Black Wind (Dirk Pitt 18)

"Airship Icarus to Sea Launch platform. Over."

An empty pause ensued and then Pitt repeated the call. After another lengthy lull, an accented voice finally replied.

"This is Sea Launch platform Odyssey. Over."

"Odyssey, what is the nature of your position? Do you require assistance? Over."

Another long pause. "Negative."

"I repeat, what is the nature of your position?"

A pause again. "Who is requesting inquiry?"

"Friendly sorts, aren't they?" Giordino said to Pitt.

Pitt shook his head slightly and spoke again into the radio. "This is airship Icarus, supporting Coast Guard border security. Please identify current state. Over."

"This is Odyssey. We are conducting system tests. Please stay clear. Over and out."

"The guy's a regular Gabby Hayes," Giordino said. "Do you want to stick around? We need to roll back north if we want to intercept that incoming vessel," he said, pointing to the radar screen.

"I guess there's not much we can do from up here. Okay, we'll do our job and play tag with the next inbound vessel. But let's have one of the boys downstairs check this out," Pitt said, turning the airship around to the north.

Giordino took to the radio as Pitt laid in an intercept course toward the inbound commercial ship. "The Deep Endeavor and the Narwhal are working this region. Deep Endeavor is still searching a Japanese freighter, but the Narwhal is freed up at the moment. She says the platform is outside their twelve-mile operating limit, however."

"We're not asking for an interdiction boarding. Just request a remote visual survey and verification with Sea Launch authorities."

Giordino spoke into the radio again, then turned to Pitt. "Narwhal agrees and is on her way."

"Good," Pitt replied, watching the platform fade away in the distance behind them. But he didn't feel good. A nagging sensation told him they had missed something on their flyover. Something important.

Kim stood with Tongju on the bridge of the Odyssey watching the blimp circle away to the north.

"They did not loiter for very long. Do you think they suspect anything?" Kim asked.

"I do not know," Tongju replied, his eyes moving from the blimp to a chronometer mounted on the bulwark. "The launch will take place in just over two hours. There is no room for interference now. Return to the Koguryo, Ki-Ri, and stand by with Captain Lee. If there is any attempted outside hindrance, deal with it decisively. Do you understand?"

Kim looked his commander squarely in the eye and nodded. "I understand completely."

Dirk and Captain Burch listened in on the Deep Endeavor's Coast Guard radio as Giordino asked the Narwhal to survey the Sea Launch platform and support ship. Minutes later, the Narwhal called up the NUMA vessel.

"Deep Endeavor, we have completed inspection of the containership Andaman Star and are proceeding to the offshore platform for a visual inspection. No incoming traffic in our quadrant is presently in range, so you may accompany us at your convenience if desired. Over."

"Shall we take a look?" Captain Burch asked of Dirk.

"Why not? Business is slow. We can follow along once we're finished here."

Burch glanced at the Japanese freighter, noting that Aimes and the search crew were beginning to assemble at the rail, their inspection nearly complete.

"Affirmative, Narwhal" Burch radioed to the Coast Guard vessel.

"We'll shadow you upon completion of our current inspection, in another five or ten minutes. Out."

"Wonder what piqued the old man's interest," Dirk asked rhetorically as he and Burch peered across the horizon trying to make out the image of the floating platform.

Three miles away, the Narwhalhzd stoked up its twin diesel motors and was skimming across the waves at its top speed of 25 knots. The eighty-seven-foot cutter was one of the newer Barracuda-class patrol boats employed by the Coast Guard, designed to work out of smaller ports and harbors. With their mission focused primarily on inspection and sea rescue, the boat's crew of ten was only lightly armed with a pair of 12.7mm machine guns mounted on the bow deck.

Lieutenant Bruce Carr Smith braced himself against a bulkhead in the cramped bridge as the white-and-orange-trimmed boat lurched over a swell, her bow slapping the sea with a spray of foam.