“Sir, I can hear him going into reverse. Now forward. All stop, reverse. Forward. That’s it sir, he’s stopped. The far Destroyer’s doing the same. I can’t hear the Frigate.” The harbour fell silent. He breathed again, and looked at the XO.
“I don’t like it but I’m going to risk a 360.”
“Sir.”
“They won’t expect it in here Larry. Periscope depth.” The boat rose several feet. He set the controls for a 360 scan. The scope rose above the surface, quickly scanned 360, and retracted.
He looked at the monitor screen. The two Destroyers were side on to the southwest wall and the Frigate had docked at the northwest corner of the harbour. He did a double take; they were just 70 feet from the southeast harbour wall. It had been close, too damn close.
It was time to carefully, quietly make their way out into the open sea.
Innes and Alves had heard the Chinese ships entering the harbour. Down where they were it had been a cacophony of prop throbbing and threshing. The boat wouldn’t wait through that. They knew it would be the backup Exfil now. They were heading for the far side of the deep channel, bearing 140 at 130 feet depth. It was a smothering blackness down there. Presently they came to the far wall and started their ascent. After reaching the shallows, they pressed on out of the lagoon. The reef fell away and they followed the bearing out into free water. They both knew that the boat would have to get between the reef and them to signal safely away from it.
They reached where they thought was a safe distance by counting fin strokes. Alves surfaced for a look and came back down. He gave Innes the OK sign. They both used torches at 18 feet; they should be fine down here. It was now a wait for the boat. After a time Alves tapped Innes and pointed. A tail flicked out in the blackness. Then another. Innes saw a head with a jaw full of teeth. Thresher sharks. The two of them formed a back to back stockade. The sharks circled for some minutes before one of them made a close approach; Innes hit it as hard as he could on its sensitive nose area. The shark kicked away with its tail and disappeared.
Eventually, the Threshers vanished; why? Innes and Alves surfaced.
“I think they’ve gone,” said Alves.
“Yeah, it didn’t like the punch it got.” They looked towards the island; a few lights were visible. After two minutes there it was, a flash from a periscope. The two of them headed for it, dived and swam into the sail. It must have been the boat’s prop disturbing the sharks. Innes removed his mouthpiece and kissed the lip of the sail. They both entered the hatch and closed it behind them.
The two divers stood in the main companionway; Nathan approached them.
“It’s good sir. In place. We have Fiery Cross bugged. That’s the last one.” Relief washed over him.
Nathan patted each man on the shoulder. “Well done guys. Remember, we do have a bug left.”
Innes frowned.
“Ask Kaminski,” said Nathan smirking, “she’s had an idea”.
He returned to the control room.
“Kaminski, get me a lazy zip zag course up toward the Paracel Islands. Lieutenant Commander Lemineux, make this message to COMSUBPAC.”
“Aye sir.”
PRIORITY RED
R 271365Z SEP 86 ZY10
STONEWALL JACKSON
PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//
TO COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//
NAVAL OPS/02
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS://
OPERATIONS CLIPPER, SKIRMISH AND TEA LEAVES COMPLETE. BUG LOCATIONS TO FOLLOW. PATROLING TO PARACELS. SEEKING DURESS.
MSG END//
USS Stonewall Jackson headed first toward Southwest Cay.
“Benson get your big ears on, I think the PLAN’s coming down to play.”
Hours later, the island was still several miles away.
“Sir, I’m picking up a contact to the north. I’d say two warships, range 20 miles. Refining.”
“Good work, keep me posted.”
He waited long minutes, then looked over to the ponytailed honey working on her chart.
Nathan felt drawn to her so he walked over. “Hi.”
“Hi, sir.”
“Where do you have us going next?”
“That’s up to you sir.”
“Yeah, but where would you go?” She gave him a mischievous smouldering smile and quickly wiped it off her face.
“I’d stay down here Sir. The PLAN will come to us we don’t need to seek them out.”
“What about your idea up north? The spare bug op. What do you want to call it, anyway?”
She thought for a while. “I think Operation Joshua would be right. He was one of the top spies sent into Canaan during the exodus.”
Nathan smiled. “Ok, Operation Joshua it is.”
Benson shifted in his seat and called out from his sonar console.
“Sir, I have info on the two northern contacts. They’re two Type 052C Destroyers, heading just to our west. Range nine miles.”
“Good Benson, well done. Come to three three zero. Speed twelve knots.”
“Sir I picked them up as one of them used an SJD-9 sonar to make an active ping.”
“How good is that sonar, Benson?”
“Not bad sir, it’s a development of a French design, hull mounted.”
“Active ping, is it? It’s playing safe, or more likely it’s a clean-up operation.”
“Clean up sir?”
“Yeah, flush out the opposition.” I wonder what else they have coming down here?
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER Lemineux, make this message to COMSUBPAC.”
“Aye sir.”
PRIORITY RED
R 271366Z SEP 86 ZY10
STONEWALL JACKSON
PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//
TO COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//
NAVAL OPS/02
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS://
REQUEST REPORT ON PLANAF MARITIME DEPLOYMENTS AND OPERATIONS IN THE AREA.
MSG END//
Nathan walked over to his XO.
“Larry, they must have air assets on the way. The People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Force won’t be sitting on their asses. They’ll have deployments; heck they have several local runways to use. I’ve asked for information on their deployments down to this area.
In the meantime, we have two Luyang II Destroyers to cope with.”
Nathan thought through his tactics. Come on Captain Franks, what would USS NYC have done? He weighed up the options. Use stealth, but most of all, use what you have at hand. That’s it!
“Come to 300, periscope depth, speed 18 knots. COB?”
“Yes sir?”
“Go back aft and get a bilge monkey to rap a hammer on some pipe or whatever. Make it sound like he’s making repairs. Get one to make some noise, they’ll like that.”
The COB gave him a puzzled look. “Yes Sir.”
The XO raised his palms. “What…?”
Nathan smiled. “We’re going to hang our asses out on the line.”
Several minutes later they were heading in the approximate direction of the Chinese warships. Back aft, the sounds of a hammer knocking the hell out of something could be heard. It was what you didn’t do; a submarine should be silent, stealthy and unseen.
“Sonar. The Luyang’s are turning, one looks to be heading our way.”
Nathan smiled.
A few minutes later Benson called out again.
“The other one’s heading off to the northeast, sir. I think it’s heading around the north side of the Cay.”
“Ok. COB, go tell that guy to stop his banging. Down bubble 15, make your depth 100, speed eight knots. Come to one eight zero.”
Two of the PLAN’s best Destroyers were aware of him and on the hunt. Nathan knew they’d be hungry for revenge. He hoped to hell he knew what he was doing.