It would have scared the hell out of him and made him even more pliant to interrogation. Trying to get him to calmly breathe oxygen from a SCUBA tank while dragging him underwater, though, was a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, Harvath had another plan.
A SEAL team from the Florida had rendezvoused with Harvath and his prisoner near Karachi’s Clifton Beach. After hog-tying Yaqub and placing him facedown in the CRRC, Harvath hopped in with the SEALs and headed out into the open ocean. Chase and Sloane would link up with the rest of the team who had hit the ISI safe house, review any materials they had found, and prepare a report to be transmitted back to the States. After that, a private plane would return them to the United States.
Powered by its fifty-five-horsepower outboard motor, the black, fifteen-and-a-half-foot-long CRRC skipped over the top of the water, but landed hard off a couple of particularly large waves. Each time it did, Harvath heard Yaqub grunt as the terrorist took the brunt of the impact via his face and his already broken nose. That was nothing compared to what was coming.
With a spray of water, the USS Florida broke the surface. It was an impressive sight to behold even through the gray-green of the night vision goggles Harvath and the other SEALs were wearing. Prepping the team, the SEAL helming the CRRC signaled for everyone to make ready. Adjusting his throttle, he aimed right at the massive vessel.
Seconds later, there was the whine of the outboard’s engine as the rubber boat came up out of the water and skidded to a stop atop the Florida. Instantly, there was a flurry of activity.
Pulling out his knife, Harvath cut Yaqub’s feet free. Two SEALs grabbed him under the arms and lifted him out of the boat. There was the distinct clank, clank, clank as the heavy locks of the DDS were released and its large hatch began to open.
Members of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 hurried out to help drag the CRRC inside. As they did, one pointed Harvath to the gear he had requested.
Once the boat was inside, they began to rapidly deflate and dismantle it as the hatch closed.
The DDS was shaped like an airplane fuselage. It was nine feet high, nine feet wide, and thirty-eight feet long. It consisted of three separate compartments, all capable of being pressurized. The compartment they were in now was known as the “hangar.” This was where the SDVs and CRRCs were stored, and could be flooded to launch SEALs and their equipment from underwater.
At the other end, opposite the hatch, was the “bubble”—a Plexiglas booth that came halfway down from the ceiling. It was pressurized, and as water filled the DDS, it would only come up waist-high for those inside the bubble. It was where the controls for the DDS were located and where a member of SDV Team 1 communicated with the crew down inside the Florida. When everyone in the DDS was ready, the SEAL in the bubble relayed the message to the Florida.
Moments later, the chamber operator passed the warning that the Florida was preparing to dive. Harvath reached over and removed the hood from Yaqub’s head and ripped off the piece of duct tape covering his bearded mouth. The tape was covered in dried blood and pulled a lot of hair with it. Yaqub grimaced.
Even though the lights inside the DDS weren’t particularly bright, it took the Saudi’s eyes a moment to adjust. The first thing he noticed was that everyone around him was suiting up in SCUBA gear. Harvath nodded and the two SEALs who had walked Yaqub into the DDS took turns minding him as they also suited up.
Harvath remained silent as the Florida dipped beneath the surface and the submarine began its descent. As he climbed into his own drysuit, he could see the fear building in Yaqub’s eyes. He had no idea if the man could swim or not, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the swimming part Yaqub was going to have to deal with.
Opening up the valve of his oxygen tank, Harvath depressed the purge button on the regulator. It made a loud hiss, indicating that oxygen was flowing.
Harvath signaled the SEAL inside the bubble to begin flooding the hangar.
“What are you doing?” Yaqub demanded as the water started rushing in.
Harvath looked at him as he spat into his face mask. “I told you. I’m taking you back to hell.”