Page 78 of Enemy Within
Finally, they arrived off the coast of St. Lawrence Island, deep in the Bering Sea and pointed down the gullet of the Bering Strait. Captain Anderson sent a boat out again, motoring to the northeast side of the island, and a small cove Ethan pointed out on the map. Ethan, the executive officer, and a team of security personnel went out. Jack watched from the bridge on top of the sail, trying to keep his breakfast down. Black waves crashed over the top of the sub, whitecaps that rolled overHonolulu’sback. On the surface, the sub rocked and rolled with the ocean’s currents, the seesaw motions exaggerated in the bridge. Icy spray blasted him in the face, and fierce winds whipped down the length of the sub. Sergey, Sasha, and Scott stayed below.
Jack almost wished he could join them.
He watched Ethan’s boat head toward shore, bouncing and tumbling on the roiling waves all the way to the beach.
Minutes after Ethan landed, they set out again, this time carrying another eight men. He picked them out one by one: Lieutenant Cooper and his men, and one extra. An Arab, slim and tall, who stayed at Adam’s side, looking cold and miserable and zipped up in a thick jacket. Was this Prince Faisal from Saudi Arabia? Had he joined Adam’s team, journeyed halfway around the world to help? What an alliance they were creating.
Jack spotted Doc clinging to the edge of the boat, leaning over the side like he was hurling his guts overboard. He rested his cheek on the inflatable rubber, but he bounced with every wave and roll of the ocean. In moments, he was hurling again, chunks blowing into the water as another of Adam’s Marines held on to his belt to keep him from going overboard.
And then they were back, clambering on board and disappearing into the sub. Jack scrambled down to greet them, alongside Captain Anderson.
When Adam saw him, he smiled wide and held out his hand. Jack pulled him in for a tight hug. “Good to see you, Mr. President,” Adam grunted, pulling away. He nodded to his team, and Jack shook each of their hands and returned their smiles.
“I’m glad to see each of you,” Jack said. “Let me be clear. We are going to get this son of a bitch. We’re going to take him out, and we’re going to find whoever it was who killed Corporal Fitz.” He watched Adam’s men grit their teeth, saw their jaws clench. “We’ll make them all pay.”
Hoots and hollers followed his words, and then the executive officer offered to lead Adam’s men to the torpedo bay, their new home.
Adam and the Arab hesitated, hanging back.
Jack held out his hand. “Jack Spiers.”
“Alhamdulillah, Mr. President. I am glad to see you well. We have spoken before. Faisal al-Saud.Bismillah,it is a distinct honor to meet you at last.” Faisal took his hand and shook it, more firmly than he would have expected.
“Faisal has been an invaluable aid to our mission, every step of the way.” Adam swallowed. Jack watched him fidget, watched him slide closer to Faisal. “I consider him a member of my team.”
“As do I, then.” Jack nodded to them both. Behind Adam, Ethan came down the ladder, shaking saltwater from his hair and wiping the drips from his face. “Get settled in. We’ll update you all soon.”
Nodding, Adam and Faisal followed their team, heading forward.
Anderson passed Ethan a towel. “Mr. President, our transit through the Bering Strait is going to be delayed.”
“What’s going on?”
“The Bering Strait is one of the most difficult passages in the world, Mr. President. It’s just about one hundred feet deep where we can cross, sometimes as low as fifty feet. We need to make the passage submerged, but that requires exact precision. This storm is getting worse. Ice drifts are banging around on the surface, and the currents are strong. We’re going to wait for a few hours. The weather report says this will pass soon.”
Jack and Ethan shared a look. “As long as it’s not too much of a delay.”
“We’ll make up speed under the ice cap.” Anderson smiled. “Since we’re treading water, I’d like to ask you both to join me for lunch. It would be an honor, and I’d be a poor captain if I didn’t treat my dignitaries with the respect they deserve.”
Jack laughed. “Captain, you’ve done an admirable job with what we’ve handed you.” He looked at Ethan, who nodded. “We’d love to join you.”
32
Kara Sea – Madigan’s Base Camp
“GENERAL.”
Cook’s deep voice boomed down the hallways of their command ship, the Russian destroyerVeduschiy.Parked in the Kara Sea after breaking through the ice, theVeduschiyhad been ensnared once again. She was affixed to the ice and the ice to her. She wasn’t going anywhere.
She wouldn’t need to, ever again.
Madigan watched Cook storm into the destroyer’s command center. The dim lights and the red-and-blue glow of the displays cast harsh shadows over his already lean and dangerous features. Even in the darkness, his eyes gleamed, a predatory intensity that couldn’t be contained.
The past few days had been hard for the man. He needed to give Cook a win, or an outlet, at least, for the roiling bloodlust that had spiked within him. The discovery of Paloshenko’s failure and the loss of the MiG pilot had nearly made Cook snap. “What is it, Captain?”
“We’ve received a message, sir. From our contact.” Cook scowled, ferocious anger rolling off him. His arms trembled, the strength in his muscles desperate to lash out, to destroy. “Jack Spiers isalive,” Cook spat. “He’s not on life support in America. He’s on a mission to the Arctic.” Cook slammed down a tablet, their contact’s message scrawled across the screen. “He’s cominghere.”
Jack Spiers… Despite himself, Madigan grinned. He chuckled under his breath and reached for the tablet. Jack’s whole mission was there: two subs heading for the Arctic, Lieutenant Cooper’s team, Ethan Reichenbach, Scott Collard, and Jack.
