The Lance

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Morning light filtered through the windows of the safe house. Lamont looked sharp in a light blue suit and lavender tie. Ronnie had on his usual Hawaiian riot. Nick wore a throbbing hangover, a black turtleneck and a gray jacket. The aspirin hadn't kicked in. His .45 felt like it weighed fifty pounds. Something kept squeezing his back. Selena looked fresh and ready to go.

Harker gave Lamont the pitch, an ID, a Glock and had him sign his life away. He cracked the slide, checked the magazine and clipped the holstered pistol onto his belt with the ease of practice. She briefed him on Dysart and the week's events. She told him about the sunken submarine.

"Yeah, Nick told me about it."

"If we found that sub, could you dive on it?"

"Thirty-five fathoms? That's two hundred and ten feet down. Sure. Straightforward, unless there are bad currents and poor visibility."

"That deep you should have a partner, but you're going to have to go it alone."

"He doesn't have to go alone." It was Selena. "I've got enough experience. I've been deep before."

Something made Nick say, "Is there anything you can't do?" His headache stabbed him.

There was a brief silence. Selena's face closed down. Lamont's expression was unreadable.

Harker's pen stopped moving. "You're an experienced diver, Selena?"

"I've done over a hundred recreational dives and two dozen deep, technical dives."

She looked at Lamont. "I know it's not the same as what you've done. But you need someone with you, in case there's trouble."

"We're talking seventy meters," Lamont said. "That's not recreational diving. Something goes wrong, it's pretty far to the surface."

"If something goes wrong and you're by yourself, you won't make the surface."

Strong words. Lamont raised his eyebrows. She went on. "We're not just talking about diving an old wreck. We're talking about getting inside it, looking for something. We don't even know what it is we're looking for. That's dangerous. You need backup."

"I could maybe get some ex-Navy guys I know to help out."

"There's no time for that," Harker said. "Besides, they'd have to be vetted, cleared. It's not an option."

Lamont asked Selena, "You checked out with rebreathers?"

"I've been to three hundred and fifty feet with one."

Steph said, "What's a rebreather?"

"It's diving apparatus. It cycles breath and breathing gas within a closed circuit system. We used them all the time in the Seals." Lamont rubbed his palm on his leg. "The advantage is no bubbles going to the surface if you're in a combat situation. You don't need big tanks and you can stay down longer and deeper than with the open circuit stuff. With the right mix the decompression stops aren't as long."

The pen started up, then stopped. Harker made up her mind. "Selena's right. If you can find the sub, she goes down with you. Nick, you and Ronnie will back them up on the surface. I'll requisition a plane to take you to Mar del Plata. Take weapons. I'll clear you for entry, you shouldn't have trouble. We have an arrangement with the Argentine military and it's friendly at the moment. They have an air base near there."

Lamont said, "We'll need gear."

"Tell Ronnie what you need. Mar del Plata is a big fishing port, right on the Atlantic. It shouldn't be a problem to rent a boat down there. I'll arrange for accommodations and a vehicle. Selena, you speak Spanish, don't you?"

"Fluently."

Harker put her pen down. "Any other questions?"

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"Hey, I always wanted to see Argentina," Lamont said.