Silent Waters

Chapter 42

“Conn, Sonar. Contact has slowed. He’s on a course parallel path to ours,” Cav announced loudly.

Mako smiled and looked at his watch before starting to bark out more orders.

“Helm, all back two thirds!” he shouted. “Mark speed two knots.”

The deck trembled violently as the two men in the engine room opened the astern turbine throttles and reversed the direction of the propeller. The submarine shuddered as it slowed. Orders continued to be passed along until the submarine was again traveling ahead, but now at a crawl.

“Two knots, Captain,” one of the men reported.

Mako stepped off the platform and looked into the Sonar Room. Cavallaro was carefully monitoring the contact on his screen. The hijacker turned back to the conn before speaking into his headset. “What’s the progress, Kilo?”

The security man’s response came back in seconds. “McCann is still alive, but I’m finished in the engine room. I’m on my way up.”

“Eight minutes to the rendezvous. McCann is finished. You have more work here.”

“Aye, sir.”

Mako turned to the men in the control room.

“Helm, all stop. Diving officer, prepare to hover.”

Paul Cavallaro came out of Sonar and approached the conn, looking perplexed.

“You’re preparing to hover at this depth, Captain?” Cavallaro asked, looking over his shoulder at the instrumentation doubtfully.

Mako ignored him.

“Ready to hover, Captain.”

“Commence automated hovering.” Mako looked at Cavallaro. “Return to your station, Lieutenant.”

As the officer moved back to Sonar, Mako signaled to his men to get ready. They immediately began picking up their equipment and gear.

“Conn? Sonar. Captain, contact is getting ready to connect to the sub,” Cav announced questioningly. “It looks like a DSRV, sir.”

Mako glanced at his watch once more and saw Kilo come into the control room. The captain motioned with his head toward the Sonar Room as the others started filing out.

Paul Cavallaro turned as Kilo entered the room. As he looked up, he was surprised to see a pistol pointed at his head.

It was the last thing he saw.