Page 56 of Clive Cussler's Quantum Tempest
The Pacific Ocean
Juan Cabrillo was in the pilot seat of the bubble-canopiedSpook Fish, theOregon’s latest submarine. The three-passenger deepwater submersible was capable of depths in excess of four thousand feet. It could extend its working reach another five thousand feet via a graphene power cable attached to a drone deploying surgically adept arms and welding torches. Cabrillo had acquired theSpookfor treasure hunts and wreck recoveries at depths his other two larger submersibles couldn’t reach.
Right now, he was in far shallower waters, hovering just beneath theOregon’s hull. Cabrillo deftly deployed theSpook’s clawed hands to support the last repaired directional tube Max was now fixing back into place. Four of the ship’s propulsion tubes that provided maneuverability had been damaged, as had the single straight-line venturi tube. Max’s engineering team was all dive-qualified, which was the primary reason all of the drone-torpedo damage underneath the hull had been repaired in record time.
Hanley was on board the sixty-five-footNomad, theOregon’s flat-faced, Tic Tac–shaped submarine, manipulating its underwater arms and assisted by a trio ofOregondivers working just beyond his three visual portals.
The encounter with the cloaked mystery ship was another wake-up call for theOregon. Just as with the war-gamed encounter with Linda,certain vulnerabilities had been exposed. Fortunately, all of the damage inflicted had been relatively minor, though clearly it could have been far worse, if not fatal. Whether or not theOregonhad managed a blind hit on his opponent was unclear, as was the reason for the other ship’s retreat. For now, he called it a draw. But Cabrillo and his brain trust needed to make sure the next round went decisively to theOregon.
“Chairman, Mr.Overholt is calling for you. I told him you were busy, but he insists on speaking with you.”
Juan raised a curious eyebrow. Overholt knew they were in the midst of repairs following his after-action report. They both agreed continuing to chase the phantom was a waste of effort now that it was alerted to theOregon’s presence, but at least Cabrillo had provided confirmation that something was afoot.
“Patch him through.”
A moment later, Overholt’s voice crackled on the speakers.
“How are the repairs coming along, dear boy?”
“Depends on how many more phone calls I have to take. Pending no more interruptions, we should be all wrapped up within the next few hours. What’s up?”
“You needn’t be churlish. I have another opportunity for you.”
“Frankly, Langston, you’ve got my head spinning. I’ve got two operators undercover in Panama on one mission for you, and I just finished a blind man’s brawl on another one.”
“You’re the best juggler I know.”
“Not sure I signed up for this circus.”
“Every respectable one needs three rings. Do you remember the briefing I sent along to you about President Olmedo?”
“Of course. I really like that guy.”
“There is much to admire, certainly.”
Cabrillo had double-majored in engineering and political science at Cal Poly and always kept abreast of geopolitical developments. He had closely followed Olmedo’s surprising rise to the presidency of El Salvador against all odds. Decades of the most violent crime in the Western Hemisphere, coupled with banana republic levels of corruptionand incompetence, had left the tiny nation an economic and political basket case. To everyone’s astonishment, the young president had proven to be a bold and visionary leader with a goal of transforming his nation into the Singapore of Central America.
To do so, the incorruptible reformer waged a relentless but law-abiding campaign against the criminality and corruption that had crippled his country’s people and progress. He still faced a number of obstacles. Overholt’s briefing had laid out Olmedo’s most pressing predicament.
The Chinese government’s economic Belt and Road Initiative had stretched its tentacles around the globe for over a decade, offering large loans and trade contracts to nations needing both.
The poorest nations—especially the ones headed by corrupt politicians—had been the most eager to participate. The Chinese targeted critical infrastructure projects like transnational highways and shipping ports, offering to build or refurbish them using Chinese engineering and Chinese bank loans to pay for the effort. It was all done in the name of fostering economic development with the promise of lifting them out of poverty and into prosperity through increased global trade.
Of course, that was mostly a lie. The initiative was simply another stone in China’s “unrestricted warfare” sling. The Chinese were loaning money to nations they knew couldn’t afford to pay it back. Those pieces of critical infrastructure built by Chinese firms and Chinese labor with other people’s borrowed money were all collateralized. If the struggling governments failed to repay their loans, the properties in question would be seized. After a decade of such predatory efforts, the Chinese had acquired some of the most strategically valuable real estate on the planet.
Before Olmedo, El Salvador’s previous administration had fallen prey to its own greed and China’s strategic plotting and foolishly signed up for the initiative. The nation’s Port of Acajutla was now at risk, as the outsize loan repayments were overly burdensome to the small economy. The last thing the United States needed was for China’s Navy to find a Pacific Ocean toehold in Latin America or, morelikely, another gateway for illegal drugs, people, and guns to flood into the region.
Fortunately, there was a proviso sequestered deep in the voluminous folds of the expansive but poorly translated bilateral treaty. That provision allowed El Salvador to terminate the agreement if China was ever found to have violated El Salvador’s national laws.
Olmedo also eagerly sought strategic partnership with the United States, but his greedy predecessors and their Chinese benefactors had tied his hands. He quietly turned to the Americans for help. Overholt was tasked with finding a solution and now he had his opportunity.
“Are you still scheduled for that drop off in El Salvador?”
“Delivering tomorrow. Why?”
“My sources report theGolden Lotus, a Chinese-flagged vessel with known ties to the MSS, is approaching the Port of Acajutla with a contraband cargo.”
“Let me guess. You want us to secretly board the vessel once it’s docked, document its illegal consignment, and send that evidence back to you, and all without getting caught to avoid an international incident.”
