Attack of the Seawolf

They’ll get aboard the sub just before the charges blow. If the crew is aboard, they can get the engines going. At time zero, the charges under the surface ship keels go off. The sub is freed, it backs up and gets out of there. The rest is up to the crew.”

“Blowing up the inboard and outboard destroyers will also sink the Tampa,” Lennox said.

“She’ll be dragged under by the lines to the destroyers. Once her hatches are underwater, you’ll drown every man aboard.”

“So we’ll cut the lines or detonate some C-4 explosive ropes — that would be even quicker. With the lines cut, the sub will stay afloat. Better yet, she’ll stay afloat with no gangway or connection to the pier. The only way the Chinese can get to her from the land side is by swimming, and the third platoon will take care of anyone who enters the water. Of course, the problem is a patrol boat or another destroyer coming — that could really screw things up.”

“We’ll keep the sea side clean,” Pacino said.

“What if the crew has been taken off?” Lennox asked.

“Then you’re up the old creek,” said Morris.

“So are you. You’ll be trapped in a submarine with no one to sail it. You’ll be dead meat.”

“Then maybe we’ll need to extract and lock back into this ship and get out.”

“Commander, I could take care of the destroyers with cruise missiles,” Pacino said.

“You and your men could save some time and exposure and all get aboard the Tampa at once. When you’re in I put a cruise into each surface warship at the piers. Tampa only has to start up and clear the wreckage, then follow us out of the bay.”

Keebes frowned.

“The smoke and rocket-exhaust trail would give away our position and alert the Chinese that we’re there. We’d never make it out of the bay.

Every ASW asset in the north and east fleets would be hunting for us. And even if they couldn’t hear us, they’d sure hear the Tampa.”

“They’ll know we’re there anyway, with the takeover of the boat—” “For all they’d know,” Keebes pressed, “the SEALs could have parachuted in. Launching cruise missiles would eliminate all doubt about how they got in. It would be better to use torpedoes. That would get the surface ships without exposing us to detection.”

“Torpedoes are no good,” Pacino said flatly.

“A small bearing-error could lead to the Tampa taking a torpedo hit from us. If we use fire from the Seawolf I think it will have to be a salvo of Javelin cruise missiles.

What do you think. Commander Morris?”

“I don’t like it, Cap’n. If I place the satchel charges under the destroyers, at least then I know they’ll be put on the bottom. A cruise missile could go anywhere, get lost on the way to the target, or blast into us. Plus it tells the whole wide world you’re there, like your XO says.”

“But it would also get your forces in-hull sooner with more force. Correct?”

“Yeah. But that does me no good if those Javelins fuck up.”

“The time delays on the charges are fixed. If things go sour on the rescue I can launch the missiles at any time—” “Not true. I have radio-controlled detonators,” Morris said.

“How would that work with the explosives underwater?”

Pacino challenged.

“Radio signals don’t penetrate water very well.”

“Each train of satchel charges will have a float with a radio trigger. When I hit the key, the floats receive the signal and detonate the fuses, which are wired in parallel to the float.”

“Someone could see the float. Or the guy carrying the trigger radio could get hit,” Pacino said.

Morris shot back: “If the satchel charges screw up, you can go ahead and fire your catch-me-fuck-me missiles. Plus, I’ll put all the swimmers on the satchel charge operation. That’ll make it quicker. When we’re ready we’ll board Tampa, get topside and blow the charges.”

“Your guys will be worn out by the time it comes to board,” Pacino said.

“Cap’n, my men do this shit all day, every day. You leave them to me.”

“Fine,” Pacino said, reasonably satisfied.

“Then we’re decided. The SEALs will lock out, lay the satchel charges, board the Tampa and take her over. As soon as your guys are out of the water, blow the satchel charges. I’ll be the backup with the Javelins.

Have you got radios for signaling us if you need the missiles?”

“Scrambled VHF voice units,” Morris said.

“I’ll give your radiomen the freaks.”

Pacino pulled a large roll of papers from his bunk and spread them across the table.

“These are the plans for the Tampa. In the next two days I suggest you walk this ship with me and find out what you can shoot at and what needs to be spared damage.”

“Taking the sub won’t be a problem, Cap’n. We’ve practiced this before with 688-class subs in New London.

Last month we captured the Augusta — man, was her captain pissed.” Morris looked at Pacino.

“So once we take the sub, what then?”

Pacino looked at Kurt Lennox, who until then had mostly frowned at the exchanges.