Deadly Passage
Page 26
‘‘On the contrary,’’ he went on, ‘‘these events suggest the need for closer ties between our two countries to avoid any such circumstances in the future. The Cubans understand, as do most Americans, that the United States abhors the subjugation of the Cuban people by Fidel Castro’s dictatorial government.’’
The President paused to wipe his brow from the hot, intense lights.
‘‘The rest of my statement involves a far more important event, one threatening the very heart of our dear country; a vicious, unprovoked attack on the people of the United States by the agents of Al-Qaeda with the complicity, I hate to admit, of domestic terrorists. Be assured that we’ve been successful in thwarting this attack, but the American people need to understand the nature of their enemy, and the length to which they’ll go to injure our people.
‘‘After my speech, I will make available the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, and the Director of Homeland Security, to answer your detailed questions.
‘‘The two events—the confrontation with Cuba, and the attack on the United States—are tied together, but our intelligence convinces us that Cuba was but a victim of the plot, and not its perpetrator.
‘‘Al-Qaeda arranged to deliberately infect two naïve Americans with smallpox,’’ listeners gasped everywhere, ‘‘and they were en route to Miami, where they planned to infect as many innocents as possible with this deadly disease. Please understand that we intercepted them before they could do any damage. Moreover, we have in place extensive preparation for such an attack by vaccination, public health techniques, and effective treatments.’’
The President went on to describe the vaccination program he would begin at once for all Americans.
‘‘In addition, it should please you to hear that we’ve taken military action against those who instituted this cowardly attack, as well as against those who produced this disgusting biological weapon of mass destruction. Let those who’d attack us by such unconscionable means understand that we are ready to employ the full force of the United States of America against its enemies.
‘‘We live in a troublesome age, my fellow Americans. These are desperate times for those who would stop at nothing to force their beliefs upon the United States, and other western countries. We did not seek this confrontation, yet we can never turn away from it, for the cost will be the very freedoms that make the United States of America the greatest beacon of democracy and liberty in the world.
‘‘Over the next few days, you will hear details of this plot, and about those involved. Together, let’s redouble our efforts to deal with these murderers.
‘‘Finally, let me repeat again: we thwarted this attack on the United States, and no Americans are in danger. Let us not forget that the price for freedom is eternal vigilance.
‘‘Thank you, my fellow Americans, and God bless the United States of America.’’
Chapter Sixty-Two
The life jacket kept his semi-conscious body afloat in the north-moving current, and then into the northeast-flowing Gulf Stream. He awoke every few hours to the horror of towering seas breaking over his head, which sent him spinning, choking, and gasping for air. During downpours, he drank the fresh water until sated, and then he drifted back to sleep.
Twice, he saw a shark’s triangular-shaped dorsal fin as it came by, probed him, and then swam away in apparent disgust.
He’d lost all track of time.
The next morning, he prayed for help as the sun crept over the horizon. When he looked around, all he saw was water.
He remained awake for hours in the bright sun, feeling ever thirstier. He knew he shouldn’t drink the salt water, but, on occasion, it splashed into his mouth, making his thirst even worse.
The next morning, he woke to see a freighter in the distance going north. He waved until the effort exhausted him. By the time the sun was directly overhead, he was having hallucinations of a green oasis and cool water. Soon, he was unconscious.
The loop current pushed him north, away from the Gulf Stream, and the eddy brought him close to shore.
The repeated surge of waves breaking over him and drawing him backward into each approaching, rolling wave stirred him awake. He was too weak to do anything, except try to keep his mouth closed as each wave broke.
At Key West Casa Marina, the crowd of sunbathers returned to the beach after watching the President’s speech on the Tiki Bar’s TV.
How do you focus on remote possibilities, while on vacation?
How can a fable of terrorists and smallpox compete with sunbathing and swimming in the warm Key West waters?
A breaking wave lifted the man in the life jacket, and then, in the next second, he was on the beach.
Rough hands dragged him through the sand.
‘‘Don’t touch him,’’ a female voice said. ‘‘Look at those red marks over his body.’’
‘‘He must have been in the water a long time,’’ a man said. ‘‘Those sores are probably fish bites.’’
They pulled him under an umbrella, and placed a bottle of cool water to his lips. He choked as he tried to swallow.
A curious crowd surrounded him.
Ryan looked up into the blue sky, and into the eyes of the small crowd. He smiled.
Off the coast of Cuba, a yellow quarantine flag flew from Faul II. A long hawser behind a Cuban Patrol Boat towed her seaward; another warship was waiting nearby. Cuban seamen lay dead on Faul II’s deck, their faces and exposed skin showing advanced, pus-filled smallpox lesions.
When the warship reached the 3-mile mark away from the Cuban coast, its skipper nodded to his second in command, and cannons roared. Multiple strikes hit Faul II. In moments, the patrol boat dropped her bow, and, as the sailors on the warship, in full uniform, stood at attention, Faul II glided to her eternal resting place.