Sam looked at the man perplexed. “A rogue wave? Many a competent sailor has died as the result of an unusually large wave. If it was anything big enough to damage the Mirabelle, the other racers in the event must have been affected?”
“None of the other crew noted any unusually rough seas.”
“Yet, Luke’s yacht was sunk?”
“That’s it. Seems crazy doesn’t it?”
“Sure does.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt you on vacation. I know you wanted to stay away from everyone for a few days. I wonder if you would be willing to cut your time short – see if you can help me out.”
Sam looked at Aliana for approval.
She smiled sympathetically at him. “He was your friend. Even an old one, and he asked for your help.”
“Yeah, but I have no idea why.”
“No, there must have been something.”
Benjamin said, “Tell me. What do you know about rogue waves?”
Chapter Four
Sam filled his cup from the soda fountain again. Walked back and took a seat.
“Rogue waves really aren’t as mysterious as the movies would have you believe. In fact, they’re no more random than normal waves. And as such, can be predicted through the wave prediction analysis of a given sea.”
Benjamin poured himself a cup of straight coffee. He stopped and looked at Sam as though he’d just informed him the world was no longer round. “Are you saying you can predict when a rogue wave is going to occur?”
“No, but I can tell you the state of the ocean in which a rogue wave is likely to occur. Waves themselves are quite unpredictable. Evolving sea states can be predicted with relative accuracy by using wind wave models.”
“So, in what sort of seas would you expect to find a rogue wave?”
“Well, for that you have to understand some basic principles of wave development.”
Aliana stood up. “I’ve heard this story before. I’m going to freshen up.”
Benjamin looked at him. “Go on. I need to understand this.”
“Okay. The size and behavior of waves are determined by a range of factors. These include, the direction of the swell compared with the speed of the tide, prevailing ocean currents, the depth of the water, the shape of the seafloor, the presence of reefs and sandbanks, even the temperature of the ocean.”
“Okay,” Benjamin said.
Sam sighed. Trying to judge how in depth he wanted to go. “There are five factors which influence the formation of wind waves. These are, wind speed relative to the wave crest, the uninterrupted distance of open water over which the wind blows without significant change in direction, this is called the fetch, the width of area affected by fetch, and the duration the wind has blown over a given time.”
“I get it. There’s a lot of factors to measure in order to predict the height, length and force of a wave.”
Sam nodded his head. “However, there is one factor that rules the size of the waves more than any other – the wind. Waves are caused by wind blowing over the surface of the ocean and transferring energy from the atmosphere to the water. The height of waves is determined by the speed of the wind, how long it blows, and crucially the fetch.
Benjamin emptied his cup of coffee. “Go on.”
Sam noted that Benjamin’s caffeine intake had done little to settle the tremor in his hands. He continued with the subject he’d always found so fascinating. “In oceanography, rogue waves are more precisely defined as waves whose height is more than twice the significant wave height, which is itself defined as the mean of the largest third of waves in a wave record. Therefore, rogue waves are not necessarily the biggest waves found on the water; they are, rather, unusually large waves for a given sea state. Rogue waves seem not to have a single distinct cause, but occur where physical factors such as high winds and strong currents cause waves to merge to create a single exceptionally large wave.”
“Why do the waves come together at all?”
“The underlying physics that make the phenomena of rogue waves possible is that different waves can travel at different speeds. This allows them to collide and compound with each other. This is known as constructive interference. Instead of a set of four or five waves, they all merge into one entirely more powerful one.”
Benjamin cracked his finger knuckles. It looked like a bad nervous habit. “Okay, so how big could these rogue waves get?”
“They can be pretty big. The Draupner wave in the North Sea off the coast of Norway was measured by scientific equipment as being 84 feet in 1995. The same year the Fastnet Lighthouse in Ireland was struck by a wave. Although no scientific equipment recorded the precise height of the wave, the lighthouse itself was 156 feet above sea level.”
Benjamin stared at him, mesmerized. “Are you saying anyone could have predicted a 156 feet high wave?”
“You have to understand. Rogue waves aren’t about height. They’re about being twice the height of the significant wave height – AKA twice the average highest waves in a set. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that the most frequent wave heights will be about half that of the significant wave height. And that around 1 out of every 7 will be slightly larger. But 1 out of every 3000, or roughly 3 times every 24 hours a wave will be twice the significant wave height.”
“Are you telling me, if I sail overnight, statistically I’m going to be struck by 3 rogue waves?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. So, if the average wave heights are 10 feet, you might be struck by a 20-foot rogue wave.”
“All right, so on the night Luke died, the significant wave height was just 4 feet. So, based on that theory, how in world could he have been struck by a 100-foot wave?”
Sam grinned. He was genuinely surprised by the sudden disclosure. There was something else, too. He was excited by the prospect. “You’re telling me Luke was struck by a 100-foot wave, just off North Bimini Island?”
“Yes, didn’t I mention that?”
Sam looked at the bill. Unfolded two tens and a five and placed them on the table. “All right Mr. White. Now I’m fascinated. I’ll see what I can find and let you know.”
Chapter Five
Sam pushed the pedal of his Rolls Royce Phantom to the floor and its powerful 6.75 Liter V12 purred to life. Having just rounded another hairpin bend Sam was accelerating down the narrow straight, he picked up speed as he climbed the Vail Pass, headed towards the Continental Divide. Hundreds of miles from any ocean, his thoughts should have been far from oceanography.
In the passenger seat, perfectly at ease with her environment, sat Aliana Wolfgang. Her long, tanned legs reached seductively downwards, the slight cut in her skirt revealed little, but filled him with desire. He swung the car around the distinct V shaped bend, he was about to accelerate up the next straight.
That’s when he saw the plume of smoke.
It rose up like a funnel. Dark and ominous in the snow-covered mountain, it appeared out of place. Then he saw the skid marks, and the broken guardrail.
Aliana looked at him. “It appears someone’s just had a pretty bad day.”
He put his foot on the brake and stopped the car, hard. Pulling the Rolls Royce over next to the missing guardrail. “Come on, let’s see if anyone survived the crash.”
“Sure,” she said. Her eyes telling him what he already knew. The occupants were already dead.
He put the hazard lights on in his car, and left it running while he walked to the edge of the road. Looking down, he could see the tangled mess of a car still burning. His eyes scanned the edge of the road and cliff to see if the driver had been thrown, and miraculously escaped.
There was nothing.
“Oh my!” Aliana said. “I believe that was Mr. White’s car.”
“Really? How can you be sure?” There was little left that visibly resembled the original car. It was impossible to determine its color, or even the make.
Aliana pointed at the license plate lodge
d into the decimated guardrail. “DRSIX9 – I remember thinking what kind of shmuck would drive a sports car with that sort of number plate!”
“Doctor? I thought he said he was a life insurance broker?” Sam lost interest in his trailing thought process. He had just spotted the second set of tire marks. “Look. Someone else was here. Another car struck White, sending him over the edge.”
“The question is did they do so accidentally or did they intentionally come after White because of what he knows?”
“The coincidence seems highly unlikely. So, now we have one of the four leading scientists from New World Industries and a life insurance broker who knew about Luke’s alleged murder, dead.”
“I wouldn’t want to be the other three scientists.”
“No, I think it’s time I pay them a visit – before we run out of people to question.”
Chapter Six
Sam spun the wheel round and returned towards the direction they had come from. Aliana looked at him. Softly, she said, “Where are we headed?”
“Denver International Airport.”
She held to the side of the door for balance. “We just passed it eighty miles back, why are we heading there now?”
“Because living scientists provide better answers. And that means we’ve got to get to them before THEY do.”
She looked at the billowing smoke behind them. “Shouldn’t we report this to the authorities?”
“Leave it for somebody else. We have to get going if we want to beat them to the remaining scientists.”
Aliana smiled. It was slightly coquettish, while at the same time implied he’d done something wrong. “You don’t even know who the other scientists are. Let alone, where they can be found.”
“Good point. Call Elise. Tell her to find out what Luke was working on. Tell her we’ll need to know who the other three scientists were, and their current location.”
“She’s that good?”
“Elise?” He smiled at her. “She’s better. She’s probably the best computer geek on the planet. And her specialty is data mining and extrapolation at the extreme level. She was brought in to the CIA when she was still a kid for her unique skills. Then, when she didn’t agree with the way they ran the system. She tried to resign. They didn’t like the idea of losing their best weapon, so they tried to refuse.”
“Where is she now?”
“She left. Created a new identity for herself. Lived in Europe for a while – and now works for me. On her own terms.”
“Wow, smart kid.” Aliana picked up her phone. Copied the number off Sam’s cell and called. “Elise. Sam needs your help.”
Sam accelerated up the gears quickly.
The Rolls Royce Phantom increasing speed like a champion racehorse released from the gate. He pressed the car phone symbol on the steering wheel. Scrolled down to the third last phone call received. And pressed call.
“Hey Sam, how’s your vacation going?” Tom asked.
Sam changed down to second gear as he came into the next sharp corner. “You know damn well how my vacation’s been!”
“Oh right, Benjamin White. Sorry about that but he seemed insistent that you could help him out, and he said that it really was important.” Tom didn’t sound apologetic. “How is Mr. White?”
Sam threw the car back into third and accelerated hard. “He’s dead.”
“Really, how?”
“His car was rammed off the road. One of those unforgiving edges on Vail Pass. His car was a fireball by the time we found it. There’s no way anyone could have survived.”
“But why would someone want to kill him?” Tom asked.
Sam looked at his speedometer. He was doing nearly sixty miles an hour. He came over the crest and saw the red logging truck. It was in low gear, slowly making its way down the pass. Sam pulled into the middle of the road to see if he could overtake. An oncoming Winnebago blocked him. He looked to the breakdown lane on his right. A yellow pickup was stopped, blocking it too.
He slammed his foot on the brake and shifted down the gears until he was right behind the logging truck. “I don’t know yet. Look. I’ll explain it all to you when I see you. How soon until you can meet me at Denver International Airport?”
“If I take the Sea King, I can be there inside an hour.”
“Good. Do it. I’ll explain everything when we get there. My father’s jet will be waiting for us.”
“Sure.”
“Oh, and Tom. I think this might just be connected to those mysterious rogue waves which have been damaging my father’s fleet.”
“Really? There’s been another one?”
“Yes. A scientist name Luke Eldridge. Apparently he was assassinated by one.”
“That sounds pretty farfetched.”
Sam saw an opening and pushed his foot right to the floor, accelerating past the logging truck. “I agree. He was one of four scientists working on a secret project. Apparently someone just made them an offer for their breakthrough. It appears the offer was nonnegotiable. Those who weren’t interested were killed. And the one person who knew anything about it, Benjamin White, just got killed.”
“Interesting. Where are we headed then?”
“To meet the remaining scientists. My guess, whoever’s left alive must be on THEIR side, or are about to be killed. Either way, we have to get to them quick.” Sam casually changed down into second gear and prepared for the next bend in the road.”
“Do you know where they are?”
“Not a clue. Elise is in the process of getting me some names and locations. I’ll fill you when I get there...”
Crash!
Sam stopped his sentence short –
Because someone had just smashed into the back of his car, sending the Rolls Royce out of control.
Chapter Seven
Sam gripped the steering wheel. Swerving inwardly, he handled it with the precision of a racecar driver, as his powerful Rolls Royce fought to stay on the narrow road. At the same time, he touched his accelerator lightly, bringing his four-wheel power to his assistance to pull him out of the deadly spin.
Aliana swore.
Then turning her head around to look, she said, “It’s them.”
Sam glanced in his rear view mirror. A large yellow pickup with pitch black tinted windows was on their tail. Red paint could be seen on its hood.
“It’s the one we passed earlier! The one in the breakdown lane. Get a picture with your phone. We’re going to find out who owns that truck,” Sam said.
He floored the accelerator and his powerful V12 began distancing itself from their attackers. Then they reached the straight. Sam increased speed. He looked in the rearview mirror. And the pickup was keeping up with them.
What the hell?
Aliana turned to have a better look. “Damnit! What the hell do they have in that pickup?”
“It must have a custom build under its hood. Don’t worry; when we reach the next series of corners, we’ll lose it. A small truck that size will never be able to keep up.”
Maintaining their distance, the occupants of the yellow pickup became more desperate. Sam heard the shots fire. They must have gone wide by a mile, because he couldn’t even see where they landed.
“There’s a keypad next to the glovebox. My dad keeps a 50 caliber Magnum in there for emergencies.” Sam overtook another truck. He heard a second set of machine gun fire. On the side of the truck were more than a dozen holes. The shots were getting closer. “I’d say now’s an emergency.”
Aliana sat forward. “What’s the code?”
“666.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “Really?”
Several shots fired into the rear windscreen. Small cracks formed like snowflakes but the bullet proof glass held. Thanks dad! “Just get the gun and shoot them.”
She typed in the code. Opened the glovebox and pulled out the gun. It was already loaded. She switched the safety to off. Lowered the side window, aimed, and fired – all five rounds.
The pickup’s windscreen smashed into a million pieces.
“Nice shooting!” Sam said. Then he saw the passenger push the remains of the broken glass forwards, and point his Uzi at them.
“Shit. Not good enough.”
Chapter Eight
Sam entered the tunnel. He swung around the last corner and jammed on his brakes. The entire back end of the Phantom slid dangerously close to the life ending edge of the road. The entire Rolls Royce came to a stop, on the opposite side of the road, pointing backwards – towards their attacker.
He waited.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Aliana screamed at him.
Sam saw the yellow pick up round the bend. He accelerated. All four wheels projecting them forward like a rocket. “I’m finishing this.”
Aliana gripped the side of her seat with such force the whites of her knuckles stood out. The yellow pick up continued towards them, unaware.
Suddenly the oncoming driver saw what Sam was doing. But it was too late for him. Sam directed his Rolls Royce towards the middle lane and slammed into the pick up’s front left wheel. The massive 5800 pounds of curb weight from the over-engineered Rolls Royce plowed into pick up’s left wheel, sending it turning to its right.
The pickup’s left wheel came to an instant stop, causing the pick up to slide. The driver tried to correct for it, but he was too late, and the top heavy pick rolled on its side. The driver, now no more than a passenger on an uncontrolled freight train, looked up with just enough time to see the guardrail approach at speed. The heavy pick up demolished the guard rail, sending it rolling down the cliff on the other side.
Sam shoved the Rolls Royce into reverse. And then spun it around so that it was facing the correct direction along the road, and then got out of the car. Below, the pickup had rolled at least twenty times before striking a large rock at the bottom with a spine-breaking crunch.
“You okay, Aliana?”
Aliana fidgeted with the hem of her short dress. “Fine, but it does seem like every time you take me on a date, someone ends up trying to kill me.”
The Sam Reilly Collection Volume 2 Page 3