The Gotland Deception полностью

Eriksson checked their heading. The rocky shore of Rute Misslauper Sälområde was dead ahead, growing larger. They were two kilometers away. He calculated how long it would take to get there at their current speed.

He made the hardest decision of his career. “All call signs, abandon ship!” he ordered. “I say again, abandon ship. Rally at the stern, starboard side. Move!”

He gave the wheel one last adjustment, lashing it in place with a length of rope from the flag locker. The ship would hold this course now, driving itself onto the rocks.

The team gathered at the stern rail, the heat from the advancing fire growing intense. Below them, the Baltic stretched cold and dark. Eriksson could see the Lulea racing toward them, maybe eight hundred meters out.

“Inflation on my mark,” he commanded, hand on his life vest’s CO2 cartridge. The team lined up along the rail. Through the smoke, he glimpsed Chinese crew members doing the same on the port side — the fight forgotten in the face of the growing inferno.

“Mark!”

They jumped.

The Baltic in January hit like a sledgehammer. Even through his dry suit, the cold was paralyzing. Eriksson pulled his inflation toggle. The vest expanded with a sharp hiss, yanking him back to the surface.

“Sound off!”

“Andersson!”

“Holm!”

“Erik here!”

“Magnus — good!”

“Lindqvist — wow, that’s cold!”

Five, thought Eriksson with sadness. They’d lost Svensson in the helicopter crash, along with both pilots. Three good men were dead. But five had survived.

It was 0633 in the morning when Eriksson finally turned in the water to see the ship they’d just abandoned. The Hai Qing 678, trailing flame and smoke like a dying comet, drove itself onto the rocks of Rute Misslauper Sälområde with a grinding screech of tortured metal. The bow lifted, crumpling, and the vessel shuddered to a halt, hard aground, flames reaching into the morning sky.

Had they not diverted the Hai Qing when they did, it would’ve reached GosNet-1 and severed a critical communication link connecting Gotland and the Nordic States to the Continent. Now, the cable was safe, but it had cost the lives of three Swedish sailors — sailors with families who were about to be notified in the coming hours their loved one had paid the ultimate price in the protection of their freedom. It was a price those families would now feel, and Eriksson and his survivors would carry with them for the rest of their lives.

As Eriksson floated in the water, waiting to be picked up. He hoped for all of their sakes their leaders in Stockholm would understand the sacrifice they’d just paid and send a message to Russia and their Chinese cronies this type of behavior would not stand.

Turning to the sound of motors approaching, Eriksson saw the Lulea’s RHIB was bouncing across the waves toward them. Squinting against the morning light, Eriksson could see Captain Dahl on the corvette’s bridge wing, watching through binoculars as the ship moved closer.

Soon, hands were pulling him from the freezing water. Eriksson allowed himself one moment of satisfaction. The cable was safe. The mission, despite everything, was complete.

But three empty spaces in the boat were a reminder of the cost of freedom.

“The Swedish government expresses profound regret for the loss of life during the incident involving the Chinese-flagged vessel MV Hai Qing 678 in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday. However, we firmly assert that our naval forces acted decisively and lawfully to protect critical national and European infrastructure. The vessel was intercepted based on credible intelligence indicating an attempt to damage the GosNet-1 undersea fiber-optic cable, a vital artery for Sweden’s communications network. When the vessel refused to comply with lawful orders and subsequently fired upon our NH90 helicopter, resulting in the tragic loss of three Swedish servicemen, our forces took necessary measures to neutralize the threat, prevent further damage, and redirect the vessel away from sensitive infrastructure. We commend the bravery of our personnel, who, despite significant risk, ensured the safety of our nation’s strategic assets.