submersible."
"Are you serious?" Whittenfeld asked.
Scotty shrugged. "We know it sounds incredible. And believe me, we're not comfortable with it. But yes, we're serious. It's the only conclusion that rings true. What we can't imagine is who would have been sophisticated enough to have gotten an operating submersible into the loch undetected."
"A lot of people, Monsieur Bruce!" Lefebre suddenly said. "If you pay the price, you can buy anything you need. Submersibles. Experienced crews. Certainly secrecy!"
Whittenfeld stiffened. "The Columbus was attacked by a submersible?" he asked incredulously, his anger beginning to resurface.
"Yes," Scotty said.
"Under whose control?"
"I don't know."
"Lefebre?"
Lefebre stood. "The three guests come on ship," he said. "As soon as they get here, all hell breaks loose. Even an idiot would realize it was timed to happen." He jabbed the table. "Make a list of every radical nationalist group in the region. Make another which includes everyone who opposed the loch application. Someone on those two lists instigated the attack. And I wouldn't dismiss the two who were aboard the drill ship. This MacKenzie and Droon. I've dealt with fanatics all my life. They live for their causes. MacKenzie and Droon would have sacrificed themselves. I heard it in their voices. Saw it on their faces."
"I want the Columbus protected," Whittenfeld snapped.
"Shouldn't we notify the police?" Scotty asked.
Whittenfeld vehemently shook his head. "No. The police will only interfere. We'll do what must be done ourselves. Lefebre! I want you to place armed guards on the Columbus and around the loch shore!"
Reddington sat forward, distracted. "Armed guards on the ship can't protect it from a submersible," he said. "They'll just invite dissension."
"From whom?"
"The crew. The rig team. The union."
Whittenfeld's expression hardened. "Geminii Petroleum. The Columbus . The completion of the Loch Ness exploratory well. Those have to be our priorities. Not the feelings of the rig crew nor the position of the union. There will be armed guards aboard the drill ship!" He pointed to Scotty. "I want a guard tug permanently on line as well. I know we don't have any to spare, so call Aberdeen or speak to the London office. Make arrangements. Get it here. And have it loaded with sonar equipment and stationed near the Columbus . If anything attempts to approach the riser or any of the anchors again, I want us to know about it before it reaches its target." He ambled toward the conference table. "The Energy Department license gives us four years to operate. If we comply with license conditions, we get an additional thirty. I don't want to see us closed down. I don't want to see us lose out when the Moray Firth offshore bids come up, either. And Lefebre is right. There are legions of opponents who would like to see us booted. They don't understand the real world. They're fanatics. And damn, I'm not going to let a bunch of fanatics delay or run us out!" He caught his breath. "There will be guards and sonar, and our installations will be protected!"
"Do we try to track down the saboteurs ourselves as well?" Scotty asked, realizing Whittenfeld's protective decisions were realistic in view of the findings.
"Yes," Whittenfeld replied, turning to Lefebre.
"The environmentalists," Lefebre said. "The Scottish Nationalist Party. The radical nationals. The unions. It was one of them or all of them."
Whittenfeld leaned toward his security chief. "You're to see that the ship and our other installations are guarded. Then you're to try and uncover the parties behind the attack. Do what must be done. But do it carefully. I don't want any
confrontations. I don't want any violence. I don't want to alert the constabulary. And I certainly don't want to provoke the local governing authorities. No, I want done just what must be done to protect this project and this company. Only that!"
Shortly after Whittenfeld had adjourned the meeting he
"Are you serious?" Whittenfeld asked.
Scotty shrugged. "We know it sounds incredible. And believe me, we're not comfortable with it. But yes, we're serious. It's the only conclusion that rings true. What we can't imagine is who would have been sophisticated enough to have gotten an operating submersible into the loch undetected."
"A lot of people, Monsieur Bruce!" Lefebre suddenly said. "If you pay the price, you can buy anything you need. Submersibles. Experienced crews. Certainly secrecy!"
Whittenfeld stiffened. "The Columbus was attacked by a submersible?" he asked incredulously, his anger beginning to resurface.
"Yes," Scotty said.
"Under whose control?"
"I don't know."
"Lefebre?"
Lefebre stood. "The three guests come on ship," he said. "As soon as they get here, all hell breaks loose. Even an idiot would realize it was timed to happen." He jabbed the table. "Make a list of every radical nationalist group in the region. Make another which includes everyone who opposed the loch application. Someone on those two lists instigated the attack. And I wouldn't dismiss the two who were aboard the drill ship. This MacKenzie and Droon. I've dealt with fanatics all my life. They live for their causes. MacKenzie and Droon would have sacrificed themselves. I heard it in their voices. Saw it on their faces."
"I want the Columbus protected," Whittenfeld snapped.
"Shouldn't we notify the police?" Scotty asked.
Whittenfeld vehemently shook his head. "No. The police will only interfere. We'll do what must be done ourselves. Lefebre! I want you to place armed guards on the Columbus and around the loch shore!"
Reddington sat forward, distracted. "Armed guards on the ship can't protect it from a submersible," he said. "They'll just invite dissension."
"From whom?"
"The crew. The rig team. The union."
Whittenfeld's expression hardened. "Geminii Petroleum. The Columbus . The completion of the Loch Ness exploratory well. Those have to be our priorities. Not the feelings of the rig crew nor the position of the union. There will be armed guards aboard the drill ship!" He pointed to Scotty. "I want a guard tug permanently on line as well. I know we don't have any to spare, so call Aberdeen or speak to the London office. Make arrangements. Get it here. And have it loaded with sonar equipment and stationed near the Columbus . If anything attempts to approach the riser or any of the anchors again, I want us to know about it before it reaches its target." He ambled toward the conference table. "The Energy Department license gives us four years to operate. If we comply with license conditions, we get an additional thirty. I don't want to see us closed down. I don't want to see us lose out when the Moray Firth offshore bids come up, either. And Lefebre is right. There are legions of opponents who would like to see us booted. They don't understand the real world. They're fanatics. And damn, I'm not going to let a bunch of fanatics delay or run us out!" He caught his breath. "There will be guards and sonar, and our installations will be protected!"
"Do we try to track down the saboteurs ourselves as well?" Scotty asked, realizing Whittenfeld's protective decisions were realistic in view of the findings.
"Yes," Whittenfeld replied, turning to Lefebre.
"The environmentalists," Lefebre said. "The Scottish Nationalist Party. The radical nationals. The unions. It was one of them or all of them."
Whittenfeld leaned toward his security chief. "You're to see that the ship and our other installations are guarded. Then you're to try and uncover the parties behind the attack. Do what must be done. But do it carefully. I don't want any
confrontations. I don't want any violence. I don't want to alert the constabulary. And I certainly don't want to provoke the local governing authorities. No, I want done just what must be done to protect this project and this company. Only that!"
Shortly after Whittenfeld had adjourned the meeting he
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