Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

CHAPTER 53
USS TOWERS (DDG-103)
CONTINENTAL MARITIME SHIPYARDS
SAN DIEGO, CA
THURSDAY; 21 JUNE
1320 hours (1:20 PM)
TIME ZONE-8 ‘UNIFORM’
Captain Bowie stood at the rail of dry dock number four and looked
down at his broken ship. Out of the water and up on the blocks, the
massive damage to the port side was clearly visible, and it was much
worse than even the most pessimistic part of him had suspected. Showers
of sparks fell like blue neon rain into the concrete bottom of the dry dock,
as shipyard workers cut out mangled sections of steel and welded in new
ones.
Many of the crew were gone now—the injured to hospitals for
treatment, the dead to their families for burial. Some of the injured would
return to Towers when their wounds were healed, but not many. The next
time the destroyer put out to sea, much of the old crew would be gone,
replaced by newcomers to whom the battles that Towers had fought would
be the stuff of legend.
“She put up a hell of a fight, sir,” a voice at his elbow said.
Captain Bowie turned to find Chief McPherson, her right arm still in a
cast from shoulder to wrist.
The chief saluted with her left hand. “It’s tough to get used to saluting
with the wrong hand.”
Captain Bowie returned her salute with a shadow of a smile. “It won’t
be for much longer. You’ll be out of that thing pretty soon.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be all patched up and ready for battle.” She nodded
toward the ship in the dry dock. “Just like the grand lady down there.
Weld on a couple of hull plates, run some wiring, slap on a fresh coat of
paint, and we’re both as good as new.”
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