that we will see this through, regardless of world opinion! It will be, gentlemen, the gateway to our own future as a global power!”
Ramesh returned the orders to the folder unread. He didn’t need to see them to know their content . . . or to know that, after a few hours of argument, the military staff would give it their stamp of approval. The possible benefits were enormous, the risks relatively small. There was a stronger possibility of Pakistan deciding to employ nuclear weapons, but perhaps Intelligence was correct in assuming that Islamabad was not yet able to deploy such weapons in the field.
Those considerations did not really touch him closely in any case, because he had seen one section of those orders, the paragraphs dealing with Indian navy deployment. The Indian aircraft carrier Viraat had been designated die flagship of the naval operation against the Americans.
And Rear Admiral Ajay Ramesh was commander of Viraaf s task force, with the carrier as his flag. It would be he who led the attack against the foreigners, opening the way for the IAF bomber strikes.
It would be a suitable revenge for poor Joshi’s death.
1725 hours, 25 March
Dirty Shirt Mess, U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson
“Yeah, Coyote, it’s true,” Tombstone said. The clatter of dishes and silverware rose around them, mingled with the low conversations of several dozen of the ship’s officers. Tombstone was clad in his khakis, but Coyote was still wearing his flight suit after an afternoon of patrol and practice touch-and-goes off Jefferson’& roof.
“God, man, I don’t believe it! How can they can the goddamned squadron commander?”
Tombstone pushed his dinner tray back on the table. He’d not felt much like eating. “By not making it an official canning. They’ll just take their time getting around to the investigation and hope I go away in the meantime.”
“Kiss of death, man! They can’t pull that shit! An aviator’s got to get out there and strap on that airplane every day, or he loses the edge!”
‘
124
Keith Douglass
ARMAGEDDON MODE
125
“Hell, they’re doing it. Can’t fight city hall. You know that.” He shrugged. “Anyway, it’s not bad. Gives me a chance to catch up on my paperwork. The Vipers are down two aircraft, and getting IM-2 moving on our work orders is like shoveling mud.” The IM-2 division of Jefferson’s Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) was responsible for all inspection, testing, calibration, and repair of the aircraft embarked aboard the carrier. He knew his offhand statement was not entirely fair; IM-2 consisted of eight officers, 420 men, and thirty civilian technical reps with an impossible backlog of orders and requests. ‘ ‘Officially, I guess I’m still in charge.”
“So who’s running the squadron, guy? Unofficially, I mean?”
“Army. Fred Garrison. Remember him? He’s squadron XO now. Anyway, he bosses ’em in the air and I take care of the paperwork. Good trade.”
Coyote leaned back in his chair, a mug of coffee in his hand. “You can’t fool me, Stoney. This has got you pissed off royally.”
“Maybe.” He wondered whether to tell Coyote that he was planning on resigning. It wasn’t the sort of thing you just blurted out. There was an unspoken attitude among Navy aviators. The guys who turned in their wings or resigned were failures, fallen gods no longer possessing the edge, the all-important right stuff.
Tombstone valued Coyote’s friendship and didn’t want to risk it.
Another thought occurred to him. “Listen, Coyote. I haven’t had a chance to ask. How’s Julie?”
“Find, fine. She told me to send her love.”
Tombstone and Coyote both had dated a good-looking insurance claims rep named Julie Wilson years before, when they’d first been stationed at Coronado. The rivalry had been friendly. In the end, Tombstone had been best man at their wedding.
“So tell me,” Tombstone said uncertainly. “What does Julie think of your coming back out here? I mean, you came pretty close to buying the farm last time around. How’d she take it?”
Coyote studied his coffee mug for a moment. “Hell, I’d be
lying if I said she wasn’t worried. But she knows that Navy aviation is what I do. She knows I miss her like nobody’s business when I’jn gone, but that flying is the next best thing to sex mere is.” He hesitated. “You want to tell me what’s behind that, Stoney?”