“What’s it for?” she asked.
“It’s a long story, but it’s important.”
She folded her arms. “I’ll give it to you when you tell me what the hell is going on.”
Clay sighed and looked at Caesare and Palin. They both shrugged. “It’s complicated.” He began. “When I was here last…Dirk talked about a city under the water.”
“I remember.” She said.
“Well this is Palin,” he said, motioning backward. “He’s from that city. Our government wants to destroy it, and their power plant, which could have some really nasty side effects.”
“Why?”
Clay exhaled. “Basically, because they’re idiots.”
Alison’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, I’m inclined to agree with that.”
Will Borger reached for his cup and took another sip of coffee. He watched his monitor carefully and noticed a call originate from Stevas’ cell phone. He leaned in closer and started typing on his keyboard to reveal the number it was placed to. He traced the second number through the system. It belonged to the cell phone of Bruce Bishop, the Navy Chairman. Borger continued watching as another call was then placed from Bishop’s phone. With a bit more work, Borger found that Bishop’s call was to a Naval Operations Center.
Borger brought up another window and watched the screen of data scroll by. He stopped it midway through, zeroing in on multiple outbound messages beginning with the word “Alert”. It was an encrypted message which meant that Borger could not read it. He stared at it for a long time, then had an idea. The message was encrypted but perhaps the log file that generated and sent it was not. It took him about fifteen minutes to locate the correct server and then log in and find the log file itself. Matching the time of the Alert messages and the log file entries, he found the generating code. It was not encrypted. Borger quickly reassembled the bits and the message reappeared.
Oh no. He thought to himself. The message was a command to the subs. He suddenly thought about the ring and realized what had been eluding him all this time. “The Alabama!” He quickly turned to a second monitor and brought up another window. He found the data logs that Clay had given him from the Alabama and frantically searched through pages of diagnostic information. Finding the first piece he needed, he printed it out and kept searching. A few moments later, he found the second and printed again. He grabbed both pieces of paper and placed them next to each other. He started scribbling calculations in the margins. After a few minutes, he had it. He grabbed the cell phone and dialed as fast as he could.
Clay was in the middle of a sentence when the cell phone rang in his pocket. He held up a hand apologetically and flipped it open. “Go ahead, Will.”
“Clay!” Borger nearly shouted. “We’ve got a problem! Actually a couple of ‘em.”
“What is it?” he said, calmly looking at Alison and her team.
“The subs have just been ordered to fire on the ring! But that’s not the worst part.” Borger said in a rush. “I think this is going to end badly, for us. Remember the Alabama?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well their mission was cancelled, because they had a computer malfunction when identifying their location. Clay, there was no malfunction!” Borger exclaimed.
Clay’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean, no malfunction?”
“Remember that the Alabama’s systems suddenly put it fifteen miles off course, which was thought to be a computer glitch. But the computers were right! They were always right. The Alabama got too close to the ring Clay. It got too close to the ring and was instantly transported to the other side. Granted their angle was a little off but that’s why the computers said they were suddenly somewhere else. Because they were.”
Clay rolled his eyes. Of course! Now it all made sense, the sudden GPS change, the clocks that were still in sync, even the sound that the sonar operator heard just before it happened. But then he looked puzzled. “So why is that a problem?” he asked.
“Clay those subs are about to fire a bunch of armed torpedoes at the ring. I think the same thing is going to happen. What if those torpedoes come out the other side?”
“Jesus.” Clay said. “Is there time to warn them?”
Borger’s voice became grim. “I don’t think so.”
Clay gave Caesare and Palin a look that matched Borger’s tone.
“Clay, there’s something else.” Borger said softly.
“Of course there is.” He replied sarcastically.
“When this fails I’m sure they are going to try sending in the nuke, using the dolphins. But there is something we haven’t considered.” Borger looked down at his calculations. “Remember we asked Ms. Lokke about a nuclear blast under water and its shock waves reaching the South Pole? Well what we didn’t ask her, is what happens when billions of tons of water get vaporized in that blast.”
Clay thought about it. “It’s going to create a vacuum.”
“Of course. That water is going to disappear instantly and create a giant surge which rushes in to fill it, a surge that will include water flowing away from the ice shelf at a rapid pace.”
Clay closed his eyes and shook his head. “Will, I’m really beginning to hate talking to you on the phone.”
“Clay,” Borger said, “we have to stop that nuke.”
Clay looked at Alison and her team. “I’m working on that.”
Caesare looked at Clay as he hung up. “What now?”
“The Tridents are engaging,” he said. “And that nuke is going to cause a whole hell of a lot of damage.”
Lee Kenwood spoke up. “Is this about the city?”
Clay nodded. “And about your dolphins.” He turned back to Alison. “Alison your dolphins were taken because they know where the city is, they’ve been there. They were taken because our government is going to use them to nuke Palin and his people, by strapping an atomic warhead to their backs and sending them in. And they’re going to do it soon.”
Alison gasped. “No!”
“Those sons of bitches!” growled Chris.
“Where is this city?” she asked.
“Not far. Off the coast of Bimini.”
Alison nodded silently and then walked over to one of the tables. She bent down and picked up her backpack. Reaching inside, she retrieved Palin’s cube. “I assume this is yours,” she said, handing it directly to Palin. She was certainly not going to admit to anyone that she kept it as a reason to call Clay.
Palin smiled and took it gently from her hand. At the same time, Caesare dropped down and unzipped his bag. He pulled out more rifles and magazines of ammo and started handing some to Clay.
Clay looked at Alison. “We need to get your team somewhere safe. After that, we need to borrow your boat.”
They looked at each other suddenly concerned. “Why?” Alison asked.
“Because now that you’ve talked to us, you are no longer safe.” Clay shrugged. “We also kinda busted out of jail.”
“You did?!” she said with surprise.
They all looked at Caesare.
Caesare looked aggravated. “Why the hell does everyone always think I’m the one that’s been in jail?!”
Clay checked the magazine in his gun and slapped it back in. “Anyone here have a safe place to hide? A vacation home, friend’s cabin, anything like that?”
Alison frowned. “Apparently you’re not familiar with how grant funding works.”
“You’ve got me there.” he said. “Are there any other ways out of here other than the service hallway and the main entrance?”
“Yes,” answered Dubois. “There is a maintenance corridor back there.” He pointed to a dark corner near the end of the tank. “It’s not used often, but it will get us outside.”
“Good,” said Clay. “What I want you to do-” he suddenly stopped. Alison started to say something but he cut her off with a raised hand. He listened carefully.
Caesare was also listening. They both looked up and then back to the
dark hallway. “We’ve got company.”
Just then a bullet zipped past Clay and hit Dubois in the chest, ripping a hole through him. He was dead by the time he hit the ground.
“Get down!” shouted Clay. He instantly jumped on top of Alison and reached out to pull Chris down with them.
Caesare was also moving. He zipped around, grabbed Palin, and used the momentum to throw him into Lee Kenwood, knocking them both over like bowling pins. He opened fire immediately, showering the hallway with bullets. Caesare’s return fire bought them a few seconds of delay as they all hit the ground and scurried behind a row of large, heavy desks.
Clay quickly crawled forward, grabbing and pushing Palin, Alison, Chris, and Lee ahead of him. He motioned for them all to lie down on the ground and become as small a target as possible. While Caesare shot back, Clay grabbed a long table behind him and tipped it over. He pushed it forward against the back of the desks to add a second layer of protection. The monitor on the desk above them suddenly exploded, and three slugs could be heard hitting the thick metal on the other side of the desk. Clay had the others scoot forward and stay behind the upturned table. He then took a defensive position and fired back.
A loud grunt could be heard from the hallway, and one of the silhouettes fell to the floor. Clay and Caesare both came back down behind the desks and replaced their magazines without looking. More shots came from the hallway. Caesare looked at Clay. “You hear that?”
Clay nodded. “They’re coming closer.” Two bullets skipped off the top of the desk and over Clay’s head, impacting the giant tank behind them. The bullets were stopped dead in the glass. Clay looked up at the tank and then over to Alison. “How thick is that glass?”
Alison was cringing at the sound of the gunfire. She tried to think. “Six inches…it’s six inches.”
“Good.” Clay said. He looked around at what he could see of the room. Caesare unloaded another magazine and reached for a replacement. “Where is that corridor?” Clay asked her.
She took one of her hands away from her ears and pointed to the corner of the room behind her. Clay followed her pointing hand and could see the subtle lines of a small door close to where the tank met the building. It was almost a clear shot to the door along the back side of the desks, but there was about ten feet of open space between the last table and the door. When he heard a short lull from the other side, he quickly rose and fired three rounds into the hallway. He looked at Caesare, pointed down the line of furniture and then pointed to the wall where the small door was.
Caesare squinted toward the door and then nodded his head. He grabbed another magazine and looked up at the ceiling. He turned to Clay, covered his eyes for a moment, and then made some kind of flashing sign with his hands. Clay looked up and then nodded back. Four more rounds hit the top of the desk and lodged themselves into the tank’s glass next to the others. He reached over and grabbed Alison pulling her close.
He whispered loudly in her ear. “We have to get you three out of here!” Behind him, Caesare unloaded another magazine. “We’re going to take out the lights. That should give you time to make it to the door. When you get outside, look before you run. If it’s clear, you run like hell. Find some place safe. Don’t worry about us.”
Alison nodded and looked back to Chris and Lee. She turned around and whispered to them. Clay watched them. None seemed frozen or in panic which meant they were at least thinking, scared to death but thinking. That was a hell of a lot better than freezing like a deer in headlights.
Clay turned back and got Caesare’s attention who nodded and reached into his bag to withdraw a giant light. He grabbed the cord and plugged it into the nearest power strip. Caesare nodded again. With that Clay quickly turned back and mouthed the words to Alison. “Get ready.” She nodded back and put her hands on the floor, ready to move.
Clay and Caesare changed their locations behind the desks. Then simultaneously they both rose up over the top, Caesare firing at their attackers, while Clay aimed carefully at the ceiling, destroying all four of the overhead lights and plunging the giant room into darkness. “Go!” he whispered loudly. He heard the sound of them quickly crawling away.
The firing stopped briefly and on the floor Caesare grabbed the top of his light and placed it atop the desk. Neither of them moved. Instead, they counted. They knew that it normally took five to ten seconds for an expert to transition to a pair of night vision goggles. It was a normal part of tactical training which allowed a soldier to continue even in pitch black. By magnifying what little light there was by 50,000 times, night vision goggles provided more than enough vision to continue the fight. The drawback of course was that it magnified all light by 50,000 times.
Caesare got to seven and flipped the switch on the two million power candle mega-lamp. It instantly flooded the entire room like a search light, blinding the five men who had expected Clay and Caesare to be donning their own goggles. Instead the intense magnification of the search light rendered them unable to see anything at all. At that moment, Alison and the others ran into the open toward the door. Clay and Caesare came up over the desks and opened fire dropping all five of them.
They both sat down quickly and reloaded. They could hear the small door click shut in the distance.
“Any more?” Clay asked.
“Don’t know.” Caesare said. Turning and scanning again. Then just as he swung to the right, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A muzzle flashed from the second hallway leading to the main entrance. With less cover from that direction, the bullet ripped through a stack of binders and hit Caesare in the right shoulder. He yelled and fell backward, emptying the rest of this magazine in the new direction. More flashes were seen as several more silhouettes spread and took up positions. Clay came over the top of Caesare and fired everything he had. He quickly pulled the end of the last desk down in front of them, but it was too late. Even as several more bullets hit the other side of the desk, Caesare rolled onto his side grabbing his shoulder.
“How bad?” cried Clay over the gunfire and papers flying all around them.
“I can make it.” Caesare said gritting his teeth.
Suddenly Palin spoke from behind them. “John?”
Thunk thunk thunk. More bullets hit the front of the desk. Clay looked a Palin to find him staring back with a calm expression. Clay waited for him to say something else but then lowered his gaze to see the bright red circle spreading across Palin’s chest. It was a direct hit.
“John.” he said again starting to fade off. His eyes started to close and his head tilted back.
“Palin!” Clay yelled. He grabbed Palin and tried to shake him awake. “Palin stay with me!”
Suddenly a brilliant blue flash of light filled the room from behind them, adding to the bright search light. Clay looked up to see the air split in half and open into a large hole in the shape of an oval. He looked at Palin who was unconscious. A glow was coming from his coat pocket. It was the cube.
Clay looked back to Caesare who was reloading his gun. “Get him out of here, Clay!”
Caesare gave him his best smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.” Clay stared at him for a long moment. They both knew it was a lie. Caesare had limited use of his shooting arm, and more shadows could be seen entering from the main hallway. The two friends stared at each other. They knew this was it.
“Get him out of here!” Caesare yelled again. So many bullets were hitting the other side of the desk that it was beginning to move, pushing in on Caesare. “Give me your gun,” he said, “and go stop that nuke!”
Clay hesitated for only a second. He then replaced the magazine, flipped his rifle around, and handed it over. He then turned and kicked one of the desks to the side outwards, making a small path. He grabbed Palin and laid him flat on his back, making it easier to pick him up. He looked at Caesare and nodded. Again they moved together. Caesare came up over the desk shooting with both guns giving the cover needed for Clay to pick Palin and throw him
over his shoulder. With his dislocated shoulder screaming in pain, Clay got to his feet and ran.
Behind him, Caesare got hit twice in the chest and fell backward onto the floor. Clay ran as hard as he could with every step propelling him toward the glowing portal. Palin was heavy but at just several feet away Clay pushed off with everything he had, throwing them both forward. They flew through the air and into the center of the giant oval. It was then that Clay and a large bullet entered the portal at the same instant.
37
Red lights replaced the interior ones on each of the twelve submarine bridges, and commands were called down for all levels to “man battle stations”. The Tridents had received their orders and were preparing to fire. They had strategically positioned themselves with six on one side of the giant ring and six coming around the far side to reduce risk. Each submarine also remained nearly five hundred yards apart from each other. The commanders had no idea what kind of strike Palin’s people might retaliate with, so it was lunacy to have all of your ships together providing a singular target.
At nearly the same time on each Trident, the torpedoes were armed and loaded into both forward tubes. The communications officer on board the lead sub, the Montana, sat glued to his instruments waiting for any word or change in orders that might signal aborting the attack. The Montana’s commander Captain Hallgren waited patiently knowing the other subs were also loading and arming. With no radio communication, they had to do this the old fashioned way. He kept checking the red LED clock on the wall.
After another minute, he looked at his communications officer, who looked back at him and shook his head. Hallgren turned to his Operational Commander. “All hands…stand by.”
His Operational Commander repeated the message into the microphone. Hallgren took a deep breath and watched the digital clock hit its mark. “Fire!”
The Operational Commander immediately passed the order. “Shoot two one! Shoot two one!”
Breakthrough Page 24
