“And as for our own operation: Plainly the SEAL mission has gone drastically wrong. The journey they are now on may be their last. AND YOU, XO, ARE TRYING TO TAKE MY SHIP INTO THE PATH OF A HELICOPTER ARMED WITH ROCKETS THAT CAN PIERCE OUR PRESSURE HULL? RIGHT NOW, WITH MERCURY IN RETROGRADE? NOSSIR. NO YOU WILL NOT.”
“Not everyone believes in astrology, sir.”
“No, of course not. But many great men believe in it. Who was the greatest U.S. President in recent years, the man who rebuilt the Navy?”
“President Reagan, sir.”
“Exactly so. He and his wife believed. They understood the cycles of the universe. They took expert consultation, as many great men before them have done. And now, XO, turn this ship around. And return to our official rendezvous point, 16.00N 94.01E.
“AND WHILE YOU ARE CARRYING OUT MY ORDERS, REMEMBER THE OLDEST RULE OF THE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE COMMANDER…NEVER…NEVER, EVER…TAKE YOUR SHIP TO THE SURFACE IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY. TURN IT AROUND, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER.”
Dan Headley replied slowly and carefully. “I am afraid I cannot do that, sir,” he said.
“Lieutenant Commander, I am going to pretend, for the moment, I never heard that. And I say again, Turn this ship around, RIGHT NOW!”
“I think you heard me, sir. I am afraid I cannot do that. Under any circumstances whatsoever…Conn-XO, continue course one-one-zero at flank…same course, same speed.”
“Lieutenant Commander Headley, you are forcing me to conclude that you are conducting a one-man mutiny on this ship. And I now formally place you under ship’s arrest, and I command you to leave the control room.”
“I am afraid that will not be happening, sir.” And with that, Dan Headley summoned again the senior executives of the ship back to the control room. And one by one they entered, the Lieutenant Commanders, Jack Cressend and Josh Gandy, and the Navigation Officer, Lt. Shawn Pearson. Master Chief Fisher and the Officer of the Deck, Lt. Matt Singer, were already there.
“I have consulted with the ship’s senior execs already, sir,” said Dan Headley. “And it is the opinion of each man that it is our duty to save the platoon of SEALs if that is possible. We are a warship, and we’re certainly equipped to deal with a couple of aging Chinese Navy helos.
“The SEALs have just acted with the utmost bravery, successfully carrying out the orders of, I understand, the President of the United States, the National Security Adviser, and the Chief of Naval Operations. Only if I receive direct orders from one or all of those three men will I cease and desist in my efforts to save our colleagues.”
Commander Reid swelled into what looked like the opening moments of a towering rage. “XO!!” he bellowed, “do you have any idea what it would be like if one of those helicopters hit and sank us — could you imagine us being like the Russians in the Kursk, trapped on the floor of the ocean, suffocating to death. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT, XO?”
“Perhaps not as well as you can, sir.”
“If you only knew, Lieutenant Commander. If you only knew, as I know, the terror of such moments.”
And now Dan Headley, surrounded by his fellow officers, stared straight back at the Commanding Officer, and he spoke kindly. “Sir, it is my opinion that you have not been feeling terribly well recently. You have been under strain, and I think everyone would prefer you to grab some sleep, while we take care of this rescue. As you know, we are moving toward the SEALs as fast as we can go, and I am afraid nothing is going to stop that. The crew will not leave the SEALs to die, and that is the end of it.”
Commander Reid once more bristled with fury. “THE ONLY THING AT AN END RIGHT NOW IS YOUR CAREER, XO. AND THE CAREERS OF ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SUPPORT YOU IN THIS LUNATIC ADVENTURE.”
“I don’t think so, sir. But perhaps you would now leave the area, because we are about to become very busy…. Lieutenant Pearson…if the guys were in the shoal waters at zero-five-three-five, making twenty-five knots…where are they now? How far from us?…”
But before Shawn Pearson could run those calculations, Commander Reid exploded: “I WILL NOT HAVE THIS DEFIANCE…I AM THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THIS SHIP, AND I WILL NOT HAVE HER TAKEN DELIBERATELY INTO A FATAL CONFRONTATION…. NOW STEP ASIDE, OFFICER OF THE DECK…I’M TAKING THE CONN…. XO, YOU WILL ALSO STEP ASIDE WHILE I ISSUE NEW, CORRECT ORDERS TO THE PLANESMAN. I WANT THIS SHIP TURNED AND RUNNING BELOW THE SURFACE IMMEDIATELY.”
No one spoke. No one moved. And Shark kept running forward, fast, on the surface, toward the SEALs.
Lieutenant Pearson broke the ice. “Sir, I do not think they could have reached the shoal before zero-five-four-zero. The approach from the channel through the marshes is very shallow, medium speed at best. But they could have rushed across the shoal. There’re always three or four feet there, even at low tide in the worst parts. Four miles would have taken them probably twelve minutes, so they should be right off Mawdin Point, running fast, west, at zero-five-five-two…right now I have zero-five-five-zero…two minutes from now there should be eight miles between us…closing at forty-seven knots. Probably see ’em from the bridge in around ten minutes.”
Lieutenant Pearson spoke as if the CO were not even in the control room, never mind in control of the ship.
And the XO turned once more back to Commander Reid, and said quietly, “I’m putting you on the sick list, sir. I think that would be best for everyone.”
“XO, you are doing no such thing. I am taking command of this ship and I am turning around, and going below the surface, where I intend to remain. If the SEAL team arrives being pursued by the Helix helicopters, I will remain below the surface. Because, XO, unlike yourself and others in this room, I am governed by Navy regulations. Nuclear submarines do not travel on the surface in the face of the enemy. NOW STEP ASIDE.”
Lieutenant Commander Headley did not move. He simply said, “Under Section one-zero-eight-eight of United States Navy Regulations I am relieving you of further duty. Since you have refused my offer of placement on the sick list, I am placing you under arrest. I am next in the succession to command. I am plainly unable to refer the matter to a common superior, and I am confident that your prejudicial actions are not caused by instructions unknown to me…”
Commander Reid raised his arms in exasperation, holding them high and slightly to the front, like a Catholic priest before communion. “MY ‘PREJUDICIAL ACTIONS’! How dare you, XO. This entire episode has been caused by your childhood friendship with Commander Hunter. We all know you and the SEALs have been buddy-buddy ever since we arrived in Diego Garcia. And this has come down to loyalty. Your loyalty to those damn brutes in the rubber inflatables, against my loyalty to the one hundred seven officers and men on this nuclear submarine. YOU ARE A DAMNED CHARLATAN, Lieutenant Commander. And you may have fooled some of the crew. But you have not damned well fooled me. SO STEP ASIDE.”
“COMMANDER REID. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.” Dan Headley was not speaking kindly anymore. “Chief Fisher, go and round up six seamen and escort the former Commanding Officer to his room, where he will be confined until further notice….
“NOW, Officer of the Deck, continue at the conn and continue this course with all speed…Lieutenant Commander Gandy, have comms try to contact the little boats…Lieutenant Commander Cressend, have Stinger missiles brought up, ready to be fired from the sail…Lieutenant Pearson, report to the bridge…I’ll be there in a few minutes…. That’s all.”
Every man so addressed replied with a sharp “Aye, sir.” And then Lt. Commander Headley turned back to Commander Reid. “I would very much like to think you are just undergoing psychological problems, which may have been with you for a long time. However, the only alternative view available to me is that you are nothing short of a damned coward.”