The powerboat veered to the side sharply to avoid gunfire, and Vachlan was nearly knocked off balance. He glared up at the fighter jet that had begun following his boat. There were anti-aircraft guns on the back of his boat, but his men had been temporarily distracted by the state of Romanova.
“Stop gawking and fire!” Vachlan shouted at his soldiers.
The men immediately returned their focus to taking down the plane. Vachlan suddenly realized that he had no idea what Aazuria’s evacuation plan had been. It did seem like most of the people had been able to get out of Romanova, for the city was unusually quiet. Vachlan scowled when he saw a tank moving through the main street. So, the fight had not just been from the air. There were infantry forces and heavy artillery on the ground. That was not good news.
There was a crash as the plane that had been shooting at them slammed down into the water near their boat. Vachlan, feeling a rush of adrenaline, dove off the moving boat. He ignored the shock of the temperature change as his body was plunged into the cold water. He swam powerfully, propelling himself toward the burning wreckage of the plane. He saw that the pilot was alive, and swam toward the man. The pilot grabbed his gun and tried to shoot Vachlan, but Vachlan simply moved underwater to disarm him. He grabbed the man by the neck, holding him over the water, against part of the burning plane.
“Where did everyone evacuate to?” Vachlan demanded. “Did you see where the civilians went?”
“Tunnels,” said the pilot, coughing and flailing in an effort to break free. “Tunnels under the palace.”
“Thanks, mate,” Vachlan said, before grabbing the man’s skull and forcefully snapping his neck. He swam down to examine the thick submerged walls of the tidewater glacier. He knew that there would be an exit somewhere nearby, and that the royal family and citizens of Romanova would probably be taking submarines to Diomede City or Limestone City. He had advised Aazuria to keep her people underwater, so they were probably headed to Limestone. However, the Diomede Islands were closer. He knew he needed to connect with his family so he could contribute to this fight and keep everyone safe.
Vachlan was startled by a large blast illuminating the dark water a few miles south of his location. He immediately began to swim to the surface, and signaled for his boat. The craft immediately headed in his direction, and slowed down so he could hop on. “That way, about three miles,” Vachlan directed. “I think there’s a submarine fight going on.”
“Okay. Hang on, sir.” The boat sped up and headed in the direction of the underwater explosions, and once they were there, Vachlan dove off again. He quickly assessed the situation beneath him. It was dark in the deep water, and the submarine belonging to Adlivun and America looked nearly identical. However, he could see the distinction in his own ships—he had helped to purchase and select most of them, after all. He could also see that his people were winning. Just as he arrived, a final torpedo hit an American sub, sending a shockwave through the water. He shielded his eyes, and fought against the wave as he swam down to the sub that had fired the blast. The airlock opened to let him in, and he moved forward, dripping wet.
“Vachlan!” Aazuria said, looking at the man with wide eyes. She moved forward to give him a hug.
Panting from all the brisk swimming, Vachlan looked around the cabin. He saw Trevain, Naclana, Callder and his family, along with much of the palace staff and civilians he did not recognize. Elandria was nowhere to be seen, and neither were Ronan and Ivory.
“Where are my children?” Vachlan asked Aazuria.
“I don’t know. I’m so sorry. I don’t know.”
Chapter 14: They Lose Hope
“So they’re attacking Diomede City and Limestone simultaneously?” Vachlan asked, putting his hands in his hair. “This is going to be rough. Where are our allies?”
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you everything on the phone,” Aazuria told him. “There have been at least ten other declarations of war in the past 24 hours. The land-dwellers are trying to wipe us out, everywhere. They’ve formed something called the ASA…”
“Oh, no.” Vachlan shook his head. “The Anti-Sea Alliance. I’ve heard whispers, but I didn’t think this could really happen.”
“Those are the guys Leviathan was fighting against,” Callder told them.
“It’s like they’re trying to purge us,” Aazuria said. “Some sort of global ethnic cleansing. They all want their countries free of sea-dwellers.”
“It looks like that’s why they were so focused on stopping Leviathan,” Trevain mused. “He was trying to prevent a genocide.”
There was a silence in the submarine.
“This is unbelievable,” Brynne said. “How can people treat each other this way?
“It’s not new,” Naclana responded. “This is human nature.”
Aazuria sighed. “Russia declared on the Rusalka. France declared on Ker-ys. Somalia, and several other African countries have declared on the Mami-Wata. Most of our allies are too busy fighting their own battles to help us. It also turns out that Empress Amabie and the Japanese Emperor have deployed a significant amount of troops toward helping Visola in the United States. They need to be at the ready for attacking certain coastal cities in California. They can’t get here on time.”
“It doesn’t matter right now,” Trevain said, stepping forward. “What can we do? Let’s focus on the easiest task first. Obviously, they’re going to attack Limestone with submarines and possibly try to penetrate the underwater metropolis with infantry, using Sionna’s serum or scuba gear. So, let’s focus our submarine deployment on defending Limestone. It’s our oldest and most populated city, and we need to hold Limestone. Since we lost Romanova… we can also reclaim the old royal palace in the glacier that we abandoned near there, years ago. And we can use the panic room we built there, for the kids.”
“That’s good thinking, son,” Vachlan said with a nod. “But it’s likely they’ll be attacking Diomede City with submarines as well.”
“I don’t think so,” said Trevain. “Or at least not as many. They closed down the bridge, and reports say that they have infantry and tanks closing in on the city from both sides. Russians are marching on us from the west.”
“Oh, no,” Vachlan said, moving to sit down. “Then of course, there’s the air force. It’s such a small city—they can afford to send everything. They can annihilate us. I hate to say this, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to keep Diomede City.”
Several of the civilians who were stowing away on the ship began to gasp and murmur in horror and refusal.
“It’s okay!” Aazuria said, lifting her hands to calm them down. “It’s not as bad as it looks. We left Romanova because we did not need the capitol. It was never meant to be a stronghold. We surrendered the space, but we did not lose a single person. That’s what matters. We all have our lives and we have a fighting chance. Diomede City is our only remaining surface city. It is the only sea-dweller surface city in the world. We need to try our best to keep the Diomede Islands.” She turned to look at Trevain to gauge his opinion.
“Are you sure?” Trevain asked. “The Americans gave us that city, and they are really going to want to take it back. It might be better to try to evacuate or surrender, and focus our defenses on Limestone.”
“No,” Naclana said. “She’s right. Visola has a large percentage of the American forces occupied on the mainland. From the power outages alone, and the declaration of martial law—she expertly made it so difficult for them to maintain order in their own homeland that their attack power is significantly compromised. If you consider the recent bombings—how many American cities have fallen in the past three days? Over a dozen? All of those cities are going to need relief efforts. I think that considering the circumstances… we might stand a chance at keeping the city.”
“Wait—wait a moment. It just hit me.” Vachlan took a deep breath and rested a hand across his thick dark eyebrows. “My wife is single-handedly destroying America, isn’t
she?” he asked.
“Yes,” Aazuria responded.
“This,” he said, gesturing around them. “This, what they’re doing. Attacking us. They’re desperate. They’re desperate to do anything in their power to stop her. They’re desperate to get her emotional, to make her slip up and make a mistake. Any mistake. They’re actually… losing.”
“Yes,” Trevain said, with a smile.
“I’m so proud,” Vachlan said, as the corners of his eyes wrinkled. “God, I love that woman.”
“Are you… crying?” Naclana asked.
“No,” Vachlan said, but his voice was choked up. “I am just… perspiring from an unusual place, due to an excess amount of moisture in my face, as I experience an unusual inability to process how much I love my wife.”
“That’s called crying,” Naclana informed him skeptically.
Vachlan cleared his throat. “I need a moment. Just carry on talking.”
“I think you’re all forgetting something very important,” Brynne pointed out.
“What’s that?” Callder asked.
“The last time I heard from Elandria, she was in Diomede City, taking care of the twins. Dylan suggested that she move the twins there for better medical care. They’re both staying at the Ramaris house, because it’s closest to the hospital. If that city is under attack, they’re going to want to capture her along with Ivory and Ronan, to use them against us. And Visola.” Brynne frowned. “I don’t care how heartless and coldblooded you all believe Visola to be. She’s a mother. If you hold a gun to a child’s head, you can quite easily make his mother throw herself off a cliff.”
Vachlan’s moment was gone. “My children are in Diomede City? Why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner? Forget this slow submarine. I’m taking my powerboat.” He moved to the airlock at once.
“I’m coming with you,” Trevain said.
Aazuria, Naclana, and Callder moved forward as well.
“Don’t worry. If Elandria is with the twins, she will protect them,” Aazuria informed the men as they entered the airlock.
“She’s not you, Zuri,” Trevain said quietly. “She weighs 104 pounds, soaking wet. She grabs my hand during scary movies while you yawn. There are some things she can’t do.”
“You should really have more faith in the women you marry,” she told him, right before the airlock allowed them out into the ocean.
When the powerboat arrived at Diomede City, they found that the infantry and tanks were just beginning to close in on the city. The city’s defense was already in position, prepared to do battle.
“They’re not bombing the city by air like they did to Romanova,” Trevain noted as they disembarked from the boat. “That probably means they want to capture it with minimal damage and claim it as their own.”
“That’s good news,” Vachlan said, “but we should still be prepared for the possibility of an air strike—in case things go south for them, they’re probably willing to destroy the city.”
“If we survive this, I’m building gates for the city,” Aazuria said with a frown. “Or maybe I’ll build walls—or some state-of-the-art dome.”
“It will be Troy on water,” Naclana said with a smile. Then his smile disappeared. “Without the part about falling.”
The group arrived at a waiting vehicle on the port, which was meant to take them to the hospital, but they found themselves intercepted by another vehicle. A few American soldiers exited a truck, roughly pulling a man along with them. It was Dr. Dylan Rosenberg. A soldier pointed his rifle at Dylan’s chest.
“We have Queen Elandria, and the children of Visola Ramaris,” one of the soldiers said. He wasted no time in getting right to the point. “We require that Vachlan Suchos swim down to the space between the islands, where he will join his children in custody in one of our submarines. We require his full cooperation in apprehending his wife so that we can execute her.”
“Wow,” Vachlan said quietly. “This one—he has no concept of the art of conversation. A little small talk first, my good fellow.”
“If you do not swim down to join your children immediately, this doctor will be shot in the chest,” said the soldier.
Vachlan sighed and raised his hands in defeat. “Okay! I’m going.”
Trevain looked to Aazuria for guidance.
“Go to Elandria,” she encouraged him. “Callder too. Naclana and I will stay up here and keep an eye on the city.”
“Alright,” he told her, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. “Be safe.”
Vachlan, Trevain, and Callder dove down into the water between the two islands that made Diomede City. As soon as they had disappeared, the soldiers released Dr. Dylan Rosenberg. The doctor stumbled forward, adjusting his bowtie and clearing his throat nervously.
“That was unpleasant,” he said, moving to Aazuria’s side.
“You’re okay,” Aazuria said, touching his back in a reassuring way. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine.” She was startled by the feeling of cold metal against her cheek. Looking up, she saw that one of the soldiers was prodding her with his weapon.
“We let go of him because we want you instead,” he informed her. “Come with us. Get into our truck.”
Aazuria sighed and looked to Naclana with annoyance. However, several other soldiers still had guns pointed at Naclana and Dylan, so she complied with the soldier’s command. She moved into the back of the military vehicle.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’m going to turn you in to the general, so I can get a promotion,” said one of the soldiers.
The other soldier in the front seat laughed. “Yeah, right. It was my idea.”
Aazuria smiled, as she buckled her seatbelt. She turned to the other man who was sitting beside her, and still holding a gun pointed at her face. “What about you? Don’t you want a promotion?” she asked.
“Obviously, I’ll be the one getting it,” he gloated. “I’m the one doing all the wo...” He was abruptly cut off when his gun was twisted away and used to clock him in the side of the head.
“What the…” said the man in the front seat, turning back.
Aazuria punched him in the face. She yanked on her seatbelt to give her some space to move, and reached forward to grab the steering wheel. She jerked it hard into oncoming traffic, and returned to her seat. She barely managed to reach forward and press the release button of the seatbelt of her driver, right before they crashed. Her head swung forward, and she shut her eyes tightly as the sickening crunch of metal against metal was heard, and felt.
Her head was spinning. It was one thing to theoretically understand how to survive a serious car crash, but another thing to actually experience the event. She blinked away her dizziness, and reached for her own small, amphibious gun. She quickly discharged a bullet into the head of the man who was the most conscious, followed by the other two. The driver might have already been killed by the impact, but she was not taking any chances.
Aazuria reached down to remove her seatbelt. She tried to push the truck door open, but it seemed that the metal had warped and become stuck. Shifting her position, she braced herself against the dead body of the soldier beside her, and kicked the door open. It took three kicks before it would budge. Grabbing the soldier’s rifle, Aazuria pulled herself forward, stumbling out of the truck. She was assaulted with shouting and cursing from the driver whose car she had totaled.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Lunatic! Where did you get your license?”
Aazuria grasped the side of the vehicle, fighting her dizziness as she moved forward. “Those were American soldiers, trying to capture me,” she told the people who had gathered around the accident. “I am Queen Aazuria, here to lead our troops in defense against the attack. I just need… a small nap,” she said, as her knees buckled. She found herself lying blissfully on the cool concrete, and she clutched her throbbing head. “We’re going to win this battle,” she assured the people who were crowding around her to ch
eck her vitals. “I promise. Just give me five minutes, tops.”
Elandria was being held with Ronan and Ivory in the watery heart of the Diomede Islands. Unlike in most cities, this space was not wasted. There were thousands of sea-dweller homes and business built into the submerged sides of the islands, and along the ocean floor.
“This injured kid is kind of awkward to carry,” one of the Americans complained. He had paused in his struggling to move Ronan through the water, and stopped to say this in sign language.
“How do you think I feel?” said another soldier. “This little girl keeps biting me. I think she’s trying to chew off my arm.”
“We got permission to kill one of them, right? Once Vachlan gets down here, if he doesn’t cooperate.”
“Yeah. It was recommended that we kill one of them, to show that we’re serious. It will give him incentive to try to keep the other one alive.”
Elandria gasped as she looked at the frightened children. “No! You can’t hurt them,” she told the soldiers. “They’re innocent. The whole reason their mother is attacking America is because your people killed her innocent sister. What do you think she would do if you killed her child?”
One of the men, who could read lips, responded to her. “Lady, we are far past the point of threats. America’s never been in such a state of mayhem and chaos. I doubt Visola Ramaris could do anything worse than what she’s already done.”
“She could,” Elandria assured him, “and so could her husband. I would highly recommend not doing anything to harm those children.”
“We have orders. We have no choice. The only decision will be whether we kill the cripple or the biter. Shit! She’s still biting me. I will be happy to get rid of this little brat.”
Maelstrom Page 24
