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the boring stuff that they didn’t want to do for themselves anymore.
    I met with Babs and the Children at lunch time. She had spent the morning helping to prepare what we were about to eat. The children had been allowed to play in an area set aside with a few other children for company, so Babs had been able to keep a close eye on them. I could see why if you weren’t living on, or didn’t know anyone on the lower decks that life could be quite comfortable and safe for a family aboard the Somerset. But we knew what the rest of our group was enduring below and hence had to do something about the situation and fast.
    I spent the afternoon charting events on maps, but also at the same time studying Faslane and the local area. I was starting to work out a plan in my head but needed the advice and guidance of some of the other guys to see how feasible they thought it was. I also managed to get a few copies of some maps I felt would be useful if my plan was to go ahead.
    Chapter Twenty one
    We all met up in the evening as planned in Gav and Lia’s quarters. I went through my plan with them. I didn’t think that it was wise to wait until we got to Faslane to attempt our escape; we had all agreed that escape was our only option earlier. I also thought it was too risky to split our group up as none of us knew the area and the chances of us meeting up again if we were too far apart would be slim.
    I showed the guys the maps. My plan was to get off the Somerset as we entered Loch Gare. I knew we were going to enter the Loch via the Firth of Clyde. Keith agreed that the water would probably be at its calmest in the Loch, certainly calmer than the open Ocean. Paul and David had access to the Hope and had been maintaining it and doing test runs all day, so it wouldn’t be unusual for it to move away from the main fleet at any time. The only problem was it would probably only carry a maximum of twelve people at any one time and there was twenty six of us.
    Gav and Lia said that they wouldn’t be joining us, they felt safe where they were and although they didn’t agree with the treatment of some on board, they had to do what was best for their young family and at present that was aboard the Somerset. This left twenty two of us, still too many for the Hope.
    Keith said that he couldn’t risk coming with us yet. His family had been aboard another Royal Navy vessel and he hoped that they too had headed to the safe zone at Faslane once the one in Portsmouth had been compromised. He had to stay to find out and didn’t want any repercussions for them if he was no longer part of the Royal Navy. I understood his reasons, but it still didn’t make it any easier to take.
    David said that the Salt Wind was still part of the fleet and was being maintained by other sashes, but was not away from the main ship very often and hence spent a lot of time tied up and unmanned. It was the perfect solution to our problem. The Salt Wind could hold about the same as the Hope.
    It was agreed that David would take the Salt Wind and Paul would take the Hope. My family and I and Sophie and Paul could easily get onto the Hope without too many questions now that we were sashes. Lia said that she would be able to get the girls to medical as it wasn’t unusual for them to do checks on the working girls, then Sophie and the girls could stage an attack on her and escape to the Hope with the rest of us. That made nine of us on the Hope, meaning the remaining Twelve could get on the Salt Wind.
    Chapter Twenty Two
    The plan for our guys in the hold, if they agreed, was for them to escape through the rubbish chute where David would be waiting to pick them up in the Salt Wind.
    Gav and Keith agreed to come with me later that evening and tell our guys the plan. Timing was going to be crucial if it was to work. The Somerset was due into Faslane around 18.00 hours the following evening, so David would need to be ready to pick the guys up around 16.00 hours. We all