Chapter 22 - INTO THE FIRE
The military operation began before sunrise.
Three aircraft.
Two helicopters.
One submarine.
And Sarah.
She stood inside the lead helicopter wearing a flight suit for the first time in thirty-two years.
Emily sat beside her.
Mercer checked his weapon.
"We found the submarine."
Sarah looked at the radar.
"How deep?"
"Two hundred feet."
"Can we board?"
"Not safely."
Sarah smiled.
"Nothing about this is safe."
The helicopter descended.
The ocean opened beneath them.
Then the submarine surfaced.
Weapons systems activated.
"Incoming!"
The helicopter banked.
Sarah grabbed the controls.
The pilot looked at her.
"You want to fly?"
Sarah nodded.
He moved aside.
Sarah took over.
The helicopter dodged the first missile.
Then another.
Emily held on.
Sarah maneuvered closer.
"Prepare to board."
Mercer shouted,
"At this speed?"
Sarah smiled.
"Trust me."
The helicopter flew alongside the submarine.
Mercer and his team jumped.
Sarah waited.
Then the helicopter was hit.
The aircraft spun.
Emily screamed.
Sarah fought the controls.
"Mom!"
"I've got it!"
The helicopter dropped toward the ocean.
Sarah pulled.
The aircraft stabilized.
But one engine had failed.
She landed on the submarine's deck.
Hard.
The doors opened.
Mercer appeared.
"Get inside!"
Sarah grabbed Emily's hand.
They entered.
The submarine was enormous.
Dark corridors stretched in every direction.
They found the control room.
Empty.
Sarah frowned.
"Where is everyone?"
Mercer raised his weapon.
Then the lights turned on.
Daniel stood behind the glass.
Blood covered his shirt.
He smiled.
"You came."
Sarah rushed toward him.
"Daniel."
He opened the door.
"I knew you would."
Sarah stared at him.
"You could have died."
"I almost did."
Emily hugged him.
Daniel cried.
"I'm sorry."
Emily nodded.
"I know."
Then an alarm sounded.
Daniel's expression changed.
"They're launching."
Sarah looked at the main screen.
A missile appeared.
But it wasn't heading toward Seattle.
It was heading toward space.
Sarah frowned.
"That's not a missile."
Daniel nodded.
"It's a satellite launcher."
Sarah understood.
"They're putting another server into orbit."
"Exactly."
Mercer looked horrified.
"Can we stop it?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Not from here."
Sarah studied the screen.
Then she noticed something.
The launch system was connected to the submarine's reactor.
"If we shut down the reactor..."
"The launch stops."
"But the submarine sinks."
Sarah looked at Daniel.
"How long?"
"Seven minutes."
Mercer stared.
"Then we have seven minutes."
Sarah nodded.
"Let's make them count."
They split up.
Emily stayed with Sarah.
"Mom, what can I do?"
Sarah looked at her.
"You've spent your whole life hearing that your mother was a failure."
Emily shook her head.
"Never again."
Sarah smiled.
"Good."
They reached the reactor room.
The door was locked.
Sarah used the brass key.
It opened.
Inside was a massive machine.
Daniel stared.
"I thought that key was destroyed."
Sarah smiled.
"I kept more secrets than you thought."
She began shutting down the reactor.
Five minutes.
Four.
Three.
Then footsteps echoed behind them.
Evelyn Cross entered.
She had escaped custody.
Again.
She raised a gun.
"Step away from the reactor."
Sarah turned.
Cross smiled.
"You really should have stayed retired."
Sarah looked at the countdown.
02:41
Cross aimed at Emily.
"Drop the controls."
Sarah froze.
Cross pulled the trigger.
But Daniel stepped between them.
The shot hit him.
Emily screamed.
"Daniel!"
Sarah caught him as he fell.
Cross ran.
The countdown continued.
01:58
Daniel whispered,
"Finish it."
Sarah looked at him.
"No."
"Save them."
His eyes closed.
Sarah placed him gently on the floor.
Then she stood.
Her face changed.
The woman who had once been blamed for a crash disappeared.
Phoenix returned.
Sarah turned toward the reactor.
"Emily."
"Yes?"
"Stay behind me."
The countdown reached one minute.
Sarah pulled the final lever.
May you like
The submarine began to shake.
And hundreds of feet above them, the satellite launcher ignited.
