“Weaps. Fish, one point eight miles to run.”
Nikki and the XO looked at Nathan, they hadn’t expected he’d be quoting the book of Revelation.
Nathan continued. “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
“Weaps. Fish, point seven miles to run.”
“Sonar. Aspect change, Tango one coming to port, returning to heading.”
“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.”
“Weaps. Fish, point two miles to run. The fish is hungry and pinging. Wire cut.” Nathan looked to the deck for a moment and then raised his head and stared into the distance. His mouth set thin and firm. His eye’s narrowed, his voice firm, determined and low.
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.”
“Weaps. Fish terminal, pinging, running in. Running in.”
“Sonar. Hot datum, Hot datum, Tango one.”
“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand”
“Sonar. Impact amidships, no screw count from Tango one, she’s sinking.”
“Route the sound feed to the boat’s intercom,” said Nathan, and picked up the microphone. “All hands; we’ve just scored a hot datum on our target the Seopung.” A cheer went up.
“We took her out with a belly shot. The forward and stern sections will be intact; it could have been us out there. Many men, our fellow submariners, will be alive in there, sinking into the black cold Sea of Japan. They didn’t ask for this fate, they didn’t deserve it.” He looked around the control room. “Think of them this day. Think of them, and what might have been.”
USS Stonewall Jackson’s speaker system relayed the grim awful sounds; the twisting of steel plate, hissing of buoyancy air, screaming and bubbling into the sea. They heard the popping of fires and battery explosions. All around the boat, men and woman held their heads quietly and looked down. Some prayed; nobody made eye contact.
The horrifying sounds of a groaning of the hull steel surrounded them, like a metal dolphin in torture; writhing, groaning and renting as it plunged into the depths.
Nikki was distraught, she couldn’t bear it. She wiped the sweat from her brow and placed her palms over her eyes. The hull’s death throes were a torment; it twisted, groaned and writhed.
When it came, it was sudden. Mercifully, with a sickening crump, the Seopung’s hull imploded. Vast bubbles of air rose to the surface straining for release and freedom.
Nathan spoke into the microphone. “All hands, we hereby commit these souls to the deep, may they be remembered forever until there is no more pain, no more suffering, and the abyss itself shall give up her dead and return them to us.” Nathan hung his head. “May God rest you bastards.”
Long minutes went by. Now, it was time to finish the job.
“Rig trim to ascend fore and aft. Come to periscope depth.”
“Periscope depth Sir.”
Nathan selected a pop up and a three sixty. The scope emerged from the grey sea, rotated and returned below.
He looked around the submarine on the screen. There were the Najin class frigates, Najin and Heuglyong.
The sonar ping could be felt through the hull.
“Sonar. Active pulse from one of the frigates, second ping. They’re ranging us.”
Nathan selected a raise scope and stay; he watched the two frigates in real time on the monitor.
From the leftmost warship, fire and smoke belched from an RBU 1200 launcher. He saw the projectile arcing upwards. Rocket launched anti-submarine mortars were on their way.
Chapter 10
NATHAN RETRACTED THE scope. “Come to port sixty degrees, all ahead full.”
“All ahead full aye Sir.”
There would be no time to go deep, the dispenser would be arcing its way down now. He found himself hoping that the ASW Officer and launch crew were good and accurate; every second counted as the boat made her way away from the target site.
“Sonar. Sir, dynamic surface entry astern.” The hull shook with a sickening vibration as the first mortar went off close by. Boom, the second was deeper. Four more followed, deeper still.
“Sonar. Ping detected. Second ping. Ranging.”
That’s it, thought Nathan. He selected a pop up on three sixty. There they were.
“Weaps. Harpoon strikes at bearings three five five degrees, Tango one and thirty eight degrees, Tango two. Ranges less than three miles. Flood tubes, open outer doors.”
“Laying in, Sir.” Thirty seconds went by. “Tube five ready in all respects, Sir.”
“Launch.”
“Tube five. Launch. At the surface, motor fired. The bird is in the air.”
“Tube six ready in all respects, Sir.”
Nathan waited thirty seconds. “Launch.”
“Tube five. Launch. At the surface, motor fired. Another bird is in the air.”
At his conn he selected pop up and scan three four five to fifty degrees. He waited, then activated. The screen soon showed the results. Tango one was burning and going down, split into two. Her back had broken; a magazine must have gone off. Two life rafts had been deployed. Tango two was burning fiercely, and black smoke rose into the sky.
He selected up scope and watched the burning hulk. After two minutes, life rafts were deployed and men climbed in. She was now going down by the stern. More life rafts, more men. Five minutes later she, slipped below the waves.
Another vessel had vanished from the world of men.
“LIEUTENANT COMMANDER Lemineux, make this signal to Pearl.” He handed over a note.
PRIORITY RED
R 271349Z JUL 86 ZY13
STONEWALL JACKSON
PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//
TO COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//
NAVAL OPS/02
MSGID/STONEWALL JACKSON 479/ ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS://
TARGET SEOPUNG IS DOWN ALONG WITH FOUR SANG-O AND TWO FRIGATES. THE NAJIN AND THE HEUGLYONG.
WE ARE SEVEN, OH AND OH.
MSG END//
HE WALKED OVER TO THE chart, and placed his hand on Lieutenant Kaminski’s back, under her ponytail.
“Now, I’d like to call in on the best pizza joint in the western Pacific. Nikki, let’s have a course to Guam.”
“SURFACE THE BOAT.”
The USS Stonewall Jackson broke surface on a bright but breezy sunny afternoon with a speckled sea.
“Crack the hatch, COB.”
“Aye Sir.”
The COB cracked the hatch and stood looking at the southern tip of Point Loma, San Diego off to his left. USS Stonewall Jackson skirted south of the point and turned to port to make her way around North Island Naval Air station. It would then be under the Coronado Bay Bridge into the base proper.
“COB,” called Nathan. The COB returned down to the submarine’s companionway. “Come into my cabin.”
Inside Nathan took out a flag, and opened it to let the COB see what it was.
“I want you to hoist this on the mast.”
“That? Really Sir?”
“Yes. Do it now.”