Chapter 4
A cold, shallow sea.
Very different from the warmer waters of southern Europe, the Baltic was known as one of the best wreck diving sites on the planet, due to its low salt content which preserved wood and metal. It was a stormy sea, long known for treacherous, erratic currents and green waters both mysterious and strangely alluring.
The wind picked up almost as soon as they left port, whipping up frothy whitecaps on what had been a smooth sea only minutes earlier. The boat traveled fast, bouncing from wave crest to crest, Jiminez’ eyes darting from time to time to the GPS unit mounted on the steering console. The wreck site was off the Polish coast, not far from the Russian outpost of Kaliningrad. By the time the SEALs had settled into a bounce and salt spray induced stupor, sort of like riding a low grade, wet roller coaster that had no end, Yu was tapping Maddock on the shoulder and pointing to the eleven O’clock position off the bow. He raised his voice to be heard over the thrum of the outboards.
“See all the activity?”
Maddock nodded. Several boats were clustered over a small area perhaps a mile distant, and a helicopter circled the airspace. “Part of the BALTOPS exercise?”
“Negative! This is unsanctioned Russian naval activity. They just showed up last couple of days. Requests for clarification of intent have been sent to Russian commanders participating in the exercises, but so far no reply has been received.”
“Wonder what they’re up to?” Maddock watched the helo circle around overhead.
Yu shrugged. “Same thing you’re up to? They’re definitely on the wreck site.”
Yu and Jiminez now knew that Maddock and company were looking for the Amber Room. Even though their primary job would be to drive the SDVs while the SEAL team explored the wreck site, Maddock wanted them to know what to look for. Two extra pairs of eyes could sight something they otherwise might miss, and they did have the clearance to enlist some help, so they might as well use it. Get in, get it done, get out.
The whine of the racing outboards decreased in pitch as Jiminez slowed the boat. They were still a half a mile from the wreck site, but the SDVs would get them there from here and they wanted their diving activities to go unobserved. Jiminez cut the engines and left the wheel to help Yu prepare the SDVs for deployment. The SEAL team were already suited up in full dive kit, but they performed final safety checks on each other’s gear, including testing the communications system.
All six of the divers would be wearing full face masks with embedded microphone and speakers to permit two-way communication, meaning they would be able to talk to one another while underwater. With the equipment checks completed satisfactorily, it was Professor who gave voice to a problem that had begun to nag at Maddock’s conscience.
“After all of us are in the water and the boat’s been sitting here for a while, they’ll probably scope it out with binoculars and see that there’s no one aboard. Should we leave somebody on the boat?” He looked around at the others. By somebody, they all knew he was referring to either Yu or Jiminez.
Yu held a finger in the air and moved to a storage locker. He lifted its lid and removed from it a life-sized dummy doll, complete with fishing hat and sunglasses. He sat the figure in the pilot’s seat and took a step back. “Not as good looking as me, right, but he’ll have to do!”
This had the effect of breaking the ice a little bit as the divers eyed the SDVs now floating in the water alongside the boat, on the side facing away from the Russian activity. The mood had been somber as they all reflected on the fact that, mission duties aside, they were going to a very spooky place, a watery tomb that had been the final setting on this Earth for thousands upon thousands of people, including many children.
Even Bones had not been his usual wisecracking self, but he grinned broadly at someone else taking up that role in the face of their grim duties.
Willis strapped on his swim fins. “Let’s get to work. Even this far away, man, those Ruskies make me nervous.”
Maddock and Bones climbed onto the back of one of the SDVs. The vehicle was about the size of a rollercoaster car, with a highly tapered front end. Each SEAL occupied one of the side runners, basically hanging onto the side of the vehicle, with Jiminez in the cockpit position at the controls. Professor and Willis each rode on one side of the other undersea vehicle, which Yu piloted. Maddock felt the vibration of the battery-powered motor as Jiminez engaged the thrusters.
A light rain began to fall as Bones waved goodbye to the dummy figure in their anchored boat and they submerged toward the wreck site.
Underwater visibility was poor, a few feet at best, and reminded Maddock of the color and consistency of pea soup. Small particles, drifting plankton and innumerable tiny animals swirled around them as the SDVs plowed through the water. Even with their drysuits on, which, unlike a wetsuit, kept water from coming into contact with the skin altogether, the divers felt the chill.
Bones summed up the advantages and disadvantages of their approach. “Got to say, guys, as much as I like hitching a ride on these things, I miss actually swimming because it keeps me from freezing my ass off.”
“Heads up! Jellies!” This from Yu, whose craft was slightly ahead of the one Maddock and Bones rode. Sure enough, soon after he said it they were enveloped by thousands of gelatinous, bell-shaped jellyfish. The tentacled invertebrates bounced off of the divers’ bodies and that of the SDVs, but the exposure suits and face masks they wore protected them from contact with the venomous creatures.
Yu glanced at the SDV’s compass and made a course adjustment. “That’s the Baltic for you. It’s not really known for the exotic sea life. Mostly just wreck diving.”
“And Jellyfish.” Maddock watched as the school of jellies eventually thinned until they could actually see through the water for a few feet again. He glanced at his depth gauge, which told him they had leveled out in the middle of the water at fifty feet. Gradually they descended toward the deeper waters of the wreck site. A short while later, as Maddock was lost in thought about what they would find on the sunken ship, Jiminez’ voice stirred him from his reverie.
“Thar she blows. Behold the wreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff.”
Chapter 5
A rubble field. That’s all it looked like at first. Maddock shook his head as he took it in. At least the visibility had improved in the deeper water where the wreck lay. But that also allowed him to see how discouraging the view was. Even with their underwater vehicles, there was still a daunting amount of ground to cover. The former hospital ship had been over 700 feet long and eighty wide. Its immensity combined with decades of wave and current action in the stormy Baltic meant that there was now a vast debris field to comb over in addition to the bulk of the ship’s remains.
“I think I see something.” Professor’s voice cut through Maddock’s intimidating thoughts.
“What have you got?” Maddock strained to see through the gloom.
“A… light?”
“It does look like a light on a stick,” Bones added, pointing down at the bottom near the edge of the debris field.
Jimenez commented as he eased the SDV toward the seabed. “Could be that the Russians are putting markers down as they search.”
“I see another one over there.” Professor pointed to the edge of their visibility in front of them, where another pinpoint glow of light beckoned. “They could be transecting line markers, to delineate a measured search area so that they know for sure where they’ve already looked.”