but much smaller than the first.

"That's the outboard," Nur said.

The time now was 12:40 am.

With the inflatable ready and at the edge of the water with its 20-horsepower engine attached, Nur scanned the horizon with his bino.

At exactly 1:00 am flashing infra-red lights appeared from the sea in the direction of Mersing. Hiang guessed it was Morse code. Nur sent back a code using his infra-red torch.

"They are here," Nur said. "Get into the boat."

The boat sped towards the sub, the night sea air was refreshing and cool. She felt sad she was leaving Paku but glad she was going home.

The sub's deck was about 15 foot above water with the conning tower another 30 foot above the deck. Hiang estimated the length was around 100-foot. As the boat approached it, someone on the deck cried out.

"Major Nur!"

"Right here," Nur waved.

"We have an emergency! An enemy sub is heading this way. We have to be underway in 30 seconds."

"What do we do?" an urgency in Nur's voice.

"We will throw your supplies overboard, they will float. We will dive immediately."

The sailors on the deck started throwing the well packed boxes into the sea near them. Hiang counted maybe 15 of them. How do we take this back to the island when there's an enemy sub heading this way? she thought. Nur cut the engine and immediately jumped into the water. He had a rope with him and started gathering together the supplies attaching the rope to each floating box. As the sub moved away he worked quickly and within 2 minutes was back on the inflatable. He started the engine and headed back to the beach towing the supplies behind. Hiang watched as the conning tower disappeared beneath the waves.

Once back in the secret place with their supplies safely stored away, and the zodiac and engine back under the sand, Hiang realized the cousins – in the excitement and fear of the moment – had been forgotten. They hadn't had a chance to board the sub.