Chapter 134
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Angel Island (4)
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How much time had passed? A faint sense of inertia tugged at him. The submarine was slowing down. It was about time to reach their destination. Lost in habitual thoughts, Winter turned to look at the seat beside him.
Hiss—hiss. Steady breathing sounds. Joanna was asleep. After the captain left, her tension had eased, and soon enough she’d started nodding off. The chair he’d turned into a makeshift bed had worked perfectly. Winter had gently laid her down without waking her. She’d curled up, so he’d covered her with a blanket. He’d even propped up her legs.
‘The air’s stuffy, so no wonder she’s sleepy. She must’ve been exhausted yesterday and today.’
The ventilator cycled on and off repeatedly. It was probably adjusting automatically based on CO2 levels. The threshold felt set low.
Everything was limited underwater. Oxygen and air purification were finite resources on a submarine. Conservation was the rule, even for short voyages like this. They had to prepare for contingencies. In all of Winter’s experience, the only exception had been America’s nuclear submarines.
The captain’s cabin was barely one and a half pyeong in size. Two people spending hours in that cramped space made the air hot and stale—it was inevitable. Perfect conditions for unavoidable drowsiness.
Winter’s eyelids burned too. The precisely simulated fatigue felt no different from what he’d known in life. If the calibration had been off, forced sleep induction might’ve kicked in.
‘Should I wake her?’
Reflecting on last night’s exertion, he wanted to let her sleep a bit longer. For maintaining combat effectiveness, if nothing else.
But she probably wouldn’t want to show such vulnerability to the captain or anyone else. With Winter, though—well, some trust had built up, so maybe it was fine? As he pondered, the submarine shifted again. Tiny waves of inertia, too subtle to notice without sensory augmentation. It repeated, changing direction each time. Seemed like they were making finicky micro-adjustments. Positioning for surfacing.
“Ann, wake up.”
He gently shook her shoulder. “Mm—” She furrowed her brow but didn’t open her eyes. It reminded him of waking his sister Autumn back in life, and Winter offered a rare smile. The narrow space bred similarities just by being confined. The room they’d shared in poverty looked just like this cabin.
He’d hated opening the window in cold weather. Winter loved the thick, body-warmed air. It earned him plenty of scoldings from Autumn. What if you get sick? Each time, he’d mumble sullenly. I like winter.
Life had never been abundant, but childhood had been especially harsh. Once the air was refreshed, raising the temperature meant relying on body heat. Heaters had to be conserved, and hot water wasn’t always available. So Autumn would hold her two younger siblings under one blanket for as long as needed.
In that embrace, he’d read tattered books or learn from her lessons.
... Winter’s hand lingered on Joanna’s shoulder, reluctant to let go of the warmth. It had been so long since he’d held someone, or been held. He wanted to feel that body heat a little longer. The essence beyond might not be a real person, but people were just as much illusions beyond the senses anyway.
Winter didn’t follow his heart. He gripped firmer.
“Ann, Ann?”
A few more shakes, and Joanna’s eyes cracked open narrowly. Her pupils darted left and right before fixing on him. Blink, blink. About three seconds to grasp the situation. Then she bolted upright. Checked her weapon, checked the time, and sighed.
“I don’t even remember when I fell asleep. How long was I out?”
“About an hour and a half.”
“Ugh. Why didn’t you wake me? You must be tired too.”
She wasn’t embarrassed, just apologetic. For sleeping alone. Winter picked up the fallen blanket and folded it neatly.
“As long as you slept well, that’s what matters.”
As they tidied up, footsteps approached from outside the door. An armed sailor opened it.
“Agent Gibson, and Lieutenant Han. The captain requests your presence in the combat information center.”
The sailor led the way. Winter eyed his weapon closely. An unfamiliar submachine gun. Lightweight, easy to handle. He wondered about its performance. No immediate chance of clashing with these guys, but who knew later. Or enemies might show up with the same gear. Like another faction of the JSDF. Displaced armies rarely marched in lockstep.
‘Hm. Doesn’t seem optimized for accuracy.’
Short barrel. Unstable trajectory. No stock. Tough to control recoil. Probably for suppressive fire, spraying lots of rounds fast. Useful in tight spots like submarines or buildings. At short range, accuracy didn’t matter much. His “Combat Sense” informed “Insight” and “Discernment” affirmed the assessment.
Come to think of it, one of the FBI’s main jobs was firearms regulation. Joanna probably knew it well. He’d ask her when there was time.
As they walked the corridor, a faint vibration rose through the deck. Water sounds. The floor felt buoyant.
In the CIC, the captain waited with hands clasped behind his back. He greeted them with measured poise and gestured to the empty periscope.
“We’ll surface soon, but it’d be wise to scout the area first.”
To familiarize themselves with the surface environment in case of combat. Winter bowed his head.
“Thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
The periscope view mirrored on the forward screen. One of them could use it while the other watched the screen. The crewman stepped aside as courtesy, letting them choose their view. Joanna declined, so Winter took position. The captain assisted with controls.
Their surfacing spot was between two ships. Likely one was CIA’s ops HQ. They’d secured the other too. The open gap fore and aft was screened by a fine-mesh net.
Not much to see? But zooming in changed that. The mesh thinned and faded, revealing the scene beyond clearly.
“Like X-ray vision.”
“Think of it as a kill flash.”
Joanna’s voice. A kill flash was a mesh-like frame. It blocked lens glare to avoid detection, without obstructing the shooter’s view on a scope.
Distance markers showed in one corner of the view. At 230 meters, Winter made out armed men’s faces, gear, and uniforms. Impressive clarity, adjusted bright as day.
‘Military?’
Sailors mingled with civilians, boozing and chatting boisterously. Strange digital camo patterns, weapons not circulating in America. Joanna muttered while watching the screen.
“Chinese military. They’re the real power behind controlling the local Chinese. Those thugs beside them... hm, tattoos say Si Hai Bang. Last time we wiped out a branch in LA was about eight years ago. Didn’t expect to see them again.”
No immediate threat, anyway. Scanning other directions showed only a few drowsy sentries, given the late hour. Their lax vigilance wasn’t aimed here.
“I’ve seen enough. If you’re good, Ann, we can surface. CIA’s probably got watches set anyway.”
Joanna nodded. The captain ordered the crew.
“Drain ballast tanks. Surface.”
The exec repeated the command. Once more, weaker this time, the deck lifted.
Surfacing was quick. They’d been close enough to raise the scope. The captain led Winter and Joanna to the bridge hatch. More personnel followed than necessary. For farewells? Or just protocol?
At his order, Japanese sailors ascended first. Opening the hatch spilled seawater in dribbles. “Eek.” Joanna grimaced, shaking it from her hair.
They followed. The lead sailors scanned all directions.
As if waiting, a rope ladder dropped from above. A man in civvies, night-vision goggles on, leaned on the cargo ship’s rail smoking. Gave off a sloppy vibe.
“We’ve been waiting, overseer. And Lieutenant Han Gyeowol. Come on up. Let me get some rest.”
Joanna grimaced again.
Captain Umehara bid farewell.
“It was brief, but I’m glad to have met you both. If fate allows, let’s meet again. I’ll show a better side then. And Lieutenant Han.”
He bowed at right angles to Winter.
“Please take good care of Japan’s people where you are.”
The crew followed suit, one by one. Winter bowed politely in return.
“I should be the one asking. Please hold out like this from now on.”
Joanna watched from one foot on the ladder.
After a final handshake with Captain Umehara, Winter climbed after Joanna. As he reached the top, the Shinryu began sinking below the surface. The hull quietly submerged.
“Hmm. See everything?”
Bored tone. Turning, Winter saw annoyed Joanna contrasting the still-relaxed man. He flicked his butt and removed his NVGs. About Joanna’s age, or a bit older? Deck sentries watched the meeting.
“For now, greetings. I’m Nathan Chadwick, ops team leader for Homeland Security Support Division, Central Intelligence Agency. In charge on-site for Operation Fair Strike. Uh... anyway, my deepest condolences to you two, dragged here like loyal dogs with your hot patriotism and exceptional devotion... First things first, let’s eat. You probably skipped dinner per schedule.”
The flow was a mess. Winter wondered how to respond, then gave a formal reply.
“As you know, Lieutenant Han Gyeowol. Pleased to meet you.”
Joanna stayed silent.
Chadwick kept up his deadpan banter.
“Aigoo, why the sour face, overseer? Don’t ruin that pretty face. Sure, we’re Montague’s dogs and Capulet’s cats... but let’s not start too stiff. Most folks are asleep except duty and ops personnel. Can’t do intros right now, yeah?”
Come on, let’s go inside. He slung an arm over Winter’s shoulder, pointing directions with the other. The casualness was a tad awkward. Leading like this left Joanna trailing behind.
The place was indeed the mess. Chadwick himself headed to the galley. Open layout, no barrier to talk.
“Saved up prime meat for贵 guests. Cold ship came in right on time. Cost a fortune, though... Damn greedy Chinese. Two sirloin cuts for 150 rifle rounds? That’s what they charge. Shipping costs in this squid-ass hellhole keep rising because of them. Without them, sea transport would suffice. Hmph, if only they’d all died.”
Feigned or innate, he chattered nonstop while grilling. Mostly one-sided nonsense. No openings for response.
“Here, dig in.”
Roughly seared steaks hit the table. Surprisingly good for that. Joanna took cutlery reluctantly, tasted a bite, and twitched an eyebrow.
“How is it?”
“Excellent.”
Chadwick grinned wide at Winter’s answer.
“Oho, to the lieutenant’s liking. So, shall I tell you about the people you’re most curious about?”
Most curious people. For Winter, obviously just the Winter Alliance at Fort Roberts. But news already? How long had it been since they left?
‘Yet he says this, so something must’ve happened...’
Staring silently, Chadwick grinned slyly.
“Knew you’d want to hear. Stars thrive on attention, after all. Alright, briefing time: your fan club branch active across former America and their exploits, in detail.”
“No... I’ll pass.”
What was so funny? The intel guy burst into laughter. A groan came from beside. Joanna set down her cutlery. Wanted to snap back but struggled for words.
This op—is it gonna be okay?