Black Sea Affair (17 page)

Secretary of Defense Lopez stopped talking. Mack looked over at Secretary of State Mauney, expecting a response. None came. Cynthia Hewitt, her gaze sweeping between the president and the secretaries of state and defense, did not speak either. The three spirited participants in this debate had run out of gas. All eyes turned to Mack.

"All right, " Mack said. "The secretary of state makes valid points." Mauney nodded a small smile of appreciation. "However, in the end, getting that plutonium out of terrorists' hands is the very best thing we can do to avoid a nuclear holocaust. The United States is in the best position to do that." He looked at the secretary of defense and the national security adviser. "Alone. Mixing the Russians into the fray only complicates matters. Given their history of institutional paranoia and bureaucratic incompetence, and the grave uncertainty as to how they would respond if we opened a dialogue with them, I'm concerned that we would lose valuable time. Ladies and gentlemen, we don't have time to lose. What we
do
have is terrorists with plutonium.

"Having said that, the secretary of state's well-founded concerns are valid." He turned to the secretary of defense. "Secretary Lopez, issue an order that no U.S.
ground
forces are to be positioned anywhere within one hundred miles of the Georgian border without my approval."

Then turning to the secretary of state, he said, "Secretary Mauney, prepare a communique to the Turkish ambassador reaffirming our support for them and explaining my decision to them."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Also, prepare formal requests to the British government, and all other NATO governments sending forces that all NATO ground forces observe a one-hundred-mile barrier for the time being."

"Yes, Mr. President." The secretary of defense scribbled notes on a legal pad. "What about overflights, sir?"

"The United States Air Force shall patrol the skies of Georgia as requested by the Georgian president, but shall not approach closer than twenty-five miles of the Chechen border."

This brought a wince to the secretary of state's face.

"Rules of engagement, Mr. President?" This was the secretary of defense.

"Use of force is
unauthorized
by United States aircraft
except
in self-defense. That means no firing by our planes unless we are fired upon first or otherwise threatened. At that point, U.S. pilots have weapons-free authority to the extent necessary to defend themselves. Anything else?"

No one spoke.

"That is all. For now."

CHAPTER 10

The USS
Honolulu

The Aegean Sea

Conn. Sonar. We have contact! Three thousand yards dead ahead! Contact appears to be a ship of the class of Russian freighter
Volga River
. Bearing zero-two-zero degrees."

"Mr. Smith, " Pete was speaking with Chief Warrant Officer William Smith, who was standing in the control room at the sub's fire control console. "What's your screen showing?"

"Sir, my screen verifies one contact, sir. Mark as Sierra twelve."

"Very well, " Pete said. "Dead slow ahead."

"Dead slow, aye, Captain."

"Coordinates?"

"Twenty-five degrees east, forty degrees north."

"Right on the money, " Pete mused, checking his watch. "Chief ofthe Boat, make periscope depth."

"Making periscope depth, aye, Captain."

"What do you think, Skipper?" Frank Pippen asked.

"I think we've found our ride, Frank."

"I have periscope depth, Captain, " the chief of the boat said.

"Up scope, " Pete ordered.

The stainless-steel vertical cylinder in the middle of the control room hummed and clicked. Pete stepped behind the periscope, grabbed the training handles, and brought his eyes up to the viewfinder. Bright daylight shone above the dark green ripple of breaking waves. In the center of the screen, a long, low-lying ship sat on the water, a dark silhouette against the bright blue behind it.

"She's a freighter, all right, " Pete mused. "Open a hailing channel, Frank."

"Aye, sir, " the XO said. "Conn. Radio. Open a frequency. Channel fourteen."

"Radio. Conn. Hailing frequency open."

"Very well." Pete kept eyeing the ship through the periscope. "Mr. Pippen, please broadcast the code and let's see what we've got."

"Aye, Captain." The XO accepted the microphone from the chief of the boat. "Would you like to do the honors, Captain?"

"Why not?" Pete stepped away from the periscope and took the microphone from Frank.

"Hailing frequency is open, sir."

Pete held the microphone to his mouth, then pressed the switch opening the broadcast band. To ensure the mission's secrecy, both the submarine and the freighter were under orders from Washington to communicate only with a series of predetermined cryptic radio exchanges that would make no sense to anyone listening.

He spoke slowly. "Polar bear. Polar bear. Zero-Six-Zero-Six."

Nothing.

Men on the bridge looked around nervously.

Pete repeated the code. "Polar bear. Polar bear. Zero-Six-Zero-Six."

Thirty seconds passed. Crackling erupted over the PA system. "Piggyback. Piggyback. Zero-Six-Zero-Three."

Cheering erupted in the control room.

"Initiate docking sequence, Captain?" the XO asked.

"Very well, " Pete said. "Initiate docking sequence. Take the mike, XO." Pete handed the microphone back to Frank. "Broadcast next sequence."

"Aye, sir." Frank took the mike and pressed the broadcast switch. "Yankee-one. Yankee-one."

A short silence. Static over the speakers, then, "Red Sox-two. Red Sox-two."

"Same choir. Same songbook, " Pete said. He looked back through the periscope, switching to high-powered magnification. Men in dark wetsuits were scrambling over the gunwales, down netted ladders, and into the water.

"We've got SEALs in the water. They're waiting for us, gentlemen. All ahead one-third."

"Ahead one-third."

"Let's take this slow and easy. Last thing we need is a collision that sends us to the bottom before we get to fire a torpedo."

The
Alexander Popovich
The Black Sea

The captain had not yet returned to his stateroom. He was still on the bridge. Masha knew this because his voice was still mixed with the squeaks and chatter blaring over the loudspeaker.

How could this be happening? Forty-eight hours ago, Masha and her children were filled with excitement at the thought of taking a cruise on a ship across the Black Sea.

And now this.

Was she living a nightmare?

She had replayed it in her mind a hundred times in the last five minutes.

Kill the girl now. We cannot afford to have her as a witness.

I've decided to kill the girl later.

At least she knew their motives. They wanted her dead. And it had something to do with the cargo and the money they were making for transporting it to an Egyptian freighter. What could this cargo be?

Probably drugs. Perhaps heroin. What else could command so much money? This would explain why they wanted her gone.

She had to get out of the stateroom and find her children.

Perhaps she should make a run for it. But what if a guard was posted outside the stateroom? She wandered from the outer office into the captain's living area. A small galley area was located just past the head of the single bed.

A sink. Some drawers. Maybe . . . She opened one of the drawers. Several stainless steel steak knives glistened under the fluorescent light.

She picked one and held it up against the light. This one would do. Long enough to plunge into a man's heart.

At least the captain did not want her killed immediately. But what if he discovered that she had overheard everything that was said on the bridge? Would he kill her now instead of later?

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

She had to do something. A small volume control knob was attached to the loudspeaker. She reached for it, turning it counterclockwise. The chatting and static diminished. Voices on the bridge were gone.

Good.

Perhaps he wouldn't know that she had heard everything. But what if he discovered that she'd tampered with the volume control? No time to worry about that now. For now, she had to get out of the captain's stateroom and find her children.

She slipped the knife in her sweater, then prayed quickly.

Lord, protect my children and protect me. Somehow, keep us from
harm. I pray that I will not be forced to use this weapon in my pocket.
But if I have to use this knife, then give me strength and the courage
to use it quickly and effectively. Make my hand swift and deadly in the
defense of your children.

She opened the door.

A man stood in the passageway. Their eyes locked.

Masha shuddered, thinking of the knife hidden under her sweater. Should she use it now?

This was not the sailor who had brought her to the cabin. This sailor's boyish face and soft, innocent eyes paralyzed her.

"Hello, miss, " he greeted her politely.

"Hello to you, " she said. "I am Masha. I am in charge of the orphans running around the ship."

"Yes, I know who you are." His voice was as soft as his eyes, and his smile was even softer. "You are also the
kapitan
's guest."

"I'm sorry, but what is your name?" She knew this look. The look of a shy boy around a pretty girl for the first time.

He gazed at his weather-worn boots. "I am Aleksey Anatolyvich. I am a deckhand and the
kapitan
's assistant."

She flashed him a soft smile. "The
kapitan
has a handsome personal assistant, I should say."

His face flushed crimson. He looked back up. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Well, Aleksey Anatolyvich, I am a guest of the
kapitan
, as you can see, but he has been detained with important business." She touched his arm, ensuring that the blood did not leave his face. "Perhaps you could accompany me to my cabin."

"But the
kapitan
. . ."

"Aleksey." Her hand caressed his arm up to his shoulder. "The
kapitan
is detained. He told you to keep an eye on me.
Dah
?"

"
Dah.
"

"Come keep an eye on me." She studied his face. "I must gather my children from the deck before dinner with the
kapitan
tonight. Besides, I need you nearby so I do not fall overboard.
Dah
?"

"
Dah
."

He nodded. She took him by the arm and led him down the passageway.

The
Al Alamein
Sea of Marmara

Thank you for having me on the bridge at this moment,
Kapitan
, " Sal-man said. "It is a beautiful sight, is it not?"

Captain Sadir smiled at the view outside the bridge of his ship. Before him lay the glorious sight of the twenty-mile, narrow strait of water that split the great city of Istanbul in half and connected the Marmara and Black Seas. Sailing through the Bosphorus was like floating through an Islamic paradise. Colorful mosques and minarets sparkled in the Turkish sun on both sides, lining Istanbul's busy shores like precious jewels in a necklace.

Ever since they left Port Said, the young scientist who would lead them to glorious martyrdom had captured the attention of Captain Sadir.

"Yes, it is beautiful indeed, " Sadir replied. "I fear that you might be too occupied on our return voyage to come topside and enjoy the sights."

"Thank you,
Kapitan
, " Salman said. "If we are able to rendezvous with the Russian freighter and obtain the fuel, then most of my time left on this earth shall indeed be in the bowels of this ship."

A moment of silence followed between the two men. "All ahead five knots, " the captain ordered.

"Ahead five knots, " the helmsman repeated.

Sadir turned to the young man. "Yes, Salman, you will build a floating hydrogen bomb within the bowels of my ship. But remember this. The place we are headed will be far more beautiful even than this great city of mosques rising above the waters."

"I will do my job,
Kapitan
, if given the opportunity."

Sadir brought a cigarette to his lips as two other ships -- a freighter flying the horizontally striped azure and gold ensign of the Ukraine, and a cargo ship flying the French flag -- moved in front of
Al Alamein.
Both ships sputtered black smoke into a bright blue Turkish sky.

The Ukrainian ship was just now inching its way into the Bosphorus.

Another moment passed. A string of three channel tugs were chugging in a line out of the mouth of the Bosphorus. Off to the side was a Turkish Navy patrol boat headed in the direction of the
Al Alamein.