Page 83 of Dark Island: Rescue
On Saturdays, Kian usually worked from home, but Kalugal's plane had touched down on the clan's airstrip late Friday afternoon, and there was no time to waste. They needed to figure out how to extract Tula from Navuh's island fortress without starting a war.
Turner arrived at his office first, carrying a leather portfolio stuffed with documents and his ever-present coffee thermos.
"Morning," Turner said, setting his things on the conference table. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
"There's good news?"
"Relatively speaking." Turner pulled out several aerial photographs of Navuh's island. "The good news is that the extraction method that worked for Carol could work for Tula. Navuh hasn't made significant modifications to his radar equipment. In fact, things might be even easier this time because ships are arriving at the island almostdaily, so we can get pretty close, and we also have Safe Harbor now, so we can take her there first and then fly her out."
"And the bad news?"
"Everything else." Turner spread the photos across the table. "Ground security has been upgraded since the flood. More cameras have been installed, and there are more guards patrolling the harem perimeter. The construction crews are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are a source of chaos, but on the other hand, they mean more eyes on the island. As for vanishing four people simultaneously, I don't think it's feasible."
Kian studied the images, noting what Turner had highlighted. "We're not extracting four people."
Turner's expression was neutral. "Just Tula then?"
"Just Tula." Saying it aloud made it feel more real, more final. "One pregnant woman staging a suicide is tragic but believable. Anything more raises too many questions."
The door opened, and Onegus entered with his customary bright smile that made him seem as if he didn't have a care in the world when the opposite was true.
"Good morning, gentlemen." He took a seat across from Turner. "Is Carol joining us this morning?"
"She is," Kian said. "I called her last night and explained the situation."
The chief nodded. "Yamanu should be here at any moment."
The two arrived together, holding papercoffee cups from the café vending machines. Carol looked excited, and Yamanu was his stoic self.
When they took their seats, Turner pushed the photos toward Carol. "Walk us through the security setup around the harem."
Nodding, she took a sip from her coffee before launching into a surprisingly detailed account. She remembered guard rotations, camera placements, as well as the daily routines of the harem residents.
"The cliff is the only possible extraction point," Carol said. "It's the one area where the surveillance is limited because there is no need for it. No one can arrive by way of the cliff or depart from it. It's considered suicide even for immortals, which makes it perfect for us."
"We use the same method as before," Onegus said. "Okidu climbs the cliff, secures the rope, Yamanu follows and provides shrouding, and carries Tula down the rope."
"She rides on my back while I handle the descent," Yamanu expanded.
"We will have Guardians with scuba gear waiting at the bottom." He turned to Onegus. "How many do you think we need?"
"At least four, maybe more for unforeseen circumstances. They'll take Tula to the submarine."
"About that submarine." Turner pulled out another document. "I've been making calls. A decommissioned Navy submarine is available in the Maldives. The owner is willing to rent it to us for the operation."
"Rent?" Kian raised an eyebrow. "With a crew, I hope?"
They had divers, but none of the Guardians had been trained in submarine operation.
"The rental agreement includes a crew who don't ask questions. They've worked with private interests before."
"You mean mercenaries," Onegus translated.
Turner nodded. "The sub is old, a Russian research vessel that was decommissioned in 2001 and sold, but it's been well maintained. It's too big for what we need, but I couldn't find anything smaller. It has a decent range, and more importantly, it's available and is close by."
"That's an upgrade from the drug dealer's speedboat we used for Carol's extraction." Yamanu leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "At least this time I won't have to worry about the engine dying mid-ocean."
"Or the stench," Carol said. "Remember how bad that was? Like sitting in a Porta-Potty."
