by Stephen Makk
“All hands. Let us not forget her crew, they were fellow submariners. Please join with me in the naval hymn.
“Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them whereso'er they go,
Thus evermore shall rise to thee
Glad praise from air and land and sea.” He paused.
“Her crew now wander the depths forever. God rest ye bastards.” The crew with heads hung low replied.
“God rest ye bastards.”
THE ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY. Connecticut.
NATHAN DROVE UP TO the main gate and lowered his car window.
“Hi, Commander Blake and Lieutenant Commander Sayers.”
They both handed over their passes.
“Yes sir. You’re both listed, go on through, keep left stop at parking lot two.”
“Here we are Larry, the yard where they’re made, some anyway.”
“Yeah, not been here before.”
They got out of the car and walked towards the large build shed. Nathan carried a briefcase.
“Yeah well, it’s back to San Diego to bring Jackson in for a service and upgrade. I want to talk to the Chief Engineer for the rework before she gets here.”
“Let’s take a look into here first.” They walked into a huge space, before them a Virginia class boat was almost ready. Her upper deck was near flush with the level they were stood on. She was being built in a huge 100 feet deep dry dock. When she was ready this could be flooded for her first time afloat.
“She looks a monster out of the water,” said Larry, “not seen one like this on dryland.”
“Yeah looks like she’s not long away from flooding now.” They walked on. Another Virginia boat nowhere near as advanced in construction was being built. Next was a smaller hull, still a monster but smaller. She was being built up from the stern. Two more hull sections were in place down the spine, like giant tubes to be rolled up to the rear and welded in place. Nathan descended the steps to the base and walked towards the boat hulls.
“This is next in the Stonewall Jackson class,” said Nathan proudly. They walked towards the ship in construction.
“Hey Blake, you no-good fool. Who let you in?”
It was a woman with a white coat, glasses and a hard hat.
“Hi, how are you Alice?”
“This is Dr Alice Bronze, she’s head of build. She was for Jackson too.”
“My XO Larry Sayers. How’s it going Alice?”
“Early, as you can see, but it’s coming to.” She gave him a look with her head to one side.
“I hear Jackson’s coming in for a bit of work. Fixing the shit, you’ve done to her. Poor girl.”
“Yeah look after her.”
“Will do. More than you will, you cruel bastard.” Nathan laughed. The two of them climbed the rear stern section steel construction ramp. The new boat’s mid deck was already in place. Arc lights were stood around. She was empty, the construction crew were at lunch. Nathan placed the briefcase on a workbench, and opened it up. Nathan took out a brown paper envelope and handed it to Larry.
“Here this is yours.” He took it frowning and opened it.
“What? No. A promotion. Commander?”
“It is, you deserve it. The CNO’s signed it. Commander Sayers.” Nathan saluted.”
“Wow, I didn’t expect this.” Nathan pointed to the case. “There’s more.” Larry picked the next envelope and opened it.
“You’re shitting me.”
It was a posting to Groton, Connecticut. Naval Submarine school for the Prospective Commanding Officer course.
“There you go Larry. Pass that and you’ll get your own boat.”
“Wow. Shit wow.”
“You start soon. Report to your training section and you’ll be given all your details. It’s hard Larry, I didn’t think I’d make it at times. But I know you can do it, just don’t give up. Give em a bit of the Chicago boy. You’ll be ok.”
“This is unbelievable. Sir what will you do for an XO?”
“I have a guy in mind Larry. Lot’s of experience, a seasoned vet.”
“He’ll need to be, putting up with you Nathan.” Nathan laughed.
“Got your eye on a boat?” He grinned.
“I have to pass first sir.”
“Yeah, but assuming you do? You know what she is? You’re stood on her. The CNO tells me this boat’s yours if you reach the standard. Pass and you’ll be ready before she is. She has a name. Although you can ask for a change, it’s sometimes granted.
She’s going to be USS Fallujah, named after the battle in Iraq. Go on Larry, kiss her hull, make her yours. I did with mine.” He walked over and kissed her hull, he turned with a huge grin. “What a day. Thanks Nathan. Thanks.”
MACON. GEORGIA.
SHE PICKED UP THE PHONE, “Nikki here.”
“I’m in town.”
“Nathan.”
“I’m at the Bearfoot tavern on 2nd street, you know it?”
“Yeah I do, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Nikki walked into the bar restaurant and sat.
“I didn’t expect you here.”
“I ordered wings, honey mustard, that ok?”
“Yes,”
Nathan handed her a letter. She opened it.
“Me? Me? A Lieutenant Commander? You’ve got to be shitting me?” He grinned.
“Yep, the CNO signed it.”
“Wow.”
“You have a choice of postings. Take your pick. But before you do. Larry’s on the sub Commanders course at Groton and I need an Executive Officer.” He paused, then his eyes glinted. “The job’s yours,” she beamed.
“Let me think about that one sir. I’ll need a couple of nano seconds. Yes, yes sir. I accept the offer.” She stood, came around the table and hugged him. “Thanks.”
“Thanks Nikki. USS Stonewall Jackson has a new XO. She’ll be a proud boat when I tell her.”
QINGDAO CHINA.
MAY LEFT THE PORT AND stayed the night in a very good hotel. Tomorrow she’d fly to Shanghai and then Thai airlines to Bangkok. She left the hotel after breakfast and waited for her taxi. A dark limousine drew up. The door opened, a man looking like Military stood and beckoned her inside. She knew it wasn’t an option. She got in and sat.
“Hello, Tang Li.” It was Ling Shimming of the MSS. “Let me show you something.”
He inserted a DVD disk into a player, the large screen came to life.
It showed her in Shimming’s office complete with sound. At the range in building 14, with Dr Blast selecting a gun. Being issued with her MSS card and credit card. Close ups of the cards were shown. There was audio of her call from the market mall. The MSS team storming and shooting the men chasing her. Her conversation with Deputy Long without sound. At the end was her climbing into the limo and sat with Ling Shimming. He stopped the disk and removed it.
“May Hsin, you have two choices, refuse my request or accept it.
Refuse and this disk along with DNA evidence, from certain places, will be passed to our colleagues at the NSB.
It will be difficult to explain.” He smiled like a hungry shark.
“Accept and things will be easier. The disk will stay in my safe. I know you are a patriotic woman from Taiwan and will never betray your country.
I’d find it very useful at times to have available a real life NSB Officer.
I promise you this, I’ll never ask you to compromise Taiwan in anyway. You will have complete freedom to refuse any assignment I ask of you. You will remain an NSB Officer. You will retain your position in Gothic Panda MSS. Payment will be by deposit in a South Korean Bank. Any payment traced will appear to be from a South Korean source.
I will ensure that the ROC government will not be subject to compromise by the MSS. You know I wish one day that Taiwan will return to the PRC. I won’t pretend otherwise.
But I will give the ROC the benefit of the doubt if I can. Y
ou can take this disk if you wish and show it to the NSB and talk your way out of it. Good luck with that.
Or you can accept, only I will know of you. Your code name will be Water wheel.
Over to you May. Decide now.
She thought about it long and hard. For long minutes. There where pros and cons. She had ways of taking out her own insurance, he mustn’t know about that.
“I accept Ling. I’ll be your Water wheel.”
“A wise move May. We’ll be in contact if we need to, goodbye.” She got out of the Limo and into a waiting taxi. May sighed. She knew she was in at the deep end either way.
Let the Tiger help me. It owes me one.
NATHAN AND I HOPE YOU enjoyed The Tiger and the Dragon. Book 5
BOOK 6 IS ON THE WAY, provisionally titled Zero Degrees North.
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MY NOVELS ARE:-
THE TOM HILTON SERIES:
Beneath Sunless Waves. A Fall into Darkness. Deception Abyss. HMS Holy Ghost.
THE USS STONEWALL JACKSON series:
USS Stonewall Jackson. The Spratly Incident. The Black Sea Horde. The Iranian Blockade. The Tiger and the Dragon.
FORBIDDEN. THE REBEL. Ascension. The Kali Option. Grace, Collector of Evil and White Forest Silence.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION of each follows...
HMS Holy Ghost.
Captain Luke MacArthur has his orders. Hunt down two of the quietest submarines in the world.
The Kilo class. It’s known as The Black Hole for a good reason.
Iran intends to use them to choke off the world’s oil supply. Their mission; blockade the Strait of Hormuz.
Dark fate chose the encounter point; the straits at the Southern entrance to The Red Sea, known as “The Gate of Grief.”
Luke held an ace, and that is the command of the Royal Navy's most powerful submarine, HMS Holy Ghost.
He faces a personal dilemma; the sultry Savita, his Weapons officer is sending out flirtatious signals. The loneliness of Command tells him he can’t respond, even though he wants to. Luke knows he’s in danger of becoming a moth to her flame.
Join the crew of the Holy Ghost and help Luke hunt down shadows in the night. Kilo class. The Black Hole.
HMS HOLY GHOST IS AVAILABLE at:-
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072HTGL2Z
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Beneath Sunless Waves.
To the SBS it’s a mission. To him, it’s the dilemma from hell.
Lieutenant Tom Hilton did the most wonderful and stupid thing he could ever do with his life; he fell for the enemy. Irina’s a Soviet naval officer and to keep their secret in the KGB’s backyard, Tom must outfox them. The streets of Moscow are a world of subterfuge.
War erupts in the South Atlantic and he’s forced to abandon her. With the Soviets on his tail; Tom leads his dive team into the most dangerous place on Earth. The task is illegal and deniable, but failure is not an option; millions of lives are at stake. With British and Soviet submarines facing each other down like gunfighters; he’s confronted with a choice that can’t be made.
Irina’s back and playing for the opposition. How does he choose? Can he lead his team to success against the odds?
If you like the sound of “Jason Bourne meets The Hunt for Red October.” Join Tom now, in the most dangerous place on Earth.
BENEATH SUNLESS WAVES is Book 1 of the “The Tom Hilton.” series.
BENEATH SUNLESS WAVES is available at:-
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KYRBRR4
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A Fall into Darkness.
She faced Ragnarok, to the Vikings it was the end of the world. There could only be one winner.
There were signs of a thaw in the cold war, not all were happy with that. On both sides of the Iron curtain, shadowy groups lurked and bided their time. Beneath the swamp of deceit, East and West joined forces.
IRINA, A SOVIET NAVAL officer, uncovers the cabal’s apocalyptic secret.
In Alaska, 269 souls board a fateful Korean Airlines flight to Seoul.
The day of Ragnarok is nigh.
FOR HER, THE TIME HAS come. However, the cabal had picked the wrong girl.
“I’m Irina Petrenko, and you’re between a rock and a hard place.”
JOIN IRINA NOW, IN the harsh North Pacific, as she battles to prevent Armageddon.
THE SEQUEL TO BENEATH Sunless Waves: A Fall into Darkness. Is Book 2 of the “The Tom Hilton.” series.
A FALL INTO DARKNESS is available at:-
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DECEPTION ABYSS book 3 of the series is available now at:-
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USS Stonewall Jackson
North Korea has perfected a ballistic nuclear submarine capable of lying way off the Californian coast and raining down nuclear terror on Seattle, San Francisco, LA and San Diego.
Enough is enough. It’s time take out this threat and take apart North Korea’s Navy one at a time.
They say cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Cometh the foe, cometh the submarine.
In exercises against allied diesel-electric boats, the USN watched and learned. Its answer? The most powerful and silent, the most deadly diesel-electric boat ever to patrol the deeps.
She’ll need to employ stealth and guile to seek out the foe
It would require a cunning warrior of the seas. The USN has chosen its best young submariner.
Commander Nathan Blake commands a sword of vengeance.
The USS Stonewall Jackson.
She’s on her way; she’s mean and mad as all hell.
But will Nathan find that the Korean Peoples Navy has a trick up its sleeve?
Follow Nathan and the USS Stonewall Jackson into hell and damnation.
Book one of The Stonewall Jackson series.
USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0796CCTVJ
UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0796CCTVJ
Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0796CCTVJ
Australia.
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The Kali Option.
Nuclear war, guilt and friendship are harsh masters; Marty Lynch is driven by all three. MI6 wanted the Indian Defense Minister taken out to avert nuclear war.
MARTY WAS THEIR MAN. How do you recruit an Ex IRA assassin?
&
nbsp; Years ago Marty an IRA Commander, had sent his friend on a mission, his fate was to rot in a foreign jail. MI6 would get him released; at a high price.
“I’ll do it, he’s a dead man,” said Marty.
On the teeming streets of Delhi one of his crack Active Service Unit members is captured by the VKF; a violent extremist faction surrounding the Minister.
LONDON AND SAN FRANCISCO are hours away from nuclear holocaust as Marty wrestles with a clash of cultures to defeat the VKF, take out the Minister, avert the war and rescue his friend.
Is there time to do both? Will he face the impossible choice?
IF YOU READ JACK REACHER or Jason Bourne books, there’s a new man in town.
Pick up your copy now and join Marty Lynch and the boys as they battle to take out their man.
USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L82KUT0
UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00L82KUT0
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https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00L82KUT0
Australia
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Forbidden.
Forbidden. It was joy or pain. Or both.
STUART NEVER IMAGINED himself in such a desolate but beautiful place.