"Morning, Hartwell."
Prost hesitated when Pete Adair and General Chalmers walked in and sat down. After exchanging pleasantries, Prost began his summary. "We have disabled two more of Shayhidis tankers, the Gulf Trader in the Corpus Christi ship channel and the Gulf Patriot at a California terminal. Dont have the details yet."
"Great," Macklin said energetically. "Who gets the credit?"
"SEAL Teams Three and Five. Were just now getting confirmation and a situation report on the Corpus Christi mission."
"How about those guys." The president smiled. "As we expected, a professional job." He looked at Chalmers. "See to it that they receive my personal thanks for a job well done."
"Will do," Chalmers said, with a slight nod.
A senior military aide entered the room and spoke quietly to the national security adviser. Prost thanked the army colonel and faced the group. "More good news, gentlemen. Shayhidi can chalk up another containership loss. The Cape Moundville had a fender bender with a torpedo from Charlotte about fifteen minutes ago. Her crew is safe, but the ship is on her way to the bottom of the South Pacific."
Macklin methodically added the latest information to his growing list of Shayhidi's assets that had been destroyed. "Let's keep the pressure on him — even intensify it, if we can do so safely."
"Yes, sir," Prost said, with a feeling of satisfaction. "We have a number of things in the planning stage."
"Good," the president declared. "No matter where he's hiding, Shayhidi has to know by now what's happening to his fleet."
"And to his fortune," Prost quietly added, slipping his briefing page under a synopsis from U. S. Central Command headquarters at MacDill AFB, Florida. "On a different but familiar topic: the Middle East."
"What now?" Macklin said, half question, half recognition.
Prost cleared his throat. "Since were immersed in stabilizing Iraq, other factions have decided to take some unusually aggressive stabs at us."
The presidents eyes hardened. "Lets have it."
"During the past nine hours, multiple surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery have downed two drones over the Middle East. Both were Predators conducting surveillance."
"Where, exactly?"
"One was over Iran; the other was over western Afghanistan. During the last few days they've taken dozens of shots at us from a variety of locations throughout the region. It's as if they're taunting us, daring us to engage them."
"Have we lost any manned aircraft?"
"No, sir, but an F-16 was damaged over northern Iran two hours ago. That SAm site no longer exists." Hartwell reached for his coffee cup. "One of the pockets of resistance in Afghanistan damaged a British jet, but the pilot, who was seriously injured, nursed it back to base."
Macklin turned to Adair. "Pete, I don't care where these antiaircraft sites are located. I want random retaliatory strikes at all sites that fire, or have fired, on coalition aircraft. If the site is near a military airfield, destroy the runways and hangars. Flatten the place."
"Yes, sir."
"Stagger the raids round the clock. Keep them on guard day and night and hit them hard; really do it big."
"Will do." Adair glanced at General Chalmers and then looked the president in the eye. "We'll start by pounding their air defense sites with Tomahawks and fighters, including carrier-based assets. If the sites are close to a military airfield, we ll use B-52S and B-1s to carpet-bomb the bases."
"That should be a good start."
Chalmers spoke up. "I recommend we use a combination of manned and unmanned aircraft to keep the pressure on, potential strike packages and recon assets constantly overhead."
"That's up to you," Macklin said evenly. "Just make sure each manned strike package has more than adequate support aircraft and SAR helos to retrieve any crew members who might get shot down."
"You can count on it," Adair said firmly. "We cant afford to have anyone captured."
The president frowned. "Yeah, we've been damn lucky."
Adair turned to Chalmers. "I'd like to coordinate all our mission planning with the British."
"I'll see to it," Chalmers said to Adair and Macklin. "We need to concentrate on air defense sites from all quadrants. Washington just arrived in the Gulf this afternoon. We'll take advantage of her air wing plus their combat rescue capability."
"Les, handle it any way you and Pete want to, but keep the pressure on. Don't give anyone time even to use the latrine."
"Yes, sir," Chalmers said, anxious to set his plans in motion. "We'll keep them at the ready day and night."
Macklin leaned back in his chair and faced Prost. "The word is out on Shayhidi's assets going south. Every leader in the Gulf region wants to talk to us. They know we're behind this operation; we can't hold them off much longer."
"I'm aware of that, sir."
"Where are we on the Brad Austin situation?"
"He has accepted the position."
"Outstanding, glad to hear it."
"Sir, I took the liberty of asking him to meet us at Dyess so we can brief him. All you have to do now is sign the order."
"Consider it done."
"Yes, sir." Prost paused for a moment. "Austin will be a strong addition to your team."
"I have every confidence — want him headed to the Persian Gulf as soon as practical."
"New subject?" Prost asked.
"Sure, what s up?"
"Speaking of the British, we could sure use their help if you approve of my suggestion."
A faint smile creased the president s face. "At this stage, I'm open to almost anything, almost anything."
Prosts voice was emotionless. "Consider it a diplomatic gesture to a true and trusted ally."
Chapter 16
The nuclear-powered British attack submarine submerged into the depths of the Gulf of Mexico after launching a U. S.-built Tomahawk cruise missile on a test flight. Closely followed by U. S. Air Force chase planes, the unarmed missile made a perfect flight across a section of the Florida Panhandle. Arriving precisely over its target coordinates, the upgraded weapon made an uneventful parachute landing on the spacious grounds of Eglin AFB.
The Royal Navy submarine crew was working closely with the U. S. Navy on a joint U. S./U. K. version of the Advanced Tomahawk Weapon Control System software. The ongoing classified tests in the Gulf of Mexico were designed to promote commonality and interoperability between the two navies. Today was the last day of testing for Trafalgar, and all hands were extremely pleased with the final results. In the near future, the submarines sister, HMS Torbay, was scheduled to continue the testing.
Late in the morning, with the eighty-seven-foot coast guard cutter USCG Bomto providing security, Trafalgar neared the surface of the tranquil gulf to receive routine satellite communications. The first message, routed through several high commands, including the U. S. E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and No. 10 Downing Street, was a shocker for the submarine s skipper.
Clearly taken by surprise when he read the communique, Commander Douglas Thornton-Williams, the captain of Trafalgar; was puzzled and requested a verification of his highly unusual orders. He promptly received confirmation directly from the British prime minister. Still, Thornton-Williams and his second in command were uncomfortable.
The cargo carrier Savanna Lorenzo, one of Saeed Shayhidis newest vessels, was departing the deepwater port of Pascagoula, Mississippi, at 2:43 P. M. Central Time. The specialized ship had taken on a wide variety of perishable items from the cold storage warehousing. Bound for the port of Boston, the spotless cargo ship was only ten miles from the blue waters of the gulf shipping lanes.
The highly experienced master of Savanna Lorenzo, along with everyone else in the maritime shipping business, had heard what was happening to the dwindling fleet owned by suspected terrorist Saeed Shayhidi. Speculation was running wild, and many of Shayhidi's ships were hurriedly making their way to the nearest port.