Leviathan

Jack looked at Carl, then nodded his head. Everett handed the captain a yellow envelope with a red border.

"I think you'll recognize the name and letterhead, Captain," Carl said. "I think this will explain our sincerity about that one chance if we fail."

Jefferson looked at the plain yellow envelope and then, without removing his eyes from Collins, broke the plastic seal. He pulled the single set of orders out and looked at them. When he was finished reading, he closed his eyes.

"Jesus Christ," he mumbled, and handed the letter over to First Officer Izzeringhausen. The lieutenant commander read what the order called for, and his face went slack.

"You'll have to excuse us, Colonel, we're just not that experienced with sending men out on a suicide mission. If you ask me, you guys are out of your fucking minds," Izzeringhausen said after reading the letter and the code that was attached to it.

"Take it easy, Izzy, I think they know what they're asking."

The first officer gave the letter from the president of the United States back to the captain and went back to speak with the chief of the boat.

"You know, it's not only suicide for you fellas, but for the Missouriand any other American boat in the area. A nuclear war shot in a confined area will smash us to atoms, and we have to be within range of the target to guarantee a hit," he said, tossing the letter onto the navigation console.

"Let's hope we can do something other than that, Captain. We can be pretty sneaky at times," Jack said.

The presidential order authorizing the use of Missouri'snuclear capability was having a profound effect on Jefferson, and Jack could see that. The order would be the first in naval history to be carried out, if it came to that, and the responsibility was etched on the captain's face.

"What if you're shot to pieces when you motor up to their dock?"

"Track Leviathanthe best you can and blow her to pieces, Captain."

"Just who in the hell are you people?"

"Believe me, Captain, we're no one special. We want our people back and we want Leviathanstopped."

The captain accepted Carl's answer and then looked at his chart.

"Izzy," he said aloud, "it will be dark in twenty minutes. Get the colonel and his men suited up and tell the SEALs to get ready to escort them to Saboo." Captain Jefferson looked up and held his hand out to Collins. "Colonel, I'll just say I hope you get your people out." He shook hands with Jack and then held his hand out to Everett. "But I really hope you talk some sense into the magnificent bastard that built that boat. I would hate to have to sink it andyou, too."

"Believe me, Captain, we hope the same thing," Collins said as he followed the first officer aft.

SABOO ATOLL, THE MARIANAS

In the darkness just before moonrise, USS Missouri, the stealthiest submarine in the history of the U.S. Navy, surfaced without a sound a thousand yards offshore of the volcanic atoll called Saboo. With only the topmost section of her tower out of the water, her silhouette was almost nonexistent in the darkness of the night. Even her sail numbers were a darker shade of black against the hull. Captain Jefferson popped free of the hatch, quickly brought binoculars to his face, and scanned the sea.

"Sonar, conn, what have we got?" he asked quietly, knowing how well sound carried at sea.

"Nothing on sonar. We are no longer picking up Leviathan. She must be too far distant or at a stop, and air search radar is clear, Captain."

"Okay, give me fifteen feet of air and clear the diving trunk, Izzy," Jefferson said as he scanned the sea again with his binoculars, nervous about his sonar's inability to find Leviathan.

"Aye, Captain, fifteen feet."

As Jefferson scanned the faraway beach of Saboo and the few lights there, the black sub silently rose in the water, clearing the lower escape trunk on the Missouri's sail. The hatch quickly opened and two large bundles were tossed free of the boat. The two Zodiacs quickly inflated. Ten U.S. Navy SEALs exited and took up station on the hull of the sub as they assisted the five men of the shore mission. Collins looked up at the sail before he stepped foot in the first boat and saw Jefferson looking down at him. Both men nodded, and Jefferson saluted.

"Good luck, Colonel."

Collins returned the salute and stepped into the boat with Dr. Gene Robbins in tow.

Three miles away in the darkest depths of the Pacific, Missouriwas being watched. The eyes that scanned her were merely curious.

"Bring up maximum magnification on the scope, please, Mr. Samuels," Alexandria ordered from her high station in main control.

The view on the free-floating hologram changed and flashed off for a split second. Then a three-dimensional view of the sail of Missouriappeared, but of far more interest to Heirthall were the two Zodiacs bobbing in the sea beside the sub.