Shadow Zone (38 page)

The team dropped into the city until they hovered mere feet over the seafloor.

“I got a fix on them,” Theresa said. “Both missiles were fired from due south-southwest.”

“They’re covering the TK44 seabed,” Hannah said. “We need to get over there.”

“Okay,” Sandford said. “We’ll spin up, take positions on the perimeter of the city, and continue in an elliptical pattern. We’ll coordinate and converge on the seabed. Reynolds, you take McCallister east, I’ll take Helms and move from the west.”

“What about me and Matthew?” Hannah asked.

“Hold your position.”

“And do what?”

“Await orders.”

“Like hell.”

“I don’t have time to argue.”

“Neither do I. Matthew, you go with Reynolds and McCallister. I’ll go with Sandford and Helms.”

Sandford cursed. “I can’t babysit you, Bryson. They’re firing missiles at us.”

“Then let’s stop talking and move.”

Hannah heard more cursing from Sandford, but this time he had obviously tried to muffle the outburst by placing his hand over the microphone. “Just don’t get in our way,” Sandford said. Then he spoke to the team. “Okay, let’s go. And keep your eyes open for missile flashes.”

Still hovering low over the ocean floor, the team split up and moved to opposite ends of the site. Once there, they each began the long sweep toward the TK44 seabed.

Hannah turned toward Kirov. “Anything you would do differently?”

“If I were Sandford?” Kirov paused. “I might have tried harder to make you stay back there.”

“You couldn’t have talked me into it either.”

“I know that, but Sandford doesn’t.” Kirov flipped down a pair of goggles that gave him an infrared view of their surroundings. “And Sandford isn’t thinking like the enemy. If you’re going to fight a battle, you need to take your opponent’s point of view. What’s their objective here?”

Hannah thought for a moment. “The alga in that seabed.”

“Exactly. If we want to stop them, perhaps we don’t waste time with hidden targets. They’ve taken their positions, and they’re just waiting to pick us off as we approach. Maybe the best way of stopping them is to remove the reason for their mission.”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “Destroy the TK44?”

“All of it. It only grows in that one area, correct?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what we should be attacking. With that objective removed, Gadaire’s minisubs would have no reason to engage us. I’m sure they’re fairly short-range vessels. What would be left for them to do?”

Hannah thought about it. “They’ll need to rendezvous with the mother ship.”

“Yes, if we could follow them . . .”

Hannah’s eyes met his. “Gadaire.”

“They might lead us right to him.” He smiled slightly and repeated, “The first rule of warfare: think like your enemy.”

Hannah turned on her microphone. “Sandford, do you read me?”

“Copy, Bryson.”

“I propose we hang back and hold positions. Send an all-frequency warning to the trespassers. Tell them that we’re about to open fire on the TK44 seabed.”

“To try and draw them out?”

“That’s what they may think. But it’s really to give them a chance to get clear before we blow them to hell.”

“Negative, Bryson. We have strict orders not to harm the archaeological site or the surrounding area.”

“The alga field is outside of Marinth. The archaeological site won’t be touched,” she said.

“We already have a plan, Bryson. And they’re no longer just trespassers, they’re murderers.”

And the victim was Dalgo, one of their own. Hannah couldn’t blame them for that bitterness.

“This is purely a commercial job for them. If they can remove that TK44, then they continue to get paid. They’ll kill again to protect their mission. Let’s end it for them right now.”

“Negative, Bryson.”

“Listen to me. I’m angry about what happened to Dalgo, too. But this is a better way of beating them.”

“Please keep all chatter on this channel to a minimum, Bryson.”

Hannah switched off her microphone. “That idiot.”

“He’s not,” Kirov said slowly. “And that’s what disturbs me. I’m afraid he knows exactly what he’s doing.”

Hannah felt a chill. “You think he has orders to—”

Another high-pitched alarm sounded from the instrument panel, and Matthew’s tense voice came over the radio. “We’re under attack on Marinth’s west slope. Two attack minisubs, maybe Iranian Guardian class. Missiles fired, and we’re returning the favor.”

Hannah looked out her viewport and saw the intense flashes of light near Marinth’s western spire. “I’m going over there.”

“Negative,” Sandford said. “Stay on our present course.”

Static from the radio.

More alarms.

Anguished screams.

“I have to get over there,” Hannah said. She gripped the navigation stick. “Hang on.”

“No,” Kirov said. “Don’t do it.”

“I
have
to do it.”

“No. He ordered you not to go. Do not abandon your commander.”

“He’s not my—”

Another flash of light from the west.

“McCallister’s been hit,” Theresa said. “But I just destroyed one of the enemy minisubs. The other one is retreating. Matthew is in pursuit.”

Hannah adjusted her microphone. “Stay sharp, Matthew. Don’t let him lead you back to the alga field. There may be others waiting there.”

“That’s exactly what he’s doing, Hannah. I’m easing back. I’ll see you on the down-low.”

Hannah cut her microphone and turned to Kirov. “That’s strange.”

“What?”

“ ‘See you on the down-low.’ That’s what Matthew and I say when we want to communicate with just each other without company execs or anybody else listening in. That’s our code to switch to a low-frequency subchannel.”

Hannah made the change and switched on her microphone. “Are you here, Matthew?”

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about this alone. It’s about this sub I’m chasing . . . You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m positive it’s Josh.”

She couldn’t speak, or even breathe, for a long moment. “You’re right. I think you’re crazy.”

“It’s him, Hannah. Art experts can tell an artist’s work by the brushstrokes. I can pick out a minisub pilot’s work a mile away. Especially Josh’s. We’ve been working together for years. The way he banks a turn, how he eases off the power to ride over his undercurrent . . . It’s him, Hannah.”

“Shit.”

“Do you think I want it to be him?” Matthew asked. “He’s my friend.”

“Gadaire’s spy on your Marinth expedition?” Kirov said.

She had already thought of that. Dammit.

“Matthew, flash him the ‘down-low’ signal with your lights.”

“I’m on it.”

Hannah looked at the laser projector readout on her viewport for some indication where Matthew was even though she couldn’t actually see him from the other side of Marinth. She turned to Kirov. “If we’re close enough, we flash running lights at each other when we want to go to our private channel. Uppers-lowers-uppers.”

“Do you think Josh will respond?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I’m still having a tough time believing it’s true.”

She heard a brief burst of static and a slight low-frequency hum on their audio channel. “It is him,” Hannah whispered. “He just switched over.” She spoke into the microphone. “Josh, it’s Hannah. And that’s Matthew behind you.”

Silence.

She adjusted her headset. “We know it’s you, Josh. No one pilots a sub like you. Do you want to tell us what’s going on?”

Matthew cut in. “Talk to us, buddy.”

Still not a word.

Hannah spoke softly. “Two men are dead, Josh. They were good men. You would have liked them. I can’t believe you would have had anything to do with—”

“I didn’t,” Josh blurted out. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Then why are you working for Gadaire?”

Josh paused a moment before answering. “He makes weapons, Hannah. Just like you’ve done on occasion.”

“It’s not the same.”

“It’s all just a matter of degree, isn’t it?”

Hannah looked ahead and realized that her formation would soon move beyond the well-lit city center and toward the darker valleys that lay beyond. “There’s a line, Josh. You spied for him, and now you’re willing to kill for him?”

“No one was supposed to get hurt. I’m just here to protect the mission.”

“Are you really that naïve? Gadaire puts you behind the controls of a submersible with missile launchers, and you think no one is supposed to get hurt?”

“It’s just a job. An extremely well-paying job. Just like I work for you and your weapons.”

He was rationalizing. She could argue with him all day or just appeal to the Josh she had known for years. “Help us. Please. How many more of you are down here?”

“Why would I tell you that?”

“Josh, don’t do this. If Gadaire succeeds, millions of people could be killed.”

“I don’t want you to become one of them, Hannah.”

Matthew’s voice cut in. “Josh, you need to get to the surface now.”

Josh laughed incredulously. “Is that an order?”

“Your hull is damaged. I think your partner’s already dead back there, and you will be, too, if you don’t get topside in a hurry.”

“You’re a bad bluffer, Matthew.”

“I can
see
the damage. You climbed into a ten-year-old retrofitted piece of shit and took on Hannah Bryson’s latest subs. How did you think it was going to end? You’re putting even more stress on it right now. Slow down!”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You’re wobbling. Everything in there probably feels like it’s about to shake loose. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

“Oh God, yes.” Josh didn’t say anything else for a moment. “Stay back, Matthew. There are three more Guardian subs in the alga field. I’d bet you’re already in their sights.”

“Josh!” Matthew’s voice was agonized.

Hannah heard a sickening roar, a rush of static.

Then nothing.

The only sound was the whisper-quiet engine of her sub. “Matthew?”

“Yeah.” Matthew spoke hoarsely. “He’s gone, Hannah. His hull ruptured, and he . . .” The words caught in his throat. “Josh is gone.”

Hannah closed her eyes.

“Hannah,” Kirov said gently.

“I know.” Her eyes opened, and she said huskily, “Stay in the moment.” She drew a deep breath. “Okay, Matthew. Let’s rejoin the party and finish this.” She switched back to the team’s radio frequency. “Are you there, Sandford?”

“Nice of you to drop back in, Bryson.”

“There are three Guardian minisubs in the alga field. One or all three may be harvesting, but they’re all weapons-equipped.”

“Just how do you know this?”

“Trust me. We’re almost there. Watch your hyperspectral scanner readings. Their targeting systems will heat up as they lock in on Matthew. He’s over there now.” She shared a worried glance with Kirov. “Don’t wait for your onboard system to identify the spectral signature. When they heat up, lock on and fire. Matthew’s life depends on it.”

“They’ll have a head start in locking in on their target,” Helms said.

“I’m sure our systems are faster,” Hannah said. “Are you comfortable with that, Matthew?”

“Comfortable isn’t really the word. But since I’m here, may as well use me to draw them out.”

Hannah searched for their other subs in her viewport. “Where’s Reynolds?”

“Trying to tow McCallister to the surface,” Sandford said. “He has fairly substantial damage, so it’s just the four of us.”

Kirov was staring intensely at his console. “I have two targets lighting up.”

“Wait for my order to fire,” Sandford said.

Hannah was incredulous. “Have you been listening to me?”

“Guys . . . ?” Matthew sounded panicked.

“Easy, Matthew. Firing at two targets,” Kirov said. “Missiles engaged.”

Hannah felt the sub’s engines automatically revving to counteract the thrust of the twin missiles firing from each wing.

“Dammit, Kirov!” Sandford shouted. “Everyone stand down.”

Hannah saw two more missile flashes, and she realized that Matthew had also fired. She watched the four trails as they rocketed over the ocean floor. The trails converged, and Hannah lost sight of them. Seconds passed. A bright, almost blinding, light filled her viewport, and a low rumble shook her submersible.

She shouted into her microphone. “Matthew, are you okay? Matthew?”

No reply.

She checked her viewport indicator. Matthew’s name still appeared on its surface, so at least his transponder was operational. But that was no guarantee that he—

“I’m here.” Matthew’s voice. “Still in one piece.”

“Good,” she said. “I can breathe again.”

“I can confirm two minisubs destroyed. I got a visual.”

“What about the third?” Sandford asked. “If there is a third.”

“There is. I saw it. It was trying to tow a large sled. Probably the TK44 they harvested.”

“What do you mean
trying
to tow?” Hannah asked.

“The sub may have been damaged in the explosion. They cut and ran. The sled is still here on the ocean floor.”

“You have a visual on that?” Sandford asked.

“Yes, I’m coming up on it now.”

“Good,” Sandford said. “We’ll be right there.”

Within a minute, Hannah, Sandford, and Helms cruised over the massive crater created by the missile strike. The water was still thick with blast sediment.

“Amazing,” Hannah said. “The entire alga field is gone.” She looked ahead and saw Matthew hovering over the large underwater sled, an enclosed contraption similar to the type she had used to collect artifacts from the ocean floor. Hannah studied her sonar screen. “We can track that last minisub. There’s a good chance it will lead us straight to Gadaire.”

“Negative,” Sandford said. “We’ll secure the sled and prep it to bring to the surface.”

“What?” Hannah said. “Hell, no. They’re getting away.”

“That’s not our priority.”

“Why not? This may be our only chance to positively link this operation to Gadaire. For God’s sake, he murdered your commanding officer down here.”

“Our orders are to secure the TK44. With that field gone, this may be the last of it left on earth.”