Free Kraken Rising: Alex Hunter 6 by Greig Beck Page A

small tablet’s screen. It showed the two major continents: the USA and China. Lines emanated from each – red lines from China and blue from America. More lines also emanated from the ocean at differing strategic positions. Most of the red lines stopped halfway.
    “If diplomacy fails, and there is a launch, we estimate over a thousand nukes would be in the air within the first hundred seconds,” Hammerson said. “We’d take down eighty percent of their missiles, but the ones that got through would target major infrastructure, military facilities, and significant civilian populations.”
    Alex turned to him, and Hammerson went on.
    “It’d kill or maim fifty million Americans. On the Chinese side, the losses would be in the hundreds of millions, and push ’em back to the stone age.” He exhaled slowly. “Like I said, we’d win, but we’d be hurt bad. Country would be in turmoil for decades.” He leaned forward onto the desk. “And once the lion goes down onto its knees, then the hyena close in. What then would Russia do, or Iran or even North Korea? Maybe use the chaos to launch their own attack?” Hammerson said.
    “One after the other, or all at once.” Alex exhaled slowly. “And that does not have a happy ending,”
    Hammerson stood behind his desk. “So, we need to deescalate the situation – fast. We need to remove the original rationale for them being down in the Antarctic. We need to find the Sea Shadow before they do. Recovery or destruction, nothing else.” He looked into Alex’s unblinking eyes. “We also need to defang the dragon that’s already down there.”
    “You want me to go?” Alex asked.
    Hammerson nodded.
    Alex sat stone-still for a few moments. “You said they were already on their way. By the time I get there, they’ll be days ahead.”
    Hammerson smiled grimly. “We might have a shortcut. You can call it an express elevator.”
    “One-way trip, huh?” Alex’s eyes looked ancient, weary.
    “No, we’ll absolutely get you home,” Hammerson replied. “It’ll all be in the full briefing.”
    Alex nodded. “You want me to secure the site, and if the Sea Shadow can’t be retrieved, obliterate it.” He looked up. “What happens if the Chinese refuse to leave?”
    Hammerson grunted. “The Chinese have disavowed all knowledge of the team – they don’t exist. Send them home, and if they won’t go …” His eyes were lidded.
    Alex nodded wearily. “Kill them all.”
    Hammerson lifted another report from his desk. “Before you get there, I have one more job …”  
    He knew this last task was far more delicate – high impact, low mortality. He also knew he made the right call not telling Alex about the Chinese intrusion into Aimee’s house to target Joshua. The last thing he needed was the Arcadian extracting bloody payback where he was about to send him. He handed the report to Alex. “Like I said, first we need to defang that dragon.”

CHAPTER 10
Xuě Lóng Base – Antarctic ice surface
    Curious , Shenjung Xing thought. Even from where he stood just outside the door, he smelled the odd odor escape. In the Antarctic, like most frozen climates, the sense of smell was near useless as the cold locked up odors. But the base’s escaping air was warm, and carried with it scents redolent of saltwater, copper, and something like ammonia.
    Shenjung Xing, the head scientist, and leader on the team, was the chief mineralogist, and an engineer by trade. His second in command was a small, wiry woman, nearly overwhelmed by all her padded gear. Dr. Soong Chin Ling was a rare earth minerals specialist, and had worked with Shenjung for over a decade. Many times they had shared a bed, and many times he had thought of marriage, to have the idea whipped away by the next project. He turned to her now and raised his eyebrows. She shrugged in return.
    In a few minutes, one of the soldiers came to the door, and waved them in. But as Shenjung went to step forward, the other