The War Stage (The Blackout War Book 2)
Page 22
She snorted. “You know something I don’t?”
“No, ma’am. It’s just that everybody else is headed that way. The Vicksburg and Det Six are headed there now.”
“Are they? When did that happen?”
“I just got an email on the secure email exchange.”
“Is that working now?”
“It’s still sporadic. They’re so backed up from the satellites going down, I think about five percent of all communications are getting through. The communications officer is running around with his hair on fire.”
Victoria could hear the water lap the sides of the hull. Their ship was at all stop. The ship guys were doing engineering drills.
She said, “Plug, I’ll tell you the same thing I told the chief two hours ago. We’re staying put. We’ll be the last ones to go anywhere. And that’s a fact.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. Everyone else is getting sent to Fifth Fleet. Guys are saying that the Iran stuff is heating up. Chief was on deployment during Iraq Two. He said this is just like that. One day Iraq had the fourth-largest army in the world. The next they had the second-largest army in their own country. If Iran shoots again, I think this thing is going to blow up. And I just—”
“I know, Plug. You don’t want to miss out.”
He had a sheepish look on his face. “I feel bad saying that.”
“You didn’t say it. And don’t let your men hear you say it, for God’s sake. Being in the military is like playing a sport. We practice and practice and everyone wants to see what it’s like to play a real game.”
“Well…yeah, kind of. I guess. I mean, what the hell are we doing all this for if we don’t get to protect our country when it’s in danger?”
Victoria said, “I know. But, Plug, listen…if Iran and the US really do start a shooting war, and the US Navy sees fit to keep us here, two hundred miles west of Panama, then everyone on this ship, including our air detachment, is going to be burning to get over there. No one wants to get left out of the big game. But you, as a leader, need to set the example. You need to keep your focus on making sure everyone does their job here. We need to ensure that people keep focus on procedures and safety. Because if we’re stuck here, Iran isn’t a threat to us. But there are still a hell of a lot of ways that people can get hurt out here. And if those guys up there are thinking about how pissed off they are that we aren’t fighting Iran, they might not tighten the Jesus nut on the main rotor. And then what happens?”
Plug smiled. “The rotor falls off?”
“No. I catch it in preflight because I’m a shit-hot pilot, then I kick your ass and make one of your junior pilots my new maintenance officer.”
Plug laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Hey. I know this sucks. We’re going to be doing exercises while everyone else in our squadron gets to do the real thing. I’ll tell you what. I’ve never been shot, but I don’t really want to be, either. Running to war for glory and adventure is something that little ignorant boys do. I’ll defend my country with my life if I ever get the chance. But I have a healthy respect for my profession. Combat isn’t a game and it isn’t a sport. We’re going to focus on training to keep our men sharp, and prepare them in case we are ever called up for the real test. Understood?”
He nodded. Serious eyes. Chin up slightly higher than before. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll talk to the chief. He was saying something similar about making sure everyone doesn’t get distracted.”
“Well, he’s a chief. So he knows a thing or two.”
Plug gave her a half salute and walked over to the helicopter. He began joking with his enlisted men. He was a good kid. Victoria hoped that everyone’s morale remained high. It really did suck to be the only US Navy ship that got left in this part of the world.
*****
Two miles to the west, hidden in the bright orange rays of the setting sun, a periscope broke the surface of the ocean and rose just high enough for its digital cameras to see the USS Farragut. It was China’s newest nuclear fast-attack submarine. The Captain was quite disciplined. He did one sweep with the periscope, recording a 360-degree image that he would later review with several members of the crew.
The executive officer approached him and handed him a paper copy of the high-priority message they had just received. The transmission had come from the Chinese Naval High Command. It stated that there were only a few naval vessels in the area, and only one US Navy ship. In a few days there was to be an exercise where all of these Navy ships would be positioned together. It would be the perfect time to strike.
A Note From Andrew Watts:
I hope that you have enjoyed The War Stage.
I plan to have the next book in the series out in late 2016 or early 2017. Would you like to get a look at where I see the story going?
Follow this link to get a sneak preview of what’s coming next in the series.
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About the Author:
Andrew Watts spent ten years as a helicopter pilot in the Navy. He flew missions chasing drug smugglers in the Eastern Pacific and disrupting pirate attacks off the coast of Africa. He was a flight instructor in Pensacola, FL, and helped run ship and flight operations on a nuclear aircraft carrier while deployed to the Middle East.
Today, he lives with his family in Ohio.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
A Note From Andrew Watts:
About the Author: