CHAPTER 61

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TASMAN SEA

Max Dalton hunkered over the Zodiac's bow with a pair of powerful Steiner binoculars similar to the ones he used earlier in the day, scoping out the bay. Only these were made with night vision. With the special feature activated on the field-glasses, he studied the dark outline of the icebreaker through what looked like a green lens. A silver hue slithered from its top deck and illuminated an eerie veil of fog about the giant ship. It looked spooky.

Dalton's dark fatigues matched his face, which was painted black to blend in with the night. His chiseled biceps created an excellent base for the binoculars. His arms alone were proof positive he hadn't let his body go to waste since his years with the SEALs.

His five team members were decked out in like manner with one man at the boat's tiller. They were keeping pace with the Hercules Australis, which was well within the Zodiac's capability. At the moment, they ran parallel with the shore in the open water. That made it easier to hold the binoculars on the ship with only minor problems from the waves.

Cat had pulled Dalton and his team from their assignment at the remote compound. She had a second-guess whim that Jake was right about Sarah's location. In a matter of minutes, they would board the ship with grappling hooks. It seemed logical to take a whack at the massive vessel first since it was a moving target. They could always check out the compound later. Besides, Dalton thought it was wise to join Jake and Tony on their mission to rescue Sarah Lawson. They needed all the help they could get. With M4 assault rifles locked and loaded, his team awaited the call from Cat to spring into action.

From the icebreaker's stern, a flash burned bright. It blinded Dalton, temporarily, and when his vision returned, an exhaust trail curled through the air and blazed toward the Zodiac.

"RPG!" Dalton shot a finger at the sky. "Bail out."

As the security team leapt from the inflatable craft, the rocket-propelled grenade swooped down and blew it out of the water with a vaporizing ball of hellfire.

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