impossible.

"If we miss out target, we will be floating free in the open ocean without life jackets, you know that right, Buchanan?"

"What's the matter with you? You are on the high seas now. You got to act like it. Anyone would think you've never taken a swim the way you talk."

"This isn't just a swim though is it?" "No it isn't sweetheart. It is an investment in your future. Think about that. Let it incentivize you. Because if you're not incentivized, you are not going to make it and you can kiss your future good bye."

"I think I will stay here, wait things out," said Kellerman, clutching the slimy rudder tightly.

"If we stay here, we are shark bait. Don't you see that? Those snappers are circling already. They haven't sniffed us out yet, but they will soon and when they do, it is going to be chow time, with us as the main course."

"Hey, screw you expert. Why don't you paddle over to the Wonsungi by yourself and flip me the wave when you get there. If everything is copacetic I will paddle over too, just as soon as I get my breath."

"That idea is a non starter."

"How so genius?"

"Because I'm not going anywhere without you. So pull up your big girl pants and let's go."

Kellerman reddened, suddenly aware that she was treading water in nothing more than her underwear.

"I don't know if I can make it, " she said.

"Of course you can make it. I promise. You've got more b.a.l.l.s than any woman I have ever known."

Kellerman sucked a breath, felt her face scrunching up. There was a time she would have bawled him out for a line like that. Not now, instead she said, "You are just trying to be nice right?"

Buchanan sluiced salt.w.a.ter out between his teeth and grinned, "Suck it up Kellerman, this as nice as nice gets in this part of the ocean. Now, are you coming or not? Because I sure as h.e.l.l ain't leaving you behind."

He was that sort of guy, a real p.r.i.c.k on wheels and stubborn with it. The real sucky thing about the whole deal though was he was right. They had to strike out for danger, or they would never be safe again. Kellerman told herself the swim was the right thing to do, the only way out, from a situation that sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going to get any better, no matter how long they hung around hoping it would.

"I will see you over there," she said. "Yeah, that's what I thought," said Buchanan. He took three long deep breaths and disappeared under the water.

She watched him go, disappearing beneath the waves like he had never existed. She gave it a five count, then followed after him.

There was something different about this swim. The involuntary leap into the ocean had been an escape from danger, but this was a conscious journey into the unknown, and whilst she kept telling herself everything would be alright, her subconscious mind screamed out in protest, throwing out a barrage of doubt and fear that churned through her so hard she almost wanted to puke.

Kellerman swam down and out, moving quickly away from the boat. Rather than swimming straight, she struck out at an acute angle, aiming just beyond the Wonsungi's bow, knowing that she had to allow for the flow of the fast moving currents. If she headed straight for the stern, she would sure as h.e.l.l miss it, and if she missed, she would be left floating alone in the shark-infested ocean, with nothing but the rapidly disappearing wake of the ship as company.

As Kellerman swam downwards, the brackish salt.w.a.ter pressed in upon her, stinging her eyes strange fish danced quickly through the gloom, their bodies flashing silver before they disappeared into the darkness. She felt the pull of the ocean currents now, moving stronger by the minute. She swam faster, concentrating hard on her form, making sure that every stroke counted. How much farther could it be? She had pulled a hundred strokes at least and there was still no sign of the Wonsungi. She paddled harder, striking out in desperation now, knowing that if she came up short the lookouts on the Nautilus would spot her and carve her up with their machine guns as she floundered in the open water. She couldn't let that happen. She had to swim on. If she came up short she would let Buchanan down; let Captain alvares down, and all her imprisoned crewmates too-she had to come through this, or no one would help them, they would be doomed, lost to the vengeance of their captors.

Finally, with her lungs growing tighter, Kellerman felt her arms and legs slow. The inevitable burn of her exertions squeezing down upon her, as the precious oxygen in her lungs ran out-still no sight of the Wonsungi and no idea if she would ever see it. All at once, Kellerman felt more alone than she had ever felt. The doubts of her subconscious mind ramped higher, into a howling tirade. She knew now that she had to break the surface, no matter what the consequences. She let her body rise, her face breaking slowly through the waves. What she saw shocked her. The Wonsungi was even farther away than it had ever been, her swim had been wildly misjudged and now both the Nautilus and the pirate ship were disappearing to the south, at an ever-greater rate. Her wildest fears had come to pa.s.s-she was alone in the ocean, treading water in the wake of fast departing salvation.

Kellerman swore aloud. She struck out on the surface now, swimming just as fast and hard as she could. She had nothing left to lose. If the gunmen on the rail of the Nautilus saw her, then so be it. Her fate would be finally sealed. She would die alone in the ocean a thousand miles from the nearest land.

She no longer cared about style now. She struck out with crazed abandon, towards the low- rising net-deck of the Wonsungi. But she was two hundred yards out at least, and with each stroke she made, the ship seemed to grow farther away. The waves were growing bigger too and as she traversed over and through them, her sight of the disappearing ship became obscured by the encroaching ocean. Kellerman didn't give up. She kept swimming hard, forcing her way through the water with growing desperation.

Then, overhead she saw them, popping through the sky-burning bright, with a sun-like intensity-parachute flares-a whole string of them, drifting slowly through the sky. It was such an awe-inspiring sight. Kellerman almost stopped swimming. Then, the thought hit her-if she was looking at the flares, those gun-toting maniacs aboard the Nautilus would be too, this was it, a chance from heaven. Maybe she could make it after all? She redoubled her efforts, striking out towards the stern of the Wonsungi as hard as she could swim.

The sudden clatter of gunfire filled the air.

Buchanan-it had to be Buchanan. He must have reached safety, and now he was laying down covering fire, that crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Couldn't he have waited until she had gotten clear of the water? As Kellerman's adrenaline amped upwards, she heard another noise now, the sound of helicopters, and not just any old helicopter either, this was the heavy chopping thrum of the SH-60F Ocean Hawk. That could only mean one thing this far out at sea-The Navy was coming-the G.o.dd.a.m.n Navy. Her spirits soared, as the power of fear was replaced by a wild new euphoria. Salvation was at

hand.

Then, rising out of the water around her dark figures appeared, their faces black and demonic. Kellerman felt a scream rising within her, but a gloved hand closed over her mouth. Up close now the faces came into focus, not monsters at all, but men in military style re-breathers, the kind of diving mask that creates no tell tale air bubbles.

The diver directly in front of her raised a finger to his lips. She opened her mouth, a question hanging on her lips, but the diver behind her inserted an oxygen mouthpiece roughly between her lips and they sank down beneath the water. As she sank down, the water closing over her Kellerman closed her eyes. The last thing she saw before she disappeared below the waves was the flintlock and trident badge of the U.S Navy SEALS. The good guys were here-and they were here in force.

61.

Hawaiian costal waters Donald Mlama's eyes shone with hate. He wiped blood from his face with the back of his arm and cursed Karyn to h.e.l.l. She held her gun high, every instinct telling her to shoot, but she held back. Mlama saw her restraint as a sign of weakness and he reached quickly for a sharp pointed boat hook. He turned the hook quickly in his hands, brandishing it like a spear. He gave her a b.l.o.o.d.y grin. And made a quick thrust towards her.

Karyn sidestepped and said, "So much for the Aloha welcome Mlama, you try that move again and I am gonna make you wish you hadn't."

Mlama didn't hear her. His crazed eyes grew wider and he rushed towards her with a wild, anguished cry of pure hatred.

Karyn stepped back fast against the control consul and slammed her elbow hard against the throttle. The Fortune surged forwards like an unleashed demon, but with no hand to guide the wheel, the rudder sent the boat in to a fast-turning circle. Donald Mlama staggered backwards, impacting the stern of the boat so hard, his knees buckled and he was catapulted over the rail into the boiling wake behind the boat. He disappeared from view, lost in the whitewater vortex. Karyn leaned hard on the wheel and took the boat around in a series of concentric turns.

As the boat slowed and last the final fizzing bubbles dissipated, the black ocean swell reached up greedily to receive further tribute. Karyn turned the boat into the current and looked down into the water.

There was no sign of Donald Mlama. He had disappeared into the swirling deep, as though he had never existed.

Karyn circled the boat forwards on low power, expecting a blood stained hand to come reaching out of the dark waters at any minute. Mlama was gone, but his presence was resonating. Karyn knew now she had underestimated him. She had been arrogant enough to a.s.sume he wouldn't be a threat. She had been dumb enough to think she could turn him, get him to spill the ugly truth about Deng Tao and his Humanistian friends. She had been wrong, she knew that now, so wrong it had very nearly cost her life. She should have put a bullet in Mlama the moment she had seen him- she had been swayed against the necessary action by those pictures on his office wall, the pictures of his wife and children, loving dependents waiting for their father and husband to return home from a hard day at the office. Trouble was daddy wasn't just another office worker. He was a crooked cop in league with dangerous people, a bad man with a blind spot for injustice who had been turning his back so long he could justify just about any sort of crime, up to and including murder.

Karyn looked into the dark swirling waters and told her self things were better this way. Mlama's death would be seen as an accident. His family would get a Police Department payout and an insurance bounty too. The trouble was Mlama had taken with him, all knowledge of the Tao Corporations doings on the Big Island.

I can't let you ruin things... my friends in the movement will make sure of that...

The sound of Donald Mlama's threats echoed in her head. Mlama knew something that was for sure. He knew Deng Tao and his friends in the Humanistian movement were up to something big, something he believed in so fanatically he was prepared to sacrifice everything, including his own life to defend it. Karyn eased the throttle forward, and the Fortune surged powerfully through the waves. She was heading to the Big Island, a primordial world of fire and water, watched over by the dark G.o.ds of old. In a few short hours from now, Deng Tao's new geothermal power station would go online. Many had died so that this most philanthropical project might live. But Karyn had dark and ugly misgivings, the crazed conspiracy theories of Brad Verner, predicted some villainous attempt to destroy the world, but such overwrought ramblings plainly had no substance. Then there were the oily words of Tao and his crazy-b.i.t.c.h wife, not to mention the ambitions of that chain-smoking old socialite Calista Johnston. The whole ugly scene amounted to a cultish wack- ball convention of the highest order, but their blatherings didn't amount to a hill of beans when it came to facilitating any kind of real change. Extremists of all persuasions had been trying without success to overthrow the United States Government for years. They would never succeed of course the American way of life was too firmly rooted in the soil of righteousness for that to happen.

Travelling at full speed now, Karyn surveyed the horizon for signs of land. For over an hour she saw nothing but ocean, then finally rising from the far horizon, she saw an awe inspiring sight, dark grey spires aligned like cathedrals of death in a vast ocean bound city. Karyn gave a low chuckle. The shapes on the horizon were a US Navy carrier strike group and she was heading right for it. The Navy had been scrutinizing her from beyond the edge of the horizon. It could be no accident that they were here. They were watching, waiting, preparing for an event of great moment.

Karyn sped forward, her course deviating slightly to starboard, it hardly mattered now-the Navy were waiting to meet her. Karyn's jaw tightened. No doubt Senegar was involved. It all made perfect sense. The manipulative b.a.s.t.a.r.d had been using her as bait to draw fire. He hadn't figured she would get this far. The tightness turned quickly to anger, the play with the Navy could only mean one thing-her pops was behind this somewhere, hovering over her life, like some wizened old vulture. The old man had some kind of nerve thinking his magnanimity would be appreciated.

Senegar was fast friends with the Admiral, although he had never told her. Karyn had known for years. She had seen the signs, low-grade intel' piling up in the form of unguarded comments slipped into conversation, forbidden details concerning her past that could never have been gleaned without inside knowledge. h.e.l.l, the Admiral and Senegar were probably laughing it up at this very minute, swilling Scotch and slapping each other on the back, thinking their clever little scheme to involve her in this bulls.h.i.t mission had paid off. They had cheated her-used her-palmed her off with some bulls.h.i.t decoy gig, while they saved the prime-cut entrees for themselves. Karyn's hands tightened hard against the wheel. There was no way in h.e.l.l that Senegar was going to get away with this. He had torn her away from Carly, interceded in her mission as protector and guardian angel and to what end? If America, the country she loved, was in danger Karyn knew she just couldn't rest until those who were responsible were defeated. But simple defeat would not be enough, the demons inside her would never allow that-she would have to seek out those enemies personally and watch them die.

The helicopters were coming out to greet her now. The men with guns would be watching, a.n.a.lyzing every nuanced move that she made. No doubt they would have been fully briefed, regarding just who they were dealing with. They would come to greet her with the hand of friendship extended, but they would have the iron- gauntlet of violence coiled ready to destroy her, if the need arose. Karyn breathed deep. She eased back on the throttle and awaited the arrival of the helicopters. Soon they would be here, heavily armed men in fatigues rappelling aboard. The mission had taken an unexpected turn, but that was OK. She was Lieutenant Commander Karyn Kane, of the Office of Naval Intelligence, at least she had been until she joined the Agency. Now she was in control, total control-

62.

Hawaii Rear Admiral Paddy Williams, commander of Carrier Strike Group Nine was waiting for Karyn in is office aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan. Karyn had known him since he was executive officer on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Williams was a friend of her father's and despite his wide jawed smile and sparkling eyes, he was a dangerous and highly decorated warrior, who's hard bitten reputation went before him like a thirty foot battering ram. Williams was leaning against the front of his desk when the marines showed her in. He rose up quickly to greet her and grasped her hand in his. He had a grip like a pipe wrench.

"Good to see you Karyn, I am flattered that you would even think of visiting us after all this time."

"Cut the bulls.h.i.t Paddy, we both know the Admiral is behind this, so let's not beat around the bush. I have a busy afternoon and a list of things to do like you wouldn't believe.

Williams narrowed his eyes but the grin remained static.

"I have a situation I need to take care of," said Karyn by way of explanation.

"I have been fully appraised of the situation, Karyn." He lingered over the syllables in her name like he was talking to an errant teenager. "And you can rest a.s.sured that we have that situation in hand."

"I am sure you do Paddy, but I want in."

Paddy Williams looked at his watch, "Your timing is most fortuitous Karyn. As I understand it, there is going to be a quite horrible industrial accident on the Big Island. Luckily, we are well placed to avert the worst of it, although I am sorry to tell you there is no provision for your further involvement in this affair."

"Industrial accident huh? That's real clever. Who thought that one up Senegar or my father?"

Williams pursed his lips and gave her a pained look, "Never much of a team player, were you Karyn? I bet those number crunchers in Washington just love you don't they?"

"I want in Paddy, so don't give me the bulls.h.i.t runaround."

Williams nodded sagely. "So you better get kitted out and find your way to the flight deck on the hurry up. DEVGRU are shipping out in 13 minutes and counting.

"I have Intel that there is going to be a level nine event," said Karyn.

Williams just looked at her with sparkling eyes. "We have Black Squadron onsite already. Gold Squadron are securing the area, and you and the boys are going to land right in their laps. So, I think you can relax Karyn, the delightful Mr. Tao and his friends are about find out what the United States of America thinks of subversives."

Karyn curled a lip, "How long have you known about this Paddy?"

"Long enough my dear, now hurry along, and don't forget to say h.e.l.lo to your father for me."

Karyn balled her fists. "I haven't seen him in a while. But you know that, don't you Paddy?"

"I know that the sooner you get out of my sight, the happier I will be," Paddy Williams flipped the wink to the Marine sergeant who was standing beside the door, and he came to attention smartly.

"Get Ms. Kane off my ship would you sergeant, expedited delivery please."

"Sir. Yes sir." Barked the marine, and made a flamboyant about face. Karyn followed him out.

At the door she turned and flipped the Rear Admiral a pistol fingers salute. "See you around Paddy, "she said. Paddy Williams sat back on his desk, folded his arms and watched her go, his rictus smile cut wide to the ears.

As the squadron of SH-60F Ocean Hawks rode in over the Big Island, the twin peaks of Mauna Loa and Kilauea loomed out of the volcanic mist. In the far distance, the disembodied peak of Mauna Kea rose even higher, like some prehistoric monster rearing up from the swamp. As the helicopters sank through the steaming clouds, a broken landscape of blackened volcanic rocks stretched out below, like some hideous alien landscape. Karyn felt a cold shudder run over her- visions of Afghanistan flashing back rapid fire- shrunken bearded faces with cold hard eyes, filthy- faced children in rags, with bombs and a.s.sault rifles, emaciated animals and women running scared. Karyn fingered her Sig, she had it strapped across her chest in a military style holster, so she could reach it out fast when she needed it. She found the weapons presence rea.s.suring, a constant reminder that all enemies would fall before her.

The helicopter made a steep approach, cutting down through the cloud base. And there it was, rising-up from the mountainside The Complex the grand headquarters of Deng Tao's geothermal dream. Decked out in razor edged chrome and polar white, the place looked ghostly against the black landscape, dominating the valley like some monstrous nuclear test facility. Who knew what horrors lay inside, thought Karyn. The place had the vibe of evil, a weird and unsettling sense of ancient energy pulsing out from its very core.

The helicopter made a wide, stomach churning turn, coming in fast and low over the wire of the compound. The powerful wash of the rotor blades sending a dust storm rising high into the air. Karyn wrapped her camouflage scarf tight against her face and pulled her goggles down. Then, she broke open the door and leapt out before the wheels of the chopper settled into the dust. She set off at a run, heading for the main building. She knew the SEALs would have her back. She saw them fanning out on all sides, taking charge of the compound. There was a sudden crackle of gunfire, bullets zipped overhead cutting past like hammer blows, then bouncing away down the broken mountainside. Karyn had her pistol out already, but the SEALs were on top of things. As she neared the buildings, a furious barrage of covering fire broke out all around her. And the pristine buildings began to disintegrate as a firestorm of bullets cut into them. The gla.s.s doors Karyn was heading for exploded into a million broken shards and shrapnel scythed through the air, as Karyn kicked her way in through the shattered windows Inside the building, there was pandemonium. White suited employees were running in all directions, some of them had rifles; others, who looked like they might well be scientists or engineers, cowered down, seeking cover where ever they could find it. Karyn ran through the melee, as a pulsing cacophony of alarm bells sounded out around her. She needed to find the control room that operated the power station. She moved deeper into the building, her boots pounding down the hard corridors, as she searched franticly for the buildings nerve centre.

Running ever faster, Karyn bounced through a set of swing shut fire doors marked danger no entry. She came face to face with a white suited guard in steel helmet. Surprised, he swung his AK-47 towards her, but Karyn caught the barrel in one hand and issued a lethal backhanded blow to the man's neck. Without stopping, she popped him twice-two quick shots centre ma.s.s to make sure he stayed down.

Looking about now, she knew she was getting close to her destination; the cavernous room she had just entered was filled with industrial gage pipes and giant chemical storage tanks marked with toxic hazard signs.. No wonder Deng Tao had needed pay off the governor, thought Karyn; this place had enough toxic chemicals stockpiled to start an apocalypse-and this lethal storehouse of toxic ooze was balanced on the precipitous slopes of the most active volcano in the world. If Kilauea went into melt down, the whole plant would melt down with it, creating an environmental catastrophe.

Hurrying onwards, with even greater urgency, Karyn heard the crackle of gunfire drawing in behind her. She had to find the control room and soon, if she didn't, whoever was running this place might decide to open the valves on the tanks, unleashing a c.o.c.ktail of toxic ooze-or worse. As she pounded through the giant storage hanger Karyn noticed a gla.s.s-fronted observation deck hanging high in the ceiling at the far end of the vast hall-that was the control room-it had to be.

Seconds later, Karyn was nearing the top of a steel staircase that led to the gla.s.s fronted gantry. At the top of the final landing she found a doorway with a keypad security panel. The door was marked Strictly No Admittance. Karyn reached out and turned the handle slowly. The door was locked. She stood back at a right angle, shot out the lock, then kicked the door open and barged through the opening with her gun raised high.

Brad Verner raised his hands and said sheepishly, "Hi Karyn, how are you doing?" Ted Congo was stood right next to him in a garish Tikki themed Hawaiian shirt. He didn't raise his hands, just stood there with a sneer on his face.

Karyn looked at them, then said, "Both of you, step away from that control panel, and do it slow."

"You are too late. I have initialized the startup sequence already Karyn," said Verner. He sounded cheerful, like he didn't have a care in the world.

"What do you mean start up sequence?" asked Karyn her voice cold and deadly.

"It really is quite fascinating, on top of the advances I have made in geothermal efficiency, the mathematics involved are my greatest achievement-you are certainly looking at the winner of the next n.o.bel Prize, so it is a proud moment indeed."

Karyn kept her gun leveled, gently moving it back and forth between the two men. "I don't give a s.h.i.t about mathematics or anything else Verner, What I want to know is what in the h.e.l.l you have initialized and how do we stop it?"

"Oh, you can't stop the initialization process. That would be very dangerous."

"What do you mean dangerous?"

"Right now, a superheated mixture of highly volatile chemicals is pa.s.sing close to the volcanic magma at the very core of the Island. That energy will be recirculated and converted into electrical energy. If you cut off the process now it will lead to... a catastrophic explosion that will most likely blow the entire Island out of the water."

"Smooth work Verner, you are some kind of genius aren't you? So tell me what happens if this c.o.c.kamamie fun house you have created keeps chugging along?"