A new escalation of the story. On the Red October, Ryan duels with a Soviet assassin determined to kill Ramius. So these scenes again raise questions. Ryan kills the assassin, and saves Ramius. Now we enter the end-game of the story.
Every action is fraught with dramatic tension.
Readers are literally sitting on the edge of their seats by this point. Jack Ryan, working with Ramius now, has an idea. Again, because Jack operates in a free system, he has the initiative to come up with a plan to save both the Red October and Ramius in a way that leaves Ramius free. Others are also free to use their initiative to respond to Jack Ryan's requests for assistance. Potent, dramatic fulfillment of story.