The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

She looked up, and her eyes were streaming now. 'Bernie, is there something
wrong with me?'
'No!' Katz managed not to shout. 'Cathy, if there's a better person in this
hospital than you, goddamn if I've ever met them! There is nothing wrong with
you! You hear me? Whatever the hell this is, it is not your fault!'
'Bernie, I want another baby, I don't want to lose Jack – '
'Then if you really think that you have to win him back.'
'I can't! He isn't, he doesn't – ' She broke down completely.
Katz learned then and there that anger has few limits. Having to keep it in,
being denied a target, didn't help, but Cathy needed a friend more than she
needed anything else.
***
'Dutch, this whole conversation is off the record.'
Lieutenant Commander Claggett was instantly on guard. 'As you say, Commodore.'
'Tell me about Captain Ricks.'
'Sir, he's my CO.'
'I'm aware of that, Dutch,' Mancuso said. 'I'm the squadron commander. If
there's a problem with one of my skippers, there's a problem with one of my
boats. Those boats cost a billion a copy, and I have to know about the problems.
Is that clear, Commander?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Talk. That's an order.'
Dutch Claggett sat ramrod straight and spoke rapidly. 'Sir, he couldn't lead a
three-year-old to the crapper. He treats the troops like they're robots. He
demands a lot, but he never praises even when the guys put out. That's not the
way I was taught to officer. He doesn't listen, sir. He doesn't listen to me,
doesn't listen to the troops. Okay, fine, he's the CO. He owns the boat, but a
smart skipper listens.'
'That's the reason for the transfers?'
'Yes, sir. He gave the chief torpedoman a bad time – I think he was wrong. Chief
Getty was showing some initiative. He had the weapons on line, he had his people
well-trained, but Captain Ricks didn't like the way he did it, and came down on
him. I counseled against it, but the CO didn't listen. So Getty put in for
transfer, and the skipper was glad to get rid of him, and endorsed it.'
'Do you have confidence in him?' Mancuso asked.
'Technically he's very good. Engineering-wise, he's brilliant. He just doesn't
know people and he doesn't know tactics.'
'He told me he wants to prove otherwise. Can he?'
'Sir, you're going too far now. I don't know that I have the right to answer
that.'
Mancuso knew it was true, but pressed on anyway. 'You're supposed to be
qualified for command, Dutch. Get used to making some hard calls.'
'Can he do it? Yes, sir. We have a good boat and a good crew. What he can't do
the rest of us will do for him.'
The Commodore nodded and went silent for a moment. 'If you have any trouble with
your next FitRep, I want to know about it. I think you may be a better XO than
he's entitled to, Commander.'