THE B-925's Sonar-Operator's heart skipped a beat. "Duìzhǎng! The destroyer is turning!"

"Which direction?" asked the Commander.

"To-To-Towards us!" said the Sonar-Operator, her eyes suddenly wide with alarm as the Commander, XO and the rest of the control room crew began exchanging concerned looks.

"Duìzhǎng…" said the XO with a shaky voice, "I think they know where we are."

To the Commander, that didn't seem real. "Nevozmozhno!"

It did indeed seem impossible, but it really wasn't.

The Dragonfly completed its turn and was bearing down on the B-925 at thirty knots.

"1,900 yards," Hayley said. Then she noticed one of the pulse signals was getting stronger. "I think they are trying to turn away."

"Chris?" said Captain Hart.

"Yes, sir!"

"Fire Hedgehog!"

"Fire Hedgehog!"

"FIRE HEDGEHOG!" yelled Seward.

Parr pushed the button. This was followed by several pop-pop-pop-pops as ten identical small depth-charges were launched from the launcher on the bow of the destroyer. The projectiles flew high into the air before dropping down and hitting the water in a wide circle pattern. They sank down towards where the B-925 was turning and starting to dive in an attempt to try and escape from its pursuer.

The Sonar-Operator's heart nearly burst out of her body. "SPLASHES!" she cried, pulling off her headphones.

The Commander stared and looked up. "Nyet! It cannot be!"

But it was. One of the small bombs found its target and detonated upon contact with the submarine's hull. It ripped through the sonar-absorbing rubber skin and punctured a hole in the hull causing water to begin to flood inside. A second bomb landed behind the conning tower closer to the stern. It too detonated and ripped through to the starboard-side caterpillar exit turbine.

The crew of the Dragonfly had been half expecting to not get any result from the attack, so it came as a surprise when two columns of water shot up into the air following the detonations on the submarine's hull.

"Good lord!" said Friend. "Did we get him?"

Hayley looked at the screen having noticed two sharp blips on right where the submarine was. "You know what - I think we did!" she said in disbelief.

The B-925 was in serious trouble. The whole vessel shuddered and all the lights inside went out. Panic broke out as water began rushing into various parts.

"KAPITAN!" screamed one of the crewmen. "FLOODING IN EIGHT COMPARTMENTS! WE ARE SINKING!"

The XO turned to the Commander. "Duìzhǎng, your orders?"

But the Commander had frozen. As solid as a statue. He was in total shock.

"Duìzhǎng! Duìzhǎng!" cried the XO. "What do we do?"

The Commander muttered something but nobody could make out what he was saying.

Realising that the Commander had broken, the XO seized control of the situation. "SKORAYA MEDITSINSKAYA POMOSHCH'! BLOW ALL TANKS! SURFACE! POVERKHNOST'!"

There was a whoosh of air as the B-925 blew its emergency ballast tanks giving it some buoyancy against the flooding. Slowly it began to rise upwards towards the surface.

Hayley heard the sound of escaping air through the sonar. "Good heavens!" she exclaimed. "They've blown their ballast! They're coming up to the surface!"

Captain Hart dashed to the window and looked out across the water. He could see the water bubbling giving away the submarine's location. "Hard a-port!" he ordered. "Half-ahead both!"

"Hard a-port. Half-ahead both, sir!" said Willis, spinning the wheel to the left and adjusting the telegraphs to slow the engines down.

"Thank God for that!" growled Merriett in the engine room. "This engine's not gonna be able to take much more."

Captain Hart got on the tannoy again. "Captain to gun crews. Submarine surfacing on starboard side. Be ready to engage!"

As the Dragonfly turned to the left, the guns turned ready to engage the submarine if it looked like it was going to continue the fight. After a few moments, the B-925's bow broke the surface and rose into the air before crashing back down onto the water. An explosion erupted from within and a fire began to engulf both the inside and outside of the vessel. For those inside there was little chance of escape as another explosion in the torpedo room ripped the bow apart and caused thousands of gallons of water to gush into the submarine. Safe to say it was doomed.

"Shall we fire, sir?" asked Friend as he watched the submarine burn.

Captain Hart thought for a moment. Then shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary, Chris," he said. He turned to Hayley and patted her shoulder. "Well found, Lieutenant," he said proudly. "I'll be recommending you for this. Go get yourself a drink."

Hayley beamed. "Thank you, sir," she said, saluting him. "But what about the other subs?"

"I'll find them," said Taylor. "Now we have the sonar calibrated, we'll be able to find them more easily."

Hayley smiled. She removed the headphones from her head and handed them back to Taylor. "Thanks, Robyn," she said and headed off the bridge.

Leaving the bridge, Hayley headed downstairs towards the dining area. She was feeling pleased with herself as she passed the radio room.

"Well done, ma'am!" Langford called as she passed.

"Thank you," said Hayley proudly and went to go down the next set of stairs.

BOOM! The whole ship shuddered and seemed to jump out of the water. Hayley cried out in alarm and almost fell down the stairs but managed to save herself by grabbing the hand-rail. As she looked back up she froze to see that the stairwell above was beginning to fill with smoke. Then pieces of the ceiling started to fall. She dived down to the bottom of the stairwell and jumped to the right as a few pieces tumbled down after her.

Fallowfield just came through a bulkhead opposite and narrowly avoided getting herself. She screamed in fright.

"MILLIE!" Hayley cried. "Are you okay?"

Fallowfield didn't answer. She was frozen to the spot with fear. Then they began to hear panicked voices from outside before the ship was rocked again with another BOOM. "What's…happening?" Fallowfield asked with terror in her voice and eyes.

Hayley pushed open the door leading out onto the deck and looked forward just as Turret A fired a shot out across the water. She and Fallowfield then looked out and saw the shell strike the submarine. There came another huge explosion as the sub was ripped apart and sank back below the waves.

"MA'AM!" came a cry from the front of the ship. "LIEUTENANT MADISON!"

Hayley turned to see Parr running towards her and Fallowfield. His eyes were also wide. "What is it?" Hayley asked. "What's going on, Matt?"

Parr pointed up the superstructure. "The sub fired its gun at us!" he whimpered. "They got the bridge!"

Hayley and Fallowfield looked up. Fallowfield gasped, her hands flying over her mouth. Hayley froze again, her eyes wide with horror. "No…" she said hoarsely.

Thick black smoke and flames erupted from the superstructure - right at the very spot where the bridge had been.

Hayley hastily swallowed her shock and sprang into action. She opened a small box on the side of the lower superstructure and grabbed a tannoy microphone. "DAMAGE CONTROL PARTY TO THE BRIDGE ENTRY CORRIDOR! ON THE DOUBLE!"

The damage control party consisted of Henley, a recovered Wright, crewman Matt Archer and Senior Weapons operator Chris Richardson. Together with Hayley leading them they began to make their way up the stairs towards the bridge, hosing down the flames and using special gloves and tools to clear away the debris.

Reaching the first level, they found Langford trapped inside the radio-room. Party of the ceiling had caved in and partially buried him. He was crying out with pain.

"Oh, God!" Hayley said. "ROBIN! STEVE, GIVE ME A HAND HERE!"

Henley dived in after Hayley to help remove the rubble. Langford cried out as they moved the largest piece.

"Woah, easy man!" said Henley. "We're gonna get you out of here."

"My legs!" Langford cried. "I can't feel my legs!"

As Steve moved the piece of debris, Hayley saw that Langford's legs were both gashed severely with his trousers ripped. "Oh, man!" she said. "SOMEONE CALL A MEDIC UP HERE!"

Archer poked his head around the door. "Ma'am! You need to see this!"

"Stay with him," Hayley said to Henley. "Help the medics get him to the Sick Bay."

"Roger that," said Henley.

Hayley left the radio-room and followed Archer up the stairs to where he and Wright had cleared the rest of the debris and gotten through the door. What she found would haunt her for years to come. The shot from the Bereznik submarine had totally obliterated the bridge. All the windows were shattered. The roof had been ripped away. The starboard bridge wing was gone. And everything around the edges and along the floor had been burned to a crisp. Fires were still raging which Wright was quickly bringing under control. Hayley could feel the wind blowing against her but thanks to her special suit and helmet she was kept safe from the elements.

Looking down, Hayley saw the most horrifying sight of all - the bodies of Willis, Friend and Captain Hart lying motionless on the floor. "Oh…my…God…" she said hoarsely. This did not seem real.

Wright finished putting out the last of the fires. "They're gone," he said sadly. "All of them."

But then they heard whimpering coming from the left side of the bridge and through the spray of the sea that was being blown in they could just make out the shape of Taylor cowering on the floor.

"ROBYN!" Hayley cried rushing over to her. She rolled the navigator onto her back to see Taylor had her hands over her eyes. "Robyn, are you hurt?"

"MY EYES!" Taylor cried. "I CAN'T SEE!"

"Let me see," Hayley said, pulling Robyn's hands away before winching and looking away. "Ugh, God!" she exclaimed. "GUYS, HELP ME GET HER TO SICK BAY! HURRY!"

Archer and Wright helped get Taylor to her feet and carried her out of what remained of the bridge.

On the way down they found that Langford had been removed from the radio room. Hayley knew she had to break the news of what had happened to base. "Take care of her," she said to Wright and Archer as she went inside the radio room. As she checked to make sure the radio was working, which to her relief it was, she put out a call to Gibraltar. A call that she knew full well she was not going to enjoy one bit.

Admiral Hart collapsed in his chair when he heard the news. Despite being such a high-ranking officer who was no stranger to hearing bad news, the news of one's own son having fallen in battle was not something he could prepare himself for. "Rob? I…I can't believe it. How did it happen?"

"I didn't see it, sir," Hayley replied. "I'd only just left the bridge. Would seem after we forced the sub to surface they opened fire with a deck gun. I guess with the fire burning we dropped our guard…and it got us." She found herself nearly bursting into tears but managed to hold herself. "I am so sorry, Admiral."

Admiral Hart was silent for a moment. He struggled to find the words himself. "You…You know what this means, don't you, Lieutenant?" he said. "You're in command."

Hayley gulped. "Sir?"

"With Rob and First Officer Friend gone, that makes you the senior officer aboard the Dragonfly," said Admiral Hart. "Command of the ship therefore falls to you."

Many feelings and thoughts rushed through Hayley at that moment. Shock, alarm, fear. It was all there.

"Did you hear me, Lieutenant?"

"Y-Yes, sir, I heard you," Hayley stammered. "Working on the believing part."

"Well you'd better believe it," said Admiral Hart sharply. "Those submarines aren't going to give up. I want them found….and eliminated! Good luck…Captain Madison."

Before Hayley could respond, the Admiral signed off, leaving her in more shock than she'd ever felt in her life. She fell back against the wall of the radio room, slid down, and then broke down.

Lady Penelope and Patrick entered the Admiral's office to find him standing out on the balcony, his skin as pale as his uniform and tears in his eyes.

"Good lord!" said Patrick. "Dave, whatever is the matter?"

Admiral Hart wiped his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "I've just spoken to the Sub-Lieutenant on the Dragonfly," he said. "They found one of the subs and forced it to surface. But it caught them by surprise and…it fired a shell right into the bridge." He sniffled. "Rob is gone."

Penelope gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, goodness!" she exclaimed.

Patrick went pale with shock as well. "This is terrible!" he said. "Dave…I don't know what to say."

"It's fine, Pat," Admiral Hart said. "It's just…what we in the navy have to deal with. But…I never thought it would happen to Rob." He began to weep again with Patrick placing a comforting arm around him. He may have been an Admiral, but he was as human as everyone else was.

Hayley entered the Sick Bay to check on Taylor and Langford as Dr Hebb checked them over. Taylor had got bandages wrapped around her head covering her eyes whilst Langford's legs were wrapped in bandages. Both appeared to be sedated as well.

"How are they, Doctor?" Hayley asked.

Dr Hebb came over to her, removing his gloves. "Not good I'm afraid," he said. "However, it could have been a lot worse."

"How could it be worse?" asked Hayley, looking sadly at the two injured crew.

"They could not be with anymore," Dr Hebb said as he washed his hands. "It's incredible they're both still alive."

"What's the damage?" asked Hayley.

"Langford has second-degree burns to both his legs. They should heal over time but it will take quite a while," said Dr Hebb. "Taylor however…well, she may never be able to see properly again."

Hayley felt sick hearing that. She looked miserably at Taylor. "Why did this have to happen?" she asked. "I thought that sub was toast."

"Captain's gone," said Dr Hebb. "Who's in charge of the ship?"

Hayley exhaled. "I am," she said. "I spoke with the Admiral. I am the most senior person on this ship so the command falls to me." She suddenly looked deadly serious. "And mark my words, Doctor. I am not going to fail us again!" She turned and stormed out of the Sick Bay.

Hayley went out on deck to compose herself. The rest of the crew were busy cleaning up the mess at the front and Merritt and Berry were using the time of being stationary to work on the temperamental engine. Lancashire and Northumberland had arrived and were sailing a circle formation around the Dragonfly to ensure that if neither of the remaining two Bereznik submarines could attack them unawares.

After taking a few minutes, Hayley knew what she needed to do. Despite being scared stiff at the thought of now being in command, she knew she could not let the rest of the crew or Admiral Hart down. She was determined to avenge those that they had lost. She took the tannoy microphone and began to address the crew. "You hear there? You hear there? This is Lieutenant Madison. I'm pretty sure you're all aware of what has happened, but I will make it doubly clear. The Berezniks got a final shot in on us. They hit the bridge. Captain Hart, First Officer Friend and Helmsman Willis are gone. With their passing that makes me the new commander of this ship by default. Now hear this. We are NOT going to let the remaining Berezniks take any more lives! We have already lost too much today. The Valiant is still in danger. We have Northumberland and Lancashire with us to help track them down. And we will not return to Gibraltar until we do. Is everyone with me?"

A defiant cheer erupted throughout the whole of the destroyer. Everyone knew and trusted Hayley. They too were determined, not just in getting revenge on the Berezniks, but to also to make Hayley proud.

Scott paced back and forth in the doorway of the module whilst Virgil, Gordon and Alan sat on the ramp. All four were getting rather bored.

"Scott, will you stop pacing?" asked Virgil irritably. "It's getting annoying."

"Sorry, Virg, I can't help it," answered Scott. "This waiting is getting to me."

"Are you sure we're really needed?" asked Alan. "Surely the navy is more than capable of rescuing their own?"

"If there are available units nearby, yes," said Gordon. "But as we learned in the W.A.S.P. survival at sea is a very dangerous thing. You are very lucky if you come out alive."

Alan scratched his nose. "You mentioned a partner," he said. "What was her name again?"

"Hayley Madison," said Gordon.

"Is she still there?" asked Virgil.

"Probably," said Gordon, getting up rather suddenly. "Can we change the subject please?"

Virgil, Alan and Scott exchanged puzzled looks. Gordon seemed rather touchy on that subject, but they decided not to pursue their curiosity. He must have his reasons.

Hayley quickly gathered a team of the most senior members of the ship that were still alive. "Okay, guys. With the loss of the bridge we need alternative ways to find these subs. Steve. You're our electronics expert. Can you find a way to rewire the radar and sonar into the main server room?"

"You got it, ma'am," replied Henley.

"We have an emergency wheel down in the stern so I'm gonna need some people down working that," said Hayley.

"My pleasure, ma'am," said Wright.

"The wheel's heavy," said Archer. "You'll need some assistance."

"I'll take George," said Wright. "It'll take his mind off things."

Hayley nodded. "Simon, how's those engines?"

"I've patched them up as best I can," said Merriett. "But they won't be able to take too much stress."

"Good man," said Hayley. "Our visibility will be limited thanks to temp sonar so the frigates will take the lead on that. We'll have to coordinate them in."

"What about the detection?" asked Henley. "Will they know what to listen for?"

"I'll get both captains on the horn and inform them myself," Hayley said. "Now let's move. Every second we're stationary leaves the Valiant more vulnerable."

As the others headed off to make the necessary arrangements, Hayley went up to what remained of the bridge. The bodies of Captain Hart, Friend and Willis had been removed and placed below decks along with the bodies of Fitzgerald and the Bereznik sailor. They'd not been able to recover the bodies of Dr Banner and Brace following the explosion of the small submarine. From here she could coordinate the ship and lead them to what they hoped would be victory. As she stood there, she really felt the responsibility of her new role deeply and was determined not to mess it up. "Okay, Madison," she told herself out loud as she put a headset on. "Let's bloody do this!"