by Bob Blanton
“I love to cook,” Samantha said. “So, I’ll work up the menus and create a shopping list for what we need. What do we have for freezer and refrigerator space?”
“We have a pretty big lower cargo hold that we’re not using yet,” Catie said. “We can split it up between freezer or refrigerator space however you want. I don’t see any reason to limit your volume. Just pick what you want, we’ll find room for it.”
Samantha raised her eyebrows at the unlimited space, “Hmm, I’ll come up with some nice menus then.”
“We’ll be wearing shipsuits for the whole mission; we’ll get those made next week, so there won’t be any other clothing requirements. Three shipsuits per person.”
“Toilet paper,” Liz said.
“Yes, we’ll want plenty of that,” Catie said. “Toothpaste, deodorant, soap, and no perfume, we have to share a small cabin, so no scents.”
“Shampoo and conditioner,” Samantha added.
“Oh yeah, can we all agree on a common set, or are we going to have to stock multiple brands?” Catie asked.
“I suggest you use your command authority to dictate one brand,” Natalia said.
“Okay, Sam, you pick one, we’ll all use it. Again, nothing scented.”
“Got it.”
“Entertainment?” Liz asked.
“You mean, you won’t be entertained by the twins and my witty banter?” Samantha asked.
“It might get old after a while,” Liz said.
“We’ll have access to anything we have on the net down here,” Catie said. “So, unless you think we should all work up a routine, I think we’re good.”
“Works for me,” Liz said.
“Blankets, sheets, pillows?” Samantha asked.
“We’ll be sleeping in our shipsuits; they pretty much regulate the temperature. So, unless you need a blankie, you should be good. Pillows are probably a good idea,” Catie said.
“I don’t need a blankie,” Natalia said, “But I think you’ll find you want a sheet anyway. It just feels weird sleeping without anything covering you.”
“Okay,” Catie said. “Sheets and pillows; Liz, will you get those? And Sam, why don’t you make sure we have anything the twins might want with them.” Catie was thinking that at ten, the twins might have a favorite stuffed animal or something they liked to sleep with.
“I already have a list of their special things,” Samantha said.
The twins looked between Catie and Samantha, wondering what was on that list. They giggled and started whispering to each other.
“Cleaning supplies,” Natalia said. “We want to keep things shipshape.”
“I have a list from ADI of what we need. We’ll get it when we get the suits,” Catie said.
“Razors, scissors?” Natalia asked.
“We have a depilation cream that works wonders,” Catie said. “So, unless you’re in love with your razor, that should cover us. Scissors we’ll add. Do you need hair clippers?”
“Nope, scissors do it for me,” Natalia said as she brushed her hand across her short-cropped hair.
Catie looked at Samantha.
“I plan on getting a haircut before we go, then I’ll be good for three weeks.”
“Same here,” Liz said.
“Medications? Make sure you have whatever you take with you,” Catie said. “I’ll make sure we have the standard anti-inflammatory meds. Dr. Metra will outfit us with a first-aid kit so we’ll be covered for cuts and bruises, even a broken bone or two.”
“Ear-swabs,” Samantha said.
“Boy is it hard to plan for three weeks without any chance to make up for what you forget,” Catie said. “I’ll add it to the list. If anyone thinks of something else, text me, and I’ll add it. We should probably review the list with Dr. Sharmila and Dr. Metra just to see if she sees something we missed.”
“I’ll give you the list the Marines use for planning a weeklong recon excursion,” Natalia said. “It’s a pretty complete list.”
“Thanks, anything else? … No, then we’ll meet next week on the Mea Huli and go get our suits made and get what we need from the Sakira. Until then, Natalia, you’re moving in with Liz, so we’re all in the same condo building. Now, we’re all going out to the Flambé for dinner to initiate our mission.”
“Sounds nice,” Natalia said.
“Oh girl, you don’t know how nice,” Samantha said.
Chapter 6
Commandos
“Cer Kal,” ADI woke Kal up from a deep sleep. He rolled off of his bunk and hit the deck moving. He went to his nightstand to get his specs and comm unit.
“What’s up, ADI?”
“Passive sonar has detected a submarine approaching the city,” ADI said.
“Go to active sonar,” Kal commanded. He had his specs on and was pulling on his pants. “All units check in!”
Kal’s HUD started pinging, displaying the location of all the on-duty security personnel in Delphi City, their icons went from yellow to green as they checked in. As he was watching the icons update, the one for the guard on the pier went from yellow to red.
“ADI, red alert, number four is down!”
“I saw that,” ADI announced. “RED alert, RED alert. Intruders on the pier,” came over Kal’s HUD and those of everyone else who was part of the security team. Kal grabbed his rifle and kit belt and headed out the door at a run.
“Cer Kal, active sonar indicates that the submarine is Chinese,” ADI informed him. “It is circling to the west of the city at approximately fifty thousand meters.”
“Over the comm, ADI.”
“We have a Chinese submarine off the city. It is fifty thousand meters out,” ADI announced for the rest of security.
“ADI, launch a Fox and put a mine on that submarine,” Kal ordered. “Is Marc up?”
“I’m here,” Marc said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Shelter in place,” Kal shouted. “Liz should be there soon.”
“Already here,” Liz said. “I’ve got Nattie with me. We’re locked and loaded.”
“Keep us posted,” Marc said.
“Team, use non-lethal force if possible,” Kal said. “We want to talk to these guys, but if you need to put them down hard, then lethal force is authorized.” Kal thumbed the selector on his rifle to stun. It was a knock-off of the M4A1 he’d used when he was in the Marines. The only real difference was the stunner selection and the small barrel under the main barrel that the stun bullets came out of. The stun bullets were built into the standard clip, so with a change out of a clip, another sixteen stunners were added. The stunners were essentially small capacitors that were shot at the target; two small barbed wires were flipped to either side on impact, forced out by the collision with the target. Then the capacitors discharged into the target just like a Taser, except there were no trailing wires to deal with, and it was effective at two hundred yards.
He was at the docks in one minute, since he and the rest of security were quartered there, the most likely location for an incursion.
“Report!” Kal yelled.
“I have movement on the lower dock next to the Mea Huli!”
“Number four’s location was the upper dock!” Kal barked.
“I have her. She’s dead, gunshot to the head!”
“Movement at warehouse three!”
“Team Bravo, converge on warehouse three. Team Alfa, continue to scout the docks! Team Charlie, you have backup, make sure nobody gets by us.”
“A three-man squad is coming up the alley!”
“Take them out!”
POP! POP!
“Two down, one retreating back to warehouse three.”
“I’m taking fire from warehouse three, front right window, top floor!”
“Use live ammo!” Kal ordered. “Lock onto the heat signature and shoot through the wall.”
CRACK!
“Target is down, two more signatures in the warehouse.”
“Bravo-three here, I�
��ve infiltrated the warehouse. Have visual!”
“Can you take them out with stunners?”
“Firing now! One down, one behind the forklift.”
“Bravo-five, bravo-six, we’re at the door!”
“Bravo-three, give them cover, bravo-five and six, you’re cleared to enter!”
“Crack…Crack…Crack…Crack,” the sound of the suppression fire came over the comms.
“We’re in. I think he wants to give up.”
“That’s usually what holding your hands over your head means,” bravo-three said.
“He’s Chinese, are you sure?”
“Zài dìshàng, Zài dìshàng, on the floor” came over the loudspeaker in the warehouse, as ADI provided the proper translation.
The Chinese soldier lay down on the floor; bravo-five ran over and quickly wrapped him up with zip ties on his hands and legs. “We’re going to have to carry him if you tie his legs.”
“Well, I don’t want to find out how good he is with his feet. Just get a cart, and we’ll haul him over to the station.”
“Alfa-leader here, we have their equipment. I count six sets of scuba gear here.”
“Team Charlie, we have one missing.”
“We copy,” Charlie leader said. “We’re continuing to fan out along behind you. No movement detected.”
“Team Alfa, keep checking the docks,” Kal ordered.
“Copy.”
Marc and Catie were sitting in the dark with Liz while they listened to the action. They had their HUDs set to pick up infrared signatures.
“Where do you suppose the sixth one is?” Catie whispered.
“I don’t know,” Liz said.
“Hello, little man,” Natalia’s voice came over their comms. “You don’t need that gun, do you. Sorry, if I hurt your hand, you should have let go of it.”
They heard some gurgling sounds over the comm for a moment before Natalia’s voice came back on.
“Oh, sorry I didn’t realize you were so short. Would you like your feet back on the ground?”
They heard some more gurgling sounds. “Kal, I think I have number six here; short Chinese guy wearing all black. No insignia. Does that sound like him?”
“Matches the others,” Kal said. “Is he under control?”
“He’s having trouble talking,” Natalia said. “His neck is kind of skinny, and I’m having trouble holding onto it without choking him a little. Liz, do you want to come out here and help me tie him up?”
“Belay that,” Kal barked. “Liz, you stay with Marc and Cat. I’ll be there in a few.”
“Copy.”
“Sorry, you’re just going to have to keep gasping for a while,” Natalia said. “Boss doesn’t trust you guys.”
Kal arrived shortly after and zip tied the Chinese commando’s hands behind his back. “Did he do anything after you grabbed him?”
“Nothing except hold my hand and try to lift himself up a little,” Natalia said. “I think he was mainly focused on breathing.”
“Bring him in here,” Marc called out.
“Are you sure?” Kal asked.
“Hey, I’ve got three of the baddest asses around to keep me safe,” Marc said. “I want to know what’s going on.”
Kal had Natalia drag the Chinese commando into the condo. Kal laid the backpack that the commando was carrying on the table and started unpacking it. He found a map and spread it out on the table; there were some zip ties, a camera, and a radio.
“So, kidnap mission or recon?” Marc asked while he looked at the map.
“Can’t tell, the map’s in Chinese.”
“ADI.”
“Captain, the translation should be coming up on your HUDs now.”
“Got it,” Kal said. After studying the map for a bit, he added, “It shows the dock, the battery manufacturing plant, the polysteel plant, and the one where we’re making the Lynxes. And it also shows your condo.”
“Do you want to explain yourself?” Marc said to their Chinese captive.
“No English,” he said in a heavily accented voice.
“Come on, you don’t expect me to believe you were coming here to infiltrate an English-speaking facility, and you don’t speak enough English to read the signs?” Marc said.
“No English!”
“Damn. Well, we have four others, don’t we?” Marc asked.
“Yes sir. We captured four alive, one dead,” Kal said.
“Good, maybe one of them speaks English. Natalia, you captured him, do you want to kill him?”
“Sure thing, Captain,” Natalia said as she pulled her knife from her belt.
Marc watched the Chinese commando’s eyes grow wide; he couldn’t see the knife yet. “I’m guessing he does speak English,” Marc said.
“Yes, I speak English. But I cannot tell you anything,” the prisoner said.
“So, Natalia, I guess he is all yours.”
“Wait. I was to capture you if we were detected before we reached our objective.”
“How many are you?”
“Six, as you have already determined.”
“What was your objective?”
“Data on your designs and production facilities. We were to take samples and any machinery we could get back with us.”
“You must know we run around the clock; what were you going to do with the workers?”
“We hoped to find inactive facilities. If not, we were to subdue the workers and take the foreman back with us.”
“How were you going to take all this back with you? And we know about your submarine. ADI, what kind of submarine is it?”
“Captain, it is a Yuan-class submarine, a diesel-electric.”
“A Yuan-class diesel-electric,” Marc repeated. “Well?” Marc said as he gave the commando a steely stare.
“We were going to take your yacht and rendezvous with our submarine.”
“They were going to steal the Mea Huli,” Catie shouted. “I think you should give him to Nattie!”
“Kal, have someone come pick him up. Blake, Sam, my quarters, please,” Marc said.
Blake and Samantha came down the hall and joined Marc at the table. After someone from security came and took the prisoner away, Marc sat down at the table and looked at everyone.
“Okay, so now, what do we do?” Marc asked.
“With your captives?” Samantha asked.
“No, with the submarine.”
Samantha grimaced. “What can you do?”
“We can blow it out of the water,” Marc said angrily. He calmed himself down a little. “We could disable it or capture it instead.”
“That sounds better. I think blowing it out of the water is definitely a bad idea,” Samantha said.
“I figured you’d say that.”
“What would you do if you captured it?” Samantha asked.
“Make them pay to get it back; keep it; melt it down,” Marc said.
“I really don’t think you want to piss the Chinese off that much,” Blake said.
“Probably not, but I don’t want them to walk away from this unscathed.”
“You do have five of their commandos,” Samantha said. “And you did kill one.”
“Drop in the bucket.”
“Give it to the Americans,” Catie said.
“What?” Marc asked, shocked at the suggestion.
“Give the submarine to the Americans,” Catie said again.
“How would we do that?”
“Tell them where it is and then disable it.”
“Why not the Kiwis?”
“They’re likely to just give it back,” Samantha said. “Or just let the Chinese come get it while they keep it safe.”
“Okay. So, what, we just wait for them to give up and head home?” Marc asked.
“Sure,” Catie said. “They must have a minimum time before they expect them to come out on the Mea Huli.”
“How do we tell the Americans?”
“Why not call Admiral Mich
aels?” Blake said. “You two hit it off so well, and he does seem to be expressing an interest in you.”
Marc snorted. “Sure, why not. ADI, can you tap me into Admiral Michaels’ cellphone?”
“You don’t just want her to make a regular call?” Samantha asked.
“I’d rather it couldn’t be traced back to us, or to him for that matter.”
“Captain, I’m ready to establish a link,” ADI said.
“Do it.”
Admiral Michaels was surprised when his cell phone rang. Everybody knew he hated to be interrupted while he was reading through the nightly reports. He picked up his phone and looked at the caller ID. It read, unknown caller, so he pressed cancel and hung up on the call.
“He hung up,” ADI said.
“Unknown caller,” Catie said. “ADI, can you make the caller ID display his social security number?”
“Yes, Cer Catie.”
“That will get his attention,” Samantha chuckled.
“Do it,” Marc said.
Admiral Michaels looked at his cell phone as it rang again. This time it displayed the caller’s number. The number looked strange, then he recognized his social security number. He answered the call, “Who is this?” he demanded.
“Admiral, this is Dr. McCormack.”
“How did you put …”
“Let’s not worry about that now, Admiral. I was thinking I could do you a favor.”
Admiral Michaels leaned back in his chair. “What kind of favor?”
“I happen to know that a Chinese submarine is going to be experiencing some serious problems in a few days,” Marc said. “I wondered if the US Navy would like to help them out.”
“And how would you happen to know that?”
“I can’t tell you that, and I would prefer not to be connected with this in any way.”
“I can’t promise that, but I can promise not to bring up you or your organization myself. I’m not responsible for what the NSA uncovers or what the Chinese know or what the CIA gets out of them.”
“That will work for me,” Marc said.
“What kind of sub is it?”
“It’s one of their Yuan-class submarines.”
“We’d like to get a look at that,” Admiral Michaels said.
“I would predict that it will be passing south of Guam in a few days when their temporary repairs will fail. Could you have a few ships around there to help them out?”