Bermuda Conspiracy Page 24

  “Hurry!” Callie said, her nerves fraying.

  “Doing the best I can,” Decker replied. As he pondered on whether he’d ever find anything relevant, he spotted a file reading: Operation PEP Bermuda. He clutched it and withdrew it from the file. Pulsed Energy Projectiles. It had to be the file. He flipped it open and a smile broke on his face. “Got it!”

  “Hide!” Callie called out.

  The sound of shoes clicking against the tiled hall stopped outside of the door. They heard a couple of voices and the door swung wide open.

  Callie stood behind the door. With the snap of her arm, she smacked the butt of her gun into the side of one of the soldier’s head. She heard a grunt and the soldier slid to the floor. As he landed at the other soldier’s feet, the soldier raised his gun and aimed it squarely on Callie.

  Callie thrust her arms in the air, her heart accelerating.

  While the soldier was distracted by Callie, Decker sneaked up from the other side and placed the cold steel barrel of his gun at the base of the soldier’s ear. “Drop it now,” Decker warned him.

  Slowly, the soldier stooped and let his rifle slip from his hands. Callie rushed forward and grabbed it, quickly closing the door. “Ryn, would you snag the duct tape,” she said.

  Ryn dug through the shoulder bag he’d brought and withdrew the tape, binding both soldiers’ hands and feet and placed tape across their mouths. “We’d better hustle out of here before we have the entire naval base on top of us!” Ryn said.

  Decker cracked the door. No one in the hall, so he motioned for them to head out. They rushed to the rear, and hearing voices coming down the hall behind them, they hurried their steps.

  The team managed to sprint out the back door, rushing across the grass towards the fence in an effort to distance themselves. But not soon enough. Several military personnel rushed through the back door and out across the lawn. Shots were fired, singing past their heads.

  “Halt!” came a thundering voice.

  They had no real shelter at the moment. Decker dropped to the ground and took up position, followed by the others. He took a couple of shots, but the last thing he wanted to do was kill naval officers.

  At that moment, the sound of a helicopter’s rotor blades whooshed in the air above them. A spray of bullets rained over the area and the naval officers were driven back for cover.

  Decker called out for the others to crawl under the fence and head toward the zodiac. A wide grin spread across his face when it dawned on him that Dean had come in the nick of time to assist them.

  Decker radioed Chase to fire up the motor, and when they heard the soft roar of the engine, they hit the sandy shore where the zodiac was drifting out. Their boots plunged into the warm waves, a wall of water splashing around them. Hastily, they dove into the guts of the zodiac. And soon, as the last one made it inside, they roared off.

  They could still hear rapid fire from the helicopter as they distanced themselves from Tucker Island. Even though Decker knew they had managed to make it this far, he also knew they would be pursued within a short time and taken captive.

  “I need to snap photos of all the files and send them off to Carson as soon as possible,” Decker huffed, trying to catch his air. “And great job, Callie. You saved our butts back there.”

  “Anytime,” she smiled. “I still can’t believe Dean showed up.”

  “Thankfully he did or we’d be mincemeat by now. You guys are amazing!”

  “Back at you, mate,” Dax grinned.

  Back on board the Shark Eater, they rushed to the pilot house. They didn’t have a moment to lose.

  “What did you find?” Captain Manny asked as they burst through the door.

  Decker waved the file. “Seems there used to be a station built out near the seamount that was destroyed in an underwater earthquake. Apparently, an independent Central Intelligence Agency operation was working on war defense, designing an electromagnetic laser machine using uranium as its energy source. According to the file, it could be directed at specific targets, causing disorientation and paralysis. Interestingly enough, it was advantageous because the energy source could not be traced back to its origin.”

  “That’s crazy,” Dax said.

  “Apparently it all went wrong somehow and there was an explosion that obliterated their research station, killing several scientists. Uranium and whatever else they were using leaked into the ocean. Frustratingly, we don’t have time to read through the entire report. I’m going to scan the file and shoot it off to Carson,” Decker said.

  “It appears the CIA operatives thought they could simply bury their mistake and no one would know the better,” Manny said. “That is until your crew got caught in the middle of their mess.”

  “That’s the whole of it,” Decker replied.

  “Hate to break up the party but those naval officers will be on top of us before too long and we need to get these photos and pages off to Carson for security,” said Ryn.

  Overhead, they could hear the whirring sound of the chopper’s rotors. Through the 360-degree windows in the pilot house, they saw the chopper bank portside and come around. The side door opened and Dean lowering himself onto the deck.

  “Ryn, could you forward the photos and get the file scanned for me?” Decker said.

  “On it.”

  Decker headed out the door with Callie, Dax, and Kat on his heels. When they walked out the sun was peeking up over the horizon. Streamers of yellows, pinks and orange colors painted the sky. A sense of accomplishment flooded over them, and yet, at the same time, they knew it was far from being over. The ending scene had not played out yet.

  “Perfect timing,” Decker said.

  Dean grinned. “By now you’ve guessed I received instructions to discourage you from following through on your investigation?”

  “Yup. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to come to that conclusion.”

  “Gave it my best shot, though I have to admit it sounded pretty lame even to me,” he chuckled. “Figured you were on to me when I asked you to beg off and leave the matter alone. When you caved in so easily, I had no doubts you were going to continue digging into the affair despite what I said. Not too surprising. The Decker I know would never give in without so much as a fight and I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

  “How’d you know we were going to strike when we did?”

  “Little bit of spying. Thought I’d better keep my eye on you. Remember the submarine? I’ve been watching you for a time, keeping track of your shenanigans. In the meantime, I had to make up my mind what I intended to do about it. I put myself in your shoes, and well…guess I’d go out on a limb myself if put in the same position.”

  “Except now your head is on the chopping block along with mine.”

  “Probably won’t be the last time, buddy,” Dean said. “I’m going to head out of here but I have this premonition we’ll be seeing each other very soon.”

  Decker slapped his arm. “No doubt in my mind.”

  Both of them knew they would be taken into custody within hours. Taking on a naval base didn’t measure up to be a small matter. For Dean, he’d be facing treason. They had a lot to answer for. But no matter how dire Decker perceived the situation, the government would not consider any excuse for breaking in and stealing top-secret files from a naval facility.

  He looked around and could see the concern written on the faces of the crew. They had conspired with Decker, and now they faced the reality of what they’d done. It hit them square in the face.

  Chapter 27

  ⁂

  Miami

  Decker and Dean stood feet set apart, hands behind their backs, staring at the broad-shouldered, six-foot-seven man in front of them. They imagined in his younger days he was a man to be reckoned with. Brown intense eyes, seemed to bore right through them as he was clearly assessing them. He cleared his throat, running his hand through his thick, cottony-white hair. A crooked, calculating grin turned the edges of his
mouth as he relaxed against a long, hardwood desk, and crossed his booted feet. He folded his arms over his chest.

  Two other men sat across the room. Decker recognized them as the ones who had tailed him in Miami. No doubt the ones who tried to get him out of jail when he had been locked up.

  “I’m Gordon Pierce, Director of the CIA,” he introduced himself. “Now to business. You broke into a naval base, stole classified information, assaulted and shot at naval officers.”

  “We didn’t aim to kill them,” Decker defended.

  “That’s apparent, but beside the point. You have no leg to stand on Mr. Hayden.” Gordon turned his attention on Dean. “And you, McDermott, decided to become a rebel and disregard governmental authorities. Did you think there wouldn’t be a heavy price to pay for such an act of treason?” Gordon stared expressionlessly at them.

  “Didn’t have many choices. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, several people would have been killed. Naval officers included. I merely showered the vicinity to drive them back inside so Decker and his team could get away. The military men and women were not a target.”

  “As I said. You decided to do it your own way and commit treason.”

  Decker took a step forward. “I only tried to clear myself. Two men were murdered, one here in Florida, and one in New Orleans, and I had been framed and locked up in a jail cell. I have no doubt I was third on the hit list,” Decker stood firm, his eyes blazing with anger. “But you already know that, don’t you?”

  “What is it you intend to do with the information?” Gordon side-stepped his question, taking a brief moment to stare down at the floor as if contemplating what his next move would be.

  “Um…it’s secure. However, if anything should happen to me or my crew, the information will be released immediately to the public.”

  A short span of nerve-wracking silence followed while Gordon chewed on the information Decker imparted. “I suppose you know you are both facing at least twenty years behind bars. Not to mention the entire crew of Shark Eater and Jade II for aiding and abetting. These are serious charges. If convicted—and you will be convicted, I assure you, you will both be old and gray before ever stepping back into polite society again.”

  “The risk I had to take, knowing all of our lives were in jeopardy,” Decker said coldly, squaring off his shoulders and looking Gordon dead in the eye.

  Decker thought about the team and Callie held just outside in another room under arrest. Perhaps under the circumstances, the CIA would release the others if Decker and Dean pleaded guilty, waving their rights to legal representation and a hearing.

  “Such a waste,” Gordon said. He began to walk a slow circle around the two of them, his forefinger tapping his chin. “Let’s say I might consider letting the matter drop?”

  Decker glanced at Dean and said, “Guess I’d conclude a lot of strings are attached and you are the puppeteer?”

  Gordon grinned, his eyes smiling behind a wisp of dark lashes. “I’m not an unreasonable man. I can be workable. Surely neither of you want to end your life this way?”

  “Spit it out!” Dean snapped, growing impatient with Gordon’s dance routine. “You want something from us, otherwise we’d already be standing behind bars. Enough of your games!”

  Gordon was not intimidated by Dean, at least not right now where he had the upper hand. He was fully aware of his combat skills. “I want both of you to work under me.”

  “Work for the CIA?” Decker said sourly, cringing at the mere thought after what they had put him and the team through.

  “No,” Gordon said. “This would be a Special Ops unit consisting of the two of you and a handful of other highly trained men and women. You will be working as undercover agents but only under extreme circumstances.”

  “How often would the need be?” Decker dared ask.

  “When something comes along that demands extraordinary men and women to clean it up,” Gordon said.

  “I refuse to kill innocent men and women in order to cover up governmental debacles,” Decker said emphatically.

  Gordon gave a short laugh. “Something you’re unaware of, Decker. No one working for me killed those two men. Unfortunately, it’s three men now. A meteorologist who offered you funding if you returned to Tucker Island—Harry Patton. His body washed up on the beach several days ago, a bullet through his head.”

  Decker eyed Gordon suspiciously. “I’m supposed to believe you had nothing to do with any of this after being followed for days and being set up for the murder of Paul Cummings?”

  “Contrary to your belief, this fiasco has to do with a Russian intelligence cell, which the CIA has been unable to flush out. They’re the responsible party for killing those three men. We’ve been trying to take them down for several years. Just when we think we’ve got them, then Bam! They seem to go off the grid. Later resurfacing when the heat is off of them. This has been a deadly cat and mouse game for years, and we’re no closer to taking them down.”

  “I guess I’m not following,” Decker said.

  Gordon’s lips were pursed together. “In the 1930s, the Russians began to experiment with weapons of warfare capable of obliterating ships and aircraft hundreds of miles away. They made great strides over the years in their experimentation with particle beam weaponry. They developed what is called the Tesla howitzer, a weapon which functions with electromagnetic pulses could even be categorized as a death ray weapon. Observatories as far as Africa witnessed bright flares of light from gravitational wave disturbances during these experimentations. However, when Tesla died in 1943, his secrets as to how to construct these devastating weapons went with him.”

  Not wanting to fall behind in technology, the Navy constructed an underwater research development center for scientists to construct their own ‘Star Wars’ capabilities. We far surpassed anything the Russians had accomplished during that time. Unfortunately, following the successful construction of this super-weapon, a massive explosion took place in the underwater testing facility. The accident occurred during one of the naval experimentations and we have every reason to believe the Russians were responsible for the strike in order to prevent the United States from outdistancing their crowning achievements.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Decker said. “You’re trying to tell me that our innocent boat trip to the Triangle has turned into an international Clandestine operation? Like playing volleyball, only the stakes are deadly weapons?”

  “I suppose you could put it that way,” Gordon said now pacing the floor. “But you have to understand, we can’t allow anyone to obtain that kind of weaponry. Put in the wrong hands, you can only imagine the horror of its abuse.”

  “I understand that. It’s difficult digesting this, is all.”

  “Several scientists were killed during the explosion, as well as sensitive military secrets, and intricate machinery. It also created an electromagnetic field which left devastating after effects. The presence of storms near the underwater testing facility has greatly increased electromagnetism energy in that region—enough so, it has wreaked havoc on planes and ships alike over the years, causing compasses and sonar readings to cease from operating, even creating vortexes capable of sucking the largest seafaring vessels to the ocean floor. Anyone traveling near this specific area is tracked by the Russians who want to keep this information under wraps.” Gordon paused briefly to take a sip of cold water.

  He continued. “You happened to stumble onto this unfortunate cataclysmic event at its peak. Because you made the decision to dig up information and ask questions at the NWAC, the Russian’s decided to target you and anyone else you happened to speak with concerning the coverup to prevent their past activities from being exposed—only because they have reopened a new testing facility elsewhere. If the information you’ve obtained leaks out into the right hands and people become aware of what happened during the explosion, and that there might be another underwater disaster like the last one—well, it could cause massive hysteri
a. The government is aware of their activity, of course, and the military wants to keep this tightly packaged because of the disastrous results created by the undersea explosion. Look at the loss of planes and ships over the years. Presently, people can only speculate what is happening in the Bermuda Triangle.” Gordon stopped briefly, his face looking strained, somewhat agitated. “However, I’m not going to allow some Russian intelligence team to get away with murdering CIA operatives. Even retired ones!”

  “I’m finding this hard to digest,” Dean said, rubbing his hand through his buzz-cut hair and releasing a long, withdrawn sigh.

  “Believe it,” Gordon said. “This same Russian sleeper cell we’re dealing with also funnels finances to the Arabs to aid them in terrorist activities against the United States. Have you heard the name Ali Bukai?”

  Decker’s brows shot upward in surprise. “Yep. His name came up during the investigation of Rafiq Naifeh and Ismael Safar. Apparently, Ali was bankrolling their terrorist activities.”

  “Someone else higher than Ali has been supplying monies to this terrorist operations. We have reason to believe this same Russian shadow group has been watching your every move and they saw a wide gate of opportunity to further their cause when you linked up with Dax Drake in New Orleans.”

  “Dax?” Surprise marked Decker’s face. He wasn’t making the connection. “What does he have to do with this?”

  “The sinking of the tug was to be the first of several planned homeland terrorist attacks. By channeling cash into the appropriate hands, this Russian cell was able to secretly aid the terrorists. Because it was beneficial to accomplish their mission, they helped buy the materials used in the casino bombing and funneled it to Ali Bukai.”

  “How did that benefit this Russian cell?” Dean asked.

  “Keeping the United States distracted, the cell can move more freely because eyes are targeted on the terrorist groups as opposed to operatives trying to flush them out. The new facility is built somewhere in the Bearing Straight, the exact coordinates have not been pinpointed yet.” Gordon looked back and forth between the two men. “This facility, should they fully develop the Tesla howitzer potential, it opens a door worldwide for cities to be attacked, leaving mass paralysis in its wake. We cannot let this Russian cell complete their mission.”