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The Captain of the stranded ship decides the only thing he can do
is ask for a tow. However unknown to anyone the ship has been holed and
it shifts in the water causing the lights to go out. DeMara, who has already
been behaving erratically, gets very panicky. The emergency lights go
on and the trapped men can hear the rescue team starting to clear the
debris. This is no help to the prisoner who is getting more unstable as
time goes by. But perhaps his fears are well-founded as the phone goes
dead and the brig starts to flood. The rupture in the hull is also below
the waterline and no one above decks knows that the three men are in more
danger.
Harm tries to do his job, notwithstanding the trouble and learns that
Chinnick was supplying DeMara with Bourbon and drugs. The drug, 'Black
Beauty' is like speed and the PO had been taking it to overcome his little
sleep problem. Unfortunately the last time DeMara took the drug was two
days ago, before the murder, and he is now suffering withdrawal, hence
the jitters. It also seems that prior to his death Chinnick had been regularly
putting up the price of his supply and DeMara had been remonstrating with
him to lower his prices. Thus when DeMara got a message from Chinnick
to meet he hoped that it was to agree a lower price. When he arrived for
the meeting the man was dead and DeMara claims he was framed.
Throughout it all Harm has been trying to reassure the suspect that
he is only after the truth but DeMara does not believe him. As the water
level rises Harm agrees to release the man from the brig. Upon his release
DeMara goes crazy and attacks the Chief capturing his gun. He turns it
on Harm and the Chief, taking them hostage.
On the Manassas, 'AJ' gets a message that the Suribachi is stranded
and Harm is trapped. He transfers to the Suribachi. Lt. Jenarette is still
leading the rescue team but fumes are seeping in from somewhere and he
realises that they are poisonous chlorine gas. These fumes are filling
the area above the hatch that is blocked making it dangerous to continue
the rescue attempt.
Down below the three men discuss who would have framed DeMara. It
is suggested that maybe Chinnick didn't write the note that summoned DeMara
to the meeting. DeMara has kept the note which is in his hat band in his
locker. Harm offers to have the note finger printed to try and back up
the suspect's story.
The tow starts and a cage full of gas tanks, that had been loosened
by the initial collision, fall on DeMara trapping him. Harm and the Chief
try and free him as the water floods in even more. Up above the rescue
team finally free the hatch, open it and call to the trapped men. The
Chief goes to the hatch, is helped out and tells Jenarette that the other
two men are dead. With the chlorine gas building up the Chief's statement
is accepted and the hatch is sealed again and the rescue abandoned. Harm
and DeMara are trapped again.
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