按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Two more hours； tops； sir。〃
〃Fine。〃 Morris smiled。 〃We can worry about the Mickey Mouse later。 Get back to work； Mister…〃
〃Lyles； sir。 Ship control officer。〃
And what the hell is that？ Morris wondered。 〃Okay； Mr。 Lyles。 Where's the XO？〃
〃Right here； skipper。〃 The executive officer had grease on his shirt and a smudge on his cheek。 〃I was in the generator room。 Pardon the way I look。〃
〃What kind of shape are we in？〃
〃It'll do。 Full load of fuel and weapons。 The tail's fully calibrated…〃
〃How'd you do that so fast？〃
〃It wasn't easy； sir； but we got it done。 How's Captain Wilkens？〃
〃The docs say he'll be all right； but…well； he's out of the business for a while。 I'm Ed Morris。〃 Captain and executive officer shook hands。
〃Frank Ernst。 First time I've operated in the Atlantic Fleet。〃 The lieutenant mander smiled crookedly。 〃Picked a great time for it。
Anyway； we're in good shape； skipper。 Everything works。 Our helo pilot's up in the bat Information Center with the tactical guys。 We got Jerry the Hammer。 I played ball with him at Annapolis； he's good people。 We got three real good chiefs。 One's a qualified officer of the deck。 The crew's on the young side； but I'd say we're about as ready as you could ask。 Ready to sail in two； three hours； tops。 Where's your personal gear； sir？〃
〃It ought to be here in half an hour。 What was the problem below？〃
〃No sweat。 An oil line let go on number…three diesel generator。 Yard goof； wasn't welded right。 It's fixed。 You'll love the engine room； skipper。 On builder's trials in five…foot seas we topped out at thirty…one…and…a…half knots。〃 Ernst raised his eyebrows。 〃Fast enough？〃
〃And the stabilizers？〃 Morris asked。
〃They work just fine； skipper。〃
〃What about the ASW troops？〃
〃Let's meet 'em。〃
Morris followed his XO into the superstructure。 They proceeded forward between the two helicopter hangars； then to the left past officers country and up a ladder。 The bat Information Center was located one level below and just aft of the bridge； adjoining the manding officer's stateroom。 Dark as a cave； it was newer than Pharris's and larger； but no less crammed。 Twenty or more people were at work running a simulation。
〃No； Goddammit！； howled a loud voice。 〃You have to react faster。 This here's a Victor； and he ain't gonna wait for you to make up your damn mind！〃
〃Attention on deck！ Captain in bat；〃 called Ernst。
〃As you were；〃 called Morris。 〃Who's that loud sunuvabitch？〃
A barrel…chested man emerged from the shadows。 His eyes were surrounded by crinkles from looking into too many low suns。 So this was Jerry the Hammer O'Malley。 He knew him only by a crackling voice on a UHF radio； and by his reputation as a sub…hunter who cared more for his trade than promotion boards。
〃I guess you mean me； Captain。 O'Malley。 I'm supposed to drive your Seahawk…Foxtrot。〃
〃You're right about the Victor。 One of those bastards blew my first ship near in half。〃
〃Sorry to hear that； but you oughta know that Ivan's putting his best skippers in the Victors。 She handles better than anything else they got； and that rewards a smart driver。 So you were up against the varsity。 Did you have him outside？〃
Morris shook his head。 〃We were late picking him up； just ing off a sprint； and acoustical conditions weren't all that great； but we detected him； he couldn't have been more than five miles out。 We had the helo after him； just about had him localized； then he broke contact neat as you please and got inside on us。〃
〃Yeah； the Victor's good at that。 Pump…fake； I call it。 He starts going one way； then turns hard the other； leaves a knuckle in the water； and probably a noisemaker； too； right in the middle of it。 Then he dives down under the layer and makes a quick sprint in。 They've been refining that tactic for the past few years； and we've had trouble programming a reliable counter for it。 You need a sharp crew in the helo； and you need good teamwork with these guys here。〃
〃Unless you read my report； my friend； you must be a mind reader。〃
〃Right； Captain。 But all the minds I read think in Russian。 The pump…fake's what the Victor is best at； and you have to pay attention； what with his ability to accelerate and turn so quick。 What I've been trying to teach people is when he shows turn to port； you start thinkin' he's really going to starboard； and you slide over maybe two thousand yards and wait a minute or two； then you hammer the bastard hard and pickle off the fish before he can react。〃
〃And if you're wrong？〃
〃Then you're wrong； skipper。 Mostly； though； Ivan's predictableif you think like a submariner and you look at his tactical situation instead of your own。 You can't keep him from running away； but his mission is to close on the target； and you can make life real hard for him if he does。〃
Morris looked O'Malley hard in the eyes。 He didn't like having the loss of his first mand analyzed so glibly。 But there was no time for these thoughts。 O'Malley was a pro； and if there was a man to handle another Victor； this might be the one。 〃You all ready？〃
〃The bird is at the air station。 We'll join up after you clear the capes。 I wanted to talk things over with the ASW team while we had the time。 We're gonna play outside ASW picket？〃
〃Probably。 With a towed…array； it doesn't figure that we're going to be in close。 And we might be teamed with a Brit for the convoy mission。〃
〃Fair enough。 If you want my opinion； we have a pretty solid ASW team here。 We might just give the bad guys a hard time。 Weren't you on Rodgers a few years back？〃
〃When you were working with the Moose We worked together twice； but never met。 I was 'X…Ray Mike' when we exercised against Skate〃
〃I thought I remembered you。〃 O'Malley came closer and dropped his voice。 〃How bad is it out there？〃
〃Bad enough。 We lost the G…I…UK line。 We're getting some pretty good SURTASS info； but you can bet Ivan's going to be gunning for those tuna boats pretty soon。 Between the air threat and the sub threat…I don't know。〃 His face showed more than his voice did。 Close friends dead or missing。 His own first mand blown in half。 Morris was tired in a way that sleep alone would not cure。
O'Malley nodded。 〃Skipper； we got us a shiny new frigate； a great new helo； and a tail。 We can hold our end up。〃
〃Well； we'll have a shot soon enough。 We sail for New York in two hours and take a convoy out on Wednesday。〃
〃Alone？〃 O'Malley asked。
〃No； we'll have Brit pany for the New York run； HMS Battleaxe。 The orders haven't been confirmed yet； but it looks like we'll be working together all the way across。〃
〃That'll be useful；〃 Ernst agreed。 〃e on aft； skipper； I'll show you what we're up to。〃 The sonar room was aft of CIC； closed off by a curtain。 Here real lighting was on； as opposed to the darkened； red…light world of bat。
〃Jeez； nobody ever tells me anything！〃 growled a young lieutenant mander。 〃Good morning； Captain。 I'm Lenner； bat systems officer。〃
〃How e you're not at your scope？〃
〃We froze the game； skipper； and I wanted to check out the display on playback。〃
〃I brought the game tape myself；〃 O'Malley explained。 〃This is the track of a Victor…III that faked out one of our carriers in the eastern Med last year。 See here？ That's the pump…fake。 You'll notice that