Chapter No. 22 The White Horse

Margaret stood outside the wardroom hatch for a few minutes, debating with herself. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see Tiffany again. As far as she was concerned the woman was a whore and a traitor to boot.

What possessed her to sabotage the Nautilus? Did her treachery involve the creatures? Who put her up to it?

She just had to know.

She motioned to the door and the crewman standing guard unlocked the hatch and allowed her to enter. When she passed the young man, she noticed his holstered sidearm.

Why do they need a gun to guard a woman? Are they that frightened of her?

From her makeshift bunk, Tiffany watched Margaret enter the wardroom and stand near the hatch. For several minutes, the two women stared at each other in icy silence.

Dressed in unflattering fatigues, Tiffany remained in the bunk. "I'm surprised to see you here, Mrs. Hauptman." The words were without inflection.

Margaret tried to sound civil but she was much less than civil inside. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to see how you're doing."

"Why do you care what happens to me?"

"Despite what you've done, I'm still concerned about . . . I didn't want you to suffer in that . . ."

"You're the only one who gives a damn." Tiffany got up and sat on the edge of the bunk. "The rest would rather see me die."

"Can you blame them? Your actions nearly got us killed." She paused to gather her wits. "Why did you do it? Why would you deliberately sabotage a research vessel and put your own life in jeopardy? Surely, you didn't do it for money."

Tiffany's jaw quivered. She fought to repress tears. "You're right, Mrs. Hauptman. I didn't do it for money. I . . . I have a child, a boy . . . David."

Margaret's eyes narrowed. "I had no idea you were married."

Tiffany gave her a brief smile and lowered her eyes. "I'm not."

"I see. But how does this concern your boy?"

"I haven't seen him for six months." Tiffany turned her face away. "I don't even know if he's still alive."

"What do you mean?"

"They took him away from me. They said that I would never see him alive if I didn't do as they told me."

"Who? Who told you that?"

"I don't know who they are. They told me that my son would be . . . tortured."

Margaret gasped. "What kind of monsters would do such a thing?"

Tears formed in Tiffany's eyes. "I don't know, but what could I do? I had no choice." She began to sob.

Margaret sat down next to her and put her hand on her shoulder. "I understand. I'll see what I can do."

Tiffany turned a tear-stained face to her. "What can you do? You're as much a victim as I am. We'll be lucky if they don't destroy us all." She buried her face in her hands.

Margaret stood up. "We're not dead yet, and as long as I'm alive, I'll do all in my power to see that they--whoever they are--are stopped."

"They are more powerful than you realize."

Margaret's jaw tightened. "That may be so, but they may find that I'm just as determined as they are--perhaps more so."

Tiffany gave her a look that reflected doubt.

After several seconds of silence, Margaret walked to the hatch. She paused to stare at Tiffany. "Good day, Miss Jones."

Tiffany lowered her eyes.

Margaret rapped on the hatch and the crewman allowed her to leave.

###

Marian Stram turned over to find that her husband was not by her side. She sat up, stuffed her feet into mink-lined slippers, put on a silk robe, and made her way to the master bathroom.

When she saw her husband packing his duffel bag with toiletries, her face twisted with anger. "Where are you going now?"

Her husband blew out a long breath. "I have to accompany that idiot Stanton on a boarding mission."

"You're beginning to sound more like a military, Julie."

His face reddened. "Don't ever say that! I'm a scientist, not a military cretin."

"If you keep hanging around them, you will become one of them." Her dark eyes mocked him.

"What choice do I have? They're running the show." His lips were pursed in anger, but the rest of his face expressed sadness.

His voice expressed determination. "But when we have one of the creatures, I will be running the show. They may know about missions, but they know nothing of science."

"I wouldn't be so certain, if I were you. They have their own scientists."

"Ha! Idiots! They're nothing but pencil pushing bureaucrats. Why do you think they hired us for this mission? I'll tell you why: because they have no idea what they're dealing with. We know what to do. They don't."

"I hope you're right, Julie. The military can be quite deceptive."

"Do not concern yourself, my Pet," he said, patting her cheek. "I will take care of them when the time comes."

She gave him a brief smile; just enough to indicate that she accepted his resignation.

He returned her smile.

Marian frowned as she watching her husband zip his duffel bag and leave. He didn't leave her with much confidence concerning his mission with the military. She isn't as trusting as he is. She knows that the military intelligence community has a penchant for being duplicitous.

###

Eric Hauptman knew that his wife was upset the instant she entered their cabin. Her eyes were glistening with moisture and her jaw was tightened. He considered not saying anything to her.

Almost.

"Well Love, how's she doing?"

She stared at him for a few seconds and then slumped onto her bunk. "She said that the idiots that are causing all of our troubles are holding her son and have threatened his life if she doesn't cooperate."

"Do you believe her?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what to believe anymore. When I went in there, I considered her a Mata Hari, but now . . . she looks vulnerable and frightened. Maybe she is telling the truth."

Eric scratched his head. "Even if she is, there's not much we can do about it."

Margaret sighed. "That's what makes all of this so disgusting. We have so little control over what's happening here. We finally find the creatures and we're at the mercy of idiots hell bent on taking them away from us."

"I don't like it either, but what can we do?"

Margaret stood up. Her eyes were afire with determination. "I'll tell you what we're going to do; we're going to fight like hell to keep these creatures from those bastards; that's what we're going to do."

Eric stared at her with both admiration and concern. He admired her determination but he feared what fighting 'those bastards' would entail.

###

Hans Stubens bounded out of the control room hatch like a rabbit jumping out of a hole. "What's our status?" he asked Henry.

The navigator turned to look at his exuberant captain. "We've just passed into territorial waters. I ran the ESM up but I haven't picked up any indications of trouble. We're still on course for the Institute. ETA: approximately four hours."

"Excellent!" the Captain said, clapping his hands together. "Maybe now we can relax. Up 'scope."

Henry pressed a button and after a few minutes the video periscope displayed quad views of the surface.

"Maximum magnification."

Captain Stubens contemplated four peaceful scenes of the Pacific and blew out a relieved sigh. He placed his hand on Carl's shoulder. "Take her up. We should be safe on the surface now that we're in our own backyard."

"Prepare for surfacing," Stubens announced into the intercom.

Carl blew ballast. The ship's klaxons screamed their usual warning and the ship tilted up at ten degree.

As soon as the Nautilus surfaced, a crewman popped the hatch to the conning tower bridge and clambered up to establish a watch. Henry activated the vessel's radar. A scanning beam quickly began rotating around a large round video display.

And, just as quickly, a blip appeared.

"I have a contact, Captain," Henry announced. "On an intercept course. Bearing: zero-seven-five true. Two kilometers out"

"Now what?" the captain said, annoyance showing in his eyes and in his voice. "What is it?"

Henry turned to look up from his display with disgust showing on his face. "I make it out as another patrol boat."

"Maybe we should submerge," Carl suggested with a sarcastic tone.

The Captain rubbed the side of his face as if he expected to conjure up some needed inspiration. "I don't think so. We're in territorial waters now. Maybe Anderson arranged an escort."

Several minutes of silence transpired while Stubens and Henry watched the blip approach the center of the radar screen.

Before it did, the intercom buzzed. Stubens punched the button with more violence than normal. "Yes?"

The voice sounded distant, even though its originator was directly above. "Captain, a vessel is approaching off the port bow. Looks like a Coast Guard cutter."

Captain Stubens climbed up the ladder to the bridge and immediately focused his binoculars on the approaching patrol craft. There were no markings on the vessel, not even the required registry numbers, and its rigging displayed no flags.

In the control room, Carl furiously began punching keys on a command console.

Henry casually looked over at him. "What are you doing?"

"A little insurance," Carl said without looking up.

Henry continued staring at him for a few seconds, but he returned his attention to his own console.

Stubens knew that he was in big trouble as soon as the unmarked patrol boat approached. Several men dressed in military camouflage and holding automatic weapons appeared on the deck. He immediately regretted that he hadn't followed Carl's facetious suggestion.

One of the men, the one that Stubens judged to be in charge, swung a bullhorn up to his mouth. "Prepare for boarding."

Grabbing his own bullhorn, Stubens made his own demand. "Identify yourselves."

"Coast Guard inspection," the answer returned.

Stubens knew that this was a blatant lie, but he had no choice. They had all the firepower. All he had was the facade of ignorance.

With the wash of its wake splashing the sides of the Nautilus, the patrol boat approached as if it meant business. Crewmen swung ropes over to the Nautilus to facilitate boarding. After the men from the unmarked craft had boarded the sub, they immediately forced Stubens and his lookout to climb down the ladder to the control room where Dr. Wang, Stevens, and the Hauptmans had already gathered.

"We have reason to believe that you are transporting dangerous biological specimens," the Commander of the para-military force said in a voice that reeked of arrogance.

"This is a research vessel," Stubens said. "We've just returned from an expedition to the Galapagos Islands." He swung his hand around palm up, gesturing to the scientists. "And these are marine biologists. Don't you think that they would know what species are dangerous and how to handle them safely?"

The Commander gestured to several of his men, and they went off to search the ship. Eric swallowed. He knew that the invaders were searching for the creatures and that the attempts to stop he and his wife from reaching them were related. There was nothing that he could do to stop these men. All he could do was hope--and pray.

After some time had passed and the Commander had received and made calls on his hand communicator, the searchers returned to the control room. They had a woman with them.

Her face communicating concern, Margaret stared at Tiffany as two men escorted her to the conning tower ladder. Tiffany's face communicated despair. She gave Margaret a look that said that she was not sure of her fate.

One of the searchers, a short, curly-haired, pudgy man, who was dressed the same as the rest but was not holding a weapon, stepped forward. "Dr. Wang. We are aware that your team of scientists has been searching for mermaids. Do you have any specimens on this vessel?"

Margaret wanted so badly to say something to Stram, but she held her tongue, electing to stare daggers at him instead.

George Stevens, on the other hand, could never restrain his tongue. "Look, Pal. What do you take us for: Idiots? There are no such things as mermaids."

His impertinence was rewarded by one of the armed men striking him in the face with a large fist, sending him to the deck. Margaret knelt down to comfort him, holding his head up so that it didn't strike the bulkhead. She turned to look up at the man just as he was about to deliver a fatal blow with his rifle butt.

Her face seethed with indignation. "Stop it! Why are you doing this?"

A quick glance from the man's commander ended the confrontation. George remained seated on the deck nursing his sore jaw. The other scientists stood there frightened but resolute in their efforts to protect the creatures, even though they had no idea how they were going to accomplish it.

The invaders were ready to start a more thorough search, a search that would jeopardize everyone,

The ship's warning klaxons suddenly sounded loud and clear, startling everyone. The para-military team began looking around with nervous apprehension.

WARNING. WARNING. REACTOR CONTAINMENT HAS BEEN BREACHED. RADIATION LEVELS INCREASING.

"Oh, shit!" Carl exclaimed. He frantically examined status screens and flicked switches. "The goddamn reactor's going critical and I can't stop it."

Captain Stubens' wrinkled his brow. "Must have been all those depth charges we took. They more than likely cracked the containment vessel."

WARNING. WARNING. RADIATION LEVELS APPROACHING FATAL LEVELS. ABANDON SHIP. ABANDON SHIP. ABANDON SHIP.

With the warning klaxons blaring and the computer voice espousing dire predictions, the Commander of the para-military unit waved his arm at the hatch to the conning tower. His men filed up the ladder in a hurry. The last to go, the commander turned to look at Stubens and the others, paused for a few seconds as if he intended to say something, and then climbed up the ladder.

Stubens gestured to the hatch. "Make sure that's secured." He turned to Carl "Take us down, but not too fast."

As soon as the conning tower hatch was latched, the Captain smiled at Carl. "Goddamn, Carl. You make a better actor than a helmsman."

Then the two men broke out in guffaws. The scientists stood around staring at them in complete bewilderment. Stubens noted their confused expressions and laughed louder.

Carl gave them the explanation: "I programmed a ruse into the computer just before those bastards came on board. Stupid assholes were fooled but good."

"Good work, Carl," the Captain said, slapping him on the back. His expression took on a serious aspect. "This proves that the government knew about the creatures, and that they want them."

"Why is the government interested in them?" George asked.

The Captain stood right in front of him, face to face. "Think about it. If those creatures are as intelligent as you think they are, just imagine what marvelous weapons they would make."

"Weapons?" George sputtered. "How in the hell could they use them as weapons?"

"Face it, man." the Captain said with a scowl. "The government tried to use dolphins as weapons during World War II."

"How?"

"They strapped bombs to them and trained them to chase after ships."

"That's ridiculous."

Wang turned to Stevens. "Yes. It is ridiculous. But the Captain is correct. Just imagine what an army of these creatures could do."

"Yes," Stubens agreed, "especially if they were in the hands of men without conscience, men who would use expediency to justify any atrocity."

"We will need to exercise great care," Wang said. "They will not rest until they have these creatures. We must not allow that to happen."

"Amen to that," Eric said.

Nods and glances expressed unanimous agreement.