Gupta’s files also provided details about how the self-destruct system on the Colossus ships worked. Because of the shocking sabotage of the Colossus 3, the mechanism had been altered to be initiated only by Carlton and the chief scientist, Chen Min, on the Colossus 5. It would also set the timer on all the other Colossus ships in range of its radio beacon.
However, unbeknownst to the other Nine, Gupta had installed a back door into the self-destruct system accessible from any of the luxurious cabins set aside for the Nine. He didn’t trust the others to do the right thing if the AI went haywire, so he put it in so that he could activate it if he saw the need to.
Once it was activated from this secondary location, it would lock out the abort command from any other location. All Juan and his team had to do was get on the ship and activate the self-destruct once the ships were in range of one another.
“When do we expect the Colossus 5 to enter the two-way section of the canal?” he asked Murph.
“We got word that their flotilla set sail at five-thirty this evening. It’s number two in line.”
“Which puts them entering the two-way section of the canal a half hour before dusk.”
“That’s cutting it close,” Max said.
The plan was to launch the Gator from the moon pool and follow one of the commercial cargo ships heading north, staying in the churning white water of its wake to avoid being visible from the ship behind it. Then when they reached the cross-connector channel at the point where the Colossus 5 was going south, they’d peel away and cut across, coming up on their target’s stern just after sunset. After that it was a simple matter of boarding a moving ship in the narrow channel undetected, without getting the Gator crushed against the earthen berms by the Colossus 5’s hull.
Linda would be piloting the Gator while Juan took Linc and Murph with him to activate the self-destruct system. They were keeping the team to a minimum for stealth.
While they were on the Colossus 5, Max would command the Oregon with Eric driving while Eddie led Raven, MacD, and Hali onto the Colossus 1 to rescue the prisoners.
The success of Max’s part of the plan was contingent on the weather, but Juan was sure that wasn’t going to be a problem.
He could see orange in the sky on the left side of the screen.
“Pan to the west, Murph.”
The camera slewed around until the entire screen was filled with an awesome sight.
An avalanche of dust was rolling across the desert toward them like a towering tsunami in the sky, blotting out the sun behind it.
When it reached them in an hour, the visibility at Great Bitter Lake would be reduced to near zero. It was exactly what they needed.
FIFTY-FIVE
The Gator sat just below the surface in the cross canal waiting for the Colossus 5 to pass. Linda was running the sub on battery power so they wouldn’t have to raise the snorkel, eliminating the chance of the diesel exhaust being seen by ships as they traversed the Suez. Though the sandstorm was raging farther to the south, here it was relatively calm but hazy. Knowing how bad the weather was going to be, the canal authorities had the ships that had entered the canal proceed to Great Bitter Lake to wait out the rest of the night.
“Here she comes,” said Linda, who was watching the camera feed from the periscope. “Looks like we’ve got a good four hundred yards between the Colossus 5 and the vessel behind it.” They’d identified the next ship as the German science research catamaran called the Arcturus.
“What’s the light level outside?” Juan asked.
“With all the dust in the air, I’d say we have ten minutes before total black. Should give us just the right amount of time to pull up alongside for your climb.”
“Any lights coming from the ship?”
“Running lights, but no spotlights.”
“Pull up next to the darkest part of the ship.”
“Aye, Chairman.”
They were planning to get aboard the same way they had in Cyprus, with magnetic grips, to scale the outer hull. With the low visibility, it was extremely unlikely they’d be spotted climbing up by anyone on the Arcturus.
“Let’s move,” Juan said.
Linda pushed the throttle forward and steered into the main body of the canal. The Gator was buffeted by the wake of the Colossus 5 as they approached it from the stern.
Juan tied a nylon rope between him, Murph, and Linc for Murph’s benefit. The weapons designer wasn’t the most athletic person on the ship, although he often turned the Oregon’s deck into a skateboard park on their R & R. Juan would lead the climb, followed by Murph, then Linc. All of them were armed with P90 submachine guns.
The Gator’s shuddering stopped when they left the Colossus 5’s wake and came along her port side.