Arctic Drift Part 24

"No, sir," the Secretary of Defense replied. "I had Pacific Command review their navigation records. The Ford never traveled anywhere near the position of the ice camp."

"And we've shared that information with the Canadians?"

"The Chief of the Defence Staff has seen the data and concurs off the record that the Ford was likely not responsible," replied the Secretary of Defense. "But the politicians don't trust what we are giving them, quite frankly. Given the mileage they have gotten out of the incident, they have no reason to backtrack now."

"Find those ships and we find our way out of this mess," the President stated.

His advisers fell silent, knowing that the window of opportunity had likely already pa.s.sed. Without direct access to the Canadian Arctic, there was little they could even hope to do.

"We'll do what we can," the Secretary of Defense promised.

The chief of staff noted the time, then ushered everyone out of the Oval Office in preparation for the President's next meeting. After the others had left the room, Ward stood at the window and gazed out at the Rose Garden.

"War with Canada," he muttered to himself. "Now, there's a real legacy."

32

MITCh.e.l.l GOYETTE PEERED OUT OF THE GLa.s.s-WALLED office on the top deck of his yacht and idly watched a silver seaplane taxiing across the harbor. The small plane quickly hopped off the water and circled south, bypa.s.sing the tall buildings lining Vancouver Harbor. The magnate took a sip from a martini gla.s.s, then turned his gaze to a thick contract sitting on the desk.

"The terms and conditions are acceptable?" he asked.

A small man with black hair and thick gla.s.ses seated opposite Goyette nodded his head.

"The legal department has reviewed it and found no issues with the changes. The Chinese were quite pleased with the initial test shipment and are anxious to receive an ongoing supply stream."

"With no change in price or limits on quant.i.ty?"

"No, sir. They agreed to accept up to five million tons a year of unrefined Athabasca crude bitumen and all the Melville Sound natural gas we can deliver, both at prices ten percent above the spot market, provided that we agree to extended terms."

Goyette leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Our oceangoing barges have proven their worth at transporting both cargoes in bulk. We've got our fifth string of LNG barges coming on line next week. The potential revenue stream from the Chinese is shaping up quite nicely."

"The gas strike at Melville Sound promises to be quite a windfall. Our projections show a net profit of nearly five million dollars is possible with each shipment to China. Provided that the government doesn't initiate restrictions on natural resource sales to China, you are well positioned to capitalize on their growing appet.i.te for energy."

"The unfortunate death of MP Finlay seems to have alleviated that concern," Goyette replied with a knowing grin.

"With the reduction of Athabasca refining due to the restrictive carbon dioxide mandate, the Chinese deal is lucrative for your Alberta holdings as well. You will of course be defaulting on the agreements just signed with the Americans to provide them the Melville natural gas."

"The Chinese are paying me ten percent more."

"The President was relying on an influx of natural gas to halt their energy crisis," the attorney said with a cautionary tone.

"Yes, and they've called on me and my Melville Sound reserves to save them," Goyette said with a laugh. "Only we're going to turn up the heat a bit." A fire suddenly burned in his eyes. "Let them stew in their own juices until they reach a state of true desperation. Then they'll play it my way and pay my prices in order to survive. We'll have our tankers carry gas to them and haul away their liquid carbon wastes on the return trip, and we'll charge a premium for both. Of course, that will be after they finance a major expansion of our barge fleet. They'll have no choice but to accept." A grin slowly crossed his lips.

"I still worry about the political trouble. There's talk of anti-American legislation that could spill over and impact our business with China. Some of the more rabid members of Parliament are practically ready to declare war."

"I can't control the idiocy of politicians. The important point was to remove the Americans from the Arctic while we expand our acquisition of gas, oil, and mineral rights. We happened to get lucky with the Melville strike, but the strategy is clearly working quite nicely so far."

"The geophysics team is close to identifying the necessary tracts to encompa.s.s the Melville gas field, as well as some other promising locations. I just hope that the natural resources minister continues to accommodate our requirements."

"Don't you worry about Minister Jameson, he will do anything I ask. By the way, what is the latest from the Alberta?"

"She arrived in New York without incident, took on a commercial shipment, and is presently eastbound to India. There appear to be no suspicions raised."

"Good. Have her sent on to Indonesia for a repaint in new colors before she returns to Vancouver."

"It will be done," the attorney replied.

Goyette sat back in his chair and took a sip of his drink. "Have you seen Marcy about?"

One of a handful of ex-strippers Goyette kept on the payroll, Marcy usually wandered the boat in revealing attire. The aide shook his head firmly, taking the cue that it was time to leave.

"I'll inform the Chinese that we have a deal," he said, taking the signed contract from Goyette and quickly exiting the office.

Goyette drained his gla.s.s, then reached for a shipboard phone to call the master stateroom, when a familiar voice froze his movements.

"Another drink, Mitch.e.l.l?"

Goyette turned to the far side of the office, where Clay Zak stood with a couple of martinis in one hand. He was dressed in dark slacks and a taupe turtleneck sweater, nearly blending in with the room's earth-toned walls. Casually walking closer, he set one gla.s.s down in front of Goyette, then took a seat opposite him.

"Mitch.e.l.l Goyette, King of the Arctic, eh? I must say, I have seen photographs of your oceangoing barges and am quite awed. A stirring display of naval architecture."

"They were specifically designed for the task," Goyette said, finally finding his voice. A look of annoyance remained etched on his face, and he made a mental note to have a word with his security detail. "Fully loaded, they can sail through a Category 2 hurricane without risk."

"Impressive," Zak replied, between sips of his martini.

"Though I suspect your environmental worshippers would be disappointed to know that you are raping the country's pristine landscape of natural resources strictly to make a buck off the Chinese."

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon," Goyette replied, ignoring the remark. "Your project to the States was accomplished with success?"

"Indeed. You were correct in taking an interest in the lab's work. I had a remarkable conversation about artificial photosynthesis with your research mole."

Zak proceeded to describe the details of Lisa Lane's work and her recent discovery. Goyette felt his anger at Zak diminish as the magnitude of Lane's scientific breakthrough sank in. He peered out the window once more.

"Sounds like they could build an industrial carbon dioxide conversion facility that could be easily replicated," he said. "Still, they've got to be talking years or decades in the future."

Zak shook his head. "I'm no scientist, but according to your boy on the inside that is not the case. He claims the actual working process requires little in the way of capital resources. He suggested that within five years, you might have hundreds of these facilities built around major cities and key industrial emission sites."

"But you put an end to such possibilities? " Goyette asked, his eyes boring into Zak.

The a.s.sa.s.sin smiled. "No bodies, remember? The lab and all their research materials are history, as you requested. But the chief researcher is still alive and she knows the formula. I'd venture there's a good chance plenty more people know the recipe by now."

Goyette stared at Zak without blinking, wondering if it had been a mistake to rein in the a.s.sa.s.sin this one time.

"Your own mole is probably off selling the results to a compet.i.tor as we speak," Zak continued.