Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

CHAPTER 45
USS TOWERS (DDG-103)
CENTRAL ARABIAN GULF (OFF THE COAST OF QATAR)
MONDAY; 21 MAY
0812 hours (8:12 AM)
TIME ZONE +3 ‘CHARLIE’
The executive officer looked at Captain Bowie. “You sure about this,
Jim? If those guys have to ditch, all we’ll be able to do is steam around in
circles and try to fish the body parts out of the water. It will take an act of
God to get one of them out of that thing alive.”
Captain Bowie nodded slowly. “I know.”
“Benfold can recover that aircraft in …”
The captain cut him off. “By the time Benfold recovers the helo, that
submarine will be gone. Right now, if they pull out all the stops, they
might get lucky and catch it on the surface. With a busted screw, we can’t
get there in time.”
“What if we can’t get to the helo in time?”
“We will,” the captain said quietly.
“But, what if we don’t? That air crew is going to die …”
Captain Bowie wheeled around. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do
you really think for a second that I don’t know that?”
The XO didn’t say anything.
“How many people are dead already?” the captain snapped.
“I don’t know, sir.”
“We lost three to that goddamned torpedo, not counting the wounded.
Benfold’s whole bridge crew was wiped out; that’s six more. Plus our
three, that makes nine. One on the Ingraham makes it ten. Call it an even
hundred and fifty on the Antietam. And let’s not forget the Kitty Hawk;
they lost fifteen, plus two entire air crews—that would be six more. And
how many have the Brits lost? Nearly all hands on the York. Their crew
would be, what? Two hundred? Two seventy-five?” He covered his eyes
with his left hand and rubbed his temples with thumb and fingertips.
289