She nodded. “I guess I knew that. I was just hoping.” She turned toward Matthew. “What about it, Matthew? I told you on the phone what the stakes were in this. Are you and Kyle going to be on board with it?”
“What about these new weapons systems that have been installed?” Kyle asked. “None of us have used them before.”
“In a way, you have. They’re based on the motion-control gloves that we use for the other functions. I had Matthew jury-rig a weapons simulator setup downstairs with the gloves and personal computers. Is it done, Matthew?”
He nodded. “But very crude, Hannah. I had to work fast.”
“I’ll look it over. While we wait for the subs to get here, we can get in as much practice as we can.” She gazed soberly at Matthew and Kyle. “No pressure. AquaCorp is going to be ready to toss all of us into the brig when they find out about this. If you want to opt out, I’ll understand.”
“I’m in,” Matthew said immediately. He smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“I’ll do it,” Kyle said slowly. “If I can make heads or tails of the weapons system.”
“Thank you.” Hannah checked her watch. It was only noon, but it seemed much later. “I don’t know how much time we’ll have. Get on those simulators.” She gazed soberly after them as Matthew moved away. “I’m scared,” she told Kirov. “I love those guys. What the hell am I getting them into?”
“You’re saving the planet. Feeling responsible? Welcome to the club.” He headed for the door. “Come on, you don’t have time to worry and bite your nails. Show me that mock-up of the weapons simulator.”
The minisubs had still not arrived an hour later.
“Where are they?” Hannah said, in frustration. “Maybe I should call Ebersole.”
“I wouldn’t,” Kirov said.
“What do you mean? Gadaire is out there. Captain Danbury got a report from the man he sent out to do a search that he’d sighted an unidentified vessel clear on the far side of the Marinth site. He couldn’t get close, but it definitely wasn’t a minisub. He said what he might have seen was the top deck of a regular submarine. One minute it was there, the next it was gone.” She shook her head. “We have to get him while we can, dammit.”
“We will. Just don’t be in such a big hurry. We may need the extra time.”
Her gaze flew to his face. What she saw there caused her eyes to narrow. “You’ve been very quiet for the last hour. What are you up to?”
“I’ve been thinking about the prospect of your being thrown into jail, and I decided that I believe we should do something to keep that from happening. It would be a major inconvenience for me to have to break you out. Bribes, weapons, getaway cars . . . No, let’s work around that.”
“I can hardly wait for you to tell me how.”
“We can’t get AquaCorp to authorize the possible damage to their subs, but we can cushion the resulting aftereffects . . . if it’s a government-sanctioned attack on Gadaire and his Somalian crews.”
“There’s no way we can get that sanction. It would take weeks to batter through all the red tape.”
He took out his phone. “Then we deal from the inside out.”
“What are you doing?”
“Baker’s been trying to find me. I’m going to let him do it.”
“You can’t let—”
“We’ve run out of options,” he said quietly. “And you’ve been so busy getting ready to fight Gadaire and snatch away that TK44 alga that you haven’t stopped to think what would happen if it doesn’t work. What if he manages to stave us off and sends that bundle of TK44 to India?”
“That won’t happen.”
“I hope not. But I believe in preparing for the worst-case scenario.” He added, “Because I’ve had experience that they do happen.”
Yes, Kirov had experienced the ultimate worst-case scenario. His whole crew dying of bacteria exposure on the Silent Thunder. His wife murdered.
“I know you have.”
“Then we have to send word to Chilika Lake, India, that something is going to happen. If they know the alga is going to be dispersed in the waters, maybe they can stop it.”
“It’s not likely. There’s no time.”
Kirov nodded. “I agree, but we’ve got to give them a chance to try.”
Hannah nodded. “I know. I wasn’t thinking. I don’t like believing in a worst-case scenario.” She drew a deep breath. “Okay, how do we do it?”
“Baker. Let him save Chilika.” He smiled. “And maybe our asses along with it.” He started to dial. “Let’s see how fast he can do it.”
“Damn you, Kirov.” Baker’s tone was harsh. “I’m supposed to believe anything you tell me? You were responsible for my agent being butchered in that alley. Mendoza was a good man.”
“We all seem to be confused about the concept of responsibility. You’re the one who sent Mendoza into Gadaire’s path. You knew what could happen.”
“I didn’t know that Gadaire knew where you were.”
“Really? Then your intelligence is very faulty.”
“Apparently, it is.” He paused. “You’re sure about Chilika Lake?”
“I’m sure. It’s in Orissa, India. Issue a warning.”
“I’ll have to think about it,” he said absently. “I don’t want to start a panic.”
“If you think about it, it’s going to be too late. We don’t know whether Gadaire is going to send an immediate supply of the TK44 alga to the area for seeding. It could be on its way now.”
“I won’t be pushed into doing something that could cause damage to those villagers.”
“Issue a warning,” Kirov repeated. “And contact the U.S. naval presence in the area and tell them that you’re going to need assistance to stop a terrorist threat at Marinth. I’ll need their cooperation.”
“Strange.” Baker’s voice was sour. “You haven’t been interested in cooperation before this.”
“Circumstances change.”
“I have my own plans for capturing Gadaire.”
“Alter your plans. Think about it this way: what would happen if you had information that Al Qaeda was trying to retrieve plutonium from a location on the ocean floor? Would you ignore it? Of course not. Because if you did, they might use it to build an atomic bomb. Gadaire is on the brink of creating a weapon just as devastating, and you know that he’ll sell it to anyone and everyone who will meet his price.”
Baker was silent for a moment. “What kind of naval support are you looking for?”
“Actually, it’s on its way.” Kirov told him about the Navy minisubs en route to the location. “And Hannah Bryson herself is here to supervise the operation. It’s the best equipment for the job, and she’s the best person to carry it out. But we also need the cooperation of those Navy minisub operators. Call the Navy Command and tell them that Lieutenant Dalgo is to be under our orders when the minisubs arrive at the Copernicus.”
“This is a lot to ask, Kirov. None of this jibes with our own intelligence.”
“If I’m wrong, and I hope I am, they’ll find that nothing is going on down there. And the Navy will have the services of Hannah Bryson to refine their newest fleet of minisubs, which is something she’s reluctant to do. But if I’m right, this is our best chance of stopping Gadaire.” Kirov paused. “Look, Baker, you can take full credit for any success and blame us if it goes wrong. You can’t lose.”
So it would appear, but I don’t like the idea of having so little control, Baker thought. And why hadn’t Anna told him about Gadaire’s plan? Either Gadaire didn’t trust her any more than Baker did and hadn’t told her, or she had been playing him for a fool and had jumped back in Gadaire’s camp. Either was possible.
“I’ve got to verify. I’ll call you back in five minutes.” He hung up the phone and thought for a minute. Then he called to Graham, his assistant, in the other room. “I’m going to make a call. I want you to verify where that cell phone is picking up at.”
“Right.”
Baker waited another minute and called Anna’s number.
She answered immediately. “I was just thinking about you, darling.”
“Were you? I haven’t seen you in two days.”
“Gadaire is being very suspicious. I have to be careful.”
“Have you found out anything more?”
“No, but I should know something soon. You know I’ll call you as soon as I do.” She laughed. “No, I’ll come to you. That’s always more entertaining for both of us. Isn’t it?”
“No one can deny that you have entertainment value. I can hardly wait.”
“Neither can I. Good-bye, darling.” She hung up.
Baker did not hang up in case Graham needed the line open.
She had sounded just as casual and seductive as she always did. Every word meant to convince and entice.
“I’ve got it,” Graham came out of the other room.
“Don’t tell me,” Baker said. “She’s not in Dublin. The Canary Islands?”
Graham shook his head. “Orissa, India.”
“Shit!”
He punched in Kirov’s number. “You’ll have your naval support. Stop Gadaire from harvesting that alga. Pronto.”
“I take it we’ve been verified. Have you called Naval Command?”
“Not yet.”
“Do it.” Kirov hung up.
Chilika Lake
Orissa, India
Anna gazed thoughtfully at the twinkling pinpoints of light along the shoreline. It was an exceptionally warm evening, but much more tolerable than the day’s blistering heat. She turned and watched the men take the last of the barrels of corn-teosinte chemical extract off the boat and pour it into the water. She should have probably contacted Baker before this, but once her decision had been made she was busy.
It was still okay. She had smoothed it over. By the time Baker realized what was happening, the final delivery would be made here.
She called Gadaire. “Fifty more barrels to be dumped, then I’m out of here. How close are you?”
“I’ve got another two hours of harvesting before I’ll even have enough in the nets to send to Orissa. I’ll send Ames to do the dump in Chilika Lake. But we’ll have to work for hours longer to completely strip the beds.”
“No trouble?”
“Not a sign of it. We spotted Hannah Bryson’s ship when we first arrived here. But they’re no longer sending down exploratory subs since AquaCorp pulled the plug, and we made sure we were far enough away so that they couldn’t see us. It just means having the subs operate at longer range.”
“Smart, darling. I’ll see you soon. If there are any problems, let me know.” She hung up.
But there weren’t going to be any problems.
Not for her. Never for her.
It was just a matter of eliminating the potential before they developed.
Hannah stood on the deck of the Copernicus next to Kirov and Lieutenant Dalgo, looking over the seven modified Conner-class subs being serviced in the water. Four of their pilots were now on board at the stern and waiting for their subs to be turned back over to them. Two others had been sent back to Las Palmas at Hannah’s request. When the subs had arrived only fifteen minutes before, Hannah had been impressed by their pilots’ skill as they executed maneuvers around the ship.
“It must be an amazing feeling to know that you created these.” Dalgo smiled, and Hannah instinctively smiled back. Dalgo was in his late thirties, but his boyish good looks and faint Southern accent gave him a disarming charm.
“I didn’t,” Hannah said. “They’re mostly mine, but there are design elements I never would have chosen. So it’s a strange feeling. Like waking up and discovering that all your children have been replaced by imposters who look almost, but not quite, like your sons and daughters.”
“Imposters trained to kill,” Kirov said.
Lieutenant Dalgo watched as two more minisubs were readied on deck near the crane. “I know the manufacturer and Navy brass think there are performance issues with these babies, but that’s only because they’ve seen how well your original versions handled. My guys love them exactly as they are. Anything you do to improve them is just icing on the cake.”
“They may like my subs, but I don’t get the impression that they’re happy about me and Matthew joining them in this operation.” Hannah glanced at Dalgo. “Are they?”
“They’re Navy guys, what do you expect? They know they’re the best underwater pilots in the world, and your guys are just as sure they are. And now my guys are going into what could be a combat situation with civilians calling the shots. You even insisted that two of my pilots stand down and permit you and your pilot, Matthew Jefferson, to use their subs.”
“Only two subs. Actually, I’d prefer having more of my people if I had them available. I was trying to be reasonable and compromise.”
“Tell that to the two pilots on their way back to Las Palmas.” He made a face. “Let’s just say that my officers are uneasy.”
“Aren’t we all?”
Dalgo motioned toward Kirov. “And they’re probably not crazy about a former Russian submarine commander being down there with them. You may think the Cold War is over, but it doesn’t feel that way to guys who are out there playing hide-and-seek with Russian subs every day.”
“That’s ridiculous. Kirov has probably done more to keep the U.S. safe than any of them have done.”
“Don’t be defensive, Hannah,” Kirov said. “Their attitude is perfectly reasonable.”
“I don’t care. It’s stupid. We have to work together.” She turned to Matthew, who was working a few yards away. “Come on, Matthew, let’s go meet these guys. Introduce us, Lieutenant.” She glanced at Kirov, who had not moved. “Coming?”
He shook his head and leaned lazily back against the rail. “I’d prefer to stay back and observe. It’s not often I get the chance of seeing you in attack mode.”
“I’m not attacking. I just have to make them see sense.”
Kirov smiled. “Sometimes it ends up being the same. Protect your team, Dalgo.”
Dalgo gave him an annoyed look as he escorted Hannah and Matthew over to the four pilots at the stern. “I’m sure most of you recognize Hannah Bryson. And this is Matthew Jefferson, one of her test operators for the civilian version of the Piranha subs.”
As many times as Hannah had recently read and heard that name—the Piranha Project—she could not get used to it. But “Conner” now did not seem right, either. Not for these missile-equipped little brutes.
“Nice to meet you.”
There was only a noncommittal murmur from the four pilots.
“I’m not a pilot, but I designed these submersibles. I know what they can do and what they can’t do. Matthew does, too. We’re going into what might be a dangerous situation, and I need you to trust us as your wingmen down there.”
No acknowledgment. Keep pushing. “And Nicholas Kirov has more experience in submarine warfare than all of us put together. We’re lucky to have him.”
The temperature went down a few more degrees.
Great, Hannah thought. “How about some quick introductions? Pretty soon we’re all going to be just reduced to voices on a radio, so it would help for me to hear what you each sound like.”
The one female pilot, an African-American woman whose hair was pulled back in a ponytail, extended her hand. “Lieutenant Theresa Reynolds. We’ll watch your back down there, Ms. Bryson.”
Matthew smiled. “We’ll watch yours.”
Hannah shot him an exasperated look. Knock off the bravado, she wanted to tell him. We’re going to need these people.
A tall, strapping young man nodded toward Hannah. “Lieutenant Derek McCallister.” Probably a high-school football star, Hannah thought. Fullback. How on earth could he fit into some of those Navy minisubs?
“Lieutenant Commander Steve Sandford,” another of the pilots said. He was thin, not athletic, like the others. Computer geek, she gues
sed.
The last of the pilots looked somewhere over her head as he spoke. “Lieutenant Gary Helms.” Then he said tightly, “Are you going to tell us why we’re doing this?”
Dalgo said quickly, “We’re on a need-to-know basis here, Helms. We should concern ourselves with objectives and strategy.”
“Wait a minute,” Hannah said. “You haven’t told them the reason they’re going to risk their necks down there?”
“Ms. Bryson, perhaps if you and I can speak privately for a moment.”
“No, I don’t give a damn about ‘need-to-know.’ I figure if you’re going to put your life on the line, you should know why.” She turned toward the pilots. “I’ll make this quick. We’ve recently discovered that the Marinthian civilization was destroyed by an interaction between their polluted waste and an algal growth unique to this area. We believe that someone may be trying to harvest large quantities of this growth to use as a weapon. We need to stop them.”
Helms turned to Dalgo. “That’s not exactly what we were told.”
“Need to know,” Dalgo repeated. “We just obey orders.”
Hannah turned toward Dalgo, who was obviously annoyed that she had given away mission details that the military had wanted to keep confidential.
Too bad.
She turned and strode back toward Kirov.
“Enjoy yourself?” Kirov asked. “Yes, I can see that your adrenaline is surging.”
She knew what he meant. She did feel as if at last she was doing something. She shrugged. “I don’t know if I did any good.”
He smiled. “I believe you made a dent. I was impressed.”
Dalgo joined them a moment later. “I wasn’t expecting quite that action on your part, ma’am.”
“Expect it from now on. I won’t be anything but honest with the people I work with.” She paused. “There was some definite coolness frosting the air back there. Not that I blame them. You should have told them. Blind obedience sucks.”
“I gathered you felt that way. So did they,” Dalgo said. “Orders are orders. But I think that you managed to defrost them a little.”
Shadow Zone Page 29