Loading the rest of the c-plankton goes quickly. By 4 AM, the last of the barrels are stowed and the Esperanza is ready to head out to sea. Miguel and Julita join Ree and me in the surf.
“It feels good to be doing something that could finally make a difference,” Julita says as she watches Cam’s crew cast off the mooring cables.
“Some of us are going to come along on tows to see the Esperanza off,” Miguel says. Several salvies are scrambling into their wet suits and grabbing their spear guns and fins.
The crowd on the beach waves as the freighter eases away from the pier. La Valiente leaves with her scrounger friends, and the rest depart as well. James jumps into his zode to follow the freighter until it’s safely out to sea, and then he’ll bring Cam back to rendezvous with the Phantom.
My friends and I hurry down to the tows we left on the bottom of the cove. I’m tired from the long night, but we still need to escort the freighter safely across the busy shipping lane. Julita, Miguel and eight of their fellow salvies follow us on their tows. Just before the Esperanza reaches the mouth of Lucinda Bay, the dolphins come racing to find me.
:the big sub is back with several shark people,: Densil says, :and they block the way out of this bay.:
My belly tightens with dread and icy fear pumps through my veins as I relay this news to my friends and James.
:Contact Cam and tell him to stop while we figure out what Kuron wants,: I say to my brother.
:Roger that,: James says worriedly. :He’d better not hold us up for long. Daylight is coming, and we don’t want the Marine Guard looking too carefully at the new paint on the Esperanza.:
Dai swims up beside me, his face tight. :My dad’s quite capable of blowing up that freighter and all of us with it.:
I flinch when Wasp’s cold mind contacts mine. :The bossman wants to talk to whoever is in charge of this operation.:
:That would be my brother James.:
:The bossman will contact him now,: she says and tells us the frequency he’ll be using.
We surface and gather around James’ zode as Kuron hails my brother on his com screen. Peering past James’ shoulder, I can see Kuron clearly. His face looks haggard and his dark eyes smolder with fury.
“Your father and sister had no right to steal my wife’s work. I’m going to sink this freighter and nuke your growing facilities on land.”
James turns pale. “But if you nuke those facilities,” he argues, “you’ll murder thousands of innocent people in LA.”
“And the shock wave will create a tsunami that will crush your sub like a tin can,” Dai adds.
“My sub and I will survive, but the rest of you won’t. I suggest you leave this area at once.”
:Rad,: Robry asks quickly, :if we can get you aboard that sub, could you short out its firing systems?:
:Probably, but there’s a risk I’ll fry more than those systems. It’s hard to control where exactly my electricity flows.:
“I demand to talk to my son,” Kuron is saying, “one last time, in person.”
:Let me go and see if I can convince him not to do this,: Dai says to us. :At the very least, I can keep him distracted while Rad shorts out the weapons’ controls.:
“I won’t let you go over there alone,” I tell Dai aloud.
“Neither will we,” Janni says firmly, and our other team members nod as well.
:Maybe I should come, too, and try to control him,: James suggests to me on a private send.
:Kuron’s so paranoid, I doubt he’d let you get close enough to alter his thoughts.:
“Does that nutcase really have a nuke on board that thing?” Julita asks me, looking sick.
“I’m afraid so,” I reply. “Ran Kuron, the man threatening us, is Dai’s dad. We’re escorting Dai out to the sub so he can try to talk Kuron out of firing those nukes.”
“Then we’ll come along, too.”
“We appreciate the backup,” I say, “but tell all the salvies to watch out for shredders. This is the guy who created those monsters.”
While the dolphins tow us swiftly out to the sub, I do my best to explain to Mariah, Densil and Sokya this new threat, but it’s hard for the dolphins to comprehend the destructive power of a bomb that can incinerate an entire city. It’s hard enough for me to comprehend it.
As we approach the sub, the six shredders still under Kuron’s control swim in a tight circle above the Ophion’s port bow. The shredders eye us coldly. Wasp, Sham and Whitey stop us twenty feet from the bow of the sub, their spear guns pointed our way. Sham grins nastily, Whitey glares at us, and Wasp smiles unpleasantly. She has purple shadows under her eyes and keeps glancing at the shredder patrol. She lights up, though, when she sees Ocho.
:Ochy,: she cries, :I’m so happy to see you.: She slings her spear gun and throws her gloved hands around his neck. Ocho flushes pink as he hugs her back.
Wasp sends Dai and me an arch look. :Don’t you think it was nice that Ochy’s kept in contact with me and let me know exactly what you were doing?:
So Ocho was the one who was telling them about our plans. I clench my spear gun as we all stare at him. His skin turns scarlet. A part of me can’t believe that kind, good-natured Ocho betrayed us, but he’s always loved Wasp.
:He’s planning to nuke LA,: Ocho says urgently to her. :You’ve all got to get out of here.:
Wasp’s eyes widen, and then she shrugs. :That’s crazy,: she replies. :Besides, even if the bossman does set off one little nuclear missile, we’ll be nice and safe down here under the water.:
:You don’t know much about nuclear explosions, do you?: Robry contradicts her coldly. :The shock wave from the explosion will create a series of massive tsunamis that will crush all of us, and the nuclear radiation will fry anyone nearby on land or in the water who survives the force of those waves.:
Whitey and Sham exchange glances. :That’s it,: Whitey growls. :I’m outta here.:
:I’ll go grab the fastest tows we’ve got,: Sham says and sprints for the sub.
:Bro, head north or south once you’re out of this bay,: Dai says to Whitey. :If he sets off a nuke, the biggest waves will travel straight out from here.:
Whitey holds Dai’s gaze. :Thanks, bro,: he says. :You should come with us.:
:I have to try to talk him out of it.:
:Good luck with that,: Whitey says and swims after Sham.
:We’ll wait for you here,: Janni says to Dai and Rad.
:We want to go aboard the sub with Dai,: Robry tells Janni. Ocho and Penn are ranged behind him. :We might be able to help Rad figure out the firing controls faster, and we can help him fight off the crew.:
Janni nods. She’s probably realized that being on the sub is no more dangerous than being outside it if Kuron fires one of his nuclear missiles, and we’re running out of time.
:He only has a few crew members left,: Wasp says hurriedly. :Most of his men bailed on him a few weeks ago.:
:Be careful,: Dai says to our team, :and warn the salvies to keep an eye out for rogue shredders.: He twists around and kicks for the waterlock with Rad and the others on his heels.
:I’m coming, too,: I call after Dai. As I race for the sub, the ghost of a plan is coming together in my mind.
:We don’t have time to argue about this,: Dai says, glancing back at me. :My dad could fire a nuke any moment now. We both know he’s crazy enough to do it.:
:So, don’t waste time trying to stop me. We’re all dead anyway if he pushes that button.:
Despite my bold words, I’m shaking as we approach the big gray door to the waterlock, and Dai presses the control to open it. Before we enter, we see Sham and Whitey speeding away from the sub’s transport bay on powerful tows. Inside the lock, I draw in deep breaths, trying to fight my growing panic. Is it possible that everyone I care for is about to die? Dai reaches out and takes my hand. His grip is firm and warm, and his touch steadies me.
:I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m glad you’re here,: he says on a private send. The moment the door slides open, Dai shows the others a hatch that leads to the upper level of the sub where the main firing controls are located.
I try to ignore my terrifying memories of being a captive here as we hurry down the stark gray corridor. This time the water on this level is set at neck height. Kuron probably lowered it so that Dai can talk to him aloud and breathe, too. We enter the com room to find Kuron pacing back and forth in front of its big window. He stops dead in his tracks when he spots me.
“I want to talk to my son alone,” Kuron says angrily. His hair falls lankly about his face, and his hollowed cheeks are shadowed with stubble. His dark eyes are filled with a maniacal intensity that chills me. Ran Kuron is completely insane, yet somehow we have to find a way to make him see reason.
I glance at Dai. He’s staring at his father in mute horror. For Dai and for all of us, I’m about to take a huge risk. If my gamble doesn’t work, thousands of people could die in the next few minutes.
“I’ll leave you two in a moment,” I say. “But first, I want you to tell us what really happened the day your wife died. You killed her, didn’t you? And all this while, you’ve let Dai think he was to blame.”
Dai stiffens beside me, but my words have an even more dramatic effect on Kuron. He glares at me, his chest heaving in anger. “How dare you!” he sputters, his face flushing as he pounds a fist against the window.
:Dai, link with me. This may be your last chance to find out the truth,: I plead with him, and then I plunge into his father’s mind.
Kuron’s thoughts form a maelstrom of anger, fear and guilt. Images flash through his consciousness so swiftly they make me dizzy. Still, I force myself to strengthen the mental contact as I struggle to make sense of what I’m seeing in his memories. Dai’s mind joins with mine, a warm, steady anchor in the chaotic flow, and suddenly it’s easier for me to sync with his father’s thoughts.
Through Kuron’s eyes, I watch him place a magnetic mine against the outer bulwark of a ship that must be the Storm Petrel. Just as he finishes arming the mine, a beautiful woman with long, dark hair rushes into the compartment. She sees the mine, and shock and dismay spread across her features.
“What are you doing? You’re trying to sink us? Oh, Ran, you truly must be insane,” Idaine cries.
She hurries across the compartment and reaches for the mine. Afraid it might go off and injure Idaine, Kuron grabs her and they struggle. Frantic to save her ship, she wrenches free of his grasp and lunges for the mine again. This time when he grabs her, he pulls her away from the mine with more force than he intended. She trips and falls backward. Her neck strikes the hard edge of a metal box with sickening force, and her face tightens with pain and surprise.
As the air leaves her lungs and the light fades from her eyes, Kuron watches in anguish. I tear myself free of his memories because I’ve seen enough.
“You told Dai that he killed his mother,” I tell him furiously, “but that’s not true, is it? You wanted her back, and you thought if you could sink her vessel, she’d be forced to return to you. So, after you put Dai through the Neptune transformation and she was busy tending him, you went below and set the mine. But she found you, you fought, and she fell and broke her neck.”
Kuron stops pounding against the window and drops his hands to his sides. His gaze meets mine, and the crazed look fades from his eyes. His shoulders slump in defeat.
“I-I never meant for her to get hurt. I just wanted her to stay with me.” Kuron turns to Dai, his face lined with sorrow. “Dai, you must believe me. I didn’t want to lose you, too, and I knew if I told you the truth, you’d never forgive me.”
“So instead, you let me believe for all these years that I killed her?” Dai shakes his head in disbelief. “I can never forgive you for that. You made me think I’m a killer.”
“You aren’t a killer. I’m the only one here guilty of murder.”
“And now you’re threatening to murder many more,” I remind him. “If you fire a nuke at our c-plankton nurseries, thousands will die.”
Kuron rubs his face with his hands. When he lowers them again, he looks bewildered and appalled. “I threatened to fire a nuclear missile?”
“And you threatened to torpedo the freighter that’s loaded with the first shipment of Mom’s c-plankton,” Dai says. “If you want to honor her work and her memory, let that freighter pass and we can start to reverse climate change.”
Kuron frowns, as if he’s struggling to concentrate on Dai’s words. “Yes, of course… of course that’s what we should do.”
:Um, Nere,: Rad contacts me, :I just overloaded the weapon control panel, but before it shorted out completely, it sent a signal to two of the torpedoes to arm themselves.:
:The controls that open their bays are totally cooked, too,: Robry adds. :Ocho has found a way to delay their firing, but we think both torpedoes are gonna blow up inside this sub within the next thirty minutes.:
As if to confirm Robry’s words, red warning lights start blinking on the control panel behind Kuron. My insides clench with terror.
“What have you done?” Kuron cries and turns to the controls behind him where buttons and lights flash ominously. His hands fly across the panel, keying in commands, but the warning lights continue to blink. After an endless minute, he turns back to us, his expression grave. The manic look is gone from his eyes. He stands straighter and he appears to be much more in control of himself.
“Something’s wrong with the firing controls. Two torpedoes have armed themselves. I can’t fire them, and I can’t keep them from exploding. I’ll drive the Ophion out to sea, and if I can’t shut down the firing sequence, I’ll dive the sub as deep as I can. All the torpedoes on this sub could explode, and they still shouldn’t set off its four nuclear missiles. But you and your friends need to leave the Ophion at once.”
“But I don’t want you to die!” Dai says as if the words have been torn from him.
Kuron smiles at him sadly. “The best part of me died the day I killed your mother. I realize now that I haven’t been well for some time, but by making me face the truth, you’ve helped me to find a sane part of myself again. I don’t know how long the rational portion of my mind will stay in control, but I refuse to let the sick part take over again. Use your mother’s c-plankton to stop climate change. That’s what she would have wanted.”
“Come on,” I urge Dai. “The faster we leave, the sooner he can get this sub out of here.”
“Go. It’s better this way,” Kuron says. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a good father.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t a better son,” Dai says, his voice thick with grief.
Kuron is already turning back to the control panel. I take Dai’s hand and pull him from the compartment. As we sprint for the waterlock, I tell Ocho, Robry and Rad to meet us there and I broadcast to everyone, including James, what’s happening. The moment we all leave the waterlock, Kuron’s sub pivots to head out to sea, his shredder patrol swimming along beside it.
Just as the vessel finishes its turn, two rogue shredders flash out from behind the sub’s large conning tower. They race straight for the rest of our team, Julita and Miguel and the other salvies.