As he recognized the immediate need to react, Jazani swallowed his emotions and accepted the uncomfortable necessity of his next conversation. “XO, listen in case the message changes. I need to contact the task force commander. I believe a crucial decision’s been made for him.”
CHAPTER 22
Volkov swore. “Suka, blyad!”
Seated beside him, his translator shook his head. “That sounds bad to anyone, whether they speak Russian or not.”
As the high-frequency feed streamed through the Wraith’s exposed radio mast, Renard frowned. “And that’s the first curse I learned in Russian.”
“Sorry. It’s just—”
“No need for apologies.” Renard switched to English, and then the translator’s interpretation hummed along with the Frenchman’s discourse. “I was impressed myself. The shooter was a Ghadir-class, as you might expect from the law of averages.”
“Such a small submarine.”
“It takes only one torpedo to alter the tides of war.”
“And it was so close. Seconds, Pierre. I was afraid for Jake. Did the California threaten them to shut it down?”
“It’s possible, but I can only speculate. The Americans aren’t sharing all their private information anymore. There’s no more need, since our mission’s complete, except for sneaking the Indiana back to Bahrain and recovering the Specter.”
“Sneaking?”
“Submerged and undetected. Let the world’s speculation begin in Bahrain, but no sooner, when a damaged submarine returns home on its own power on the surface. Onlookers — and spies — will wonder. Did it hit an uncharted wreck? Did it collide with another ship? Nobody will know after a tarp’s been laid over the damage.”
“The forward compartment’s flooded. I assume there’s a plan to change that?”
Renard smirked. “Terry will lift the Indiana and get the damage above the waterline. Then pumps will drain the compartment, and our client’s submarine will once again be seaworthy.”
“You’re sure the hole is high enough?”
“The lower portion will be shored as best as possible, and the tarp overlay should be watertight enough. The pumps will keep pace with any ingress. Now that the conflict’s resolved, the crew needn’t worry about the noise. Of course, Terry will be submerged nearby to catch the Indiana if it starts to lose seaworthiness.”
Satisfied that his team had achieved its goal while he added mission kills to his personal fleet-leading tally, Volkov shifted his thoughts to the Specter. “What about Jake? Are the Iranians resisting?”
Renard shook his head. “No. This campaign has evolved into its nonviolent phase. The Iranians were quietly moving in on the rafts to retrieve the Specter’s crew, likely to gain some sort of advantage by detaining them. But shortly after the California announced itself to the Ghadir, they became suddenly receptive to hailing and invited the American ships to participate.”
Volkov raised his eyebrows. “An invitation into their waters?”
The Frenchman’s grin bordered upon the sinister. “Yes. The Iranians will play it up as goodwill during the peace talks in Syria and in the ensuing trade negotiations, but they and the Americans will silently acknowledge each other’s awareness of the California’s role in the outcome.”
“I never want to be a politician.”
“I think you’d be a horrible one, given that you’re a world-class man of action.”
The comment warmed Volkov, but a lingering concern about the runaway submarine cooled him. “Who’s getting the Specter back?”
“The Iranians have agreed to let it drive itself into international waters and let the Americans board it. The Americans are sending helicopters now to get the Specter while riverine command boats retrieve Jake’s crew.”
“That’s great.” As a swell rocked his shallow ship, Volkov checked a chart. Three miles separated him from international waters. “Can I surface when I’m outside Iranian waters?”
“Uh… no. Sorry, I admit to not having considered your immediate future yet, but I believe it’s best that you remain hidden and stay far from the Laboon since it’s the American task force’s capital ship in this campaign.”
The Wraith’s commander scowled. “Could they really think I’ll turn on them now, after saving their…” Catching himself, he trailed off his voice. He remembered that destroyer sailors found discomfort with any submarine below them. “Never mind. I’ll come up with a track to get to Bahrain, and I’ll avoid the Laboon.”
The Frenchman frowned, and then a calmness fell over his face. “I’m tempted to believe it’s over. In fact, I can’t think of a reason to entertain further pessimism. We’ve succeeded.”
Knowing the mission’s high stakes, with its expected monumental monetary payout, America’s forgiveness of Renard’s lifetime of gray market dealings, and newfound favor with the United States in the global intelligence community, Volkov recognized decades of worry lifting from his boss’ face. “That’s wonderful, Pierre.”
“Indeed. I’m still trying to grasp the magnitude, but I dare say that this is the mission I’ve spent my entire life pursuing. Three months ago, I was terrified that my future was steaming away into oblivion with my stolen flagship. Then while I was still licking my wounds, providence delivered me a distressed American submarine. Multiple lifetimes of planning couldn’t have created this opportunity. It was… a divine gift.”
“It’s a complete win.”
Color flushing his face, Renard nodded. “The Iranians will believe they’d already won when they damaged the Indiana. The Americans will believe they achieved a draw by mitigating the damage and salvaging the Indiana. Our involvement was, allowing for the normal adjustments of battle, flawless.”
The Wraith’s commander sighed, and a gentle sadness crept up his ribs. With Renard’s tone making him wonder if he’d disband the fleet after reaching his pinnacle achievement, he drew breath to ask his boss about the possibility. But then he thought better of it and let the Frenchman enjoy his moment. “Yes. We did well.”
“We played to everyone’s strengths. Jake, my fearless champion. Terry, my clever chameleon. You, my assassin.”
“I… thanks, I guess.”
Renard continued his sentimental tone. “This would’ve been perfect if not for those still missing in action.”
Confused, Volkov calculated the cost. Every man would come home alive after the Americans plucked the Specter’s crew from the water. But then a wave of awareness washed over him. The men would come home, but not every teammate. His sadness wasn’t just fear of the fleet’s potential disbanding. It included the loss of the dolphins. “Suka, blyad! I’d forgotten. May I stay in the area and search for Mikhail and Andrei?”
“I’m sorry, but no. It’s time to leave this theater. You need to bring your rider home, and I want my entire fleet in Bahrain as a reminder of our success while I negotiate our final compensation.”
“But they’re so valuable, and they’re part of my crew. And poor Vasily. He’s been bedridden since we lost them. He’s inconsolable.”
“This situation must be diffused in agreed-upon, choreographed steps, and that won’t allow you to linger. You must bring the Wraith back here directly.”