Murphy slipped into his seat across the table. “What has happened”
“Apparently someone has snatched one of our nuclear submarines”
The DCI was stunned into silence. His first thought was Baranov and Kurshin. But God in heaven, how was such a thing possible?
“My reaction exactly” the president said heavily. He glanced at Admiral O’Malley. “Give him the short version, Stewart”
“At 0300 Zulu yesterday morning, our attack submarine Indianapolis detected what she took to be a weak SOS signal from an Italian-registered pleasure vessel about one hundred miles off Sixth Fleet Headquarters at Gaeta. That was the last word we got from her. She simply disappeared without a trace … until thirty minutes ago”
“Where is she now”
“Submerged and running at a high rate of speed” Admiral O’Malley said.
“East” the president interjected. “Our SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System) network picked up her footprint as she was coming out of the Malta Channel into the eastern Med. But then we lost her again. We’ve got half a dozen Orions up now searching the immediate area”
“Any possibility this is a mistake” Murphy asked, somehow knowing that it wasn’t.
“No” the admiral said. “I know the skipper JD. Webb personally. He’s a good man. But there is more”
“Yes” Murphy said, holding himself in check. “We have the pleasure vessel that sent the SOS”
“What does her crew say”
“No crew. The boat was sabotaged, burned, and very nearly sunk. We found the remains of an automatic Morse code transmitter, and a canister which we believe contained Labun-a nerve gas. It was stolen nearly a year ago from Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah”
“A canister” Murphy mumbled. “That we’ve found. Seven were stolen”
“Terrorists”
“Russians” the president said.
Secretary of State Baldwin sat forward quickly. “We don’t know that for a fact, Mr. President”
“Terrorists do not have the expertise to hijack a nuclear submarine, Jim” the president shot back. “What about the sub’s crew” Murphy asked.
“We think there is a very good chance they’re all dead” O’Malley said.
It was obvious he was having a difficult time holding his temper in check. A slight tic played at the corner of his right eye, and his knuckles were white as he clasped his hands tightly in front of him on the conference table. “From what we have been able to piece together so far, we think that whoever was manning the Zenzero lured the Indianapolis to the surface with the fake SOS. JD. would have sent someone over to check it out. They were most likely overpowered, and somehow the … hijackers managed to send the other canisters of Labun across to the sub”
“Would that have killed the entire crew” The admiral nodded. “Unless Webb went to battle stations-which there was no need for him to do-the gas would have circulated throughout the boat’s common ventilation system within seconds”
“Wouldn’t it have also killed the hijackers” Murphy asked. “it would have dissipated in under a minute” The information was staggering.
Murphy was having a hard time digesting it. “Have there been any indications that the Russians were up to something like this, Roland”
the president asked. Murphy could see in his eyes that he already knew the answer. “Baranov and Kurshin” the DCI said. “They managed With the Pershing out of Ramstein” He turned back to Admiral O’Malley. “Would Colonel Rand have had access to information about the Indianapolis”
“The sonofabitch knew it all” O’Malley blurted. “Her technical data as well as her pat@ol station schedule! And he sold us down the fucking river”
“Nothing from our intercepts has given any indication that such a thing was in the works” NSA Director Miller said. “They wouldn’t” Murphy replied thoughtfully. “If Kurshin has the boat, he’s obviously got a crew with him. They would have been brought out at least twenty-four hours before the actual hijacking. It’s possible they left a track.
Where did the Zenzero come from”
“Naples” O’Malley said. “Then they would have holed up either there or in Rome. Who’s in charge in Gaeta”
“Ron Delugio. His intelligence staff is running it down in Naples right now”
“In the meantime the Indianapolis, with nuclear weapons aboard, is heading east” the president said grimly. “She can be bottled up”
“The Bosporus” O’Malley said. “Goddamnit, Mr. President, if you go ahead with any sort of a blockade a shooting war could start” Secretary of State Baldwin said. “It may already have started, Jim” the president said. “The Indianapolis is certainly capable of it. She will not, under any circumstances, be allowed into the Black Sea. Once she gets that far, we’ve lost her”
“We cannot sit still and do nothing” Admiral O’Malley said through clenched teeth. “You’ve said yourself, Stewart, that the Soviet Navy is operating a portion of its Black Sea fleet in the eastern Med”
“The Nimitz and her support group will remain in the area” O’Malley shot back. “The Baton Rouge and Phoenix will be standing by off the Dardanelles” They werr both Los Angeles-class attack submarines, the same as the Indianapolis. “With what orders, Admiral” the secretary of state demanded. “We’ll attempt to communicate with Indianapolis”
“If there is no response”
“We’ll kill her” Secretary of State Baldwin turned back to the president. “You can’t authorize this, Mr. President. In the name of God The president’s expression tightened. “As I’ve already said, Jim, I will not allow the Indianapolis to reach the Black Sea. It’s as simple as that”
“Then a shooting war will begin”
“That depends upon how badly they want her”
“How badly do we want her back” Baldwin asked. “That much” the president replied, turning again to Murphy. “Get your Rome station on it immediately. So far we’ve only got speculation; we need proof linking the Zenzero to the Russians”
“Yes, Mr. President” Murphy said. “And, Roland”
“Sir”
“I don’t care how you get it. Do you understand me” Yes, Mr. President.
But if it is Kurshin, working under Bar’anov’s orders, then there is only one man for the job” The president nodded. “Where is he now”
“East Berlin”
“Can we get him out”
“Yes. “Do it. We’ll reconsider that other matter as soon as this situation is resolved”
“What are we talking about now” Secretary of State Baldwin asked, alarmed. The president ignored him. “But at this point, I’m inclined to give my go-ahead. Wholeheartedly CIA HEADQUARTERS On Murphy’s orders, Trotter had remained at the embassy in Athens to run interference for McGarvey should it become absolutely necessary. It was a long way from Berlin, but much closer than Washington was. “Pull him out” Murphy said when he had Trotter on the secure phone. “What’s going on, General”
Trotter’s voice came over the encrypted line with only the slightest of interference. “I was just about to call you”
“It’s Kurshinhe’s off and running again There’s no time to explain now, John. Just get McGarvey down to Naples. I’ll have the package sent over to you, and you can handcarry it down there to him. He’ll be working with Admiral Ron Delugio, who is CINCMED out of Gaeta”
“We’re going to blow a lot of resources in East Berlin pulling him out”
Trotter said. “And there’s another problem”
“Go ahead” Murphy said, girding himself. “It’s Lorraine Abbott. She slipped away from Yablonski at the Athens airport”
“Why wasn’t I told”
