"The Americans present a problem."
"And does your plan include them?"
"They must not be allowed to learn anything that threatens our security," Rostov said.
"What do you propose to do?"
"Nikita is highly skilled in underwater demolition. If they find anything, he will destroy their craft. Whatever they learn will vanish with the ship."
Rostov watched to see her reaction. Valentina gave no sign of what she was thinking and feeling.
My sister is on that ship, you bitch. And you know it.
"That could provoke serious repercussions," Valentina said. "Is Volkov foolish enough to risk the wrath of the Americans on mere suspicion?"
"You should be careful what you say, Antipov. Director Volkov has only the good of the Motherland at heart. Criticism of his decisions may reflect badly on you. Any attempts on your part to interfere could be seen as treason."
"Treason?"
"Do I have to mention your sister, the American spy?"
For a brief instant, Valentina imagined throwing Rostov over the side for the gulls to feed on. Into the propellers would be good. The pieces would be smaller, easier for the birds to pick up.
"I wouldn't be quick to make accusations if I were you," Valentina said. "For an officer to have an affair with an enlisted man is punishable by court-martial. Or had you forgotten that?"
"You dare to accuse me?"
"Come on, Rostov. Anyone can see you're fucking that gorilla. What's his name? Spassky? So drop the threats and try to be professional."
Rostov made an effort to control herself. "Perhaps such extreme measures with the Americans will not be necessary."
"I'm glad to hear it," Valentina said.
"We will make an initial survey with the remote vehicle. I assume you agree to that?"
"Yes. What else do you have in mind?"
"Whatever happens next depends on what we find."
"It would be wise to avoid a confrontation with the Americans in the water. Even someone as experienced as Sergeant Spassky can get into trouble."
Rostov looked at Valentina, wondering if what she had said was a veiled threat.
"I'm sure Spassky can take care of himself. I want to know if we have an agreement to make this go smoothly."
"We are in agreement about one important thing," Valentina said.
"Yes?"
"If there's anything in those ruins that will help our country, we will bring it back."
CHAPTER 37
"We have company," Selena said.
She pointed at a ship that had come up during the night and anchored a few hundred yards away.
Nick raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes and read the name on the bow.
"That's the Russian ship we saw in Egypt."
"What do you think she's doing here?" Lamont said.
"Same thing we are."
Nick watched people moving around on deck.
"Ronnie, where's that camera with the telephoto lens?"
"In the cabin." He looked over at the Russian ship. "I'll go get it."
"Thanks."
Ronnie came back with the camera and handed it to Nick. He focused the powerful lens on a group of people standing near the Stern. A dark-haired woman came on deck.
Shit, Nick thought. That's Selena's sister. What's she doing out here?
Valentina walked over to the group. One of them turned around and Nick recognized the woman who had tried to kidnap Selena in the hotel. He didn't recognize any of the others. He took several pictures of the group and of the ship to send off to Harker later.
"There's something you need to know," Nick said to Selena.
"What's wrong?"
"Your sister is on that ship."
"Valentina? Where?"
Nick handed the camera and lens over to Selena. He pointed at the cluster of people on the aft deck of the Tolstoy.
"She's in that group at the stern, talking to the only other woman on deck. That's the one who tried to grab you."
Selena looked through the lens.
"Shit."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"You think Valentina is working with her?"
"Looks that way."
"How did the Russians know we're here?"
"We had to get out of Cairo in a hurry. Maybe they found your notes."
"That would explain it. Everything was on my computer. But it doesn't explain why Valentina is here."
The ship was getting ready for the day. Dress code on the Sexton's Dream was casual. The crew was relaxed, joking with each other as they went about their tasks. Sexton ran a happy ship.
"We'll be ready to go right after chow," Nick said. "Sexton has an ROV he says is perfect for the job."
"How many ROVs does he have?" Lamont asked.
"Two, I think. Plus the DSV. "
"Jeffrey's a serious researcher," Selena said.
"Mmm." Nick emptied his cup.
An hour and a half later, two crewmen swung the ROV over the side with an articulated arm and lowered it into the water. It bobbed on the surface, half submerged. A fiber-optic tether to control the vehicle led back to a caged feed on the deck.
The body of the rover was made of high density orange-colored plastic, enclosed in a frame of sled-like tubing. The unit was small, about three feet long by two and a half wide. Thrusters on either end were powered by a large twenty-four volt battery. An additional vertical thruster added more maneuverability. LED lights in front provided illumination for the camera.
Nick looked over at the Tolstoy. He counted three pairs of binoculars focused on what they were doing.
"Time to go to the communications room," he said.
The communications room was where the control console and monitors for the ROV were located. The operator was an athletic-looking woman with dark brown hair, one of the ship's officers. She'd dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. Nick read what was written on the shirt.
"I used to be schizophrenic but we're so much better now."
Her console had dual joysticks and a monitor displaying the image from the rover's camera. Everything the camera saw would be recorded in full color, high definition video. At the moment the monitor showed water breaking over the camera as the ROV bobbed on the surface. The operator could manipulate two arms with mechanical fingers that were capable of picking up a coin from the ocean floor.
"This is Vicki," Sexton said.
Vicki flashed a smile and went back to her console.
"Ready to go look for a myth?"
"Let's do it," Nick said.
Sexton turned to Vicki. "Everything looking good?"
"Everything is a go. All systems functioning."
"Send her down."
"Down, aye."
Vicki took hold of the joysticks. The image on the monitor changed as the rover sank beneath the surface. A vertical display on the side of the screen showed battery charge, speed, depth, time remaining, external pressure and other indicators of the health of the vehicle.
Nick and the others watched as the rover descended.
"Twenty meters. All systems normal."
Gradually the light faded.
"Thirty meters," Vicki said. "Turning on the lights."
She touched a switch and bright streams of light poured out into the growing darkness. A large shape swam past the camera and was gone.
"What was that?" Ronnie asked.
"Shark," Sexton said. "Lots of them out here."
Selena and Lamont looked at each other.
"I hate sharks," Lamont said.
"Forty meters."
The depth chart kept changing as the robot sank deeper into the ocean and total darkness. It passed seven hundred and eighty meters. Bits of debris floated past the camera's eye.
"Getting close," Nick said.