Fenner said, “Why not?”
A few minutes later the shattering roar of the bombs exploding filled the silent harbor, and clouds of dense black smoke drifted from the boats.
Fenner said to Miller, “Come on, punk, you’re going for a ride.” He had to shove Miller in front of him at the end of the Thompson. Miller was so terrified that he could hardly walk. He kept on mumbling, “Don’t give it to me. I want to live, mister, I want to live.”
The others were already in the boat waiting for them.
When they got on board, Schaife started the engine. “Gee!” he said. This is the grandest night’s work I’ve ever done. I never thought we’d get away with it.”
Fenner groped for a cigarette and lit it. “The fun’ll start as soon as Carlos hears about it,” he remarked. “I said shock tactics would succeed and they have. Now Carlos knows what he’s up against, the rest isn’t going to be so easy.”
They ran the boat round the island and signaled to Kemerinski, who started up his boat and joined them outside the harbor. They all got into Kemerinski’s boat, Alex dragging Miller along with him. Scalfoni was the last to leave and, before he did so, he opened the cocks and scuttled the boat.
As he climbed on board Kemerinski’s boat he said, “I guess it’s tough sinkin’ these boats. I could have done with one of them myself.”
Fenner said, “I thought of that, but Carlos still has a fair size gang, an’ he’d have got them back. This is the only way.”
As Kemerinski headed the boat out to sea he wanted to know what had happened. “I heard the uproar,” he said excitedly. “It certainly got the village steamed up. They guessed what was goin’ on, and no one had the guts to go an’ watch the fun.”