Stabenow, Dana - Blindfold Game (v1

by Blindfold Game(lit)

  THE BERING SEA

  ON BOARD THE STAR OF BALI

  SOME ROMANTIC WITH A severe case of myopia had named her the Star of Bali. Five hundred fifty feet in length, steel hull, single screw, best speed in ideal circumstances eleven knots. In less than ideal circumstances she could probably make seven or eight, and in a storm such as this Fang hoped she would have enough power to keep her stern to the storm. Built in Italy in 1973, she was old for a cargo ship and the reason she was a tramp steamer now. At her age it was all she was fit for, that or hauling molasses, traditionally the last job of the elderly cargo vessel before she was retired to the scrap yard.

  Ten miles short of Unimak Pass, something went wrong with the engine. Their best speed was cut in half, with a nasty front squeezing through the narrow gap between Unimak Island and the Krenitzin Islands at fifty knots an hour, pushing them relentlessly back in the direction from which they had come.

  They knew this because Smith was watching their progress on a handheld GPS. Before that, hed been talking a lot on the satellite phone. Then calls had suddenly ceased. He gave no explanation as to why, but he looked cold with fury.

  Fang was just cold.

  He looked around the container in the half-light provided by the gas lanterns. Most of the men looked numb with discomfort. Theyd stopped playing mah-jongg when the ship began pitching so heavily that the tiles would no longer stay on the board. Mostly they just stayed in their hammocks now, rolling out only to pee. Fang had to force them to eat.

  They were well trained and disciplined and they had been ready to hold out until the time came. Now the schedule was delayed and they would have to remain in their hammocks for however long it took the ships crew to fix the problem and get the ship back on course. Fang didnt like some of the looks he was getting, and halfway to seasick himself he didnt like the extra effort he had to put into keeping them in line. It didnt help when they could listen in on the crews shouted conversations on deck. They were speaking Tagalog, of which none of Fangs men knew more than a few words, but it wasnt hard to identify the trace of panic.

  The draft through the soft top was constant and bitter cold. Ice was forming on the insides of the container and the outsides of their sleeping bags. The irregular thudding sounds they heard from the deck, thuds followed by crunches and splintering cracks, was outside their experience and therefore more cause for alarm. It had started two days before, had continued almost without stop, and was interfering with everyones sleep. Because of the continual activity on deck, they hadnt been able to reconnoiter to discover what the sounds were.

  The problem was that when something went wrong here there was nowhere to go and no one to ask for help, even if they could have without fear of immediate arrest and imprisonment. If they had been in Singapore Strait there were a hundred little bays and inlets and islands they could hide in, living off the coastal fishermen in their tiny villages until the problem was fixed.

  Fang wanted to go back to those tiny villages, to the Malacca Strait, to the South China Sea. He wanted to seek out that plump little woman upon whom he would father many sons, he wanted that snug little house in a Shanghai suburb. He had decided on a house instead of an apartment because it was his intention to take up gardening, exotic flowers in incandescent colors to brighten the view as he looked through the windows. And his childrenhe would father only sons, naturally, but a tiny daughter would not be unwelcome, someone he could spoil, because of course his sons would be raised to be hardworking and self-sufficient, just like their father.

  Something intruded on this rosy picture of his future life. For a moment he couldnt identify it, and then his head jerked up. The dull rumble of the freighters engine had changed. It was running very roughly, missing beats, almost clacking out its distress.

  Smith noticed. “What is it?

  Fang held up his hand, palm out. “Cant you hear it?

  “Hear what?

  At that moment the freighters engine coughed, spluttered, and died.

  JANUARY

  ON BOARD THE SOJOURNER TRUTH

  “YOU SHOULDNT HAVE LET me sleep so long, Ops, Sara said.

  “No, maam, Ops said, not looking at Hugh.

  Truth was, Sara felt immeasurably more alert after four unbroken hours of sleep. Shed been wakened by the pipe telling the crew that dinner was being served in the galley and had been made very aware that it was well past time to pee. She staggered down the hall to the head, and when she got up again, she looked down and saw that blood had dried all down the front of her uniform. Captain Lowes blood.

  The deck lurched beneath her feet and she thought she was going to throw up. Instead she went back to her room for clean clothes and returned to the head, where she took a long, hot shower, bracing herself against the rolling of the ship so she could stay beneath the showerhead. At least the terrorists hadnt taken out the hot-water heater.

  Half an hour later, wearing clean clothes, she felt like a new woman. “Did I miss dinner? she said, surveying the empty serving dishes on the wardroom dining table, the half-empty dining plates before each officer. Looked like country-fried steak. Her mouth watered.

  “Wooster!

  Woosters pale face peered out of the wardroom pantry. “Yes, sir?

  “The XO needs food, Ops said. “Go down to the crews mess and go through the serving line for her, will you? A little of everything.

  “Coming right up, sir. Wooster vanished.

  “Ops, she said, “youre sitting in my chair.

  He met her eyes and said evenly, “No, maam. Im not.

  The only empty chair was the captains chair at the head of the table. Her eyes traveled around the table and she saw nothing on any face but expectation, acceptance, and approval.

  She swallowed hard and sat down, and was instantly aware of the feeling of relief emanating from the other officers. The U.S. Coast Guard was the closest thing the U.S. military had to an egalitarian service, but when all was said and done, Hugh was right. They wanted to be led. With that expectation came the added burden of the appearance of leadership.

  “You would have woke me up if communications had come back on line, she said to Ops, “so Im guessing it hasnt.

  He shook his head. “No, maam. We finally got Sparks up the mast to the communications array. The sat dish is literally in pieces, its going to have to be replaced. The antennasyoud think theyd been aiming straight for them, because theyre wrecked, too. We managed to raise a fishing vessel south of St. George on the VHF, but we lost em again before we could yell for help. And, he said, looking at Hugh, “someone made the suggestion that it might not be wise to broadcast our location over a channel everyone in the Bering Sea stands by on.

  Which would very probably include the Star of Bali. “Good point. How are the wounded?

  “Maintaining. Docs shot them full of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and I forget what else, and he says they should hold until we get to port. Well. He looked at her. “Depending.

  “Depending, she said, nodding. She didnt ask about the helo because there was no way they could have received word. She wondered if the aviators had been able to raise anyone on their radios before they reached Cape Navarin. If they had reached Cape Navarin. “What about damage to the ship other than the fatal injuries to communications?

  “The portside small boat got torn up. Were patching it up.

  “EO?

  Nate McDonald pushed his glasses up his nose and blinked owlishly at Sara. “The generators and the engines are good for another thousand miles, if we need them, maam. Nothing came anywhere near them.

  Lucky for the pirates, Sara thought, because if anything had happened to the engines or the EOs best beloved Caterpillar generators, the EO would have swum to the Agafia under his own steam and slit all their throats. Which reminded her. “How is Ryan holding up?

  “He said fine, until the Agafia dropped out of range of the handhelds.

  “No working radios on board the Agafia, I suppose.

&nb
sp; “They were all destroyed when she was taken.

  “Pretty thorough, our pirates. Yes, ma am.

  She turned back to McDonald. “How are we on fuel?

  “Weve got enough to get us to Melbourne and back, Captain.

  “Just get us to Seward, EO.

  “Yes, maam.

  Wooster came through the door with a plate so overloaded it was dripping sausage gravy all around the edge. He set it down hastily in front of her, and produced flatware and a handful of napkins. “Be careful, maam, its hot.

  “Thanks, Wooster.

  He beamed. “Yes, maam.

  “Thanks, Wooster, Ops said. “Dismissed, and close the door behind you, please.

  “Aye aye, sir.

  Wooster left the room, the door closing gently behind him.

  “Where are we? Sara said, tucking in.

  “Thirty miles west of Unimak, Ops said.

  “We made good time, and against the wind, too, Sara said. “Well done, EO. Given even a little luck, we just might catch them.

  “Were about due for some luck, Ops said.

  “Hear, hear.

  “What do we do if we do catch them, maam? This from Ensign Ostlund, a serious young man who would go on to flight school in June, if they all survived. A dedicated planner, Ostlund never made a move without knowing what was going to happen next.

  “I dont know, Sara said. “Lets discuss that, shall we? She gestured with her fork. “To recap. Mr. Rincon seems to think theyre carrying a mobile missile launcher on board, armed with a chemical warhead. How certain are we that this is the case, Mr. Rincon?

  Hugh, seated at the foot of the table, said, “Id give my right hand if I could show you statements from witnesses to the bomb being built and loaded on board. Its a gut thing, Captain, based on circumstantial evidence and eyewitness accounts. Before the chief could say anything he added, “Which are not always reliable, I admit, but taken all together, plus the attack by the Agafia, I find pretty convincing. That attack was a deliberate feint, designed to draw attention away from the Star of Bali and their real mission.

  Sara looked around the table and didnt see a lot of skepticism, which surprised her. After the boarding of the Agafia and the big zero they had found there, she had expected to have to lean on her officers to listen to Hugh ever again. So far as she could tell, they werent even thinking about how Hugh Rincon and Sara Lange were husband and wife, and that in and of itself was a minor miracle. It was amazing how being shot at cleared your head of extraneous detail.

  “Since our gunnery officer is on detached duty at present, Mr. Rincon, tell us about Scud missiles in general, and anything you know about this one in particular.

  He stood up, swayed a little with the motion of the ship, and went to the dry board. “The original Scud, the R-17, was based on the V-2 rocket built by German scientists and captured by the Russian army at the end of World War II. Its simple, reliable, and easily mass-produced. They call it the AK-47 of the missile world. Even the Russians dont know how many they built, and nobody knows how many were built by others ripping off the original design. The original Scud and subsequent models are known to have been exported to Afghanistan, Hungary, Romania, Vietnam, Egypt, Iran, Iraq He stopped. “Actually, itd probably take less time to list the countries the Russians havent sold Scuds to.

  “Specifically, a Scuds purpose is to bombard enemy positions, staging areas, and cities, anywhere the enemy is grouped together into a big enough target. The Scud isnt exactly a precision instrument, but then, with a maximum seventy-kiloton nuclear warhead, it doesnt have to be.

  “Were not talking about a nuclear warhead in this case, however, Mr. Rincon.

  “No. I believe this Scud is equipped with a quantity of cesium-137, a radioactive isotope used in radiology for medical and industrial purposes. Packed into the warhead with some dynamite, upon detonation it will disperse and cause a widespread epidemic of radiation poisoning. Its got a half-life of thirty years. Yes, it will kill you. Eventually.

  “How much did these terrorists of yours buy, Mr. Rincon?

  “Fifty kilos.

  Ops carried the one and blurted out, “Jesus Christ! Thats like a hundred and ten pounds!

  “Yes. Which leaves room in the warhead for eighteen hundred pounds of dynamite.

  “There are two hundred and forty thousand people in Anchorage, Sara said into the stunned silence. “Also Elmendorf Air Force Base, and Fort Richardson. Also the port of Anchorage, through which is shipped most of what the state of Alaska eats, wears, and drives, which would include Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks and our own base in Kodiak.

  She let that sink in, and deliberately met Chief Mark Edelens frowning gaze. “I believe Mr. Rincon is right in his assessment of this situation. I believe that the Star of Bali is carrying a group of terrorists armed with a Scud missile armed with a WMD, and that their target is Anchorage.

  Ostlund stirred. “The master told us that their next port of call is Seward, Alaska.

  “Which is less than a hundred air miles from Anchorage. Mr. Rincon says the Scuds range is just under two hundred miles. All they have to do is put it into the air over Anchorage and light it off.

  “Captain, Chief Edelen said respectfully but firmly, “I still say we should head for Dutch Harbor. These people on board the Agafia almost took out our entire bridge crew. They did take out all our comm systems. I doubt that the ones on board the Star of Bali will be less well armed. We dont help their prospective target by getting ourselves killed.

  “Noted, Chief. Anybody else got anything to add?

  Ostlund looked around the table. “XO?

  “Yes?

  “Are we the only ones who know?

  Sara looked at Hugh. He raised his shoulders and spread his hands. “Yes, Ensign. I believe we are.

  Ostlund swallowed hard. “Then we have to stop them.

  Sara took a deep breath, let it out. “Agreed.

  The chief stirred, opened his mouth, and closed it again.

  “All right, she said, pushing back from the table and getting to her feet. They followed suit. “I want every ounce of speed you can get out of the engines, EG*. Ops, keep working on getting us some way to talk to shore over a secure line. I would just love to be able to call up an F-15 out of Elmendorf and paint a target on these guys. Failing that, Mr. Ostlund, were minus our helo and our law enforcement officer, not to mention our gunnery officer. Were going to need a plan if we decide to board her. You up for that?

  “You bet I am, maam.

  “Then get on it. Dismissed, gentlemen. Suppo? Hold up a minute.

  Warrant officer George Kale said, “Maam.

  “Give us a minute, will you, Mr. Rincon? Sara said.

  He nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

  “What have you done with the captain, and Seaman Razo?

  He shifted uncomfortably. Pappy Kale didnt talk a lot. “We cleaned out one of the freezers. Put them in there in plastic bags.

  She nodded. “Hows the crew doing?

  The supply officer, perhaps because of his habitual silence, heard more from and about the crew than the rest of the officers put together. He met her eyes steadily. “Theyre okay, maam. Theyre pretty shook up, but theyre behind you. They know what happened to the captain and Seaman Razo, they want these guys, and theyre ready to do whatever it takes to make that happen. You can count on them, maam.

  JANUARY

  SEWARD

  “HI, LILAH SAID.

  “Hey, Kyle said. “I was just going to call. How are the kids?

  “Ask them yourself. Lilah put first Gloria and then Eli on the phone with their father. They told him all about the sea otter they had seen out the window of their hotel room every morning.

  “How are you, babe? Kyle said when Lilah got back on the phone.

  “Bored. Lonely. Horny.

  He laughed. “I miss you, too.

  “Im waiting for the but.

  Kyle took a deep brea
th, let it out. “Saras cutter is missing. His wife said nothing. “Lilah?

  “How can a two-hundred-and-eighty-four-foot Coast Guard cutter go missing?

  “Its been out of communications with District for over a full day now.

  “Did it sink?

  “They dont know.

  They listened to each other think for a while. “Does Saras missing cutter have anything to do with why were here instead of there? Kyle took longer to answer this time. “Kyle?

  “I dont know for sure, Kyle said. “But Im afraid so. Hugh

  “Hughs here?

  “No. Hes not here. Kyle lent a slight emphasis to the last word.

  “Oh, Lilah said on a note of discovery. “Oh no, Kyle, no.

  “Yeah, Kyle said. “Stay there for a few more days, okay, honey?

  “Well stay here, Lilah said.

  She hung up and stared out the window at Resurrection Bay, a deep fjord walled in by steep, snow-covered mountains. She was not blind to the beauty, but she couldnt help but wonder what lay buried beneath its wind-whipped surface.

  She very much hoped that Kyles two best friends werent.

  The phone rang and she snatched it up, hoping it was her reprieve from purgatory. “Kyle?

  No, instead it was a preternaturally perky young woman who chirped brightly, “No, maam, this is Kenai Fjords Tours. Is this Mrs. Lilah Chase?

  “It is, Lilah said, voice dull with disappointment.

  “Were calling to confirm your Resurrection Bay excursion, one adult, two children, departing at noon on January nineteenth.

  Four interminable days from now. “Yes, that is correct.

  “Youll want to check in at our office down in the marina half an hour prior to departure. A hot lunch will be included with your tour.

  “Yes, I know. Weve sailed with you before. Twice in the past week, she thought. Stuck here much longer and theyd have to start repeating cruises.

  “Thats fine, then, maam, thank you so much, and well look forward to seeing you on the nineteenth.

  She replaced the receiver and fought a sudden and irrational up-welling of tears. “Come on, kids, lets hit the beach.