Submarine Warriors: The Enemy Beneath (9 page)

“You’re going to make a great submariner,” said Admiral Connery with a grin.

The White House

Back in the Situation Room, a messenger handed a piece of paper to the President.

“We’ve lost the sub.” The President read the message out loud. “Damn it! How could this have happened?”

“There’s more, sir.” The messenger spoke quietly. “I’ve got the Russian President waiting to speak to you on a secure line.”

The President put the phone to his ear. “Yes, Dmitry?”

“I’ve been watching the news on TV and I understand you’ve lost one of your ballistic missile submarines,” the Russian President stated flatly. “Would you like our assistance in finding her?”

“It sounds to me like you’ve been watching ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ and not the news,” the President retorted.

“The irony didn’t escape me,” replied the Russian President. “We would’ve tried much harder to sink the sub if it had been one of ours. And we wouldn’t have allowed a spectacle like this to be captured and broadcast for all to see on television. We will have no choice but to put our military on high alert and raise our defense posture immediately.”

“I assure you, we’ll get her back,” the President responded, hanging up the phone.

He turned to face the rest of the Joint Chiefs.

“This has gotten way too out of hand for half-measures anymore. I’m ordering you to dispatch the entire Pacific fleet, if necessary, to hunt down and sink the Alaska. A Trident submarine with enough firepower to destroy China has been stolen and has now left US waters.”

“Take us to DEFCON One.”

Chapter 6 > Finding their Fathers

Defense Condition One represents the American military’s highest level of alert, putting bombers in the air, getting troops ready to deploy, and preparing the land and sea-based nuclear arsenal for launch toward their target packages.

The United States has never found itself at DEFCON ONE…until now!

West coast naval stations in San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Everett, Bremerton, and Bangor received urgent messages to recall their sailors in preparation for heading out to sea to hunt down the rogue submarine.

USS Alaska

After an hour of running shallow at 200 feet, the Alaska finally left behind the Strait of Juan de Fuca and entered the Pacific Ocean. At such a shallow depth and high rate of speed, US Naval forces would be able to track it with ease.

“
It’s time to turn this sub into a black hole in the water,” Admiral Connery announced. “I’m sure every ship and sub within a thousand nautical miles has been contacted by the Commander of the Pacific Fleet and is now making best speed toward our location. Dive, make your depth 800 feet, zero bubble.”

“
Make my depth 800 feet, zero bubble, aye,” replied Caroline. “Take her down nice and easy.”

Annie pushed on the yoke ever so gently and the Trident began its smooth descent to 800 feet below the surface.

“
Mind your planes,” Caroline said curtly to Chrissie as the sub began to angle downward. “Keep us level.”

“
I got this,” Chrissie snapped. “Stop telling me what to do!”

“
I’m doing my job, Chrissie.” Caroline walked around to face her. “You need to get used to this whole military chain of command thing if we want to succeed as a team. The Officer of the Deck tells me what to do and I tell you what to do. It’s not personal.”

Naval Undersea Warfare Center

The Marine Humvee carrying Mike’s and Chrissie’s moms arrived in Keyport, Washington, at the main gate of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. After being waved through, the vehicle made its way to the base brig. Exiting the Humvee, Ashley and Michelle were led inside to a makeshift interrogation room. The Marines forced them to sit down on two metal chairs and handcuffed them to the legs of a table that was bolted to the floor.

“
Welcome to Torpedo Town, USA, ladies,” sneered a dark-suited man, wearing dark sunglasses.

“
You don’t look like someone from the Navy.” Michelle spoke up.

“
That’s okay, you don’t look like terrorists or spies from a hostile government,” the man retorted. “That doesn’t mean you’re not.”

“
Are you from the CIA?” asked Ashley.

“
No, NCIS,” the man replied. “Based on the sound of your voices, I can deduce that you were born and raised on American soil; that tells me you’re part of a sleeper cell that’s been operating in this country since at least the 1960s. Because that predates the Jihad against America, I can only assume that you’re of the Cold War variety. I’m surprised you didn’t return to Rodina back in the 90s.”

“
Rodina?” questioned Michelle. “What does a monster from Godzilla movies have to do with anything?”

“
You’re Russian spies.” The NCIS agent snapped back at them, unamused.

“
We’re not Russians,” Ashley protested. “We’re Americans.”

“
Then why did you conspire to help the USS Alaska escape by taking control of the Hood Canal Bridge?” asked the agent.

“
Listen, we’re Navy wives.” Michelle’s voice became louder. “We’re not conspirators and we want to see a lawyer.”

“
I’m afraid this isn’t one of your TV crime dramas,” the agent replied. “You’ve committed treason against the United States by aiding in the theft of one of our most powerful military weapons. No lawyers are coming and no one knows you’re here. Now tell me who you work for and where that submarine is headed or things will become very uncomfortable for you.”

“
Our kids are on the Alaska.” Ashley offered up this information quickly. “They’re trying to rescue their fathers who disappeared in some kind of science and research vessel. We know our husbands are still alive out there. You’re not going to torture us are you?”

The NCIS agent responded with a quizzical look on his face, “Do I look like Jack Bauer to you? Excuse me for a moment,” he said, leaving the room to make a phone call.

USS Abraham Lincoln

The USS Abraham Lincoln and its battle group was returning to Everett, Washington, after spending nine months in the Indian Ocean in support of operations in Afghanistan. This massive aircraft carrier was designed to project power anywhere in the world with its 60 fighter jets and anti-submarine warfare planes and helicopters. The carrier’s twin nuclear reactors reduced power to the turbines and the ship began to slow in response to an important flash traffic radio transmission.

Moments later, a Yeoman knocked nervously on the ship Captain’s door.

“
Come,” replied the Rear Admiral.

“
Admiral, I have an important message from COMPACFLEET,” the Yeoman announced.

“
What does Pearl want now?” the Rear Admiral uttered under his breath. “Don’t they know we’re almost home?”

The Yeoman handed the Admiral the message:

“
TOP SECRET |COORDINATE BATTLE

GROUP AND LEAD EFFORTS TO SINK

ROGUE OHIO CLASS SUBMARINE | PROCEED

TO LATITUDE: 47.81 LONGITUDE: -126.71 |

SEAWOLF CLASS SUBS HEADING TO

COORDINATES TO ASSIST |

TARGET IS USS ALASKA AND IS ARMED

WITH TORPEDOES AND NUKES”

“
Yeoman, I think your generation would say OMG when reading something like this,” the Rear Admiral remarked. “I wonder what the significance of these coordinates is?” He then reached over and un-holstered a microphone from his stateroom wall. “Crew of USS Abraham Lincoln, man battle stations.”

Battle stations alarms began to sound on every deck of the carrier, as sailors and aviators ran to their posts. Soon, the alarms spread to the Destroyers, Frigates, and Guided Missile Cruisers in the strike group. The curving wake behind all the ships meant that they were all changing course and heading for the mysterious GPS coordinates.

USS Alaska

“
Annie, please maintain your depth of 800 feet,” Caroline said as she watched the numbers on the depth gauge increase slightly.

“
I don’t know what’s going on,” Annie cried. “I’ve been pulling up on the planes but we’re still losing depth.”

“
Granddad, there’s something strange going on here.” Caroline looked back at the Admiral. “We’re beginning to sink.”

“
Helm, full rise on the fairwater planes,” the Admiral barked.

“
Full rise on the planes, helm, aye,” Annie replied as she pulled all the way back on the yoke.

“
Admiral, we’re less than a mile away from the lat/long coordinates,” Nick commented.

“
We’re driving ahead at flank speed, Annie’s got her planes on full rise but we’re still sinking.” Caroline’s voice took on a sense of panic.

“
Mike, initiate an emergency blow and put us on the roof,” the Admiral commanded sternly.

“
Huh?” responded Mike with a blank look on his face.

“
Reach up to the panel directly above your head and pull those two switches downward,” the Admiral clarified. “Those are the chicken switches that will use high pressure air to blow the water out of the tanks and take us to the surface.”

Mike reached up and pulled the switches. The sound of hissing echoed throughout the sub as the high pressure air pushed the water from the tanks and the Alaska began to rise.

“
Chrissie, full rise on the stern planes,” Caroline ordered.

With that, Chrissie pulled the outboard yoke all the way back and everyone could feel the bow of the sub angle upward. “I think this is doing the trick,” said the Chief of the Boat, a grin beginning to appear on his face. “Hang on everyone; it’s time for some serious angles.” The Alaska quickly rose 100 feet. After rising another 50 feet, the sub’s ascent began to slow and the kids started looking at each other with perplexed expressions.

“
Is this normal?” inquired Mike.

“
Not in the least.” Admiral Connery looked worried. “We should be on the surface by now.”

The Alaska eked out another 25 feet before it began to sink again.

“
Admiral, not only are we sinking, but the ship’s compass is going crazy and the inertial navigation system is behaving strangely.” Nick exclaimed. “You know how you can make your hiking compass needle spin around if you hold a magnet up to it? It looks something like that.”

At that moment, lights in the control room began to flicker, while the video monitors became distorted. A scared look came across everyone’s faces as the Alaska wobbled and continued to sink with its bow pointed upward.

“
All the extra air in the ballast tanks from the emergency blow is causing the boat to behave erratically as we sink,” the Admiral exclaimed. “Mike, open the vents and refill the tanks with water and get us to zero bubble on the double. Annie and Chrissie, zero your planes and work with Mike to get us level.”

A chorus of “aye, sirs” came from the kids as they worked to stabilize the Alaska.

“
I don’t suppose there could be some kind of giant, super magnet out there that’s causing our instruments to behave like this.” Caroline thought out loud.

“
Lucky for us, we’re in a giant steel tube.” Annie joked with the last ounce of humor in her body.

“
Thanks for that, Annie,” Mike retorted. “A giant magnet is actually the one thing that could explain both our sinking and why our navigation systems are freaking out. That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all year, Caroline.”

Caroline glared over at Mike without saying a word.

“
So basically, there’s some kind of magnetic force beneath us that’s trying to pull us down to the bottom of the sea,” Nick noted aloud. “Admiral, how long can we keep sinking before reaching crush depth?”

Without answering, the Admiral became lost in his thoughts for a moment.

“
Torpedo room, flood torpedo tube two and prepare to fire on my mark,” commanded the Admiral through his sound-powered phone.

“
But, sir, I don’t have a target solution to plug into fire control,” said Nick from the fire control panel.

“
I just want you to shoot the torpedo straight out of the tube at minimum velocity,” the Admiral replied. “Open outer doors on torpedo tube two.”