Chapter 11

"What the hell do you mean there's an intruder in the complex?!" raged Gamma.

"A man was spotted running through the entrance gallery and down the tunnel to the elevator, sir. I've already dispatched men to hunt him down," the security chief replied as he cringed in fear of his life.

"How did he get in here? Why was he not detected?" Gamma demanded.

"Unknown sir. I've got people scanning all our security systems to determine that."

"Get teams into every room of this complex. I want all critical areas checked first for anything out of the ordinary."

"Yes sir," the chief replied then executed a quick about face and ran out of the room to carry out his orders thrilled to still be alive.

Gamma snatched up his phone and dialed the control room. "Germaine, here," said the voice at the other end.

"Germaine, accelerate all systems. Be prepared to launch all missiles immediately."

"Immediately, sir? Aren't we at least 20 hours from when the ransom is due to be paid?" Germaine inquired.

"There has been a breach in security. I'm taking no chances that whoever got in hasn't already managed to sabotage this undertaking. How long until you can launch?" Gamma asked.

Germaine quickly perused his status boards and documentation on the state of readiness. "We can initiate countdown sequence in 15 minutes. There are still a few payload capsules that have yet to be secured, before we can begin the startup and launch sequences."

"Do it. Shave as much time as possible off those sequences. I want those missiles in flight in 10 minutes!" Gamma ordered and slammed down the receiver. He moved to his desk, activated his computer and pulled up the video footage showing the intruder. As he focused in on the man dressed in black, he finally got a clear shot of his face. He felt the blood in his veins run cold as he instantly recognized Nelson's wonder boy Lee Crane.

He next pulled up his radio log looking for any communications from his man aboard Seaview. There was a conspicuous lack of activity that he should have been more concerned about earlier. His man either had second thoughts or been discovered; neither option was acceptable. Either way he would have revenge for this betrayal, Bishop would rue the day he double crossed him.

He then accessed his email looking for a report on Seaview's status from his contact in the Pentagon. She had reported back insisting that the private submarine was not engaged in activities to locate his base. Quite obviously they had assumed Gamma had moles in their organizations and had taken steps to limit who knew of Seaview's whereabouts and activities.

Gamma slammed his fist hard onto the desktop and cursed. If Crane was already on his way out, then he had achieved his mission and had most likely planted a bomb of some sort to destroy his facility. Gamma picked up the phone and ordered his helicopter made ready for immediate departure. He was informed the chopper would be ready to fly in 15 minutes.

He moved to the safe, keyed in the combination and swung the door open. He began grabbing critical documents and other items he deemed necessary. Gamma shoved everything into his briefcase then made a hasty exit from his office heading for the elevator and the helipad.

(olooo

"Damn him," Nelson stormed as he heard Lee's transmission cut off. He knew Lee must have found something he hadn't expected to direct them further offshore and deep.

"Admiral, request permission to take a zodiac to the pickup point to collect a stray cat," Chip offered.

Harri smiled at Chip's request. "As much as I would love to Chip, we're going to follow Lee's instructions. Helm, hard a stern, emergency flank, full speed ahead, course 090." The helmsman quickly repeated the ordered course and speed then engaged all systems in moving Seaview as far away as possible. He snatched up the mic. "Chip sound general quarters. Attention all hands rig for severe turbulence, repeat rig for severe turbulence." The klaxon sounded and the men immediately took actions to prepare for a good shake. Again Nelson regretted not having a means of getting to shore and back again in short order as he left his captain and son to face what was to come with no hope of rescue.

Now at top speed, the water depth was increasing quickly and Nelson ordered the boat deeper as they increased their distance from the island. As they reached 800 feet, the first explosion ripped through the island sending a turbulent flow of water in all directions. Seaview pitched and rolled momentarily then returned to an even keel. On the verge of ordering the boat to throttle back and decrease depth, the second explosion tore through the tanks in Gamma's keep producing an earth shattering jolt that generated a monstrous concussive wave that radiated out in all directions. Seaview even at almost 1000 feet below the surface and nearly 10 miles offshore was immediately caught up in the wave and tossed mercilessly about like a child's toy in a bath tub.

Although they were braced against the turbulence, they were soon shaken loose and slammed into the bulkheads and down onto the deck. Alarms sounded as pipes broke, steam and water flooded various parts of the boat, and bulkheads threatened to buckle. The maelstrom seemed to go forever as they were hit by successive waves. As the last of the waves passed them, a collective groan sounded from both the men and Seaview as she settled heavily on the bottom.

(olooo

Lee continued to run headlong through the dense jungle and brush that covered the small island. Reaching the base of the hill, he was suddenly joined by a number of Gamma's troops as they spilled out of a tunnel located near the base. He immediately came under fire as the guards spotted him through the trees. He began running evasively, zigging and zagging through the trees noting the bullets imbedding in the trees around him.

Spotting a large dead fall of trees before him, Lee dove over the barrier thankful for the moment of cover it provided. He peered out around it and was able to pick off three of Gamma's men. He glanced down at his watch and knew he needed to get further from that complex as time was drawing short. Having backed his pursuers off for the moment he climbed to his feet and headed down the trail.

His rapid departure was greeted by a hail of bullets and this time one found its mark sending him tumbling head over heels into the abandoned center of the village. Lee gasped in pain as he reached down and grasped his calf feeling a deluge of blood flowing through his fingers. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back to his feet and limped as quickly as he could towards an outcrop of rock running along one side of the village. Given his leg could still bear weight, the bullet had missed both bones and with luck the major blood vessels.

As he hobbled towards the outcrop, he realized it was the remains of a lava tube and ducked into the natural tunnel thankful for the cover it provided. The tube had breached in a number of places over time and the villagers had used the structure to store food and other items of value in niches they had expanded in the natural voids created as the lava cooled. Working his way down the covered stretch, Lee heard a scuffle in the sand ahead of him and saw the tip of a rifle barrel extend across the opening in the tube.

Not giving the owner of the gun time to look inside, Lee moved as quickly as he could down the passageway then firmly grabbed the barrel and yanked the surprised possessor off his feet and into the tunnel. He administered a couple of quick punches leaving the man unconscious. He then picked up the rifle and crept down the next segment of tunnel and hopefully to his way out of the village.

Before bolting across the open space between the last segment of tube and the foliage ahead, Lee rapidly scanned the clearing and spotted one more guard poking around the abandoned huts. As he entered one, Lee scampered across the open ground and continued his flight to the sea. Running down the overgrown trail, the ground began to slope down drastically as it dropped towards the ocean. Lee slowed, leaning heavily on the rifle and snagged a look at his watch at which point the first of his charges exploded, shaking the ground violently and sending him tumbling down the slope.

He pinged and caromed off the rocks and trees lining the trail adding layers of bruises and cuts to go with his gunshot wound. Finally, able to gain control, Lee pulled to a stop and painfully pushed up to a seated position. His arms, legs and ribs complained loudly about the recent treatment they had endured. Not wanting to be any closer to Gamma's complex for the next explosion, he forced himself back up to his feet and began hobbling as fast as he could down the slope to the beach ahead.

Reaching the water's edge, the second of his explosions let go resulting in an even more violent shaking of the ground. Lee was flung back into the ocean as a huge column of fire erupted from the missile room, shooting a mushroom-shaped cloud thousands of feet up into the air. Lee screamed in pain as the salt water invaded his wounds and he curled into a ball clutching his left calf. As the pain subsided somewhat, Lee's attention was drawn back to the complex as the island once again began to shake and lava and ash began to spew out of the crater his explosives had created.

Knowing he needed to get off the island if he wanted any chance at survival, Lee sat up and pulled the pack off of his back. He fished through the contents throwing unneeded equipment off to the side as he dug down to his mask and fins. Having no time to don a wet suit he pulled it out and added it to the discard pile.

He quickly unlaced his boots and kicked them off. Removing the left proved to be a particularly painful exercise as his leg cramped and throbbed as he worked the boot off. He then pulled on his fins and placed the mask on the top of his head. He sealed up the waterproof bag now only containing his sample case, gun, and a hefty amount of air to keep him afloat once he made it beyond the shallow lagoon.

Summoning up the last of his energy he pulled the mask over his face, stuck the snorkel in his mouth, rolled over on his belly, pushed up to his knees and began crawling back out to sea. The bottom was made up of a painful mix of sand, broken coral and lava rock which tore through his jeans and ripped up his hands and knees. Thankfully the bottom sloped away fairly rapidly and he was soon in water deep enough to float and began trying to make his way past the barrier reef out to open water and hopefully rescue.

After making it out a couple hundred yards he hazarded a glance back over his shoulder at what he had caused. The island he had first landed on no longer existed. The trees had all been flattened from the multiple explosions and quakes, the dark green canopy was gone, replaced by a dull gray landscape created from the smoke and ash and the ash, lava and debris rained down upon the surrounding area. The only color remaining was the red magma that spewed into the atmosphere and oozed out of the hill top and old lava tubes consuming everything in its path. There was zero chance anything had survived including Gamma's virus and hopefully Gamma.

Completely exhausted, Lee rolled back over and half-heartedly paddled with one leg out into the ocean. Clearing the last barrier, he lost his battle to remain conscious and floated limply on the surface of the ocean like the rest of the detritus and debris from what was Drambezi.

(olooo

Gamma tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator to reach the residential level so he could exit and climb aboard his helicopter. As the car rose everything suddenly began to shake violently as an explosion tore through the complex. The elevator lurched to a halt throwing him roughly to the floor and knocking the wind out of him. The lights in the car winked out and he was cast into complete darkness.

He struggled hard to tamp down the fear that was consuming him. He felt as though he had been buried alive and was on the verge of total panic. Gamma rose unsteadily to his feet then struck out his hands trying to find the elevator control panel. Finally locating it, he began to pound on the button hoping to stir the car back into motion. More than a little surprised, the backup power supply kicked in and the car began to slowly inch its way upwards and after five minutes the door began to open on the desired floor.

Gamma immediately jammed his hands into the gap between the door and the car wall and yanked violently trying to pull the door open wide enough to escape. Finally getting the gap he needed, he recovered his briefcase then bolted down the hallway to the helipad and escape.

As he exited the complex he spotted the helicopter and felt a sudden rush of relief as he realized the rotors were turning and the pilot was rapidly working through the switches preparing for lift off. He scampered across the open ground to the aircraft and quickly climbed inside. "GO! GO! GO!" he screamed at the pilot. The man nodded his head and increased the rotor speed in preparation for lift off. Just as the skids lifted above the ground, a second explosion ripped through the complex sending a cascade of rock and other debris falling to the ground. As one of the larger rocks made contact with the rotor, the blades shattered and the aircraft suddenly dropped and cartwheeled across the ground adding yet another fireball to the scene.

(olooo