Lt. Commander Mollie Sanders
Page 12
“The Spratly Islands?” Richard knew the islands were in the South China Sea. The Chinese had already told the U.S. to stay out. Would they be sailing into a war?
Now Degama pointed to a spot on the map. “Between the Philippines and Vietnam. See? Japan renounced its claim in 1951. Now claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. There’s oil.”
Richard nodded. Naturally.
“Been some skirmishes already,” Degama said. “Now there’s a couple of battalions of troops, Chinese and Vietnamese, camped there. Maybe others.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Richard said.
“Reconnaissance. Satellite pictures are pretty meaningless.”
Richard nodded again.
“There is one more thing,” the captain said.
Richard watched Degama stare at a paper he held above a photo that for some reason was turned face down on the desk.
“We have a new defensive systems officer for this mission. Admiral Dougherty just faxed her name.”
“Her? A woman aboard Neptune? Hell no!”
Degama hesitated. “Lieutenant Commander Mollie Sanders.”
Richard sat up straighter in his chair. “The Iron Maiden?”
Degama nodded.
“The most ruthless bitch in the Navy,” Richard said. “Even her study group at the Academy hated her guts and they finished the top five in the class because of her.”
Degama’s fingers tapped the overturned photo frame on his desk. “She will be your personal responsibility. You will orient her and supervise her integration into the ship.”
Shit! How would he handle this assignment?
Richard said, “Where will she bunk? What head will she use?”
“It’s your job to figure out what to do with her, Richard. Don’t give her any special treatment. There’s no space for a powder room on board.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
“Besides her regular duties, assign her every detail you can think of. Keep her occupied every minute except when she’s sleeping or shitting. And keep that to a minimum.”
Or there’ll be hell to pay onboard Richard thought. He said, “Aye, aye, sir.”
CHAPTER XII – PREPARING FOR A SEA VOYAGE
Naval Base Petty Officers Quarters
September 9
2100 hours
In an open area in the building Chief Petty Officer James Harris played poker with Chief Martin Connelly, Petty Officer Lonnie Perez and P.O. Dennis Brombard.
Dealing the cards, Harris said, “Can you believe this bullshit?”
Connelly picked up his cards, looked at his hand, then answered, “A woman on our boat. She’ll probably want the bulkheads painted pink.”
“It ain’t bad enough they’re putting women on boomers! They gotta have one on our boat! Shit!” Harris added.
Brombard kept his hand close to his chest. “Take it easy, Chief. The order came right from the CNO. The captain thinks this is bullshit; the officers think this is bullshit; the crew thinks this is bullshit. But whose ass is gonna be in a sling if this goes badly”
Perez shook his head. “It’s just the camel’s nose in the tent. Soon we’ll be overrun with women. The whole submarine service will be, will be …. like the surface Navy!”
Harris put down his cards and leaned closer to the other men. “Not on my watch. Here’s what we’re gonna do.”
**
Nightclub near Naval Base
2130 hours
Wearing a tuxedo, Captain Degama stood on a spotlighted stage. His assistant, an attractive woman in a floor-length evening gown, stood behind him.
He bowed at the end of performing a magic trick.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, for my final illusion of the evening, I shall endeavor to make my lovely assistant disappear and reappear.”
The assistant stepped forward to stand in front of a wooden wardrobe. Degama swept open the wardrobe’s door and waved his wand inside. Nothing there. Then he motioned for his assistant to enter.
“The ultimate weight-loss technique,” he said to his audience.
He got the usual chuckle with that remark. Then he locked his assistant inside the wardrobe.
He waved his magic wand and reopened the wardrobe.
Voila! She had disappeared.
He turned back to bow to the audience and accept their clapped appreciation.
He reclosed the wardrobe door, waved his wand again, and reopened the door.
Still no one there!
He faced the audience. Where could she be?
Suddenly someone rose from the audience and stepped onto the stage. The woman had returned!
He received more enthusiastic applause.
“Thank you, thank you all. The lovely Lucinda.” He held out his hand to his assistant.
More applause as he and Lucinda bowed, then exited behind the curtain at the back of the stage.
Moments later Degma returned to the room and sat across the table from the two men waiting for him, known to him only as Henry and Joseph. Their designer suits stretched across their sold builds, although their now manicured hands showed traces of manual labor.
Degama nodded at the bottle of vodka chilling next to the table, then picked up the bottle and filled all three glasses.
He raised his glass, the other men doing the same, and said, “To success in all things – especially to our transaction. Na zdrovyeh!”
They drained their glasses, and the one called Henry said, “We appreciate that you contacted us, Captain. It is a pleasure to do business with people such as yourself.”
The contact had been difficult for Degama to arrange on such short notice. But he had known who to go to for what he needed. And he had got to them through an acquaintance of an acquaintance of an acquaintance.
Now he said, “You’re sure you’ll be able to meet me?”
The other man, Joseph, smiled. “No problem, Captain. My cousin and I have connections everywhere, even in the Arctic.”
**
Mollie’s Bachelor Officers Quarters
September 12
2100 hours
Mollie stood at her bookcase, her seabag at her feet. True, she was only going to visit the sub tomorrow morning; she wouldn’t move onboard until the following day. But she needed to pack now – to believe that she was really going.
She took a copy of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” from her shelves and placed it on top of clothes already packed in the bag. The reprimand about Marsh still bothered her. She figured this was a good time to review the teachings – and perhaps the book would also help with potentially hostile situations she might face on the sub.
She reached toward the zipper, but suddenly stopped and strode toward the door of her quarters. In the hall she headed toward the BOQ’s storage room.
In the storage room she squatted in front of a footlocker and unlocked it. From the top layer she lifted a wooden presentation box. As she did so a second box, this one made of rice paper, was revealed.
Mollie set the wooden box down on the floor and lifted the lid of the rice paper box. She stared at the doll lying inside the box. The doll had straight black hair and wore a kimono.
She quickly shut the box before she thought about the day she had been given it. Instead she placed the rice paper box back inside the footlocker, locked it, and picked up the wooden presentation box.
Back in her quarters she opened the wooden presentation box and took out the .45 Colt Government Model automatic with elaborate scrimshaw grips and an engraving of the “Dophins” insignia of a submariner on the slide.
She expertly field stripped, checked and reassembled the pistol, and she charged two magazines. Then she picked up the rest of the ammunition from the box and placed the pistol, the magazines, and the rest of the ammunition next to Sun Tzu in her seabag.
**
Pier at Groton Naval Base
September 13
0800 hours
Moll
ie got out of her car in the lot alongside the pier, her laptop bag in her left hand.
She walked to the chain link fence, festooned with “Restricted Area, Government Property” signs, and handed her orders and her ID card to the Marine in the guard shack. Mollie noted his surprise but he said nothing. Instead he looked at her, the orders, her ID, then handed these back to her and saluted.
She returned his salute and continued toward the submarine surfaced at the end of the pier. Before she reached it a man with the insignia of a lieutenant commander approached her.
“I’m Richard Stewart, XO of the Neptune,” he said.
He stuck out his hand. Mollie hesitated, then shook hands.
“The captain has assigned me to help you.”
“Thanks for your offer but I’ll be fine.”
Richard shook his head. “Let me try that again. I’m to orient you to the ship, ensure you feel at home. We do that with anybody who’s on board for the first time.”
Mollie kept walking. Let him keep up with her.
“I know what to expect,” she said.
“Do you? You might find there’s a little difference between the simulator and the real thing.”
Mollie looked ahead at the first of the Advanced Nuclear Submarines (ANS). The Neptune had a teardrop shape reminiscent of a whale with a much lower and wider sail than usual, almost like the bridge of a cabin cruiser. Marine guards in combat gear patrolled the pier.
Unlike most ships, the Neptune was not tied next to the pier, but nosed in with space on either side.
As Mollie watched, an overhead crane loaded one of the external weapons pods on the port side of the sub. A pair of sailors guided the pod – and it fit precisely into slots on the side of the sub, perfectly flush with the rounded side. Then the two sailors secured the pod.
Mollie mouthed “Yessss!” to herself – then marched up the gangway. Ramrod straight and with her military face on, she saluted the flag, then the Officer of the Watch.
“Permission to come aboard, sir!” she said.
“Permission granted, Commander,” he replied.
**
0830 hours
Mollie smiled as Commander Stewart gestured to a tier of racks, each stacked three high. She had already memorized the plans for the boat. At least officers’ quarters had a small desk for each tier.
“Here’s your rack,” the commander said. “There’s no place for you to change. I’ve had a curtain installed on the shower. You’ll be able to change there.”
Mollie nodded. “That’s considerate of you, Commander, but I don’t expect any special accommodations.”
“That’s the only one,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d want to change in the open.”
Mollie smiled. “What’s the matter, sailor, you’ve never seen a naked woman before?”
Was there a slight blush on his checks Mollie wondered?
“It could be distracting. I don’t have to warn you not to have any … untoward contact with the crew.”
Mollie stared into his eyes. “I’m quite familiar with all the appropriate Navy regulations, Commander.”
The commander stared back at her.
Had she passed the first test?
**
Sub Control Room/Attack Center
0845 hours
Mollie followed the commander into the control room/attack center. It looked almost exactly the same as the simulator Mollie used.
She watched the XO stride over to one of the consoles where a young man sat.
“This is your station. Johnson” – he indicated the young man – “and Tremont will be your operators. We don’t have a full complement of trained people so you’ll have to train more operators.”
“I’ll take a watch myself,” she said.
The XO smiled at her, and it was decidedly not a friendly smile.
“That may be difficult. In addition to DSO, you’ll be classified document control officer, education officer, personnel officer, hazardous waste disposal officer, and re-enlistment officer. And, of course, you’ll have to prepare for your submarine qualification.”
Now Mollie flashed an unfriendly smile. “Excellent, Commander. I’m looking forward to all of it. Other than qualification, of course.”
“And why is that?”
“I have to write the Defensive Systems Officer qualification test before I can administer it to myself. I just hate that, don’t you?”
He glared back at her. “If you can spare a moment from patting yourself on the back, the captain would like to meet with you now.”
Mollie set her laptop atop the console, smiled at Johnson, and followed the XO out of the control center.
**
0900 hours
Captain Degama sat at his desk/table in his private quarters staring at the framed photo he held in both hands. He had brought it with him from his office at the naval base.
A knock sounded on his closed door and he slid the photo frame under a book on his desk. Only then did he say “Enter.”
The woman entered, snapped to attention without saluting. “Sir, Lieutenant Commander Mollie Sanders reporting for duty.”
For a moment he said nothing. Here in the flesh he thought.
“Very good, Sanders. Sit down.”
As she sat, he said, “A woman submariner. On my boat. How did I get so lucky?”
“Sir, I’m the most qualified officer for this assignment. I did design work on the new defensive system. Luck has nothing to do with it, sir.”
Arrogant, just like her father. Oh bloody hell.
“I know who your father is. Pride of the Submarine Service.”
The woman across from him hesitated. “Sir, I would prefer that you not mention my father to anyone. I’ve gone to some lengths to conceal my connection.”
Degama nodded. “I can understand wanting to sever connections. But why should you want to do that?”
This time there was no hesitation. “I prefer to be judged on my own, sir.”
“Judged on your own, eh? A real individualist, is that it, Sanders?”
“Yes, sir.”
Degama leaned forward until he was nearly eyeball to eyeball with the woman.
“Listen to me, Sanders, and listen well. We are not individualists here; we are a team. Everybody works as part of that team. I will not tolerate individualism in any officer or sailor on this boat. Do I make myself clear?”
“Absolutely clear, sir.”
“Very well. Dismissed.”
As soon as the woman left, Degama lifted the photo from under the book and peered closely at the face. There was definitely a strong resemblance.
**
Sub Control Room/Attack Center
0930 hours
Mollie entered the room, willing herself to ignore the hostility she’d felt emanating from the captain, especially since, in the few minutes she’d stopped at the head, he’d gotten to the control room before her. The XO turned as she entered and she spoke to him.
“May I check out my equipment now before we sail?”
The XO nodded and Johnson surrendered his seat at the console to Mollie. She quickly connected her laptop to the console.
Several minutes later the XO came over to her. “Have you run the checks on the electronics?”
“Everything except the repeater panel in the captain’s cabin.”
The XO nodded in the direction of the captain, indicating Mollie should ask his permission.
Mollie walked over to the captain, who stood watching a chief petty officer run two sailors through an equipment check.
“Excuse me, sir. I need to check the instrument repeater panel in your cabin.”
“Dammit, can’t you see I’m busy? XO, take Commander Sanders to my cabin.”
“Aye, aye, sir!”
Mollie unplugged her laptop and followed the XO out of the control room.
A minute later she followed him into the captain’s cabin.
“Shouldn’t the capt
ain be doing this?” she asked. “I mean isn’t it against regulations for anyone except the captain to be in his cabin alone?”
“Don’t you know what an idiotic regulation that is?” The XO looked as if he would be happy to tear her apart. “What if something were to happen to the captain and we needed access to sealed orders or something?”
“I guess …”
“Don’t guess. A submarine is a warship. Our business is to kill the enemy. Anything that gets in the way goes. Do you understand that, Commander Sanders?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Now check the damn panel!”
Mollie plugged in her laptop, then looked at the panel, her fingers lightly touching it.
Strange, one LED looked somewhat misaligned. She stared at it, then glanced at the XO, who stood halfway out of the captain’s cabin with his back to her.
She detached the panel from the wall, looked behind it. The instrument that stuck out had an extra circuit card fastened to it. She read softly to herself a part number: “ANQ-GENY-246.” What could this mean?
When she finished with her testing, she replaced the panel.
She rose, deliberately making enough noise to attract the XO’s attention. He ducked back inside the cabin.
“Finished?”
“Yes, sir. I just need to run one more check in CIC before going ashore.”
He stared at her. “Why didn’t you do that check when you were there?”
“After I saw the repeater panel I realized I needed to do this one last check.”
The XO turned and led the way to the control center. Thank heavens he didn’t know enough to challenge her on this request!
Once seated back at the console, she keyed in the part number she had found: ANQ-GENY-246. The laptop screen flashed: Searching
The laptop displayed: ANQ-GENY-246 not found in Neptune operational equipment specifications.
Mollie thought for a moment, then keyed in: Search ANQ-GENY-246 allnav
Again the laptop searched and returned the response: ANQ-GENY-246 not found in any operational allnav equipment specifications.
Mollie keyed in: Search ANQ-GENY-246 allnav exper