Damage Control by Amy J. Fetzer

Damage Control by Amy J. Fetzer

Author:Amy J. Fetzer [Fetzer, Amy J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-08-20T02:49:05.290000+00:00


Deep Six

Satellite Intelligence

Mitch rubbed the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefinger. His eyes burned from reading page after page of intercepted transmissions. It was a waste of time and while David was running it through the computer, Mitch searched through intelligence on Russia's arsenal and came up empty. It was constructed in the mountain and when he got too close, they bombed away the evidence. Though at the time, he didn't know they'd actually built it. He needed a chat with Lania Price, he thought when he heard his name. He looked at David. The kid was a little pale.

"Transmissions from Vince and Anna Mills are a match."

He stood, grabbed the cane, and walked to the main console. "It doesn't surprise me."

"Mills was aboard the USS Bowman, and at the time, traveling under the polar ice cap when they intercepted a distress hail."

"Under the ice?" So they really wanted Mills for what he'd heard. Then he remembered Mills's sonar was designed for arctic temperatures. Now we're getting somewhere, he thought. They wanted both.

"It's Russian, and I should mention that all this"--David waved at the screen flowing with listening-post data, satellite images, and dossiers--"was around the same time that Russian submarine had a reactor mishap and went down in Barents Sea off the Russian coast." Mitch scowled. "The transmission interception was after the Bowman broke through the ice in Greenland, sir."

A hard chill worked up from his bones. Fontenot was in Greenland. He'd flown Dragon One's behemoth of a cargo jet there. After that, nothing. Not even a car rental. He tapped a key and held the headset to his ear, translating in his head.

The distress hail was standard for Russian. System failure and he thought they said gyroscope, and if that was screwed up, it would be hell to navigate. Reactor problems, possibly, the captain said, unable to move, but the transmission stopped abruptly after a minute. "That's it?"

"The commander of the Bowman tried to hail them again and offer assistance, but the Russian naval command claimed it was in Russian territory and they were handling it. Three ships went to the location, but I'm having trouble swallowing that story."

Mitch made a rolling motion.

"It's not possible for the transmissions to be that clear under the ice unless the Russians were there at the same time as the Bowman."

"A Russian sub went down, the Akula class." He glanced at his notes. "The Trident. Seventy-three men died."

David was already shaking his head. "I'm sure that's true, but that transmission interception wasn't even close to where the Bowman broke the ice to pick up that signal."

"Your theory? I know you have one."

"Our subs don't go under the ice cap from anywhere near Russian territory. They skate by the Bering Straits on the way out. But it's slow going because there's some big curve of underwater ice to navigate. Russian subs are out there since they always try claiming the north pole as federation land." He snickered to himself as he brought up a map of the arctic.



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