CHAPTER 22
WEDNESDAY
Northeast coast, North Korea
“You all set, sir?” Collins asked Tom. Tom hoisted himself into the dry deck shelter. It is a compartment on a submarine that allows divers to enter and exit while the ship is submerged. It held the SDV. Once the sailors on the outside close the hatch, water fills the compartment to equalize pressure with the water outside. Then the outer door opens, allowing the diver or SEAL to exit the submarine.
Tom sat in his diving gear, with his flippers on his feet and his Draeger Rebreather around his chest. All of his weapons and gear were hanging on his body. Around him in the dry deck shelter, a team of Navy divers sat with their diving gear as well.
Tom took a look at the SDV. It looked good, he thought. He liked using equipment he had been familiar with over many years. The SDV was not an airtight vehicle. Water flowed through it, so Tom had to wear his diving gear while operating it. The SDV had air tanks on board, so while Tom was driving it to shore, he did not need to use up his own oxygen. Tom checked that his helmet was strapped on tight and that his diving mask was secure on his face.
“Yes. Thanks, Collins.” Tom replied.
Collins saluted Tom. His face was serious, his back straight. He had probably been briefed on the mission, Tom thought. Tom was no longer in the military, as the SAD was a unit within the CIA, a civilian agency. But Tom appreciated the gesture. He returned a crisp salute.
Collins grabbed the hatch and shut it. Tom looked around and saw the light of the submarine disappear. Water started to seep into the compartment. Tom put in the mouthpiece of his Draeger unit and started breathing the metallic-tasting oxygen. Soon the water was above his head. Once the water pressure equalized, the outer door opened. The open sea awaited him.
Tom and the Navy divers pushed out the SDV. The sea was dim and cold, but serene. Once outside the dry deck shelter, Tom pulled himself onto the seat of the SDV. He started the controls and accelerated the vehicle towards shore. It felt like riding a motorcycle underwater. Tom looked at his compass. He needed to head due west. The shore was only a few nautical miles away. He walked through the plan in his head. A half-mile from shore, he would park the SDV on the seabed and swim the rest of the way underwater. Getting on the beach should not be a challenge either, Tom thought. His gear did not release any bubbles. Furthermore, Anderson had said that there was a low troop presence. It was also late at night – everyone here should be garrisoned by now.
Devil's Fork Page 31