LITMIR.BIZ

      ISBN 978-5-0062-7088-6

      Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

      PROLOGUE

      It was a dimly lit room hidden twenty-five meters underground. The bunker was surrounded everywhere by one-and-a-half-meter layer of monolithic reinforced concrete. A man of about forty in a gray suit entered the room. He stopped in front of the main table, but did not sit down, immediately starting to leaf through the contents of the folder that was with him. Without introducing himself to those present, he began to speak in a low voice:

      – Please sit down. You have already been introduced to the essence of the work ahead. In view of this, I will not waste my time and steal yours, so I will get straight to the point. All research expeditions to the most closed places on our planet, as a rule, are initiated and financed by departmental structures, and the results of such research are stored in closed archives classified as «secret». This expedition is organized by the company «Best Technologies». It was initiated personally by the company’s president, Martin Hogan. Therefore, it is worth immediately bringing some clarity. All finds you discover and discoveries made during the expedition are the property of the company. The expedition is closed. Under no circumstances should it be known to third parties. Further. None of you has the right to publicize your discoveries or disclose any data directly or indirectly related to the expedition. Only the company has the right to publish information about certain discoveries and findings, while indicating the names of the people who had a hand in this. We determined the route you will follow in advance, taking into account data on points on the map where events of a strange and little-studied nature took place. During the expedition, if any valuable finds are discovered, a deviation from the heading is allowed, followed by a return to the original trajectory. From the beginning to the end of the entire expedition, you will report to the captain of the boat. Everyone acts in accordance with his instructions. Any of his orders is carried out without discussion. This is necessary both for the successful completion of the mission and to ensure the safety of all crew members. Questions?

      There was only silence in response.

      – Then that’s all. A helicopter awaits at the top, which will take you to Heathrow, from where you will depart to your destination. You will receive further instructions upon arrival on the island directly from the submarine commander. – Closing the folder, the man in the suit added: – Have a successful expedition to everyone.

      1. LUTHER DE BONT

      He stepped off a ramp onto a pier, waiting for passengers to arrive. In a side pocket of his jacket a few hours ago there was a pack with last two sticks of chewing gum. Quitting cigarettes turned out to be difficult, but now, after two months of abstinence, the old habit made itself felt less often and the desire to smoke seemed less strong. Now it became clear that if he could endure a little longer, the craving for cigarettes would exhaust itself forever. Even service in the navy was unable to curb the addiction to this poison. And now, when he managed to gradually begin to kill the bad habit, there was no chewing gum in his pocket and thoughts about a cigarette occupied his brain more and more every minute.

      A man dressed to the nines appeared on the pier. He was a tall black man with short hair. His eyes were hidden behind narrow sunglasses with thin, neat frames. He was dressed in an expensive beige suit, the jacket of which was thrown over his shoulder, holding it with a hook from his index and middle fingers.

      The stranger walked along the pier with ease until he approached, after which he said:

      – Good morning.

      – Good morning.

      – Mr. De Bont, I suppose? – asked the stranger.

      – Yes – the captain answered with some suspicion.

      The man in the suit extended his hand and introduced himself:

      – My name is Stephen Frost. Nice to meet you. Do you have five minutes?

      Captain De Bont looked at his watch and said:

      – Judging by the fact that the concept of «punctuality» is alien to some people, I probably have extra time.

      With these words, the captain, with a gesture of his hand, suggested having a conversation while walking along the rest of the pier.

      – In that case, I will try to be as brief as possible.

      – By the way, do you happen to have any chewing gum with you? – interrupted the captain.

      – Only lollipops.

      – Fine.

      Stephen Frost placed five lollipops in a rustling wrapper on the captain’s palm and continued his thought:

      – I represent the company «Best Technologies».

      – Yes, I heard about you. You are involved in technical development.

      – That’s right – Frost answered, smiling slightly. – But these are all rather basic developments. We, as a rule, conduct research, and their results are then used by manufacturers of some consumer goods, transport and various equipment.

      – But you also had a hand in the technology of the Ministry of Defense, right?

      – Yes. Software and electronic stuffing are our business. But in recent years we have moved into production. Innovative technology, as it turned out, is always in demand and even exorbitant prices are unable to stop the crazy demand – Frost answered, again bursting out with his snow-white smile. He lightly scratched his nose with his index finger, paused, and then continued: – Mr. De Bont, when was the last time you led a crew on a submarine?

      – Last year I had a fixed-term contract with the Ministry of Defense for seven months.

      – Where did you command?

      – Bay of Bengal. Mediterranean Sea. Antarctic. A little near the Panama Canal.

      – Why didn’t they want to renew your contract?

      – The commander, whom I replaced, recovered from a course of chemotherapy and returned to duty.

      – So what, the British fleet is so perfect that it doesn’t need such an experienced captain with a crystal clear reputation?

      – They didn’t have any vacancies for the position of captain. They offered me the position of chief mate, but do I look like the kind of person who would be grateful for a demotion?

      Frost shook his head slightly and said:

      – Yes, it’s an insult.

      – But they still didn’t want to let me go and offered me command of a surface ship. They were just about to launch a new aircraft carrier and wanted to entrust it to a not very old, but experienced captain, so that one person would be assigned to the ship for a long time and would not have to constantly change the commander. It was considered that a forty-nine-year-old captain with submariner experience was perfectly suited to manage affairs on this ship.

      – So you also have experience with surface ships?

      – I started with them, and at thirty-one I became a senior mechanic on a submarine.

      – And you refused?

      Captain De Bont took a deep breath and said:

      – I prefer immersion. It’s hard to understand. And it’s even more difficult to explain. And so, as a result, now I am steering the yacht of a moneybag.

      Stephen Frost wiped the sweat between his nose and upper lip, then spoke in a slightly different tone:

      – Well, I won’t beat around the bush so as not to delay you too much. Let’s get down to business. Our company wants to offer you a job. The case concerns the operation of a submarine designed for civilian purposes.

      – Someone created a submarine for a civilian?

      – I agree,

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