Chapter 773:
Brock spoke firmly. “We’re less than thirty nautical miles from Everswell’s last known signal. The winds are brutal. A helicopter won’t make it. Our only hope is to push the fleet straight into the heart of the storm.”
Suddenly, the radar wailed. The operator’s voice rang through the room, sharp and urgent.
“Admiral! We’ve detected an anomaly! Fifteen nautical miles south of Everswell’s last signal, sonar shows strong, steady pulses. It looks like a mini-submarine with weapons — likely the Silent Fox.”
The command room went silent.
Silent Fox. The name alone carried weight. It was the East Isles Navy’s most elusive weapon, a predator beneath the waves deployed for covert missions in disputed seas.
Its appearance here was no accident.
At nearly the same time, a scrambled alert broke through from the intelligence hub in the rear. “We’ve intercepted fragments of East Isles transmissions. Their patrols believe Everswell is a spy ship. They may attack at any moment!”
Brock’s jaw tightened. “Why send Silent Fox against a fishing vessel? Dozens of lives are at risk. If we make the wrong move, this could escalate into a military clash.”
A soldier burst out, anger cutting through the tension. “This is about the Strait of Emerald. We build bases on our own land, and still they demand concessions. It’s outrageous!”
A dull throb pressed at Brad’s temples. His eyes hardened. With the helicopter useless, only the rescue fleet could reach the fishermen.
If he pushed ahead on course toward Everswell’s coordinates, they might sail straight into the submarine’s jaws — or worse, wander into the patrol boats’ firing range.
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One misstep, and the rescue could collapse into an international disaster. The East Isles could twist the story, claiming that their navy was protecting itself from a spy vessel.
“Can we locate Silent Fox with certainty?” Brad asked quietly.
The radar operator shook his head, frustration creeping into his voice. “They’re slippery. The signal fades in and out, almost like they’ve set up an acoustic wall. It’s scrambling our lock. We’ll need more time.”
Time was precisely what Everswell lacked most at this moment. The command room sank into silence. Only the distant roar of waves broke the stillness as every gaze locked on Brad, waiting for his decision.
On one side lay the fate of dozens of fishermen. On the other, the safety of hundreds of sailors aboard the warship and the weight of military authority.
The choice was brutal. He could not risk sparking a war or sacrificing his fleet, not even to save so many lives.
After a pause, his voice rang firm. “Track the Silent Fox and force it back. Hold off on heading straight for Everswell’s last location. We’ll take a wide anti-submarine route, approach with caution, and stay on high alert. Alert the Foreign Ministry and issue a strong protest to the East Isles. Remember, our mission is to save lives, not start a fight.”
It was the most balanced course he could find, a way to blunt the danger without entirely giving up the rescue.
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