She opened it。
It appeared to be a diary of some sort。
Gant read an entry near the beginning：
2 June 1978
Things are going well。 But it's so cold！！ I can't believe they brought us all the way down here to build a fucking attack plane！ The weather outside is terrible。 Blizzard conditions。 Thankfully； our hangar is built below the surface； so we stay out of the weather。 The sad irony is； we need the cold。 The system's plutonium core maintains its grade for longer in the colder temperatures。。。。
Gant jumped ahead to a page not far from the end of the diary。
15 February 1980
No one's ing。 I'm sure of it now。 Bill Holden died yesterday； and we had to cut Pat Anderson's hands off； they were so frostbitten。
It's been two months now since the quake hit； and I've given up all hope of rescue。 Someone said Old Man Niemeyer was supposed to be ing down here in December； but he hasn't showed。
When I go to sleep at night； I wonder if anyone but Niemeyer knows we're here。
Gant flipped back some pages； looking for something。 She found what she was looking for around the middle of the diary。
20 December 1979
I don't know where I am。 We were hit by an earthquake yesterday； the biggest motherfucking earthquake you have ever seen。 It was as if the earth opened up and just swallowed us whole。
I was down in the hangar when it happened； working on the bird。 First the ground began to shake and then suddenly this massive wall of ice just thrust up out of the ground and ripped the hangar in half。 And then we just seemed to fall。 Fall and fall。 Massive chunks of the ice shelf （each one the size of a building； I estimated） caved in on either side of us as we were sucked down into the earth…I saw them make enormous dents in the roof of the hangar。 BOOM！ BOOM！ BOOM！ The quake must have ripped an enormous hole underneath the station and we just fell down into it。
We just kept going down。 Down and down。 Shaking and falling。 One of the big robot arms fell on Doug Myers； crushed him to death。。。。
Gant was stunned。
This 〃hangar〃 had been an ice station。 An ice station that had been set up in the utmost secrecy to build a plane of some sort…a plane； Gant noticed； that used plutonium。 But this station； it seemed； had originally been up on the surface…or； rather； buried just underneath the surface like Wilkes Ice Station…until an earthquake had hit it and sucked it underground。
Gant flicked to the very last page of the diary。
17 March 1980
I am the last one alive。 All of my colleagues are dead。 It has been almost three months now since the quake hit； and I know no one is ing。 My left hand is frostbitten and gangrenous。 I cannot feel my feet anymore。
I cannot go on。 I am going to strip myself naked and lie down in the ice。 It should only take a few minutes。 If anyone should read this in the future； know that my name was Simon Wayne Daniels。 I was an aviation electronics specialist for Entertech Ltd。 My wife； Lily； lives in Palmdale； although I don't know if she'll be there when you read this。 Please find her and tell her that I loved her and tell her that I'm so sorry I couldn't tell her where I went。
It is so very cold。
Gant looked at the naked body on the floor at her feet。
Simon Wayne Daniels。
She felt a pang of sadness for him。 He had died here； alone。 Buried alive in this cold； icy tomb。
And then all of a sudden Santa Cruz's voice exploded across her helmet inter； shattering her thoughts： 〃Montana！ Fox！ Get out here！ Get out here now！ I have a visual on enemy divers！ I repeat！ Enemy divers are about to e up inside the cavern！〃
The team of SAS divers made their way up the underwater ice tunnel with the aid of sea sleds。 There were eight of them； and by virtue of their twin…propeller sea sleds they moved quickly through the water。 All of them wore black。
〃Base。 This is Dive Team。 e in；〃 the lead diver said into his helmet municator。
〃Dive Team； this is Base；〃 Barnaby's voice came in over the inter。 〃Report。〃
〃Base； time is now 1956 hours。 Dive time since leaving the diving bell is fifty…four minutes。 We have a visual on the surface。 We are ing up to the cavern。〃
〃Dive Team； be aware。 We have Intel that there are four hostile agents inside that cavern waiting for you。 I repeat； there are four hostile agents inside the cavern waiting for you。 Use appropriate action。〃
〃Copy； Base。 We will。 Dive Team out。〃
Gant and Montana came sprinting back into the main cavern。
They came up alongside Santa Cruz； who was manning the tripod…mounted MP…5s。 He pointed down into the pool。
Several ominous black shadows could be seen rising up through the clear aqua…colored water。。
The three Marines took up positions behind various boulders； MP…5s in their hands。 Montana told Sarah Hensleigh to stay behind him and stay down。
〃Don't be impatient；〃 Montana's voice said over their helmet inters。 〃Wait for them to breach the surface。 It's no use firing into the water。〃
〃Got it；〃 Gant said as she saw the first shadow rise steadily through the water toward the surface。
A diver。 On a sea sled。
He came closer and closer； up and up； until strangely； just below the surface； he stopped。
Gant frowned。
The diver had just stopped there； about a foot below the surface。
What was he doing…
And then suddenly the diver's hand shot up out of the water and Gant saw the object in his hand instantly。
〃Nitrogen charge！〃 she yelled。 'Take cover！〃
The diver tossed the nitrogen charge and it bounced onto the hard； icy floor of the cavern。 Gant and the other Marines all ducked behind their boulders。
The nitrogen charge exploded。
Supercooled liquid nitrogen splattered everything in sight。 The gooey blue poxy smacked against the boulders the Marines were hiding behind； splattered against the walls of the cavern。 Some of it even hit the big black ship standing in the middle of the enormous cave。
It was the perfect diversion。。
Because no sooner had the nitrogen charge gone off than the first SAS mando was charging out of the water with his gun pressed to his shoulder and his finger jamming down on the trigger。
The diving bell was almost at the surface now。 It continued its slow rise upward。
After Schofield had seen Barnaby feed Book Riley to the killer whales； his anger had bee intense。 He wanted to kill Barnaby。 He wanted to rip his heart out and serve it up to him on a…
Schofield untied the length of cable wrapped around his waist and ripped the two bulky sixties wet suits off his body。 Then he grabbed his MP…5 and chambered a round。 If he didn't kill Barnaby； then he was damn well going to take out as many of them as he could。
As he readied his gun； Schofield saw a small Samsonite carry case on one of the shelves of the diving bell。 He opened it。 And saw a row of blue nitrogen charges sitting in a cushioned interior； like eggs in an egg box。
The SAS must have left them here when they went down to the cave； he thought as he grabbed one of the nitrogen charges and put it in his pocket。
Schofield looked outside。 The killer whales； it seemed； had disappeared for the moment。 For a brief instant； he wondered where they had gone。
〃What are you doing？〃 Renshaw said。
〃You'll see；〃 Schofield said as he stepped around the circular pool at the base of the diving bell。
〃You're going out there？〃 Renshaw said in disbelief。 〃You're leaving me here？〃
〃You'll be OK。〃 Schofield tossed Renshaw his Desert Eagle pistol。 〃If they e for you； use that。〃
Renshaw caught the gun。 Schofield didn't even notice。 He just turned around and； without even a second glance back at Renshaw； stepped off the metal deck of the diving bell and dropped into the water。
The water was near freezing； but Schofield didn't care。
He kept hold of the diving bell and climbed up one of its exterior pipes； pulled himself up onto its spherical roof。
They were almost up at the station now。
And as soon as they got there； Schofield thought； as soon as they broke the surface； he was going to let rip with the most devastating burst of gunfire the SAS had ever seen… aim