Fire Ice (NUMA Files 3)

"That would be the sub pen. What happened to the NR-1?"

"We don't know. It was still tied up alongside the salvage vessel when we left. The captain and pilot are okay, I hope," he said with consternation. "Why would they keep us prisoner and let them go?"

"They may have further work for the NR-1 or simply want hostages. What happened next?"

"They put us in yet another bunk room. A real dump. We were there a couple of days. Bored as hell. The only excitement was what sounded like a big explosion from somewhere below."

"They were sealing the entrance to the sub pen."

"Why would they do that?"

"The base had been discovered, and they wanted to make sure no one would find the evidence. The big sub used in the hijack had served its purpose. I wouldn't be surprised if they planned to plug the surface entrance later. Maybe with you inside. What was the guard situation?"

"Same bunch who kept an eye on us on the salvage ship. Military types with automatic weapons. They gave us black bread and water, and locked us in. Next thing we know, these guys with the funny hats and the baggy pants showed up. The first guards were Girl Scouts compared to this gang. They beat up a couple of the guys just for chuckles, dragged us outside and herded us into that big field. You know the rest."

Austin looked around the room. "Any questions?"

"Did you get a glimpse of your GPS position when you were on the NR-1?" Gunn asked.

"They kept us away from the positioning gauges, then turned them off later so we couldn't see."

"Damn shame," Gunn said.

Laughter rippled around the room.

"Are we missing a joke?" Gunn said.

A slim blond-haired crewman in his midtwenties stood and identified himself as Seaman Ted McCormack. He passed a sheet of paper toward the table. "These are the GPS coordinates for the wreck."

"How can you be sure?" Gunn said, reading the figures.

McCormack held out his arm and displayed what looked like an overgrown digital wristwatch. "My wife gave this to me. We got married just before I shipped out. She's got a chart back home so when I called her she could mark exactly where I was."

"We used to kid Mac about being on a short leash," Kreisman said. "Not anymore."

"When we were hijacked, I slid this thing up my arm and kept it covered under my sleeve," McCormack said. "They never frisked us. Figured we were harmless, I guess."

The ProTek GPS watch was a miracle of miniaturization, said by its manufacturer to be the world's smallest GPS device. It could give the wearer his position anywhere on the planet within a few yards.

Austin grinned. "Let's hear it for love." He looked around the room. "Now, to quote the immortal words of Porky Pig, 'That's all, folks.' Thanks for your help. And bon voyage."

The NR-1 crew rose to their feet as one and stampeded out of the c

onference room like thirsty steers who'd smelled water. Austin turned to the NUMA team.

Paul flipped open his laptop computer and connected it to the modem that would allow files to be projected on a large screen at one end of the room. Gamay stood next to the projection screen with a laser pointer. Paul tapped a few keys, and a map of the kidney-shaped Black Sea and the surrounding land appeared.

"Welcome to the Black Sea, one of the most fascinating bodies of water in the world," Gamay said, outlining the shores with the bright red dot. "It's roughly six hundred thirty miles from east to west and three hundred thirty from north to south. It's only one hundred forty-four miles here at the 'waist,' where the Crimea sticks out. Despite its relatively small size, it's got a big bad reputation. The Greeks called it Axenos, which means 'inhospitable.' The medieval Turks were less diplomatic. They named it Karadenez. The 'Sea of Death.' "

"Catchy," Zavala said. "It has a certain poetic quality."

"I can definitely see the chamber of commerce using that in a New York Times ad," Austin agreed.

Gamay rolled her eyes. "Are you two ever serious?"

"We try not to be," Austin said. "Sorry to interrupt, teacher. Please go on."

"Thank you. Despite the bad press, the Black Sea gets a lot of visitors. Jason came this way in the original Argo to look for the Golden Fleece. The sea has been an important trade route and fishing ground for thousands of years. During the Ice Age, it was a big freshwater lake. Then around 6000 B.C., a natural land dam broke and the waters of the Mediterranean burst through. The sea level rose hundreds of feet."