CARRIER 3: ARMAGEDDON MODE

“We’re beefing up our military presence in the area, of course, for starters. I’m putting the 82nd Airborne and other rapid-deployment forces on immediate alert. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot that ground-based forces can do in a situation like this, not until the UN can set up a multinational peacekeeping force. We’re going to push for a UN resolution to force the two sides to back away. Disarm them if we have to.”

“That could take time, Mr. President.”

“Yes. And that’s time we don’t have. If things go nuclear over there . . .” The President shook his head. “It’s going to

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be up to the Navy, at least at first. I’m redeploying fleet elements to the region, effective immediately. Eisenhower is in die Med and has just received orders to join them. So has Nimitz, off the coast of Spain,”

“Too far, sir. They can’t get there in two days.”

The President closed his eyes. “Don’t I know it. A week for the Ike. Maybe ten days for the Nimitz. In the meantime, well, Jefferson is the only one on the spot.”

Magruder frowned. “Are you asking my advice, Mr. President? One carrier battle group . . . compared to what India has, that’s not a very large force.”

“It’s damned thin, Tom,” the President said. “But it’s all I have right now.”

“Where do I come into this, sir? I mean, I’m flattered that you called me, but—”

“Flattered, hell, Tom. That’s not my style and you know it! For the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours, your old command is going to be the only goddamned thing I’ve got over there that might make the Indians and the Pakistanis back down or at least lose interest in each other! And you know the people in the CBG, know how they’ll react, know how far I can push them.” He looked at Magruder hard. “Tom, I need to ask something of you. It’s the real reason I called you here today.”

Magruder felt a surge of sudden excitement. He was getting his command back!

The President seemed to sense the question in Magruder’s face and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Admiral,” he said gently. “No. I can’t put you back out there. If I start swapping my admirals around like chess pieces, it’ll make a shambles out of our defense establishment.”

“Bad for morale too,” Magruder said, nodding. He understood, but …

“Exactly. No, what I need from you is your help. I’d like to appoint you as a special military advisor over here at the White House. You’ve commanded CBG-14*s ships, their men. You know them. Know how they’ll take the heat. I’ll be dropping a lot of shit on them in the next couple of days, and I’d like your advice when I do it.”

Magruder opened his mouth, but the words refused to come. How could he refuse such a request?

The President didn’t seem to be phrasing it as a request in

ARMAGEDDON MODE

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any case. He was already reaching for a phone. “I’ll give the word to have your things transferred over from the Fudge Factory,” he said- “We’re going to set you up with an office in the White House basement”

Magruder gave a slow, inward sigh. At least he was getting out of the Pentagon!

But he felt little in the way of joy or relief. His thoughts were already focused on ships and men ten thousand miles from the Oval Office.

They’d be facing long, long odds, and they’d be facing them alone.

CHAPTER 7

2010 hours, 24 March

Tomcat 201, over the Arabian Sea

The message coming in over Tombstone’s helmet radio was routine but carried with it an undertone of urgency.

“Blue Viper, Blue Viper, this is Victor Tango One-niner,” the voice said, identifying itself as the tactical officer aboard an E-2C Hawkeye radar plane circling in the sky above Turban Station far to the west. “Identify intermittent bogie, bearing your position zero-six-niner, range one-five-zero.”

“Copy, Victor Tango,” Tombstone replied. Outside of his Tomcat’s cockpit, the last traces of sunset had vanished. The only difference between up and down in the inky blackness was the dusting of stars overhead, brilliant at thirty thousand feet. The red, strobing pulse of Batman’s anticollision lights was visible a quarter mile to starboard. “Coming to zero-six-niner.”

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