Exit Plan by Larry Bond Page A

Second—”
     
    “Then why are they drilling a hole in the ground?” demanded Lloyd angrily.
     
    “That is what General Duvall is trying to find out,” President Myles answered. “Andy, we aren’t going to resolve this question today. Ray, what’s Plan B for Opal?”
     
    Kirkpatrick answered, “I’m going to ask Dr. Joanna Patterson to brief you. She will be the action officer for this operation. She’s familiar with submarine operations and the technological issues.”
     
    Joanna didn’t stand up. It was too intimate a setting, and besides, many men felt threatened by a tall woman. She ignored the others in the room and spoke directly to the president. “It’s really a variation of the original plan. Without going into too much detail, Pilot planned to smuggle Opal out by boat. Since we’ve lost Pilot, we will use a different boat. USS Michigan is in the theater and has a detachment of SEALs embarked, and is carrying a minisub. We need to use subs because the coast is heavily patrolled by IRGC Navy small craft.
     
    “Michigan will make a submerged approach to the thirty-fathom line, a point approximately eight nautical miles off the coast, by the port city of Bandar Kangan, then launch the Advanced SEAL Delivery System, or ASDS minisub. It will close to within a few hundred yards from the shoreline—really, almost shouting distance. The SEALs will leave the ASDS while it’s submerged, swim ashore, rendezvous with Opal, and bring him and his wife back to the minisub. The SEALs, Opal, and his spouse will swim back on the surface to the ASDS, which will broach as they approach so that the swimmers can use the upper hatch. Once on board, the ASDS will rendezvous with Michigan , dock, and we’re done. It’s a simple plan, but simpler is always better.”
     
    “Simple, except for the part about commandos and nuclear submarines,” answered Myles, smiling. “I assume this is being done at night?”
     
    Patterson answered, “Actually, sir, we’re recommending the end of nautical twilight, or last light. While the SEALs prefer to operate at night, the civilians will need some daylight to find their way to the rendezvous point. And late-night activity on the coast can draw attention from passing patrols. The SEALs are trained to handle that, but the civilians are not. However, a couple out for a stroll on the beach during the evening glow is not an unusual event, even in Iran.”
     
    “How long will the SEALs be exposed?” asked Secretary of Defense Springfield.
     
    “If Opal is at the right place, at the right time, ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Even with civilians, the use of GPS significantly increases the chances of a quick rendezvous. Opal has a GPS device and he knows how to use it.”
     
    “And if they’re discovered?” asked Myles.
     
    “They run back to the water, hopefully with Opal, and leave,” Patterson answered. “They only risk exposure when they actually leave the water to make contact, and if bad guys are in sight, they just won’t go ashore.”
     
    She added, “CENTCOM will have an RC-135 SIGINT aircraft on standing patrol in the gulf. It will monitor radio and phone transmissions in the area. They’re also tasking a medium-endurance UAV to monitor the rendezvous point. If either one sees anything amiss, we can warn the SEALs off.”
     
    Myles looked at his notepad. “What’s the thirty-fathom curve?”
     
    She answered, “The line on the chart where the water depth becomes less than thirty fathoms, a hundred and eighty feet. Nuclear subs can’t maneuver well in shallow water, especially ones as big as Michigan .”
     
    “How far is that line out from shore?” the president asked.
     
    “At that part of the coast, a little over eight nautical miles, sir.” Opening her folio, she took out a map and handed it to the president. “This shows the route of Michigan and the proposed pick-up point. This is Bandar Kangan, the nearest major city—really no more than a