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Screw that.
Tse pressed Stemm for more details. “What did your submersible hope to find down there? I suspect it must be nearing the bottom by now. Were those aboard seeking to steal our new submarine’s technology or were they investigating the source of the quakes?”
Stemm must have known it was futile to prevaricate with this woman. “The only interest we have in your nuclear submarine was how it pertained to those quakes.” He waved to the glower of flames in the distance. “Something must be done to stop this. You must recognize that.”
“Irecognizethat when it comes to operations such as this, there should be only one captain.” She nodded to the hulking interrogator.
The man shifted his pistol to the back of Stemm’s head.
Monk took a step forward.
The gunshot deafened and stung his ears.
Captain Tse had stepped aside at the last moment—to avoid the spray of blood and gore as the round tore through Stemm’s skull. The man toppled to the floor as the rest of the crew gasped and fell back in horror.
Monk’s fist clenched hard enough that his knuckles cracked under the strain.
Tse looked his way, as if she had heard this. But she ignored the threat of his fist and stared him in the face.
“Dr. Kokkalis,” she said. “We, too, will have a conversation. I am very much interested in DARPA’s involvement in all of this.”
Monk refused to look away.
So much for trying to blend in with the crew.
Once again, the skill and handiwork of her interrogator had paid off. Too many of those aboard had known of Monk’s background—or at least the story that had been told to them. At present, as cut off as they were, he doubted the Chinese knew of his connection to Sigma. He had to hope this knowledge was kept from this woman for as long as possible.
She waved to her commandos and barked orders. Two came forward with rifles and motioned for him to head toward the door.
Before he left, Captain Tse had some last words and a promise.
“We’ll continue our discussion shortly, Dr. Kokkalis.” She stared down toward her toes. “But first I must attend to another matter. One that I’ll address personally.”
As Monk was marched off, he looked out windows to the LCAC. There remained one additional vehicle still aboard that attack boat. It hung over the stern. From its boxy shape and the sphere of glass at the front, there was no mistaking it.
A deep-sea submersible.
Only this one was being loaded with fat torpedoes. The weapons were likely engineered to operate at extreme depths.
Monk glanced back to Captain Tse, who was looking down from the bridge at the same sight. He winced and turned his gaze miles down and sent a warning.
Careful, guys, a new shark’s about to enter your waters.
32
January 24, 11:32A.M.NZDT
Six miles under the Pacific
“Blowing ballast,” Bryan called out. “Slowing our descent.”
Phoebe startled out of her drowse, shocked to find her chin resting on her collarbone. After being up all night and sinking silently and motionlessly through black waters for three hours, she had fallen into a light slumber.
A few bubbles raced over the scallop of glass in front of her. As their descent slowed, she twisted in her seat. She didn’t even have to voice her concern.
“Reading hundred-and-thirty rem out there,” Datuk reported, leaning to his sensor screen.
“What about in here?” she asked.
