Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

CHAPTER 49
U.S. NAVY CENTRAL COMMAND (USNAVCENT)
BAHRAIN
TUESDAY; 22 MAY
0147 hours (1:47 AM)
TIME ZONE +3 ‘CHARLIE’
“Zubayr is a ghost town,” the off-going Duty Intelligence Officer said.
“No surface traffic in or out of the harbor in the past twenty-four hours.”
Caught in mid-yawn, Lieutenant Commander Fisk drew back. “What?
That can’t be right. Half of Siraj’s surface traffic goes through Zubayr.
It’s always crawling with activity.”
The off-going DIO was a heavyset lieutenant with a bad comb-over. “I
know. Weird, isn’t it? Maybe it’s some obscure Islamic holy day.”
“I don’t think so,” Fisk said. “State would have given us a heads-up.
Has Siraji air activity slacked off?”
The lieutenant shook his head. “Business as usual, air-wise.”
“Has surface traffic been affected in any other Siraji ports?”
The off-going Duty Intelligence Officer shook his head again. “No.
Normal shipping density everywhere except Zubayr.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Fisk said.
“I’m just giving you the skinny. There hasn’t been so much as a kayak
in or out of Zubayr harbor all day.” The lieutenant looked at the master
tactical plot. “The last movement we show was yesterday morning. Three
fishing trawlers pulled in, and then everything got quiet.”
“Three fishing trawlers?” Lieutenant Commander Fisk stared at the
master tactical plot. “Oh shit.” He looked up. “Plot Supervisor, get me
SPECWAR on the line. Do it now!”
The off-going DIO held his hands up. “Whoa, cowboy! Why are we
calling in the Special Warfare Unit?”
“They need to see this plot,” Fisk said.
“Why? What in the hell is going on?”
“I hope like hell I’m wrong,” Fisk said. “But I think the Sirajis have
just laid a minefield across the approach to Zubayr.”
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