developed an overprotective attitude toward his new superior, and seemed
unduly worried at the pace Magruder was trying to maintain, but he was a rock
when it came to the administrative details. If Owens had been a little better
used to taking responsibility and making tough decisions, he would have made a
better CAG than Magruder.
Not that the tough decisions came any more easily to Magruder. It had
taken every ounce of self-control to contemplate the possible results of the
Alpha Strike without breaking down entirely. When young Bannon had requested
the chance to go back on the roster, it had required a real effort to keep
from giving in to his urge to keep the kid out of combat for his own good.
And Coyote’s decision to return to duty had been even harder on him, despite
their strained relations. Too many friends were at risk in this whole
operation, and Magruder had to live with the knowledge that it had been his
crazy idea, in Tarrant’s eager hands, which had put them all on a collision
course with battle.
“Sir,” Owens began breathlessly. “Sir, it’s going down. OZ has been
tapping into real-time satellite data, and it looks like they’re on the move
out of Murmansk.”
That made him sit up straight. It was the moment they’d been waiting
for, when the Soviets finally committed themselves. The next few hours would
tell them where the Russians were going and whether or not Jefferson had a
hope of intervening.
They were as ready now as they would ever be. Magruder could only hope
and pray that they were ready enough for what lay ahead.
CHAPTER 22
Sunday, 15 June, 1997
2100 hours Zulu (2100 hours Zone)
CVIC, U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson
In the Norwegian Sea
CVIC was crowded, more crowded than the briefing Tombstone had attended
with Stramaglia the day after he’d arrived aboard. Was it really less than a
week ago?
That briefing had been for ship commanders and other senior officers of
the battle group, and it had mostly dealt in generalities. Tonight, by
contrast, only Jefferson officers were in attendance, most of them squadron
COs and XOs from the Air Wing. And tonight’s session was focusing on concrete
plans to deal with the unfolding situation on the Norwegian coast.
Magruder had never been much of a public speaker, but Tarrant had turned
the bulk of the meeting over to him so that he could explain the attack plan,
code-named Operation Ragnarok, step by step. Watching the reactions of the
men who would be executing the operation, Tombstone had started worrying all
over again. It was clear that most of them were dubious about the strike.
But it was too late now for changes. He had done the best he could in putting
together the plan. It was up to these men to take the ball and run with it.
“That wraps up the highlights of the mission profile,” he said as his
presentation was winding down. “There are more details in your folders.
Familiarize yourself with the operation and then pass on the info to your
squadrons.”
He paused and looked around the room again. Admiral Tarrant and his
staff were near the front, along with Brandt and his Exec. Their expressions
were somber, but receptive enough. Commander Monroe, the Air Boss, seemed
cheerful enough, a study in contrasts with the officers representing other
parts of the carrier’s Air Department. Getting the percentage of aircraft
rated FMC–Fully Mission Capable–to a level that would support Ragnarok’s
tough requirements had taken everything from cajoling to threats to bribes,
and most of those officers were less than happy with the pressure Magruder had
been bringing to bear ever since the admiral had authorized the strike.
But it was the squadron commanders and their executive officers who
counted most. Commander Quinn of VA-89 looked especially grim. In
Jefferson’s last cruise two full squadrons of Intruders had been deployed on
the carrier, but budget cutting had reduced CVW-20 back to the old
mid-Eighties organization of one attack squadron. They would be regretting
that change in the hours ahead.
The skippers and execs from the two Hornet squadrons formed a tight-knit
group. They looked reasonably happy with their roles in the coming mission,