"What is the exact distance from our landing to the prison?" asked Eddie Seng, the Oregon's master of subterfuge and director of shore operations.

"Two hundred yards less than a mile," answered Linda.

Seng folded his arms and looked thoughtful. "We'll be able to fool the locals with our uniforms going in, but if we have to fight our way back a mile to the docks while herding eighteen prisoners, I can't guarantee we'll make it."

"Certainly not in the condition those poor people are going to be in," said Julia Huxley, the Oregon's medical officer. She was going along on the raid to care for the prisoners. A short woman, large bosomed with a body suited for wrestling, Julia was the congeniality lady of the ship. She'd served as a chief medical officer for four years at the San Diego Naval Base and was well respected by them all.

"Our agents in the city have arranged for a truck to be stolen twenty minutes before you leave the prison. It's used for hauling food supplies to the hotels. The truck and a driver will be parked one block from the workers' maintenance shack situated on the wharf above your landing dock. He'll drive you to the prison, wait, and return you to the dock. >From there he'll ditch the truck and ride home on his bicycle."

"Does he have a name? Is there a password?"

Linda smiled slightly. "The password is dos."

Seng looked skeptical. "Two? That's it?"

"Yes, he'll reply with uno, one. It's that simple."

"Well, at least it's concise."

Linda paused to flick a series of switches on a small remote control. The images of the city dissolved into a 3-D interior diorama of Santa Ursula Prison without its roof, revealing the inner rooms and cells and their connecting passageways. "Our sources tell us there are only ten guards in the whole prison. Six on the day shift, two in the evening and two from midnight until six in the morning. You should have no problem overpowering the two on the station. They'll think you're a military unit come to transport the prisoners to another secure facility. You're scheduled to gain entry at ten o'clock. Subdue the two on-duty guards and release the prisoners, then return to the submarine and make the ship by eleven o'clock. Any later and you jeopardize our escape out of the harbor."

"How so?" asked one of Seng's team members.

"We're told the harbor defense systems are run through an operational test every night at twelve. We've got to be well on our way to sea before then."

"Why not wait and go in after midnight, when most of the town is asleep?" asked a member of the landing force. "At ten o'clock, the local citizens will still be stirring around."

"You'll cause less suspicion if you don't sneak around the streets before dawn," she replied. "Also, the other eight guards are usually out on the town in the local bars until early morning."