AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brogan's eyes suddenly narrowed. "What about the Russians? Are they aware of the discovery?"
"We don't think so. Shortly after instruments detected the sunken sub, which, by the way, includes videotape of the wreckage, our ship pulled off the search track and assisted in the rescue operations of the downed U.N. aircraft. A heavensent smoke screen. Our best intelligence from inside the Soviet navy confirms business as usual. Nothing from the KGB
either. And our space surveillance of their North Atlantic fleet shows no indication of dramatic course changes toward the search area."
"Odd they didn't have a spy trawler shadow the Polar Explorer."
"They did," explained Shaw. "They also kept a close eye on our operations all right, monitoring our ship's course and communications by satellite. They left it alone, sitting back and hoping our more advanced underwater search technology would get lucky where theirs failed. Then they banked their expectations on the clear possibility our crew would give away the location through the tiniest of errors."
"But they didn't."
"No," answered Shaw firmly. "Ship security was airtight. Except for the captain and two NUMA underwater search experts, the entire crew was briefed to think they were on an iceberg-tracking and sea-bottom geology survey. My report on the success of the discovery was hand-carried from Greenland by the Polar Explorer's executive officer so there was no chance of communications penetration."
"Okay, wherr do we go from here?" inquired Brogan. "Obviously the Soviets would never allow another Glomar Explorer snatch. And they still have a ship patrolling the area where they lost that missile sub off the East Coast in 'eighty-six."
"We have an underwater salvage job in mind," said Shaw.
"When?"
"If we began putting together the operation now, redesigning and modifying existing submersibles and equipment, we should be ready for salvage in ten months."
"So we ignore the sub, or act like it until then?"
"Correct," replied Shaw. "In the meantime, another event has fallen into our laps that will confuse the Soviets. The Navy needs your agency's cooperation to carry it out."
"I'm listening."
"During rescue and subsequent investigation of the air crash, the NUMA people working with us in the search accidentally stumbled on what looks like an ancient Roman shipwreck buried in ice."
Brogan stared at Shaw skeptically. "In Greenland?"
Shaw nodded. "The word from experts is it's genuine."
"What can the CIA do to help the Navy with an old shipwreck?"
"A little disinformation. We'd like the Russians to think the Polar Explorer was looking for the Roman ship all along."
Brogan noted a flashing light on his intercom. "A sound concept. While the Navy prepares to grab their newest sub, we scatter bread crumbs down the wrong path."
"Something like that."
"How will you handle the Roman wreck from your end?"
"We set up an archaeological project as a cover for an onsite base of operations. The Polar Explorer will remain on station so the crew can give a hand in the excavation."
"Is the sub close by?"
"Less than ten miles away."
"any idea of her condition?"
"Some structural damage from a collision with a rise on the seafloor, but otherwise intact."
"And the Roman ship?"
"Our men on the scene claim they've found the frozen bodies of the crew in an excellent state of preservation."
Brogan rose from his desk and walked with Shaw to the door.
