The brothers seemed to barely acknowledge that they had just appeared from a nearly century old U-boat with what appeared to be a treasure chest. In fact, they seemed to be very much interested in ingoring those details. The pair of them was kicking fast and hard straight up, the rest of the Salvage Team was rushing after them. Perry saw the severed radio wires and tried to imagine when they were cut. Ke had already finished doing the math for how much air would be left in the brothers’ tanks: not enough.
“Sir, they’re going to be out of air before they surface, I’ve got emergency balloons-” Ke was cut off by Wells who surged up past her, the welding kit falling off his rigging as he shed the weight to move quicker.
Perry watched his dive partner glide past, Wells had always been the stronger swimmer, even if he wasn’t as good a fighter. For an instant Perry remembered a training swim back in San Diego, along side some of the SEALS. They had splashed into the water from docks, crashing into the surf and the whole crowd of them, all giant and muscular, swarmed out toward a bouy nearly a mile out. The SEALS had talked a big game, proudly boasting about their 500 meter swim times or regailing one another with ever more horrific stories of long swims grown longer from bad currents or riptide.
When Perry and most of the others were almost halfway to the ringing red bouy that tossed on the sea, Wells was already splashing his way back. “He’s a freak, fastest squid alive!” One of the SEALS had yelled.
Wells powered up from beneath the brothers, hauling the chest out of their hands and quickly paddled beyond them. Ke, close behind, tapped them on their shoulders and as they turned, attached a small sack on a rope to their center straps. She offered a polite wave of the hand and a thumbs up, neither Tom nor Paul knew what was about to happen. Ke’s other hand ripped down on a cord from the wrapped package and it quickly blew up, filling it boyant gas. Tom was violently hurreled skyward. Ke turned to Paul whose head was still upturned, following his brothers vicious ascent. Ke swated his visor, saw him look at her thumbs up, and yanked his rip cord.
Perry grinned broadly, teeth bared in a silent laugh as he radioed his report.
“Command this is Salvage, two Hunter one one is inbound. Prep the med-bay to receive them, we are headed surface now.”
Akin was quick to reply, Perry envisioned him pacing the bridge, anxious to get a status report. Akin’s tone was as flat and unsurprised as ever, “Salvage, recieved, interrogative: what is the status of securing Uniform-Fife-Wun-Niner-Eight, over.”
Perry paused for a considerable amount of time, a noticeable amount of time. He was greateful he had witnesses with him for the report he was about to send.
“Command, Uniform boat is mobile and beyond reach. I say again, uniform boat appears operational and is mobile. Break,” he peered down at his compass, holding the circle under his light, “Last bearing headed south south west, how copy?”
Akin, high above and rocking on the waves, turned to the navigational chart and drew a mental line from their position south-west: New York City.