Mike was talking to Tom over vidcom about the situation in Saudi Arabia. "What did you find out from Sonya?"
"She refuses to talk. But we found most of the evidence in her car. We're still searching to see if we can find more evidence. But we're keeping it safe for now."
"Find what you can. If you're right about her I'll send through a letter for her immediately dismissal."
"I'll let you know."
**********
The girl Bianca rescued along with the other human trafficking victims was seated at the table in the ward room when Mike stepped inside and closed the door behind him and held his hand out to her. "I'm Admiral Mike Slattery. I believe we briefly met in the helo bay. You are?"
"Angelina Warren."
He noticed she was somewhat nervous of him and aloof. "I see officer Grace got you something decent to wear at least." She bowed her head trying to avoid eye contact with Mike. Trying to break the ice a little Mike walked over to the coffee maker and made himself a cup of coffee. "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have tea too. And if you don't want that you can have a glass of juice. I can give you a soda too."
"No thanks."
Mike sat down adjacent from her with some documents he put down on the desk in front of him before taking a sip of coffee. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
She kept her arms together in a protective manner. Mike could read her body language like a book. For a moment he felt sorry for her. "Look, I know you don't trust me, but I am on your side. Before I joined the navy I used to be a homicide detective. And I've dealt with crime victims too. Women who have been violated and abused. You can talk to me."
"Where's officer Grace?"
"She's off duty. But I can call her for you if you want me to."
"It's okay..." She looked at Mike and started tearing up. "The things they did to me. And to the others...I feel so humiliated and...dirty and...like I am never going to get it off me. And embarrassed. Ashamed."
"I'm so sorry. You're safe now. We' are going to get you and the other's home soon. And then you can go on with your life."
"How? I just wanna die," the girl said and sobbed.
"Do you want someone to talk to?"
"My life is over Mr. Slattery. I will never forget what they did to me. It will haunt me forever."
Mike pondered for a while and then looked at her feeling defeated for her sake. He gave a faint smirk and then got up from the table again. "I will leave you to be and think about it. If you want to talk I will be on the bridge or in my quarters."
**********
Jolene was on her way out from the office on her way home when she passed Tom's office. She stopped by his office to peak inside for a brief moment. "Good evening Mr. President."
Tom looked up at her and gave a faint smile. "Are you heading straight home?"
"I thought I might stop by the hospital to go and see Julia and go home from there."
"Send her and Connor my regards if you see him. Oh and Mike will be home soon."
Jolene smiled. "I know. I talked to him half an hour ago."
"See you tomorrow then."
"See you tomorrow Mr. President." Jolene continued outside to the staff parking in the parking garage and walked over to her Volkswagen sedan that was parked near the elevators. She was about to unlock the car with the remote in her hand when two masked men overwhelmed her and pulled her into an unlicensed van before they raced off. A few blocks further it turned into an alleyway and approached a Limousine that was backed up inside. The van came to a halt where they took Jolene out of the van and forcefully guided her towards the parked Limousine. "What's going on? Where are you taking me."
"I suggest you take that up with king Noorani," one of the men replied in a heavy Middle Eastern accent.
"He's in Saudi Arabia."
"He's inside the Limo. We were given instructions to bring you to him." They opened the back door of the Limousine and shoved her inside by force. Jolene then looked straight at the man sitting on the seat across from her with a glass of whiskey in his hand, dressed in a cream designer suit and wearing a pair of designers sunglasses.
"Mrs. Slattery. Finally we meet face to face."
"King Noorani."
Nasser gave a beaming smile and removed his sunglasses. "Would you like a drink?"
"No thank you. Where are you taking me?"
"Does it matter?"
"If you are going to do to me what you did with those people you trafficked you better thing twice," Jolene gave a stern warning.
Nasser chuckled and took another sip of whiskey. "Don't worry sweetheart, I can never make a slave out of a fine and classy woman like you. I have to admit, your husband has a fine taste in women. But I could make use of the help in striking a deal or two. Your diplomatic skills can come in handy."
"I don't make deals with criminals and terrorists."
"We'll see about that. You just do as I say and no one gets hurt. Seems fair doesn't it?"
Jolene openly rolled her eyes and let out a loud sigh. "Yeah, we'll see about that."
**********
Angelina was standing at the aft side of the USS Chandler when Bianca noticed her from the upper rear deck above the helo bays. She first thought that maybe she was just enjoying the view of the ocean when she noticed her hesitantly put her foot on the rails on the stern of the ship. "Shit..." Bianca looked around to ascertain if the other sailors noticed what she was about to do, but they were too busy with work. "Wait!" Bianca rushed downstairs to the helo bay and then out onto the helo deck and was running up to her to stop her when she jumped over the rails of the ship. "No!" Bianca ran up to the rails. "Dammit!" Bianca jumped in after her in an attempt to save her and one of the other sailors noticed that Bianca jumped over the rails after the girl.
The sailor barged onto the bridge where Mike was manning the ship along with Kara and Danny. "Offer Grace jumped off the ship!"
Mike, Kara and Danny all turned to look at the sailor who was in a state of panic. "Where?" Mike asked alarmed.
"The stern. Aft side sir."
"Stop the turbines!" Mike shouted. He left the bridge in a hurry and hasted himself to the helo deck where he ran up to the rails. Bianca was already coughing and struggling to stay afloat when Mike reached the rails. "Hang on Grace! Get me the ladder." The crew of the ship watched as Mike risked his life to jump into the ocean after her. As soon as he was afloat, he grabbed onto her from behind and proceeded to float on his back. "I've got you! I've got you."
"Admiral," Bianca replied and coughed up water. "I almost got sucked in..." She sobbed.
"You're safe now. Let's get you back on the ship."
**********
Bianca was sitting in the ward room dressed in a pair of sweater pants and a tank top covered in a blanket and shivering with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands when Mike returned and closed the door behind him. "What the hell were you thinking? Have you ever seen someone get sucked in by a turbine? You could have been killed!" Mike shouted at her upset.
"Well unfortunately I just did." Bianca closed her eyes for a brief moment. "And I'm trying to get that picture out of my mind right now."
"What you did was crazy and dangerous," Mike reprimanded her.
"I tried to save her! I jumped in after her to save her!" Bianca shouted back. Bianca turned her head sideways and dropped her gaze to the floor and sat there silent for a while before she gave a sob. "I was too late..." She looked up at Mike who stared at her in shock. "I had to...watch..." She gave a sigh again before letting a heart-wrenching sob. "I risked my life to save her. But all you can do is bite off my head because I went after her. It's pretty clear you have it in for me and you don't want me on your damn ship. You were the first captain to run this ship, weren't you?"
Mike gave a sigh and pulled out a chair before he sat down. He slowly reached out to her and gently placed his hand on her wrist. "Bianca..."
"I respectfully ask for permission to abandon the mission and return home sir."
"Request respectfully denied. What you did was brave. Risky. But it was brave. We need you on the Chandler Bianca."
"Then why am I being punished for helping someone? I didn't deliberately dress down. I had no choice. Just send me home already."
"I'm sorry if I shouted at you. And I admit I've been a little too emotional in my decisions lately. I have a daughter who might be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of her life and I just learned that my wife was abducted, so excuse me if I was out of line."
Bianca looked at Mike shocked. "When?"
"Yesterday evening. POTUS informed me. They still don't know who took her or why."
"Oh my god, I'm sorry sir."
"I shouldn't be taking it out on you officer Grace. So please. We'll be back in Norfolk in a week or two, but until then, we need you on the ship. And it's not my ship anymore. I'm just an Admiral. It's Captain Green's ship."
**********
Mike was manning the bridge with Kara and Danny when Cabrera stepped onto the bridge. "Admiral Slattery, captain Green, there's something you need to see."
Both Mike and Kara rushed into the helo bay where they kept Sonya's car. One of the seals had a brainwave to search underneath the rear seats of the car. Mike and Kara stepped closer only to notice bags of cocaine neatly stacked underneath the rear seats of the car. "Well, well seems our Secretary of Defence is involved in more than just human trafficking."
"Well Admiral Slattery, congratulations. You just nailed a drug trafficker too." Kara replied impressed.
"Cabrera. Go and get her. Make sure she's cuffed."
"Yes sir."
Mike got in behind the steering wheel of the car and inspected the interior further. Moments later Cabrera showed up with Sonya, her hands tied up behind her back. "What the hell is my car doing here? How did you get it in the ship?"
Mike immediately got out of the car and grabbed hold of her arm before he pulled her towards the rear door of the car. "Care to explain that to me?"
"Okay Mike, you got me. Okay. I didn't think I'll get caught or anyone would find out."
"You do realize we're going to have to confiscate your car and the contents as evidence?"
"Dammit Mike..."
"Put the seats back please. Sonya Walters, you're under arrest for drug traficking and human trafficking."
"You cannot arrest me Mike."
"Yes as a matter of fact I can. I'll inform POTUS. Cabrera, take her back to her cabin."
**********
Mike was ready to tuck in for the night when he received a notification on his laptop that was sitting on his desk in his personal quarters that he had an incoming message. Mike immediately stood up from the couch he was laying on while pondering about the events of the day gone by. He seated himself in front of the laptop. "Mike."
It was Jolene on the other side of the screen. "Jolene. Where are you?"
"I'm on a ship. Noorani and his people have me."
"What the hell?" Mike replied alarmed. "Do you have a location?"
Just then Noorani stepped up to Jolene from behind and peeked over her shoulder. "Nice try Admiral Slattery."
"What are you doing with my wife?"
"We would like to do a little negotiation Admiral."
"You know damn well I don't negotiate with criminals and terrorists."
"Mike..." Jolene interrupted. "King Noorani wants the remaining oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico."
"He can't just have them. And if I remember correctly he blew up the last two."
Nasser peeked over Jolene's shoulder again. "There was five. I blew up two. Your wife for the oil rigs Admiral."
Mike bit his tongue and pondered for a moment. "Alright...but I will have to take it up with POTUS first. I'm not in the position to make these kind of negotiations."
"I will wait for your answer Admiral, but I don't have a lot of time."
**********
"That was not our deal and you know it."
"Ah well the deal is done. Too late now."
Jolene looked up at Nasser as he cut the connection with Mike. "What if they don't give into your demands? What are you going to do then?"
"They will. Believe me. Admiral Slattery wouldn't let any harm come to his wife, now would he?" Nasser asked in a charming tone and took Jolene's hand in his. She stood up and he admired her. "Your husband is a very lucky man. Such beauty and class. I could easily marry you and make you my queen."
"I take it you're not married."
"No. But unfortunately you are. It's a pity." Nasser gazed into her eyes and then moved in to kiss her. She didn't resist as he thought she would and he retreated for a brief moment to give her a chance to think. She then moved closer and kissed him back. Not able to resist his charms.
**********
Tom was seated in the board room when Sasha entered through the door. "Tom..."
"Sasha."
"Admiral Slattery is on satcom. He wants to talk to you urgently."
Tom looked on his watch and then at Sasha. "This time of the night? It's eleven pm."
"Yes. I will take that call if I am you Tom."
"Certainly."
Tom went to sit in front of his computer and turned on the screen. "Admiral Slattery, Sasha notified me that you need to talk to me urgently."
"King Noorani has Jolene."
"You have got to be kidding me. First we have to deal with his human trafficking porn slaves and now he has your wife?"
"He wants to have the remaining oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico as ransom for her."
"Do you know where she is?"
"All I know is she is on a ship. Changes are good it's a navy ship too."
"Those oil rigs belong to privately owned companies. I can't just give it away to the jackass."
"And what about Jolene? We don't give him the rigs, I don't get my wife."
"Mike you're the Chief of Naval operations. What do you suggest?"
"Right now I just want to sink his ship to the bottom of the Atlantic. But I have to get Jolene back to safety first. And with the people we rescued on board the ship...I will be risking their lives too if I start a dog fight with Noorani's ship. We will need another destroyer to back us up when things go south."
Tom leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment. "Okay, here's the deal. I will send another destroyer to back up the USS Chandler under your command. In the meantime, find that ship and its location and let me know immediately if you did."
"Oh it will be my pleasure," Mike replied with a skewed grin.
**********
Kara, Danny and Mike all gathered in the ward room to look at the video footage from Mike and Noorani's conversation. Mike was seated on the edge of the table and let the conversation run for a while before he paused the video after Noorani suggested they trade the oil rigs for Jolene. Kara turned her head to look at Mike. "POTUS knows about this?" She asked concerned.
"Yes. I informed him last night."
"So what is our plan of action?"
"We sink Noorani's ship, but first we need to get my wife off that ship. And he will strike if he realizes we have been playing him."
"What are you going to do?" Kara asked slightly alarmed.
"I have a plan up my sleeve. Son of a bitch would not know what hit him. And POTUS is sending another ship as backup."
"Admiral, you do realize it's Iowa class battleship against an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer. The USS Chandler is no match for Noorani's ship," Danny remarked.
"Well I don't know about you, but I am ready for a dog fight."
"With innocent civilians on board. Admiral."
"I will arrange for them to be transferred from the other ship as soon as it's here to back us up."