CHAPTER FIVE:
Reunion

PART ONE: Cloak and Dagger

September 17th, 2033
20:00 hours

Secretary General McGath looked at the three captains, the one commodore, the admiral and a colonel. If they had not told him themselves what they had learned, and how, he would have never believed his ears. As it was he still didn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you telling me this Commander..."

"Richard Daltrey," supplied Hitchcock.

"Commander Daltrey has defected, told you all this, and also brought with him his ship and his crew and he is currently being escorted by the Nezamiah to NorPac waters?" he leaned back in his chair. "Why are you telling me, Admiral, and not your superiors."

"Because I felt you should know," she answered. "NorPac may have all the best intentions but their methods may not."

"I understand, Admiral, and thank you for the tip. McGath out," the vid cut out and he looked over to the other member of the little group that had been listening in. "Amazing."

The other man nodded his head and said, "It brings a measure of hope, Mr. Secretary, although I am still not sure why you brought me in here to see this."

"Because, Max, I need you to get there before they do. Can you do it?"

"Of course I can," answered Scully. "Although, as you know, I would rather kill Bridger than save him. But I can see why what he knows should never fall into the wrong hands. Why me?"

"Because you are the last person Bourne would expect to be helping us. For all intents and purposes you should hate the UEO, hate NorPac..."

"I don't hate NorPac. Only the seaQuest for stopping me, and of course Nathan Bridger," interjected Scully.

"Whatever, same thing right now," McGath waved it off as unimportant. "If you make sure Nathan doesn't break, you get paid. However, there is a substantial bonus if you bring him back to the UEO, not NorPac, alive."

Max Scully grinned and said, "Now, who would not want a substantial bonus? Consider it done."

Same day
seaQuest DSV
wardroom

Robert Bridger sat where he was after the vidlink ended and try as he might, he could not dispel an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He stood and stretched. Today had been a really long day for him as his shift had been the morning one, and if he wanted to be up and anywhere near sociable tomorrow he was going to have to go to bed now. "Can we call this a day, Admiral?"

"Yes, it's been a rather long one..." she trailed off. "Colonel, you have permission."

"Yes ma'am," came Yamamoto's crisp reply then he left the wardroom.

Hudson turned and asked, "For what?"

"To extract Nathan Bridger from the Macronesian Prison," she answered. "We will ensure that he has a way out, but he will be there with his team before we are."

Robert turned to her, "Just where in Hell does he fit in the chain, Admiral? Is he even considered a part of the chain?"

Hitchcock turned back to Bridger and said, "Commodore, he is Section Seven. That is all you need to know. Now if you will excuse me, I believe I belong on the Clinton."

Watching her leave, Robert said, "It's amazing what the rank of 'Admiral' does to some people. Now I know how my father felt when his best friend ordered him around and gave him the same excuses! Katie, remember this, you may be my superior officer right now, but before who helped you with learning to use the sensors so you could play with that HR Probe when it came out?"

"We are friends, Bobby," she whirled to face him. "You may not be aware of it, but I've heard rumors about your father and what he's like on his superiors. Ever wonder why he never made Admiral?"

"Why don't you enlighten me," answered Robert. "I have a feeling you're going to anyway."

"It's because he never could take an order. He never believed in the 'need to know' rule. Sometimes that choice is hard, Bobby, but dammit, it's for your own good. Personally I call it the 'you really don't want to know' rule," he turned from her then and she put a hand on his shoulder that he shrugged off. She leaned close so that only he could hear, "You are more like him than you care to admit, Robert."

With that said she stalked out the room and the wardroom door resonated with the force of her slamming it. Hudson looked from the door to Robert Bridger's back and decided to make a quieter exit as Bridger would be in no mood to talk over anything right now. Oliver's hand was on the latch when Bridger's voice asked him, "Am I?"

"Are you what?"

Robert slowly turned to face him, "Am I that much like my father that my 'legend' carries such weight that even my own superior officers are afraid of what I am capable of if I were to be at their level?"

Oliver Hudson let his hand drop from the latch. For a long moment he was silent, then he answered, "You are what you make yourself. To Hell with what everyone else thinks."

Bridger inclined his head in thought, and Hudson saluted his new cousin-in-law and exited the wardroom. In the wake of Admiral Hitchcock's storm, numerous seaQuest crew members were standing about confused. Steeling his features into what everyone called his patented and usually permanent scowl, he demanded, "Don't you have jobs to do?"

A few nodded, and he ordered, "Then get to them!"

Hudson walked to the launch bay, a small smile on his lips as the crew members scurried to do as ordered.

PART TWO: When Angels Cry

September 18th, 2033
Stewart Island Prison Facility
Macronesia

A lone figure climbed up the cliff face. Once at the top, he checked the area and then with one signal, more followed him up that cliff. Jason Yamamoto led the silent intrusion, but every so often another person in his team would go ahead of them. Every so often, they would stop as the specialist would diffuse either a trap or jam a sensor so that they could enter as ghosts.

The process took precious hours but they dare not skip it. Silence was vital at least until their objective had been met. Until then they were patient. Until then... Jason actually chafed at the delays.

Each delay caused him to frown, but he used the opportunity to scan ahead for people that might sound an alarm. If possible they would try not to kill, but as Jason was fond of saying, he would make no promises. He refused to even promise the Admiral that he could bring Nathan Bridger out alive, but he could promise that he would never break.

He fingered the syringe that held the quick acting toxin that would give the older Captain Bridger his final rest should he be too weak to extract. All Macronesia would find was his body in his cell. Finally they were at the outer wall of the facility itself. The specialist gave a thumbs up indicating the clear, and another broke into the security system. This one would remain here, and out of sight so that they had an escape route.

The trap specialist preceded Jason into the prison and they crept along the corridor until they reached the first guard station. Rolling a cannister into the station and swiftly shutting the door, they waited until the clear gas knocked out the guards, then another specialist stole one of the uniforms and made himself out to one of the guards.

Nodding, Jason watched as he used the clearance cards obtained to get a location for the more important UEO and NorPac prisoners. Luckily, the only names he saw were Bridger's and Jason's own wife. Memorizing the locations, he split the team into two.

For the first time in his life he experienced a moment of indecision.

He could go and save his wife... and likely lose Bridger so that he was the first thing she saw on the way back to freedom... Or he could go after Bridger to make sure that mission was done correctly down to the last detail.

Turning to his second in command, Ray McGill, he said, "Ray, save my wife."

"Yes sir," acknowledged the other man and the other team simply faded from his sight.

Jason Yamamoto turned to the others, "We go after Bridger."

If Colonel Jason Yamamoto had known that Bridger was already taken care of, maybe he would have gone after his wife. Then again, maybe not seeing as when they got to the cell, a note was left: Got here first. Nathan Bridger will never talk.

Yamamoto said a few choice words in Japanese when he read the signature: Max Scully.

One of his teammates asked, "Isn't that the whaler killer of 2018 that Bridger went after? The one who sank a passenger ship by mistake?"

"Yeah, same one," confirmed Jason. Why? Why? It makes no sense! "Let's get the Hell out of here."

Jason stuffed the note into an upper pocket in his shirt and they made their way back out as ghostlike as they came in. He would not let this turn of events wreck his focus... No, there was another to think about. Unless Scully got to her first too... he refused to dwell on it.

The two teams met up outside the fencing at the cliff. There Yamamoto felt his breath catch as the relief of seeing her standing there washed over him, "Jennifer!"

She turned and they simply held each other for a few minutes as if to breathe in each other's existence. "I thought I'd never see you again," she whispered.

"I lived everyday for this moment," he whispered back.

And hand on his shoulder interrupted them, "Sir, we must get out of here. The seaQuest is due to be in the area by dawn and then it is going to a Hell of a lot harder to get on the Shadow once she does."

Jennifer Fowler-Yamamoto looked at them, "They had someone from seaQuest here, actually two people. I heard one scream and scream, then they stopped. The other was moved to the subsurface levels for 'VIP treatment'."

"We know, the one who screamed was Dr. Lucas Wolenczak and the other that was in a subsurface level is the retired Captain Nathan Bridger..." Jason paused. "They are not there anymore."

She nodded in understanding, "Bourne is insane, Jason, I hope the UEO treads carefully with him."

With that the team climbed back down the cliff with their charge in tow. Fitting her with SCUBA equipment, they dove and swam back to the ship. Once on board, he took his wife straight to medbay and checked her over, "Jen, there have been major changes to our world. NorPac has declared war on Macronesia, Commander Daltrey defected to NorPac, but will likely be in UEO territory by now."

She nodded her acknowledgment, "I see."

"My country has been taken over by a hostile group known as the Chaodai and I have no idea if my younger sister and my Uncle still live," she put a hand on his forehead in sorrow. "Nathan Bridger was extracted by an unknown factor before we ever got there."

He handed her the note and she read it and nodded, "I've heard of him. He is a mercenary. Captain Bridger's condition will greatly depend on who he is working for."

September 19th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
Off the shore of Stewart Island
5:37 hours

Commodore Robert Bridger reread the note that Colonel Jason Yamamoto handed him. Robert passed it on to Captain Oliver Hudson of the Baycourt, who read it, stared, then re-read it as well. He brought his head up sharply, a hiss of contention slipped out as he did so. In turn he passed the slip of paper on to Captain Jonathan Ford of the Avenger. Ford went ashen in shock as he shook his head in disbelief.

As Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg was the only X-O in the meeting, he got to read the note next. "Son of a Bitch," he swore. "This is the second time that bastard has taken Captain Bridger from us."

Admiral Katherine Hitchcock, who had read the note over his shoulder, nodded her agreement. Hudson asked, "Want to let the rest of us in on it?"

Ford explained, "In late 2018 whalers were sank by an then unknown assailant. This was of great... heartache to the UEO as the people who were funding us then were also funding the whalers. Captain Bridger was ordered by General Thomas to go after and sink the whaler killer. He found that he could not do it, and so he resigned and went back to his island."

"If he resigned, how is it that he came back?" asked Yamamoto.

Hitchcock answered, "Because, for the first time in living history, Captain Ford procrastinated and didn't send the necessary paperwork through."

Yamamoto nodded in understanding, and Hudson said, "That still doesn't explain why Bridger came back."

"The whaler killer made a mistake," answered Krieg. "While he had been targeting a whaler, the torpedo missed the target and sank a passenger ship instead. His crew turned themselves in, but Scully continued on with his 'mission'. None of us know how he could have possibly known that fast, but the vary next day Captain Bridger reappeared. And we went after Scully. Bridger went on board the sub alone, and came back alone. We sank the sub and it was presumed that Scully was dead. We always thought Bridger killed him."

"Now we know we were wrong," the way Ford said it made it ominous.

Yamamoto leaned back in his chair, "Never underestimate a former member of the Sentinels, or their loyalty to another member of their team"

Those at the table turned to face him, and a perplexed Hitchcock asked "The what?"

"The Seven Sentinels," Jason stretched before finishing. "When the US was still one country and not split into the confederations it is now, the CIA had an internal group they called the Seven Sentinels. A fan of Dragonlance coined it since there was seven of them, and it seemed to fit. A current Sentinel, there was only one active at any given time, would work for the CIA for a given time then pass on the title to a successor. It was an honor to be even considered, let alone be a Sentinel for your country. Max Scully was the Seventh, and last, Sentinel."

"How does Nathan Bridger fit into this?" asked Ford.

"He was the Sixth, and Scully's predessor. Scully was his protege, if you will," answered Jason as he regarded everyone's shocked faces. "The vaulted Captain has a surprise?"

"Captain Bridger was CIA?" asked Hudson incredulously. "That's impossible. He dislikes, Hell, distrusts intelligence."

"And why do you think that is?" asked Jason. "Scully betrayed us, faked his death the first time around, then did this. He could see it as penance, or he could want your former Captain dead for some imagined slight."

Ford shook his head, and then noticed the look on Robert's face. It was an interesting cross between disbelief and outrage. Robert leaned forward, "Assuming this is true, which I'm not sure if I believe it, what you say means my father is in serious danger."

"Max Scully is a mercenary," reiterated Jason. "It depends on who hired Scully to extract him and their motives. Unless, now that Scully has your father, he reneges on his deal with that party."

Jason stood and said, "I have business to attend to on board the Shadow. Admiral, Commodore, a pleasure as always."

Admiral Katherine Hitchcock nodded her dismissal and Yamamoto exited the wardroom. The man had a dampening effect on the rest, she noticed, for as soon as he left they began to talk among themselves on the revelation of Nathan's former ties with the CIA. "Do you really think you Dad would involve himself with the CIA?" asked Ben.

Robert shook his head, "I don't know. At first I was inclined to disregard the notion, but things... add up to support it now that I'm thinking about it. It explains so much of why we spent so much time in D.C."

"I still can't believe it," Ford run his fingers along his head and leaned forward on the table. "He hated when Section Seven even stepped on board. To think that he was once... It's mind boggling he would even do it."

Ben and Robert looked at each other, "You didn't know him then. He was a different man before I disappeared, Jon. He was... military. I can't reconcile the change even though I know why he did. If my death caused him to resign... what my mother's death must have done to him."

"Shattered him," answered Hudson. "The ship I was serving on at the time was the first to arrive on the scene when he called for help. She was dead before we got there, and we had to pry her out of his arms. Our ship's doctor had to sedate him because he seemed to snap when we finally did. I didn't even know who he was, until the seaQuest disappeared and they flashed his face on the news. But that was five years later."

The meeting broke up then and Hitchcock asked Robert to walk her to the launch bay. As they walked she scrutinized his profile, "Macronesia is fallen. We took her capital late last night."

"Bourne?"

"No sign of him."

Robert sighed, "That is a haunting prospect."

"He has nothing left, and likely no where to go where he will not be recognized and reviled. He could even be dead by now," she answered. "We can go home and the seaQuest can go back to her original purpose."

"Under NorPac or the UEO?"

"I don't know, Robert," answered Hitchcock, then she put one arm around him. "Get some sleep. When you get to Pearl, finish your shore leave. You need it."

"We all need it," was his quiet answer.

"Don't I know it!" she took a deep breath before boarding the shuttle that would return her to the surface and the Clinton. "What will you tell Lucas?"

"I don't know," answered Robert.

"What will you tell... Kristin?"

For at least a minute, Robert did not answer as he trying to think of how he was to answer that, "I have not thought that far ahead. I will have to think of something if she doesn't already know."

She nodded her understanding, and boarded the shuttle.

PART THREE: The Seventh Sentinel

September 19th, 2033
Somewhere in the Atlantic
11:00 hours

The entire world was a haze of pain that he would push into, then fade back into the blissful black reprieve. The pain was not as severe as it was, nor was the cold. In fact, he was not cold, being wrapped in soft layers that denoted a bed. It had been a long time since he last slept in a real bed.

Maybe I'm dead... Then he realized that the dead probably would not feel this kind of pain. Okay, so being dead was out the question. Maybe this was a new tactic of Bourne's. He forced his eyes open and saw that the brightness was the sky and the soft warmth was the blankets that were wrapped around him and the sand beneath his body.

He was free.

Someone had come for him, and Dr. Nathan Bridger, formally Captain of the seaQuest DSV, struggled to regain full consciousness and sit up. The sharp pains in his arms and chest made him fall back with a gasp and a moan. He heard movement off to one side of him and tried to turn his head in that direction, but his head and neck hurt too much. Everything hurt too damn much.

A gentle hand lifted his head and a cup pushed against his lips. Bridger drank the cool water with desperation forced from his captivity. "Thank you," he murmured.

"You're welcome, Nathan," came the one voice in this world he had really not ever expected to hear again.

"Max?" he opened his eyes at the man.

"Yes?"

"What the Hell are you doing alive?"

Max laughed and answered, "I don't die easy, remember?"

"One more question," Nathan found himself yawning. "Why are you...?"

He couldn't really remember past that point, but he knew he must have fallen back to sleep again.

Scully turned to make sure that Bridger was deeply asleep before moving away a short distance to turn on the laptop computer. McGath picked up after two rings, "Did you do it?"

"I have him here with me now," reassured Scully. "The Macronesians never even knew what hit them. He needs medical attention the minute I hand him over to you, they did not treat him well. I think those tapes omitted quite a bit."

McGath nodded his understanding, "Meet at these coordinates. You will receive your payment there. McGath out."

Scully looked over the coordinates and then laughed shortly after. Ironic, he thought. When McGath said he wanted to bring the Captain home, he wasn't kidding...

He leaned over and checked on Bridger again and noticed the raspy sound when he breathed. That was not good and Scully pressed his lips into a thin line. He needed medical attention now, not after a meeting would take place. Scully typed in another number and waited as it rang once, twice, three times. On the sixth ring he had his hand on the disconnect button, but finally a man, very rudely awakened one at that, answered his vidlink, "What?"

"Hello, Malcolm," said Scully.

"Max? Jesus, can't you ever stay dead?" Malcolm Lansdowne demanded.

"How's your emergency medical skills?"

"Come again?"

"You heard me. I have in my possession the Sixth Sentinel."

Malcolm leaned back in his chair and said nothing, "What are planning do with him?"

"Nothing until he's on his feet and able to actually challenge me," soothed Scully. "That is, of course, where you come in."

"I am not going to help you with one of your games, Max."

"Then do it for him," Scully retorted. "I was only hired to bring him to my employer. They may be a touch slower in getting him medical care than I would like. I can't have him die on me before we can settle things."

"Fine, get him here as fast as you can," Malcolm seemed resigned. "How long until you get here?"

Scully turned on the light of his boat and had the satisfaction of seeing Malcolm jump in shock, "I am here."

September 20th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
Demilitarized Zone between fallen Macronesia and NorPac

Lucas listened, and supported Westphalen while he was at it, as Commodore Bridger finished explaining the exact situation they were in, "Now, as for the new DMZ..."

He trailed off and looked over at Kristin, "I'm sorry we were not fast enough to get there before Scully. I'm aware of the history between my father and this man. Hell, I even remember him. Once, he was one of my father's best friends. He used to bring me candy, much to the ire of my Mom."

"What will he do now?"

"If he was hired by someone else he will fulfill his contract. Whatever that contract was," answered Robert and she hung her head. "Don't give up."

He handed her the note and she read it aloud, "Got here first. Nathan Bridger will never talk. What does that mean?"

"We are not sure," Robert stood up straight and Lucas was, again, eerily reminded of Nathan who when thinking adopted that very same posture. "What I do know is that who hired him did not want Nathan Bridger to break. There are very few on this Earth who would want that."

Lucas nodded in agreement, "Do you think it was the UEO?"

Robert turned to face him, "That is an interesting idea. None of us thought of that."

"Is it a possibility?" asked Kristin.

"Maybe," answered Robert. "They have Section Seven, why didn't they send them in?"

"Maybe they didn't want anyone to know they were involved," suggested Lucas. "To get involved would mean they involved themselves in the war."

The two looked at Lucas with wide eyes, "Lucas, you may be onto something there."

A shrewd look entered Robert's eyes, "I know just who to talk to for some answers."

September 21st
11:00 hours
Lansdowne's Island

Nathan fought his way to consciousness again, this time the pain was not near as bad, although he recognized the fuzziness in his thoughts that were probably induced by quite a bit of painkillers. He sat up groggily in the bed he was laying in and looked around. It was not a hospital bed, which was a blessing, but where ever he was this person had quite a bit of money.

He fell back into the soft pillows and just lay there breathing as he looked over at the french doors to the balcony. The view outside was strangely familiar though. A pool, a few dolphins in it...

He did know where he was and he laughed. Now it fit. Who else would hire Scully or even know that he still lived but his so-called best friend... "Downy!" Bridger croaked, cleared his throat and noticed that his tongue felt huge, and tried again. "Malcolm!"

Running could be heard and Malcolm Lansdowne appeared, "You're awake."

"Yeah," answered Bridger. "What am I doing here?"

"Being given a chance to rest and recover a bit before Scully completes his contract," answered Malcolm. "He brought you here before he takes you to who hired him to retrieve you."

"You didn't hire him?" asked Nathan groggily, already feeling the heavy tendrils of sleep descending on him again.

"No, I didn't, the UEO did," Malcolm answered.

"That's a relief, I was kinda worried the Chaodai did..."

Nathan slid off that cliff into the welcoming arms of the darkness that finally swallowed him, and Malcolm's lips thinned into a worried line. Scully entered the room from the balcony, "Did I hear him awake?"

"Yes, but he fell back to sleep again," answered Malcolm. "What the Hell did they do to him?"

For the first time in his life he saw Scully shudder in distaste, maybe even a bit of rage, "Use your imagination and even in the darkest thought you have cannot possibly compare to the abuse Alexander Bourne did to him."

Scully walked back out, rather dramatically, to Malcolm's mind, but he could easily believe what he said. Nathan's battered body showed the aftereffects of everything done to him. The fact that he hadn't broken only proved why he had been specifically chosen as a Sentinel. Malcolm remembered those days, sometimes fondly. He had been the fifth, and had chosen Nathan as his successor when Malcolm couldn't handle it anymore. Of all the Sentinels, Nathan had lasted the longest. The only reason he decided to step down was that he had suddenly became involved in the seaQuest project. He couldn't work on both, so chose Scully as his own successor.

He had made a good choice, then Scully 'died' while on assignment. The Sentinels were disbanded and there was no more after them. Then the US had splintered into the Confederacies that were today. In fact, Section Seven was half named after them. While the Sentinel's identities were secret, the fact that the group existed was not. By then of course, the Seven Sentinels had descended into a near myth.

They had never even managed to group together in more than twos until the three came to the island.

The vidlink rang on the desk and, with a sigh, Malcolm went to answer it. He was very surprised to see an Asian man on the other end of the line, "Can I help you?" asked Malcolm.

"Are you Malcolm Lansdowne?"

"Depends on who's asking," he answered.

"My name is Colonel Jason Yamamoto of Section Seven. You are one of the former Seven Sentinels, are you not?" the younger man asked.

"How in the name of Hell would you know that?" demanded Malcolm. "Yes, I am. Why do you want to know."

"You may interested that a colleague of yours is still alive," answered Yamamoto. "Your Seventh Sentinel."

"I see," he answered. "And I have a feeling there is a reason you are sharing this with me?"

"Yes, I need you to tell me the minute you see him, or your Sixth Sentinel," answered Yamamoto. "It is of the utmost importance to NorPac."

"Really?" asked Malcolm, then leaned back to make sure Scully was out of earshot. "The Sixth Sentinel is under the care of the Fifth, but if you want to see the Sixth, you had better hurry."

Malcolm cut the connection and looked over at the unconscious Nathan, "What in the name of Hell have you done now that everyone is after you?"

Shadow Warrior

Jason leaned back in his chair and turned to Katherine Hitchcock, "He is there."

"Good work, Colonel," she answered. "Go get him."

Malcolm came out to the pool and leaned down to one of the dolphins. Fitting a device into his teeth, he said, "Go home, Darwin."

He leaned back on his heels as the dolphin swam out and to sea. After Malcolm couldn't see him anymore he stood up and went to check on his friend. Nathan was still deeply asleep and likely would be until tomorrow morning. At least the added lines were not as stark as they had been and he showed some signs of recovery. He had rolled over on his side and away from the window.

Malcolm walked into the living room and looked over at Scully, who appeared to be sleeping in the chair. The man looked up at Malcolm's entry and Malcolm said, "You know, I have these really neat things called a bedroom for that. I have at least two more guest bedrooms. You should try it."

"I'm fine," answered Scully. "I have one more day then I have to take Bridger to the exchange location to get my money. McGath will take care of him from there."

Malcolm inclined his head, "By tomorrow he should be able to stay awake for longer than a few minutes, but he will still need rest. At least he won't need emergency treatment... Make it clear to McGath that he will have moments where he will be quite a bit of pain, and moments where he may not even know where he is."

"That's to be expected," answered Scully wryly, then he stood and stretched. "You know, I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Scully got up from his seat and walked up the stairs towards a bedroom.

Malcolm was interrupted again by the vidlink, this time it was first face he expected to see, "Hello, Kristin."

Kristin Westphalen leaned back in her chair in satisfaction. At least now she knew that Nathan was safe. Getting up and stretching the kinks out of her back, she then walked straight to Robert's quarters. She knocked once on his door and walked in, "I know where he is, but we'll have to be fast. Get the seaQuest in the Atlantic."

Robert sat up groggily, then shook the sleep out of his head. "Bridger, Commander, make way for the subducted Panama Canal, immediately. All ahead full."

"Yes sir," answered Krieg.

"Where is he?"

"Malcolm Lansdowne's island. Tomorrow Scully takes him to Bridger's Island where the UEO will trade him for three million dollars American," she answered. "McGath's purposes are not innocent, Malcolm thinks, and we should be there first."

"What does he mean by that?"

"Nathan is a Sentinel," she answered. "It has something to do with that. Hell, even Admiral Hitchcock, as much as I hate to say this, her motives are not entirely pure either. We have to get there first."

He nodded his head, "Now how does... don't tell me, he is one too?"

"He is the Fifth Sentinel," she answered. "I knew that a long time ago but never understood until now."

"Great," Robert muttered. "Are they all going to resurface at the same..."

His eyes went wide. "Bourne. He was American too before Macronesia..."

They looked at each other, everything suddenly making sense. "Jesus, no..." she said.

"The Nezamiah is already in that area, she can get there first," Robert realized. He hit the comm button again. "Krieg, order the Nezamiah to get to Malcolm Lansdowne's island immediately."

"The Avenger is closer sir..."

"Send them both."

"Aye sir," a moment later Krieg added, "Sir, the Shadow Warrior is already en route."

"For Christ's sake, make sure the our ships get there first!" barked Robert.

"Aye sir, relaying the order."

A few minutes later
The Avenger

Captain Jonathan Ford listened to the orders that were relayed by Ben Krieg and then said, "On our way."

Brody came up to him, "What the Hell is going on?"

"I don't know, Jim, but make way to the subducted Panama Canal with all due speed. For whatever reason, we have to be there first, and the Nezamiah will back us up," Ford steepled his fingers. "Your guess is as good as mine at this point."

Kimura turned to look at him, "Want me to run interference?"

Ford thought a moment and grinned, "What a wonderful idea, Lieutenant."

On the Nezamiah the same chaos was happening.

Montail relayed the Commodore's orders and was satisfied when the Helmsman immediately changed his heading without her ordering it. She felt the drives take hold and the ship fairly seemed to leap forward as it began its trip to Malcolm's island.

"Course change laid in, and the Nezamiah is at full speed to Panama, ma'am," came the Helm's reply to her unasked order.

"Merci, Ensign," she said. "I will be in my quarters should anyone require me."

Veronque walked off the cramped bridge in comparison to the seaQuest, all the while wondering why, if Nathan Bridger was being sent with all due expediency to the UEO, that Robert was worried about.

It was not for her to question why. That was the job of her superiors, and she would follow the Commodore before all others.