The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

It would be wellprotected, in the center of the ship, with other boxes atop it,
and well aft, so that winter storms would not buffet it directly. The two men
retired to a waterfront bar and waited for the ship to sail, then flew to
Damascus, and drove from there to their headquarters. The bomb shop was already
gone – mothballed would have been a more accurate term. The power cables had
been cut, and dirt pushed over all the entrances. If someone ever drove a heavy
truck over the concealed roof there would be a major surprise, but that was
unlikely. It was possible that they might use the facility again, and against
that slim possibility was the inconvenience of removing the machines to another
burial place. Simply covering the facility over was the most logical
alternative.
***
Russell flew to Chicago to catch the first round of playoff games. He took with
him a camera, an expensive Nikon F4, and burned up two rolls of ASA-100 color
prints photographing the ABC trucks – the Monday Night Football team was doing
this particular wild-card game – before catching a cab back to the airport. He
was lucky enough on the flight that he caught part of the game on the radio
during the drive from Stapleton International to his new house off Interstate
76. The Bears pulled it out in overtime, 23–20. That meant that Chicago would
have the honor of losing the following week to the Vikings in the Metrodome.
Minnesota had a by during the first week of wildcard games. Tony Wills' pulled
groin would be fully healed, and that rookie, the announcer pointed out, had
barely missed making two thousand rushing yards in his first NFL season, plus
eight hundred yards as a receiver. Russell managed to catch nearly all of the
AFC game, because it was played on the West Coast. There were no surprises, but
it was still football.
***
USS Maine left the shed without incident. Tugs turned her around, pointing the
submarine down the channel, and continued to stand by if assistance were
required. Captain Ricks stood atop the sail, actually aft of the cockpit,
leaning against rails set in the very top of the structure. Lieutenant Commander
Claggett stood his watch in the control room. The navigator actually did the
work, using the periscope to mark positions, which a quartermaster dutifully
checked off on the chart, ensuring that the submarine was in the center of the
channel and headed in the proper direction. The trip to sea was a fairly lengthy
one. Throughout the boat, men continued to stow gear. Those not actually on
watch settled into their bunks and tried to nap. Soon Maine would be on her
regular six-hour watch cycle. The sailors all made the conscious effort to get
their minds from land-mode into at-sea-mode. Families and friends might as well
have been on another planet. For the next two months their entire world was
contained within the steel hull of their submarine.
Mancuso watched the sailing as he always did for each of his boats. It was a
shame, he decided, that there was no way to get Ricks off the boat. But there
was no such way. He'd meet with Group in a few days to go over routine business.
At that meeting, he'd express his misgivings about Ricks. He would not be able
to go too far this first time, just to let Group know that he had his doubts
about the 'Gold' CO. The quasi-political nature of the exercise grated on