Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

218 JEFF EDWARDS
voice transmission. “SAU Commander, this is Benfold. Contact report to
follow. Time, seventeen fifty-four Zulu. My unit holds passive broadband
contact, bearing three-two-five. Initial classification: POSS-SUB,
confidence level low. Believe this contact correlates to Towers’ Gremlin
Zero One, over.”
Captain Whiley’s reply was as rapid as before. “Roger, Benfold.SAU
Commander concurs. Designate your contact Gremlin Zero One, over.”
Ensign Cooper forgot whatever it was he’d been about to say. He was
too busy punching keys on the CDRT. A bright blue line popped up,
extending from the center of Benfold’s NTDS symbol to the edge of the
screen. The blue line crossed the most recent bearing line from Towers.
His keyed-in commands instructed the computer to plot a hostilesubmarine
NTDS symbol (a red V-shape with a dot in the center) directly
on top of the intersection of the blue line from Benfold and the red line
from Towers. It was called a cross-fix. That’s where the submarine was.
“Gotcha, you little bastard.” He keyed his mike. “All Stations—USWE,
we’re in business. Break, UB, stand by for range updates from the
CDRT.”
“UB, aye.”
Every thirty seconds, the CDRT updated the range and bearing to the
contact. After only two updates, the underwater battery fire control
computer had a rough estimate of the submarine’s course and speed. Each
set of bearing updates refined the solution. The search was about to
become the chase.
Captain Whiley’s voice broke over the Navy Red radio circuit. “All
units, this is SAU Commander. I am executing Pouncer Maneuver—now,
now, NOW!”
Cooper watched on the CDRT. Sure enough, the symbol for Antietam
was increasing speed and heading toward the southern flank of the
formation. The symbol representing Antietam’s helo, Samurai Seven-
Nine, cut around the northern end of the formation—to approach the sub
from an unexpected angle. According to the tactical plan, the helo’s
altitude would be above 2,000 feet; high enough so the submarine’s sonar
wouldn’t be able to detect the sound of his rotors.
The plan was going perfectly.
Whiley’s voice came over Navy Red right on schedule. “All units, this
is SAU Commander. My Anvil is away—now, now, NOW!”