“Take the larger drysuit and get changed. Wear plenty of clothes underneath. It’s cold down there.”

  He grimaced. “I’d kind of figured that out. How much air in the tanks?”

  “Sixty minutes, and a five-minute emergency supply in the lifejackets.”

  It’s a big lake. If we don’t strike lucky early on, it won’t be enough. If we lose our way back to the ice hole, well…best not think about that.

  “Underwater flashlights?”

  “We have those.”

  He dragged on the thick rubberized drysuit, forcing his head through the neck seal, and pulled on the air tanks. She passed him thick gloves to pull on, and a mask and fins to put on when they reached the water. The flashlights were powerful, and they each checked the other’s gear. Inside the building, it was warm in the layers of clothing and the drysuit, but outside, the temperature fell off a cliff. Will was waiting for them.

  “We made a hole. It’s about a meter wide.” He gestured to where the others were clustered on the ice, “Big enough to enter the water, but hard to find when you come back up.”

  “We’ll find it. Will, just one thing, we’re surrounded by hostiles, so watch our backs. We don’t want to emerge from the water in the middle of a shooting war.”

  “We’ll be here, Boss. Try not to get lost down there.”

  “Roger that.”

  He put the mouthpiece of his regulator into his mouth and sucked in air. It tasted clean. He pulled on the fins and eased himself into the water. Maysoon followed, and they let go of the ice and swam down into the dark depths. The flashlights lit up their path, but the lake was huge, and they were short on both time and air. He watched his dive computer and set a course for the deepest part of the lake.

  It was cold, beyond cold, and in spite of his warm clothing under the suit, he began to shiver. She swam along beside him, her light probing ahead, searching to the left and center as he took the right and center. After half an hour, they’d found nothing. It was time to turn back, or they’d suffocate for lack of air under the ice. He turned his head to give her the signal the return, experiencing the sick feelings over failure. The beam of his light moved further to the right, almost beyond the arc of his search. And lit up a solitary red star, the insignia of the Russian Air Force. He pointed down, and Maysoon saw it at once. She tapped her pressure gauge, and he waved her back. He needed to make certain the nuke was still aboard, but she could go back to the hole in the ice. There was no reason for her to stay.

  She followed him down, and they swam through a hole in the fuselage of the sunken Backfire supersonic bomber. The nuke was there, unmistakable. They’d found it. Now they had to get back to report, and the recovery could begin, with or without the permission of Sultan Naser. A half hour later, they couldn’t find the hole. Probing ahead and upward with their flashlights, it wasn’t there.

  * * *

  “They’ve been too long.” Will was looking anxiously into the water, as if he could see through the dark depths and follow their progress. “Much too long. Abu, is there more SCUBA gear around here?”

  “None. Underwater swimming is not a popular pastime in these parts, for obvious reasons.”

  “We have to do something. For Christ’s sake, I know they’re lost, and we’re standing out here doing nothing.”

  “There’s nothing we can do,” the Arab replied, “If it is their fate to drown in the lake, it is God’s will.”

  “Not my God,” Ryder spat back at the man, “Will, we could enlarge the hole.”

  He looked uncertain. “It may help, although I don’t know how much. A few feet won’t make much difference.”

  “I was thinking in terms of about ten meters in diameter. Vince, what do you think if we dropped something heavy on the ice, would it go through?”

  He shrugged “Sure it would, but we don’t have anything heavy.”

  “We have the Land Rover. I’ll handle it.”

  “Ryder, you’re crazy. It would need a heavy impact to smash that thing through the ice. You drive out there, and it’ll just skate around.”

  “It’s okay, Will. I’ve got it all worked out. Just one thing, when it breaks through the ice, I’m gonna get wet. You find any towels, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Towels?”

  “Yep.” He ran to the Land Rover, started the engine, and drove away. After a couple of hundred meters, he swung around turned to face back to the lake. The engine roared, and the SUV leapt forward. He was halfway back to the lake before Will understood.

  “The roof, he’s going to use it as a ramp. Damn, it could even work, unless it collapses under the weight.”

  The three men watched the charging vehicle get nearer, and nearer, and then it mounted the steep slope of the roof. The chains bit into the snow, and it reached the apex. He didn’t hesitate or falter. It must have been doing sixty miles and hour when the wheels left the tiles, and it launched into the air. The roof collapsed inward, but it had done its job. The heavy SUV was flying ten meters above the frozen surface, but only for seconds. Gravity took hold, and it came down like a boulder falling off a cliff. It hit the ice with a sound like the Gods of War announcing the start of a new battle. The ice cracked and went through under the impact, creating a massive hole. A hole they couldn't miss, if they were still alive. Will could see it had worked. Nolan and the girl had a chance, but John-Wesley was in trouble.

  He ran to the ice and out toward the gaping hole. “Help him. He’s going down. Get him out of there!”

  He dived in and swam down to the stream of bubbles that marked the descent of the vehicle. The Rover hit the bottom at ten meters, and Will reached for the handle and opened the door. Ryder was in the driver’s seat; unconscious after the massive impact had banged his head against the windshield. He wore no safety belt. Bryce was able to drag him from the sunken Rover and pull him to the surface. Hands lifted him from the water, and Vince began to work on getting the water out of his lungs. Will emerged seconds later and looked back at the dark water, wondering was it enough to guide them back.

  He shrugged. “It has to be worth a try.”

  They stared at him in astonishment as he dived back into the icy water.

  * * *

  He was out of air. They’d both switched to the emergency supply minutes before, and he was even lower than her. The mouthpiece tasted bad; the stale taste of compressed air, in quantities insufficient to support life. The taste of defeat was worse. They’d found the aircraft, and they wouldn’t get back to report it in. It would remain on the lakebed, ready for anyone who happened to put two and two together like he had and search underwater.

  Maysoon swam to him and put her head close to his. She couldn’t talk underwater, but in death, she wanted the closeness. He felt the same way.

  It’s ironic. I couldn’t have this girl in life. She belongs to another man. In death, it's another story. Ain’t life shit? Two other men want her, the Sultan and his brother, but in death, she’s mine. What a fucking, fucking tragedy!

  He reached out with his arms and held her to him. There was no point in looking anymore. They were lost, and the sole pathway to the life-giving air was denied to them. They hugged each other, a last act of human contact before their final few seconds of air ran out.

  The explosion tore them apart, as a huge, dark object smashed through the water. It stirred up a thick storm of broken ice, a volcano of air bubbles and thick sediment as it hit the bottom. At first, his fogged brain took it to be a missile that hit the ice. Then it all went dark.

  * * *

  “Nolan, talk to me. Wake up!”

  He opened his eyes. They were clustered around him, and Vince was pumping his chest to clear the water in his lungs. He must have dropped the mouthpiece when the air gave out and sucked in water instead. He coughed, and a trickle escaped from his mouth.

  “What, uh, what happened?”

  The answer made no sense. “John-Wesley drove the Land Rover into the lake.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  Why drive a Land Rover into a lake?

  “There was no other way to enlarge the hole. We had to get you home.”

  “Uh, huh.” He worked to focus his brain, “Better give him a medal.”

  Will chuckled. “It’s good to have you back, Boss. How’s the leg?”

  “Swimming in water at sub-zero temperature, it did it a world of good. I can hardly feel it. Maybe I should let the AMA in on the secret.”

  “Good idea.” He grinned, “You could have a breakthrough there. Why not go down there and try it again? Just to make sure.”

  “No way. No fucking way. What about Maysoon? Where is she?”

  “She’s okay. Abu is helping her.”

  “Okay. Will, we…”

  What is it I want to say?

  “It’s there! We have to tell them.”

  “The aircraft?”

  “The Backfire bomber, and the nuke is on board. It’s a cruise missile configuration, still attached to the launch mechanism. Dammit, Will, it’s one, big mother of a Russian bomber, almost intact. It’s vital we get a message out; they’ll need troops and heavy underwater recovery gear to recover the nuke. Sonofabitch, we found it!”

  “Boss…”

  “Yeah, I know, we can go home, home for Christmas, Will. Back to your wife while there’s time.”

  “That was yesterday. Boss…”

  “She’ll be waiting for you. I know she will.”

  “Forget her. We have troops incoming. It looks like our pal the Sultan has decided to put in an appearance.”

  He pushed himself up to a sitting position and choked again. It was almost Abu’s twin, except this man held himself with an erect arrogance, a man who regarded himself as a superior being. His gaze was both cruel and satisfied as he walked toward them, surrounded by his men. He stopped a few meters away and cast his cold gaze on Abu.

  “My brother, I did not expect to see you out here. My men will take you back inside to your quarters, and I will come to visit when I have finished by business here.”

  “I will not return to the cell, Naser. I’ll die fighting first.”

  He shrugged. “As you wish. Maysoon, my darling fiancée come to me. I wish to make certain you are unharmed.” His voice dripped with venom.

  “You are the devil, Naser. I will never become your bride, never!”

  His smile remained plastered on his dark face. “You’ll see sense, when you know what is best for you.” Before she could spit a reply, he went on, “And for your family. You wouldn’t want them harmed, would you, my dear?”

  She bit off the retort and shook her head. “Leave them alone, Naser. Please.”

  “Of course. I would never harm the family of my bride, would I? As for you men, you’ve caused more than enough trouble in my Sultanate. I have decided to order my men to execute you. Sentence is to be carried out at dawn tomorrow. Men, disarm them, and take them away.”

  The bodyguard began to move toward them, but a shout stopped the men in their tracks. Abu.

  “These men have come here to save our country from invasion by the ISIS butchers. If you carry out my brother’s order, there will be no one to prevent the takeover of Hermon. You must listen to me, and treat them as allies. The real enemy, ISIS, is no more than a few kilometers away. They could be here by tomorrow, while you’re fooling around killing the men who can help us defeat them.”

  Captain Qabbani walked closer to him, his face expressing his confusion. “Abu, we have sworn loyalty to your brother. We cannot disobey him.”

  “No! You swore loyalty to the Sultanate. Naser will hand the nation to the enemy. It is time to fight, to beat back the ISIS invasion before they reach our homes.”

  “Captain,” Naser’s voice screamed, “Kill them now. Kill all of them!”

  “But, Maysoon and your brother, we cannot…”

  “Do it! Your Sultan commands you to kill them.”

  Vince’s voice was soft, pitched just loud enough for Nolan to hear. “I can take him. Anytime.”

  Nolan squinted to one side. Vince was prone on the ground, unnoticed, where he’d been helping restore warmth to Ryder’s shivering body. Except he wasn’t helping Ryder; he’d grabbed his Barrett Light 50, and it was aimed in the direction of the Sultan of Hermon.

  Should I give him the go? Should I order him to kill the Sultan? The guy is a king in his country, even though he’s a twisted little shit. There’s also the little matter of his bodyguard, twenty men armed with assault rifles. When they see him go down, what will they do? They’re sure to open fire on us, and our people will never know about the location of the aircraft. Will they shoot? They appear to hold Maysoon in some esteem, and to respect Abu. Is it worth it, taking the chance? Do I have a choice?

  He decided to negotiate, but not with the psycho despot who wanted them dead.

  “Abu, you’re the heir, right? You’re sure about that.”

  “Of course. I am the younger brother, so I am the heir.”

  “How loyal are those bodyguards to Naser? What would happen if he died?”

  A pause. “They would switch their allegiance to me, to the new and rightful Sultan.”

  Naser was screaming, “Kill them. Kill them!”

  But Qabbani, their Captain, was listening to the conversation between Nolan and Abu. He held up his hand for his men to wait.

  Nolan went on, “Abu, do you believe in Christmas?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Christmas. Do you believe in it or not? Do you see it as an infidel celebration? Or something worthwhile, something to bring people together.”

  He sighed. “Nolan, I don’t understand you. Your questions are peculiar.”

  “Do you believe in Christmas, yes or no?”

  “Yes. Many Muslims believe in Christmas. Why not?”

  “That’s fine. Vince, take the shot.”

  The ‘boom’ of the bullet echoed over the frozen lake. It reverberated around the buildings, and the Doppler effect brought it back to them in a series of sound waves that slowly receded. The bodyguards stood frozen in shock. Naser’s body leapt a meter off the ground as the heavy slug slammed into his chest at short-range. The force threw him several meters back, and his body lay on the ground, a mess of blood-ruined flesh.

  They stood for a full minute, waiting for the burst of gunfire that would signal the outbreak of the fight. It didn’t happen. He glanced at Qabbani, who was impassive. No sign of him shouting an order to open fire. Maysoon had crept her hand down to take Abu’s hand in hers. Ryder was sitting up, shaking with the cold, but he’d grabbed his rifle. Will was also ready, his finger on the trigger of his HK. He grinned at him.

  “Will, we’re done here. I don’t reckon they’ll give us any trouble. They’ll be too busy fighting off ISIS, who’re gonna be pissed when they don’t find the wrecked aircraft up on that plateau. You’ll be home for Christmas.”

  “That was yesterday, remember? Boss, I need a favor. I want you to talk to her. She knows you, you know her, and she’ll listen. I’m relying on you to save my marriage.”

  “I’ll do that, and I know she’ll see sense.”

  He looked at the girl. “Maysoon, you okay?”

  “Yes,” she nodded uncertainly.

  “Right. Abu, don’t ever forget what you said.”

  “What I said?”

  “About Christmas.”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “So you should. The U.S. Navy SEALs just gave you a present. You’re the new Sultan of Hermon. Merry Christmas, Abu Khalil.”

  He smiled. “Lieutenant Nolan, how can I repay you?”

  “With friendship and cooperation. That’s all we need. The first part will be your giving permission to lift the aircraft out of the lake, together with its contents.”

  “You have it.” The two men shook hands. They started trekking through the snow back to the palace compound, but Maysoon intercepted him. The kiss she delivered was chaste.

  There could have been more behind that, at least, in another life. That’s what I reckon, anyway.

  “Merry Christmas, Kyle Nolan,” she grinned.

  “You, too.”

  “You’ll come to the wedding?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  “Thank you. What about you, you’re going home? Back to the U.S. Navy?”

  Home. What does that word mean? I think I know. The unit is my home, and it’s time to get that fact through my thick skull. Will needs me to persuade his wife to forgive him. She might believe he had no choice if it comes from his boss. Rightly or wrongly, I am home. Christmas is a time to spend with family, and that’s what I’m doing right now, part of my family, anyway. When I get back, I’ll take gifts to my other family, my kids in Sacramento. Watch their faces as they open them, and we’ll spend some time together. What it means is I’m gonna be a busy guy, especially at Christmas. I have two families. It could be a lot worse.

  He was whistling as he trekked through the snow.

  Merry Christmas, everybody, I’m home for the vacation.

  I visit the kids, but I’m not always welcome, and where they live with their grandparents is not my home. The bungalow I rent in San Diego, that’s not my home either. It’s like a hotel room. Somewhere I call in on occasion, like a drummer passing through a city on his way to the next customer. What about my dreams of becoming a bush pilot, or a charter skipper? I’d still be like a wanderer, the Flying Dutchman, doomed to sail the seas, forever alone. My unit, Seal Team Bravo, would I miss them, miss living on the edge, sharing the good and bad, the occasional victory with the gripes and grumbles? Hell, yes. Resign my commission? What would I do at Christmas instead of sharing a few drinks, eating too much good food, and swapping hair-raising yarns?

  Hell, no, I’m staying.

  SEAL TEAM BRAVO: BLACK OPS - THE KNIFE FIGHTER

  By Eric Meyer

  Copyright 2016 by Eric Meyer