"It doesn't mean the rest are lost," Ronnie said. "If the hatches and bulkheads held forward of the sail, they could still be alive."
The camera showed one of the operators bending down over the interior hatch.
"He's going to open the emergency hatch on the sub," Nick said.
Lamont nodded. "Cross your fingers."
They waited. One minute. Two. The operator opened the interior hatch and climbed down a short ladder into the chamber connecting the rescue vehicle to the submarine.
A hand appeared at the top of the ladder, then the top of a head. It was an American. The crew of the DSRV was Japanese.
"All right!" Lamont said.
The man emerged into the interior of the rescue vehicle. His enlisted man's uniform was stained and rumpled. The camera caught his face. His lips were held in a grim line. His eyes were haunted. The pilot of the DSRV came into view and directed him back to the third sphere.
Another man emerged from the chamber, then a third. He kneeled by the opening and reached down to grab an injured crewmate being boosted from below. Another American climbed out of the opening after him and the two men took their injured companion to the rear of the DSRV.
The next man out was the Japanese copilot. He shook his head and closed the hatch over the chamber.
"Shit," Ronnie said.
"Five men? That's it?" Selena said.
"Five out of a hundred and sixty-five," Nick said. His voice was hard. "Someone has to answer for this."
CHAPTER 9
It hadn't taken Haltman long to decide that the best way to accomplish his goal in the time that he had left was to start a nuclear war between the great powers.
For Haltman, it was similar to playing the Japanese game of Go with its black and white stones. One had to prepare for the game. It was necessary to set up the board, arrange the pieces. Then one had to bring the players together. Before Haltman's game could begin, other elements needed to be in place.
There were several ways a war might start. In the end he'd decided the key was North Korea. The DPRK's leader was belligerent, paranoid and possibly insane. He had nukes and he'd threatened to use them. All he needed was a little help and provocation.
Obtaining the plans for Black Dolphin and the codes had required only a phone call. Haltman had made sure Pyongyang got everything. Underwater drones were nothing new. North Korea already possessed them. But those were designed to detonate on contact with an enemy vessel. They weren't an effective weapon against American warships, but Black Dolphin was different. With simple modifications, the technology could be added to existing designs. Pyongyang didn't have to build it entirely from scratch. All they had to do was install it in their existing arsenal.
The sinking of California was the opening gambit in the game. It was a perfect casus belli. It should have brought down the wrath of the U.S. on the North, but the plan had failed.
North Korea was only meant to be the trigger. Pyongyang didn't have the weapons to ensure worldwide devastation, but China did. China would never allow the Americans to control North Korea. War on the peninsula would force a confrontation with the U.S., certain to go nuclear. It would spread, because that was the nature of war. Russia would be drawn in. Europe. One morning, there would be a nuclear dawn. By evening, life would be extinct.
Haltman had been furious when Yun allowed the rescue operation to take place, but it was only a setback. He'd already prepared the next step in his plan. The assassination of the Chinese ambassador was a classic GO move to mislead the opponent. The Chinese were as paranoid as the North Koreans and carried a much bigger stick. Beijing would wonder why Li had been targeted. It would make them nervous. A nervous China would play into his hands as the game progressed.
The CIA knew the sub had been sunk by a secret American weapon. A massive search was on for whoever had given the Koreans the plans. Haltman had expected that.
"What are they doing about it?" Haltman had asked his mole at Langley.
"What you'd expect. They're checking everyone who had access to the plans. The agency is working with a covert group that reports to the President."
"What group?"
"They call themselves the Project. The DNCS is married to one of them. Whoever sold us out better watch his ass with those guys on it."
Haltman forced his voice to remain calm. He knew about the Project. He had reasons to know about them.
"They're good?"
"They have a reputation for getting things done. I wouldn't want them coming after me."
After he'd hung up, Haltman thought about the Project. There was something he had to do before he dealt with them.
The plans for Black Dolphin had crossed the desks of a limited number of people. It wouldn't take long before the traitor was discovered. Haltman needed him for one more betrayal before his usefulness was over.
Brigadier General Randolph Sanford was in the study of his Alexandria home when the phone rang. His guts contracted. It wasn't his regular phone, it was the other one. He dreaded hearing that phone. He knew who it was. Sanford picked up.
"Yes."
"You are alone? You can talk?"
Haltman's voice was disguised by a program which masked his voice and gave it a vaguely Asian quality.
"Yes."
"I have another assignment for you."
"I'm not going to help you."
"Don't be foolish, General. Do I have to remind you what will happen if you refuse to do as I ask?"
"It's not easy. You know everything is heavily secured. After the last assignment things have gotten more difficult. I may be under suspicion."
"Suspicion is the least of your worries."
"I can't do this. Not anymore. I didn't know how you were going to use what I gave you. You told me it was about parity, that you wanted to create a defensive countermeasure in case Black Dolphin was deployed against you. I know about the California. You didn't tell me you would use it against us."
"You were paid well. If you believe what you're saying, you are more naïve than I thought. If it makes you feel any better, it was not our intention for this to happen."
"No, it doesn't make me feel any better. I'm through. I'm not going to give you anything else."
"So you don't care about the pictures? I'm sure General Samson would find them interesting. And of course, your wife and children. They would certainly enjoy them."
There it was. General Samson was Sanford's boss, one of the Joint Chiefs. Sanford was his aide, which gave him access to high levels of secret material. The pictures the voice had mentioned showed him in explicit, naked embrace with a transvestite prostitute. One moment of weakness, and now he was paying for it. His career and his marriage would be over if the pictures came to light. And if anyone found out what he'd done, that would be the least of it.
Sanford's heart pounded. He clenched the phone in his hand.
"You said you wouldn't show them to anyone. You promised."
The voice was soothing, the voice of a friend. "And I haven't, General. Nor will I, if you do one more favor for me. Then I will give you the negatives and you'll never hear from me again."
"One more? That's all?"
"That's right."
"What do you want?"
"I want you to obtain a copy of the war plan for China."
"How do you know about that?"