A Deeper Blue

Chapter Fifteen

“Hey there, man,” Mike said as he walked in Vanner’s room. “I am really upset with you.”

“Why?” Vanner said, trying to sit up.

“I thought I told you to duck!”

The former Marine was looking wan and had lost weight. Mike had seen the look before, quite a few times in the mirror. Some time in the Bahamas sunshine and Mother Savina’s cooking would do him good.

“I did,” Vanner said, smiling in relief. “Right after they shot me.”

“Doesn’t do much good then,” Mike pointed out.

“No, sir,” Vanner replied. “But I’ve been thinking about those chicken plates a lot lately. There’s a guy at Georgia Tech who came out with some better ones. They’re expensive as hell, but…”

“But you suddenly realize that expense is relative?” Mike asked, grinning.

“Something like that, yeah.”

“I’ll look into it,” Mike said. “In the meantime, you’re going to be cleared to be released in a couple more days. And I’ve got the perfect place for you to recuperate. Besides, the girls are getting all piney without their boyfriend around. Speaking of which,” Mike said, opening the door.

Greznya came in and shook her head.

“Sergeant, you were supposed to avoid getting shot,” the Keldara girl said, coming over to the bed and taking Vanner’s hand. “I’m sure I told you that.” There were tears in her eyes.

“I’m going to leave you kids alone,” Mike said. “I suggest you both have a talk about… things. Grez, I need you back at the island, though, so be ready to leave in no more than thirty minutes. That’s as long as they’re going to let you hang out in here, anyway.”

“Yes, Kildar,” the girl said.

“What about all that stuff with not being alone with Keldara girls?” Vanner said weakly.

“I don’t think that’s operable anymore,” Mike said, pausing in the doorway. “Not after Greznya was making out in public with another girl.”

“Kildar!” the girl snapped as the door closed.

“What did I miss?” Vanner asked, chuckling. “Ow! That hurts!”

“Hey, man,” Mike said, walking into Adams’s room. “You are about to be officially discharged. There’s a plane from Chatham waiting to whisk you away to a tropical island where you can continue to recuperate. Say ‘Thank you, Mike.’ ”

“Right,” Adams growled. “I’m fit as a fiddle. I can take on a platoon of Delta. Let me at ’em.”

“I think that’s troop or squad or something,” Mike said. “They’ve got that weird cavalry thing going. Seriously, you’re scheduled to be released. We’re in place. I’ve got an op going down tonight. But you’re not on it and don’t ask.”

“Ain’t gonna,” Adams admitted. “Sitting in the sunshine is really all I’m up to at the moment. But I’ll seriously be ready for light ops in a few days.”

“I know,” Mike said. “Which is why once you’re up to speed, you’re going to start training Yosif’s team on swim-ops.”

“Yosif?” Adams asked. “Swimming?”

“He’s actually not too bad,” Mike said. “For a guy who grew up in mountains. But I got to go finish the paperwork on getting you out of here. We’ll talk on the bird.”

Thomas Chatham looked at the Super Beaver and rubbed his chin.

“It’s not really for rent,” the salesman said. “I mean for a few hours, yeah. But if you need it for a week…”

“Possibly more,” Thomas said. “How much to buy it?”

“Five five,” the salesman said. “I mean, it’s practically straight out of the upgrade. Cherry.”

The basic airplane had been built in 1956 but Beavers were considered eternal. One of the best small bush planes ever made, most of the original run that had not crashed, and given the conditions under which they flew a lot had been destroyed over the years, were still in use. Recently, new engines and avionics had been developed for them that extended their range and improved their survivability. With the upgrades, the new class of Super Beaver might still be in the air when the original airframe was pushing the century mark.

This Beaver had been configured for amphibious operations, with pontoons that featured small wheels for strip landings. It would be perfect for use in the islands. Although with a Gulfstream and two helicopters, Thomas wasn’t sure what the Kildar needed it for.

“I’ll need to call my… supervisor,” Chatham said. He didn’t need a Super Beaver, that was for sure. “That was more than we were looking at. I’ll get back with you. By the way, do you take cash?”

“I got the materials,” Oleg said as Mike, pushing Adams in a wheelchair, approached the Gulfstream.

“Good,” Mike said. “You ready to walk, yet, crybaby?”

“I’m fine,” Adams said, standing up and then swaying. “God damn.”

“I’ve got you,” Oleg said, grabbing the master chief’s arm. “I was the same way. It is not something to be ashamed of.”

“I’m not ashamed,” Adams said. “I’m pissed.”

With Oleg’s help he was loaded on the plane. Mike climbed onboard, followed by Greznya, who had clearly been weeping.

“You okay, Grez?” Adams asked, grimacing in pain as he settled in the seat.

“I am, in fact, very good, Master Chief,” the girl said, then burst into tears again.

“Vanner finally popped the question,” Mike said, grinning. “Hey, Grez, how you fixed for a dowry?”

“Thanks to you, Kildar, just fine,” the girl said. “And I hate to say it, but the one condition that Patrick put on the marriage is that I not enter the Rite.”

“Fine by me,” Mike said. “I was wondering when he’d finally get off the stick. Damn, that boy can be slow sometimes. Besides, he’s good genes, too. The Mothers should be well satisfied.”

“Damn,” Adams said. “Color me clueless.”

“Like I said,” Mike replied. “You weren’t hired for your brains.”

“Daria!” Mike yelled as soon as he was in the house.

“Here, Kildar,” the girl said, walking into the main room.

“Where are we—”

“The boats have been surveyed,” Daria said, almost simultaneously. “The senior chief says they are all in good working order but he is ‘tuning’ them. They have most of the materials they need to install the extended range tanks. He assures me they will have them installed by dusk. They are being painted as well. Some of the Keldara are assisting in that. Vil’s team is considered ‘marginally prepared’ by Mr. Holterman. Mr. Chatham has found a plane meeting your requirements but it is unavailable for rental. They want a bit over a half million dollars for it.”

“Buy it,” Mike said, walking across the room towards the secure room that had been set up.

“The captain of the yacht says that he’s ready to move when you are,” Daria continued. “Gear has been moved to the yacht. The Hind is fueled and back onboard. Yosif’s team is ready to board. To refuel the boats offshore the yacht will need to take on aviation gasoline in Nassau. It is available and the captain is aware of the necessity.”

“Anything I’m missing?” Mike asked.

“Lunch,” Daria said. “It’s being laid on right now. I suggest you eat before you board the yacht, although there is food there as well.”

“Thanks, Mother,” Mike said. “I’ll take that under advisement. It’s a pretty long run.”

“You should also sleep,” Daria noted. “It’s going to be a long night.”

“I’ll take that under advisement, too,” Mike said, frowning.

He walked in the secure room and shook his head. Greznya had beaten him there and most of the girls were crying.

“This is what I get for setting up an intel shop of nothing but women,” Mike said.

“Daria!” Irina said, ignoring him. “Sergeant Vanner has asked Greznya to marry him!”

“Oh, that is wonderful news!” Daria said, running over and hugging the girl.

“He is so weak,” Greznya sniffled. “He is so tired.”

“He’ll be out here in a few days,” Mike said. “You can feed him up. He’ll get better. Trust me, I know.”

“He knows,” Britney said, nodding. “Boy, does he know.”

“Quiet, you,” Mike said. “I hate to break up the party, but do we have anything new?”

“It turns out the Ronald Reagan had already identified a probable contact,” Irina said, wiping her eyes. “A freighter is tracking back and forth north of Grand Island. They have launched a plane to keep an eye on it.”

“Excellent,” Mike said. “Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Irina asked. “I will not ask. We also have gotten information from Jay.” She handed Mike a form. “He believes he has a lead.”

“Also very good,” Mike said, nodding. “Anybody seen Dr. Arensky?”

“He is in an outbuilding,” Daria said. “The other side from the harbor.”

“I know it,” Mike said. “Okay, Irina, who’s on for tonight?”

“Myself and Creata,” Irina said.

“Okay, be at the yacht in thirty minutes,” Mike said, then paused at a frown from Daria. “Make that forty-five. And get some lunch.”

Mike walked in the door of the small coral building and paused. Most of the interior was filled with plastic sheeting.

“Tolegen?” Mike called. He could see a shape through the plastic and assumed it was the doctor.

The interior was very cool and smelly. There was an acrid stench that was overlaid with various fruity odors. Mike didn’t recognize any of them, but “cloves” came to mind.

“Ah, Kildar,” the Russian scientist said, pushing aside some of the plastic. “Welcome to my laboratory.” He said it the way any good mad scientist would: Lab-oooor-a-tory. Roll the Rs.

“Just can’t keep from tinkering?” Mike asked.

“I have never had a chance to study some of the properties of tropical fauna,” the Russian said. He had a Petri dish in one hand and a glass beaker filled with a yellowish substance in the other. “There are some very vile poisons to be found in tropical species. I wonder if you’re ever going to go to the Australia area?”

“At this rate I’d put it as ‘likely,’ ” Mike said, sitting on the edge of the room’s desk. There was a small chemical lab set up on a table on the side. While it was incredibly, almost unbearably, neat, the desk was littered with papers. “Got a question for you: can you come up with something that will incapacitate a large number of people? I’d prefer not to kill them because I’m going to need to ask some questions. But just unconscious or very sick would do.”

“Easily,” Tolegen said, frowning. “But how large an area? If you’re talking about a lot it would be logistically difficult.”

“A small freighter,” Mike said. “I’m not sure of the cubic footage. I can probably get that for you. But I’d like something that’s pretty potent and portable. Getting it onto the freighter is going to be the bitch.”

“That is harder,” Arensky admitted. “Very high potency, but not killing. Sarin for that area… With a good distribution system, which a freighter has, you could do it with a tank the size of one of your SCUBA tanks. There is one substance, a Russian product, that will act as a hallucinogen. Would that do?”

“Probably,” Mike said. “But I’ve got to be able to get something out of them.”

“Oh, it is very fast acting but also very briefly effective,” the Russian said. “The effects pass in no more than thirty minutes. Inhalant so if anyone realizes what is happening they need only put on a breathing apparatus. I’m going to need some chemicals that are not here. You will also need a container and a distribution system. I can make both from available materials but it will be the equivalent of two of your SCUBA tanks. In fact, that is exactly what it will be…” he added, looking distant.

“That’s perfect,” Mike said. “Get with Daria on what you need. I’m going to need it by tomorrow night.”

“If I can get the materials rapidly,” Tolegen said, nodding. “Yes, that will work. It is easy enough to make. If you know how,” he added, grinning. “You don’t want them killed?”

“No,” Mike said, walking out. “I’ll take care of that.”

“Oh, hello Juan,” Mike said.

He had been wandering the Straw Market, just poking around. Anastasia had wanted to take a look around and it was a good enough way to build the fact that he was, in fact, in town.

“Mr. Jenkins,” the Colombian said, nodding back.

Gonzales was clearly taking some of “his” girls out shopping as well, Katya not being one of them. He also had four large, suited Colombians with him, earbuds in place and eyes scanning the crowd.

Mike had brought pretty much the entire harem, including Martya, all dressed in identical Mountain Tiger outfits. Anastasia was wearing a sundress. The group was being shadowed by seven of Oleg’s team, with Oleg in the lead, suited up in shorts, T-shirts and Mountain Tiger jackets that poorly concealed their body armor and weapons. They were wearing Invisio Bone-Mics, the absolute state-of-the-art in interpersonal commo. They also, individually, out-massed any of the Colombians by at least twice.

The two groups eyed each other like competing wolf packs as their principals sparred.

“I see you decided to show back up,” Gonzales said.

“Just went out to show the girls the out-islands,” Mike said. “Getting covered in nude teenagers is a bit much for even Nassau.”

“Of course,” Gonzales said. Although the three boat-bunnies with him were pretty, the harem was orders of magnitude beyond any of the three.

“But, hey, girls like to shop, too,” Mike said, shrugging. “I swear, even after you cover one of them in rubies, they want sapphires.”

“Women are that way,” Gonzales said. “They are always wanting more. It is a pity they cannot just be satisfied with what they have. But men are the same way, don’t you think?”

“Some,” Mike said. “Then again, some just want to make sure things stay the way they were.”

“Change is inevitable,” Gonzales said.

“Oh, absolutely,” Mike said. “I mean, look at evolution. All those mutations occurring all the time. But you know what’s neat about evolution?”

“What?” Gonzales said.

“Well, most of those mutations don’t take,” Mike said, removing his sunglasses and looking the Colombian in the eye. “You see, better species wipe them out because they thought that change was the way to go when it was just a short road to extinction. Only one out of a billion mutations succeed. Me, I’d tend to go for the conservative route.”

“Some of us are more courageous,” Gonzales said, his jaw working.

“There’s a difference between courage and stupidity,” Mike said, putting his sunglasses back on. “And most of those mutations only realize that after they’re extinct.”