The blip seemed to come out of nowhere. One second the sonar screen was blank. The next the image filled the whole screen. Something big was out there, coming right at them. It was coming fast!

Gonzales yanked the wheel hard to the left and pushed downward. The tiny mini-sub heeled over on its port side and nosed down, heading for the deep. The pilot’s eyes were fixed on the sonar screen as the depth gauge reeled off the numbers of their screaming dive. This was going to be close. Damn close!

The sonar screen was blanked out. Gonzales could hear the hum of the Russian sub’s machinery and the beat of its screw through the hull. He knew it must be right on top of them.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the Russian sub was gone. Gonzales shook his head. Had he imagined the whole thing? The sonar screen was blank except for the rock walls of the fjord that were still showing up.

Donlan came crashing forward, rolling through the hatch. His coveralls were soaked with coffee. “What the hell is going on? You could have just hollered if you wanted a donut.”

“Damn sub just came out of nowhere,” Gonzales grunted. “It caught me by surprise. Damn near turned us into underwater roadkill.” He had another thought. “I sure hope Toledo hears that bastard coming earlier than we did. I don’t think they can duck as quick as we could.”

*   *   *

Admiral Alexander Durov sat across the table from President Gregor Smitrov. The little professor was proving more obstinate than Durov had anticipated. They had been sitting here in this room for four hours, arguing, ever since the guards had brought Smitrov from his cell. Life would be much easier for both of them if Smitrov would just do as he was told. Durov’s patience had long since vanished. There were so many things that demanded his attention. Instead he sat here wasting time with the weakling president.

He slammed his fist down. The carafe sitting in the center of the table jumped and splashed great droplets of water onto the mirrored, polished-wood surface.

“Damn it!” he roared. “I am telling you for the last time. Either you cooperate or I am going to lock you up and forget where. You will not even have the pleasure of becoming a martyr.”

The jangling phone broke the tirade in midthought, before the president could respond in his maddeningly calm way. Vasiliy Zhurkov snatched the phone from its cradle and spoke for a few seconds before nodding at Durov.

“Admiral, it is Captain First Rank Dobiesz. He reports that they have detected very suspicious radio signals. They appear to be coming from the hills across the bay to the north. He requests orders.”