"This screen on the left displays the river from the Capitol in D.C. one-third of the way downstream. The middle screen continues from there to about where we are. The last screen is the water from here to the border between Maryland and Virginia, out in the Chesapeake Bay."
"Can you operate both above and below water at the same time?" Martinez asked.
"Yes, we just reduce the image and split the screens in two." The contractor gestured to one of the technicians sitting at a keyboard, who punched in commands. The screen split.
Taft wanted to get the demonstration over as quickly as possible. He walked over to the middle screen and pointed to a blip. "What's this object?"
"That's the great thing about our system," the contractor noted. "It's programmed with the dimensions and characteristics of both man-made and natural marine objects. A storage file in the computer lists boats, whales, whatever. In fact, if there is a personal watercraft out there, for example, we could probably tell you the make and engine size by motor noise and dimensions." The contractor turned to the technician. "Zoom in on the target Agent Taft is pointing to."
The technician punched in the commands. Off to one side, a window opened and the make and engine characteristics of the object were displayed.
The three men stared at the screen. "That comes up as a Chinese Kong 16 minisubmarine, powered by electric motors," the contractor said in astonishment.
"Are you sure this thing is working?" Martinez asked.
"System report is normal," the technician said.
"Son of a bitch," Taft muttered. "That little bastard didn't get away after all." Taft and Martinez sprinted across the parking lot to their sedan. Taft started the engine, revved it up, and dropped it into gear. The tires broke loose from the asphalt as he raced from the parking lot. With his free hand Taft reached for his cellular phone. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard and decided to try General Benson at home.
"He's at the office," Mrs. Benson said to Taft.
Taft speed-dialed the number for Benson's office.
"Benson."
"This is John Taft, sir. Martinez and I are at the demonstration in Potomac Beach. Is there anything new to report on the Einstein papers?"
"We're observing a Chinese spy ship named Carondelet at the mouth of the Potomac. We believe the Einstein papers are on board, or soon will be. At midnight the Coast Guard will board the vessel and seize her. Why do you ask?'
"The Potomac River monitoring system in Potomac Beach just located a Chinesemade mini-sub steaming up the Potomac," Taft blurted out. Punching the gas pedal to the floor, Taft steered around an eighteen-wheeler. Martinez placed one hand on the dashboard as he clutched the passenger-assist strap on the door.
"They must have launched the submarine from the Carondelet when we weren't watching," Benson said quickly. "Can you and Martinez intercept it?"
"We're driving toward the sub right now. To receive the directions from the monitoring station in Potomac Beach we need to hang up on you and call them back."
"Which way are you headed?" Benson asked.
"The sub just passed under the bridge at Dahlgren, Virginia," Taft said.
"I'll send backup," Benson said as the phone went dead. Martinez grabbed the cellular phone from Taft and dialed the computer room at Potomac Beach. "Where's the sub now?" he asked.
"It just passed the bridge at Dahlgren and is angling north to a cove nearby," the contractor said.
Martinez repeated the information so there could be no mistake. Taft pushed the accelerator of the sedan to the floor. Their NIA sedan was doing ninety as they roared over the bridge at Dahlgren.
"Tell Potomac Beach to keep the screens split. I need to know when the sub breaks to the surface," Taft said.
Martinez relayed the instructions and waited. Taft watched the road ahead intently. Lines of trees on each side of the road made it seem the men were traveling through a tunnel. Ahead Taft noticed lights. They were entering the town of Bel Alton.
"The sub is turning toward shore. The location is almost directly across from the town of Bel Alton," the contractor noted.
Taft slammed on the brakes in the center of Bel Alton, then swung the car in a highspeed 180-degree turn. "I saw a road back there leading to the water," he shouted to Martinez.
Pulling off the pavement, Taft steered down a dirt road. The road was tree-lined and fallen leaves littered the packed earth. In the rearview mirror, lit by the car's taillights, Taft could see a cloud of leaves being blown in the air.
He reached to the dash and killed his headlights, then continued on with only the parking lights for illumination. The sedan was a wraith in the night racing toward a clash with destiny brought about by dumb luck
"The sub is rising to the surface," the contractor said over the cellular phone. Rolling down his window, Taft sniffed at the air. "We're getting close to the water," he said to Martinez.
Taft was watching to the side of the sedan as they sped down the road. He noticed a path leading through the forest toward the water. He slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a sliding stop. Jamming the transmission into reverse, he drove ten yards backward and wrenched the vehicle into park.
Running to the rear of the car, Taft opened the trunk and rooted around inside. "Here's what I need," he said to Martinez as he pocketed a road flare. "Do you have an extra clip?"
"Yes," Martinez said as he removed his extra clip from a pouch on his belt and handed it to Taft.
"Stay here, Larry. This job is for someone trained in operations. I've got a feeling it might get wet. You made a pact with your wife you'd stay out of operations from now on, and I don't want you to break that. Call Benson and ask him to have the navy block the entrance to the cove. Let me handle the courier." Taft cocked his automatic with a single fluid motion. "Next, get some choppers with lights over the area. Also request some bloodhounds to be put on standby in case this guy somehow escapes and we need to track him. I'll try to capture him before he runs, but who knows."
"Okay, John, whatever you say," Martinez said. "But be careful, this guy's a crafty little shit."
"I know," Taft said as he stuffed his gun into the waistband of his pants and set out from the car.
Taft began running through the forest toward the water. Away from lights his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness and his night vision began to improve. He listened to the woods and sniffed at the air.
He was a hunter and he knew his prey was nearby.
At the edge of the forest, near the water, Taft stopped and looked across the river. In the waning light of a quarter-moon he could make out the conning tower of the mini-sub as it broke the surface fifty yards downriver. Taft began to make his way silently along the tree line.
He watched carefully for the courier.
As soon as the submarine's conning tower was fully out of the water, Tsing flashed his light three times. He waited for a reply. Seeing the correct signal from shore the submarine's navigator poked from the hatch of the submarine and turned on a single blue light atop the tower.
Tsing's salvation was at hand.
As soon as Tsing saw the answering signal from the submarine he raced for the edge of the Potomac. His thoughts turned to home and family.
Taft was at the edge of the woods, watching the submarine while scanning the shoreline for sign of the courier. The instant Tsing ran from the woods, Taft struck the road flare against a rock and sparked the end.
It burst into flames with a red chemical glow.
Tossing the flare toward the edge of the river he ran from his hiding spot with his pistol drawn. "Stop where you are," he shouted at Tsing, who was clutching the package containing the Einstein papers tightly in his hand.
The thin line between a civilized man and a barbarian was exposed. Taft should have shot Tsing without a warning, because in the next few seconds everything went very wrong. Using the light from the burning flare as his beacon, the navigator in the conning tower of the mini-sub drew out a pistol.