CHAPTER 20

Bilbek International Airport

The Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine

Captain Pavel Zalevskiy sat at the end of the runway with his hand on the throttle. The stewardess had just handed his co-captain the passenger manifest. Zalevskiy studied the manifest.

Another light flight. Only eighteen passengers were on board for the short hop over the northwestern quadrant of Black Sea to Con-stanta, Romania, a flight that would take them on a course of almost due west.

Probably the typical midweek mix of businessmen and a handful of tourists, he surmised. Fortunately, the State was heavily subsidizing the airlines. Eighteen passengers would not pay for the fuel one way. Hopefully, the plane would be at least halfway full on the return trip.

He handed the manisfest back to the stewardess. "Strap in, Natasha."

"Yes, Kapitan, " the blonde said.

"Crimean Flight Eighteen, Bilbek Tower. You are clear for takeoff."

"Bilbek, Crimean Eighteen. Roger that. Proceeding now."

Zalevskiy pushed on the throttle, and the Russian-built Tu-134 aircraft began rolling, then picking up speed as it raced down the runway. A moment later, the jet had lifted off the Crimean Peninsula. A moment after that, the jet was over the waters of the Black Sea.

Other than strands of wispy cirrus clouds miles above, the skies were a clear, pristine blue. The first ten minutes of the flight were refreshingly clear of turbulence. Pavel settled into the cockpit for what looked like a routine, velvety-smooth flight over to Romania. And then, the peaceful hum in the cockpit was suddenly punctuated by distressed calls of "Mayday!"

Pavel sat up, listening intently to the words crackling over the speakers. As soon as he understood the situation, he contacted the control tower. "Sevastopol Control, Crimean 18."

"Go ahead, Crimean 18."

"Sevastopol, I've got a mayday on VLF from the freighter Alexander Popovich. The mayday claims the ship is sinking. Repeat, the mayday claims the ship is sinking. Request permission to go to one thousand for a visual."

"Crimean 18, Sevastopol. Permission granted. Go to one thousand. Monitor for as long as fuel permits. Advise."

"Sevastopol. Crimean. Descending to one thousand now."

The Al Alamein

Mediterranean Sea

Course and position?" Captain Hosni Sadir was asking.

"Twenty miles north of Crete, sir, " the Egyptian helmsman replied. "We must make a course correction soon, or we will run into the island."

"Very well." Captain Sadir sipped a cup of hot tea and glanced at the navigational charts spread out on the table. "Upon my mark, make your course ninety degrees. Chart new course for Gibraltar."

"Yes, Kapitan."

Sadir checked his watch. Salman Dudayev stepped onto the bridge. "Ah, Salman, " Sadir said. "How is the world's most brilliant physicist?"

A sly grin came from the Chechen. "Thank you for the compliment, Kapitan. If our plan works, perhaps I will allow you to call me that on the other side of paradise."

"Care for tea?"

"No, thank you. There is still much work to do."

Another sip of tea. "And how is your work coming?"

"The plutonium was stored in two large, radioactive-proof barrels, " Salman said. "It took a while to open it, but now my assistants are molding it into special metal bowls that we have on board. After that, we will start on the explosives and detonators."

Hearing Salman describe his work brought a tranquil peace over the captain's body. Surely this peace was from Allah the munificent. "Perhaps you can soon give me a tour of this hydrogen bomb facility you have constructed in my ship."

"With pleasure, Kapitan. But remember that you must wear a radioactive suit. I am sure we have some your size."

Sadir chuckled. "Perhaps when we leave the Mediterranean I will accept your offer to go on that tour."

"Of course, sir."

Sadir checked his watch again. "Helmsman, make your course zero-nine-zero degrees. Plot new course for the Rock of Gibraltar."

Lifeboat

The Black Sea

Sasha!" Masha was standing in the boat, screaming. Sasha had not come up from the spot that he had fallen into the water. The children leaned over the side of the boat, staring into the water and screaming his name. "Sasha! Sasha!"

"Get back, children!" she yelled. Sasha could not swim. Neither could she.

A huge splash threw a wave of water into the boat. Masha glanced up, realizing that Aleksey had jumped in the sea.

All the children were wailing now.

"Jesus, help us!" she blurted.

There was a stirring in the water. Aleksey popped up, blowing air out of his mouth. Sasha was cradled under his arm.

"Help me get him into the boat, " he called up at Masha.

She reached over and yanked the little boy under his arms. He slid into the boat, his face pale and his body limp.

"Sasha! Sasha, wake up!" Masha shook him. "Please wake up!"

Aleksey swam around to the back of the boat and pulled himself into the boat. He took Sasha into his arms, locked arms around the boy's waist, and then squeezed his abdomen.

"Sasha!" Aleksey slapped his face.

The boy coughed and spat water from his mouth and nose.

"Sasha!" Masha pleaded. Sasha's blue eyes blue opened, then rolled towards her. He was coughing, but a weak smile crossed his face. "Oh, thank God!"

Aleksey ripped a knife from his pocket. He sliced one of the ropes tying the lifeboat to the ship. "We must go!"

"No!" Masha grabbed Aleksey's hand. "Not without Dima!"

"Move!" He shoved her away. "Dima is fine. He is in one of the other lifeboats."

"What other lifeboats? I do not see any other lifeboats!"

"There are lifeboats on the other side of the ship. Now we must get away or we will all be sucked down when she sinks." He pushed her away, then shoved a paddle against the ship. The boat drifted away from the sinking freighter.

"Look! It is sinking! It is sinking!" The children screamed and pointed over the back of the lifeboat.

Masha looked over her shoulder and saw the floating hulk slipping down into the sea.

"Don't look!" Aleksey was screaming. "Keep paddling. We must get away or we will be sucked under with her!"

Masha turned her head, attacking the sea with her paddle with all her might. Aleksey sat beside her, paddling off the right side. The boat slipped forward through the Black Sea.

"It is gone!" The children were yelling and pointing.

"Do not stop, Masha! We must get far away! There will be a great suction!"

Masha kept paddling. The bow of the boat began turning. "Why are we turning?" In a moment they had spun all the way around the sinking ship. The boat kept turning, bringing them around another full rotation. This time the ship had disappeared.

A rushing current pulled them back, back toward the spot in the water where the ship had gone under.

"Paddle!" Aleksey yelled. Masha tried, but to no avail. The boat was now spinning in a whirlpool. Other whirlpools spun all around them. The current grew faster. The sea sucked floating debris into the vacuum left by the sinking ship.

"Jesus, save my children!"

The USS Honolulu The Black Sea

Boat's on the surface, Skipper!"

"Very well. Deploy SEAL team for rescue ops."

"SEAL teams already in the water, Skipper."

"XO, follow me! Mr. McCaffity, you have the conn!"

Pete donned his orange all-weather jacket, then stormed out of the control room, up the ladder, toward the bridge. Enlisted men had already opened the hatch, and sunlight streamed into the open space as Pete climbed quickly up the ladder.

Two lookouts were already posted in the open air bridge as Pete stepped under the blue skies and the late-afternoon sun.

"Your binoculars, Skipper."