The sun was just now edging over the horizon. To Iowa’s right was the guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, the first of the modern DDGs. To the left, was the guided missile cruiser USS Kings Mountain. Astern was the recently commissioned destroyer USS Cochrane, the first modern destroyer with electric drive. Ahead was USS Freedom, a littoral combat ship capable of making 50 knots. It wasn’t a large force, but woe be unto anyone who tried to stop them. This force packed a punch.
Rhodes looked around the bridge. Everything was quiet and orderly. The Officer of the Deck was maintaining a good watch, keeping an extra lookout for anything that might show up in these coastal waters. The reports from the Combat Information Center and lookouts came in routinely and displayed accurately on the status board. Just moments before the task group had been ordered to change course and Iowa had responded as she should. He was enjoying being in the captain’s chair.
From the time Rhodes had come aboard he noticed that everything had quickly returned to the orderly routine he had experienced during the war. Except for just a few men, they had all served aboard her before, and the veterans had made sure the ship remained ready during the three years since her return. Now USS Iowa was at sea again, ready to answer the call. He clipper bow was slicing through the seas at a good 25 knots. Down below, Captain Kimberlain had his engineering plant humming smoothly without a strain. Later today they would exercise one of the turrets. He didn’t have enough crew to fully man the ship. There were only a little over 1,200 aboard, three hundred shy of a full complement, but the plan was not to fight; it was to be a decoy. The orders were to join up with another task unit in the Gulf of Mexico and then be seen in various places. Rhodes didn’t know the extent of his mission, but that didn’t really matter. Shorthanded or not, he would make sure the ship could fight with what it had — just in case.
Rhodes’ thoughts were interrupted as a khaki uniform appeared beside him. “How do you like sitting there, Dusty?” asked Hammond with a grin as he motioned for Rhodes to keep his seat.
“Just like Christmas,” Rhodes replied with a grin. “Never thought I’d make it, but now that I’m here, I like it.”
Hammond laughed. “So did I. I got to like it so much I often slept in that seat, but we won’t have as many worries as last time.”
Rhodes shifted in the seat. “Don’t know, I might get used to it. Any new word?”
Hammond shook his head. Rhodes noticed the deepening lines on Hammond’s face. Something was hurting the man, but he was determined not to show it.
“No, too early,” said Hammond, “We are all set to transit the canal after dark. We’ll meet up with the others the next day. It seems our departure was reported in. I got word they have our spies and are making some progress, but they don’t tell me much. You know how the intel types are.”
Rhodes nodded. “So we are just to cruise around and scare the hell out of people,” he said. “Well, that still isn’t going to stop me from getting the ship ready. You know about my gunshot this afternoon?”
Hammond nodded. “Just make sure we’re safe and you can shoot all day long as far as I’m concerned. Operations is setting up some port visits for us and I have something brewing to pass the time. Maybe we can give a little demonstration where people can watch. Could be fun.”
“No matter what, I’ll have at least one turret ready and maybe two. The manning is good, but Weaps is looking at what positions we’re missing. I learned back in the 80’s to do it right the first time. We’ll be safe,” said Rhodes. “By the way, when are you heading to the beach?”
“I’ll get off at the canal. I need to be in Washington and a few other places to get some things set up. I finally figured out a way to get our team back home and I need to make sure things are laid on. The big thing is to be seen aboard the ship as she transits the canal. Then I’m free to move.”
“Well, enjoy your time at sea for a couple more days. I’ll let you know if anything comes up,” said Rhodes.
“Fair enough,” said Hammond as he turned and left the bridge.
Rhodes watched him leave. Something had changed him since leaving the Iowa after the last war. He was putting up a brave façade. Hammond was getting ready for something. Rhodes knew it would be something big. As long as he was a part of it, he was a happy man.
It had taken Father Cardoza nearly a full day to hike to the nearest village and get to a phone. It had taken another half a day for his friend to drive up there and bring him back. It was a very tired man who finally slipped the first SD card into his computer to bring an image up in Photoshop. After making the corrections to all the images, he picked out twenty of the images and placed them on a thumb drive. The original SD cards were hidden away so he could get them if needed. Then he erased the images from his computer and set it to defrag to make sure nothing was left. The other SD cards were placed by the computer and one inserted into the drive. He brought up one of the most beautiful images of a soaring Harpy eagle. With a few corrections, he saved it and several other images on the computer’s hard drive then made the first image his desktop background so that anyone asking questions could be shown immediate results.
Cardoza was scared. President Parente was a powerful man. There was no doubt if he knew he had these images, Cardoza would simply disappear. There was no way to simply walk to the American Embassy and hand something over. The embassies were watched like hawks. People entering and leaving were questioned. He also could not talk to the Cardinal about this. Cardinal Gregory had been in office for a long time and he had prided himself on working closely with every president, including Parente. It was well known that Gregory would do anything to remain just where he is. Cardoza had already determined that the Cardinal would simply take the images and either give them up or throw them away — probably the latter — then order Cardoza reassigned. But he also knew that these images must get to the Americans. His friend had told him about what was going on and he was wondering if this was tied to the images he took.
There was a knock at his door and Father Emilio stuck his head in. “Father Cardoza, I did not expect you back so soon,” he exclaimed. “Did you find what you wanted?”
Cardoza smiled and invited the priest over. Emilio gasped at the stunning detail and beauty Cardoza had captured in his camera. “Magnificent!” he gasped. “I wish I had the talent you have at capturing the beauty of God’s earth. Will you show us all of them as before?”
Cardoza nodded. “Of course. As soon as I finish cleaning them up. I couldn’t wait to get back to show all of you. It was a glorious couple of days,” he said.
“Wonderful. I look forward to it. When I saw the light in your room I wanted to ask your help. I need to see a dentist tomorrow afternoon and wondered if you would take confessions for me. I’m not sure how long it will take.”
Cardoza smiled. “Of course, Father, I would be happy to.”
Father Emilio thanked him and left. Cardoza thought for a minute in astonishment. Tomorrow was Thursday. Every Thursday afternoon one of the Americans from the embassy always came to confession. He reached into his pocket and felt the thumb drive. God moves in mysterious ways, he thought with a smile.