The Atlantis Stone (11 page)

"What if we need more than two hours?" Ronnie asked.

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."

Two hours later the sea was still empty. The captain was giving them dark looks from the bridge.

"We're going to have to persuade him to stay out longer," Nick said.

"He's beginning to worry that something isn't right," Selena said.

"We can't go back to the harbor. The cops will be waiting. I'll call Harker again."

Nick took out his phone.

Ronnie pointed off the port bow. "I don't think you need to talk to her," he said. "Our ride is here."

The dark sail of a submarine broke the surface of the sea fifty yards away, a primal shape rising like Jonah's whale from the deep. Phosphorescent water cascaded in streams off the long, rounded hull as the deck appeared. A hatch opened high on the side of the sail.

"Lamont ought to be here. He'd love this," Ronnie said.

An officer appeared at the hatch with a bullhorn. He looked down at Nick standing by the railing of the boat. His amplified voice echoed over the water.

"Are you Carter?"

Nick cupped his hands and yelled across the gap. "Present. Am I glad to see you."

"Standby."

"Looks like we're leaving in style," Ronnie said.

"I wonder how Elizabeth pulled this off," Selena said.

Captain Ahmed and his son stood open-mouthed on the bridge, gazing at the apparition.

Nick looked at the enormous shape holding position by their tiny boat. Sailors had appeared on deck. They lowered a zodiac into the water.

"I don't know how she did it," Nick said, "but I think we're going to hear about it when we get back."

CHAPTER 27

Alexei Vysotsky listened to Valentina's report. The connection from Egypt was fair at best.

"One of Volkov's agents is dead," Valentina said.

"What happened?".

"Rostov and her companion went after the Americans inside their hotel. There was a lot of shooting. Rostov got away."

"The Americans?"

"Gone. They got out fast, without taking anything with them. I got into their room before the police. I have a laptop computer and notes my sister made. She was working on a translation."

"Do you know where they went?"

"No. They'll be as far away from here as possible. It's bad for business when people get shot in the hotel. The Egyptians are angry."

"It will be difficult for them to escape. Come home."

My sister is in trouble.

"I should stay here," Valentina said. "We have to know if the Egyptians catch them."

"There are others who can do that, Captain Antipov. You have your orders." Vysotsky hung up.

The bottle of vodka was on his desk, next to an empty glass. He poured a drink. The night outside his window was clear and hot. The overworked air-conditioning in the building strained against the humidity of a Moscow summer. Alexei's uniform jacket was draped on the back of a chair. He'd unbuttoned his collar. A fan on his desk blew warm air over him, but it didn't help much.

He considered what Valentina had told him. Volkov had overstepped himself again. Alexei thought about how he could use what had happened against the FSB director.

The Egyptians were lax in many ways, but their security service was professional and efficient. It wouldn't take long to discover that the dead body in their hotel was a Russian agent. Once they made the connection, the Egyptian government would call in Moscow's ambassador and lodge a strong protest. It was the kind of incident that threatened relations.

The Federation was negotiating with Cairo for a multibillion dollar weapons purchase. The French and Americans were offering their own wares at the same time. Even the Chinese were angling for a sale. The Egyptians had plenty of options to choose from. Volkov's indiscretion could sabotage the deal. Even if it didn't, Cairo would drive a harder bargain as a result.

President Orlov was going to be unhappy with Volkov. The thought made Alexei smile. It was never a good thing when Vladimir Orlov was unhappy with you.

Alexei sipped his vodka. The first thing was to make sure the president learned of Volkov's recklessness. It required a careful approach.

Orlov was well aware of the rivalry between the directors of the two services and encouraged it. It was important he didn't think Alexei was simply undercutting his rival. Volkov would try to make it look as though what he'd tried to do in Egypt was something Alexei should have done instead. He would say his agent had been killed in heroic service to the Motherland.

Orlov likes heroes. I can't do anything about that. But heroic deaths for no purpose are not what he wants to hear about.

Alexei needed to discredit Volkov's decision to go after the Americans. He had to plant doubt about Volkov's competence and at the same time sow a seed of suspicion.

There hadn't been enough time for Orlov to achieve complete control since the coup that had brought him to power. The military and the oligarchs could still remove him if they wished. As long as the oligarchs prospered and as long as Orlov kept the generals happy, his position was secure.

The history of Russia was an endless narrative of plots, conspiracy and murder. The times were modern, but the Russian penchant for treachery was the same as it had been when the country was ruled by Ivan the Terrible. Power in Russia went hand-in-hand with suspicion and paranoia. If Orlov suspected Volkov was plotting to set himself up as a rival for the presidential chair, it wouldn't be long before the FSB director ceased to be a problem.

Alexei took a drink. He could use what he knew about Volkov's private behaviors to go after him. Or it might be better to let Orlov's paranoia reach the conclusion Alexei wanted.

He knew how to plant the thought. It was no secret Volkov favored reestablishing the old KGB. One intelligence and security service. One director in charge of everything. Alexei understood Volkov's ambition well because he wanted the same thing, with himself as director. Supposedly the breakup of the KGB had been a move to increase efficiency. In reality, the purpose was to prevent any one man from having too much power.

Alexei would show Orlov that Volkov's adventure in Egypt was less of a patriotic effort than it was an intelligence blunder founded on ambition. He would plant the seed of suspicion that would lead to his rival's destruction.

It was a game that could have only one winner.

Alexei poured himself another drink.

CHAPTER 28

Elizabeth's day started with another blast from the tabloids about her so-called affair with Hood. She wasn't in the best of moods. The team had assembled in her office.

"What were you thinking?" Elizabeth said. "I had to call in a hell of a favor to get that sub tasked to you. You're lucky she was in the area."

"I didn't have a choice, Director. They had Selena and were about to disappear. I yelled, one of them drew on me, I shot him. What else was I supposed to do?"

Elizabeth's pen beat a tattoo on her desk.

"The Egyptians are pissed."

"What else is new?" Ronnie said. "They're always pissed, like everybody else over there."

Elizabeth gave him one of her looks. This one said
you'd better keep quiet.

"I've used up my last chips with the Pentagon," she said. "The president wants to know why one of our submarines had to be diverted. What do you think I should tell him, Nick?"

"Tell him the truth. We were looking for a new energy source with implications for national security. The Russians didn't want us to find it and sent people to stop us. They called the shots, not us. Just don't tell him about Atlantis. That might be more information than he needs to know at this point."

The pen stopped tapping.

"Really? You don't think I should tell the president about Atlantis? That this energy source may or may not be nothing more than a legend? That we want to go looking for records that may or may not exist under thousands of feet of water? Why wouldn't I want to tell him that?"

The tips of Elizabeth's ears were turning red, a danger sign. Nick said nothing.

"Nothing more to say?"

"No."

"I didn't think so."

"It's more than a legend," Selena said.

Harker turned to her. "This better be good."

"I have pictures of the inscriptions in the Egyptian Temple. I polished up the translation during the flight home. Atlantis isn't a myth. Now that we have an idea where to look, we can pinpoint it exactly. There must still be ruins. They'll show up on a scan of the ocean floor."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, making an effort to calm herself.

"How deep?"

"It depends on where it is. The average depth of the Atlantic is about 11,000 feet but there are plenty of places where it's a lot shallower."

"How are we supposed to get to it once we know where it is? The Navy isn't going to loan me one of their research vessels. Not after sending the sub."

"We don't need the Navy," Selena said. "We can search for the stone without them. If we find what we're looking for, the Pentagon will give you a submarine and anything else you want. You'll have lots of new chips to play with."

"What do you mean?"

Selena told Elizabeth about her friend with the deep-sea exploration gear.

"I already talked with him," she said. "He's off the coast of Egypt right now, exploring the ruins of Heracleion. He's willing to work with us."

Elizabeth was getting angry again. "Do I need to remind you this mission is classified?"

"I didn't tell him what we we're looking for. Only enough to get him interested. As far as that goes, he used to be a SEAL, an intelligence officer. He has to have a high security clearance. It shouldn't be hard to read him in on a limited basis."

"I suppose you have an idea about how I'm supposed to pay for this?"

"You don't have to. I will."

Elizabeth looked at her in surprise. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I can. Because if I didn't do it, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."

"I can't permit you to do that."

"You're not giving me much of a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"If you don't give me permission, I'll resign and do it on my own."

"You can't be serious."

Selena looked at her, her expression set.

Oh, shit,
Nick thought.

CHAPTER 29

Vladimir Orlov sat at his official desk in the Kremlin Senate building, reading reports. Generals Vysotsky and Volkov stood in front of the desk, waiting. Minutes dragged by as Orlov continued turning pages. Finally, he looked up at them.

"General Volkov. You are aware of the current negotiations with Egypt."

"Yes, Mister President."

Orlov's voice was calm, without emotion. It was in moments like this that you didn't want to be the object of his attention. Vysotsky's outer appearance was impassive. Inside, he was grinning.

"The sale of those arms is a matter of highest priority. Negotiations are now in serious jeopardy because of your actions. Please explain yourself."

"Yes, Mister President. The Americans are looking for something they learned about from one of our senior researchers, a traitor. I sent operatives to observe them and obtain as much information as possible. Lieutenant Arshavin died defending the Motherland. Major Rostov escaped."

"So you say in your report. It would have been easier if the traitor had not died under your interrogation. Did you discover whether or not the Americans found what they are searching for?"

Volkov looked uncomfortable. "Not yet. But..."

Orlov held up his hand. Volkov stopped talking.

"Four agents dead in the last week and you still do not know what the Americans are doing. It seems General Vysotsky has had better luck than you."

Volkov glanced at Alexei with a look of pure hatred.

Orlov continued. "I have his report here. He states that the Americans are searching for records of an ancient power source that could provide us with a strategic advantage. His operative recovered materials in Egypt that explain where it might be found. The Americans know where to look."

Volkov turned to Vysotsky. "You had someone in Egypt?"

Alexei kept his voice mild. "Your department has no mandate to pursue foreign agents outside our borders. That is the function of SVR, as you well know. When I learned what you had done, it seemed prudent to send someone. Her orders were to observe and remain undetected. Had I known your agents were going to create an international incident, I would have ordered her to intervene."

"You are a pompous ass," Volkov said.

"At least I am not an idiot. I know better than to provoke a conflict with the Americans."

"That is because one of your agents is the sister of an American spy."

"No. It is because I am not a thug like you, always ready to bring out the jackboot at any opportunity."

Before Volkov could respond, Orlov interrupted.

"Enough. I have had enough of this childish arguing. You are two of my most important officers. If you cannot find a way to cooperate, I will replace you with others who will. Am I clear?"

Both men answered at once. "Yes, Mister President."

"General Volkov. Do not let a mistake like this happen again. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Mister President."

"General Vysotsky. I want to know what the Americans are doing. You are not to confront them directly unless they initiate a conflict. This is now your priority. Understood?"

"Yes, Mister President."

"Dismissed."

The two generals saluted and clicked their heels together. They left the room without looking at each other.

Orlov watched them go, thinking about Vysotsky's report and Volkov's ambition.