Goliath

“The Trident II (D5) only has a range of about five thousand miles. With the exception of Sydney, there are really no major cities or military installations that fit Covah’s agenda. However, further analysis of the trajectory of three of Covah’s nukes revealed a disturbing conclusion.” Nuziata looks up. “Covah wasn’t aiming for cities, gentlemen, he was trying to detonate volcanoes.”

“Volcanoes?” President Edwards looks baffled.

“Yes, sir, volcanoes. Big pyroclastic ones.”

“I don’t understand. Why volcanoes?”

“Imagine eight eruptions on a scale that would put Krakatau to shame. Be like the asteroid impact that struck Earth 65 million years ago, killing all the dinosaurs—only worse. The environmental holocaust that followed would have blanketed the planet’s atmosphere with debris for years.”

“Good … . God, a nuclear winter?”

“More like an ice age. That Russian lunatic is out to destroy every god-damn-life-form on the planet.”

Jackson feels the blood drain from his face, leaving him light-headed, dizzy.

“General Jackson, how many more nuclear weapons does Covah have left?”

“At least eight more D5s, Mr. President,” Jackson hears himself saying, “enough to give this doomsday scenario one last try. We believe he’ll leave Antarctic waters and head either north or east in an attempt to lose the laser plane.”

Nick Nunziata nods. “If he’s after volcanoes, the Northern Hemisphere’s got plenty of ’em. He could surface in the North Atlantic or Pacific and choose from dozen of targets, all of which are well within range of his missiles.”

The president registers tightness running up his left arm. “General Jackson?”

“We lost the Virginia, sir, but the Hawaii and Jimmy Carter are closing fast from the east, joined by a half dozen more Aussie boats. The biggest gap in the net lies to the north. Scranton’s probably close, but we haven’t heard from Cubit in hours. Meanwhile, our Orion sub hunters are concentrating their sonar buoys in the area where the Virginia was attacked, but the going’s slow with all this pack ice. Two Russian destroyers and three Borey-class subs have joined the USS Gonzalez in an attempt to close the hole to the north, but they’re still a half day out.”

“What happens if Covah slips through?”

Jackson grimaces. “Then … it’s over. Finding the Goliath in open ocean would be tougher than locating a needle in a haystack the size of the Empire State Building. It’s now or never … sir.”

Aboard the Goliath

ATTENTION. SORCERESS UTOPIA-ONE SECOND LAUNCH TARGETS HAVE NOW BEEN SELECTED:

David stares at the target list and their coordinates as they are projected on the big overhead screen.

SORCERESS UTOPIA-ONE DESIGNATED TARGETS Concepción. Nicaragua 11.5 N. 85.6 W El Chichón. Mexico 17.4 N. 93.2 W Mount Hood. Oregon. USA 45.4 N. 121.7 W Mount Rainier. Washington. USA 46.5 N. 121.7 W Mount Shasta. California, USA 41.4 N. 122.2 W Mount St. Helens. Washington. USA 46.2 N. 122.1 W Mount Vesuvius. Italy 40.8 N. 14.4 E Soufriere Hills. Montserrat 16.7 N. 62.2 W

David’s body feels numb, his mind enraged. “Mount Shasta? Goddamn you! You specifically targeted my father’s place in Big Bend!”

The scarlet eyeball infuriates him with its silence.

David staggers down the steps of the elevated platform and out of the conn.

Gunnar climbs down from the access tube and limps through the main corridor of upper deck forward, banging on every sealed door. “Rocky?”

“Gunnar? Gunnar—help me!”

He hurries to the surgical suite, pounding his fist against the solid steel watertight door. “Rocky, you in there?”

“Yes … hurry!”

Rocky is on the surgical table, both wrists pinned beneath the painful embrace of the African’s two mechanical pincers. Thrashing and kicking, twisting her head to and fro, she fights with every last ounce of strength to prevent Goliath’s two surgical claws from anesthetizing her.

She manages a muffled scream as the robotic arm forcibly presses the gas mask over her nose and mouth.

Gunnar slams his shoulder against the watertight door, more out of frustration than sense of purpose. It’s no use … you’ll need two to three bricks of C-4 to get through this thing.

He hobbles down the corridor, heading forward to the starboard weapons bay, when he sees a figure descend from the control room’s spiral stairwell. Son of a bitch …

David looks up, spotting Gunnar. “G-man? Jesus, thank God—”

Gunnar’s fist breaks Paniagua’s nose, sending him sprawling on the floor.

David staggers to his knees, blood running out both nostrils. “Wait—wait, I’m on your side. Sorceress means to destroy everything—I’m talking all seven billion of us! The fucking thing’s targeted volcanoes.”

“Volcanoes? If this is another one of your tricks—”

“No trick, I swear! The computer hates me, it wants me dead, too.”

“What happened to the other nukes … the eight that just launched?”