that had subsided into a muted throb roared back through his body like a
freight train.
The Flanker leveled off five hundred feet above the waves, its shadow
racing like a pace car below it.
“Hornet! What the hell’s he doing?” the E-2C RIO demanded. “Aegis is
demanding some answers–the contact’s dropped off their screens.”
“Tell them to figure it out for themselves! Their radar horizon can’t be
more than forty miles, the altitude he’s at! Still getting video downlink.
That ought to narrow the search area.”
“Unnecessary,” the E-2 RIO answered tartly. “Hunter 701 is sitting on
top of his playmate, about fifty miles to your west. If you were paying
attention, you’d have heard his reports.”
“I’m a little bit busy myself, buddy. This bastard moves a lot faster
than some sewer pipe taking up water space.” Come to think of it, he had
heard the S-3’s reports, he reflected. He’d been too focused on the Flanker
to make the correlation.
Thor glanced at his altimeter, then took the Hornet up another hundred
feet and selected an IR heat-seeking Sidewinder. If the time came for it, he
wanted to be in the best position for a killing shot from behind. The fastest
way to eliminate the missile threat from the submarine would be to take out
the platform providing targeting data to it. And for that little job, there
wasn’t anything better than a Marine and a Hornet.
1235 local (Zulu -7)
Combat Direction Center
USS Vincennes
“Let me see the missile profiles for whatever that Flanker’s likely to be
carrying,” Captain Killington demanded. “Are they sea-skimmers?”
“Here, sir,” his TAO said, handing him the tactical handbook. “Left-hand
side.”
Killington studied it carefully. “Just because the Hornet didn’t see
missiles doesn’t mean the Flanker’s not carrying any. Look at how they
misidentified those U.S. helicopters as Hinds. Killed our own people with two
war shots.”
“It seems a little different scenario,” his operations officer, now
standing watch as the TAO, offered tentatively. The TAO tried to decide
whether he’d heard a note of regret in his CO’s voice. “Circling around a
helicopter doesn’t give you as good a view as pacing another jet. I don’t
think they ever got closer than five miles to those helos. But Hornet was
right up on this bogey.”
Killington glared at him. “You’re missing the point. Aircrews make
mistakes. They do–everyone knows it! I’m not staking the safety of this
ship and crew on what some airdale thinks he saw while playing grab-ass with
another jet at five hundred knots. Besides, there’s another possibility, one
you haven’t considered.”
“What’s that, sir?” the TAO asked quietly.
“That he’s on a suicide mission–a kamikaze, just like they did in the
last war! Ever think of that? Huh?”
“A kami–Sir, that was Japan, I believe. Not China.”
“I know that! Do you think I don’t? Listen, mister, don’t try to smart
off at me! There’s a reason they put me out here instead of giving command to
a lieutenant commander. The Pentagon knows that a knowledge of history is
absolutely essential to effective, aggressive command. That’s why over
one-third of the curriculum at the Naval War College is military
history–strategy and policy!”
“But, sir-”
“Don’t argue with me! It’ll make you feel like a fool later when I save
your ass. Get those birds on the rail. That bastard’s not getting inside
this air defense perimeter!”
The TAO glanced around for the XO, wondering if anyone else was listening
to the irrational arguments. Of course they were–even with their radio
headsets on, the OSs on Aegis had an almost telepathic ability to hear every
conversation in CDC. He saw it in their studiously blank faces, their eyes
carefully glued to their scopes. It wasn’t the first time that the CO had
worried them all.
“Aye, aye, sir,” the TAO said. He spoke quietly into his headset
microphone, then looked up. “Birds on the rails, sir.”
“Good. Now let’s hope we have a chance to use them,” the captain said
sternly.
The TAO stared at his screen grimly. Captain Killington was known as an
aggressive player, but his refusal to acknowledge the possibility–and
danger–of a blue-on-blue engagement had been the subject of countless quiet