“Well, Venezuela isn’t a surprise.” Miller shrugged.
“Agreed. Brazil is surprising though. Then again, their union is coming apart at the seams so we don’t know what the hell is going on in there.”
“Or,” Langford replied, “it could mean they know more about our involvement than we think.”
“You think they know why the Bowditch was sunk?”
“They might.” Langford turned to Borger, still at the door. “Keep us posted, Wil, and provide whatever help you can to Caesare’s team. We’ll work on things from here. If you find any indication that someone knows what we’re up to, tell me immediately.”
“Yes, sir.” Borger ducked back out and closed the door.
Langford returned to Miller. “You were saying?”
“We have three full ranger teams ready to go in if Caesare’s team fails. There will be no secrecy at that point, just a fight to take the primate back from the Brazilians, assuming they find it first. We’ll get it, I can promise you that. But it will be messy, both militarily and politically.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Across the table, Bartman shrugged. “Your man Caesare is not only outmanned but taking in two civilians and an ape. I’m betting we’re gonna need those Rangers.”
Langford’s phone rang and he leaned forward to fish it out of his pocket while replying to Bartman. “You might be surprised.”
He answered his phone. “Langford.”
“Admiral Langford? This is Alison Shaw.”
Langford looked around the table with a mild look of surprise. “Ms. Shaw. What can I do for you? I trust Officer Lawton has arrived.”
“Yes, she has,” Alison answered. “She’s with me on this call. We have some important information.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
On the other end, Neely leaned closer to the phone. “Admiral, we think we may have a lead on another biological source.”
“What kind of source?”
“Plants, sir. With similar characteristics to those in Guyana.”
Langford’s expression froze. “Repeat that, please.”
“We may have another source, sir. Like the others. But in a different location.”
Langford stood up out of his chair and stared at the other men in front of him. “What do you need?”
Leaning onto her desk, Alison glanced at Neely. “Funny you should ask, Admiral.”
In a pressed white button-down shirt, Captain Emerson was standing quietly aboard the U.S.S. Pathfinder’s bridge, reviewing a report on a thin computer tablet. He calmly flicked his finger, scrolling the screen, and continued reading even after he was interrupted by his communications officer.
“Captain?”
“Yes,” Emerson answered without looking up.
“Sir, I have an urgent message for you.”
“From who?”
“From the Pentagon, sir.”
Emerson stopped reading and looked up. The officer rose from his seat and handed the captain a folded piece of paper. Emerson lowered the tablet and took the paper, flipping it open with one hand.
He read the short message and blinked at the white paper. He read it a second time, more slowly.
“You have got to be joking.”
41
“Hello, Sally.”
Hello Alison. Sally’s eyes moved to Neely. Hello friend.
Neely smiled. “Hi, Sally.”
“When will Dirk be back?”
Dirk back tomorrow.
“Hmm,” Alison paused, wondering how on Earth she knew that. “Sally, we’d like to ask you some questions.”
Yes. Sally answered, thrusting her tail and gliding in toward the edge of the tank. We talk.
“Sally, we’d like to take you and Dirk back to the place you showed us. The beautiful. Will you come with us?”
Yes. We go happy.
“But we need to go quickly. On the metal. Like the first time.”
Okay.
Alison opened her mouth to speak again but stopped. She waited several seconds for Sally to say something else, but there was only silence. She half expected Sally to ask why they were going back, but she didn’t. Alison glanced briefly at Neely as if to say, that was easy.
She then turned back to the tank. “Sally, you told me that dolphins remember a lot. Like a history.” Before she could continue, IMIS emitted a loud sound from the computer screen. It didn’t have a translation word for “history.”
“Do you remember telling me that?”
Yes Alison.
“You also told me you were happy for us to talk again.”
Very happy Alison. You happy too.
“Yes, I am very happy. Just like you. But this is the first time we remember talking to dolphins. With the help of our metal. Do you remember talking to us?”