Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM
WASHINGTON, DC
MONDAY; 21 MAY
03:14 AM EDT
CHAPTER 47
Admiral Casey looked at the president. “It’s confirmed, sir. USS
Benfold is gone. It looks like all hands were lost.”
“I thought Towers picked up a survivor,” Gregory Brenthoven said.
“They did,” the CNO said. “He died shortly after he was pulled out of
the water.”
The president shook his head slowly. “Jesus … When was the last time
we lost a ship with all hands?”
Admiral Casey thought for a second. “I believe that would have been
1968, sir. A nuclear fast-attack submarine, USS Scorpion, suffered some
kind of accident in the mid-Atlantic and went down with all hands.
Ninety-nine dead, if my memory serves me.”
“That was an accident,” the president said. “What about in combat?”
“I’m not sure, sir. Certainly not since the Second World War.”
The president closed his eyes and ran both hands slowly through his
hair, fingers combing from front to back. “So much for my total victory,
huh? Germany loses everything, and we get away clean as a hound’s
tooth. It sounded so goddamned brilliant. What the hell was I thinking,
Bob? Did I really think those guys could just sail out there, sink a bunch
of cutting-edge killer subs, and sail home in time for lunch?”
No one attempted to answer.
After a few seconds, the president opened his eyes. “All right, I guess
that puts us in damage-control mode. What have we got left that can stop
that submarine?”
“Towers, sir,” the CNO said.
“I can’t leave it to them anymore,” the president said. “They’re beat to
shit. I need to put enough assets out there to guarantee a kill. What have
we got in-theater?”
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