“I don’t know. Maybe she’s trying to cover up something else.”
Osberg added his thoughts. “The Russian submarine thing is way out there all right, but her allegations about China’s involvement are really over the top.”
“I agree,” Captain Clark said. “You should pin her down about what she claims happened with the Kentucky.”
“I will. That’s coming up.”
* * * *
The break ended and all parties returned to their prior locations. Ava Diesen continued the interview.
“Ms. Newman, I’d like to revisit your statements about what you and Captain-Lieutenant Kirov recovered from the bottom in the—” Ava stopped to view her notes.
Michaela Taylor answered. “In Admiralty Inlet.”
“Yes, thank you,” Ava said.
Laura clasped her hands to suppress the tremors. “Before we discuss that, I remembered something during the break that might be helpful about the Neva.”
Ava crossed her arms. “Okay, go ahead.”
Laura cleared her throat. “Prior to the rescue of the Neva, Yuri used a remotely operated vehicle—an ROV—to survey the damage to the Neva.”
“This ROV,” Ava said. “Please describe it.”
“It was a self-propelled underwater robot with a video camera. A cable connected to a boat on the surface where it was controlled.”
“Where did this equipment come from?”
Laura cringed at the question. “From Seattle. I arranged for it along with the workboat.”
“This was the same workboat you operated from…” Ava glanced at her notes. “The Hercules.”
“Yes. Anyway, after the collision between the Neva and the Hercules, the ROV was left on the bottom. It should still be there.”
Diesen turned away as a question from Captain Clark broadcast inside her earbud.
She faced Laura. “We need more information on the ROV. What is its size and how long was the tether?”
Laura spread her hands apart. “It was about the size of a standard shopping cart—the basket part of the cart. The cable was the diameter of a pencil. It supplied power to the ROV as well as transmitted data back to the Hercules.”
Ava listened as Clark made a request and then said, “We need the precise location of where this took place.”
“If you can get me a chart, I’ll show you the approximate location.”
“A nautical chart?”
“Yes, of the Strait of Georgia. You can download it from NOAA’s website.”
“And Admiralty Inlet, too,” added attorney Reveley. He faced Diesen. “Ms. Newman will need that chart also.”
Ava turned to Taylor. “Michaela, would you please look into that for me?”
“I’ll get right on it.” Agent Taylor left the room.
Before Ava Diesen could continue with questions, Laura said, “There’s something else to look for on the bottom.”
“Go ahead,” Ava said, curious
Laura ran a hand though her hair. “One of the Neva’s crew, a diver—Yuri’s assistant—died. His body is somewhere on the bottom near where the Neva was located.”
“And how do you know this?”
“I saw him. Yuri used the ROV to recover the body from the torpedo tube. The corpse, still encased in diving gear, was returned to the bottom.”
Ava’s facial expression remained neutral.
Laura continued, “I know all of this sounds crazy, but it’s true. The body was so heavy with gear that it’s likely still on the bottom.”
Diesen was still questioning Laura about the Neva when Michaela Taylor returned. She carried a roll of drawings.
“Sorry it took so long. I had to recruit a tech to print out the charts for me.” Taylor unrolled the first map onto the table—NOAA Chart 18421.
The upper half of the thirty-six-inch by forty-eight-inch sheet displayed the southern Strait of Georgia with Point Roberts at the center top.
Laura studied the chart for a few seconds and placed her right index finger southeast of Point Roberts. “The Neva sank somewhere in this area.”
Ava handed Laura a black felt pen. “Please mark the location with an X and then sign your name and date it.”
Laura turned toward Reveley. He nodded his approval. Laura accepted the pen, complied with the request, and returned to her seat.
Agent Diesen pulled the chart toward her side of the table, holding the top half in her hands. She rotated in her chair, allowing the nearest ceiling camera a clear view of the Neva’s location. Half a minute later, she returned the chart to the table.
Ava again glanced at her notepad. “Ms. Newman, please continue with your description of the rescue operation.”
“As I mentioned, after the ROV located the open hatch inside the Neva, Yuri—Captain-Lieutenant Kirov—dove to the bottom and entered—”
“Excuse me,” interrupted Michaela Taylor. “How deep again did you say the submarine was?”
“About 720 feet.”
“I’m a SCUBA diver. That’s crazy deep. How could he make such a dive?”
“He used his military diving gear. Rebreather system with helium.”
“Really?”
“Yes, the same gear he used to make his initial escape. That’s when he washed up on the beach where I rented the house at Point Roberts.”
Michaela eyed her boss, broadcasting her astonishment. She turned toward Laura. “Please continue.”
Laura recited her involvement with the Neva, moving onto recent events. Chart 18471, Approaches to Admiralty Inlet, covered the conference table.
Laura once again used her finger to mark a location. “It was somewhere in this area, southwest of Point Partridge.”
Ava handed over the felt marker pen.
Laura said, “because I’m not as certain as the Neva’s location, I’m going to make a circle here.”
“This is where Kirov made his dive?”
“That’s correct.”
Ava picked up the chart, allowing the video camera a clear shot. When she returned the chart to the table, Captain Clark’s voice broadcast in her earbud.
Ava listened and then said to Laura, “So, to be clear, this is the location where the weapon was located.”
“Yes, Yuri called it a moored mine. It had a watertight casing with the torpedo inside. He said it was designed to be deployed by airplanes and ships because it’s too big for submarine torpedo tubes.”
“The Mark Twelve?”
“That’s right. But Yuri also used the Russian name, which I can’t remember. It translated to ‘Viper’ in English.”
“So, it was definitely Russian made?”
“Yes, according to Yuri.”
“Hmmm.”
Michaela Taylor spoke next. “You said it was buoyant. How was it anchored?”
“There was a concrete block on the bottom. That’s where Yuri disconnected the—” Laura stopped talking as the thought jelled. She then turned toward Diesen. “The concrete block—I’m certain that it’s still on the bottom. You could send a diver down to verify it.”
Ava massaged her forehead. She suffered from jetlag and had slept poorly the previous evening. Her brain was weary from Laura’s tale, not knowing what to believe.
“Yes, I suppose we could look for this anchor block after we check out these other areas regarding the submarine, but that’s going to take time.” Ava looked skeptical. “Quite frankly, Ms. Newman, you have not offered any credible evidence to back up your claims about what Kirov did and how you were involved. I think it is—”
“If I may, Agent Diesen,” Tim Reveley said.
“What?”
“We do have hard evidence to offer—right now.” Reveley reached down and retrieved his leather briefcase.
He placed the case on th
e table and opened it. He removed an eight by ten color print and handed it to Ava.
“This is a photograph of the Mark Twelve torpedo mine, aka the Viper. After recovering it from the bottom, Mr. Kirov took the photo while aboard the Yangzi. As you can see, Ms. Newman is standing next to the weapon.”
Both Ava Diesen and Michaela Taylor stared bug-eyed at the image.
Chapter 59
Day 33—Thursday
Yuri stood next to a widescreen video display in the Novosibirsk’s officers’ wardroom. Captain Petrovich was on his right, Lieutenant Shtyrov to the left.
“That’s impressive,” Yuri said. “Must be equivalent to half of the South Sea Fleet.”
“More,” commented Captain Petrovich.
An aerial color photograph filled the bulkhead-mounted LCD monitor. A Russian recon satellite had captured the image several hours earlier. Pacific Fleet headquarters reformatted the image adding text that identified key elements of the target. Fleet relayed the encrypted image to the Novosibirsk using another Russian telecom bird parked over the Pacific. Included with the photo were new orders from headquarters.
The image provided a bird’s eye view of a mammoth naval base at the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island near the coastal city of Sanya. Located at the PRC’s southern limit, Hainan Island bordered the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam was about 200 miles to the west and the Philippines more than 700 miles to the east.
The Yulin Naval Base was one of China’s largest and most modern facilities. Created by connecting several offshore islands in Yalong Bay with a series of manmade breakwaters, the resulting seven square miles of sheltered waters provided excellent moorage for an armada of naval craft. For the past two days, the Novosibirsk had loitered off Hainan Island’s southern coast surveilling the Liaoning strike group as it sailed into Yulin. It joined elements of the South and East Sea fleets already moored at the base, including the PRC’s newest aircraft carrier, the Shandong.
Warships lined both sides of the twin parallel concrete piers that jutted over half a mile into the breakwater-protected waters of Yalong Bay. The two carriers berthed near the seaward ends of the piers. In several locations, smaller vessels, frigates, and destroyers, rafted together two to three deep next to the piers. Other ships anchored in the bay. In total, thirty-eight surface warships and support vessels occupied the Yulin Naval Base.
“How come the carriers are here instead of at Sanya?” Yuri asked. He referred to Yulin-West, an auxiliary base near Sanya about seven miles west of Yulin. The harbor facility contained an enormous wharf designed to service aircraft carriers.
Captain Petrovich hunched his shoulders. “I don’t know. There’s nothing about that in our orders.”
Lieutenant Shtyrov spoke next. He pointed to the opening in the southern leg of the offshore seawall system. “Captain, the main harbor entrance will no doubt be loaded with sensors. It would not surprise me if they also run nets across, especially at night.”
Petrovich altered his stance. “That’s exactly what I would do if I were base commander.”
“I agree,” Yuri said.
He studied the photo, impressed with the layout of Yulin. Surface warfare ships moored at the north end of the base. Nuclear-powered submarines occupied the harbor’s eastern shore.
Captain Petrovich gestured near the midpoint of the aerial image. “What about the western opening in the breakwater system? Can you get the mini in there?”
Yuri responded. “It will have similar defenses as the south entrance.”
“Well,” Petrovich said while eyeing open water near the shoreline, “that leaves the gap from this island to the shore. What about using that approach?”
“It appears shallow in that area, plus it will have sensors.”
Shtyrov rejoined the conversation. “Isn’t that the area where they have recreational beaches?”
“It is,” Petrovich said.
“Then you can expect barriers to keep boaters and swimmers out of the base waters.”
Shtyrov touched the screen near the beach and moved his fingers to increase magnification. As the new image materialized, he pointed. “Look, there they are.” Several faint parallel lines extending seaward were visible. The Spetsnaz officer continued, “They’re probably float lines, maybe with nets that extend to the bottom. That route will be a real bitch to penetrate.”
Petrovich looked glum. “You’re right.”
Dismayed, Yuri pointed to the beach area west of the barriers. “Look at the people, there are hundreds.”
The amplified image revealed scores of sunbathers, waders, and swimmers along the shoreline with dozens of paddle boards, jet skis, and sailboats plying the offshore waters.
The Yalong Bay resorts catered to China’s thriving middle class. With year-round balmy weather, spectacular sandy beaches, and clean, clear subtropical waters, Hainan’s southern shore was China’s Hawaii.
Yuri gestured to the nearby military piers. “Very strange place to moor dozens of combat ships and half of your strategic nuclear submarine force—next to waterfront resorts teeming with sunbathing tourists.”
“Ballistic missiles and bikini beaches,” offered Shtyrov.
The trio laughed.
“So, gentlemen,” Petrovich said, “how do we accomplish the mission?”
Indeed, thought Yuri. How the devil are we going do this and survive?
Yuri responded. “Captain, we’ve only got one chance to pull this off. As we did at Qingdao, we’ll need to go in together at the same time and then split up. Lieutenant Shtyrov and Chief Dobrynin will head to the main moorage area. I’ll make my way to the sub base.”
Petrovich’s brow arched. “So, you plan to take the mini through the harbor entrance?”
“No. As Shtyrov said, it’s too risky to penetrate—that’s exactly what the PLAN would expect.” Yuri pointed to the rocky island located on the west side of the main entrance to the Yulin base. “We’ll lockout from the mini and come ashore in this area. We’ll cross over the island and enter the harbor on the opposite side.”
“Why not just cross over the breakwater?”
“Too easy. They would be expecting that type of approach. The breakwaters are likely well monitored by cameras and have sensors.” Yuri touched the screen on one of the breakwaters, increasing the magnification. The new view displayed a cluster of four-legged interconnected pods. “These breakwaters are composed of precast concrete armor units, not rock.” He bent forward for a closer look. “These units look like tetrapods. They’re huge and difficult to try climb across.”
“So, by using the island that will be easier?” Petrovich asked.
“Less chance of detection.” Yuri pointed to the photo. “We’ll come out of the water about here on this rock ledge, climb up the slope and then head across the island through the depression area to the inner harbor. We’ll use this beach to reenter the water.”
“How long is that route?”
Yuri checked the photo scale. “A hundred forty to a hundred fifty meters.”
“That’s quite a way to lug all of your equipment.”
“I know but we’ll manage.” Yuri faced Shtyrov. “Right, lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir. Three of us should be able to manage the gear.”
Yuri again pointed to the photo. “Once we’re in the water again, you two head north and I’ll go east. We complete our individual assignments and rendezvous back here, where we’ll backtrack across the island, and then make our way back to the mini.”
“How long will it take?” asked Petrovich.
Yuri reflected on the mission. “We need to allow a minimum of five hours once we depart from the Novosibirsk.”
“You’ll need to be underway before sunrise, which will occur around zero-six-hundred hours. If you have any trouble, I can’t wait. Too much risk to N
ovosibirsk.”
“I understand, sir. I suggest that we commence the mission at twenty-two-hundred hours tonight. That will give us a couple hours’ reserve.”
“Okay. Proceed accordingly.”
* * * *
As Yuri headed aft to prepare the P-815 for departure, he remained antsy.
This mission is high risk!
Orders from Fleet required the Spetsnaz operators to install two recording pods within the main moorage area of the Yulin base to spy on the unusual assembly of surface warships. The underwater sounds collected by the recording devices would provide valuable information on propeller signatures, propulsion systems, and internal hull machinery.
Why risk such an operation now?
Chinese security would be almost on a wartime level. The Spetsnaz operators would be passing under the hulls of a dozen or more ships in order to place their recorders. Besides evading shipboard and bottom acoustic sensors, Shtyrov and Dobrynin would need to avoid the swarm of autonomous surface vessels that patrolled the harbor waters. As at Qingdao, the ASVs were loaded with anti-sub and anti-swimmer gear. The increased security also threatened Yuri’s task.
Why are they insisting it be done now? This is crazy!
Spying on the assembled PLAN taskforce was only half of the Yulin mission. Yuri’s target was about a mile south of the surface fleet moorage along the eastern shore of Yalong Bay. The Yulin submarine base served as the homeport for China’s newest and most powerful nuclear submarines. Four modern piers, each more than 700 feet long, extended from the shore into the protected waters of the bay. Four Type 093 fast-attack boats and a newly commissioned Type 095—a sister sub to the Heilong—operated from the base. In addition to the hunter-killers, four Jin-class Type 094 ballistic missile subs homeported from the base. These behemoths each carried a dozen nuclear armed ICBMs that were capable of reaching anywhere in Russia from patrol zones offshore of China.
Yuri’s task did not involve the submarines tied up at the piers. Instead, his destination was about half a mile further south along the shoreline. A secret sub base inside of a hillside—just incredible!
When viewed from above, the shoreline aberration was hardly noticeable—a filled platform area about 200 feet long that extended around a hundred feet into the bay from the base of the rocky hillside. At the southern end of the fill was a notched zone about seventy feet wide; it abutted another filled area to the south. The shoreline notch stretched landward to the hillside. It served as the tunnel entrance.
The Faithful Spy Page 25