Chapter 2

Chip pulled up outside Lee's apartment. Seeing Lee's red sports car parked out front, he quickly entered the building. Coming to Lee's apartment he started to knock, but the door swung open at his touch. Cautiously he stepped inside, calling to Lee, but there was no reply. With growing apprehension he moved through the apartment, systematically checking every room until he came to the bedroom. He need look no further. A trail of blood led his eyes to the bed, the torn jacket discarded on the floor beside it, and the body of Lee Crane lying on the bed half covered by a sheet. Chip paused in the doorway, taking a long slow breath before moving to the bed to confirm what he already suspected.

Dropping to his knees beside the bed, he gently pulled back the sheet to look at the face of his close friend, and commanding officer.

"Oh, god no...no, Lee!"

Grief stricken, Chip closed his eyes, shutting out the sight before him. It was obvious from the torn shirt and blood soaked sheet that Lee had taken a beating before being left to die.

xxxxxx

The news spread quickly amongst Seaview's crew. Kowalski, Paterson and Riley sat around the table in their quarters drinking coffee, having been stood down from watch until further notice.

"What happened?" Paterson asked Kowalski.

"Chief didn't say," Kowalski answered with a shrug. He didn't know any more than the rest of them. Just that Crane was dead, and would be buried at sea. That was one cruise none of them was looking forward to.

"The skipper dead, I still can't believe it," Paterson commented, shaking his head.

"It's true enough." Kowalski told him. He was having a hard time believing it himself. Seaview wouldn't be the same without Crane in command. "You okay, Riley?" Kowalski asked. So far the kid hadn't said anything since the Chief had told them.

"Yeah. I wonder how the admiral is taking it."

"Pretty bad I should think, and Mr Morton. Him and the skipper were close," Kowalski suggested.

Paterson nodded agreement. "Do you think that Mr Morton will take over command?"

Kowalski shrugged again. Morton had always maintained that he didn't want command. He would rather stay Exec. However, under the circumstances that could change.

xxxxxx

Chief Sharkey paced aimlessly around the control room. There was little for him to do until Seaview put to sea again. Along with the rest of the crew, that was a day he was not looking forward to. A burial at sea was bad enough, but this was Crane, Seaview's Captain. Man I would like to get my hands on whoever was responsible, Sharkey thought with growing anger. What made it worse was that this had happened right here in Santa Barbara. The last place any-one would expect something like this.

Sharkey wandered over to where O'Brien hovered near the radio shack, waiting for orders. The grim expression on his face mirrored the feeling of gloom that had descended over the boat as she lay in her dock at the Nelson Institute, waiting to leave on her Captain's final voyage.