“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Remarkably well, considering the circumstances.”
Harrison nodded. “You certainly manage to get yourself into difficult situations.”
Christine smiled. “I appreciate your help, convincing the Russians to rescue me.”
Harrison didn’t respond, so Christine decided to be more direct. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“I would have done it for anyone.”
Under normal circumstances, Harrison’s response would have irritated her. But she was too tired. Instead, she said, “Why can’t you just say You’re welcome?”
Harrison stared at her for a moment, then leaned over near her ear. “You’re welcome.” He kissed her on the cheek, then stood erect, a grin on his face.
“Don’t try stealing any real kisses,” Christine replied. “I’m completely at your mercy.” Her arms were pinned against her sides with the blanket tucked under her.
Harrison started to lean over when the door opened. This time it was Lieutenant Commander Kelly Haas, Michigan’s Supply Officer. As she stopped beside Harrison, Christine noticed her height again; she was nearly as tall as Jake.
“Welcome back aboard Michigan, Ms. O’Connor,” she said. “I’m rounding up some clothes for you.” She offered a warm smile, then added, “It looks like you’ll need to borrow some underwear again. We were going to throw yours in the laundry, but noticed you were wearing men’s underwear. Exciting times down there?”
Christine laughed. “Yes, very exciting.”
Captain Wilson stepped into Medical. It was getting crowded in Doc’s small office.
“Welcome back aboard Michigan, Christine.”
“Thanks for the hospitality,” she replied. “Is the food still as good?”
“You bet.” Wilson grinned. He glanced at the IV bag. “We’ll get you out of here and eating normally as soon as possible.” He added, “Commander Aleo will make sure you’re stable and don’t have any frostbite or other issues. When you’re ready, the SEALs can take you back to Ice Station Nautilus in one of the SDVs, or, if you want, you can remain aboard until we return to port. But it’ll be a while. We’ve been assigned tow-truck duties for North Dakota.”
Doc Aleo returned to his cramped office. “All right, everyone. I’ve got work to do. Move along now.” He looked at Wilson. “Respectfully, sir.”
Wilson patted Aleo on the arm as he exited.
Kelly Haas left, leaving Harrison and Aleo in Medical with Christine. The Doc stared at the SEAL, waiting for him to depart.
Harrison turned to Christine. “I’ll see you around.”
“Thanks for stopping by,” she said.
After Harrison left, Christine asked, “What’s the plan, Doc?”
“Give me another day or two to make sure you’re fully recovered, and in the meantime, why don’t you get some sleep? Hypothermia takes a toll.”
Christine could hardly disagree. Her eyelids were getting heavy. She closed her eyes as she replied, “Aye aye, Doc.”
EPILOGUE
A light snow was falling from a gray, overcast sky as a cold March wind swept up the green slopes of Arlington National Cemetery. Christine O’Connor stood behind a row of vacant chairs alongside an open pit that would become Captain Steve Brackman’s grave. Standing beside her was Kevin Hardison, along with other members of the president’s staff and cabinet, with others arrayed in several rows behind them. Navy divers had retrieved Brackman’s body from Dolgoruky, and in the distance, working its way up the curving road toward the gravesite, was the horse-drawn limber and caisson carrying his flag-draped casket. Following closely behind was a procession of cars carrying the president and Brackman’s family.
Positioned alongside the road, awaiting the arrival of the burial procession, was the six-member honor guard who would serve as Brackman’s casket team, led by the Officer-in-Charge of the ceremony. One hundred feet from the foot of Brackman’s grave stood the firing detail, a seven-member rifle team that would fire three volleys at the appropriate time. Not far away, up the slope of Arlington National Cemetery, the solitary bugler stood ready.
As Christine waited for the ceremony to begin, her thoughts drifted to the events of the past two weeks. After a few days aboard Michigan, she had returned to Ice Station Nautilus, then began the long journey home to Washington, D.C. During the trip, she was painfully aware of the vacant seat beside her that Brackman would have occupied.
Upon arriving in Washington, her first stop after briefing the president was the Office of Naval Intelligence. ONI personnel had been surprised at her revelation of what Dolgoruky carried. The Bulava missile’s poor performance during flight tests was originally thought to have been the result of inadequate quality control of critical components, which had been corrected. After reassessing their intel, ONI concluded the Bulava missile had a serious flaw that would require an extensive redesign, resulting in a gap of operational submarine launched ballistic missiles as the last Typhoon and Delta submarines reached their end of life. Russia was about to lose its only survivable leg of their nuclear triad, a fact they were desperately trying to conceal.
It had cost Russia two of their nuclear attack submarines. Russia was able to rescue the survivors aboard Vepr and Severodvinsk, but the death toll had still been high; forty-five Russian sailors and almost two full platoons of Spetsnaz, not to mention Brackman and twenty-four other Americans.
The president was still evaluating Kalinin’s proposal; it would be difficult to permanently conceal so much carnage above and below the ice, but so far, the details had been withheld from the media. In the meantime, Kalinin had agreed to include inspections of Russia’s Borei class submarines and Bulava missiles in the follow-on nuclear arms treaty, and the president was wringing additional concessions from Kalinin on a number of international issues, holding the threat of going public with what Russia had done over his head. The president was still seething, searching for other ways to punish Russia.
The limber and caisson carrying Brackman’s casket pulled to a halt just past the six-man casket team, and the president and Brackman’s family stepped from their sedans. Although there were over a hundred persons in attendance, there were only three members of Brackman’s family: Brackman’s mother, father, and older sister, Lisa. Brackman’s wife and daughter were not present, having died three years earlier.
The president and Brackman’s family stopped alongside the road, and the ceremony OIC signaled the casket team, who moved into position behind the caisson, marching slowly in unison. Brackman’s casket was removed from the caisson, and the chaplain took station at the head of the casket team, leading the procession up the slope to the gravesite. Brackman’s family and the president followed.
Brackman’s casket was placed atop the supports that would lower his body to its final resting place, and the casket team remained standing at attention, three men on each side. The chaplain moved to the head of Brackman’s grave while Brackman’s family took their seats in the chairs alongside the gravesite. The president remained standing, stopping behind the chairs, next to Christine.
The casket team lifted the American flag from Brackman’s casket and held it waist high, stretched taut over Brackman’s casket, and the chaplain began the committal service. As the chaplain read the scripture, approaching the final moment when Brackman would be lowered into his grave, Christine grappled with her guilt; her responsibility for Brackman’s death.