“Maybe we shouldn’t have scuttled that vessel after all,” Kowalski said, staring past the stern to theIvan Lyakhov, the Russian patrol boat.
Kowalski had warned them of this problem. Sabotaging theLyakhovhad served them earlier, but now it was an obstacle in their path.
The Russian boat sat in the channel carved by thePolar King. Its bow thrusters churned to either side, holding the craft in the center of the waterway. The massive icebreaker bore down on it, still running in reverse. There had been no time to try to turn the massive ship in the thick ice. Even now, every minute counted, which meant this union was going to be a rough one.
While theKinghad slowed as it neared the Russian ship, the icebreaker dared not lose too much speed. The huge ship swept through a thick crush of broken ice and small bergs. It was the debris left behind by the massive floe that had been blasted into the channel.
“Brace for impact!” Kelly yelled, broadcasting his message ship-wide. But this announcement was less for theKingand more for theLyakhov, which also heard his warning through the radio.
The bow of theLyakhovswelled behind the icebreaker—then theKing’s stern slammed into the front of the boat. Due to the icebreaker’s momentum and its massive weight, the crash felt no worse than a speedbump. TheKingjolted, then shrugged off the impact.
The same was not true for the smaller patrol boat. Its bow crumpled and lifted, riding for a moment atop the breaker’s stern. The two continued down the channel this way for a hundred yards, before theLyakhovfinally slid into the water.
“Engage second engine!” Kelly ordered. “There’s no slowing from here, mates.”
ThePolar Kingpicked up speed as the engine crew added the horsepowerof the breaker’s second nuclear powerplant. Past theKing’s stern, theLyakhovstruggled to hold the center of the channel, having to rely solely on its bow thrusters on either side. The boat shimmied and swayed like a salsa dancer in the frigid water. The Russian boat dared not lose its line. If it slipped sideways, it would jam across the channel, trapping everyone.
To pull off this Russian ballet between the two huge ships, it required timing and trust across the two bridges. All their lives depended on mutual cooperation.
As a sign of good faith—a truce formed by necessity—Captain Turov had already been shuttled via helicopter to theLyakhov, taking along his lieutenant and the archpriest. At this point, recriminations and punishments could wait.
Especially considering what they all faced.
Byron bellowed out the time and distance. “Five minutes to go. Seven miles out.”
Gray searched Kelly’s features to see if there was any information to be found there. But the captain remained stoic. Still, a single bead of sweat shone on his forehead. It was easy to read.
It’ll be tight.
Making matters more nerve-racking was that no one knew for surewhenthe torpedo would hit. Their timetable was all guesswork. It could hit at any moment.
ThePolar Kingsped along, no longer gaining speed.
This was all the engines had.
“Three minutes,” Byron called out. “Eight miles.”
No one acknowledged this, as the bridge crew grew breathless, smothered by the tension.
After another minute, Kelly waved an arm high. “That’s it. Lock us down. No more sightseeing.”
Storm shutters lowered over the windows. Then its louvres closed tight, cutting off the view. Before that happened, Gray noted the same was true over at theLyakhov. When that warhead struck, its flash could blind instantly, even at this distance.
Kelly was taking no chances, considering the unknown variables.
“One minute,” Byon announced, though his words were barely above a whisper. “Nine miles out.”
Kelly nodded to the navigator. “That’ll—”
The world brightened beyond the shutters. Every louvre stood out starkly, limned against a brilliance that shocked. It was still blinding, as if a sun had crashed before their bow.
It was also eerily quiet—then the world fell dark again.
In the silence, no one breathed. Then a sharp bang shook the ship, but it was no louder than a thunderclap. It was not the concussive world-shattering explosion shown in movies. A loud rumbling followed, rapidly growing in volume, sounding like a freight train running across the top of the icebreaker.
Winds buffeted and rattled the ship.
With the flash over, Kelly found his voice. “Open us up.”
