AK 239: The Enemy Is Already Here

After searching the entire area and finding nothing, we give up the search.

We climb back into our small, inflatable boat empty handed.

Skull tells me,

“SEALs inbound.”

“They’ll take it from here.”

“Our orders are to escort TK-20 out of here ASAP.”

I see four SH-60s inbound as we head back to TK-20.

As I’m climbing onto the hull of the sub I look back and witness another beautiful sight:

A SEAL platoon from Team 7 in full tactical gear jumping into the water from those four choppers to search for the three remaining Russians.

“If anybody can get ’em those guys can!” says Skull.

Then I say, “Get me back to the sub.”

Skull heads me back to TK-20.

The last FBI inflatable boat breaks off from us and gets on the front side of TK-20 and escorts her out of Kendrick Bay.

Prince of Wales Island

^{Southern most point}

A couple in rag-tag clothing is huddled along the shoreline. A small fishing boat putts up to the shoreline and the captain shouts out from his small boat,

“You guys okay?”

Ruddy and Katrina wade out to the water and are helped onto the fishing boat. Ruddy is helped on last. As the captain pulls Katrina aboard, in her other arm is one of those black nuke suitcases which Ruddy makes sure is aboard with his one good arm.

As soon as they board Ruddy looks around and suspiciously asks, “So what have you heard on the two-way?”

Captain, “Funny thing. The radio went out last night and I thought I was gonna die. So I see you guys this morning and said,

“Hey, I’m still alive!”

“I gotta pay it forward!”

Ruddy and Katrina look at each other as the boat putts away from Bokan Mountain, smoldering in the background.

TK-20

On the conn Captain Vasili, Jennifer and I chit chat when a bizarre looking helicopter with no windows, flies near us.

Vasili sees this and says, “Should I be worried?”

I say, “I’ve seen pictures of an MQ-8 but never one up close. It’s unmanned. It likely has radiation detection equipment on it.”

Vasili, looking worried, “Is it armed?”

Now I’m worried, “I sure hope not.” I hesitate then say, “However some of these things have the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), that system is above my pay grade to know what it does. Doesn’t look like any weapons are on those sponsons.”

I can see I’ve really worried the captain. But that was nothing compared with what we saw next:

U.S. Navy’s newest class of destroyers, USS Zumwalt, (DDG-1000) steams around the southern-most corner of Prince of Wales Island.

Our escort, Skull, in his small rubber boat puts up the “All stop” signal.

Vasili understands.

He picks up his phone and says, “Conn to engine room, all stop.”

“Engine to conn, aye, captain, all stop,” is heard over the conn speaker.

I yell down to Skull,

“You getting any radioactive readings here?”

Skull shakes his head no. Then yells,

“Negative.”

Vasili looks at the Zumwalt and her two 155mm guns aimed at us and says,

“I’ve read about the Zumwalt. Now I get to see her in person. I’ll bet no other Russian can say that!”

I smile at this guy’s excitement for all things American.

I ask, “All right, here’s a question for you: How many nautical miles can those 155s shoot?

“Accurately?”

I nod affirmative.

Vasili then says, “I think it’s fifty-nine nautical miles but Russian propaganda says that’s just American propaganda.”

I smile, “Impressive. You know your propaganda or as I’d call that: Facts!”

“Here’s a few other facts for you: Someone can control that ship from thousands of miles away. It’s here to make sure we don’t have hostile intent.”

Vasili says, “What’s the skill in killing someone from an armchair, thousands of miles away?”

I answer, “Oh the Navy kills up close and personal too. That’s when they send me. At least that’s the way they used to do it.”

I’m now thinking about those weird ghosts I saw.

Vasili could not believe all of these strange and surreal new weapons of war.

“I think she looks beautiful,” says Jen.

I am thinking the same of her. Uh oh, she seemed to catch that ’cause she smiles at me.

I quickly change the subject back to my prior thought,

“As a SEAL I killed up, very close and very personal. Personally, I’m jealous of Navy kids. More and more are out of the danger zone.”

Then I thought of those ghosts again.

Are Navy SEALs like me: Obsolete?

(From my next diary: Projekt 252: Californium I would say: Definitely not!)

Vasili says, “Count me out of that war.”

The sleek looking USS Zumwalt is now alongside us. A wide variety of sensors, intelligence inputs, cameras and radiation devices are focusing on TK-20.

Both ships are at all stop and crews are tying together.

A side door opens on the Zumwalt and a sailor gives me a hand signal.

I say to Vasili, “We’ve just been invited aboard.”

Vasili climbs down the conn, “All right, then.”

Jen and I follow.

The three of us pop open the side conning tower door and head for the Zumwalt. U.S. sailors check us for weapons.