Anthony was only too glad to get up and leave. He was the first to thank the president and make a move to exit. Sukudo left without a word. He was not impressed. Dan was thoroughly confused. He did not understand what the president meant, and Levi had to tug at his sleeve to urge him through the door.
After the door was closed, Levi braced Dan against the wall. “Next time you go around me on any op, I’ll have your ass, and your admiral’s ass too.” He limped down the hall to walk with Anthony, who was waiting at the junction. Surely there is a fence to be mended there, he thought.
Sukudo emerged from around the corner and smiled at Dan. “That guy’s a real prick.”
“You’re being nice. To Levi, that would be a compliment.”
The two strolled off. “I hate to bring this up now, but what I told you about the president: I told you so.” Sukudo chuckled.
“You know, you’re in a damn good mood considering the conversation we heard.”
“Understand one thing, Dan. This isn’t about a sub being stolen from the Russian Navy. This is a game of chess. One game with more than two players. Winning isn’t the real objective. Each player wants the outcome of this game to end in a way for it to benefit him the most. The president is stalling for time, trying to figure out his ending. Levi has his own goals. What that dumb son of a bitch Stemovich doesn’t know is that he is the pawn. We are the players. We’re the ones who will decide how the game ends.”
“I’m glad you can be so confident,” Dan commented sarcastically. “What is your goal in this competition?”
“That’s not up for discussion.”
“I think it should be if millions of people are going to die.”
Sukudo leaned into Dan’s ear. “Don’t worry. Baghdad isn’t going to get the missile.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Stemovich isn’t headed that way.”
The War Eagle came up just high enough to poke her antenna through the water, but only long enough to send the required message. The storm was so strong that it forced her back under, annoying Jim that he couldn’t inspect the outer hull. “Come right two-seven-zero. All ahead standard.”
“Standard aye, sir,” echoed a voice from behind.
“Bump, how far did he get before we lost him?”
The voice box crackled. “About fifty miles. He held this course all the way.”
Jim walked back into the RRCC to find Josh working his controls. “Jesus Christ, Captain. I can barely keep up with him. Luckily, he hasn’t dived any deeper. Yet,” offered Josh to begin the banter.
“Still got a lock?”
“Yup. He seems to be cruising along the Russian coast, using a deliberate path. No fucking around. He’s got a plan.”
“How long do you think you can keep up with him?”
“I’ve got his heat signature stored in my computer.”
“Good, ’cause we’re not going to catch him until I find out what the damage is to my ship.”
Mikhail had been inspecting the hull for the past several hours. Without going out, he had found no leaks or any type of stress to the sub. He walked up, hearing the tail end of Jim and Josh’s conversation. “There is no problem with this ship. The blast didn’t even scratch it. We can go after him right now.”
“Are you sure?” replied Jim.
“We’re undamaged.” Mikhail glanced at ODIS’s screen as Josh tried to enhance the view. He recognized the Russian coast. “He’s not leaving Russian waters, is he?”
“It doesn’t look that way.”
Mikhail peered at the map even more closely. “Andri is interested in remaining close to home. His path suggests that he has a place off the coast to hide.”
Jim butted in. “I don’t care where he goes. I’m more interested in what he plans on doing when he gets there.”
O’Neil was present and half listening to the conversation when a message came in. He jotted it down and handed it to the captain.
“Well, we finally got a name on our mystery sub: Saratov. Mean anything to you, Mik?”
“No.”
“Okay, since we don’t seem any the worse for the wear, let’s put the War Eagle in a little hunt. Our Saratov has got to stop somewhere.”
Nick marveled at the advancements in the Saratov, even it being twenty something years old. Three hours into their journey, Andri set an automatic drive on the ship, which let the vessel run strictly by computers. It was as close to an autopilot as Nick had ever observed on a submarine.
Andri instructed him that he and his counterpart could leave to grab a bite in the mess or stretch their legs. They were to return in half an hour. He went to the galley and fixed a quick snack, then began to peruse the ship and look for Marina. The sub was so state of the art for a Russian vessel that he wondered how Andri had made such a quantum leap in engineering. From the beginning, he had noticed that the ship was designed for maximum depth. He also noticed that the ship was so automated it took few crew. Sleek, long, and beautiful — more a work of art than an instrument of war.
In the stern, he noticed a compartment that seemed to be a separate section — a nook that was four feet by four feet and oblique. It hung from the upper deck, and a small hatch with a tiny, thick window near the floor was the only means for which to enter. Nick opened the hatch and stuck his head inside. Anxiety hit him. The memory of the pod ride clouded his mind, and his claustrophobia swelled. He threw his head back into the aisle, breathing deeply to quell the panic. Then he noticed Andri standing behind him.
“I don’t believe that you have been completely honest with me, Nicholas.”
Nick shook the feeling off and gathered himself. “Oh?”
“No, you haven’t. I have watched you inspecting my ship, and you cast an appreciate eye. The Saratov stimulates you. Correct?”
“I have found her quite intriguing.”
“Nonsense,” Andri happily snorted. “You have never seen anything like her before. You admire her.”
“I admit that I am amazed at the craftsmanship. It is a rare thing.” Nick knew that Andri’s head was swelling, and he wanted to keep him in a good humor.
“You wonder at this small compartment?” He was now eager to reveal the workings of his creation, especially since there was someone who could enjoy it. “Do you know what it is for?”
“It’s some type of escape vessel.”
“Very good, Nicholas.” Andri was mildly surprised. “Do you know how it works?”
Nick looked toward the ceiling and referred to the seal that held the pod to the ship. “I imagine that a lever on the inside blows the seal, and the pod floats to the top.”
“Close enough. The seal blows and floods this compartment of the ship. The pressure holding it in place relaxes, and the craft separates and floats to the surface. I designed it for a crew member to escape with vital information in the event the ship is in peril. After all, it could take one man to stop a war.”
“Has it been tested?”
Andri smiled. “No. I didn’t have time to thoroughly test the structure. I compensated for that by reinforcing the capsule to handle greater depths.”
“How fast does it rise?”
“I don’t really know. I have the calculations, though. A balloon inflates when it is clear of the ship. Or it is supposed to. That should help it travel upward.”
Nick wanted to learn more but felt that he was getting carried away with the questions. The pod was like the one they were developing in the States. There was a little déjà vu for him. “Remarkable.”