“Solution is tracking,” Remy said. “Two minutes to impact.”
“Deploy two more active countermeasures,” Jake said.
The Taiwanese sailor who had replaced Henri at the ship’s control station tapped his screen, popping two more aerating distractions into the water.
“Deploy one noise-making decoy,” Jake said.
“All countermeasures are active,” Remy said.
“Any effect on the incoming weapon?”
“Yes!” Remy said. “The incoming weapon has acquired the noisemaker.”
Jake breathed.
“Circling our noisemaker,” Remy said. “Now passing through and coming at us again.”
“At least that bought us thirty seconds,” Jake said.
Henri leaned into Jake.
“We cannot outrun this weapon,” he said. “Even if every noisemaker we have gives us thirty seconds of delay, the weapon has the range to catch us.”
“One of them may fool it completely,” Jake said.
“I wouldn’t bank my life on it. Consider surfacing the ship and letting men jump for their lives.”
“Maybe,” Jake said.
He looked to the sailor at the ship’s control station.
“Deploy one noise-making decoy.”
The decoy bought another thirty seconds. With two and a half minutes separating him from his demise, he whispered to Henri.
“We’re dead,” he said.
“Surface the ship, then. Live to fight another day! I’ll drag you off myself so that you don’t suffer any romantic notions of going down with your ship. Plus, you remember that I can’t swim and will need you to carry me.”
“Fine. I’ll give the order.”
Jake made eye contact with the sailor seated at the control panel and drew a breath to bark out his order, but Remy interrupted him.
“Jake!”
“What!”
“The Ambush. I just heard it.”
“So what? How is that relevant?”
“I think the Ambush is maneuvering itself between us and the torpedo.”
“Let me see!” Jake said. “Enter the Ambush into the system at thirty-three knots.”
Jake watched lines of bearing fan out towards the flow noise that Remy heard from the British submarine.
“Holy shit,” Jake said. “Does a British commander have a death wish?”
“Don’t question it,” Henri said. “Embrace your savior.”
“Impossible,” Jake said. “This can’t be happening.”
“The Ambush is passing through our baffles,” Remy said. “The incoming torpedo is drifting left. It’s following the Ambush!”
“The Ambush is fast, but it can’t outrun the torpedo,” Jake said.
“Maybe it can,” Henri said. “With its extra speed and fresh load of countermeasures, it’s possible.”
“The Ambush has launched a noisemaker,” Remy said. “The weapon is circling it and… wait… the weapon is now returning to chase the Ambush.”
“I need to do something,” Jake said. “I can’t watch a British submarine take a bullet for us.”
“What can you do?” Henri asked. “Shoot the torpedo with our torpedo?”
“It’s theoretically possible, especially when there’s such a high bearing rate on the target torpedo, but our torpedoes are no faster than… wait.”
“No, Jake. I know what you’re thinking. It’s too risky.”
“No, it’s perfect. The arc of fire is limited. If I maneuver to the edge of the weapon’s usable arc, I can target the torpedo without risking hitting the Ambush.”
“Command detonate? The San Juan’s weapon is unlikely to be large enough to allow a proper triggering of the warhead.”
“Right. I’ll have to guess at depth, but anything close enough should help.”
Jake turned to the sailor at the ship’s control panel.
“Left full rudder, steady course two-two-zero.”
The deck rolled, and as he grabbed the navigation table for support, Jake looked to Kang.
“Already on it, Jake. I’ve got the best estimate of the torpedo’s course, speed, location, and depth in the system, and the super-cavitating torpedo is warmed up. I’ve ordered a command detonation based upon the system solution, independent of any final triggering.”
“Good job.”
“The system is recommending no launch until you’re pointing within fifteen degrees of the target.”
“Fortunately,” Jake said, “this little submarine turns on a dime. Let me know when the system clears the shot.”
“Now, Jake!”
“Shoot tube six!”
The amazing two-hundred-knot speed of the underwater rocket tested what remained of Jake’s patience. It required twenty seconds to accomplish its job.
When it blew up, Jake hoped that it took the San Juan’s torpedo with it to oblivion while leaving the Ambush unscathed. With its blast energy hitting the British submarine at its stern, he expected the vessel’s hull to absorb whatever pounding it received.
He felt relieved when Remy reported the Ambush maintaining its thirty-three-knot sprint. But his heart sank when he heard that the San Juan’s torpedo continued chasing it.
“You bought the Ambush another thirty seconds Jake,” Remy said “You at least temporarily disrupted the torpedo.”
“Not good enough!”
“The Ambush has launched another noisemaker.”
“God, I hope they all survive,” Jake said.
“The torpedo has acquired the noisemaker and is circling it.”
“Another delay of the inevitable.”
“No!” Remy said. “It’s continuing to circle.”
“Seriously?”
“Our weapon must have damaged it enough to prevent it from correcting its course from a noisemaker.”
“Let it circle a few more times before we celebrate.”
A minute passed.
“That’s three laps around the Ambush’s noisemaker, Jake. The Ambush has a fighting chance now, even if the San Juan’s weapon recovers.”
“Give it another minute.”
A minute later, Remy declared the victory.
“The San Juan’s weapon is stuck in a circle. It’s over.”
“We did it.”
“Our weapon is now range gating against the San Juan,” Kang said.
Jake had forgotten his vengeance shot.
“Do we still have wire control over that weapon?”
“Yes,” Kang said. “Impact in twenty seconds.”
I can do nothing and let them die, Jake thought.
“Jake,” Remy said. “You need to make a decision. Fifteen seconds to impact.”
If there is a God, He needs someone to do his dirty work. May as well be me.
“Ten seconds,” Remy said.
If there is no God, then someone needs to render judgment. May as well be me.
Speaking in his ear, Henri offered guidance.
“Our mission is complete,” he said. “It’s a resounding success. You needn’t do this. Think of the aftermath, the peace negotiations.”
“Quiet!” Jake said. “Let me think!”
“Five seconds,” Remy said.
I feel unworthy to render judgment and deliver death today, Jake thought. Maybe I’ve never been worthy.
“Shut it down!” he said.
Remy tapped his screen and then slumped forward in relief.