Carlton had chosen this eastern Mediterranean island because it was one of the closest ports to the Suez Canal. The rest of the Colossus ships were currently in the Indian Ocean, and he wanted the Colossus 5 to join them as soon as it was ready.
His phone buzzed. It was the captain of the transfer vessel he’d sent to pick up the guards from Jhootha Island. Carlton answered it and stuck the phone under the headset he was wearing to muffle the sound of the helicopter’s rotors.
“Is it done?” he asked without preamble.
“No, sir,” the captain said, his voice noticeably nervous.
Carlton glanced at Taylor and Gupta and grimaced.
“What happened?”
“The
re are two Indian Coast Guard cutters and a cargo ship near the island. I tried to get closer, but I was warned away by the Navy ships.”
“A cargo ship? You mean, the Triton Star?”
“No, sir. It’s a battered old steamship called the Goreno. And sir, the pier has been raised.”
Carlton slammed his hand against the door. “Tell me the facility on the island was destroyed as ordered.”
“I can’t confirm that, sir, but there is smoke rising from the center of the island.”
Carlton breathed a little easier when he heard that news. Yudin must have carried out his orders.
“Any survivors?”
“I don’t know.”
Carlton would have to use his contacts in the region to find out if any of the guards were still alive. But if they had survived, they wouldn’t be able to say much about what went on there since all of the work was done by computer. The guards were there just to make sure the prisoners didn’t leave, and they didn’t know Carlton’s identity any more than the captain he was talking to did. His voice was currently being modified as he spoke on the phone, and the signal was routed through an anonymizer.
“What are my orders?” the captain asked.
“There’s nothing more you can do there,” Carlton said. “Rendezvous with the Colossus flotilla and await further instructions.”
“Yes, sir.”
He hung up as the helicopter was coming in for a landing on the Colossus 5’s stern helipad, avoiding the crane that was hoisting the satellite dish into its place amidships. The three of them got out, and the chopper took off again as soon as they were clear.
As they walked across the deck, Gupta said, “What was that about? You looked like you were about to explode.”
“Jhootha Island has been compromised.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. But it sounds like the Bedtime protocol was completed as planned.”
“But if they find out about Colossus—”
“All the authorities will find is a hole in the ground. The prisoners’ bodies will be buried under thousands of tons of rubble, and so will any evidence of the project.”
“And the guards?” Taylor asked.
“Not sure.”
“They might talk!” Gupta shouted.
“And if they do, they won’t know anything of value except that the plane’s passengers were held captive.”