Hot Zone (14 page)

"And you?" Jordan asked Ice.

"I'll be six feet away." Ice answered.

That little comment comforted Jordan. It also fueled the embers in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but continue to become more and more attracted too Ice. She hadn't expected it, certainly didn't want it, and yet couldn't resist it. Her only advantage had been how easy it was to keep check of her feelings in the potentially hostile environment they found themselves in.

This is not the place for puppy love, Jordan.
She kept telling herself. Yet at the same time she couldn't help but wonder if Ice had found her attractive. He had been personable, friendly, but all business. She couldn't get a read on him. It annoyed her but there was nothing she could do about it. Even if he had found her attractive nothing was going to happen. Not here, not now and given their very different lifestyles, not ever.

So she kept focused, her eyes hidden behind the backwash of the A-12's propeller, not allowing Ice to see the constant glances and occasional stares.

If only he knew.

* * *

A mile away and two hundred feet shallower, Grosjean and his depleted team began their slow and steady descent. He had to assume the Americans had seen them dive and would be ready for him and his men. What they didn't know was where exactly they were going. Grosjean on the other hand had been here before.

Many times.

Grosjean had first dived these waters two years earlier with a team of high ranking officials as a statement to the world community that the waters surrounding Mururoa had been safe enough to swim and free of radiation. It had been on that dive that they had first discovered the underwater structures. Further investigation and more dives had made Grosjean knowledgeable enough about the structures that he was not concerned with the fact the Americans knew about his presence.

He had the upper hand; he
knew
what he was swimming into.

The trip the Americans were embarking on was going to be a one-way ride. Grosjean was determined they never reached the surface to share his secret with the rest of the world.

Then there was
his
team.

Only the men on the dive team that day had known the secret. They had done a good job at making sure no one else had ever found out. Now Grosjean was leading three men to it and he wasn't sure what he would do with them once they knew. They were
his
men; Legionnaires like him who had pledged their allegiance to the flag and indeed to the cause. They had been prepared to risk their own lives for that cause.

Would they become the victims of Grosjean's cause. For France's?

Grosjean was not a bad man. In his mind he had done much more good over the years than bad. For this reason he started to sweat the decision he was going to have to soon make. He didn't like the idea of having to take out his own team, didn't want to. Maybe he wouldn't have to. Perhaps the Americans would do it for him.

20

Bob Dalton awoke to an ear splitting banging on his hotel room door. He had been up all night going through a mountain of paperwork; looking for a hole that he could exploit in court.

"Bob. Are you in there? Open up. It's Dick!"

That could only mean one thing,
Bob thought as he rolled out of bed, slipping on his sweats and went to the door. Opening it he said: "This better be good. I just got to bed an hour ago."

"The Americans just lost a Black Hawk over the exclusion zone. No news yet on survivors."

"Is that our SEAL team?"

"Yes."

"Great, so that's it then."

"Not so fast, Bob. It gave me an idea. Not twenty minutes ago I spoke to one of the Judges in the court and they have agreed to meet with us."

"Why would they do that, Dick? Who are we?"

"We have classified information that they need to know. I'm going to tell them about the missing Greenpeace crew. Then I'm going to tell them what happened, inform them we need time to go in and make a rescue attempt. They will have to force the French to delay the test; but they won't be obligated to say why."

"Whoa there. You're going to tell them classified information? That could get you in some serious trouble, Dick."

"It could, but probably won't because I don’t “officially” know anything. Extreme situations call for extreme measures Bob. Truth is we don't know what they might have found out there and now we don't even know if the SEAL team is alive. We have to buy them more time that, in turn gives us more time to find something else we can use. Besides, I know the British Judge, Julia Cramer. And as it stands right now, she is the
acting
President due to the court’s President being ill."

"You know Cramer? Nice. When's the meeting?"

“
Forty-five minutes. Get dressed, meet me in the lobby."

Finn left Dalton standing in the doorway. He was stunned by Finn's risky decision. He himself should not have known about the events taking place in the South Pacific. To share that very information risked his professional career and the career of his source on board the Kitty Hawk.

That was on the one hand.

On the flip side the ploy just might work. The court would not want to become involved in an incident between two nations, that was not it's job. It was a very conservative court that did not like public attention. Finn's idea would more than likely force the panel to inform the French they would have to postpone, but not cancel their test.

Dalton threw on the suit he'd gotten out of just an hour earlier and made his way toward the lobby where he found Finn drinking coffee.

"You sure you want to do this?" Dalton asked.

"I have to Bob. It could be your only shot."

"There's no going back."

"No, there isn't. I'm ready. I'll pay the price if it back- fires, but it won't." Finn said, convincing himself.

"You call the cab?"

"On its way. Five minutes."

"Crunch time." Dalton added.

"This is where that big money is earned. In the clutch."

"We'll see Dick. We'll see."

"Just one more thing Bob. Nobody else on the judge's panel is aware that Cramer and I are friends, it has to appear when we're in there that we don't know each other."

"My lips will be sealed, Dick. It's your show in there."

"You're going to owe me one. You know that right?"

Dalton had no idea.

* * *

International Court of Justice-The Hague-Netherlands

The interior inside the personal quarters of the fifteen members on the panel was nothing more than a deliberation room similar to what any jury might find themselves in once a trial was complete. The major difference being the large elongated oak top table with tan leather high back office chairs. A major comfort and necessity for the panel on their often lengthy deliberations.

One of which was the current case they had labeled:
"New Zealand and Australia versus France: Nuclear testing in the South Pacific."

Finn and Dalton were ushered into the room by a security guard after both had been checked for weapons. The court had taken a hard line on security after an extreme activist had once smuggled a pellet gun into the courtroom and had fired it at one of the judges. That man was still serving time for his crime and the court had made changes to ensure the safety of the panel members from that moment on.

Sitting at the end of the table Finn and Dalton waited for their opportunity to speak. Though Dalton himself did not plan on doing any of the talking. This was Finn's show.

"So Gentlemen, I have been informed that you have some vital information you feel we should know." Said Julia Cramer.

"Yes." Finn replied.

"Any reason why this information couldn't have been included in the hearing yesterday?" Another panel member asked.

"This is privileged information, Sir. By us being here today we are trusting you will use the information to form your own opinion but in doing so keep the information provided by us in this room."

"And how did you come across this information?"

"An inside source in the United States Military."

"Need you say more Mr Finn." Cramer said and then: "This is a big risk on your part."

You have no idea.
Dalton though.

"So, let us hear it."

"Your Honors. Approximately thirty-six hours ago a Greenpeace dive team was on the edge of the exclusion zone off Mururoa Atoll conducting radiation tests for us when they came under attack from something in the ocean. There was only..."

A panel member interrupted: "Something?"

"We're not sure what it was but we believe it may have been a shark." Finn said.

"There was only one person who made it back to the boat. He later died from the injuries incurred, but not before sending out a distress call. It is this distress call that will peak your interest."

"You have our attention." Cramer said

"Dr Art Montoya, an archaeologist with the team had said in his call that he had
found
something. A city, to quote him. Just before his call was cut off he requested a former colleague of his be brought to the sight to investigate further."

"Okay. Is it possible this Doctor was in a state of delirium when he made the call and he actually had no idea what he was saying?" Asked another panel member.

"We don't believe so." Dalton said

"Certainly the USS Kitty Hawk didn't. They dispatched a team of Navy SEALs to the sight to search for the missing divers and with them they carried a passenger." Finn said, his eyes trained on Cramer.

"The colleague?" Cramer asked.

"Yes."

"And who has the Greenpeace vessel?"

"The French impounded it on Hao Atoll. That is being taken care of by the U.S diplomat in that region. Our focus is on the SEAL team." Finn continued: "It seems the SEAL team may now be missing."

Cramer leaned back into her chair and looked around the table at the other board members. Dalton and Finn sat nervously in their chairs.

"I take it
that
was the information we weren't supposed to know?"

"Yes your Honor."

"Will you please excuse us for a moment gentlemen?"

"Certainly." Finn said standing up.

Finn and Dalton shuffled out of the room briskly. Once outside Dalton let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Don't look so happy Dick, it's not over yet." Dalton responded to the grin on Finn's face.

"No, but she didn't reprimand us right then and there. She certainly could have."