“He’s not going to shoot at us,” Paradise said.
Harding looked at his XO. “I think that’s exactly what he means to do as soon as the help he called for arrives. And that’s going to be soon.”
“He’s a diesel-electric boat.”
“In his own waters, up against an allied warship. He’s counting that we won’t shoot.”
“We won’t,” Paradise said.
“Not unless we’re provoked,” Harding replied calmly. “Let’s start a TMA on his last known position, then send out a couple of noisemakers.”
“That’ll pinpoint our position.”
“Exactly,” Harding said carefully. He was losing his patience. “I want to see what he’ll do about us.”
Paradise lowered his voice. “Look, Skipper, as XO my job is to do more than follow orders. I’m supposed to give advice, which I can’t give unless I know what you want to do.”
“We followed him, he detected us and we both shut down. Then he called for help, which he knows we heard. Now, we can either bug out — which is what he wants us to do — or we can let him know that we’re still here and we plan on sticking around. The next move will be his.”
“If he shoots at us, he’s got to know he’d be committing suicide.”
“It’d sure tell us how serious they are,” Harding said. He keyed the growler phone. “Sonar, this is the captain. If he floods his tubes I want to know about it pronto.”
“Noisemakers in the water,” Seaman Mizutami reported. “Relative bearing zero-eight-zero, range, four-thousand five-hundred meters.”
“Stand by,” Tomita ordered. He called ESMs. “This is the captain. Has there been any response from our surface ships?”
“Iie, kan-cho.” No, the electronic support measures officer replied.
“Sonar, conn. What is the range to our surface ships?”
“All of them are within the twenty-five-thousand-meter ring and closing fast.”
“The American captain knows that our ships are closing in on his position,” Uesugi said from his position in front of the BSY-1 consoles. “It’s only a matter of time before they have him.”
“So it would seem,” Tomita said staring at the tactical display monitor.
“They mean to provoke us before we get help, knowing that we will not shoot.”
“Sonar, conn. Is the Seawolf’s aspect changing?”
“No, sir,” Mizutami said. “I was able to paint a partial picture because of the noisemaker bubbles. It looks as if he’s beam on to us.”
“Stand by,” Tomita said. The American captain not only told them that he was there, but he’d moved his boat in such a position that its flank was presented to the Natsushio. He’d given them the perfect shot.
Uesugi was looking at him.
The American would not shoot. It was unthinkable. But even if he did, he would find himself in serious trouble from the surface ships that would find and kill him within a matter of minutes.
“Conn, sonar. Give me one ping for range and bearing.”
Mizutami hesitated for a fraction of a second. “Hai, kan-cho.”
The sonar ping reverberated through the hull. Seconds later the return signal was entered into the BSY-1 computers.
“I have a shooting solution,” Uesugi said, trying to keep his voice even.
“Flood tubes one and two.”
Uesugi looked over at him.
“This is not a drill,” Tomita warned. “Flood one and two.”
“Hai, kan-cho.”
“Conn, sonar, he’s flooding his tubes,” Fischer called.
“Give me two pings for range, and a precise bearing to his propeller,” Harding ordered.
“Aye, Skipper.”
“Flood tubes one and two,” Harding told his XO. “And prepare to get us out of here.”
“Flooding tubes one and two.”
“Prepare to fire only one,” Harding said, fighting to remain totally calm, in control. “We’re going to take out his prop before he gets off a shot.”
Two active sonar pings reverberated throughout the ship. A second later the solution came up on the BSY-1 console.
“I have a firing solution,” Harding said.
“Fire one,” Harding ordered without hesitation.
The weapons control officer hit the button, and there was brief low-pitched vibration.
“Emergency crash dive, all ahead full, come right to course two-nine-zero.” Harding reached up for a handhold on the overhead as his orders were relayed. With gathering speed the Seawolf heeled over hard to starboard, the bows canted sharply down and they accelerated. Now it was going to start getting real interesting, he told himself.
TWENTY
McGarvey forced himself to go through the motions of getting his wife and daughter settled in with the help of his secretary, Ms. Swanfeld. They had brought along their things from the safe house, and while they were cleaning up, a couple of cots were brought from housekeeping and set up in the DO’s conference room. It might not be comfortable, but it was safe.
The doctor came out to where McGarvey was waiting with his secretary.
“They’re a little shook up. Other than that they’re fine, which is amazing considering the injuries your daughter suffered in the bombing. She’s a tough woman.”
“That she is.”
The doctor looked critically at him. “It looks as if you could use some rest yourself.”
“I’m going to take a couple of days off.”
“Make it soon,” the doctor said, and he left.
A little smile curled the corner of Ms. Swanfeld’s mouth. “For a Company doctor he certainly doesn’t know what goes on around here.”
McGarvey returned her smile despite the rage he was filled with. The heat had been turned up tonight and he was at the edge of boiling over. “Are you up to sticking around for another couple of hours? Just until they get settled in?”
“You couldn’t pry me out of here, Mr. McGarvey.” She glanced at the door. “Are you going to talk to Mr. Adkins before you go? He’s in the Operations center.”
“I’ll see him when I get back.”
Her left eyebrow rose. “Will Mr. Rencke know how to reach you — in an emergency?”
“Yes, he will,” McGarvey said. He walked across the hall to the conference room, knocked once and went in. Kathleen and Elizabeth had finished dressing and Kathleen was making up their cots.
“Daddy,” Elizabeth said brightly. She looked worn out.
“Hi, Liz,” McGarvey gave her a peck on the cheek, then took his wife in his arms. “The doctor said you’re both fine.”
“Good thing he wasn’t a psychologist,” Kathleen said.
“You’ll be okay here until morning. My secretary is going to stick around tonight, so if you need anything just ask her. She wants to help.”
“Then what?”
“I have to leave for a couple of hours.”
Elizabeth was watching them. “You found out where they went, didn’t you? And you’re going after them.”
McGarvey nodded. He should have realized that Liz would figure it out. But he didn’t have time to argue with them.
“I’m coming with you,” Elizabeth said.
“You’re staying here with your mother,” McGarvey said firmly. “Otto is loading some information on a disk for you, and your job is to make sure nothing happens to it. No matter what.”