Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

190 JEFF EDWARDS
“Looks great, sir,” Commander Bowie said. “But if we’re going to get
started right away, I’d prefer that Chief McPherson stay up here. With
your permission, of course. I brought her along because she’s been
chasing submarines for the better part of twenty years. I know that I
wouldn’t want to plan a sub hunt without her input.”
Captain Whiley’s smile narrowed perhaps a millimeter. “Fine,” he said
with a quick nod. His tone of voice said that it was anything but fine.
“We’d be foolish to ignore that sort of expertise.” He looked at the chief.
“Make yourself at home, Chief. Welcome to Antietam’s wardroom.” His
eyes carried not the barest glimmer of the welcome that he’d just offered
her.
Chief McPherson took the nearest seat. “Thank you, sir. I hope I
contribute something worthwhile.”
“I’m certain that you will,” the captain said. “Chief petty officers are
the backbone of the Navy. I’ve always said that, and I’ve always believed
it. They’re the subject matter experts.”
“Thank you, sir,” the chief said. She noticed that Captain Whiley was
making no move to summon his own Chief Sonar Technician.
Commander Bowie found a chair, and as soon as he was seated,
Captain Whiley walked to the far end of the room. A projection screen
hung from the ceiling. He pulled a pen-shaped laser pointer from his shirt
pocket and picked up a small remote control unit from the corner of the
table. He pressed a button on the remote, and the lights dimmed. He
pressed another button, and a ceiling-mounted projector flared to life. A
map of the Middle East appeared, extending from the northern tip of the
Arabian Gulf—at the top left-hand corner of the screen, to the Gulf of
Oman and Northern Arabian Sea—near the lower right corner of the
screen. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “this is our playground.”
The map, and the images that followed, were crisp, brightly colored,
and had a professional edge to them. It rapidly became obvious that the
briefing material had been prepared by someone who knew what they were
doing, undoubtedly using slick commercial software. And Captain Whiley
had studied his material well. He used the laser pointer to great advantage
as he worked his way through screen after screen of images and charts.
Chief McPherson put down the sandwich she had been nibbling on and
watched the captain’s presentation with a growing sense of alarm. First
off, this was not a tactical planning meeting; it was a dog and pony show.
It was becoming increasingly apparent that Whiley had not invited them
here to brainstorm tactics and search plans. He’d brought them here to
wow them with his plan—one that he’d already formulated—meaning that
it probably wasn’t up for debate. Taken by itself, that was bad enough, but