“There’s a civilian ship on its way to us Should be here in less than a half hour. We’re going to have to be out Of here by then, so hurry up with those bodies”
“I don’t know if — “
“Do it” Kurshin said, the force of his expression taking the doctor back a pace. “Of course”
Kurshin turned and hurried aft through the control room, past the radio and sonar rooms, the dispensary, and finally through the equipment spaces, and missile storage area where he pulled up short for just a moment. The Indianapolis carried eight Tomahawk missiles, four of which were nuclear-armed. Even nestled in their storage racks, their flight fins retracted into the casings, the missiles looked deadly. The raw power here was awesome even to Kurshin. The bodies of three crewmen on the deck heightened the effect. But there was no time. Continuing aft he passed the nuclear reactor itself, only one body crumpled in front of a control panel. Most of the power plant was contained in sealed units or behind hatches labeled with the danger-radiation symbol. He came to the access chamber for the after loading hatch. Two seamen were crunpled on the deck. Ignoring them, Kurshin climbed up to the hatch, undogged it, spun the locking wheel, and popped it open.
Immediately he could smell the sea and the still smoldering Zenzero, and hear the waves washing up against the hull. Pulling himself up on deck, he switched on the portable radio. “Code three” he spoke into the microphone. “Understand” Makayev’s voice came over the speaker. It was their prearranged code that they were on the verge of detection and time was of critical importance. Makayev would be driving the auxiliary as hard as humanly possible through the choppy seas. Kurshin turned and scanned the horizon, almost immediately picking out the white steaming light of the approaching Liberian freighter low on the horizon to the southeast, nearly the same direction Makayev and the others were coming from. He debated warning them, but by now they had almost certainly spotted the lights themselves. Makayev, he’d been assured, was a highly competent submarine driver. He knew what was at stake here. And he knew what it would take to dive the boat and get away. There was nothing left for him to do on deck. Makayev and the others would either arrive in time, or they wouldn’t. At this point the question was academic.
Climbing back down into the boat, Kurshin left the after hatch open and hurried forward, where he began removing bodies from the crucial control and reactor room spaces. Five submariners, a drunken doctor, and an assassin. Even now he didn’t think it was possible.
COMSUBMED OPERATIONS
Captain Kenneth Reid stood just within the doorway to the communications center, sipping a cup of coffee. “Nothing yet” he asked. Chief Petty Officer Sally Powell looked up from her console and shook her head. “But we’ve still got the downlink” She glanced at her board. “Yes, sir. Unless they’ve got a malfunction aboard, they should be receiving us ” Reid was a worrier, had been all of his life. Barely in his forties, his expressive face already showed stress lines, especially around his eyes and mouth. His blood pressure was on the high side of normal for a man his age, and his cholesterol level had gone through the roof with his assignment to Italy. Just now the base doctor was on his ass.
“I’ll be in my office for a minute, buzz me if anything comes in” he said, putting his cup down on top of one of the consoles. “Aye, Sir”
the chief radio operator said. She looked up. “Do you think anything is wrong”
“I don’t know” Reid said, but he was developing a very bad feeling about this one. He walked down the corridor to his office and telephoned the CINCMED, Admiral Ronald Delugio, at his home north of Gaeta.
“Admiral, we still haven’t gotten any reply from the Indianapolis. We’ve got our downlink, but there’s been nothing since their last nearly an hour ago”
“What about that Liberian freighter, Ken? How close is she”
“Should be on the scene within the next few minutes. I’ve held off communicating directly with her”
“No, I don’t want you doing that yet. JD. is a good man, could be he’s just got his hands full. What else have we got in the area” Reid glanced up at his status board. “Not a thing within a few hours. I’ve got an Orion standing by on the apron. Could be out there in under twenty minutes counting roll time”
“All right, listen up, Ken. We’re going to stop screwing around on this one. I’m on my way in. In the meantime, query JD. one more time. Tell him it’s imperative that he report his status. You can put the Orion up, but just for an overflight unless she detects trouble, then she’s authorized to stay on station”
“Will do, Admiral”
“One more thing, Reid” Admiral Delugio said. “Yes, Sir”
“Call our ASR crew in. Have them standing by” The suggestion took Reid momentarily aback, even though he’d had the same thought himself. Just now the ASR 21 Pigeon was in port from her support mission on LOOKUP.
She was designed for submarine rescue. “Will do, Admiral” he said.
“Anything comes up, Ken, anything at all, call me enroute. I should be there within fifteen minutes”
“Yes, sir” Reid said and he hung up. Back in the communications center he scratched out a quick message and handed it to Sally for transmission. He had marked it with the Z designator for a flash message. If nothing else it certainly would get Webb’s attention.
Z280417ZJUL TOP SECRET FM: COMSUBMED TO: USS INDIANAPOLIS
A. MOST URGENT YOU IMMEDIATELY REPORT YOUR STATUS.
B. ORION P-3C ENROUTE YOUR POSITION.
TALK TO ME, JD. KENNY SENDS. xx EOM 280418ZJUL BREAKBREAK
Reid picked up the phone and called Lieutenant Commander Morris Segal, the on-duty Air Operations Officer. “Morris, this is Ken. I want you to send that Orion up now. I I “No word yet”
“Not a peep. Delugio is on his way in. He says to have your people report back, but that they’re to stand by on station only if there is an indication that Webb might be in some sort of trouble”
“You got it”
Segal said. “But it won’t be light for another couple of hours yet, won’t be able to do much until then”
“I know” Reid said. “We’ve got the Pigeon standing by, just in case “
“Jesus” Segal said. “That bad”
“I haven’t a clue, Morris. I just hope to Christ we won’t be needing her”
THE MEDITERRANEAN
Kurshin had just dragged the body out of the reactor auxiliary control room when he heard the distinctive metal clang of the after hatch being closed. Pulling out his pistol he stepped through the hatch into the machinery spaces forward of the reactor, and held up in the shadows. After a second or two he could hear them coming forward.
Their voices were hushed, almost subdued, yet he could hear their excitement. An act of this sort would be totally unprecedented, Baranov had warned him.
“There will be no room for err-or, Arkasha. No room”
to Yes, Comrade General” he’d replied. “I have no wish take a one-way ride”
“No” Baranov had smiled. “I have other great things for you. Do not fail me” Captain First Rank Makayev stepped through the hatch. Kurshin moved forward, placing the barrel of his pistol against the man’s temple before he could react. “The code” Kurshin said softly. Makayev shrugged away from the gun and looked into Kurshin’s eyes. “That freighter was right on our ass, Colonel. So unless you want to serve her crew tea and blinis you’d better let us get to work” There weren’t many men whom Kurshin admired, but he was beginning to like Makayev already. He lowered his gun, switched the safety to the on position, and holstered it. “The after hatch is sealed” Makayev grinned. “There are no screen doors on a submarine. How about forward”
“The boat is ours, and ready to go”
“Then let’s get the hell out of here” Makayev said. He turned back to his crew. “Aleksei, get started with your baby. I want her ready to go within the hour, just in case we have to bail out”
“Yes, Comrade Captain”
his missile man snapped. He turned to his starpom (executive officer) and sonar man.
“Gennadi, take Aleksandr forward, get him set up on sonar, and then check the board for diving status” They brushed past Kurshin and hurried forward to the control room, leaving only the nuclear engineer, Captain Second Rank Ivan Pavlovich Abalakin. “You’re our most important crewman, Ivan Pavlovich” Makayev said. “Think you can handle this monster”
Abalakin shrugged and smiled, though it was clear he was extremely nervous. “I have studied the systems, Comrade Captain. The Americans have designed most of their controls to work on automatic function. I will manage”
“Good” Makayev said, clapping him on the shoulder. “We shall keep the ship’s comms open at all times. We will talk to each other” Abalakin turned and went into the reactor auxiliary control room, and Makayev and Kurshin started forward. “Have you ever steered a submarine, Comrade Colonel” the captain asked. “No, but I’ve been aboard one of our Alfa-class boats” Kurshin said. “Ah, she is a good boat, but much smaller than this one, and cruder too, I think. But this morning you will be our helmsman. I hope your hand is steady”
Passing the sonar room, Lieutenant Rama had already donned the earphones and was fiddling with the controls on the center console. “Watch that freighter, Aleksandr Ivanovich, and anything else in our vicinity”
Makayev said. The kid looked up and nodded. Makayev’s starpom, Captain Second Rank Gennadi Gavrilovich Fedorenko, was busy at work when they entered the control room. “How does it look, Gennadi”
“The information we were provided was good, Niki. Very good. She’s not so different from our boats. Same board”
“Status”
“All green, we’re ready to dive” Fedorenko said, his eyes shining.
Makayev studied the control room’s layout for just a moment, then motioned Kurshin toward the helm. “Just like driving an airplane, Comrade Colonel. Turn the wheel right and we go right. Push it forward and we go down. Make only small motions”
He hit the ship’s comms. “Prepare to dive the boat. Ivan, how do we look”
“Ready to give you turns for maximum speed, Captain”
“Stand by” Makayev said. “Aleksandr, what’s our friend doing out there”
“I put him at eight thousand meters” the sonarman said. “Nothing else in our vicinity” Makayev turned to his starpom. “Dive the boat, Gennadi.
Take us to one hundred meters, on a course of two-zero-five”
“Aye, Skipper”
“I’m ringing for one-fourth forward” Makayev said. “Colonel, push your wheel forward, to five degrees down planes The indicator is just over your head”
COMSUBMED OPERATIONS
CPO Sally Powell suddenly sat forward and flipped a couple of switches on her console. Reid stood on the balcony just behind her.
“We’ve lost the downlink with Indianapolisshe called out.
Reid stepped forward, gripping the rail so hard his knuckles turned white. “Has she submerged”
“I don’t know” she said, looking up at him.
“We’ve just lost her”
ATHENS
They lay in each other’s arms watching the sun rise outside their hotel window. The last few days had been like a dream, unreal, events moving around them as if they did not exist in the world. McGarvey turned to look at her. She had let her hair down and it spilled across her pillow, framing her delicate face and neck. Her breasts rose and fell with each breath, the nipples still hard from their lovemaking.
“It’s almost time to get ready” he said softly. She looked at him, then reached out and touched his lips with her fingertips, a wan smile barely creasing her mouth. “I know”
“They’ve set up a safehouse for you outside of San Francisco. I want you to go there”
“There’s someone I have to see in Washington first”
“The general”
She nodded. “He won’t tell you anything about me”
“I don’t expect he will, but that won’t stop me from asking” Her eyes opened a little wider and she propped herself up on her side. “It’s the Russian. He got away and you’re going after him. That’s it, isn’t it”
“Don’t do this Just tell me that much, Kirk, please. I deserve it”
She laid a hand on his chest. “I promise I won’t make any trouble. I’ll go out to California and wait. For however long it takes” He disengaged himself from her, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and got up.
He padded over to the bureau where he lit a cigarette from his pack, and then went to the window. He could just make out the cathedral and old metropolis. So much old and consistent history here, he thought, whereas his own history was short and anything but coherent. “Is he that important to you, Kirk” she asked from the bed.
She was talking about Kurshin, who was after all nothing more than a handmaiden, nothing more than a tool, while McGarvey was thinking about Bamov. Was the man that important after all-to him or to the geopolitics that Trotter had been spouting? Often he’d asked himself that question, but he’d never come up with a really satisfactory answer, no matter who the target was. If Hitler had been assassinated long before he had come to power, would someone even more monstrous have risen in his stead?
Perhaps a more intelligent man who would have recognized the contribution that German Jews-especially Jewish scientists-could have made to the war effort. Had Einstein been a loyal Third Reich subject (he did love his country) would Germany have developed the atomic bomb first?
We’d made plans to assassinate Fidel Castro using Mafia hit men. That had backfired, and Kennedy had been killed instead. We all but gave our approval when the Shah of Iran was overthrown, but a monster had taken his place. Had Khomeini been killed in Paris, who would have taken over in his stead? McGarvey would forever remember the men he had killed.
Their faces were burned indelibly into his brain. Had their deaths made the slightest difference? He hoped so, but he thought not. “Kirk”
Lorraine said. “Get dressed, I’ll take you out to the airport-“
“Don’t do this”
“I don’t have any choice” he said softly. “None of us do” Someone had said that to him. She was dead now. One of Baranov’s legion of victims.
He wanted to tell Lorraine about her. He had tried to warn her, but she wouldn’t listen. None of them ever did. “Get dressed” he said again. He heard her getting out of bed and coming across the room to him. He waited for her touch, but it never came. She turned and went into the bathroom, leaving him alone again, as he had been for most of his life.
Turning, he stared at the bathroom door as the water began to run in the shower. He didn’t want it to be the same with her. Not this time. Not ever again.
Lloyd Yablonski was a big, red-faced Polack from Philadelphia who had followed John Trotter to the CIA from the Bureau. He met them in the TWA terminal at the East Hellinikon Airport a few minutes after eight. He and Lorraine shook hands when McGarvey introduced them. “So, you’re to be my baby-sitter” she asked. Yablonski grinned broadly. “The pleasure is all mine, Doctor, believe me” Lorraine smiled despite herself, instantly warming to the man. She sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t get into too much trouble because of what she was planning on doing. But nothing was going to stop her. Nothing.
“Any troubles on the way over” McGarvey asked him. “No, sir. You”
“We’re clean. She wants to stop in Washington”
“Yes, sir. She’s to be the director’s guest for a day or two before we head out to Frisco. “Watch yourself” Yablonski nodded. “You too, sir”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be” McGarvey said, turning back to Lorraine.
She could see the tension in his eyes. He was gone already. In the field, she thought the term was. “Don’t do this, Kirk, please”
“Take care of yourself” he said abruptly and he walked off.
Lorraine watched him head toward the e
xit. It was now or never, but then she’d never had any trouble being decisive.
“Do you have any aspirins” she asked Yablonski. “No, I don’t. What’s the matter, Doctor, do you have a headache”
“Splitting. Would you get me some? I’ll check my bag through and meet you at the ticket counter” Yablonski hesitated. “I would appreciate it.
Really”
“Sure” he said, and he headed toward the shops on the mezzanine.
Lorraine waited until he was lost in the crowd, and then sprinted across the ticket hall in the same direction McGarvey had gone.
Outside, she was just in time to see him pulling away in a taxi, and she shoved her way past a couple starting to get into the next cab, and scrambled into the backseat, slamming the door. “I want you to follow that taxi, II she told the driver. “The one that just pulled out”
“What, madatne” the driver sputtmd. “That is impossible.”
Lorraine had pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of her purse.
“Twice this if you don’t lose him. This is not illegal, I promise you, but it is very important to me” The driver hesitated only a moment longer, then snatched the bill from her hand and pulled ow into traffic.
Trotter’s safehouse was a whitewashed three-story building with a roof garden just off Askilipiou Street northwest of the city center and not far from the thickly wooded Lykabettoshe entrance was at the head of the stairs off a small, pleasantly sunny courtyard. “Did she get off all right, Kirk” Trotter asked, letting him in. Trotter still walked with a cane. “She wasn’t happy, but Yablonski seemed competent”
“He is”
“I’m counting on you, John. No screwups with her safety this time” They had moved into the living room at the rear of the house. Trotter’s attache case lay open on a large coffee table. He’d brought a pistol; it lay as a paperweight on a sheaf of file folders. A street map of East Berlin and its environs was spread out over half the table. “Have you had your breakfast yet, Kirk? Do you want some coffee”
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