Silent Thunder

She jumped down onto the pier only two minutes later. "Let's go."

"What's that?" His gaze was on the small tape recorder she was carrying.

"I found it in the back of the closet in the captain's cabin yesterday. Evidently the Russians didn't find it before Samuel stepped in and booted them out."

"Soviet top secrets?" he hissed melodramatically.

She shook her head. "Music. Nothing but music." She pressed the button and the strains of Rachmaninoff issued from the recorder. "He liked classics, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and some jazz. He seems to have favored Louis Armstrong."

"And when did you have time to discover all that?"

"I went down to his cabin and listened to the tape yesterday."

"So why didn't you share it with me when I was having lunch?"

"I'm sharing it now."

"But you wanted to listen to it first, didn't you?"

She didn't answer for a moment. He was right, for some reason she'd wanted to experience the intimacy of discovery. Jesus, maybe she was getting weird. "Maybe. It's like putting together a puzzle. It's always exciting when you run across a key piece."

"And you were being selfish about sharing your gnarled lion of a captain."

"He's not gnarled."

"No, he's dead."

"True. And you should be respectful of the departed."

"Who? Me?" His brows lifted. "Surely you're joking."

"What am I thinking?" She shook her head. "You're right, I can't remember the last time you were-" She stopped as Co

"Why? I'm a very popular guy." He pressed the button. "Hi, Cathy." He glanced at Ha

She sighed. "Cathy, I should have known you'd try to micromanage. Yes, I'm going to have a good di

"Just doing my job. You shouldn't be skipping meals. If you have a good di

"I can't tell you how cherished that makes me feel," Ha

"No, I wanted to ask if he's been wearing that damn gray wool sweater."

She glanced at Co

"Yesterday?"

Ha

"Well, if you get a chance find a way of tossing that gray sweater into the drink. I was going through a nesting phobia when I was pregnant with Do

"Do

"Because I saw him throw it in his duffel before he left. I thought he'd gotten rid of it. He never wears it around me."

"Because you intimidate him?"

"Be for real. He likes to make a show of being henpecked by a bossy wife, but Co

"I assure you, we're not hobnobbing with many museum perso

"No one is going to laugh at my Co

She was serious, and Ha

"Thanks." Cathy paused. "And maybe I do have more than a slight interest in your well-being."

"I know you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't try to boss me around."

"It's second nature. You should have seen me wheeling and dealing in Washington during my heyday. I was awesome."

"You're still awesome."

"Yeah, I know. I just have to hide my light under a bushel these days, so I don't embarrass the kids." She paused. "I hear you've got a thing going for some dead Russian."

"No, I have not." She gave Co

"It didn't sound like you. But Co

"Nonsense."

"I agree. You're not looking for a father; you're looking for a man as strong as you are. That's why your marriage with Ken failed."

"You and Co

"Of course we do. You're family. Co

"Oh, for God's sake."

"He doesn't remind you of him?"

"Just because he was the captain of a Russian sub? No, he does not. This isn't a Clancy novel, and I'm not the kind of person who idolizes movie stars."

"I know. But it was one theory to explore." Her tone became brusque as she changed the subject. "Get back to the i

"As long as it doesn't interfere with getting this job done in time for us to get to Ro

"You obviously have a fine sense for priorities. I'll give in on that point as long as you get rid of the sweater."

"I said, I'll do what I can. Do you want to talk to Co

"No, he'll call me tonight. He'll want to talk to the kids too. Have a good di

"Your Cathy is nothing if not determined." She was smiling as she returned the phone to Co

He sighed. "The sweater. Right?"

"She wants you to give it to the fishes."

He shook his head. "No way."

"Why not?"

"She knitted it. I remember her sitting there frowning and muttering curses beneath her breath. But she finished it and gave it to me. It brings back a lot of memories." A smile lit his face. He added simply, "And it warms my heart."

She shook her head as she saw the tenderness in his expression. How could she do anything that would take that expression away?

Cathy, my dear, you may have lost this one.

FOUR

"Can you come over here for a minute, Ha

"In a minute." She focused her camera and took another shot of the cavity behind the navigation console before she turned and walked toward him. "What is it?"

"There's another metal plate bolted to this surface metal."

"What's it for? Is it on the schematic that the Navy furnished?"

"Hell, no." He frowned. "And I have no idea what it's for. I'm trying to find out. I thought you might know. I've taken out the first three screws. Two more to go." He went back to work. "I'll get this one. You unscrew the other one."

"It could be nothing." She knelt beside him and started to unscrew the bolt. "You know that all Class Oscar IIs aren't absolutely identical."

"But the Russians usually have a logical reason for everything. An extra plate here doesn't make sense."

"You mean three extra plates."

"What do you mean?"

She aimed her flashlight lower. Below the plate were two others, all bolted to the reverse side of the bulkhead in the same fashion. Each plate was a dull brass color and measured approximately two feet by three feet. She gri

"Very fu

"Yep. Sorry, I couldn't resist teasing you. You looked like you'd discovered a hydrogen bomb that Cox's Captain Samuel had left behind." She shined her beam on the detached metal plate. "And I don't think the Russians are as infallible as you might-" She gave a low whistle. "What the hell?"