Paths to Destruction

by

Beth

A WHN to the third season episode, Destroy Seaview

Chapter 1

Dust and debris filtered down from the ceiling of the dank cavern as the last echoes of the explosion still rang out. Harriman Nelson rose from the floor of the cave and smiled. It had worked! The two men trapped on the other side of the rock fall were certainly dead, and the vast stores of Zycron-143 were now the sole property of those he worked for.

Turning, he headed for the cave entrance then stopped and spun back around. Something akin to confusion washed over his face then quickly turned to horror as he realized what he had done. He'd killed his friends and betrayed his country. A scream bubbled up from somewhere deep inside and he let it flow, the sound echoing off the rock walls as he remembered Lee turning to him a split second before he threw the grenade, his face registering shock at what his best friend was about to do.

"No! No! Lee!" he cried as he threw himself at the pile of rock, clawing desperately to free those he'd sentenced to death. "Dear God, what have I done? What have I done?"

A thump brought him back to his senses and he become conscious of the fact he was lying on the floor of his cabin, bathed in sweat and breathing heavily as tears flowed from his eyes.

"Damn it," he cried. "When is this going to stop?"

Rising unsteadily from the floor, he stumbled to the small bathroom, stripped off his sweat-soaked clothes and took a cold shower, the shock of the icy water cascading over his nightmare heated skin, calming his racing heart. He pummeled the walls of the shower with his fists as he gave in briefly to the horror and grief the dream had produced before quickly shutting off the water and stepping out.

Grabbing a towel, he hurriedly dried himself then dressed quickly and fled the cabin that seemed filled with the horrible images that filled his nights. Every night since he'd returned from his debriefing in Washington, he'd endured the nightmares. Every night he woke up screaming, the tears flowing down his face. And every night he felt as if something just out of reach of his senses was calling him, beckoning him but to what he had no idea. And every night he ran from the nightmares and from the thing that called to him.

Walking through the corridors of his submarine, he saw none of the things that at one time brought him joy, as if his actions had tainted the pleasure his creation had once given him. Finally, after walking the hallways and stopping to check on things in his lab, things that held no appeal to him anymore, he found himself in the one place he hoped could bring him peace from the nightmares and the voices, the guilt: the Observation Nose.

He seated himself on the ledge by the great windows that fronted his creation and pulled his legs up. Wrapping his arms about his knees, he leaned his head against the cool glass and watched the water bubble past for a moment then closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing thoughts as he struggled to make sense of what had happened. He needed to find a way to deal with the remorse, the guilt, for what he'd done, At times it flowed through him like a river and he had found no way to stem its tide. The dreams that filled his nights were powerful, unpleasant and left him more tired than when he’d gone to bed. As the days went by, he was less and less himself and he had no idea how to change that.

His debriefing, in his opinion, had been a waste of time as he was unable to give any information of value to his interrogators. He had no idea who had taken him, tortured him, and brainwashed him into doing the heinous acts he'd committed. Even hypnotherapy hadn’t provided many answers or relief.

Sighing, he leaned his head back against the bulkhead and closed his eyes, hoping to find perhaps a bit more sleep to help him function better.

“Admiral?”

He heard Lee’s almost hesitant call and sighed quietly, pasted a smile on his face and turned. “Yes, Lee?”

"I'm surprised to see you here. It's rather early."

"Yes, I suppose it is," he answered knowing that his captain in all likelihood had already been up for a few hours. "Are we on course?"

"Yes, sir. We should reach Santa Barbara in about a week."

"Good. The men could use a nice long shore leave," he responded as he turned to look back out the windows.

Lee watched Nelson surreptitiously and thought over the last week, a week that had seen his friend become a heartless murderer intent on killing him, his crew and destroying his dream, Seaview. He knew what had happened hadn't been Nelson's fault. His crew knew it hadn't been the admiral's fault but also he knew Nelson himself believed that it was and he was hard pressed to get him to see it any other way.

Studying his friend closer as he stared out the window, he was a bit concerned to see the dark circles under his eyes and slightly unkempt hair that told him the man before him hadn’t been sleeping well and he felt concern flare through him.

"Admiral?" he called, trying to bring the man back from whatever dark place he found himself in.

Nelson swallowed a sigh and turned to his friend.

"Admiral, what's wrong?"

"Wrong?" he laughed uneasily. "Nothing's wrong, Lee. We've gathered more than enough samples from the cavern and we're on course for home. All is as it should be," he replied, before his eyes flitted back to the water, his hands clenched as tightly as his jaw was.

Lee inched his way to the ledge, as if moving too fast might scare the man before him off, and sat down, facing Nelson.

“Admiral, talk to me. What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked leaning towards Nelson and talking quietly.

“What do you mean what's wrong?” Nelson asked with a touch of irritation in his voice as he turned surprised eyes to Crane's worry-filled ones.

“You look…tired…distracted. Have you been sleeping all right?”

“I’ve been sleeping just fine,” he answered testily as he slid off the ledge and paced away from Lee. Stopping on the other side of the room, he crossed his arms and leaned against the far bulkhead. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes briefly then resumed staring out at the water once more.

Rising, Lee walked to him and stared at him. “You’re not all right. Talk to me."

Nelson was silent for a bit, his jaw clenched tightly before he sighed and turned his eyes to Lee’s, seeing the concern there. Jerking his head to the doors of the Observation Nose, he said, “Close the doors, would you?”

Lee hesitated for only a moment then did as Nelson asked, coming to stand by his side when they were closed. Lowering his head, he tried hard not to think of all that had happened and all that he had done.

“I've been having some dreams,” he shrugged, refusing to look Lee in the eye.

"What are they about?” Lee asked tentatively, having a pretty good idea but not wanting to push Nelson too far.

Nelson turned away and stared out the windows, rubbing his hands up and down his arms as if suddenly chilled. “The…the last mission,” he said so quietly, Lee wasn’t sure he had heard correctly.

“The last mission?”

“Yes. The mission where I tried to kill you, cold-bloodedly shot Sharkey and did my best to kill everyone aboard. What do you think they're about?" he growled disgustedly as he began to pace, his thumb rubbing his lower lip in agitation as he remembered once again trying to kill Lee and Dr. Land by throwing a grenade into a cave they were in then trying to kill everyone onboard Seaview. Not that it had been his idea. He’d been captured, taken to some as yet unknown place and brainwashed. Brainwashed to the point he’d turned against his country and his friends.

"Admiral, we've been through this. It wasn't you. It was..."

"Yes, yes, yes, I know," he waved his hand at him as if to dismiss the thought. "It wasn't really me throwing the grenade and watching as the walls caved in on you and Land. It wasn't me doing my best to destroy Seaview and kill my crew." Turning back to Lee who studied him closely he added, "But it was me. I remember. I see it every night."

Lee was silent for a bit as he had no idea what to say to the man before him. He knew from personal experience what it felt like to try to kill someone you considered a friend. He too had lifted a gun, pointed it at the back of the man before him and almost...almost...pulled the trigger. An intervention in the plan by Mason Forrester had stopped him. *

"They're almost all about what I did," Harry added so quietly Lee wasn't sure he had heard correctly.

"Almost all?" he asked. He heard a slight change in Nelson’s voice as if the man was trying hard to remember what the dreams were about and concern filled him. “What else have you been dreaming about?”

Nelson shook his head at the concerned look on Lee’s face and smiled. “Wipe that worried look off your face, Lee. They’re just dreams.”

“How long have you had them?”

“I had a few right after I came to my senses. A few more since I’ve been back aboard. Mostly it's remembering what I did but the others...I don't know. It’s like I’m trying to remember something, see something, do something and I don’t know what,” he admitted quietly as he rubbed a hand over his forehead as if in pain or could somehow draw the answer out by rubbing his head.

“Does it have to do with what happened or with what you were supposed to do?” Lee asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered quietly, shaking his head. “I just don’t know. I’m not even sure it’s important but…I just don’t know.”

“Maybe you should talk to Doc.”

“I don't need Doc involved.”

“Why not? Maybe he can help.”

Laughing, Nelson turned to Lee. “Look, I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s just something I’ll have to get over. Something I need to accept. But if I continue with these dreams, I’ll see Doc. All right?” he assured smiling again to allay Lee’s concerns.

“All right,” he agreed uneasily. “But if there’s anything I can do…”

“I’ll call you. Now why don’t we check our position? See how much longer until we get home. Eh?” he said lightheartedly slapping Lee on the back, opened the doors, and entered the Control Room. Striding to Chip by the plotting table, who looked up in interest, wondering what the two had been discussing that had put an uneasy smile on Nelson’s face and a frown on Lee’s.

After a quick check of their position, Nelson smiled. “We are making good time gentlemen. We’ll be home within the week. We might even have time to…”

“Admiral Nelson, there’s a call for you, sir. Scrambled,” Sparks’ voice called from the radio shack, interrupting Nelson.

“Who is it, Sparks?”

“No name, sir.”

“Well, that’s never good, is it?” Nelson joked with a false attempt at levity. “Transfer it to my cabin, Sparks. Continue on course. I'll be back later."

"Aye sir," Lee answered as he watched Nelson climb the circular stairs to his cabin, frowning as he noticed the listlessness in his steps.

“What is it, Lee? Is he all right?” Chip asked, his eyes jerking quickly to the disappearing form of Nelson.

“He says he is. But…”

“But?”

“He’s tired, Chip. And he hasn't been sleeping.”

“Why? Because of what happened when..."

“I’m not certain he knows for sure but it must have something to do with what happened on our last mission,” Lee interrupted, casting a worried glance up the stairs.

"He went through a lot on that cruise. We all went through a lot. It has to eat at him knowing what he did."

"But it wasn't his fault!" Lee exclaimed a little louder than he had intended, noticing the eyes of the crew shoot to him.

"Well, you know that, I know that and the crew knows that. He'll know that too once he sorts through his feelings and sees it wasn't his fault. Give him time," Chip assured, slapping Lee lightly on the back.

"Yeah. Time," he muttered as he cast another concerned look up the stairs.

Chapter 2

Nelson walked quickly down the corridor to his cabin, wondering who could be calling for him now. Opening the door, he seated himself at his desk and reached for the mic. “Put that call through now, Sparks.”

“Aye sir,” Sparks replied. “Coming through now. On scramble.”

Reaching to the view phone in front of him he watched it flicker to life then turned a knob to scramble the message.

“Bill? What’s up?” he asked with a frown as he saw the form of Admiral Bill Johnson; head of ONI fill his screen.

“Harry? I hope you’re feeling better.”

“I’m fine, Bill. What’s the call about?” he asked sharply, knowing that when ONI came calling it was usually for Lee. “Why no name?”

“I didn’t want anyone to know I was contacting you. This is of the utmost importance and vital no one knows.”

“All right. What is it?”

“How would you like a chance to get back at the people that turned you against your friends and your country by brainwashing you?”

“Sheesh. Tell me how and when,” Harry replied sarcastically as he leaned back in his chair.

“All right. How soon can you be in San Diego?”

Nelson stared at Johnson for a long moment. “You’re serious.”

“Very. I can’t explain this here. It’s better if you meet us in San Diego at the Office of Naval Research. But don’t fly here. Fly to NIMR in the Flying Sub, pick up a rental car from someplace remote and drive down here. Use an alias when you rent the car. You've kept up a false identity or two, I hope?”

“I still have a few alter egos, Bill,” he scowled.

“Good. Give me the name you’re using and I’ll let the guards at the gate know.”

“Uh,” he said thinking for a minute. “I’ll use Jack Trenton."

“Good. And Harry? Don’t tell your command crew anything. Make something up about why you’re leaving. They need to be in the dark if this is going to work. Pack for a mission and wear civvies. Leave your uniform behind. OK?”

“All right, Bill. I’ll see you in a few hours,” Harry agreed as he terminated the call and stared at his desk for a few minutes deep in thought. Retribution wasn’t something he desired on most occasions but the memories of what he’d so callously done haunted him. Although the country responsible was known, very little had been done in the way of justice, except for what he considered a cursory slap on the wrist and a stern look. If there was a chance for payback for his brainwashing and his almost successful plan to kill his crew, he was up for it. He had to be. He owed whoever had been behind it.

“Lee, this is Nelson. I want the Flying Sub ready for immediate launch,” he called into the microphone on his desk.

“Yes sir,” Lee answered crisply after a slight hesitation and with a tinge to his voice that told Nelson he could expect a visit shortly from his captain.

Standing quickly, Harry tossed a few items into his briefcase then went to his closet. Undressing quickly, he grabbed some civilian clothes from inside, dressing in a pair of black jeans and a dark, short sleeved polo then slipped on a pair of black boots. Reaching to the back of his closet, he grabbed a backpack that was already packed with a few assorted items, crossed to his bunk and opened it, carefully checking that everything was there: Berretta handgun, rounds of ammunition, knife, lighter, water purifier tablets, first aid kit, tool kit, flashlight, compass, a change of clothes and a few energy bars.

Choosing a fake ID from a wallet inside the bag, he put the others back inside the wallet, put it in his closet and closed the door. Zippering the bag closed, he slung it over his shoulder, satisfied he had everything he needed. He was just walking to his desk when he heard a knock on his cabin door.

Opening it, he wasn’t surprised to see Lee Crane, a storm cloud on his face standing there.

“You going somewhere?” he asked, taking in Nelson’s unorthodox attire and the backpack slung over his shoulder.

“As a matter of fact, I am. And I don’t really have time to discuss it,” Harry replied. Grabbing his briefcase he brushed past Lee and headed out the door, closing it firmly behind him.

“Who was on scramble?” Lee asked harshly as he kept pace with Nelson's hurried steps.

“Can’t tell you that.”

“Admiral, you can’t just leave Seaview! Not...”

"You and Chip are perfectly capable of guiding Seaview home. You really don't need me for that," he interrupted.

“You’re not up for any kind of mission or whatever it is you’re up to. And after what you…we…went through on the last mission…”

“I don’t want to talk anymore about the last mission. I’m fine. I’ve been cleared for duty so let’s drop it,” he growled as he walked briskly down the corridor, Lee on his heels. “And who said anything about a mission, anyway? Maybe I’m taking a vacation.”

“You have your ready bag,” he gestured to the bag that was kept ready at all times for a mission of any sort.

Nelson shrugged. “It’s packed. And ready. Hence the name.”

“Ready bag for what? A mission? ONI? Admiral…”

Nelson stopped abruptly and glanced about to make sure no one was near. “Drop it, Lee. Please,” he whispered harshly. “I can’t tell you where I’m going. Just trust me, please. I know I haven’t given you much reason to do that lately but please, do it anyway. Your orders are to continue on to Santa Barbara. Got it?”

Lee stared at Nelson for a long time before nodding. “Got it,” he answered frostily

Noting the cool response, Harry softened his tone. “Don’t worry about me, all right? Everything’s fine. I'm fine. Trust me, please. I just have something I need to attend to.”

“Alone.”

“Yes, Lee. Alone. Your worries are for the crew,” he ordered as he descended the circular stairs to the Observation Nose and headed for the Flying Sub hatch, waiting as Chief Sharkey, his arm in a sling, climbed awkwardly up the ladder. A twinge of guilt filled Harry when he remembered shooting Sharkey without a second thought, knowing deep down he would have shot Lee also if he had stood in the way.

“Everything’s good to go, sir,” he said glancing at Nelson’s attire in interest before shooting a quick glance to Crane.

“Thanks, Chief,” Nelson answered in a hushed tone, doing his best to not look the man in the eye before starting to climb down the ladder. Looking up into Lee’s worried eyes, he hesitated. “Take care, Lee.”

“You too,” he returned simply, a concerned look on his face.

With a nod, Nelson continued down the ladder, seated himself in the pilot’s chair and set about starting the sub’s engines.

“Flying Sub, ready for launch,” Nelson intoned after all the pre-flight checks were finished.

“Launch Flying Sub,” Lee responded. “Safe travels Admiral,” he added.

“Thanks, Lee,” he replied quietly.

Harry flew FS-1 back to NIMR and docked her at the underground sub pen, got out and climbed up the stairs to the dock above. Walking quickly to his car that was parked nearby, he got in then leaned back against the headrest and blew out a heavy sigh. He had no idea what was about to happen but he had the unmistakable feeling it was going to take him down a most unpleasant path.

Starting the car, he drove through the security gate and on to a small shopping mall about an hour's drive north of NIMR where he left his car, then called a taxi to drive him back south to a car rental place well off I-5 where he rented a car using his fake credentials and headed on to San Diego.

Chapter 3

Harry Nelson drove the road to San Diego as quickly as he dared, then on to the grounds of the Office of Naval Research where he handed his fake ID to the guard at the gate and was waved through. Parking in a lot by the building Johnson told him to meet him at, Harry got out of his car and paused for a moment, readying himself for whatever was awaiting him inside. Walking quickly, he entered the rather non-descript structure and was immediately met by a guard, who on hearing Nelson’s alias, smiled slightly and gestured him down the hall.

“This way, Mr. Trenton.”

With a slight smile he followed the guard down a long hallway, stopping outside a door marked Operations. The guard opened the door and stepped back as Nelson walked through, then closed the door quietly.

“Harry! Good to see you,” Bill Johnson said crisply, shaking Nelson’s hand as he came through the door.

“Bill, ready to tell me what’s up and what you’re doing here and not at ONI?”

“I’m here because we’ve discovered something that you might find very interesting."

"Oh? What might that be?"

"We've recently become aware of an espionage ring we believe may be operated by the same people that took you and brainwashed you. Capturing the Zycron-143 was only part of their plan it seems. A navy lieutenant was discovered breaking into a research lab here last night and trying to steal the stores of Zycron-143 that we’ve been working with, trying to figure out ways to utilize it…for peaceful purposes of course.”

“Oh, of course,” Nelson replied doubtfully.

Sighing, Johnson went on, “He put up a struggle, took out a few guards but was finally subdued. Funny thing is, he keeps saying your name over and over.”

“Mine? Why?”

“We’re not sure. We ran a test on his blood and he has the same drugs in his system you did but at greater concentrations.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense! We know the country behind the brainwashing was the People’s Republic! What would they have to gain by continuing on? International censure…”

“We’re not entirely certain the PR was solely behind it,” Johnson interrupted.

“What? They were identified. The men from the landing party that were in the cave were PR guards! How can you say…?”

“Look, we don’t have all the answers. All we do know is that over the course of the past few weeks we’ve isolated three research facilities in the US, two in Europe and one in Asia that have been hacked. There's been stolen research, software, hardware and, well more than a few other things,” he said handing Harry a list. “They not only stole the research, they destroyed or took all existing documents, papers, hard drives…everything so that not only do they have the research…but we don’t. Recreating all the research by memory will take quite possibly years."

Harry whistled as he perused the list. "Looks as though whoever is behind this is planning to build quite an arsenal. They have access to most everything they need for a state of the art missile."

"We can also assume they have access to enough propellant."

“With what’s on this list they can do it, too. Only two things are missing."

“And what are they?” Johnson asked with a quirked eye as he watched Nelson.

Tearing his eyes from the list, Harry looked up at Johnson. “The material for the actual explosive and a workable guidance system.”

“A guidance system such as what you’ve been working on at NIMR and an explosive such as Zycron-143.”

"Zycron-143," Harry muttered darkly.

"It would seem likely. If they get the Zycron, they'll be able to make a weapon so powerful it will put the nuclear bomb to shame without all the nasty side effects of a nuclear explosion.”

"Any ideas as to who this person or persons are that hacked into supposedly top secret installations?"

"A few. One is a man you know, actually. Steve Belton."

Harry looked up in shock. "Steve Belton? No. No way."

"He has top secret clearance, Harry and he had access to all the U.S. facilities and those in Europe. Security cameras show him entering each facility and logging into secure servers."

Harry shook his head, not willing to believe the man he knew was capable of treason.

"You knew him, correct?"

"Yes. He was brilliant. We were classmates at Annapolis."

"But he was dismissed."

"Yes, yes he was."

"Why?"

"He was a bully. Always had been. One night, he beat a plebe who looked at him wrong. He was dismissed. No charges were filed against him that I know of."

"We checked. His father had it covered up. I remember him also. I also remember who pulled Belton off the plebe. You."

Harry shrugged dismissively. "And now he's a traitor?"

"Could be. The company he worked for had contracts with four of the research labs. He had access, Harry."

Harry jammed his hands into his pants pocket and began to stroll about the room, lost in thought of another time. "I can't believe it. We're talking treason here!"

"I know. But the facts..."

"Circumstantial," Harry interrupted. "He could have been brainwashed same as I was."

"Granted. But if it is true, we need to be prepared."

Harry began to pace once again, his finger running agitatedly over the side of his head. “All right. For now, Steve is a suspect."

"Any idea what he was up to after Annapolis?"

"I heard he'd gotten degrees from some pretty prestigious universities. He had advanced degrees in mathematics, engineering. A doctorate in..."

"In?" Bill asked when he stopped, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Steve received his doctorate in computer science from MIT three years ago," he finished quietly.

Ignoring Bill's raised eyebrows, he continued. "All right, for now, he's a suspect and if what you say is true, preventing the theft of the element was a stroke of good luck. What I don't understand though is why destroy Seaview and her missiles? Why go to all the trouble of stealing all this research when her missiles could have taken out any major city?"

Johnson shrugged. "I've wondered about that too. There is failsafe to consider. Perhaps circumventing the failsafe system was considered too hard or dangerous. Maybe it's vanity on the part of whoever is responsible."

"Vanity?"

"To prove he or she can stand against anything we have? A device with their fingerprints on it and only theirs? I really don't know. Plus, with Seaview out of the way, that's one less weapon, a formidable weapon, to deal with. And they have the ability to build more missiles. Maybe we'll track this person or people down and ask them all the whys we have."

"All right. You've shown me all this. What is it you think I can do though?”

“We want you to talk to this lieutenant. See if you can find out what’s going on; maybe get him to show you where all the stolen material on that list has been taken.”

“I don’t know what I can do. It’s been over a week since my part in this ring ended. They have to know, or at least believe, I’ve recovered,” Harry snapped.

“Perhaps. But this man is saying your name over and over like a mantra.”

After a few minutes in thought, Harry quirked an eye at Johnson. “He may be looking to kill me. Have you thought of that?” he asked with a slight smile. "Kill off the loose ends and grab the Zycron at the same time."

“We have actually thought of that. If the people behind this think you’ve been compromised, they may have put a kill order out on you. But, we think there’s more to it.”

Nelson sighed heavily and shrugged. “If you think it will help, I’ll talk to him. What’s his name?”

“Lieutenant John Carver. Currently assigned to ONI. He’s young but he’s good. He disappeared briefly about the same time you did.”

“Not sure what I can do but lead on,” Harry said shaking his head.

Johnson led the way down a long hallway and to a door guarded by a navy lieutenant.

“Danton, open the door,” Johnson ordered. “Then you may take a break.

“Aye sir,” he said, turning to unlock the door behind him before walking away.

The door swung open and Nelson peered inside the dimly lit room to see a man dressed in black clothes sitting on a bunk, rocking back and forth whispering softly, “Nelson…get to Nelson. Find Nelson….,” he whispered over and over.

Gesturing behind him for Johnson to close the door, Nelson walked cautiously to the young lieutenant, unsure what his reaction was going to be when he saw him and squatted in front of him.

“John? It’s Nelson,” he called softly, watching as Carver’s eyes slid up to his, confusion filling his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” he asked anxiously.

“I came to get you out of here.”

“That wasn’t the plan,” he snapped.

“What was the plan?”

“I was to get the Zycron-143 then find you at NIMR and…”

“And?”

“You tell me,” he replied, suspicion in his eyes.

Nelson sighed and looked behind him furtively. “You were to find me and we would get the missile guidance schematics from NIMR,” he whispered, fervently hoping that had been the plan.

Relief filled Carver’s face. “Right. That's right. I was told you might have been compromised. If that was true, I needed to take you out.”

Nelson smiled. “Before or after you got the system?”

“Didn’t matter. As long as I had it. They…they told me you weren’t one of us any more.”

“Just playing along. Biding my time until I got orders: orders that never came,” he grumbled in mock anger. “Look, I want you to lay back and rest right now. I have some things I need to do. I’ll be back in a little bit and we can get going. All right?”

“What things? I don’t want to…”

“I need to find the Z-143 and figure a way of getting it and us out of here. You just stay calm and I’ll be back when I have it. No one suspects a thing. But be ready to move in a hurry,” he ordered. Rising and walking to the door, he opened it and went out into the corridor.

With a curious look back at the closed door, Harry faced Johnson. “You heard?”

“I did. Any idea what he was talking about?” he asked, eyeing Nelson curiously.

Intercepting the look he frowned. “No, I don’t. But I’m supposed to,” he said pacing back and forth, thinking hard. “I can’t remember anything. All I recall is heading to my meeting with Dr. Land then waking up on Seaview and finding out I’d nearly killed everyone onboard.”

Johnson was silent, watching as Harry paced. “You were debriefed?”

“Yes, of course but I couldn’t tell them much. I couldn’t remember anything of use.”

“You tried hypnotherapy?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, yes, it…didn’t work,” Nelson answered uneasily remembering how he’d undergone hypnosis during his debriefing.

“Didn’t it? Or were you trying hard not to remember?”

Harry was silent for a time, thinking, trying to remember. “I…I’m not sure. There seemed to be a…a block when they’d ask certain questions. I couldn't seem to break through.”

“There could have been a wall planted in your subconscious during the brainwashing, preventing you from remembering.”

“Yes, that was discussed but I couldn’t seem to break through it!” he growled in frustration. “Maybe I just didn’t want to remember. They said there was a chance the conditioning could reassert itself under hypnosis.”

“Which you didn’t want?”

“No!” Harry yelled staring at Johnson in shock. “No, I didn’t. I don’t want it. To become what I was? Do what I did again? To…”

“We need answers, Harry,” Johnson interrupted as he watched Nelson pace in agitation. “If you undergo hypnosis again and try to remember, you may indeed revert."

“By revert, you mean if I become a bloodthirsty murderer that wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone that means anything to me? To destroy anything that means anything to me?” he asked angrily as he paced, rubbing the side of his head in agitation.

“Look, we knew you weren’t the only piece to the puzzle but we didn’t know who else was involved. Now we have another piece.”

“But one of the pieces can’t remember and the other won’t tell us.”

“We can try again. We can try something different.”

"Different?"

"We have an expert on...let's just say helping people remember things that are hidden deeply in their minds."

Nelson was quiet for a long time as he stared at Johnson, trying not to think of the repercussions of what he was suggesting, "Drugs?" he asked

Johnson nodded slightly.

Harry closed his eyes and tried not to think of all the ways this could go wrong, the thought of becoming what he had been…what they had made him…tearing at him, then he finally nodded “All right,” he sighed. “Let’s do it.”

“Are you sure? As you said, it’s risky.”

“If it gives us answers, I’ll try it. Then we can work on our young friend.”

Chapter 4

Harry followed Johnson to a room not far from where Carver was being held. Sitting down quickly at a nearby desk, Johnson picked up a phone and dialed a number. “Shields? Can you come down? Yes…we’re ready,” he said looking to Nelson who frowned at him.

“You planned this already,” he muttered.

“Thought it best to have all the bases covered but yes, I did. You ready to do this?”

Harry felt anything but ready as worry filled him with what he was about to do. What if the conditioning reasserted itself? What if he became the maniacal agent bent on killing the people he cared about or a traitor to his country? Or what if he had the answers locked inside and they had the key? With a brief nod to Johnson, he resumed pacing.

A knock on the door interrupted Harry's musings. He watched as Johnson crossed the room and opened the door to reveal a tall man with thin glasses and a decidedly frosty persona, carrying a small bag.

“Dave, this is Admiral Harriman Nelson, our subject,” he informed pointing to Nelson who took exception to being called a subject. “Harry, this is Dr. Dave Shields.”

“Yes, I’ve been briefed on what we’re looking for. If you will sit here, Admiral Nelson, we can get started. And please try to relax.”

“Relax,” Harry muttered, shaking his head as he sat uneasily in the chair, trying hard not to get up and run from the room. He watched closely as Shields hooked him up to a heart monitor, gently tied his arms to the chair and laid out two syringes.

“What’s the other syringe for?” he asked nodding to the extra.

“Just a slight sedative. If it becomes necessary to calm you, I’ll inject you with it.”

Doing his best to relax, he took a deep cleansing breath and looked up at Johnson. “You have any precautions with you, Bill if this goes wrong?”

Frowning, Johnson walked to a desk and took out a Sig Sauer pistol, checked its load, flipped the safety off and stared at Nelson. “Better?”

With a grim smile, Nelson nodded. “Just take it easy until we know which way this is going to go.”

“Ready, Admiral?”

At Nelson’s nod, Shields injected Harry with the first syringe and after a few minutes, began his session, putting Nelson under and doing his best to get him to remember.

“Go back to the night of the third of October, where were you?”

“I was in Los Angeles, heading to Dr. Land’s lab.”

“And what happened?”

“I…I was grabbed…taken some place.”

“Where?”

Nelson scrunched up his forehead. “I…I don’t know. It was dark at first, then bright light hit me. I felt pain.”

“And then?”

“There was a voice. Telling me I had to obey.”

“Who did the voice belong to?”

“I…I don’t know. I never saw a face.”

“Did he have an accent?”

Nelson began to fidget, his heart rate and respiration increasing then said, “I…can’t…I don’t know.”

“Relax. Concentrate on my voice. You’re safe. Breathe deeply,” Shields crooned in a calming voice, waiting until Nelson’s heart rate dropped a bit.

“What kind of accent?”

Nelson was quiet for a long time, emotions rolling across his face as he tried to break through the wall that hid his memory from him. “I…don’t know.”

“Try again. You’re stronger than the wall. Break through it.”

“I…I…can’t! I don’t know who it is! I don’t know…I…”

“Easy. Calm down. Listen to my voice. You’re safe. You can hear the voice. We need you to tell us what kind of accent. If you don’t remember, your friends, your crew, everyone you care about will die,” Shields intoned, ignoring the look Johnson gave him. “You are all that stands between them and their deaths. Now, what accent did he have?”

Harry closed his eyes, struggling to remember as several long minutes went by. “Oriental,” he whispered, his voice filled with pain. “He…he was Oriental. Chinese maybe.”

“Oriental? You’re sure? Not a People's Republic accent?”

Harry frowned, trying hard to remember, his head tilted to the side as if listening to something. “No… no it was different…not PR.”

Johnson smiled grimly. "That was more than he remembered before," he murmured to Shields who nodded. "Keep going. We need more."

“Very good,” Shields continued. “What did he want you to do?”

“Secure the Zycron-143 then destroy Seaview.”

“Why?"

"To prevent her being used against us by our enemies."

"How were you going to get off Seaview without dying yourself?”

“Submarine. He said a submarine would pick me up.”

“Why didn’t you get off Seaview?”

“The man that gave me the orders said they couldn’t get to me.”

“Why not?”

“Rudder controls were damaged in an underwater earthquake. They couldn't make it to the rendezvous.”

“Was the voice the same? Was the accent the same as the one when you were captured?”

A few seconds passed as Harry thought, his jaw clenching and unclenching. “No…no this one was…was…”

“Was what, Admiral?”

“It was a PR accent. I’m sure of it.”

“Very good,” Shields said making notes. “What were your orders then?”

“To remain onboard until they came.”

“What would happen when the submarine came?”

“They…they would take me to their base.”

“Where was this base?”

Nelson was silent for a long time. “I…I don’t know.”

“Are you sure?” Shields asked, watching Nelson’s vital signs closely.

Harry frowned then repeated. “I don’t know.”

“All right. What were you to do after you were dropped off?”

“I would come back to Santa Barbara and wait for John.”

“John?”

“Lieutenant John Carver. He would help me.”

“Did you find him?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I was found out. My conditioning was broken.”

“Was it?”

Nelson sat for a long time, not moving, barely breathing.

“Was it broken?” he asked again louder.

“Yes,” Harry whispered harshly.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” he replied again, firmly.

“All right. What was your plan? It’s all right to remember now. No harm will come to you or the people you care about. Telling us the plan keeps them safe.”

Several minutes went by as Harry struggled against remembering.

"Harry. The plan. What was it?" Johnson asked quietly.

Sighing heavily as if giving up, he closed his eyes and said, "The plan was for me to wait at NIMR for John. Together we’d take the plans for the new missile guidance system I’m developing.”

“Wouldn’t your people be suspicious? You were back and your sub wasn’t.”

Harry fidgeted a bit, then said in a whisper, “We would go in at night. Anyone that…anyone that stood in our way would…we would…”

“Yes, Admiral. You would what?” Shields asked as he watched Nelson’s pulse, respiration and heart rate begin to climb rapidly.

“We…we would kill them,” he whispered in a self-loathing voice. “I would kill my people…kill my friends…my crew! They wanted me to…to…to become some...some...traitor...I am a traitor! A traitor to my friends, my country...my...”

“Listen to my voice,” Shields urged calmly. “Relax. Focus on my voice. Everything is all right. You must relax. Calm down."

A satisfied smile flickered over Shields' face as Nelson’s vital signs dropped. “What were you to do after you had the plans?”

Nelson’s brow furrowed as he thought. “I take the plans to…to…”

“To whom, Admiral?” Shields asked.

Several long minutes passed, emotions rolling over Nelson’s face, drops of sweat beading on his forehead as he struggled to remember.

"Who, Harry?" Johnson asked urgently, knowing they needed a name: a name that was locked inside Harry's mind.

"No. No, I can't. I can't tell you," Harry whispered softly as he shook his head.

"We need a name, Admiral," Shields all but growled. "Your friends will die and you will forever be a traitor. Who?"

Several long minutes went by before Harry finally spat out in a hate-filled voice, “Shui Gui. I take the plans to Shui Gui.”

“Who or what is Shui Gui?” Shields asked.

Harry was silent, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he struggled.

“Who or what is Shui Gui?” Shields asked again, harshly.

“My…my leader,” Harry whispered, tears rolling down his face as he remembered.

“What is he a leader of?”

Nelson shook his head, his heart racing. “No…no…I can't...”

“You must tell me or all you care about will be destroyed. Your friends dead…your country destroyed.”

Panting Nelson began to shake as long minutes went by as he fought to break through. “Sheng Zhang,” he finally whispered as sweat poured down his face. “Sheng Zhang.”

“What or who is Sheng Zhang?”

Nelson’s jaw worked but no sound came out for several long seconds. “Sheng Zhang is a…a…covert group working in the Orient."

"China?"

"Yes. Mostly China."

"Where else?"

"Russia...The People's Republic...Southeast Asia..."

“What is their purpose?”

“World domination. Destruction of the western world,” Nelson answered softly.

“Where are they located? Where is their headquarters?”

“I…I don’t know. I was never told that.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” he answered firmly after a moment. “My role ends with delivery of the plans for the guidance system.”

“What happens to you then?”

“I don't know. I...I don't. I have to help my people...my friends…the pain…I can’t get it to stop! I can't…I…what have I done? Lee? Chief? I…I’m sorry…I killed him…them…I…killed...”

“Good Lord,” Johnson growled harshly as he watched Nelson, a man he respected and called friend, fall apart as he remembered what he had tried to do. “Bring him out of it. Now.”

“But he may remember more…”

“Do it!”

Shields frowned but nodded. “Admiral, I want you to calm down. Breathe deeply. The pain is going. You’re safe. Lee is alive. You’re friends are alive. You are not a traitor. When I count to three, you will open your eyes and feel peace and you will remember. One…two…three.”

Harry's eyes fluttered and he opened them slowly. Staring about him wildly, he struggled against the bonds that held him to the chair. Johnson’s finger tightened slightly on the trigger of the gun he held at his side. Flinching, he saw the raw emotion on Harry's face and he cursed whoever had put him through the hell they had.

“Harry?”

Stilling himself, Nelson looked up at Johnson, his face wet with tears, and cringed. “My God. How could I have willingly done what they wanted?”

“You remember?”

“Yes,” he replied, his voice breaking. “All of it. I didn't remember it all before but now I remember. But... I…I didn’t realize…”

“Realize what?” Johnson asked at the puzzled look that suddenly crossed Harry's face.

“They…they were still after me,” he whispered, horror in his voice.

“What do you mean?”

A few minutes went by as Harry worked things through in his mind before he spoke. “I don’t think they knew for sure the programming was broken. I think they’ve been contacting me.”

“How?”

“I kept getting phone calls the short time I was at home from the debriefing after my visit to Washington. No one was there though. Just silence. No...no not complete silence," he said after a few seconds thought. "I could hear a…a sound."

"What kind of sound?" Johnson asked.

"A high pitched whining. I just assumed they were crank calls and that was all."

“What happened after you would receive a call?’ Shields asked, leaning forward in expectation.

“Nothing.”

Are you sure?” he asked.

"Yes. I..." Nelson stopped and a frown crossed his face.

“What is it, Admiral?”

“The dreams….”

“What dreams?” Shields asked.

“I had dreams… nightmares about what I’d done. I saw myself trying to kill Lee…Dr. Land…my crew."

"After you first started receiving the calls?"

"Yes. I'd had nightmares before about what I'd done but they changed after I had received a few phone calls. Some of them at least,” Harry said quietly, his brows furrowed in concentration.

“How did they change, Harry?”

“Some were indistinct…blurry. Not so much about what I’d done and the guilt. It was more like I was trying to remember something. There was some place I needed to go to. Something I needed to do.”

“But this was after the phone calls started?”

“Yes.”

Johnson looked to Shields who was nodding. “Yes. They were contacting you.”

“But why?”

“I suspect they hoped your programming wasn’t broken, that you were in hiding, waiting for instructions perhaps. They still needed you. The calls probably had an embedded code word in them that you either didn’t hear or didn’t respond to.”

“Maybe the programming isn’t broken. If you have any question as to whether it is or not, we could try truth serum,” Harry suggested.

“We’re running out of time,” Johnson replied pacing back and forth. “Doctor? Do you think the programming is broken?”

“In my opinion it is. He had trouble breaking through the block on the accent and on what this Sheng Zhang is. You can’t fake a physical reaction such as he had…his pulse, respiration…all were off the charts. In my opinion he’s fine.”

“So what do we do now?” Nelson asked.

Johnson walked slowly to an intercom. “Danton? Bring Carver in here.” Turning back to Shields he said, “Doctor, I want you to use your truth serum drug on Carver. See if what he says is any different than what Nelson has said. If it's the same, I want you to use that new deprogramming drug you've been working on on him. See if you can break through to him.”

“Very well,” Shields agreed quietly as he unhooked Nelson from the machines and watched him rise unsteadily and begin to pace. “However, the drug has never been fully tested. I don’t know if it will be effective or...”

“I understand. But we have no choice.”

“Very well,” he answered as he waited for his next subject to come in.

A knock at the door had Johnson calling a brusque, “Come.”

The door opened to reveal a young and scared looking navy lieutenant who was brought into the lab and seated in a chair as Nelson looked on uneasily from the shadows.

“John. I’m going to give you something to help you remember,” Shields said as he injected him with a drug. “I want you to relax.”

Carver struggled a bit as the doctor attempted to inject him but finally the drug began to work and he relaxed.

“What is your name?” Johnson asked as Nelson came out of the shadows to stand by the young lieutenant.

“Lieutenant John Richard Carver.”

“Where are you stationed?”

“Office of Naval Intelligence.”

“To whom do you swear allegiance to?”

Carver was silent for a long time, his jaw flexing in agitation.

“Whom do you serve?” Johnson asked again. “Answer.”

“I…I serve the Sheng Zhang,” he answered softly.

“John, who is Sheng Zhang?”

John shook his head. “Not a who. Sheng Zhang is an…an…organization.”

“What is their purpose?”

“World domination,” he answered with a proud smile.

“What is your role?”

“Bring Zycron-143 and Admiral Nelson’s guidance system to Shui Gui.”

“Who is Shui Gui?”

“My leader.”

“John, I want you to tell me what the plan is. What were you to do?”

“Steal Zycron-143 from ONR laboratory, then go to NIMR. See if Nelson was still one of us. See if he would help me.”

“And if he wasn’t and didn’t help you?”

“Force him. Then kill him.”

“Do your people think Nelson is one of them?”

“Shui Gui is unsure. Communication between them was broken after the submarine that was to pick Nelson up was damaged. Seaview was supposed to be destroyed but wasn’t.”

“What does Shui Gui think happened?”

“Possibility that Nelson’s programming was compromised. Or he was laying low awaiting orders. If he was compromised, I was to kill him.”

Nelson exhaled slowly. “That’s comforting.”

Johnson frowned but continued. “What were you to do then?”

“Take Z-143, the system plans and go to Mexico. Await orders.”

“Where in Mexico?”

“Coordinates 29.0730° N, 110.9559° W. Wait for delivery of message telling me where to go.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

Johnson motioned Nelson to the far corner of the room. "Interesting that he doesn't seem to have any blocks implanted in his brain as you did."

Harry shrugged. "Perhaps he does and this drug broke through."

"Perhaps. What do you think about what he said?”

“It's...familiar is all I can say."

"Ideas?"

"I think I’m going to have to steal the guidance system plans and a reasonable facsimile of the Z-143 and go with my young friend there to Mexico,” Harry sighed.

“You know what you will be walking into?” Johnson asked.

“A hornet’s nest. But it needs to be done if we are to have a chance of stopping this. Any chance you can deprogram him quickly. He has the answers inside his head and I could use back-up.”

Johnson nodded then called the doctor over. “What are the chances your deprogramming drug will bring him back?” he asked.

“Fifty-fifty,” he shrugged.

“Better than nothing,” Johnson sighed. “Try it.”

Harry watched as the doctor walked to his bag and removed a vial, loaded a syringe with the drug and walked back. Standing in front of Carver, he injected him then turned back to Nelson and Johnson. “This may take some time. There’s no point in staying.”

Nodding, Johnson took Harry by the arm and the two left the room and went back to the office.

“Do you think that drug is going to work?” Harry asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee and seated himself in a chair in front of Johnson.

“It’s untried. Research was promising though. We can only hope it does. Question is, if it doesn’t work, what then?”

“Well, I convince John I’m still one of the bad guys…get him to take me into his confidence,” Harry shrugged.

“That’s a dangerous path to take, my friend.”

“I know. I know. But it might be the only way to end this. So what plans do you have working in that mind of yours, Bill?” Harry asked as he watched his friend closely, noticing the frowns that peppered his face.

Johnson was silent for a long time as he stared at Nelson with something akin to pity. “Harry, we have a chance to recover or destroy the pieces that have already been delivered and break this spy ring but we need your help.”

“I’ll do anything, Bill, but how? They must know my programming was broken. I never responded to the calls. How am I going to get them to believe I’m still working for them?”

“Well, that’s the tricky part. We need to expose you as a traitor. We need to show you stealing your plans and helping our young lieutenant escape.”

Harry stared at Johnson in shock for a long time, his mind processing all the ramifications of doing what he was asking and thinking of all that could happen if he didn’t. “Wow,” was all he could think to say.

“Yeah…wow. Your actions here stealing the Z-143 will be videotaped and your lab has a security camera running constantly if I’m correct.”

“You are.”

“We’ll show the video of you stealing the plans at NIMR. That should be all we need to show your perfidy.”

Harry was silent for a long time as he got up and paced about the room.

“Sounds as though this isn’t a spur of the moment plan.”

“It isn’t. We had some time while we waited for you to get here. This is what we came up with,” he answered as he watched Nelson resume pacing. “If this all goes wrong, your reputation will be destroyed, Harry. Everything you’ve worked your whole life for gone. I’ll understand if you want to back away.”

Nelson snorted. “There’s not much choice is there? They can’t acquire all the materials they need for this weapon. It’s like putting a death sentence on the world!”

“No, they can’t. And we have to know where their headquarters is to recover all they’ve stolen already. Even without the last two pieces it’s a formidable weapon.”

Harry paced back and forth for a bit, his hands thrust inside the pockets of his jeans. “If there’s a chance, any chance to stop them or repair the damage I already did, we have to do it. So what’s the plan?”

“Hopefully, we can get Carver back and he’ll agree to help you in this. If he does, the plan is you and Carver take the Zycron-143 that he was after out of here, make it look good, then go to NIMR and take the plans for your guidance system then go to wherever you two are supposed to go to and deliver it to your handlers.”

“The Zycron-143? Don’t you think that’s a bad idea? If we get caught or manage to actually deliver…”

“Hold on. In the little time our scientists have had to study the cache of Z-143 you brought back with you, and the rest we’ve managed to mine since then, we’ve discovered that some of the element doesn’t have the same properties as pure Zycron-143. It’s…inert for lack of a better word. It’s ineffective for our purposes of space flight but not totally ineffective as a power source or an explosive. However, it’s no more powerful than say dynamite or C-4.”

“They’ll see right through bringing a lower quality element.”

“Not necessarily. On first testing it reads as Zycron-143. It’s only on further testing the impurities are revealed.”

“So we take this inert cache and my plans and hope I can fool them into thinking the Z-143 is effective and then what?”

“Steal the rest of the components they’ve acquired. All the plans, prototypes, and documents they have. Bring them back or destroy them if that’s not possible. So? What do you think?”

“Sounds easy,” Harry answered sarcastically with a shrug. “But there’s not much choice is there?”

“You have the choice of backing out, Harry. I wouldn’t blame you. Only a few people are privy to what’s going on here.”

Nelson stared at Johnson for a second. “Bill, I was a pawn. A pawn that was coerced…brainwashed…into becoming someone I don’t want to think about or remember. I became a cold-blooded killer ready to kill my friends and become a traitor to my country. If there’s a way I can undo what I did, I’ll do it. No matter the consequences.”

“I thought you would say that,” Johnson said with a smile.

“Just a few things I want you to do for me, Bill.”

“Anything. What are they?”

“First, I want to ensure my Institute…my people…are taken care of. Being branded a traitor is going to not only put a blemish, to say the least, on me but on the Institute. If this doesn’t go right, I need to make sure there’s someone there that knows the situation and will make certain NIMR and my people are all right…that Seaview is all right.”

“I already thought of that, Harry. If things don't go the way we hope, Roy Park has been briefed and is willing to step in. He’s just awaiting word.”

“That’s good,” Nelson said thoughtfully. “Roy’s a good man and he’s stepped in for me before. Now, the last thing I need you to do is to keep Lee and Chip from hearing about this for as long as you can hold them off. They ask you or anyone, you don’t know anything. Or you verify I’m a traitor.”

“You think they’ll come after you?”

“I know they’ll come after me. I can’t endanger them or this mission. If we can find not only the plans that were stolen already but find out who’s really behind it, it’s worth it.”

"You think there may be someone other than this Shui Gui behind it?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. But we need to know that for sure. Just keep my men from coming after me."

“If they believe you’re on a mission, they’re going to be hard to keep away.”

“Do it, Bill. I don’t want them involved,” Harry said harshly.

Johnson stared at Nelson for a moment then nodded. “I’ll do my best, Harry but that captain of yours is like a dog with a bone. If he thinks you’re in trouble, he’ll do everything he can to come to your aid and Morton will be right along there with him.”

“That’s why you need to keep them out of it. Keep them out to sea…out of communication…at least until we are on our way to this Shui Gui.”

“I’ll do my best, Harry. Now, this deprogramming may take some time. I can scrounge up some hot food and a bunk for you. Sound good?”

“I doubt sleep will be easy to find but why not?” Harry joked.

“Good. I’ll get us something to eat. Stay here and I’ll be right back,” Johnson said as he walked to the door, patting Nelson on the shoulder as he went by. Turning back, he said quietly, “Harry…I’ll make sure your name is cleared if things go wrong. It may take awhile but…”

“Bill, I understand the necessity.”

Nelson watched as Johnson nodded and left the room, then laid his head against the chair back and stared at the ceiling thinking of what his friends, crew, employees…his sister Edith…were going to think of him when the news hit them that he had become a traitor to his country…and to them.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and whispered, “Forgive me.”

Chapter 5

Sleep had finally found Nelson after many long hours of lying on the rock hard bunk, his sleep punctuated by restless dreams, until a gentle jostling prodded him awake.

His eyes opening quickly, he saw Johnson leaning over him. “Harry? It worked. Carver’s back in the fold.”

“That’s great, Bill. Is he willing to help us?” he asked rubbing the sleep from his bloodshot eyes.

“He is very anxious to help.”

“You’re sure he’s been deprogrammed?”

“Dr. Shields is pretty certain. Apparently there’s a layer of horror and shame that’s quite telling.”

“I know the feeling. Let’s do this then,” he agreed rising from the bunk and following Johnson out the door and down a long corridor to the office they’d used before.

Entering they saw the young lieutenant huddled over a cup of steaming coffee, his eyes flicking up to the two men that entered then down again quickly.

“John?” Johnson said quietly. “You know who this is?”

John’s eyes rose to Nelson’s and he nodded. “Yes, sir. Admiral…Admiral Nelson.”

“John,” Nelson said as he grabbed a chair and sat in it facing Carver. “I need your help.”

“I don’t know what I can do, sir but I’ll do whatever I can,” he muttered looking Nelson in the eye.

“Look son, I know what you’re feeling. Believe me, I do. You’re feeling dirty; disgusted at yourself…you’re feeling like a traitor. I understand. I feel the same."

"How?" he whispered, his voice shaking slightly

"They did the same thing to me. They turned me against my friends, against my country and everything I believe in. But, right now you need to stop thinking about yourself and how bad you feel. Together, you and I can make this right. We were both pawns, John. Do you understand? We had no choice in what we did.”

John lowered his eyes and nodded. “I know. That’s what Admiral Johnson said. But, what do we do? How can we make this right?”

Nelson leaned back in his seat and smiled. “We’re going to make this right by stealing the Z-143 and my guidance system plans and taking them to Shui Gui.”

“What? But…but that’s what he wants! We can’t do that, sir!”

“Settle down. Look the Z-143 we’re taking to Shui Gui is inert. Its explosive capabilities are no worse than say dynamite. But he has several components already in his possession that can still form a dangerous weapon. We need to get them back. Even without the two remaining items on his shopping list, he has the makings of a formidable weapon.”

“The last items…that’s the Z-143 and your guidance system, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And I have a plan about that, too. I need to know if you’re with me. All the way with me. No matter what.”

Carver straightened in his seat and looked Nelson in the eye. “I’m all the way in, sir. No matter what. I won’t let you or my country down again.”

“Good. That’s good,” Nelson said slapping him on the shoulder.

“Danton?” Johnson called to a guard on the side of the room. “Take Lt. Carver and get him some hot food and some clean clothes. Then find a bunk for him to sleep for a bit.”

“Aye sir,” Danton said. “Come on, sir.”

Carver drained the last of the coffee from his cup and stood, following Danton out the door.

“Well, Harry? You think this will work?”

“It has to, Bill. Once he’s had some food and some sleep maybe he’ll be a little more…animated.”

“Well, in the meantime, let’s see if we can come up with a plan.”

~O~

Early the next morning, Lt. Carver, looking much better and more in command of himself, entered Johnson’s office with a determined air.

“Lieutenant, sit. I hope you’re feeling better,” Johnson said.

“Physically, yes sir.”

“Good. While you were sleeping, Admiral Nelson and I talked over some possible plans for making this work. Tell us what you think. You two will leave here with the inert Z-143 and head to NIMR where you will appropriate the admiral’s missile guidance plans. While leaving here, you both will be videotaped…let’s just say being ruthless in your escape. All for show of course. Once at NIMR, Admiral Nelson will acquire his plans, being videotaped again, and you two will head out to this place in Mexico where you will hopefully receive instructions. We’ve determined the coordinates you gave us take you outside a little village called San Teodoro.”

Nelson noticed Carver flinch a bit at the name. “John? Something about San Teodoro?”

John looked up at Nelson quickly. “I…I think I’ve been there before…before I tried to steal the Z-143. I think I know the way.”

“Good. That’s good,” Nelson said reassuringly.

“You two best get ready. I…”

“One more thing Bill. I have a small scale prototype of the guidance system in a lab. I think taking that along with the plans for it would be better than taking just the plans.”

“A prototype? Harry that seems a bit…”

“Hold on. I’m not talking about a working prototype. My first attempt produced a highly ineffective control. Never could get the damn thing to work. But I kept it and the designs for it around. Sentimentality I suppose. Anyway, I think it’s safer if I don’t give them the actual plans for the working guidance system.”

“And if you show up with a prototype in tow along with the plans for it…”

“They may be more willing to accept I’m still one of them.”

“Good plan. So once you two leave NIMR, you head to the coordinates and wait.”

“But…what if we don’t receive anything?” Carver asked.

“Well, then we will accept that both of your covers have been blown and we’ll try to find another way to minimize the damage. International censure on this Sheng Zhang group perhaps,” Johnson said ignoring Nelson’s derisive snort. “One thing I want you to know…both you and Admiral Nelson will be painted as traitors so as to hopefully allay this Shui Gui’s suspicions.”

“John,” Nelson said coming to sit on the corner of Johnson’s desk. “If you have any reservations, let’s hear them. Being called a traitor is one thing but to have visual evidence…that’s another. If this goes wrong…we may never get our reputations back.”

“Begging the admiral’s pardon but does it bother you, sir?”

Nelson nodded. “It does. But I have a chance to repair some of the damage I did and I intend to do that. I will do my best to either bring the stolen items back or destroy them.”

John hesitated for only a moment before he nodded. “Then I’m with you, sir. All the way.”

Nelson smiled and slapped the young lieutenant on the shoulder. “Good man.”

“How do we stay in contact?” Carver asked. “We can’t just show up with a radio?”

“We’ll keep tabs on where you both are with trackers we’ll implant in your arms. Should be undetectable. We’d also like to wire one of you so we can hear what’s going on.”

“The tracker isn’t a problem, Bill but a wire? That sounds dangerous to me. Too easy to be found if we’re searched. I’d rather stay in contact some other way.”

Johnson stared at Nelson for a long time. “Harry, we think you should wear the wire. At least until you head out from Mexico. We’ll have someone following you…not too closely of course to keep tabs on you while we’re able.”

Nelson stared at him for a long time understanding that Johnson was reluctant to fully trust he wasn’t still working for the Sheng Zhang. “All right. We’ll do it your way. For now.”

“Come on,” Johnson said opening the door and heading out and down the long hall, Harry and Carver on his heels. “Let’s get you wired and inject the trackers.”

The three walked down the long hall, stopping outside a non-descript room labeled Research and went in.

“Jared? This is…”

“Admiral Nelson! Yes, yes! I would know you anywhere. It is an honor, sir!” exclaimed a man of about thirty, long brown hair pulled back into a pony tail.

“Harry this is one of our brightest finds…Dr. Jared Barnes. He’s been using some of your research on miniaturized electronics to develop a small transmitting device which we’ll fix you up with.”

“Doctor,” Harry nodded briefly to the young man that seemed to flit from one place to another rather than walk.

“Barnes, we need to implant Admiral Nelson and Lieutenant Carver here with long range trackers and get the admiral wired up.”

“Yes, I was told to expect that. I have everything we need here,” he said walking to a cabinet on the far side of the room and pulling open a few drawers and coming back by Nelson.

“This will hurt but just a bit. I imagine you’ve experienced worse,” Barnes said as he took a small oblong object from a case, drew it up into a syringe loaded already with a liquid and injected Nelson, who grimaced slightly. Barnes then turned to Carver and did the same thing.

“The tracker lies undetected just under the skin but not close enough to be felt when rubbing your hand over it. A layer of fat covers it and will cause you no harm other than a lingering pain which should dissipate over the next several hours. Now, to the wire. I have one that should work perfectly,” he said as Nelson took off his shirt and allowed the doctor to attach the wire to his chest with tape. “With this, we can hear what is going on, and with this,” he said holding a tiny earpiece up, “We can communicate with you and you with us.”

“Not sure that’s wise,” Nelson grumbled. “But continue.”

Barnes continued applying the wires, hiding them expertly. Nelson put his shirt back on and nodded.

“Once you’re settled with this Shui Gui, your tracker will let us know where you are and we’ll move a ship close to your location. When you’re ready for extraction, you'll need to make contact with us," Johnson said.

"Any ideas on how to do that if I don't have the wire and radio on?"

"You're resourceful, Harry. I'm betting you can find a way to communicate with us," he smiled. “All right. Are you two ready to do this?”

Nelson looked to Carver who had a serious expression on his face and nodded. “Let’s do this.”

“Right. Doctor? Do you have the inert samples?”

“Yes, of course. Here is what we’ve managed to acquire from the cave,” he answered grabbing a nearby backpack and handing it to Harry who hefted it in his hands.

“It’s heavy. This will be a lot of fun to carry on the run.”

“You can take turns carrying it. Now. You have what you need?”

“I think so. Carver and I will drive back to NIMR, acquire the defective prototype and plans and be off. If things go wrong, they’ll be missing two vital pieces to this bomb.”

“Hopefully, you two can buy yourselves enough time to get the other parts and get out.”

“Without getting killed. Yes, that’s going to be the hard part isn’t it?

“Well? Ready?”

“As ready as I’m going to get. How are we doing this escape of the Lieutenant here?”

“I have a few men that I trust implicitly ready to pretend to be dead,” he replied with a slight smile. “You appear to break Carver out and you two head out. Make it look good.”

“Let’s do it,” Nelson nodded grabbing his ready bag and the backpack and headed out the door, Johnson and Carver on his heels.

After they had walked for a bit down a few corridors, Johnson stopped. “The cell’s right down there. Here are the keys to it.”

“John, let’s get you inside,” Harry said tightly, as he led Carver inside and closed the door, watching as Johnson moved off down the hall out of sight of the cameras.

“Harry?” Johnson called. “Be careful. Come back alive.”

Nelson turned to see the worry in Johnson’s eyes. “Of course, Bill. It’ll be a piece of cake,” he grinned before he walked down the hall a bit then waited until the guard was ready for his act. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched Johnson disappear. A feeling of isolation suddenly enveloped Harry and he knew from this point on, he was going to be viewed as a traitor.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the guard a question in his eyes. “Danton, do I have to slug you or could you just pretend?’ he asked with a smile.

“I prefer to pretend, sir,” he answered crisply, then turned his eyes to Nelson’s. “Good luck, sir.”

“Thanks, Danton. I’m gonna need it,” Nelson replied smiling slightly as he watched the guard arrange himself on the floor, seemingly unconscious.

Shaking his head, Nelson walked quickly to the guard lying still on the floor, pretended to take the keys from his pocket and opened the door quickly. Stepping inside the cell, he closed the door and leaned against it.

“John,” he called out. “Ready?”

“Ready as I can be, sir.”

“Good let’s do this then.”

Moving through the door, the two men stepped out cautiously and glanced down at the guard at their feet.

The two made their way through the lab, bodies littering the corridors, adding to the realism.

“Man you took out a lot of them,” Carver said loudly enough to be heard by the cameras.

“I…I didn’t have much choice.”

Finally, the two made their way to Nelson’s car, jumped in and took off, shortly coming up to the guard station.

“You better lie down on the floor out of sight,” Nelson instructed, watching as Carver did what he asked.

A trickle of perspiration ran down Nelson’s back as he worried what the guard might do but was relieved when he was waved through without a second glance.

“That was the easy part,” Nelson muttered, his thoughts on what was ahead at the Institute.

Chapter 6

The drive back to Santa Barbara was accomplished quickly when Nelson pulled up to the guard station.

“Admiral! What a surprise, sir! I thought you and Seaview would be gone for another few days!”

“Dan, I had to come back for something. I’ll be on my way again shortly. Oh, this is my cousin, John. He’s been living down in San Diego. Thought I’d show him the place quickly. See if I can interest him in joining us.”

“Good luck, sir!” he called as Nelson drove through the guard post and on to the research lab he knew would be vacant at this early morning hour.

Pulling up outside, he turned to Carver. “Ready for part two?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let’s get this done. It’s early so no one should be about,” Nelson explained as he climbed out of the car and headed for the development area of the research lab, encountering to Nelson’s relief, no one. Walking to a cabinet in the back, he entered a code then took out a small, metal device, hefting it in his hands for a second, and turned to Carver.

“This is it. This and what’s in the car are all that’s needed now to make the most destructive bomb known to man. And only those we’re loyal to will have it,” Nelson declared with a devious smile, turning so that not only his words were heard but his face quite visible in the video he knew was running. Reaching back inside the cabinet, he grabbed a set of plans, folded them and put them under his arm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Carver turned to follow Nelson and came up short when Nelson stopped in front of him.

“Admiral! I didn’t expect you back today!”

“Damn it,” Nelson whispered when he saw one of the lab assistants enter.

“Jed, I…had to come back for something. Don’t let me hold you up with what you were doing,” he instructed as he began to sidle past him.

“What are you doing with that, sir?” he asked. “Are you going to try to…?”

Before he could finish, Nelson jabbed his fist into the man’s face and hit him on the back of the neck as he fell. Grabbing him in his arms, he gently laid him on the floor, checking his pulse quickly and patted him gently on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Jed,” he whispered as he rose, grabbed Carver’s arm and yelled, “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

Grabbing Carver he thrust him out the door, then with a last long look up at the video camera, took off after him.

The two ran from the lab, hopped in Nelson’s rental and drove as quickly as they could without raising suspicions down the road towards the guard station. Stopping at a stop sign, Nelson stared up at the Administration Building that rose off to his right, lights beginning to come on as his people began their day. He knew that he might never be able to come back here again and he struggled to control his emotions as he thought of what his friends were going to think when they saw the video.

“Sir! Come on! We have to get moving!” Carver yelled, shaking Nelson from his dark thoughts.

“All right. Calm down,” he said as he sped down the road coming to the station quickly.

“Dan?” he called with a smile.

“All done, Admiral?”

“Yes, yes we are. Not sure when I’ll be back. Take care of the place for me, eh?” he said with a smile as the gate swung open to allow him through.

The two drove down the road, heading away from the Institute as quickly as they could without drawing suspicion.

“Well, that didn’t go exactly as I had hoped for,” Nelson grumbled, remorse at having hit the young lab tech filling him.

“It made for a good show though, sir,” Carver answered as he slouched in the seat.

“I suppose. Bill? You listening?”

“Yes, Harry. What is it?” Johnson said into Harry’s ear.

“Do you…do you know if anyone checked on Jed in the lab?” he asked quietly, hoping he hadn’t hurt the young man.

“He’s fine. Woke up not long after you went through the gate. He's quite confused why you hit him and hopping mad. The video was good, Harry. You two look just as we need you to look. The video will be released shortly.”

“Just make sure no one on Seaview sees it.”

“I’ll do my best but with Crane it’s going to be hard.”

“Do it. He can’t come after me.”

“Your guy all right?” Carver asked when Nelson remained quiet.

“Yeah. He’s fine and hopping mad. I’ll have to give him a raise when…if…I can get back.”

“We’ll get back. With the stolen stuff.”

Nelson looked over to his companion who was struggling not to yawn. “Why don’t you settle back and get some sleep. From what you told me it’s gonna be a few hours until we get there,” Nelson said.

“Sounds good, sir,” Carver agreed as he sank down into the seat and was asleep in seconds.

Nelson shook his head as he watched the man sleep, amazed that he fell asleep so quickly.

~O~

The two drove for a few hours and crossed the border without problem. John, fresh from his nap took over and the pair drove for another few hours, pulling off the dusty road to an even dustier one and drove until a small hut came into view.

“Well, there’s our home for a bit,” John gestured.

“Is this where you were before?”

“Yeah. From what I can remember, there’s not much around but there was food and booze inside,” Carver said as he grabbed the backpack of Z-143 and headed inside. Nelson shook his head at the desolate landscape, grabbed his ready bag and the guidance system and followed.

Harry walked through the door of the small house, coughing at the dust John was stirring up as he moved about, opening windows and checking out the food supply.

“There are plenty of canned goods. There’s no running water but there is bottled water. Bathroom’s outside,” John said as he roamed about uneasily. “There’s a TV if you want to try to watch anything.”

"Out here?" Nelson asked with a quirked eye

"Don't ask me how but yeah."

“I’m going to check out the rest or our luxury accommodations,” Nelson said as he walked down a short cobwebbed hallway, listening as John turned on the ancient television.

In another room, Nelson came up short when he heard his name on a broadcast and came back in the room.

“Admiral!" John called. "They’re talking about us. What are they saying?”

Nelson sat in the chair by the TV and listened intently, doing his best to translate as he watched the video from ONR and NIMR being broadcast.

“They’re calling us traitors. Telling how I broke you out…killed a few guards…that I stole the guidance system….knocked out a lab tech at NIMR. They’re questioning how long I’ve been working for…look turn that off will you?” he growled as he angrily got up and stalked outside. Taking a cigarette and lighting it, he breathed in the smoke and closed his eyes then heard Bill’s voice in his ear.

“It’s for show, Harry. If this doesn’t go the way we want, I swear I’ll do my best to make sure people know what you and Carver sacrificed…that you aren’t traitors. No matter what the higher ups say. I’ll sacrifice my career to let people know.”

“Thanks, Bill,” he answered softly as he examined the glowing end of his cigarette. “That...that helps. Make sure Lee…make sure he knows at least. When it’s safe.”

“I will.”

“How are you managing to keep them out of it?”

“Their radio is being jammed for now. I can only keep that up for a bit. It’s going to look suspicious. This is a deep covert op. Only a few know of it. And it needs to stay that way.”

“I understand. Just keep them in the dark as long as you can. Hopefully until we’re headed on to our final destination. Keep him out of it that long. And don’t give him any information.”

“He’ll go to Jiggs you know.”

“Does Jiggs know anything about this?”

“Not about the plan. He’s already called me asking what the hell’s going on. I…I told him it looked like you’d gone over.”

“Damn.”

“For what it matters, he doesn’t believe you’re a traitor. He swears up and down you’re on a mission and is doing his best to find out what it is.”

Nelson smiled at that. “At least someone doesn’t believe it. For now at least.”

“Crane won’t believe it. Neither will Morton. You know that.”

Nelson was quiet for a long time, remembering. “Bill, Lee saw me throw a grenade at him. He may very well believe it.”

“He’ll believe you’re still brainwashed, Harry…not a traitor. There's a difference. A big difference.”

“Maybe. How’s our tail doing anyway?” he asked, changing the subject.

“He’s sitting out in the hot desert watching, hidden. If he spots anyone or anything, he'll give you warning. Once you're contacted, he'll make himself scarce."

“Hopefully that will be soon. Think I’ll go back inside and see if there’s anything to read.”

“Sleep with one eye open tonight.”

“I’ll do my best,” Nelson said sarcastically as he drew one last lungful of smoke in, dropped the butt and stamped it out.

“We’ll have someone listening all night.”

“Comforting,” Nelson said as he went back inside, found a book and seated himself in a dusty chair, coughing at the cloud of dust he threw up.

“Anything from Admiral Johnson, sir?”

“Not much. The video is already causing a stir, our tail is somewhere nearby watching out backsides. That’s about it.”

“Are you hungry, sir?”

“I am actually,” Nelson said surprised.

“I’ll see what’s here to eat. I don’t remember there being much,” he said as he walked to the cupboards, searching for something edible. “They must have been here since I was here last,” John called, turning back to Nelson with cans of Spam and beans in his hand.

“Not much but it’ll do I guess,” Nelson said with a smile.

“I’ll heat this up in a jiffy, sir.”

Dinner eaten, there wasn’t much left for the two men to do and they finally fell into bed, anxious for what the next days held.

~O~

One day slipped into two and there was still no message or instructions, frustrating Nelson and causing a flicker of worry to start expanding into a full blown fire.

The third day dawned in the Mexican desert with the ever-present stifling hot wind blowing through the dusty cabin. Nelson slowly awoke, lying still to assess for a moment where he was and to listen for his companion. Hearing him moving about in the kitchen, he relaxed a little.

“Morning, Harry,” the voice in his ear said.

“Bill. Anything going on that I should know about?” he murmured.

“Nope.”

“Bill, what is it?” he asked, not liking the tone he heard in his friend’s voice.

“Seaview’s on her way back to port at flank. Seems her captain doesn’t like the jamming and has shortened the trip. He’ll be back in port late this afternoon.”

“Damn it.”

“You had to know your leaving coupled with the jamming was going to cause a reaction.”

“I was hoping he’d…never mind. So he’ll know soon,” he muttered. “I just hope we’re out of here before too long. I’m tired of waiting.”

“Oh we’ll be out of here today, sir,” said a voice from the hall.

“What?” Nelson asked, sitting up in the bed to see Carver with a large cup of coffee in his hand come into the room.

“I got a message about an hour ago on that radio out there. They gave me approximate coordinates for our rendezvous."

"Approximate?"

"Yes, sir. They said we'll know where our final destination is when we need to know and not before," he shrugged. "Anything else we need to know is onboard a plane we're supposed to pick up at a small airport north of here. We’re to leave in an hour. I thought I’d let you sleep a bit. You looked exhausted last night.”

“You should have awakened me,” Harry grumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He’d found it hard to relax enough to sleep the past few nights as he analyzed over and over again the plan, searching for problems and wondering what his friends, family and employees were thinking of him. “Do you have any more of that coffee?”

“Sure! Even found some cereal in a cabinet. Don’t worry…it’s not expired. At least it’s something to eat other than the meager crap they left us.”

“So where are we headed?” Nelson asked as he got up and headed to the kitchen to pour some coffee, looking disdainfully at the box of Cocoa Krispies on the counter.

“Well, my reckoning is somewhere around here,” he answered going to a large map he had spread out on the table.

“You’re sure that’s right?” Nelson asked.

“Yes, sir. Why?”

"Where, Harry?" Johnson asked.

"The coordinates listed are 4.1936° N, 100.5451° E," Harry answered. "Those coordinates take us off the Malay Peninsula."

“Be careful, Harry. You two are not headed to a nice place.”

“Tell me about it. Not sure where our final destination is though but I would have to guess it isn't far away."

"I'll work on setting up an extraction plan using those coordinates," Johnson assured

"Look Bill, this wire is making me very nervous. You have the tracker. I’m taking the wire off. It’s…”

“Harry we need to hear what’s going on,” Johnson interrupted.

“You’re going to get us killed. If I’m found with this on, they’ll kill me and ask no questions. Then were will we be?”

“We can’t help you if we don’t know what’s going on.”

“Where we’re going, you aren’t going to be able to help anyway. I’ll wear the wire until we’re close, then ditch it.”

There was a long silence before Bill said, “All right. Good luck, Harry.”

“Thanks Bill."

“What do they think, sir?”

“That we are in for fun times. Extraction plans are being worked on. All we have to do is find what we need and let them know where to pick us up," Harry joked.

“We’re on our own then,” John said matter-of-factly.

“We are. You still in?” Nelson asked looking at him closely.

“Yes, sir. All the way in,” John answered resolutely.

“Good man. One thing though, when we get to our destination you need to stop calling me sir. All right?”

“I…yes, sir…I mean…I’ll try to remember.”

“Good. Let’s grab a bowl of this cereal and get ready,” Nelson said with more enthusiasm than he felt.

Chapter 7

Lee Crane exploded through the door to Admiral Harriman Nelson’s outer office later that day, Chip Morton on his heels, and stopped in front of Angie Wood’s desk.

“What the hell is going on here? We were stopped three times by military police and…”

“Lee! We’ve been trying to get through to you on Seaview! Why didn’t you answer?”

“Our communications were being jammed. We cut the cruise short and came back here to find the place overrun by MPs. Now what’s going on?”

“Oh, Lee, it’s the admiral. He…”

“He what?” Lee asked concern filling him for his friend. “He’s all right isn’t he? Where…”

“Let me finish, please,” Angie said in a strained voice. “Admiral Nelson is…he’s…”

“He’s what, Angie?” Lee asked leaning towards her, fear on his face at her hesitation.

“He’s been declared a traitor, Lee,” she answered softly, tears filling her eyes. “They said he broke into ONR, stole some top secret stuff, broke a prisoner out then came here and took some of his designs and a prototype for that new missile guidance system he’s been working on, hit Jed Jackson when he surprised him in the act and fled. No one knows where he is. Videos have been running on the TV showing security camera footage of him.”

Lee stood up, shock on his face. “No…no…he wouldn’t…he isn’t…”

“Tell me it’s a mistake,” Angie said softly.

“It doesn’t look as though it's a mistake, does it?” a voice from the hall said.

Turning the three saw Admiral Jiggs Starke standing in the corridor, his face a brilliant red. “Took me two tries to get up here past those MPs.”

“Admiral Starke! I didn’t expect you.”

“Yes, well once I heard about Harriman I got here as quickly as I could. I have to say I expected you to have responded to my messages I sent you onboard. Or for you to show up sooner than you did.”

“What messages?” Lee asked. “And we just now are hearing about the admiral.”

“You didn’t get all my messages I sent you as soon as I heard about Harriman?”

“No, sir. We think our radio was being jammed. We haven’t had any messages for a few days. We decided to end the mission and head back here thinking we’d find the admiral here but instead…”

“Instead you discovered the man had been declared a traitor to his country,” Starke interrupted sadly, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Yes sir,” Lee answered watching Starke closely.

“You said your radio was being jammed?”

“We think so. Why?”

Starke shook his head, not ready yet to reveal what he was beginning to suspect.

“You said there are videos?” Lee asked turning back to Angie, who was doing her best to keep her emotions in check. She knew Nelson and cared about him deeply. The news and the videos she’d seen had filled her with a deep worrying fear for the man. She knew deep down he wasn’t a traitor which only left one option: an option she knew put him at deep risk.

“They’ve been playing them over and over,” she finally whispered. “I couldn’t stand it any more and turned them off. How could this be true? He would never do something like what they’re saying.”

Lee glanced to Chip then Starke quickly, telling the secretary they knew or suspected something. “What? What is it?”

“I can’t really get into it too much but he may have been brainwashed,” Lee answered quietly, ignoring Angie’s gasp, as he began to pace stopping in front of Starke. “Do you know anything about this?”

“Only what I’ve seen on the TV. I’ve been calling people but all they want to know is if I know where Harriman is and if I ever suspected him of what they’re saying.”

“Damn it,” Lee muttered as he paced about the outer office. “Do you know what happened on the last cruise?”

“Yes, yes I do. I was at Harriman’s debriefing.”

“Do you think it’s possible he was still under the influence?” he asked Starke in a voice low enough only he could hear.

“I don’t know. He seemed all right. Passed all the tests.”

“You said there are videos,” he said turning to Angie. “Did you record any?”

“I recorded all of them for the first few hours. Then I couldn’t stand it any more. The things they were saying about the admiral just made me want to scream. I know they’re wrong. I know he isn’t a traitor.”

“I suggest we go watch these videos. See if we can find a reason to believe that, Miss Wood,” Starke said.

"I agree," Lee answered in a hard tone as he followed Starke and the others into the admiral's office where they watched the videos showing Nelson escaping ONR. then stealing the guidance system from his lab and hitting Jed. Shock filled their faces as they listened to the commentary of how Admiral Harriman Nelson was a traitor with a shoot to kill order out on him.

“I don’t understand,” Lee murmured as he got up and paced about the admiral’s office. “He wouldn’t do that. He…”

“Lee, we didn’t think he would try to kill you and Dr. Land or blow Seaview to kingdom come either but he did his best,” Chip said,

“But the conditioning was broken. He was himself again!” Lee argued angrily.

“That’s what we all thought. Maybe we were wrong,” Starke replied, grief written plain as day on his weathered face. “I should have stayed there with him. I should have…When was the last time you saw Harriman?”

“A few days ago,” Lee answered quietly as he stood by the window in Nelson’s office staring down at his friend’s creation, worry filling him for Nelson. “He got a message on scramble, told me to ready FS-1 for launch and when I went to his cabin to find out what was going on, he was dressed in civilian clothes and carrying his ready bag.”

“His ready bag? Really,” Starke said a puzzled on his face.

“What is it, sir?”

“I have a really bad feeling about this…other than Harriman being an apparent traitor.”

“Apparent?”

“I was in on his debriefing. Did he tell you about it?”

“No sir.”

Starke nodded and began pacing. “He couldn’t tell us much. He willingly underwent hypnotherapy but it didn’t reveal a lot. However, I’m convinced the conditioning was broken. We were all convinced.”

“Any chance it wasn’t?” Chip asked as he stared at the footage of Nelson in the lab confronting Jed.

“It’s possible. Why?”

“Admiral Nelson is not now nor has he ever been a traitor,” Chip replied vehemently. “Even when he was brainwashed, what he did wasn’t of his own volition.”

“Yes…so?”

“What if the conditioning was broken as we all thought? What other explanation would there be to what he apparently did?” he asked turning his eyes to the other two men. “There’s only one other explanation that I can come up with.”

“And that would be?” Starke asked.

“He’s on a mission,” Chip answered looking back to the screen. “Look at this footage from the ONR. Bodies scattered everywhere, but little blood. And in the lab, he catches Jed as he’s falling, places him gently on the ground and checks his pulse, then pats him on the shoulder. He also didn’t hit Jed very hard as he regained consciousness within a few minutes. Not the actions of a bloodthirsty killer on the run.”

“Let me see that,” Starke growled watching for what Chip was saying. “Hmmm…Not what you would expect is it?”

“There’s still the fact that he stole the Z-143 and the missile guidance plans,” Lee frowned.

“Well, there’s a possibility it wasn’t Z-143 that he stole,” Starke replied, a thoughtful look on his face.

“What? The news…”

“Harriman brought back a significant amount of Z-143 and we’ve mined for a lot more since then. One thing we discovered is not all Z-143 is the same. There are some veins that produce a less pure product. Its use as a power source or as a weapon is on the order of dynamite or C-4. All the testing that was done and all the samples of Z-143 that we’ve mined are at one place…the Office of Naval Research.”

“And they would have both the inert and the active Z-143,” Lee said, hope filling him that his best friend wasn’t a traitor, real or coerced.

“Correct.”

“That still leaves the prototype he was working on though,” Lee frowned. “He still took the plans and...”

“No, he didn’t,” Chip interrupted with a big smile, his eyes glued to the video of Nelson in the lab.

“What? What are you talking about! We saw him with it in his hands!”

“We didn’t watch the video as closely as we should have apparently,” Chip answered. “I ran it back to the beginning. Look.”

The three watched as Nelson and Carver entered the lab, Harry going immediately to a cabinet in the back, unlocking it and pulling out the guidance system and plans.

“There. See it?” Chip asked.

“Yeah, he took the guidance system,” Starke answered.

“No. No he didn’t,” Lee replied with a big smile. “He took the first prototype that he could never get to work.”

“Then either his brains are scrambled or…”

“Or he’s working for ONI. And Johnson,” Lee growled, going to the phone. “Angie, get me Johnson at ONI.”

“Won’t work, Crane. I already talked long and hard to Johnson. He claims to know nothing.”

“We’ll see,” Lee said.

Chapter 8

Carver drove north down the dusty road to the airport, pulling to a stop by a lone hangar that housed a sleek twin engine jet.

“Well, she’s a beauty,” Harry murmured appreciatively as he walked about the plane, examining her and doing a quick inspection. “We're going to have to stop for refueling a few times on the way though if those coordinates we saw are correct.”

“Looks like she’s carrying extra fuel tanks. That'll help," John replied as he examined the plane.

“Our boss thinks ahead,” Nelson murmured ruefully. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I want this done.”

Climbing onboard, the two men noticed a small stash of water and food in one corner of the plane. Kicking it, Nelson grimaced at the "food".

"C-rations," he muttered disgustedly. "Haven't seen a crate of these in a long time. I think I'll pass."

"You don't like them?" John asked quizzically.

"I use to. When I was really, really hungry."

Walking to the front of the jet, Harry noticed a sheaf of papers with flight times and refueling stop coordinates.

"Looks as though we have our next several hours mapped out for us," he grumbled as he handed the list of instructions to John.

"It's gonna be a long day," John muttered.

"Notice there's no coordinates after the last refueling. Either that's our destination or we have other orders coming. Let's get moving. The sooner we get in the air, the sooner we find out our final destination," Harry muttered.

After a quick inspection, Nelson found the plane in good repair and with, as Carver said, just enough fuel to get them to their first destination.

“Tell me you can fly this thing," Harry asked, relieved when John nodded.

"It's been awhile but I can fly her."

"Good. With both of us taking turns, it'll cut down on fatigue. You want to fly her first?” Nelson asked Carver with a slight smile.

“I’ll let you fly her, sir. I’ve flown twin engines but it’s been awhile. Think I’d feel safer with you there just until I get the hang of it."

“All right. Let’s get moving. Sooner we get going, the sooner we can get back to our lives.”

Both men seated themselves in the pilot and co-pilot seats. Harry began his pre-flight check and, happy with the result, started the engines and taxied down the runway after a bored voice from what passed for a flight tower gave him the OK. The plane sped down the dusty track and rose smoothly into the air.

“So tell me about yourself,” Nelson said after they had been in the air for a bit.

“Not much to tell, sir. I graduated from the Academy five years ago, ended up at ONI shortly after that. Now…now I’m a traitor.”

“You’re not a traitor, John any more than I am. We were brainwashed. It wasn’t our choice.”

“I know, sir. It’s just…people are going to see us that way and if we can’t recover the components and get back, no one is going to know we’re not really traitors.”

“I know. I know. But, we keep our country safe. That’s what we swore to do, right?”

“Yes, sir. It is.”

“You have anyone special in your life?” Harry asked quietly after a bit.

“Yes, sir I do,” he replied softly turning to look out the window.

“What’s her name?” Harry asked with a smile.

“Sarah,” he whispered.

“That’s a pretty name. Tell me about her.”

“She’s…she’s pretty…beautiful,” John answered his face relaxing a bit. “Long black hair, beautiful green eyes, figure that won’t quit,” he said with a silly grin. “Well, she had a figure that wouldn’t quit.”

“Had?”

“She’s pregnant. Due…” A look of confusion stole over Carver’s face.

“John? When’s she due?”

“Soon I think. What date is it?”

“It’s October 15."

“Oh man. She’ll be having our baby soon.”

“There’s still time.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Bill, Lt. Carver’s wife should have someone with her,” Nelson spoke into the microphone, knowing Johnson was listening.

“Already taken care of my friend. Her sister is with her. Tell Carver she doesn’t believe what they’re saying about him.”

“Admiral Johnson says your sister-in-law is with her and she doesn’t believe you’re a traitor.”

Carver smiled. “She…she believes in me.”

“It’s good to have someone that believes in you,” Nelson replied quietly.

“Do you have someone like that, sir?”

“A wife? No. Not any more at least. I was married once but she died," he murmured, the memory still like a knife through him when he remembered Maria and their extremely short marriage.** "But I have a few friends I hope don’t believe what the news reports are saying. I really hope they stay out it though.”

“You afraid your officers…your friends…will come after you? Try to find out what’s going on?”

“Yes, yes I am. But after what I did when brainwashed, I don’t know if they will think I’m still brainwashed or truly a traitor.”

Feeling as if they'd said all they felt like saying for a bit, John settled back and pulled a wrinkled, creased picture from his pocket and stared at it for a few minutes before swiping quickly at his eyes and turning his gaze to the water passing beneath the plane that dipped and rose on the currents.

The pair took turns flying the jet, stopping at the prearranged refueling sites where they were always met by a small crew, refueled quickly and waved away.

At the last scheduled stop, Harry was given another set of coordinates and the pair flew the plane on, struggling to keep awake as the boredom filled them. As they approached a small island, Harry was surprised to suddenly feel the plane bank to the left and head towards the island.

Raising his hands in the air, he smirked. “Remote control,” Nelson said loud enough for Bill to hear. “Interesting.”

A few more minutes of flying and they passed directly over the island, landing on a dirt airstrip about a quarter mile from the coast.

“Huh, looks like we’re at our final destination. We're only a quarter mile or so from the coast, Bill,” Harry said. “There was a little cluster of buildings that we passed over. They're far back in the jungle enough not to be seen from the coast and only obvious on a direct flyover. Perfect spot, perfect hiding place.”

“We have your coordinates and have a carrier heading to the area now. Should be close enough but not too close in approximately twelve hours.”

“That was good planning,” Harry smiled as they began to land.

“Just dumb luck. They’re doing a training mission in the area. Get the stolen items and contact us quickly, Harry. We’ll get you out of there. Give us a few hours notice if you can.”

“You make it sound easy,” Harry snorted. “Just a thought, if you don’t hear from us in a day or two, you might want to consider bombing the place. We’d lose all the specs, diagrams and hardware but it’s better than it falling into some maniac’s possession.”

“It’s already been discussed, Harry. You have two days.”

“A warning would have been nice, Bill,” Harry answered sharply.

“I just gave you a warning,” he chuckled.

“So you did,” Nelson agreed with a lop-sided smile.

“Be careful, Harry. Come back alive. Both of you.”

“That’s the plan, Bill. Uh, any word on Seaview?”

“She’s docked and Crane is already on the warpath. He’s seen the video. Swears you’re innocent and on a mission. He’s been trying to contact me.”

Nelson smiled ruefully, grateful for Lee’s support. “Thanks, Bill. Keep him away.”

“I’ll do my best but I’ve been told he’s on my doorstep as we speak.”

“Looks like we’re being met by a welcoming committee. We best get ready to meet our new friends,” Harry said as he watched a group of armed men approach the plane. “I’m leaving the transmitter hidden on the plane. This is the last you’ll hear from us until we contact you for extraction. We’ll get all the components or we’ll destroy the facility. We might be able to use this plane to escape in. I’ll hide the mike onboard and contact you when I have what we need.”

“Roger. Be careful, Harry.”

“We will do our best,” he said glancing to his companion who had a stoic expression on his face. Ripping the mike from his chest, he put it and the ear bud under the pilot’s seat, hoping it would stay hidden and be there if he got back.

“All right, let’s go,” Harry said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Grabbing his ready bag and the prototype, he waited as Carver took the Z-143 and headed out the plane’s door. Harry walked slowly down the steps of the plane, staring at the row of men that awaited him, relaxing a bit when one finally smiled and strode forward a hand outstretched.

“Admiral Nelson! It is a distinct honor to meet you, sir! My name is Sun Yan. I’ve been a fan and ardent student of yours for a long time! I’m quite happy you are still one of us!” exclaimed a rather short oriental man of about twenty-five dressed in jeans and a button down shirt.

Taking the outstretched hand, Harry shook it. “Thanks. It’s good to be here,” he replied looking about warily, watching as John hugged the backpack of Z-143 to his chest.

The sound of the jet's engines roaring to life caused Harry and John to both turn, watching in dismay as the plane pivoted about and taxied down the runway, lifting easily into the air.

"Where's the plane going?" Harry asked with a slightly disinterested look.

"To another base not far from here. It will be refueled and ready in case we need it. Now, let’s be off. We have much to do and little time to do it.”

Harry and Carver, stunned by the loss of their transport off the island and their only link with Johnson, hopped into one of the jeeps outside the plane, arriving quickly at a large installation that rose almost from the very edge of the ocean yet was concealed by a heavy layer of jungle.

Nelson whistled softly. “This is quite some place. What all is here?”

“Oh we have a few research buildings. None like your NIMR but we are growing.”

“It’s funny I don’t recall hearing anything about this place from…anyone.”

“Not surprising. We’ve been building quietly for a few years, biding our time until we were ready for growth. Most of the grounds and buildings as you can see are covered by a thick layer of jungle growth making it virtually invisible from the air as well as from the sea. Other sections are covered by camouflaged netting.”

“I noticed. Only once we flew directly overhead did we see the buildings. Ingenious. What are the plans for this installation now?”

“Now we are about to embark on a most excellent voyage into a new world where the world is at our feet.”

“Quite an undertaking.”

“With your help, we will hold the world hostage.”

Nelson followed the others inside one of the buildings and down a long hallway, a prickling at the base of his neck telling him to tread carefully.

Opening a door at the end of the hall, his escort stepped aside, allowing Harry and Carver to step through.

“Ah, Admiral Nelson and Lieutenant Carver! What a pleasure to see you both again,” a naggingly familiar voice behind Nelson crowed causing him to stiffen.

Turning he saw a tall Oriental man of about fifty dressed in Western clothes staring at him with a slight smile.

“Shui Gui,” he whispered, remembering the man that had caused him such pain as he did his best to brainwash him, turning him into a calculating murderer…and traitor.

“In the flesh,” he answered bowing slightly. “I’m happy you remember me.”

“You’re hard to forget,” he returned, his voice hard.

“I must say I’m quite surprised to see you here,” he murmured as he circled Nelson slowly.

“Why?” he asked with a frown.

“Because, you and your conditioning have been…from what I was told…broken.”

“Your information is apparently incorrect,” Harry smirked as he tilted his head, watching as Shui Gui paced in front of him, his eyes never leaving Nelson’s

“Is it?”

“I’m here. The Z-143 is here and so is my missile guidance system. Not just the plans for it but a small prototype. What does that tell you?” he asked harshly.

“It tells me that either you are still under my control as you say or you are a very good actor and liar.”

“Why would I willingly walk into this place and hand you the elements you need if I wasn’t still yours to command?”

“Yes, why would you? Search him,” he ordered quietly.

Nelson felt his ready bag ripped from his back and watched as it was searched before his arms were yanked back and he was thoroughly patted down. Thrusting him away from them they turned back to the Oriental.

“Anything?”

"Only these," one of the men said as they held out his Beretta and knife which Shui Gui took in his hands, his eyes turning to Nelson who smirked.

“You didn't think I would try taking my plans from my lab without protection did you?"

"No. The gun I expected. I am surprised this was all that was found though."

"What the hell else were you looking for?”

“A wire of course. I prefer to be…cautious,” he smiled spreading his arms wide.

“Wire?” Nelson said scrunching up his forehead. “Why would I be wearing a wire?”

“To allow your friends to hear you of course,” he sneered. “To track you.”

“I don’t have any friends. Not any more,” he answered softly. “Maybe you haven’t seen the video we saw in Mexico. There’s no way I can ever go back to my so-called friends. Or my life.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Should it?” he threw back.

“You did not respond to our messages.”

“I didn’t think that was in my, or your, best interests. If I was to accomplish what you wanted, I needed to pretend to be back in the fold so to speak. When the opportunity presented itself, I found John, got what you wanted and here I am,” he smirked, spreading his arms wide. “What else do you want to know?”

“I want you to tell me how you managed to walk into the Office of Naval Research and not only free the lieutenant here but steal the cache of Zycron-143.”

Nelson shrugged indifferently and walked about the room he found himself in, surreptitiously examining the contents. “I contacted a scientist I know at ONR, told him I was quite interested in the findings for the element and wanted to see the research that had been done on the Z-143 to date. He was quite eager to show me.”

“You were out on Seaview shortly before that. Yet you left suddenly.”

Nelson turned and stared hard at Shui Gui. “How do you know that?”

“I have eyes and ears everywhere, Nelson. I was told you had…reverted. I was told you went through a debriefing where you were declared back to normal. I was told you went through a hypnotherapy session, also.”

“And what did your sources tell you I revealed in that hypnotherapy session?” Harry asked as he walked slowly to the tall Oriental. “What? Did your source tell you that I couldn’t remember anything of value? Did they tell you the session was a complete waste of time?”

“They did actually. I must say I’m curious as to why you didn’t reveal anything under hypnosis.”

Nelson shrugged and turned away. “Not my first time under hypnosis. The effects can be blocked. Especially when the person who brainwashed you establishes a block to any recollections later. Very effective.”

“So the wall I implanted in your brain was successful. Interesting. I did not think we had you long enough for it to work. Yet that doesn’t explain entirely why you did not answer the embedded codes in the phone calls before you returned to your submarine. Nor does it explain how you knew where Lt. Carver was.”

“I was doing my best to allay suspicions. Suddenly popping in to ONR, stealing the Z-143 and my plans and leaving again would have been a bit hard to accomplish if I was still under suspicion, wouldn’t it? My command crew was still wary of me,” Nelson lied smoothly. “Trying to kill them all had an adverse effect to their friendliness and trust as you can imagine. I couldn’t risk that they would try to block me. Before I flew back to Seaview after my interrogation, I arranged to have a scrambled message sent to me. Message received and I slipped off the boat pretending I had an emergency.”

“Yes, we are aware of this message. We were quite concerned who it might have been from.”

“You had someone onboard Seaview?” Harry asked as a frisson of fear for his crew went through him.

An evil smile stole over the face of Shui Gui. “Perhaps. Perhaps, this man tried to reach you during the cruise. Yet, you did not seem to respond as you should have which worries me.”

“The dreams,” Nelson whispered. “It was the dreams, wasn’t it?”

“Simple post hypnotic suggestions implanted at your conversion,” he shrugged. "They reduced your resistance and broke through the blocks you put up to remembering what we wanted. When you heard the code, you remembered and apparently reverted. If you had indeed turned.”

“I told you I hadn’t turned. I told you I was waiting for an opportune time to act. Slipping away from Seaview while we were still on a cruise seemed the easiest way to finish the mission.”

“Yes, so you said. And yet, Seaview is still sailing the ocean and a threat to us. Is that correct?"

Harry struggled not to react to the glower the man before him threw him. "I thought bringing the elements to you was more important than destroying Seaview. For now at least. There are ways to take her out later," he lied smoothly.

Shui Gui stared at him hard before nodding slightly as if for now accepting what he said. "That still does not explain how you knew Lt. Carver had failed in his mission.”

Nelson shrugged. “John contacted me shortly before I flew back to Seaview and told me he would take care of getting the Zycron-143. If I hadn’t heard from him in a few days, I would assume he’d failed and I would have to get it myself. He didn’t contact me and I had the scrambled message sent and left, headed to ONR where I found John was a prisoner. Leaving John there where they would deprogram him and possibly learn much more than you would like about your organization, I grabbed John, the Z-143 and my missile guidance system and followed orders. And here we all are. I assume you’ve been watching the videos of our escape and know what happened.”

“I have seen the videos. They are the only reason I haven’t already killed you. For now, I will accept that you are still under my control.”

“What more do you want?” Nelson asked angrily, smacking his hand down on a nearby table. “I brought the items you ordered me to bring. What else do you…?”

“Tread carefully, Nelson,” Shui Gui said, quickly stepping in front of Harry and staring him in the eye. “I do not entirely believe that you are still under my control.”

“What do I have to do to prove to you that I am? What more do I have to do to prove that I am still under your control?” Nelson yelled. “Do you know how many I killed to bring you that damned Zycron? Do you know, or care, that I can never go back to my life…my friends…my life’s work, my…?” In frustration Nelson turned away and seated himself in a chair, picked up a pack of cigarettes, shook one out and lit it, staring at the burning, orange tip trying to control himself.

“Very nice. Touching even. Being declared a traitor by your country and the videos we've seen are all that is keeping you alive at the moment.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re happy. Look, my job is done. You have what I was told to bring you. You have all you need to build these missiles. So build them,” he muttered disinterestedly.

“Ah but therein lies the problem,” Shui Gui said.

“What do you mean?”

“Our chief scientist has been detained by your government. Nasty passport problems or some such. We must wait until he is cleared or find another to assemble our formidable weapons. Until then, you stay here.”

Thinking fast, Nelson tried to find a way to gain Shui Gui's confidence. Sneering, he leaned back in his chair. “It’s a shame you have the components for your weapons yet believe you have no one to begin assembling them.”

Shui Gui turned, staring at Nelson who smirked at him. “You? You would begin our work?”

“Why not? I have no place to go…no home…no friends. You saw to that. The question is, other than the immense satisfaction of building the most powerful weapon in the world, what do I get out of it?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.

“What would you want?” Shui Gui asked after a few moments in thought.

“What do most people want? Money. I seriously doubt I will be allowed access to my wealth as I am now considered a traitor. My assets are frozen or will be shortly. In a few hours I’ve gone from wealthy to penniless.”

Shui Gui gazed at Nelson in speculation. “I find myself in a precarious position. On the one hand, I could use you. On the other, I don’t trust you.”

“So which hand wins, Shui Gui? You want this weapon? I can help deliver it, or at least make a start on it. If I do, we all win. You will have the means for world domination and I will have enough money to disappear.”

Shui Gui gestured to one of the guards and whispered something Harry couldn't quite hear. He watched two of the guards head off through a door on the far side of the room. A frisson of fear trickled down his spine as he realized John was no longer in the room with him.

"Where are they going?"

"To ascertain if what you have said about your dealings with our young ONI agent are true or not. If you've lied, you will both be killed."

"And if he verifies what I said?"

Shui Gui paced about the room slowly before coming back to stand in front of Nelson. "We shall see."

Several long minutes went by as they waited for the return of the guards. Harry finished one cigarette and was well on his way to finishing another when the guards returned, whispering in Shui Gui's ear.

Nodding, he paced about the room for a few minutes more before coming to stand over Nelson who adopted a nonchalant look.

“Very well. Your young friend has verified what you have said. He did indeed contact you just as you said. I will allow you to begin building my weapon.”

“Our weapon,” Nelson answered icily.

Nodding briefly, Shui Gui said, “Our weapon. Once my other people arrive, we will reassess your value.”

“Fantastic! Show me the components you’ve acquired and your plans and I can get started. Where might my young friend be?” he asked.

“Carver? His part is done for now.”

“I asked where he is,” Nelson said harshly.

“He has been taken to a rom. A comfortable room," he amended. "Why?”

“Bring him back here.”

“And why would I take orders from you?”

“If you don’t bring him back here we won’t start building your arsenal.”

“We?”

“I need someone I trust…someone that will take orders from me without looking to you first for approval. Someone that has experience with what I’m going to be doing.”

“And what orders might you wish to give your Lt. Carver?”

“He can prove useful. He has training. And I trust him.”

“Very well,” Shui Gui agreed after short contemplation.

Harry stubbed out his cigarette, grabbed his backpack and rose, stopping when Shui Gui was suddenly in front of him, a hand to his chest and his voice low and hard. “But never, ever think that I believe you or trust you. For now I will tolerate your presence because I need you. Show me one reason to think you are not still under my control and I will kill you.”

“Good to know,” Nelson replied with a slight smile as he followed Shui Gui out the door.

Chapter 9

“Admiral Nelson is not now nor has he ever been a traitor!” Lee Crane shouted at Admiral Bill Johnson who sat behind his desk, trying hard not to tell the young officers before him that they were right.

“Bill,” Jiggs Starke growled leaning menacingly close to his old friend. “Tell us what’s going on.”

“I think you know what’s going on, Jiggs! We were wrong about Harry. He hadn’t been deprogrammed. That little ray gun attack of Land's didn’t have the effect on him that we thought it did!” he said as he got up and began pacing. “I wish to God we’d been able to turn him back but now it’s too late. He’s gone and took with him our cache of Z-143 and his guidance system. We have no hope of recovering them or…or him.”

“I don’t believe you,” Lee spat out angrily. “He didn’t take the guidance system plans and you know it.”

“What? What do you mean?” he sputtered, feigning ignorance. “We saw him take it! The videos show clearly…”

“The videos show clearly that he took the prototype plans that didn’t work. Those plans are useless,” Lee replied frostily, watching Johnson closely. “And he knew that.”

“I…I didn’t know that. He must have grabbed the wrong plans. Good luck for us but…”

“Good luck nothing, Bill! He’s working for you, isn’t he?” Jiggs asked angrily. “You talked him into walking into a lion’s den with no protection, no back up. Didn’t you?”

“Jiggs, I know how close you and Harriman are. I know he saved your life a few times on missions but you have to accept that he’s turned. And you Crane…I know how close you and Morton there are to him but again, let it go. He’s gone. He can’t ever come back.”

“No,” Lee growled. “He’s not a traitor. Even if he was still under the effects of the brainwashing, he isn’t a traitor! I want to know what you know. Where is he? I can get in, get him and get out.”

“No. No, you can’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I won’t tell you that. And because…I…I don’t know.”

“You’re lying,” Lee replied quietly. “I can always tell with you. Your twitchy eye gives you away. You should work on that.”

“I have nothing more to say,” Johnson said. “I suggest you all get out of here. I have work to do.”

A knock at the door startled Johnson and before he could acknowledge it, the door opened and his assistant, Captain Pete Danvers, strode though.

“Admiral, we got all the information on this Shui Gui that we could. It’s not a good…oh…sorry,” he muttered sheepishly as he saw the others in the room. “I…I didn’t know you had…”

“It’s all right, Pete,” he said quietly holding his hand out for the documents. “That’s all.”

“Yes sir. I…I’m sorry, sir. ” he apologized, handing the papers to Johnson, his eyes flitting around the room quickly before he left, closing the door quietly behind him.

“Shui Gui?” Starke asked in a low voice as he walked closer to Johnson.

“Yes, Jiggs. Shui Gui.”

“Who or what is Shui Gui?” Lee asked watching both admirals closely.

Silence reined in the room for a bit as both Johnson and Starke glared at each other. Finally, Johnson dropped his gaze and in a defeated voice said, “Shui Gui is the man suspected of being behind the brainwashing of Harry."

“I thought the People's Republic was behind all this," Lee said.

“It’s always good to know your enemies, Crane. You know that. We simply wanted…”

“Cut the crap, Bill! Harriman went undercover didn’t he? What was the plan?”

“There is no plan! He…”

“You’re lying,” Lee growled.

“I’m getting quite tired of hearing that from you, Commander. I…”

“Bill, tell us. He’s gone. The Z-143 and the plans are gone. What does it hurt to let us know? Maybe we can help," Starke offered.

Johnson placed his head into his hands and moaned softly then looked up. “He didn’t want you two to know,” he finally answered, looking at Crane and Morton. “He said you two would come after him and he wasn’t going to let you be touched by this.”

“This? What is this?”

Sighing, Johnson leaned back in his chair. “We had a break-in at the ONR. A young navy lieutenant. He was brainwashed same as Harry and by this Shui Gui. When the plans with Nelson went south, this Shui Gui sent in this lieutenant…John Carver. His job was to steal the Zycron-143, go to NIMR and assess whether Nelson had turned back or was still Gui’s agent. If Nelson was still in Shui Gui’s fold, they would steal the missile guidance plans, take the Z-143 and the plans to Shui Gui.”

“And if he wasn’t?”

“John would kill him. After getting the plans.”

“And you saw a way to find out who this Shui Gui was?”

“It was more than just finding out who he was. Over the past few weeks a few of the research facilities in the U.S. and our allies have had research labs broken into. Plans, schematics, prototypes were stolen and all evidence destroyed. We had no way of recreating the research or rebuilding the prototypes quickly. It all screamed a huge plot to build a weapon of some sort while making sure we lost all our valuable research. At least for the foreseeable future. When we add the Z-143 and the guidance system to the list of items stolen…”

“You have a formidable weapon,” Starke whispered.

“Correct. We contacted Harry and he agreed to pretend to still be under the effects of the brainwashing. He and this Carver acted out our little scenario for the news stations and…”

“You let him be declared a traitor and let him walk into this with no protection? No help?” Lee yelled.

“He’s not alone. Carver was deprogrammed. He’s his backup.”

“Two men? Against how many?”

“We don’t know for certain. We had Harry wired. We heard everything that was gong on until a few hours ago.

“What happened?”

“They reached their destination and were being met by Shui Gui’s men or who we assume were Shui Gui’s men. Harry took the wire off and hid it on the plane he flew them in on. We…we don’t know what’s going on.”

“You have a location?”

“Yes. We do.”

“Where?”

“I can’t tell you that. It’s not your concern.”

“If it has to do with Admiral Nelson it is my concern,” Lee answered harshly.

“Bill, what harm is there in telling us now?” Starke reasoned. “Harriman is gone. We can help get him and the stolen items back.”

Johnson stared from Starke to Crane to Morton who all had varying arrays of emotions on their faces from anger on Crane’s to a subtle annoyance mixed with resolve in Morton’s to abject worry in Starke’s.

“All right. You make sure to tell Harry when he gets back that I did my best to keep you out of it,” he pointed to Crane. “And don’t die.”

“Deal,” he replied. “Now spill it.”

“Harry underwent hypnotherapy again once he saw Carver. He was able to remember more this time.”

“Why?” Morton asked.

“Partly because during the first session Harry was worried the brainwashing would reestablish itself.”

“He was worried about that originally,” Starke agreed with a frown, remembering his friend’s reluctance. “I was there with him.”

“Correct, which may explain why he didn’t remember more. But, he agreed to try again, only this time we added an experimental drug to the questioning. With it, he managed to break through the wall that had been placed in his mind. He told us enough to figure out the People’s Republic wasn’t solely behind this, in fact they may only be playing the role of scapegoat. He remembered what their plans were. John underwent hypnotherapy also with a little truth serum thrown in for good measure and remembered the same things. Then while we were deprogramming young Carver, Harry and I made plans.”

“What kind?”

“If Carver was successfully deprogrammed, he and Harry would go to this town in Mexico where they were ordered to go to and wait.”

“And if Carver wasn’t?”

“Harry would convince him he was still Shui Gui’s man and the two would finish the mission. Luckily, our deprogramming worked and Carver agreed quite readily to helping. We injected them both with a miniature tracking device…a development of Harry’s by the way,” Johnson smirked to the other three. “Anyway, they acted out their little escape for the video cameras then went to NIMR and did the same. Harry’s lab assistant coming in early caused Harry a bit of a stressful moment. He and Carver took off and ended up outside a small town in Mexico where they awaited further orders. They got them, headed out and arrived safely. Once Harry landed he was met by Shui Gui’s men and he took off the wire. And that’s the last we’ve heard from them.”

“What’s the rest of the plan?” Starke asked. “How do you get them back? How do you get the stolen items back? Or do you?”

Lee glanced from Starke’s harsh face to Johnson who refused to look at him. “You…you’re sacrificing them aren’t you?” he asked, horror in his voice. “You know where they are and you’re sacrificing them!”

“No! No…not…not necessarily. He had two days to find the stolen components, the data and the research and contact us.”

“And what happens after two days?” Chip asked coming to stand by Lee.

Johnson looked away from the knowing looks and said in a quiet voice. “If they don’t contact us in another 36 hours…we carpet bomb the area they’re in.”

“Carpet…good God, Bill. You’d kill them?”

“There’s no choice!!! Can’t you see that?' Johnson yelled, springing from his chair. "This maniac can not be allowed to develop this weapon! He could destroy…”

“He can’t develop this weapon because he doesn’t have the explosive material. You said so yourself.”

“True. The Z-143 Harry took with him isn’t the formidable energy source as pure Z-143 but they may have an alternate energy source we know nothing about and still build this weapon."

“Did he know?” Lee asked quietly. “Did he know you would willingly kill him if he wasn’t able to contact you?”

“Yes, Crane he knew. Rather after the fact but he knew.”

“After the fact?”

“He’d decided on his own that there needed to be another layer of protection. He knew the chances this Shui Gui would believe he was still his operative were slim. He told me to consider bombing the place and risk losing the research, prototypes and programs if he was unsuccessful.”

Lee closed his eyes and shook his head, what his friend was going through filling him with worry.

“Let’s move on from that,” Starke muttered. “How will Harriman contact you if he left the radio onboard this plane? What assurance do you have the plane will still be there?”

"No assurance at all. He'll be watched. I don’t know this Shui Gui but he seems an intelligent and untrusting sort.”

“Then how…?”

“Harry is very resourceful. He assured me he would be able to contact us and when he does, we send in cover, get him and Carver and our Intel and get the hell out. Destroying this little hang out of Shui Gui’s on the way.”

“I want in on any rescue mission,” Lee said harshly.

“Me too,” echoed Chip.

“No. Harry made me promise to keep you out of it.”

“Well, we’re in it whether he likes it or not,” Lee replied firmly.

“We want in,” Chip repeated.

“All right!” Johnson said throwing his hands up. “You both are just as stubborn as a certain four-star admiral I know.”

Lee allowed himself a small smile at that. “What’s the plan?”

Johnson got up and walked to a wall map on the far side of the room, the others following. “Harry and Carver are here,” he said pointing to a small area in the South China Sea.

“There’s nothing there, sir,” Morton said, squinting at the speck.

“I know it looks that way but these are the coordinates Harry and Carver’s transmitters are throwing back. There must be something there and there is. We had a high altitude fly over of the area done and sent back these images,” he said walking back to his desk and pulling a folder open and laying several photos out.

Crane looked closely at the photos, the first from a very high altitude showing a small island overgrown with thick vegetation. Another lower level photo revealed a complex of buildings built back in the jungle, almost invisible. A few more showed an airstrip, and several smaller buildings as well as what looked like a launch pad.

“Neat set up,” Starke said quietly. “How could this place be built and no one noticed it?”

“We suspect the PR helped pay for the construction and kept their mouths shut. They stand to benefit from what goes on.”

“So we know where they are. Why not just storm the island?”

“Harry and Carver would be killed and any of the items taken destroyed. The destruction of that much research would set this country and our allies back years.”

“Not to mention the fact you would lose an indispensable scientist,” Starke said sternly, staring at Johnson.

“Yes…a valuable scientist…and friend,” he answered quietly. “Harry wanted me to give him time to try to figure out if this Shui Gui was in charge or someone else was and what the plan was. And he acknowledged the theft and possible loss of all that research was not something we could withstand. Our enemies could take the opportunity to strike.”

"All right. He’s there with the makings of a monstrous bomb or bombs. How does he get off the island?” Chip asked.

“We currently have an aircraft carrier, the USS Coral Sea, north of them that is steaming south now. In fact, I have transport ready to take me there, leaving in a very short period of time," he muttered glancing quickly at his watch. "In a few hours they will be in range of the island with their helicopters. When Harry contacts us, the birds can be in the air and ready to extract them both in under an hour."

“I’m going to be on one of them,” Lee said firmly, daring Johnson to disagree.

“Crane, we already have a crack team in place that is ready to go. Your services…”

“I said, sir that I’ll be on one of them.”

“Good Lord you sound just like “Hard-headed-do-it-my-way-or-else Harriman Nelson”. You know that, don’t you?”

Crane smiled slightly. “Who do you think taught me?”

“There’s just one flaw in this plan,” Chip said.

“What?” the other three asked simultaneously.

“I’m not involved.”

“Chip…”

“No, Lee, don’t tell me to stay behind. Someone needs to watch your back. Someone who knows your enthusiasm for running into danger. Especially if it's to save the admiral."

Lee gave a half-hearted smile and turned to Johnson. "You heard the man, sir. Add two more to the combat team."

Johnson closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I give up," he muttered. "How fast can you both be ready?"

"We're ready now."

"I assume you brought Harry's little yellow sub when you decided descending on me would be a good idea?"

"We did," Lee assured. "Why?"

"You can take us all there then. I'll cancel the transport. We'll all be onboard the USS Coral Sea when the rescue team takes off."

"And when we rescue the admiral," Chip added.

"Yes. When Harry is rescued."

"I wish I could go along," Starke said regretfully. "But I have meetings scheduled for tomorrow. I trust you two will do all you can to bring Harriman and our young lieutenant home."

"We will, sir," Lee answered.

"Well," Johnson said. "Let me pack a few things and we'll head out. The captain of the Coral Sea is expecting us...or me at least."

Chapter 10

Several thousand miles away, Harriman Nelson followed Shui Gui down a long corridor and entered a small anteroom through an airlock. The walls on either side sported rows of white gowns, masks and shoe covers. Pausing for a moment as the lock was reestablished; he walked to the glass wall in front of him and stared in shock at the rows of pristine work stations dotting the large room.

Whistling softly, Harry shook his head, amazed and concerned at the level of sophistication he saw in not only the work stations but the clean room itself.

"This is...well I'm astounded at what I'm seeing," he managed to say.

"You thought perhaps we were some backward country with no knowledge of the importance of clean rooms where electronics are assembled?" Shui Gui asked, a hard edge to his voice.

"Frankly...yes," Harry muttered without looking away from the view before him.

"We have top level ventilation and exhaust units installed as well as monitors for toxic gases."

"How..."

"How did we attain all this?" he interrupted.

Harry's nod was all he needed before he launched into the how when and where of his construction. "You and Carver were not the only ones we...cultivated," Shui Gui finished with a smile.

"And where might they be now?"

Shui Gui's dismissive wave was all he needed to know they no longer lived.

"Their usefulness was at an end and we couldn't take the chance they would remember. So..." he shrugged.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as he thought of the fate they had met. Gathering himself, he forced himself to relax. "Impressive. I wouldn’t mind having this set up at…at NIMR.”

“Your hesitation is telling Admiral Nelson. In time…when the world is groveling at our feet…you will have this and more at your disposal.”

“Enticing to say the least,” he said appreciatively. “Where are the other workers? You have more than a few stations here.”

“Unfortunately, most are not on site at the present time. When the plans seemed to go awry, I sent them away with instructions to be available to return quickly. Most can be here within 24 hours."

“That’s good. I can at least make a start assembling some of the pieces for the new guidance systems from my schematics as long as you have the resources.”

"I assure you, I do indeed have the resources you require."

"Good. Very good," Harry smiled. "And John?"

“Ah, here is your young assistant now,” Shui Gui said as John Carver, looking a bit dazed, entered.

“Ad…Nelson? What’s going on?” he asked remembering he wasn’t to show respect or rank to the admiral.

“What’s going on, John is you and I are going to start assembling the makings of a monstrous bomb. Interested?” Nelson asked with a smile and slight nod.

“Yeah…sure. I…I am.”

“Very well. Do you wish to see my cache, Nelson? The product of several months...years of waiting, planning, gathering the components you see here,” he crowed as he walked to a large vault, opened it and withdrew plans, diagrams, schematics and a few pieces of hardware, as Nelson watched closely. “The actual casings for the missiles are unfortunately not here as of yet but should arrive within the week. In the meantime, is there work you could start?” he asked with a quirked eye to Nelson who turned from his perusal of the schematics and other items and nodded.

"Your cache as you call it is a bit disordered. I think first, we need to organize the resources we have here before starting any real work," he stated. "Once we have the files, programs and schematics in order, we can begin assembling the first of the guidance systems."

"How long will that take?"

"Oh, a few hours to organize all this. Once that's done we can start on assembling the first guidance system."

“Good. I will leave you two to it,'" he ordered.

"One more question," Harry interrupted.

"Yes, Nelson?"

"Why destroy Seaview? Her missiles were there for the taking yet you ordered me to destroy her. Why?"

Shui Gui smiled slightly. "Failsafe for one. I had you but not the others. But mostly, I wanted my bomb built my way launched from here. Any more questions?"

"No. I think not."

"Good. Oh and…don’t try anything that I might consider detrimental to my plans. The room, as you can see, is wired with video,” he gestured to cameras on the roof, angled to capture the whole room. “And I have guards everywhere.”

“You…or your boss…don’t have much trust in your worker bees, Shui Gui,” Nelson smirked.

“I am the only boss, Nelson. You will remember that. You serve ME. You serve MY plans! No one else’s!”

“All right! All right! Just like to know who I’m working for. That’s all,” he said holding his hands up and smiling impishly as he watched Shui Gui storm from the room.

“You play a dangerous game sometimes, sir,” John whispered.

“Just need to know who’s in charge. Look at these plans,” Nelson said in awe. “The power that would be generated by these missiles with the Zycron-143 in them would be immense! Such devastation! One bomb alone would be devastating. The number he has planned....I can't even imagine the destruction. Seaview's missiles are formidable but these are a step above.”

“What are we going to do?” John asked so quietly Nelson had trouble hearing.

“We need to move fast. The other workers will be here tomorrow to start helping assemble. I think we need to grab the items on our list and make our escape before that,” Nelson replied, pointing to the schematic as if showing Carver what they were going to do.

“We can’t leave this place the way it is, can we?”

Nelson was silent for a time as he chewed on his lip in thought. “The important thing is to make sure we recover the stolen items. Destroying the launch pads if they’re here or the installation itself can come later,” he answered as he placed the schematics for the missiles on a table and leaned over them, making sure the cameras would not pick up his words.

“This is very important, John…one of us has to obtain the items in that vault and make sure they get back to the United States. Do you have any idea know where a transmitter might be located here?”

“Actually, I might. When they took me away, I passed a room before I got to the housing level. It didn’t say anything on the door that I could read but I did hear someone talking inside. It might have been a radio room.”

Nelson nodded thoughtfully. “One of us has to check it out. If it is the radio room, we need to be ready to move."

“When do we make contact with Admiral Johnson, sir?”

“If no other opportunity presents itself, I’ll go tonight when it’s hopefully quieted down. I’ll tell them we’ll be moving toward the north beach around 0600 and to be here then for extraction.”

“Think that’s enough time?”

“Johnson said there was a ship on its way the area. Two hour notice should be doable. We grab the items, run to the beach, climb aboard our transport and off we go.”

“How do we get the items, sir? They aren’t going to leave these out, will they?"

Nelson turned his head and smiled at Carver. “I memorized the combination when Shui Gui was taking the first batch out. It’s not hard to remember. One of us has got to get the items and get out of here with them. I want you to memorize it in case something happens to me. The combination is 73 two turns on the dial to 32 then one turn to 18 then back to 73 one more full turn to 66. Got it?”

John repeated the combination several times softly until he was satisfied he had it.”

“That was the easy part,” Nelson grinned.

“You look like you’re enjoying this, sir,” John frowned. “I’m scared stiff.”

Nelson sobered as he turned back to moving items about. “Enjoying it? No, John. I'm not enjoying it at all. But we have to make the people watching us believe we’re at ease here,” he said glancing up at him with a raised eyebrow. “If the brainwashing held, we’d be comfortable, wouldn’t we?”

“I guess so,” John agreed his face breaking into a smile as he pointed to something on a diagram.

“Good man, John. Good man,” Nelson murmured as he continued to sort the through the diagrams, research and other items, placing the most sensitive in piles off to one side.

The two worked for a few hours until Shui Gui suddenly appeared in the room and walked to them.

"You have not begun working on assembling the guidance control? What have you been doing?"

"I told you all this data needed to be sorted through. I wanted to make sure you had acquired all the components and data you need."

"And?"

"It will do. It's not a simple process."

Shui Gui walked to Nelson's side and picked up the defective guidance system prototype, hefting it in his hands.

"You said this was a prototype. The real one will be heavier?"

"Somewhat heavier but not by much."

“It is very light,” he said in surprise.

“It’s only one of the advantages my system has over others.”

“And what are the other advantages?”

“You don’t know? You wanted my system but you don’t know why?”

Shui Gui shrugged. “I knew you had a missile guidance system that had proven quite effective and far beyond what your country, or any other country, had achieved. I wanted it,” he answered as he placed the prototype down on the work bench.

"Harry always was the best, Shui Gui," a voice behind Harry said. "Rescuer...scientist...patriot. And now, willing to destroy his own country."

Harry froze at the voice, knowing who it belonged to. Schooling his features to a mask, he turned slowly then did his best to appear shocked.

“Steve...Steve Belton…what…what are you doing here?” Nelson asked, struggling to hide his disdain for the man before him.

“I work for Shui Gui, same as you, old friend,” he answered in disdain. “Only difference is, I’m working for Shui Gui and the Sheng Zhang, willingly. You on the other hand needed to have your brains scrambled to accept Shui Gui and his new world.”

“This reunion is touching,” Shui Gui sneered. Handing the guidance system to Belton, he said, “Tell me what you think of this system.”

Belton took Nelson’s creation in his hands and looked at it thoroughly, glancing at the schematics spread out before him several times.

“Impressive,” he murmured. “But then you always were the best, weren’t you?”

"At least I wasn't a willing traitor, unlike you," Harry muttered.

“Will it work?” Shui Gui asked, tired of the tension between the two men.

“It will. It’s light weight which lightens the whole system. It’s more than what I expected, actually,” he replied handing it back to Nelson.

“Very well.”

“Are you satisfied yet?” Nelson asked harshly as he placed the system on the bench carefully.

“No, Nelson. I’m never satisfied. But you seem to be what you say you are which is under my control. Now, it is late. You may stop for the night. You will get back to your work tomorrow.”

“How late is it?” Nelson asked in surprise, looking at his watch.

“It is almost midnight.”

“Well, time sure flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?” Nelson joked with a smile.

“You seem…happy, Nelson,” Shui Gui murmured, his eyes narrowed in speculation.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be? The United States government and most of my other clients are a bit stingy in their grant money. Sometimes we need to cut corners but here…” he gestured spreading his arms to encompass the room, “A man could very well get lost in his work!”

“Yes, yes, well you have worked long today. You will eat then be taken to your room for sleep. Tomorrow you will continue,” he ordered snapping his fingers at one of the guards. “Put these things in the vault.”

Nelson and John watched as the prototype was placed in the vault along with the stolen research and closed.

“Come. We have food for you,” Shui Gui ordered, turning and walking from the room.

Steve stared at Nelson, hate mixed with a healthy dose of mistrust in his eyes, then followed Shui Gui out the room. Harry grabbed his backpack and followed Carver down a darkened hallway to a large room with rows of tables. “Looks like you're expecting company,” Harry said with a smile.

“Yes, Nelson we are. My workers will be here tomorrow to begin building our missiles. By this time next week, we may have the beginnings of a formidable arsenal at our disposal.”

“What then?” Nelson asked as he sat down at one of the tables, smiling at the slightly built Asian woman that placed a plate of food in front of him.

“Then we prey upon the fears of a world ensnared in its own self interest. We present to the world leaders that we are now the dominant force in the world."

“Impressive,” Nelson said as he ate. “And if they don’t accept your ultimatums?”

“They will be destroyed one by one until they understand.”

Harry fought back the urge to strangle the man who so callously waved off the murders of millions of people.

“Now, I have work to do. Eat then you will be taken to your room for the night. We start early in the morning. Breakfast will be at 7. I will have someone come for you. Until then you stay in your room.”

“Yes sir,” Nelson said with an impish smile. He turned his eyes to Belton who continued to stare at him with hate. "Something I can help you with?"

"Not a thing old friend," he answered leaning his face down until it was inches from Harry's. "Know this...I don't trust you. At all. Make one wrong move and I will kill you. Understand?"

"If you think you can," Harry growled, rising slowly from his seat. "How about trying that now?"

"Enough!" Shui Gui yelled.

Shui Gui motioned one of the guards over. “When they are finished, take them to their room. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

Harry glanced to Steve who stared at him for a long time before following Shui Gui out. Their assigned guard glanced briefly at them then walked to a nearby table and motioned to the kitchen area, smiling as the same young woman delivered a plate to him. Holding her hand tightly, he forced her to sit beside him, all the while talking and grinning at her as he ate.

"Who is that guy, sir?"

"Someone I knew at Annapolis. He was kicked out for beating a plebe that didn't move fast enough for him."

"I can't believe he was ever at Annapolis."

"Nor can I."

"So what do we do, sir?” John muttered as he picked at the food on his plate.

“For now, you eat. We need to make them think we’re at ease and you need the energy. After you’re finished we go to our room. Nice of them to put us in the same room, isn’t it? Makes it easier to plan,” Nelson joked slapping John on the back.

“Yes, sir.”

“No sirs, John.”

“Right. I forgot.”

"What we need to do first is find the radio room and get a message out to Johnson that we have access to the stolen items and need extraction early tomorrow morning. In the morning, we gather everything up and head to the beach."

“You make it sound easy. Too bad they took the plane. That would have been useful."

"Nothing about it is easy. Do you think you can find the room you thought might be the radio room?"

"You want to find it now?" John asked quietly.

"We’ll have to assume the room we’ve been assigned is going to have cameras so we might not get another chance. Any ideas?"

“I'm sure I can get us there or at least direct you to it. It's near here actually. In fact, I may have an idea,” John said.

“Oh?”

“The guard assigned to us? I know him. He was the one that took me down to the housing level when we first got here. We talked a bit. Maybe I could distract him on the way. I could try to show you which room it was and you could find a way to slip away. You could get in, contact Johnson and get out. When they come for you, you could say you got lost or something.”

“Hmmm, that might work. The sooner we contact them the better. We need to know that they’re in place or we’re going to have to stall. You ready to try? We’re only going to get one shot at this.”

“Yes. Yes, I am."

“Well,” Harry yawned loudly, stretching his arms over his head. “I’m beat. You ready to get some sleep?”

“I am,” John agreed rising and walking to their assigned guard. “We’re ready to go to our room. You want to show us where?”

A flash of annoyance came over the young guard’s face but was quickly wiped away. “Sure. Let’s go,” he agreed motioning Nelson and John out the room.

The three walked down the corridor, Nelson deliberately walking slowly as John engaged the young guard in conversation, keeping up an endless chatter which the young guard returned. When they reached an intersection, John brought his hand behind his back and motioned Nelson down the corridor to his right.

Smiling, Nelson slipped down the hallway and ran to the first door on the right. Opening it, he peered inside and was relieved to find it empty. He smiled as he spotted the transmitter and slipped into the room. Walking to the radio, he flipped some dials, quickly set the frequency Johnson had given him and began a quick transmission.

“Benedict Arnold to General Washington, do you read? This is Arnold. Come in.”

“Benedict! Good to hear from you. This is George.”

Nelson smiled at the anxious tone in Admiral Johnson’s voice. “Don’t have much time. I know where the components and Intel are. Can get to them easily enough. Need extraction at 0600 tomorrow. Repeat 0600 tomorrow on the small north facing beach.”

“Roger, Benedict. 0600 north beach. Copters will be there.”

“Copy. Benedict out.”

Nelson turned off the radio, reset the frequency to what it had been set to and quietly went to the door. Opening it, he peered up and down the corridor and, seeing no one, walked out, heading back to the intersection he’d left John at.

He hadn’t gotten far when two guards came running down the corridor towards him.

“Where have you been?” they yelled.

“I got lost,” Nelson shrugged sheepishly. “I bent down to tie my shoe and when I looked up, I was alone. Thought I knew the way to…”

“Never mind! Come on. Move.”

Nelson smiled and allowed himself to be pushed down the hallway. Glancing down a corridor off to his left, he noticed two guards leaving a room and shouldering rifles. Smiling, he filed the location away in his mind, hoping he'd found the armory.

Shortly, they stopped at a nondescript door. His guards unlocked the door and pushed him inside, closing the door quickly, the telltale click of the lock telling him he was in for the night.

“You had me worried,” John said.

“Nothing to worry about. I just got lost,” Nelson replied as he walked about the room, looking furtively for cameras or bugs.

“Far as I can tell it’s clean,” John murmured. “Checked in our spacious bathroom and even checked in the ventilation shaft. Nothing there. Not even cameras.”

Nelson did his own inspection and satisfied sat on one of the beds.

“Our boss doesn’t believe in comfort does he?” Nelson asked bouncing slightly on the rock hard bed.

“Guess it never occurred to him to make his people comfortable. Were you successful?”

“I was. Pick up is scheduled for tomorrow morning 0600. We need to find some weapons, grab the stolen items and be on the north beach by then,” Nelson said stretching out on his side on the bed and placing a hand under his head.

“Think we can do that?” John asked uncertainly.

“If we want to keep this maniac from carrying out his threats or if we ever want to see home again, we have to. Also, I may have found the armory. I saw two guards coming out of a room not far from here shouldering rifles. It may or may not be the armory. We'll have to check it out.”

“Sir, what about this place? Don’t you think leaving it intact is a mistake? I mean all they’ll do is start again, won’t they?”

“Possibly, but our government and soon other countries know this place is here now. Once we take his new toys away, he may try to start again but he’s a known entity now. INTERPOL, ONI and other organizations will have him on their radar. The important thing for us is to get the stolen research, prototypes etc back. We and our allies cannot afford to lose that research he managed to appropriate. It will set us back years…decades perhaps leaving us vulnerable. If the opportunity presents itself however, we’ll see what we can do to further disrupt his plans. Now I think we should try to get some sleep. We need to be moving by 0430 I think. That will give us enough time to find some weapons, grab the material and head to the beach.”

“Sleep? I don’t think that’s going to be possible, sir.”

“Try John. Try,” Nelson said with a smile, lying down and trying to do what he’d cautioned John to do but found sleep elusive. Pursing his lips in thought, he carefully went over the plans they’d made, working them out in his mind, searching for a flaw in them. Recovering the stolen material was paramount. One of them had to get back home safely. Remembering the conversation they’d had on the plane about John’s impending fatherhood, Nelson knew he would sacrifice what he had to to make sure the man’s child didn’t grow up without a father.

Closing his eyes, he sighed and slipped into a restless sleep.

~0~

"You heard?" Johnson asked the men by his side.

"We did. Is it enough time to get them out?" Crane asked, his face wrinkled in worry.

"Captain Arthur? Can we make the rendezvous in time?" he asked the captain of the Coral Sea who after doing some computations looked up with a frown on his face.

"It's going to be close. We may need to send out the helicopters before I'd like. I'd like more leeway for a rescue. We may have to lighten their load a bit and cut our rescue team down," he replied casting a furtive glance to Lee and Chip.

"How many men do you recommend we leave behind?"

"At least two. Maybe three. One on each copter for sure. That still gives plenty of air support."

"All right. Crane, you're in.," Johnson barked. "Morton, sorry but you stay behind."

"Admiral," Arthur broke in, "I'd rather my men were the only ones..."

"I understand, Captain. But this is my decision. Cut one from your teams."

Arthur clenched his jaw then nodded. Aye, sir. I'll tell my team," he nodded walking away quickly.

"Thanks," Lee said.

"Don't thank me. And don't get hurt."

Looking up, he saw the storm cloud on Morton's face. "Sorry Commander. I have to keep one of you safe. And I'm familiar with Crane's abilities.

"Aye, sir," Chip muttered darkly.

Chapter 11

A few hours later, John was awakened by a gentle jostling opening his eyes quickly to see Nelson, his backpack on his back and a slight smile on his face.

“It’s time. You ready?”

“Yes sir,” he answered firmly.

“Let’s move,” Harry said as he headed for the closed door and using a pick John hadn’t noticed him having before, managed to pick the lock open.

“Where did you have that?” John asked.

“Hidden compartment in my boot,” he replied with a smile. “Comes in handy sometimes.”

Slowly opening the door, Nelson peered out, gratified to see the corridor in both directions clear.

“It’s clear,” he told John. “We need to grab some weapons and then head to the assembly room, get the stuff and get out. One of us has to make it to extraction. We have exactly one and a half hours to get the stuff and be at the beach. You ready?’

At John’s nod, Nelson opened the door and allowed John to go through then closed it behind him. Both men moved quietly down the hall, cautiously peering up and down the corridors at intersections.

“The room I saw should be this way,” Harry whispered as he headed down a long hallway, stopping at one. Using the lock pick once more, he quickly unlocked the door and both slipped inside. Turning on a light, Nelson whistled at the array of guns, ammo, grenades, dynamite, plastic explosives, detonator cord, timing devices and a few small handheld rocket launchers within.

“Our boss is well-equipped,” Nelson frowned. “With all this armament here, I’m rethinking my previous decision to not take out the launch pads and this compound. It’s too dangerous to leave intact. Plus, with those rocket launchers there, anyone coming to our rescue is in danger.”

“Do you think we have time?” John asked in concern.

Looking quickly to his watch, Nelson nodded and began walking about, picking the things he would need. “We should. We’ll take some of this C-4, some detonator cord and a timing device, set it for 0550 hours at the launch pad. The explosion should not only wipe out our friend’s launch capability but be a beacon to our rescuers. And we’ll set a nice surprise here for our friends when they come for weapons.”

Grabbing packs of C-4, detonator cord and timing devices, Nelson hurriedly set the timers to explode at 0555 hours then grabbed more and placed them in his backpack.

"Grab a few grenades too, John," Nelson ordered as he packed the stuff in his backpack.

“Yes, sir. Sir, why don’t we split up? You go to the launch pads and I’ll grab the material and meet you…”

“No,” Harry interrupted what John was about to say. “I think we need to stay together. We need to guard each others backs to ensure one of us gets back alive and with the material.”

“Yes sir,” John answered quietly as he helped Nelson put the pack on, opened the door and peered out into the dimly lit hall. Motioning to Nelson, the two left the room, the timer slowly ticking away in a hidden corner of the armory, and made their way down the hall until they came to the door they had entered the day before.

Opening it cautiously, the two slipped out and made their way to the area they were pretty sure the rocket pads were located in; coming to them after more than a few minutes had passed.

Nelson held his hand up and listened then motioned to John that there were two guards, one to their left and one to their right and indicated to John he would take out the guard to the left while John took out the one to their right.

On the count of three, Harry and John slipped from the brush and quickly dispatched the guards then set to work setting the explosives.

“Do you think that’s enough C-4 to take these towers out, sir?”

Nelson laughed lightly as he set to work gathering the detonator cord and attaching it to the timer they’d brought. “More than enough. Should be quite a display actually. What time do you have?”

“Uh, it’s 0515, sir.”

“We’re running out of time,” Harry said tightly as he set the explosives to go off at 0550 and rose. “Let’s head back, get what we came for and get to the beach.”

The two made their way back to the compound, hoping those inside were still asleep, slipped in an unguarded back door they found and moved to the assembly room.

“You keep watch,” Nelson ordered as he moved to the vault, entered the code and was just about to pull the papers, schematics, and other items from it when a gunshot rang out. Hearing John’s gasp of pain, he turned and watched him fall to the floor. Surprise and anger filled his face as he looked up and saw Shui Gui, a smirk gracing his thin face standing in the doorway. By his side with a smoking gun in his hand was his old friend Steve.

“What the hell did you do?” he yelled as he knelt by John’s side.

“Thwarting whatever plans you two had,” Shui Gui growled, walking into the room and stopping near Nelson.

“You killed my assistant you fool!” he yelled angrily as he stood. “What plans do you think I had other than trying to get an early start on the day?”

“Please, Nelson. Do you take me for a fool? We went to your room to talk about a development that has recently come to my attention and found it empty. You expect me to believe you decided to come here and start work early?”

“Yes,” Nelson answered simply.

Shui Gui walked slowly to John and kicked him with his foot, smiling when he made no movement. “And how did you get into the vault?”

“It was open already.”

“Really. Such a lame excuse from such an accomplished liar,” he growled as he backhanded him quickly.

Reeling Nelson turned back to Shui Gui, blood trickling from his mouth and stared at him.

“Your programming wasn't broken was it? I was a fool to believe you. And your dead friend there? Was his?”

“You tell me.”

“I warned you,” Steve growled with a sadistic look on his face. “I warned you he wasn’t one to trifle with but you had to have the Z-143, didn’t you? You had to brainwash him. I warned you to find some other way.”

“Silence! I did not ask for your help or your opinions,” he barked. “The question becomes, what do I do with you?”

“Kill him! Why would you do anything else?” Steve roared incredulously as he came to stand my Shui Gui’s side. “Allow me the pleasure.” Harry's face hardened as he watched Steve’s arm rise, the gun aimed at his heart.

Putting a hand to Steve’s arm, Shui Gui pushed it down. “Yes, perhaps in time. But then that great mind would be lost, wouldn’t it? I could use a man who can think, not just react,” he said looking at Belton with a withering look, causing Nelson to smile. “But I do find you to be a very dangerous man, Nelson. Perhaps you are too dangerous to live.”

“So my little role here is finished,” Harry said, seating himself on the edge of his work table. “My friend here is dead; all the research is still in your hands. So there’s no hope.”

“No hope. None,” Steve boasted with glee.

“Then tell me one thing old friend before I find a bullet in my heart.”

"What?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"You left your country wide open for attack. The devastation these missiles would wreak is horrible. Why? Turning against your country is..."

"My country? My country abandoned me. One mistake and three years of my life were gone as if I'd never existed. I gave years toward protecting her then with one mistake I was out!"

"One mistake was nearly killing Ben Jackson with your bare hands! A classmate!"

"And you the ever conquering hero was there to save him from the big bad bully. Weren't you?" he sneered.

"You were a bully. A bully with less brains than I gave you credit for. To not only turn against your country but to make her vulnerable to attack? What kind of man does that?"

"Not my country. Not any more, Harry. It hasn't been my country for a good long while."

"You're nothing but a filthy traitor."

Belton moved towards Nelson, anger on his face, stopping at Shui Gui’s imperious hand.

"Enough! No more," Shui Gui ordered as he motioned towards Steve to kill Harry.

Harry raised a hand slightly. "Answer me one more question," he said as he rose and paced slowly away from the table and to John’s body.

“What is it you wish to know before I allow my annoying friend here to have what he so wants?”

“Who did you have onboard Seaview? Who told you what I was doing?”

Shui Gui followed his movement and laughed. “You wish to know who turned.”

“I believe that’s what I asked. Was he brainwashed as John and I were? Or was he a true traitor?”

Shui Gui smiled at Nelson. “I suppose since you will be dead in a few moments there’s no harm in telling you. His name is Palmer.”

Nelson blanched when he heard the name. “Jason Palmer?”

“Yes, Jason Palmer. I believe the boy’s father was an old family friend, was he not? He did my bidding, filled me in on events, calls, your movements as well as providing me with a fascinating run down on your boat. Where things are and how to take it from you in one fell swoop!” Shui Gui said, his voice rising. “I've decided my original plan to destroy Seaview was misguided. Very soon, your Seaview will become the first of many acquisitions to my fleet. Her missiles will become my missiles.”

Nelson closed his eyes and shook his head. “It will never work. You won’t have a chance of taking her.”

“We’ll see,” Shui Gui shrugged and turned and away. “Well, we will see. You however will be…”

A gunshot suddenly rang out, interrupting Shui Gui and Nelson heard a gasp. Turning, he watched as Steve stared in shock as a spreading spot of red grew on his chest. Steve looked down at John, his pistol still aimed at him, then up to Nelson. Hatred filled his face before he fell to the floor. Shui Gui stared at his body in astonishment.

Before he could recover, Nelson lunged for him, tackling him to the ground as John struggled to rise, trying to get the tall Oriental in his sights as the two men rolled under one of the work tables and out of his sight.

Shui Gui managed to roll on top of Nelson, his hands around Nelson’s throat. A sudden loud explosion rocked the facility startling Shui Gui. “What was that? What did you do?” he yelled angrily.

Using the distraction, Nelson brought his knee up between them and flipped Shui Gui off him and landed a blistering punch to his face when he tried to rise.

“That was your rocket towers going up in flames. Soon your armory will go up too,” he yelled as he landed another punch.

Enraged, Shui Gui came after Nelson with all the anger contained inside and landed a few punches to Nelson’s stomach, knocking him back against the table.

When Shui Gui came at him, Nelson feinted then put a foot out, tripping him. As the Oriental fell heavily to the floor, he swung his leg out, taking Nelson’s legs out from under him. Shui Gui launched himself but Nelson rolled and before his adversary could recover, landed on top of him, his hands wrapped around Shui Gui’s throat. Everything the man had done to him flooded back like a tidal wave…the pain, the anger, the shame he’d felt all rolled over him, blinding him to everything, everyone, except the man lying under him who struggled against him as he squeezed his throat, not noticing the man’s hands fall limply to his side. He felt hands pulling on him, a voice calling him and he loosened his grip.

“Admiral! We need to go! Come on!”

Looking up, he saw John, blood streaming down his arm and chest standing over him and he leaned back, staring at the unconscious man at his feet: a man he had almost killed with his bare hands.

Gathering himself, he rose quickly, went into the vault and gathered the stolen items. Dumping the contents of his backpack on the floor, he placed the stolen materials inside, grabbed the backpack filled with the Z-143 and moved to John's side. “Can you run?” he asked as he pulled the pack with the Z-143 on his back.

“I can run.”

“Can you carry this while I cover us?” he asked, holding out the other backpack with the stolen items in it. At John’s nod, he put it gently on John’s shoulders.

"Wait," Nelson said as he turned back to the vault. Taking the useless guidance system, he smashed it to pieces, then opened the door to the assembly room and tossed all the grenades he had into the room, watching as they exploded one by one. The two men ran from the room just as the armory exploded, setting off alarms.

The two ran down the long hallway headed for the main doors. Behind them the sound of running feet spurred them on. Nelson pushed John behind him and aimed his rifle at the guards just coming out of the intersection they’d just passed, and fired, hitting a few and scattering the rest.

“Go! Don’t stop!” he yelled as they entered the main room and burst through the door and out into the early morning light. The two ran in the direction of the north beach, Nelson firing over his shoulder.

“Where’s the helicopter?” John yelled.

“Should be here by now! Keep running!”

At almost that exact moment, two Huey helicopters rose out of the misty dawn light, firing at their pursuers, bullets kicking up dust and sand as they ran. One landed on the beach while the other hovered, putting down a constant stream of bullets.

“Run! Get inside quickly!” Nelson yelled as he pushed John toward the waiting aircraft, turning back to fire at their pursuers.

Hearing a familiar voice yelling at him from the helicopter on the beach, Nelson spun around in shock.

“Admiral! Come on! Hurry! Run!” Nelson looked back to see Lee Crane practically out the door waving him on and firing an M-16 at his pursuers.

“Come on, John!” Nelson yelled.

John, spurred on by Nelson and the waiting haven of the helicopter, ran as fast as he could but felt his strength begin to leave him as blood continued to pour from the wound. Suddenly he felt an arm around his waist and he was practically carried to the waiting helicopter where he was grabbed by a Marine and pulled inside.

Taking the pack with the Z-143 off his shoulders, Harry managed to fling it into the helicopter, but just as he was about to follow John onboard, he was spun around by a bullet hitting him low on his right side and he fell to the ground.

Harry struggled to rise but when he was almost on his feet, he saw the helicopter begin to rise into the air and heard Lee, who was being restrained by two large Marines, yelling frantically.

“Go back! He’s not onboard yet! Go back!” Lee yelled as he continued to fire at Harry's pursuers. A round fired through the open door of the rising helicopter hit one Marine in the shoulder throwing him backward.

Stumbling to his feet, Nelson lunged for the strut of the helicopter, grabbing hold and doing his best to get his feet on the bar as his body dangled in the air. He looked up to see Lee being restrained by a Marine, and hanging dangerously far out of the door, his hand extending towards him. Ignoring the pain in his back, he managed to swing his foot up onto the strut, pulled himself up to his knees and reached his right hand up, smiling when he felt Lee’s strong hand close around his and begin to pull him in as the copter rose in the air.

The ping of a bullet striking the craft caused a sudden lurch in the rising copter and Nelson’s foot slipped off the strut, his full weight caught and held in both of Lee Crane’s hands.

“Put your foot up!” Lee yelled as he held on. “Give me your other hand!”

Harry did his best to do as Lee ordered but his foot kept slipping off as the copter danced in the air. Reaching up with his other arm, the fingers of his left hand had barely touched Lee's when he felt a piercing, burning pain tear through the arm, the hand dropping numbly to his side.

Suspended over the open water below, Harry felt as if his shoulder was being wrenched from its socket and paled when he realized Lee was being pulled out the open door despite the grip of the Marine behind him. Looking below him then up into Lee’s agonized eyes, he tried again to get his arm to move but couldn’t. He heard Lee frantically yelling for the pilot to land but they kept flying, skimming low over the ocean as the wind buffeted him mercilessly.

Knowing Lee would fall to his death if he continued to hold on to him, Harry stilled himself and gazed into Lee’s eyes, trying to put all he felt for him in the look, willing him to understand and to accept what he knew he needed to do.

“No! Don’t you dare, Admiral!” Lee yelled, gripping his hand tighter in his, understanding full well what Nelson planned. “Don’t you…”

“Take care of Seaview and NIMR,” he yelled, hoping he could hear him over the sound of the rushing wind and helicopter, before he twisted his hand sharply; wrenching it from Lee’s and plummeted to the ocean below.

“NO! Admiral!!!!” Lee cried out as he watched his best friend fall, hit the water and disappear. Spurred by anger, shock, fear and hopelessness, Lee lunged for the pilot. “Go back! Go back!” he yelled grabbing at the controls.

“I can’t, sir! I have my orders!” he yelled doing his best to fight off Crane’s attempts.

A blinding pain to the back of his head had Lee Crane sinking mercifully into a welcoming darkness.

Chapter 12

A bright light bore through Lee Crane’s closed eyes, his head pounding in beat with his heart and he struggled to remember where he was and what had happened. A soft moan came from his clenched lips and he suddenly felt a soft pressure on his hand.

“Lee?” a hazy voice called him.

Opening his eyes, he moaned again as the light tore through his eyes and straight to his brain.

“Come on, buddy. Wake up. I need you to talk to me. I don’t want to be alone in this.”

This? What’s he talking about? He thought as he struggled to remember what had happened. With blinding swiftness, memory returned and his eyes flew open, darting about the brightly lit room.

“Admiral!” he yelled as he sat straight up in the bunk he found himself in, immediately regretting the rash action. Swaying, he put a hand to his head and felt himself pushed back down.

“Easy, Lee,” the voice said again.

Opening his eyes slowly, he saw the haggard, stubbled face of Chip Morton hovering over him. “Chip? Where am I and who the hell hit me?”

“We’re on the USS Coral Sea, remember? I think one of the Marines on the helicopter hit you. Apparently you were trying to hijack it,” Chip joked weakly.

Lee merely nodded as he remembered, and as he felt the hole in his heart at his loss…their loss.

“What happened out there? All I’ve been told is the admiral didn’t come back with you but the stolen material did.”

Lee sighed heavily, trying hard to keep his emotions under control, and began to tell Chip what had happened and how the admiral was, in all likelihood, dead.

Chip reeled back as if hit. “He pulled his hand from yours and…and fell?”

“He was afraid I’d be pulled out with him. He told me to take care of Seaview and NIMR,” Lee whispered, his voice cracking slightly. “They didn’t tell you?”

“No. They just said he didn’t come back but not why. I…I didn’t know he…,” Chip broke off what he was saying as he tried to come to grips with what Lee had said. The thought of the admiral being dead filled him with a deep sadness. “Any chance he wasn’t…that he survived the fall?”

Lee’s face hardened as he saw in his mind Nelson fall, the water closing over his head and shrugged. “I don’t know. We weren’t all that high in the air. It's possible he's alive. Are they searching for him?”

“Not sure what’s going on. I heard them say you were hurt and the admiral wasn’t with you. I followed you down here to the Sick Bay.”

“How long have I been out?”

“Not sure how long you were out on the chopper but you’ve been here for about an hour, maybe more. Johnson came in once then left a few minutes ago. Some message came for him or something.”

“He has what he needed…what he sent the admiral for. And now he’s gone,” Lee whispered sadly as he leaned back against the pillows. “How’s uh…Carver? Any word?”

“The doctor didn’t seem too concerned. The bullet was still in his shoulder but it didn’t hit anything vital. He lost a lot of blood but I think he’ll be all right.”

Lee couldn’t help but smile at that. “Who does that sound like?” he joked, knowing Nelson's penchant for wounds to the shoulder

Chip muffled a smile then sobered as he thought of what Nelson had gone through…what he may be going through.

"One other thing, Carver was conscious when he was brought in. He said this Shui Gui told the admiral that he had a mole planted on Seaview. He informed him how to take Seaview and told him what the admiral was doing."

"Who?"

Chip hesitated for a moment. "Jason Palmer."

"Palmer? But..."

"Yeah," Chip interrupted. "The son of one of the admiral's friends."

"The admiral heard this?"

"He heard."

"Damn," Lee muttered as he rubbed his hands over his face. "Does Johnson know?"

"He knows. All the agencies have been contacted BOLOs are out for him. He'll be found,"

"He better hope I'm not the one that finds him," Lee muttered.

"Or me," Chip added.

“Sirs," a voice called to them from the door of the spacious Sick bay.

"What is it ensign?" Chip asked the young ensign standing behind him..

"Admiral Johnson has requested your presence on the bridge. If you’ve recovered enough that is, sir,” he nodded to Lee.

“Did he say why?” Lee asked not wanting to be near the man at the moment.

“Not to me, sir.”

“Tell him we’ll be right there.” he told him as he swung his legs over the side of the bunk and pushed himself to his feet, swaying for a moment.

“I was told to show you the way, sir.”

“Well, let’s go then.”

The three men walked the corridors of the Coral Sea until they came to the bridge.

“Sir, Commanders Crane and Morton,” the ensign said before turning away.

“Crane, Morton,” Johnson called waving them over to a screen. “You feeling better?”

“Just peachy, sir.”

“I’m sorry about Harry, Crane. I truly am.”

“Are you?” Lee asked bitterly. “The pilot said he couldn’t go back because he had orders. What orders?”

“They weren’t my orders. I swear. Someone higher up ordered the pilot to leave once the package was onboard. Lt. Carver verified to the pilot he had it. The pilot left. He was only following orders. For what it’s worth, I…I’m truly sorry. Harry risked everything… his career, reputation, his life…to bring the stolen research back.”

“And being left behind and falling to his death was his reward.”

“I said I was sorry! I can’t change it but I had nothing to do with the orders.”

“Whose orders were they?” Chip asked, his face suffused with red when he heard Johnson’s words.

Johnson turned to Captain Arthur standing by his side. “I was given the orders by the President himself. I had no choice,” Arthur answered uneasily.

“Harry knew the risks. He was willing to take them. He was willing to die for them,” Johnson said softly.

“He shouldn’t have died for them. There was time,” Lee murmured.

“Regardless. It’s done.”

“And his reputation? Will you let people know he isn’t a traitor?” Crane asked. “Because if you won’t, I will.”

“I promised Harry I would when the time was right. He wanted you two to know at the least. I told him you wouldn’t believe the news reports that he was a traitor but, he said you might after what he did to you, Dr. Land and his men.”

Lee closed his eyes, trying not to see Nelson’s eyes peering into his right before he fell, trying not to see the acceptance, the knowledge he was about to give the ultimate sacrifice.

“What was it you wanted, Admiral?” Lee asked tiredly, wishing he could be any place other than here.

“What I wanted was to show you this,” he answered pointing to a blip on the radar screen.

“What is it?”

“Harry’s tracker signal. It stopped once when he…well, I assume once he hit the water but a few minutes ago we got it back. It's flickering, but it's back. And it’s moving.”

“Moving? Moving as in…as in sinking?” Crane asked, trying to mask his repulsion as he thought of his friend’s body sinking to the bottom.

“No. We’ve been watching it for a bit now. At first, the position stayed static, until a few minutes ago, then it started moving towards that island.”

“Moving as in drifting, swimming…what?”

“He’s not swimming. He’s moving at a rather high rate of speed,” Arthur answered.

“Signal reads back on the island now, sir,” the young lieutenant on radar said.

“How?” Lee asked peering at the screen.

“Two possibilities,” Johnson said. “One, Harry’s alive and this Shui Gui went after him or two, Harry’s dead and Shui Gui went after his body.”

“Why?” Arthur asked, staring at the screen before him.

“If he’s alive…torture? Information? His knowledge? If he’s dead…I…I don’t really have an answer for that,” Johnson said.

“We need to go after him. Either way we can’t let that maniac have him,” Lee said firmly, daring Johnson to disagree.

“I agree,” Johnson said firmly.

“Admiral, our jets are taking off now to bomb the island,” Arthur informed the men quietly.

“Stop them!” Lee yelled. “If the admiral’s still alive…”

“I know, Crane. Bring your planes back, Captain.”

“I can’t do that, sir. I have my orders. The island is to be destroyed. All evidence, all buildings…everything is to be destroyed.”

“You can’t! If he’s still alive you’ll…”

“I understand, Commander. Believe me. If it were to be my way, my decision, I would call them back and send a team in to rescue him. If he were alive. But the President’s orders are quite clear. We can’t take the chance this maniac has other armament on that island.”

Lee stared in horror at the captain. He knew the chances that the admiral was alive were slim but he couldn’t shake the question of why Shui Gui would go after a dead body: a body that should have sunk to the bottom by now. In his heart he knew Admiral Harriman Nelson was alive and about to be blown to bits and the knowledge hurt like hell.

Chapter 13

Waves of agonizing pain flowed through Harriman Nelson, forcing a groan from his battered body. His back and arms burned with an angry fire and the rest of his body throbbed in beat with his heart. How was he still alive? He’d hit the water hard and remembered the pain that had lanced through both legs as he’d impacted the unbelievably hard surface of the water. His training had taught him how to survive many different scenarios and a fall into water from a high altitude had been one. He’d never had the chance to actually use the knowledge before and had been skeptical surviving was a possibility if one fell correctly and from a not too high altitude. Apparently he could mark that down to knowledge gained.

A kick from somewhere nearby and a bucket of cold water thrown at him forced him back to full consciousness and he realized he was lying on the debris-strewn floor of what remained of the clean room. A foot under his stomach forced him to his back and he felt agony course through him.

“Wake up, Nelson and look at me,” a hate-filled voice called in a low menacing voice.

Forcing his eyes open, he stared up into the battered, bruised face of Shui Gui.

“I see you survived also,” he mumbled.

“I did. But you took my plans from me. All I had planned gone in one fell swoop. But I will make you pay for your interference,” he growled in a hate-filled voice as he kicked him over and over.

“Uncle! Stop!”

Nelson heard the voice through the waves of pain, relieved when the blows stopped. The voice was familiar and the source flowed back to him: Sun Yan …the man that had met them when they’d gotten off the plane. So he was Shui Gui’s nephew. A whole family of maniacs.

“Why?” Shui Gui yelled. “He’s taken all of our plans away! Destroyed them! He must die.”

“No,” Yan said stepping in front of his uncle before he could kick Nelson again. “We need him…his mind, his visions…they must become ours. With his mind we can rebuild and continue our march towards world domination.”

“Not likely,” Nelson muttered earning him a kick to his apparently broken leg causing Nelson to lose consciousness as the pain burned through him.

“Very well. Take him to the plane. We must leave before his friends come back and finish what he started,” Shui Gui ordered as he walked away.

Sun Yan looked down at the unconscious admiral, respect on his face for the man that had infiltrated his uncle’s organization, managed to steal back the stolen items and destroyed much of the island compound.

“Come,” he called to two of the surviving members of his uncle’s organization. “Carry him to the plane. We will bandage his wounds there. He must live.”

The two guards shouldered their rifles and leaned down, grabbing Nelson under the arms and legs, eliciting a loud moan as the admiral’s body protested the movement.

“Careful. Move him gently. He in all likelihood has broken bones and internal injuries,” he ordered as he watched them carry the unconscious man from the room.

Looking back, Yan smiled grimly at the destruction Nelson had caused. Small fires still burned in spots and the acrid stench of failure filled his nostrils. Everything they had built over the years gone in one fell swoop.

Shaking his head, he turned and followed the others from the room, stopping to gather some of his remaining personal effects before hopping on a waiting jeep and heading for the plane, knowing his uncle would already be there.

“Are you finally ready, Nephew?’ he asked shortly when he had arrived.

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Then let us go before the navy planes return to finish their work.”

The two men entered the plane, seeing Nelson lying unconscious in the back on the floor.

“One day, I will kill you, Nelson. Slowly. Bit by bit. You will scream for mercy or for me to end your pain. But for now…you are mine. You will work for me. You will die for me,” he vowed as he seated himself near the front of the plane as his nephew settled himself by Nelson.

“Bandage his wounds and set his broken bones as best as you can,” Sun Yan ordered to a nearby guard as he settled back in his seat, staring with thoughtful eyes to his uncle seated in the front of the plane.

Turning his gaze about the plane, he saw with sadness how few of his uncle’s people had managed to escape. Were the others still alive on the island or were they dead? He shook his head in sorrow as he contemplated the fact the man he had respected as a child growing up had become a bloodthirsty killer with visions of holding a world’s peace for ransom. And he was a part of that plan.

Glancing down at the body on the floor beside him, he watched as the man’s wounds were bandaged, his broken leg set in a primitive splint and compared the two men. One a decorated hero and brilliant scientist who had apparently been willing to be labeled a traitor in order to recover the stolen material and prevent the use of their weapon, and the other a man…his blood kin…with somewhat warped visions.

Leaning his head back against the seat, he blocked out the slight moans coming from the man who had thwarted his uncle, a man he had thought as a child as invincible, principled, moral. His own convictions began to slip just a bit. He owed his uncle his life. What did he owe the man at his feet or that man’s world? Respect? Yes. But nothing more. His loyalty must stay with kin. It would stay with kin.

With a deep sigh, he gave a fleeting look to Nelson then lay his head back against the seat and drifted into a restless sleep.

Chapter 14

Pacing, Crane listened in anxiety to the pilots call out their positions and readiness checks, preparing for their bombing runs.

“Coral Sea this is Bingo One, we have a small jet leaving the island headed, east southeast. Instructions?”

“Bingo One, continue on to island and destroy it. Bingo Two go after the plane and destroy it,” Arthur ordered quietly.

"Copy."

“No!” Admiral Johnson yelled. “Wait!”

“Bingo Two, hold on the attack on plane. Sir?’ he asked turning to Johnson.

“The tracker is moving again,” Johnson said tightly.

“Where to now?” Crane asked.

“East southeast. Nelson's on the plane. Hold your fire on that plane! That is an order, Captain. I assume all responsibility for that order.”

“Admiral, I can’t…”

“Your orders are to destroy the island. Destroy it but that plane can lead us to this Shui Gui’s hideout. I want him.”

“Aye sir. Bingo Two, do not fire on plane. Continue with your mission.”

“Copy. Continuing mission.”

“How long will the tracker hold out?” Lee asked.

“Not sure. We didn’t think the mission would take this long. Not entirely sure of the range either but if we send a plane after him, we may be able to keep a read on the signal or a visual. Captain, have a plane follow the signal. Keep out of their view and radar but follow the signal. And get us underway on course for that signal.”

“Aye sir. Bingo Four, follow the plane that left the island.”

"Aye, sir. Breaking off attack. Following the plane."

Johnson watched as the captain set the course and smiled slightly, hope filling him a bit that Harry just might still be alive. Turning to Crane who watched the tracker signal anxiously, he placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get him back. We just have to follow the beacon. You know, the design for that locator was Harry’s. Miniaturized locator beacon. The man astounds me with his ideas sometimes.”

“Yeah,” Crane agreed with a rueful smile. “I know what you mean.”

The men watched the beacon signal uneasily, hoping, praying the signal held.

“The signal’s fading, sir,” the radar operator said quietly after a long period of time. “It keeps flickering out then coming back.”

“Damn. If we lose that signal we lose him,” Lee whispered worriedly as he peered over the shoulder of the radar man.

“I know, Commander,” Arthur replied. "Bingo Four, do you have a visual on the plane?”

“Aye sir. She’s flying southeast of my location. I’m losing the signal though, sir.”

“Go a bit closer but stay out of their line of sight. We need to know where that plane lands.”

“Aye sir. Moving closer.”

“Calm down, Crane,” Johnson said as he watched the man begin to pace, knowing his mind was on the man Johnson knew he called friend. He could never understand the way Harriman Nelson ran his submarine. To allow personal feelings for his men to cloud his actions was not a concept he understood. As head of ONI, he could not permit his feelings to have sway on what he did, who he sent out on missions, or who he didn’t recover. His sworn duty was to the mission, to keeping his country safe. But Harriman had always been a man cut from a different cloth. Young when he’d entered Annapolis, Nelson had outdone almost everyone in his class, a fact that he had found distasteful. Small for his age, he had endured quietly all he was asked to do, ordered to do, or put through, never once questioning why. He smiled as he thought of the path that young, unquestioning plebe had taken to emerge from the Academy as a man at the top of his class, a man who was courted by ONI from before he’d graduated. A man who had willingly allowed himself to be declared a traitor, knowing the importance of the material he had to recover and knowing his name may forever be tarnished with the word traitor.

“Sir, we’ve lost the signal again,” Arthur said quietly after more than an hour had passed.

“Does the pilot still have visual? We need to know where he goes.”

“Bingo Four, do you have visual still?”

“Aye sir. Plane appears to be descending. There’s a small chain of islands just ahead sir. He may be making for one of them.”

“We need to know which one. Stay on him,” Arthur ordered.

Walking to the charting table he pulled a map of the area out and placed it on the table, circling a chain of small islands. “This is where he appears to be headed,” Arthur said. “Most of these islands are nothing more than rock but a few, these three here, have several scattered villages and these two here are inhabited but sparsely. If he has another base and it’s in this chain of island, it’s on one of these two is my guess.”

“How long until we can get into launch range?”

“Once we finish recovery of all planes, we’ll set course for the islands. We should be in range to launch choppers in five or six hours.”

Lee closed his eyes as he knew a lot could happen to the admiral in six hours. He just prayed they got there before it was too late.

Chapter 15

The sound of water dripping onto a hard surface and splashing him lightly on his face was the first thing Harriman Nelson was aware of as he struggled back to consciousness. The second was the agony that coursed through him as his abused body protested its treatment of the last few days.

Opening his eyes, he felt his face pressed into a hard, cold, wet surface and realized he was lying on his side. He felt his ribs pressing into the hard floor and groaned, remembering his fall from the helicopter and its resultant injuries. Either the fall or Shui Gui’s tender ministrations after had apparently at the very least bruised some ribs.

He attempted to sit up from his position on the floor, noticing the rattle of chains and looked down at his hands that were shackled into rusty manacles and fastened to an equally rusty chain that was attached to the roof. An experimental shake of the chain and a quick yank showed he was firmly anchored to the ceiling and he let out a sigh, gasping as the slight motion sent waves of agony through him.

Pushing himself the rest of the way to a sitting position, he groaned as pain lanced through his body and he gasped. His ribs throbbed, his head felt as though tiny drummers were pounding on his skull and his back where the bullet had hit him burned like fire as did his arm.

Blinking, he tried to focus on where he was. Opening his swollen, bruised eyes as well as he could, a dank, smelly room greeted his eyes and nose and he fervently wished he had not struggled so hard back to consciousness.

Feeling his legs throbbing painfully he glanced down, noticing his right leg was set in a primitive splint. Experimentally he moved his left leg and moaned at the pain that the action caused. Not broken, he decided but something wasn’t right. Falling into the ocean from the height he did, he was lucky to be alive, but he still cursed the pain and damage done. Further assessment of his condition showed bloody bandages were wrapped about his abdomen and arm. Memory flooded back as he remembered escaping from Shui Gui’s enclave only to be brought right back to it. At least the Intel, his country and hopefully John were safe. That was all that really mattered. He hoped the young officer recovered from his wounds and got a chance to hold his child in his arms. At least he could hold on to the belief he’d made a difference.

Closing his eyes, he tried to put the events behind him, most especially Lee’s face when he knew what he was about to do. The vision of his terror-filled face was something he would never forget, assuming of course that he had more than a few minutes or hours to live. He’d done the only thing he'd been able to think to do. The mission needed a successful conclusion and although not what he would envision as totally successful, it was better than what could have been.

The rattle of a key in the lock of the door to his prison tore Nelson from his musings and he turned, watching as the door swung open to reveal Shui Gui’s nephew.

Closing and locking the door behind him, he stepped cautiously to Nelson’s side and knelt down.

“You’re awake.”

“Sadly, yes, I am.”

“How do you feel?” he asked solicitously.

“Like I’ve been shot twice and fell out of a helicopter,” he answered weakly.

A small smile flitted over the young man’s face. “I am sorry for your pain. I wish I had something for you other than a few pieces of bread and some water,” he said as he broke off a piece of a small crust of bread and placed it in Nelson’s mouth, continuing until there was no more. Taking the cup, he placed it by Nelson’s mouth and carefully tipped the contents into his mouth.

“Why are you involved with him?” Nelson asked after he had swallowed all that was in the small cup. “Don’t you know eventually he’s going to be caught or killed? You seem to be a smart man, can’t you see that?”

“I can see that,” Sun Yan agreed as he grabbed a nearby bucket, upturned it and sat by Nelson, his eyes on the dirty cell floor. “But he is my uncle. I owe him more than mere obedience. I owe him my life.”

“Why?”

“A long time ago, when I was eight years old, my village was attacked by raiders. I was taken from my family and carried across the border to Korea. For two years I was a slave. I was treated with no respect, no concern. I was nothing. But one day, I heard the village dogs barking then yelp in pain. And suddenly my uncle was there. He rescued me and took me back to my village only to find out my family, save for my uncle, was gone. I became part of his family and he treated me as the son he never had.”

“Touching story but he’s taking you down a path to destruction. He saved you from that village only to raise you to die some place else well before your time. You can stop your journey down that path he’s chosen for you at any time. I’ll help you.”

Sun Yan laughed lightly. “How? You’re his prisoner. You have no hope of rescue. You have nothing. Even if you make it back to your country what awaits you? Jail? Execution for treason? That is your path to destruction.”

When Nelson didn’t react, Sun Yan nodded slightly. “Ah, so what he said is true. You were not one of us,” he said sadly as he looked away.

“No, I was never one of you. I was brainwashed…cruelly subjected to unspeakable pain just to turn me into a robot capable of killing those I care about the most.”

Sun Yan lowered his head as he contemplated what he’d said. “I…I did not know that,” he murmured as he traced a pattern in the dust of the cell floor. “I thought you had…”

“You thought I would willingly turn against my country?” he asked, his voice fading as exhaustion from his blood loss and other injuries crept up on him.

“I do not know what I think anymore. I suppose I should have known you of all people would never willingly be a traitor but I guess I wanted to believe he had convinced you.”

“He could never convince me to turn against my country.”

Sun Yan nodded to himself, thinking hard, then suddenly smiled. “I met you one time. A few years ago. I was at a conference on the USC campus where I was a student. I was so excited to know you would be there. I had heard of you, read everything I could get my hands on that you had written. Your ideas, your inventions were as something out of a science fiction book to me.”

“How did you get to USC?”

“I convinced my uncle to send me. Even then, I saw he had plans for escaping the village and China. He surrounded himself with people I did not wish to associate with…people that made my skin crawl…people that…” He shook himself as if to rid his thoughts of the past and continued. “I convinced him I could help him and his aspirations by being educated in America.”

“And how did he react to that?” Nelson asked as he shifted on the hard floor, trying to ease the pain in his legs.

“He was angry,” Sun Yan answered with a smile. “America was a place he hated more than any other. But he saw the wisdom in learning from those he considered enemies, so I went, learned and came home to find his empire had grown. Wealth, servants…but it never seemed enough. I did not ask where it came from, yet I knew. Deep down, I knew."

“How?” Nelson asked weakly.

“Drugs and slavery mostly. I hated it all.”

“But you stayed.”

“Yes,” he answered softly, closing his eyes. “Family was all I had. Loyalty was all he asked of me.”

“He asked a lot more of you than that. He asked for your life, your future. He asked for too much.”

“It is done,” he replied sadly, shrugging. “I cannot change what was or is going to be. I…”

“You can change it,” Nelson urged as forcefully as he could. “Help me get away. Help me get to a radio. You have to see you don’t belong with him. Don’t you?”

The sound of the door being opened had both men turning to see Shui Gui standing there, hate on his face.

“Answer the man, Nephew. Do you belong with me? Or do you belong to the West? Is loyalty to your family more important than what he says?”

“I…I belong with you, Uncle. By your side. Of course.”

Shui Gui walked to his nephew’s side and embraced him. “I am pleased you were not swayed by his words. You may go,” he ordered with a slap on the back.

When the door closed, Shui Gui turned hate-filled eyes to Nelson who struggled to focus on the figure before him. “You took my plans, my hopes, my dreams from me but you will not take my nephew,” he growled as he backhanded Nelson sharply. “You will be my prisoner until I recover what I’ve lost. I will not be denied my place in history.”

“You’re a maniac. A blind, stark raving maniac,” Nelson muttered, earning him another backhand and a quick kick to the ribs.

“I will keep you alive but you will wish for death. And that death will be as painful as I can make it,” he declared as he stalked from the room, closing the heavy metal door with a loud clang, leaving Nelson in gloomy darkness.

“Well that went well,” he whispered before he slid down into unconsciousness.

Chapter 16

“All planes aboard, sir. Launch areas, runway and buildings destroyed.”

“Survivors?”

“None, sir except for those on that plane.”

“All right. Set a course full speed for that island. Alert strike teams to be ready for a rescue mission.”

“Aye sir.”

“We want in on any rescue mission, Captain,” Lee said quietly as he watched the man closely, waiting for the inevitable no.

“Commander, you are not part of my crew and as such…”

“They will be a part of any rescue, Captain Arthur,” Johnson ordered quietly, but forcefully enough that Arthur knew there was no point in arguing. “Both of them are reserve navy and trained ONI operatives. They will not be a detriment.”

Lee smiled as he glanced at Chip who stood beside him, the only indication he heard Johnson’s words the slight twitch to his lips when he told Arthur he was a trained operative. Trained, perhaps but he’d rarely gone out into the field, leaving that to Nelson and Crane.

“As you wish, sir,” Arthur said quietly turning away to an ensign by his side. “Take Commanders Morton and Crane to the OPS room. Get them suited up and get them to the briefing, which will be in an hour,” he said, looking at his watch.

“Aye sir. This way Commanders,” the ensign said softly as he left the bridge, Crane and Morton on his heels.

~O~

Several hours passed. Nelson, locked in the windowless, dank and dark cell, drifted between wakefulness and unconsciousness as his body slowly weakened from blood loss and his assorted injuries.

“Lee?” Nelson, deep in a restless sleep, mumbled. “I…I’m sorry…I…I didn’t…I…” A gentle hand on his forehead brought a sweet coolness, and startled him from his nightmare. Opening his eyes, he saw Sun Yan by his side again, concern on his face.

“You are fevered." Pulling something from his pocket, he unwrapped it and pulled a pill from it then grabbed a canteen of water and looked into Nelson’s fevered eyes. “This is penicillin. It’s all I could find. I’m sorry.”

Nodding Nelson opened his mouth and accepted the pill and the welcome relief of the water that cooled his parched mouth and throat.

“Thank you,” he managed to croak out.

“I’m sorry it is not more. I have some bandages to rewrap your wounds though,” he said as he set to work undoing the bloody ones from Nelson’s arm and those wrapped about his abdomen and back.

“What’s been happening?” Nelson asked as he did his best to stifle the groan that threatened to pour from him as the young man did his best to help.

Yan shrugged uneasily as he rewrapped a bandage about Nelson’s body and sat down on the upturned bucket once more. “Uncle is readying us to move back to…” he stopped, frowning as he looked up into Nelson’s face.

“I’m not going anywhere, Yan,” he said as he wearily laid his head back against the damp wall.

Nodding sadly, he continued. “We’re moving back to one of the main islands of Malaysia where Uncle has people, resources. We’ll start again.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

Yan was silent for a long time then shrugged. “I have no choice. I either go with him or be killed.”

“You believe he will kill you? You’re blood to him. Family.”

Yan was a long time in answering but finally he nodded. “Blood yes, but to him, a traitor earns his death. Do you know what his name…the name he chooses to be called by… means?” he asked suddenly, looking into Nelson’s eyes.

“Shui Gui? I do. In Chinese mythology, the shui gui were spirits of people that drowned. Their spirits stay in the area they died in waiting for some unsuspecting victim to come along. They…they take possession of their bodies,” he said stumbling over his words as he remembered Krueger and how he had taken over Crane’s body. *** “They return to the world of the living.”

Yan smiled. “You are well versed in Chinese mythology. I should not be surprised.”

“I spent some time in China,” he answered vaguely. “That’s what your uncle is, Yan. He chose his pseudonym well. He devours souls, lives, knowledge…whatever he desires without a thought to who he hurts. Is that who…what you want to serve?”

“I have no choice!” Yan yelled as he got up and began to pace.

“That’s bullshit. You serve him because it’s easier than thinking for yourself. Easier than making your own decisions about where you want to go or what you want to do. Your future is in your hands,” he said feeling himself begin to weaken more. “You know he won’t win. Even now, he’s being hunted down.”

“They will not find him…us,” he answered softly, not looking Nelson in the eye.

“Won’t they? I can tell you with certainty that they will. And soon,” Nelson assured hoping rescue came soon as he didn’t know how long he could stay conscious…or alive. The blood he’d lost, and was losing, was slowly sapping his strength.

Yan looked down, gazing into Nelson’s face. “You cannot know that with certainty. You can’t!” he yelled.

“When the bombs start, or the island is overrun by troops, come back. I’ll do what I can,” he called as he watched Yan stride to the door.

“You’re bluffing. No one knows of this place,” he snarled, going to the door and slamming the heavy metal door behind him.

Nelson sighed and lay his head back against the dampness and closed his eyes. “I sure hope that was the truth,” he whispered hoping the tracker was still transmitting his location. He wasn’t sure what the life of the transmitter was nor was he sure that his fall into the ocean hadn’t damaged it. Falling that far into the water was exactly like falling from a building, the water hard as any cement surface. He’d been lucky the chopper hadn’t been too far above the water when he fell.

He closed his eyes, feeling what little strength he had left ebb away. “I…I’m sorry, Lee,” he whispered as his face appeared before him, his eyes anguished as he knew with certainty what he planned. “I…I’m sorry.”

Chapter 17

Sun Yan walked from the cell Nelson was being held in, his mind a confusion of thoughts. He heard over and over Nelson’s words and knew he was right. How could he not be? There was no hope. Not for him, his uncle or his people. His uncle said they would simply hide out and begin again. But the only thought that swirled about in his mind was why? Why continue? Why try again? Why do what his uncle planned? For what? He knew the reason his uncle desired to dominate the world but it made no sense to him. One man could not hope to take over the whole world…to hold a world in subjection. He’d known the plans were corrupt, a product of a man gone from what he remembered as a child to a fanatic from the moment he heard them on his return. But he had no idea how to break away, no idea how to turn into the traitor he knew he would be.

But now? Now, he felt a conviction fill him and he turned back to the door he’d just closed as he pondered the man on the other side, defiant even as he was shackled to a wall, defiant even as he’d fought against brainwashing, defiant even as he trusted his people to come for him. Would he have the same hope if the situations were reversed? He knew with a certainty that he didn’t. He’d seen his uncle cut down those too weak to help, too weak to defend themselves and knew he would just as easily be cut down by the man he had suddenly realized he had no respect for…only a misplaced love. And loyalty.

But perhaps, he had time. Perhaps he could make his uncle see reason. Perhaps he could at least barter for the life of the man behind that door. Feeling hope flicker to life within, he strode off in search of his uncle stopping outside a room and listening.

“They are coming! How? They could not know where we had gone. There is no way!” he heard his uncle shouting.

Peering into the almost bare, cold room, he saw his uncle and a few of his elite guards staring at a screen and knew Nelson had not lied: his people were coming. How he did not know, but they were.

“Uncle?” he called walking to his side. “We must surrender. We have no hope. We…”

“You have been listening to our captive! I knew you would never stand strong! I knew the moment you returned from that devil’s den called America that you would one day turn!”

“Uncle! No! I’m thinking of you,” he cried out, hurt that his uncle had never truly trusted him. “If they come, what can we do to stop them? We are finished!”

He watched as his uncle paced about the room. “Stop them…yes…we must prepare,” he muttered as if listening to a voice only he could hear. “We will prepare. We will prepare. We will live. We will be stronger and wreak our revenge.”

“Uncle!”

Turning, his uncle stared at him with hate-filled eyes. “Get out of my sight,” he growled in a deadly low tone. “You are willing to give up all we have worked for…all I have worked for. You are no longer my nephew. Go to your new friend; see if he can help you before I come to kill him. He may believe he will be rescued. He may believe that he will take down all that I have begun, but he will not see it. I will put a bullet in his head first!”

Shaking his head in disbelief that his uncle was willing to simply let him die here, he turned and ran from the room. Stopping outside, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. What to do? Cast aside by the only man he remembered as a father filled him with a blind anguish. Turning his head, he looked down the long corridor and clenched his teeth, knowing there was to be only one chance for what he knew he needed to do. Only one chance for what he knew was the right thing and he began to run, heading to the cell that held Nelson.

Opening the door to Nelson’s prison, he stalked over to the unconscious man and, using a bolt cutter he had managed to find, began to snip the chains that held him.

“What…what’s happening?” Nelson asked weakly when he felt his arms being gently lowered.

“We must go. Your people are coming. My uncle will be here soon to kill you.”

“And here I thought I was an integral cog in his plans for world domination,” he joked, grimacing as he felt the blood begin to flow back into his numb hands.

“Do not talk. You will need your strength,” he ordered as he snipped the final cog and threw the bolt cutter to the ground.

“I’m not going to be able to walk, Yan. Get out of here while you can. Raise a white cloth. They’ll…”

“I’ll help you. Together we will get out. Besides, there’s less chance they will shoot first and ask questions later if they see you with me,” he said as he reached his hands under Nelson, lifting his as carefully as he could, ignoring the gasp that came from the man.

“We must…”

What he had been about to say was cut off when a loud explosion followed by gunfire erupted from someplace not too far way.

“They’re coming. We must hurry.”

Yan practically carried Nelson from the room, heading towards the main entry of the enclave.

“Nephew!"

Yan turned towards the voice of his uncle behind him and blanched when he saw him standing with a pistol aimed at them.

"Step away from him!”

“Uncle, no! It’s over. Let him go.”

“Step aside, Nephew or I will kill you both,” he said as he walked slowly towards them.

“Yan, let me go,” Nelson ordered weakly, trying to pull himself from the young man's tight grip. “There’s no need for both of us to die. Walk out of here and find Lee Crane. Tell him…”

“No. No more must die.”

“Step aside,” Shui Gui growled in a low tone as he advanced on the pair.

Yan slipped his arms from Nelson and propped him against the wall his hands outstretched pleading with his uncle.

“Surrender, Uncle. It’s the only way.”

“The only way for what? To live in shame? I will not give up,” he cried heading towards Nelson again with hate on his face as he raised the gun in his hand.

“Please Uncle…”

“I warned you, Yan. Step away. My last warning.”

“No Uncle. Listen,” he implored as he stepped in front of Nelson. “Don’t…”

Nelson jumped as the gun in Shui Gui’s hand went off and he watched helplessly as the young man standing in front of him looked down in surprise then up to his uncle whose face for one second registered horror before settling back into a cold, hard façade.

“Uncle,” he whispered in shock before falling to the ground at Nelson’s feet.

Staring down at the lifeless body, Nelson shook his head, unable to believe what he had just seen. “You killed your own flesh and blood. You killed someone that looked to you as a father. How could you do that? For what?” Nelson yelled in anger and sadness.

“He was weak. He has always been weak, made that way by being among your kind all those wasted years in your world. My mistake was listening to his pleading. And now,” he said raising the gun again, “It’s your turn to die.”

Nelson steeled himself for the bullet he knew was coming, knowing he couldn’t get out of its path in time and flinched when it went off. Surprise filled him as he watched Shui Gui’s body flung backwards to the ground. Another shot and he lay still.

Turning his eyes away, he saw Lee Crane flanked by Chip Morton and a few Marines, swarm into the room and spread out down the hall.

His eyes caught Lee's for a brief second, a slight smile flickering on his lips before he turned his gaze back to the young man at his feet, all the strength he’d managed to find as Sun Yan had helped him walk the short distance from his prison left him and he collapsed by Yan's body. He turned him over and placed his fingers to the side of his neck, lowering his head in sadness and defeat when he felt nothing. “I’m sorry, Yan,” he managed to whisper, patting him gently before his strength left him completely and he passed out, never feeling Lee kneel by his side or hearing him call his name anxiously.

“Admiral,” Lee called softly as he and Chip knelt by Nelson’s side, gently turning him over and flinching at the bruises and cuts that lined his face, the blood drenched bandages and splinted leg.

“Please move aside, Commanders. Let us help him,” a voice behind him said. Turning he saw two medics behind him and the pair scooted to the side, their eyes watching Nelson who lay unmoving as the medics quickly assessed their patient’s condition, talking between themselves.

Standing, Crane watched the scene then turned to a member of the Coral Sea’s strike team as he walked to him. “How is he, sir?”

“Alive, Smith. He’s alive,” Crane answered softly.

“That’s more than I can say for the rest. None of them surrendered. They’re all dead. All the ones we found here that is. We’re still searching the area.”

“Any injuries on our side?” Morton asked as he shouldered his weapon and stared at Nelson.

Smith shrugged. “Minor wounds. Nothing life threatening or in need of immediate treatment.”

“That’s good,” Lee said turning back to watch them work on Nelson. Kneeling, he looked one of the medics in the eye. “How bad is it?”

The young medic looked up into Crane’s worried eyes briefly before turning back to his patient. “He’s weak. He’s lost a fair amount of blood I’d say. Two gunshot wounds, broken ribs, broken leg, probable concussion…he’s in bad shape. We need to get him back to the ship,” he said as he stood up to allow two men with a stretcher access to his patient.

Chip walked to Lee's side, the two watching as Nelson was gently picked up and placed on the stretcher, covered and carried from the room to the waiting helicopter.

Glancing around the room, Chip placed a hand on Lee's shoulder and shook him. “Come on. There’s nothing else for us to do here. Let the Marine’s do the mopping up.”

Nodding, the two followed the stretcher down the corridor and out into the bright tropical sun. A chopper sat a few yards down on the beach, its rotors spinning slowly as it awaited the men coming towards it.

Nelson was placed gently inside, Morton and Crane crawling in beside their commanding officer and friend, touching his arm gently and whispering that that they were there before seating themselves out of the way as the medics sat by his side.

“He’s going to be all right, Lee,” Chip said softly as he watched his friend stare at Nelson in concern.

“Of course he is. He has to,” he murmured as the helicopter rose in the air and flew back to the carrier. “He has to.”

Chapter 18

Lee Crane paced anxiously back and forth outside the door to the room marked “Sick Bay” as he waited for word on Admiral Nelson’s condition. He looked up to see Admiral Johnson followed by Chip walk quickly down the corridor.

“Any word, Crane?” Johnson asked, slightly out of breath from his jaunt through the corridors of the large carrier.

“No. Not yet,” Lee answered with a frown, worried there’d been no word on the admiral. “What’s the word on the mop up back on the island?”

“We have a few prisoners we found hiding in a cave not far from the main building. They surrendered readily enough so we have some prisoners to question however, we’re fairly certain this Shui Gui is the man you killed. When Harry wakes up he can verify that.”

“Good. I’m glad I was the one that had the pleasure of killing him,” he said harshly as he remembered all the man had put him, the crew of the Seaview…and Nelson through.

“We also found several boxes of papers, letters and other things. I’m fairly certain several agencies are going to be interested in what’s in them. It will be interesting to see how involved The People’s Republic was with this plot.”

“You think they were more involved than what they’ve admitted?” Crane asked.

“It’s the PR. I don’t believe anything they say.”

"Any word on the search for Palmer?" Lee asked.

"None. BOLOs have been sent out. He can't hide for long," Johnson said.

"I can't believe Palmer was feeding info to this Shui Gui," Chip said.

"Neither can I," Lee agreed.

"Hopefully, we can track him down," Johnson said.

"I hope so," Lee answered.

“Sir, when do you plan to clear the admiral’s name?” Chip asked quietly as he stared at Johnson with a steely gaze.

“It’s in the works. I’ve already been in contact with the President. Now that we’ve recovered the material and feel certain this ring or whatever you want to call is broken, Harry’s name should be cleared and people know what he risked. It won’t be long until the world knows Harry wasn’t the traitor he allowed everyone to believe he was. Most of the details of the operation won’t be revealed to more than a few, but his name will be cleared and he will hopefully be recognized publically by the President for his service and willingness to go above and beyond.”

“I doubt he wants that but he sure deserves it," Lee said proudly.

"Many times over, Crane," Johnson murmured.

"And Carver?”

“He’ll be recognized also. And cleared. They saved a lot of lives by risking what they did. They deserve…”

What he was about to say was interrupted when the door to the Sick Bay opened and a young doctor perusing a chart in his hands stepped out. Looking up, he smiled as he recognized the men waiting.

“Admiral Johnson, sir.”

“Captain Toller, Commanders Crane and Morton from the Seaview,” he gestured to the men beside him who wore anxious expressions.

“Ah, your Dr. Jamieson was correct,” he smiled as he turned his gaze to Lee and Chip.

“About?” Lee asked frowning.

“He said you two wouldn’t be far from the admiral.”

“You’ve talked to Jamie?”

“Yes, I don’t have access to his records. It was easier to confer over the radio on past history, blood type, allergies…that sort of thing.”

“Blood type?” Johnson frowned. “Harry needed a transfusion?”

“Yes, he did. The bullet wounds weren’t life-threatening but he did lose a substantial amount of blood since they were first incurred. The wound to the back was a through and through and miraculously didn’t hit any vitals organs or perforate the bowel. If it had, we wouldn’t be talking about his need for a transfusion. We managed to repair a bit of damage and bandage it.”

“Repair?” Crane asked.

“Just some suturing, cleaning up some dead tissue…nothing major.”

“What about the rest of his injuries,” Chip asked.

“Yes, well, the arm wound was minor. The bullet lodged against the humerus…the bone in the upper arm…but didn’t break the bone. I imagine he experienced some numbness in it right after.”

“I guess that’s why he wasn’t able to raise his arm up to me in the chopper,” Lee said thoughtfully, remembering how Nelson had tried to grab hold of his hand and failed.

“Probably,” Toller nodded.

“What about the rest, Captain?” Johnson asked.

Sighing, Toller looked down at his chart. “He has some broken ribs, a few cracked ribs and a concussion as well as more cuts and bruises than I can count.”

“And his legs?”

“My understanding is he fell from a helicopter into the ocean, correct?”

“Yes. I'm not sure how high we were at the time,” Lee answered trying not to remember how Nelson had pulled his hand from his to prevent him being pulled out the helicopter’s door.

“As you all know, a fall into water is just as bad as a fall onto any hard surface. The water doesn’t give way as some might think. Luckily, the fall wasn’t from higher up or we wouldn’t be discussing his injuries.”

“What injuries are we talking about, Captain?” Johnson asked quietly.

“Most of the injuries are to his legs as you might expect if he fell feet first, which he apparently did. The left leg seems to have gotten off fairly easy. The ligaments of the knee and lower leg have been strained and the Medial Collateral Ligament of the knee was partially torn. I would grade that as a level two tear. He’ll need to wear a brace for, oh two to four weeks to allow it to heal. He also has a few micro-fractures of the bones of his left foot which should heal in that time also.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Chip replied with hope in his voice.

“Well, it’s the right leg that’s the concern. He’s going to need surgery to repair the damage, I’m afraid,” Toller frowned as he pulled an x-ray from the stack of charts he held and held it up to the light. “This is Admiral Nelson’s right leg. As you can see, the tibia…the larger bone in the lower leg… is broken here. A clean break but still broken. Now, this is the problem. The fibula is broken in two spots, here and here. We manipulated the bones back to where they should be but he’s going to need surgery to repair the bone.”

“What kind of surgery,” Lee asked.

“They will in all likelihood use a metal plate, screws or pins to repair the fracture. Prognosis is quite good. Fortuitously it was the smaller bone of the leg that needs the surgery. Recovery time should be oh…six to eight weeks?”

“That’s a long time.”

Toller laughed lightly. “Yes, your Dr. Jamieson said the same thing. I believe he was not looking forward to being around a recuperating Admiral Nelson for that long a period of a time. But, he could very easily have died. The fall alone or the bullet wounds could have killed him. He’s lucky to be alive.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Johnson asked in consternation as he thought of all Nelson had gone through and all he was going to go through.

“He's running a fever. Not unexpected as his wounds weren’t treated other than a bandage thrown on them. But we have him on an antibiotic IV and hopefully his temperature will start to drop soon.”

“Can we see him?” Lee asked quietly.

“He’s been sedated. As you can imagine, he’s in a fair amount of pain. Sleep is what he needs.”

“Just for a second. We won’t wake him.”

“Your Dr. Jamieson is uncanny in his knowledge of what you will say, Commander. He told me you two would insist on seeing him for your own eyes. I will allow you in for a brief moment. Brief.”

“Thank you. Oh, what about Lt. Carver. Is he going to be all right?” Lee asked.

“Lt. Carver is recuperating nicely. His wound wasn’t severe. Luckily it hit him high on the chest and missed vital organs and bones. He’ll be flown back to the naval hospital in San Diego shortly. I hear he’s about to be a father very soon. As you can imagine, he wants to be there for the birth.”

“I could fly him back on FS-1,” Chip offered. “That won’t take too long.”

“That’s a great idea, Chip,” Lee agreed. “Doctor, let us know when he can fly and we’ll take him back in time.”

“That’s generous of you both. I would think he’ll be strong enough by tomorrow or the next day. Now come. You can see Admiral Nelson for one minute.”

Lee and Chip walked through the door to the Coral Sea’s sick bay, staring at the rows of beds in the infirmary until they saw the one containing Admiral Nelson and walked to him slowly. His right leg, wrapped in an air cast was propped up on a few pillows while his left leg was encased in a thick brace from his ankle to his upper thigh. Bandages were wrapped about his abdomen and right arm while IVs delivered blood and medicine.

Staring down at the unconscious Nelson, Lee shook his head as he surveyed the damage done. Bruises stood out vividly on his pale face and a cut above his left eye had been neatly stitched.

“I can’t believe he’s alive,” Lee whispered. “When he fell…I…”

“I know. Believe me. I know,” Chip agreed. “But, he’s going to be fine. Just going to take him some time.”

“Commanders? Time’s up,” Toller called quietly.

Nodding, Lee leaned over, laying his hand gently on Nelson’s arm. “We’re here. You’re safe now. Everything’s all right,” he whispered before turning and walking out.

From the foot of Harry’s bed, Johnson watched the men leave then turned back and walked to his friend’s side and leaned over him. “It’s all right now, Harry. You did your job. Just as you always do. Rest easy my friend. Rest easy.”

Chapter 19

The next day found Lee Crane at his usual spot by Nelson’s bedside as he awaited the man’s return to consciousness. Staring at the slightly restless form, he thought he looked somewhat better. The bruises had faded a very slight amount but the man’s coloring looked better, healthier and he felt slightly mollified. Thinking of all Nelson had willingly done to protect his country, and others, filled him with a sense of pride that he was able to call the man friend.

Johnson had stopped by repeatedly over the last several hours as he anxiously awaited Nelson’s return to consciousness, hoping the man could give them information of what exactly had transpired. So far, other than a few periods of restlessness, Nelson had remained unconscious.

Feeling restless himself, Lee got up and began to pace up and down the long room, unused to the spaciousness of the aircraft carrier’s Sick Bay in comparison to Seaview’s.

A few of the beds in the ward were occupied, one by Lt. John Carver who watched him with curious eyes.

“Lieutenant Carver,” Lee smiled as he walked to his bedside. “I’m…”

“You’re Commander Crane, Admiral Nelson’s captain. I’ve heard a lot about you, sir. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than I have a right to,” he answered without looking Crane in the eye.

“Feeling guilty, Lieutenant?”

“Don’t I have a reason to?”

“No. Not really. You didn’t have a choice in what you did. Neither did he,” he replied jerking his head to the bed that held Nelson. “What you did have a choice in from what I hear is going after Shui Gui with the admiral. You could have said no.”

“No. No I couldn’t have. He believed in me. He trusted me. I couldn’t let him do what he planned alone. He needed someone to back him up and I was the logical choice. One man might not have been able to stop that maniac.”

“So there’s no reason for guilt. You had no choice in doing what Shui Gui wanted...what he brainwashed you to do. You did have a choice in helping to stop that man’s plans. And I for one will always be grateful to you.”

“Grateful, sir?”

Lee was silent for a bit, then said, “He would have gone alone and quite possibly been killed. And I might never have known what had really happened. I might never have known why he did what he did. He might have forever had the tag "traitor" after his name and that is one man that does not deserve that. So, I’m grateful you went along and in my book, you’re a hero, same as the admiral.”

“I’m no hero, sir. I was scared to death. I just did what I could.”

“I read a quote one time that said, “A hero is someone who voluntarily walks into the unknown”. That’s what you both did. You didn’t know if your stories would be believed but you went anyway. So don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Yes sir,” he replied with a slight smile. “I’ll try.”

“Good. Get some sleep,” Crane said patting him gently on the leg and walking back to Nelson’s side.

Sitting once more in the chair, he leaned forward laying a gentle hand on Nelson’s arm and squeezed, hoping the man before him awoke soon. Seeing no change, he leaned back in the chair, folded his arms and closed his eyes, opening them a second later when he heard a low moan come from Nelson.

Rising, he stood over his friend, watching his eyes flutter, more moans coming from him.

Hearing the door open he turned to see Chip Morton carrying two cups of coffee in the room.

“Chip, I think he’s waking up.”

“That’s great,” he smiled as he placed the cups on a nearby table and leaned over Nelson’s prostrate form.

“Admiral,” Lee called quietly. “We need you to wake up. I know you’re hurting, but we need to see you awake.”

Slowly, Nelson’s eyes began to flicker and the barest hint of blue could be seen.

“Lee?” he managed to whisper as angry tongues of pain seemed to wash over him from head to foot. Turning his head slowly to the side, he frowned at the unfamiliar room he found himself in. “Where…where am I?’

“You’re onboard the USS Coral Sea. Do you remember what happened to you?”

Nelson’s eyes flickered open a bit more and he looked from Lee on one side to Chip on the other, noting the concern on their faces. He frowned as he struggled to put the pieces together, then remembered Shui Gui and Sun Yan and his face darkened.

“I…I remember. Shui Gui and his cock-eyed plan for world domination.”

Lee snorted. “Yeah.”

“He’s dead?”

“If he was the man that was just about to shoot you when we got to you, then yes, he’s dead.”

Nelson closed his eyes as he remembered. “That…that was him,” he whispered, trying not to see in his mind the body of Sun Yan at his feet …bleeding…dead.

“Who was the young man with you, sir?” Lee asked; worry filling him when he watched the emotions roll over Nelson’s face.

“His name was Sun Yan…Shui Gui’s nephew. He saved my life. Stepped in front of…of his uncle…took a bullet…meant…meant for me,” he said his voice fading as exhaustion wafted over him and he slipped back to sleep.

“Well, at least we have confirmation Shui Gui is dead,” Chip said.

“Yeah, we do,” Lee agreed as he watched Nelson sleep, feeling there was more to what had happened.

“I’ll go tell Johnson the admiral confirmed it was Shui Gui you killed,” Chip said as he slowly walked out of the room, leaving Lee to continue to keep watch at Nelson’s side.

~O~

The next day, just as Captain Toller had said, Lt. John Carver was ready to be flown back to the States where he would continue his recuperation and await the birth of his child.

Chip Morton was waiting by John’s bedside as he slid carefully from his bed to stand unsteadily for a second. “Captain, could I see Admiral Nelson before I go?” he asked the Coral Sea’s doctor.

“Of course. Just for a moment. He’s been in and out of consciousness, so don’t expect him to be awake,” he told him as he took Carver down the row of beds to Nelson’s, Lee Crane settled in a chair by his friend’s side.

Leaning over the sleeping admiral Carver called in a soft tone, “Admiral Nelson?”

A slight fluttering of the man’s eyes told Carver he heard and was struggling to awaken.

Slowly the eyelids opened and Nelson blinked a few times then smiled as he saw John leaning over him, his arm in a sling and a smile lighting his face.

“How do you feel, sir?”

“Good,” Nelson answered in a barely audible tone. “I’m…I’m good. You?”

“They’re letting me out today. Well, out of here anyway. Commander Morton is flying me back to San Diego in the Flying Sub,” he said with a touch of excitement in his voice. “Sarah is meeting me there. I’m going to be recuperating at the naval hospital there for a bit. She’s found a place to stay nearby. But I’ll be home in time to see my child born.”

“I’m glad, John,” he said weakly. “You should be there for the birth of your first child.”

“I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t…well, if you and Admiral Johnson had given up on me. I can never pay you back for…”

“I didn’t do anything, John. We were both pawns. It wasn’t you doing what you did. Remember that.”

“Does it help, sir? Does it help you to remember that?” he asked with a quizzical expression on his face as he waited for Nelson to answer.

“Sometimes,” he answered with a sad smile. “Sometimes…not so much. We just have to find a way to live with it.”

“Yes sir,” he agreed softly before standing back up and smartly saluting Nelson, who returned the salute weakly, a bemused expression on his face.

“Let me know how things work out, John,” he said as he stretched out his hand to John who took it in his. "If you ever need anything, call me."

“I will, sir. And thank you again,” he said as he shook the hand weakly then slowly left the room.

Nelson watched him go, nodding to Chip briefly as he smiled broadly at Nelson then turned his eyes to Lee who sat by his side. A place he suspected he had been for awhile.

“Do you still blame yourself, Admiral?” Lee asked, leaning forward in his chair. “Do you blame yourself for what that man made you do?”

Harry turned his eyes away from Lee, not wanting to answer the question.

“Do you?" he asked again, louder.

“Yes, Lee. I do.”

“You have to know…”

“I know, Lee. It wasn’t my fault. My trying to kill you was not my fault. My shooting Sharkey was not my fault. My trying to kill my crew was not my fault. My trying to destroy Seaview was not my fault. It doesn’t make it any easier to know I had no choice. I still did those things. I still see my hand throwing that grenade. I still see it all. Maybe…maybe John will be lucky and not blame himself…not…not…see…”

Crane watched sadly as Nelson’s eyes slid closed, his breathing becoming slow and regular as sleep…hopefully a healing sleep… found him.

He had no answers for Nelson. He’d experienced first hand what it was like to be brainwashed…to willingly take up a gun, aim it at someone you admired more than any man alive and almost pull the trigger.

“It’s over, Admiral. Let it go,” he whispered as he grasped the hand of Nelson and tightly squeezed as if the contact would drive away the nightmares, the guilt, the pain. “It’s over.”

Chapter 20

A week had passed and Harry was back on the Institute grounds, although not in his office where he longed desperately to be. The surgery on his leg had been completed a few days before and he had been transferred to the Institute Med Bay where he was hovered over by Dr. Will Jamieson, and assorted nurses, crew members and employees who were all overjoyed to have been informed their admiral, friend, boss was not the coldhearted traitor they had been led to believe, but was in fact a hero.

“Admiral, here’s another newspaper for you,” Lee Crane crowed happily and with a slight smirk as he entered Nelson’s room a week after the surgery on his leg to repair the break.

Propped up on pillows, the man looked as though he was resting quite comfortably but Lee knew the amount of pain the admiral was truly in. The surgery had taken a few hours to complete and had left the man in more pain than Crane knew he was willing to admit. Lines of suffering framed his clenched mouth and, although the bruises were fading, his eyes seemed sunken in deep shadows of pain.

Harry reached his hand out for the paper, read the headline of ‘Admiral Nelson…a true American hero!’, and made a rude noise before dropping it on the bed and closing his eyes.

“You know, most people would smile at a headline like that,” Lee frowned as he took the paper and read the story to himself, knowing what it said. Knowing that, although the particulars hadn’t been disclosed, his friend had been cleared of the charges of treason he’d willingly allowed to taint him. Knowing the President himself had declared him a “true American hero” for his role in breaking up Shui Gui’s, or as the news reported 'an unnamed terrorist’s', plans.

“I’m not a hero,” he murmured as he turned to look out the window on the far side of the room.

“That’s open for debate.”

Nelson remained quiet as he stared out the window.

“Want to talk about it?” Lee asked quietly as he watched his friend in concern.

“Nothing to talk about,” he murmured without looking at Lee.

“Not even Sun Yan?’ he asked quietly, watching Nelson closely to see if he reacted.

Harry closed his eyes as he saw Yan’s body, bloody and still in death. He saw him move in front of him, believing his uncle would never shoot him and finding out too late he had underestimated the depths of infidelity and hate the man was capable of.

“That young man saved my life, Lee. He stepped in front of me and took a bullet that was meant for me. I don’t think he truly believed his uncle would shoot him. Such a waste of a young life,” Nelson said quietly as he turned his gaze to his friend who stared at him in concern. “I had Angie contact USC and get Yan’s records. He was a brilliant student. He could have been anything he wanted, if he didn’t have the weight of family loyalty dragging him back to his uncle and his death.”

“The way I look at it is, if he hadn’t gone back, Shui Gui’s plans would have still been implemented. Only there wouldn’t have been anyone there to step in front of that bullet,” Lee replied quietly, his heart clenching a bit as he thought of a different outcome to the scenario. “You would be dead.”

“But his plans would have still been thwarted," Nelson argued.

“Perhaps. Perhaps, you'd be dead and I wouldn't know why," he murmured. "We’ll never know.”

“No…no I suppose we won’t. It’s funny but Shui Gui saved my life also.”

“How?” Lee asked surprised.

“He had such a hatred for me for what John and I had done that when he saw me fall from the helicopter, he hopped in a boat and raced out to drag me back to that island. If he hadn’t or waited, I’m fairly certain I would have attracted more than a few sharks with the blood I was losing.”

“It’s kind of distasteful to say but I guess I owe him, too.”

“Well, let’s not dwell on it,” Harry joked.

“I’m sure he was quite happy to have you back in his clutches."

“Yeah. Happy,” Nelson murmured as he remembered the beating he’d been given, rubbing his ribs absently as he remembered the kicks.

Watching Nelson stare off into space, rubbing his broken ribs, Lee’s mouth hardened as he knew in all likelihood, the admiral had endured more than a simple welcome but refrained from saying anything or asking.

“Well, it’s getting late,” Lee said when he looked at his watch. “I need to head down to Seaview and make sure that new radar system you wanted installed is being done correctly then head up to the office and help Angie with some phone calls.”

Brought out of his musings, Nelson looked up at his friend and smiled. “Anything I can do to help, I’d be happy to lend…”

“No. We’re fine. Jamie would have my hide if I brought you anything. You know that,” Lee smiled as he watched the sour look come over Nelson’s face. “It won’t be long, Admiral. You’ll be out of here in a few days and back to work shortly.”

“And being wheeled about in a wheelchair,” he grumped sourly.

“Only for a little while. Your legs need to heal. That was some fall you took. A fall I thought had killed you.”

Looking up, Harry saw the look on Lee’s face and knew he’d gone back to that moment in the chopper when he’d made the only decision he knew he could make. The Intel was secure, John was safe and he was slowly dragging Lee out the open door of the Huey.

“I had no other choice, Lee. I couldn’t risk you going over…”

“Just don’t ever do that again,” Lee interrupted. “You hear me, Admiral?”

A slight grin stole over Nelson’s face and he said contritely, “Yes, Lee.”

“I mean it,” Lee ordered pointing a finger at his friend.

“I already agreed. If the situation ever comes up again, I’ll drag you out the door with me. Satisfied?”

Lee stared at the smirk on Nelson’s face and stood up, a little smile playing about his lips. “All right. As long as we understand one another. Now, I best get down to Seaview. You get some rest?”

“I have a nap on my agenda already, Captain.”

“Good. I’ll be back later.”

Harry laid his head back against the soft pillows and smiled at the way Lee had taken him from dwelling on things he couldn’t change to laughing about things he knew were never going to happen. Hopefully.

Chapter 21

A few days later, Harriman Nelson sat on the bright sun-kissed balcony of the Med Bay his eyes closed as he felt the welcome warmth on his face. He drifted between wakefulness and sleep as he soaked up the warm rays, coming alert when he felt a presence beside him.

Opening his eyes, he saw Lee Crane and Chip Morton staring at him with big smiles on their faces.

“What are you two so happy about?” he asked grumpily.

“Not a thing, Admiral. It’s just good to see you out of your room,” Lee smiled as he sat in a chair by his side, Chip moving to another and seating himself.

“It’s good to be out of there but you two look as though you have something on your minds.”

“Well, we just came down to see if you might be up for a visitor.”

“Oh? Who?”

“Me, Admiral,” a voice behind him said.

Nelson turned, his face going from quizzical to delighted rapidly as he took in the tall form of a man dressed in navy whites, his arm strapped to his chest.

“John! What are you doing here?” Nelson asked as he shook Carver’s hand.

“I was released from the hospital a few days ago, sir and well…I want you to meet someone,” he said turning to look over his shoulder.

Harry's gaze followed John’s and a huge smile broke out on his face as a young woman of about twenty-five with long black hair and a bright smile came through the doorway. Snuggled in her arms was a beautiful baby, one hand, freed from the blanket it was wrapped in, waving wildly in the air.

“Admiral Nelson, this is my wife, Sarah. Sarah, this is Admiral Harriman Nelson,” he said proudly as he pulled his arm from the sling, took the baby from his wife and nestled the little bundle close to his chest. Smiling, he watched as his wife leaned down and kissed Nelson on the cheek, causing a blush to form on his weathered face.

“Sarah, it’s a pleasure. John’s told me a lot about you,” he said with a big grin.

“He’s told me a lot about you, too sir. We wanted to stop by and show you our baby. Would you like to hold him, sir?”

“A boy then! I’m happy for you both. But I…I don’t know…”

Before Nelson could turn down Sarah’s offer to hold her little one, she took the bundle from John, turned and placed him carefully in Nelson’s arms, watching as a smile wreathed his face as he gazed at the little one in his arms. Taking his finger he gently caressed the soft hand that had found its way out of the blanket.

“Admiral, I’d like to introduce you to John Nelson Carver,” John said softly, hoping the man holding his first child would be pleased at the name.

“John Nelson?” he asked, looking up quickly, surprise on his face.

“Yes sir. Sarah and I talked it over and we think it’s a great name.”

“I…I’m honored. I’m truly honored,” Nelson said softly as he watched the young man in his arms. “He’s beautiful, Sarah…John. You’re both quite lucky. Maybe he’ll follow his father into the navy, eh?”

“I’d be pleased if he did that, Admiral,” John replied proudly as he watched his son in the arms of his namesake.

“Look, Admiral,” Lee smiled. “He’s already saluting you.”

The others laughed as they watched young John Nelson pull his free hand from Nelson’s and raise it feebly to his brow as if saluting the man that cradled him gently to his chest.

“As you were, young Carver. As you were,” he whispered, a smile lighting his face.

The End

Thanks for reading! And many thanks to my beta, Nancy for finding all the errors and awkward spots!!

* Season one episode "The Saboteur".

** See my story, A Voice From the Shadows

*Season two episode Return of the Phantom