Mike?” Ballantine asked.
“Morganton? Yeah, she was,” Mike replied as he was pushed to a hatch in the wall by the bay floor. “She invented these things.”
Ballantine snorted and chuckled lightly. “Is that what she said? She invented the subs? Conniving cunt.”
“Whoa,” Popeye said, looking at Ballantine. “Don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that, boss guy. You must really hate that broad.”
“I only hate three people in this world, Popeye,” Ballantine replied. “Dr. Morganton is not one of them. However, with the amount of hell she has put me through over the years, I would say the name ‘cunt’ is being kind.”
“Oh,” Popeye said. “Wouldn’t want to be her when you two finally get face to face.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Ballantine said. “Please make sure Mr. Pearlman gets nowhere near the briefing room until I speak to him, will you, Popeye? I would appreciate that.”
“Thorne wants him there right away,” Darren said. “Since he has intel on the sharks.”
“Commander Thorne is going to be disappointed,” Ballantine said. “The man doesn’t get near the briefing room until after I speak to him.”
With that, Ballantine stormed out of the bay, the hatch slamming behind him.
“Damn,” Popeye said. “Company man is ticked off.”
“No shit, Pop.”
***
Mike stared at Ballantine. Ballantine stared at Mike. The two men, one in a wheelchair, the other seated behind an ornate wooden desk, refused to yield and speak first. Darby was the one to break the silence.
“They are expecting us,” Darby said. “You are wasting time.”
Ballantine sighed. “What do you know about Dr. Morganton and the program she was working on?”
“Not much,” Mike said.
“Then tell me the much you do know,” Ballantine ordered.
“Just that she developed the subs so they mimicked blue whales and could get past anywhere without detection,” Mike said. “Or at least, if they were detected, they looked like whales.”
“She succeeded in that,” Ballantine nodded.
“Yeah, no shit,” Mike said. “They look so real they were attacked by sharks.”
“It appears that way,” Ballantine said. “Now, tell me about the cocaine. I’ve read your file. You aren’t the type of guy that would get in bed with the cartels. This is out of character for you.”
“Didn’t have much choice,” Mike said. “If we didn’t, then they would kill our family and friends. We had to do what they asked or else.”
“And who did the asking?”
“Um, some guy named Espanoza,” Mike said. “He was scary as hell.”
“Ricardo Espanoza?”
“Yeah, that’s him,” Mike said. “He kinda looked familiar, but I don’t know why.”
“I do,” Ballantine said. He looked over at Darby and sighed. “It’s time. Go get prepped.”
Darby nodded and left the office quickly. Mike watched her go then turned back to Ballantine.
“Who is Espanoza?” Mike asked.
“A complication,” Ballantine replied. “And someone you will not mention to anyone. Not to my Team, not to the crew, and not to Gunnar Peterson. Do you understand me?”
“Why do I have the feeling I’m back in an ‘or else’ situation?” Mike sighed.
“Because you are,” Ballantine said. He stood up, walked around the desk to Mike, and took hold of the man’s wheelchair. “Now, I am going to take you up to the briefing room where you will answer questions with generic answers only.”
“Or you kill me,” Mike said. “I get it.”
Ballantine pushed Mike towards the office hatch. “No, Mr. Pearlman, I’m not that person. I just need your cooperation so others don’t die. This is so much bigger than you. Can you help me with that?”
“Yeah, sure,” Mike said as they left the office. “I just want to be done with all this shit.”
“Soon you will be,” Ballantine said. “And if I can hold things together, then maybe we all will be.”
***
“This ship is huge. Has to be at least 130
“Morganton? Yeah, she was,” Mike replied as he was pushed to a hatch in the wall by the bay floor. “She invented these things.”
Ballantine snorted and chuckled lightly. “Is that what she said? She invented the subs? Conniving cunt.”
“Whoa,” Popeye said, looking at Ballantine. “Don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that, boss guy. You must really hate that broad.”
“I only hate three people in this world, Popeye,” Ballantine replied. “Dr. Morganton is not one of them. However, with the amount of hell she has put me through over the years, I would say the name ‘cunt’ is being kind.”
“Oh,” Popeye said. “Wouldn’t want to be her when you two finally get face to face.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Ballantine said. “Please make sure Mr. Pearlman gets nowhere near the briefing room until I speak to him, will you, Popeye? I would appreciate that.”
“Thorne wants him there right away,” Darren said. “Since he has intel on the sharks.”
“Commander Thorne is going to be disappointed,” Ballantine said. “The man doesn’t get near the briefing room until after I speak to him.”
With that, Ballantine stormed out of the bay, the hatch slamming behind him.
“Damn,” Popeye said. “Company man is ticked off.”
“No shit, Pop.”
***
Mike stared at Ballantine. Ballantine stared at Mike. The two men, one in a wheelchair, the other seated behind an ornate wooden desk, refused to yield and speak first. Darby was the one to break the silence.
“They are expecting us,” Darby said. “You are wasting time.”
Ballantine sighed. “What do you know about Dr. Morganton and the program she was working on?”
“Not much,” Mike said.
“Then tell me the much you do know,” Ballantine ordered.
“Just that she developed the subs so they mimicked blue whales and could get past anywhere without detection,” Mike said. “Or at least, if they were detected, they looked like whales.”
“She succeeded in that,” Ballantine nodded.
“Yeah, no shit,” Mike said. “They look so real they were attacked by sharks.”
“It appears that way,” Ballantine said. “Now, tell me about the cocaine. I’ve read your file. You aren’t the type of guy that would get in bed with the cartels. This is out of character for you.”
“Didn’t have much choice,” Mike said. “If we didn’t, then they would kill our family and friends. We had to do what they asked or else.”
“And who did the asking?”
“Um, some guy named Espanoza,” Mike said. “He was scary as hell.”
“Ricardo Espanoza?”
“Yeah, that’s him,” Mike said. “He kinda looked familiar, but I don’t know why.”
“I do,” Ballantine said. He looked over at Darby and sighed. “It’s time. Go get prepped.”
Darby nodded and left the office quickly. Mike watched her go then turned back to Ballantine.
“Who is Espanoza?” Mike asked.
“A complication,” Ballantine replied. “And someone you will not mention to anyone. Not to my Team, not to the crew, and not to Gunnar Peterson. Do you understand me?”
“Why do I have the feeling I’m back in an ‘or else’ situation?” Mike sighed.
“Because you are,” Ballantine said. He stood up, walked around the desk to Mike, and took hold of the man’s wheelchair. “Now, I am going to take you up to the briefing room where you will answer questions with generic answers only.”
“Or you kill me,” Mike said. “I get it.”
Ballantine pushed Mike towards the office hatch. “No, Mr. Pearlman, I’m not that person. I just need your cooperation so others don’t die. This is so much bigger than you. Can you help me with that?”
“Yeah, sure,” Mike said as they left the office. “I just want to be done with all this shit.”
“Soon you will be,” Ballantine said. “And if I can hold things together, then maybe we all will be.”
***
“This ship is huge. Has to be at least 130
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