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SEA OF SHADOWS 317
“TAO—Weapons Control. I think we’ve got a kill on one of the
missile launchers, sir. I’m shifting my fire to the other two cross-fixes.
I’m going to need position data on the remaining three sites pretty quick
here, sir.”
“I’m working on it, sir!” the Radar Supervisor shouted.
Captain Bowie keyed his mike. “Radar Supervisor, this is the captain.
Calm down, son. I need you to keep a clear head right now.”
“Yes, sir! I mean, I’ll try, sir!”
The 5-inch gun continued to hammer out high-explosive rounds every
three seconds or so.
Navy Red warbled. “Towers, this is Firewalker Two-Six. My buoys
five and six are hot! We hold narrowband tonals consistent with a Type
212 diesel submarine. Initial classification: POSS-SUB, confidence level
high!”
The XO’s voice was incredulous. “How in the hell do they do that?
How do they always manage to show up just when the shit is hitting the
fan?”
The captain keyed Navy Red. “Firewalker Two-Six, this is Towers.
Take your shot. Try to make it a good one.”
On the Aegis display screen, three of the ten incoming-missile symbols
winked out.
“Splash three Vipers,” the Air Supervisor said over the net. “Chalk up
two to jamming and one to chaff.”
A quick series of rumbles announced the launch of another salvo of
missiles. “TAO—Weapons Control. Ten more birds away, no apparent
casualties. Targeted two each on the first three inbound Vipers and one
each for the remaining four Vipers.”
The odd report stopped the TAO cold. He keyed his mike. “Weapons
Control—TAO, why did we only launch one interceptor on the last four
Vipers?”
“We’ve expended more than fifty percent of our SM-3 inventory,” the
Weapons Control Officer said. “The computer has throttled us back to a
shoot-look-shoot-shoot doctrine.”
“Fifty percent?” the TAO said. “We carry ninety-two SM-3 missiles.
How in the hell can we be at fifty percent of our inventory?”
“Fifty percent of ninety-two is forty-six, sir,” the Weapons Control
Officer said. “We’ve launched fifty missiles.”
The TAO looked at the captain.