ecause of their extraordinarily long wavelengths； VLF transmissions were monly used by surface vessels or submarines out in the middle of the ocean。 That was why the French mandos had brought the VLF transmitter with them。 To keep in contact with their warship off the coast。
Schofield started to feel ill。
The prospect of a frigate or a destroyer patrolling the ocean a hundred miles off the coast was bad。 Very bad。 Especially if it was aiming some kind of weapon…in all likelihood； a battery of nuclear…tipped cruise missiles…at Wilkes Ice Station。
It had never occurred to him that the French might not bring an erasing device with them but would rather leave it with an outside agent…like a destroyer off the coast…with instructions to fire upon the station if that destroyer did not receive a report by a given time。
Shit； Schofield thought。 Shit。 Shit。 Shit。
There were only two things in the world that could stop the launch of that erasing device。 One； a report ing in from twelve dead Frenchmen sometime within the next three hours。 That wasn't going to happen。
Which meant the second option was the only option。
Schofield had to get in contact with the U。S。 forces at McMurdo Station。 And not just to find out when American reinforcements would be arriving at Wilkes。 No； now he had to tell the Marines at McMurdo about a French warship sailing somewhere off the coast with a phalanx of cruise missiles trained on Wilkes Ice Station。 It would then be up to the people at McMurdo to take out that warship…within three hours。
Schofield keyed his mike again。 〃Book； you hear all that？〃
〃Yeah；〃 Buck Riley's voice said。
〃Any luck with McMurdo？〃
〃Not yet。〃
〃Keep trying；〃 Schofield said。 〃Over and over。 Until you get them on the line。 Gentlemen； the stakes in this game have just been raised。 If we don't get through to McMurdo in less than three hours； we're all gonna be vaporized。〃
〃Scarecrow； this is Fox；〃 Gant's voice said。 〃I repeat。 Scarecrow； this is Fox。 Hey； Scarecrow？ Are you out there？〃
Schofield was out on the pool deck on E…deck； watching the cable descend into the pool； thinking about cruise missiles。 It had been about ten minutes since he had heard the transmission from the French vessel； Shark。 Book； Rebound； and Snake were all still outside trying to raise McMurdo。
Schofield keyed his mike。 〃I hear you； Fox。 How are you doing down there？〃
〃We are ing to three thousand feet。 Preparing to stop the cable。〃
There was a short pause。
〃OK。 We are stopping the cable。。。 now。〃
As Gant said the word 〃now；〃 the cable plunging into the water suddenly jolted to a stop。 She had stopped its descent from inside the diving bell。
〃Scarecrow； I have the time as 1410 hours；〃 Gant said。 〃Please confirm。〃
〃I confirm the time as 1410 hours； Fox；〃 Schofield said。 It was standard deep…diving practice to confirm the time at which a dive was to start。 Schofield didn't know that he was following exactly the same procedure that the scientists from Wilkes had followed only two…and…a…half days earlier。
〃Copy time at 1410 hours。 Turning over to self…contained air。 Preparing to leave the diving bell。〃
Gant kept Schofield updated on the dive。
The four divers…Gant； Montana； Santa Cruz； and Sarah Hensleigh…turned over to self…contained air without incident and left the diving bell。 A few minutes later； Gant reported that they had found the entrance to the underwater ice tunnel and that they were beginning their ascent。
Schofield continued to pace around the deck； deep in thought。
He thought about the divers from Wilkes who had disappeared down in the cavern； about the cavern itself and what was in it； about the French and their snatch…and…grab effort to seize whatever was down there； about erasing devices being fired from warships off the coast； about the possibility that one of his own men had killed Samurai； and about Sarah Hensleigh's smile。 It was all too much。
His helmet inter crackled to life。 〃Sir； Book here。〃
〃Any luck？〃
〃Not a goddam thing； sir。〃
For the last quarter of an hour； Book； Snake； and Rebound had been trying to raise McMurdo Station on the unit's portable radio。 They were doing it from just outside the main entrance to the station； as if being outside the structure might somehow help the signal get through。
〃Interference？〃 Schofield asked。
〃Mountains of it；〃 Book said sadly。
Schofield thought for a moment。 Then he said； 〃Book。 Cancel that option and e back inside。 I want you to go and find the scientists who are still here。 I think they're in that mon room on B…deck。 See if you can find out if any of them are familiar with the radio system here。〃
〃I copy that； sir。〃
Book's voice switched off and Schofield's inter was silent again。 Schofield stared at the pool of water at the base of the station and resumed his thoughts。
He thought about Samurai's death and who could have done it。 At the moment； he trusted only two people： Montana and Sarah Hensleigh； since they had been with him when Samurai had been murdered。 They were the only two people who Schofield knew for certain were not involved in Samurai's murder。 As far as everybody else was concerned； they were all under suspicion。
Which was why Schofield had decided to keep Book； Snake； and Rebound all together。 If one of them was the killer； he wouldn't be able to kill again with the other two around。。。。
Suddenly a new thought hit Schofield and he keyed his mike again。 〃Book； you still out there？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Book； while you're down on B…deck； I want you to ask those scientists something else；〃 Schofield said。 〃I want you to ask if any of them knows anything about weather。〃
The radio room at Wilkes Ice Station is situated in the southeast corner of A…deck； directly across the shaft from the dining room。 It houses the station's satellite telemunications gear and short…range radio transmitters。 Four radio consoles… each consisting of a microphone； a puter screen and keyboard； and some frequency dials…were in the room； two to each side。
Abby Sinclair was sitting at one of the radio consoles when Schofield entered the radio room。
The first thing Schofield noticed was that Abby Sinclair had not borne the recent events at Wilkes Ice Station at all well。 Abby was a pretty woman in her late thirties； with long； frizzy brown hair and large brown eyes。 Long vertical streaks of black mascara ran down from beneath both of her eyes。 They reminded Schofield of the two scars that cut down across his own eyes…now hidden once again； behind his opaque silver glasses。
Next to Abby stood the three other Marines…Riley； Rebound； and Snake。 Abby Sinclair was the only scientist in the room。
Schofield turned to Book。 〃Nobody knows anything about weather？〃
〃On the contrary；〃 Book said。 〃You're in luck。 Lieutenant Shane Schofield； I'd like you to meet Miss Abby Sinclair。 Miss Sinclair is both the radio expert at this station and its resident meteorologist。〃
Abby Sinclair said； 〃Actually； I'm not the real radio expert。 Carl Price was； but he。。。 disappeared down in the cave before。 I just help him out with the radio gear； so I guess I'm it now。〃
Schofield smiled reassuringly at her。 〃That's good enough for me； Miss Sinclair。 Is it OK if I call you Abby？〃
She nodded。
Schofield said； 〃All right。 Abby； I have two problems； and I'm hoping that you can help me with both of them。 I need to get in contact with my superiors at McMurdo as soon as possible。 I need to tell them what's happened here so that they can send in the cavalry； if they haven't done so already。 Now； we've been trying to raise McMurdo on our portable radio； but we can't get through。 Question One： does the radio system here work？〃
Abby smiled weakly。 〃It was working。 I mean； before all this started。 But then the solar flare kicked in and disrupted all our transmissions。 In the end； though； that didn't matter because our antenna went down in the storm and we never got a chance to fix it。〃
〃That's OK；〃 Schofield said。 〃We can fix that。〃
Something else that she had said； however； troubled him。 Schofield had been told about the 〃solar flare〃 phenomenon o