by S. Ganley
They turned out onto the road and Garrett started picking up speed as he pointed them out of the subdivision. All of them could see zombies converging on Cameron's house from different parts of the neighborhood, some of the undead turned and started following after them as they drove past but they all felt a degree of safety knowing that they were on the move and capable of easily outrunning any pursuers. They were just reaching a point where Cameron's house was dropping out of sight as they started to round a tree lined curve. Miranda had not taken her eyes off Calvin as he remained on his knees struggling with something in front of him and out of her line of sight. Her last image of the man was of him falling backwards on his ass as he lifted an object up in line with the side of his head. Calvin disappeared from view as a thicket of woods came between him and the Range Rover and Miranda was thankful for that. She knew what Calvin was about to do, she understood what was coming next and why he was doing it, now she was somewhat thankful that she was spared having to actually witness it. Miranda couldn't help but let the tears flow as she felt a wave of pain wash over her body. She wasn't even sure if she was sad at the simple loss of a man she considered a friend or because of what his loss meant to the rest of them. Even though he was a perverted pain in the ass who spent a lot of time trying to get a peak down her shirt as well as the other women in their group, he was also a brave soul who had saved all of their lives time and time again. She would miss him and she felt that all of them would suffer his loss in terms of just how safe they would be from that point forward.
Chapter 11
The USS Abraham Lincoln was still eight hours from its assigned patrol area off the coast of Virginia and Lt. Alan "Crusher" Chapman had been grabbing a few hours of sleep before he was due to begin giving the first warning orders and mission parameters for the upcoming flights around the Washington, DC area when the emergency klaxon's ripped him from sleep. The Abraham Lincoln left Cuban waters under wartime conditions meaning that at all times a pair of F-18's were on the flight deck ready for launch and alert crews were on a fifteen minute alert status. This meant that Crusher and his wingman were both already in their full flight gear while in their racks. They had practiced the alert procedures so many times that their responses were automatic. Jumping to their feet they met in the hallway outside their wardrooms raced down the corridor towards the ladder that would take them topside to their waiting planes. The aircraft carrier had been designed to put pilot’s quarters within a short run to the flight line for just such a situation. While this tended to make for restless periods of sleep when off duty with aircraft landing or taking off, it allowed them to be at their waiting planes in moments. Even before they had left their cabins, crews on the flight deck were already lighting off the engines for both planes, removing safety catches from their ordinance and unshackling their wheels to ready them for takeoff.
Hitting the flight deck they both scrambled for their planes where a crewman met each of them and handed off a notebook containing appropriate radio frequencies and other data specific to their flight. Four minutes after jumping from his bunk Crusher already had his helmet seated and plugged into his planes instruments and was running through an abbreviated preflight checklist. Had the ship been under attack he would have been instructed to skip any preflight activities and prepare for immediate departure. As he completed his initial preflight checks he contacted the tower to report his ready status and receive information on the emergency. Crusher was surprised to learn that his flight of two was being directed against a cluster of unidentified surface targets just over a hundred miles to the northwest of the carrier. One of the contacts was radiating a radar signal and they had also detected emissions that would indicate the presence of an aviation radar unit, most likely from a helicopter of some sort. The radar returns they were receiving indicated multiple vessels too large to be pleasure craft but they were also too close together to determine their actual configurations or numbers. The carrier would be able to safely bypass the craft and would have simply ignored them while keeping tabs on them via radar, but the emissions from the radar they had registered indicated that it was likely they had spotted the carrier already. If a craft with that type of radar capability was in the area it was possible that they would recognize the radar image on their screens as being a large naval vessel and may attempt to approach them at some point or at least follow them until they reached their assigned patrol area. Acting under the assumption that any crew on those vessels were likely infected, it was deemed prudent that they investigate while still underway and learn all they could about the contacts. Their F-18's were not armed for any type of significant surface engagement, their Vulcan cannons could ravage the top decks of a surface ship, but it was not likely they could sink anything of significance so they were instructed to conduct an overflight and maintain an observation position over the contacts. If it was deemed necessary to engage the ships, the Cheyenne had a full complement of Harpoon anti-ship missiles along with a collection of torpedoes that were well suited to take care of any such threats.
Crusher and Huntress were both given vectors to intercept the ships and then given clearance for immediate take off. Settling back in his seat he fired off a thumbs up to the crew member watching him from the flight deck and seconds later he felt an intense g-force pushing him backwards against his restraints as his plane was fired from the deck and into the air in a matter of seconds. Continuing his climb to their assigned approach vector, Crusher dialed up his radar and scanned the air all around him for electronic returns. Seeing no airborne threats on his scope he contacted the Abraham Lincoln to report his status and request any changes in their targets relative aspect. He was informed that it appeared the targets were getting underway and starting to drift apart from one another but had still not gained enough separation to determine number or type. The next bit of information was more alarming to him, the electronic sensors on board the aircraft carrier had detected a limited fire control radar system firing up in the last few minutes. That last bit of news was alarming to any pilot, fire control radar systems meant that at least of one of the ships they were approaching had some type of weapons system that was radar controlled. Hand held weapons systems were not a real threat to modern fighter aircraft and even those with their own internal guidance systems, such as surface to air missiles, could be evaded with avoidance techniques and the countermeasures available to the pilot. Radar controlled systems were much more dangerous because they could lock onto the aircraft and guide a weapon directly to it, negating any fancy flying and the flares and chaff dispensed to fool less sophisticated systems. The good news was that the report identified it is a limited fire control system meaning that it was likely not tied into any long range missile system and more than likely linked with machine guns or other similar close in weapon platforms. The fact that they had fired up that radar system meant they had detected the Abraham Lincoln and noted that she was launching aircraft. If they were making ready to defend themselves then they had a reason to fear the planes launched from the carrier and that also meant that it was likely they had some kind of hostile intent.
"Huntress, keep your systems idle for now. No need to give away any information about us ahead of time." Crusher called out to his wingman. By keeping their radar and fire control systems on standby they were making it much more difficult for the seaborne radar system to get a fix on them. While the F-18 had not been designed as a total stealth capable aircraft, its shape and their aspect to the radar system would give only the faintest return to the radar operator. By maintaining their bearing and keeping a tight formation they stood a good chance of appearing like nothing more than a flock of birds to anyone but the most well trained radar technician. Crusher was hoping to get at least one flyby of their target before they realized that fighter planes were overhead. After they had eyes on the craft and could identify them visually they would turn their electronics on full blast and see what else they could learn. Being identified on radar would make littl
e difference after the crews on those ships saw and heard them flying past. As long as they didn't hear the electronic warble sound of a fire control radar locking onto either of them they could maintain a safe distance and monitor their activities while leaving little for those on the ships to do about it.
"ETA to target, one mike. We will cross their bows at two miles. Signal when you have visual." Crusher instructed his wingman, a double break of radio static signaled her acknowledgment.
Crusher was the first to spot a small group of ships making way towards them. At his altitude and speed he was not able to make out specific details but he could see that there were three ships, a cargo container, a medium sized fishing trawler and most troubling of all a large Legend-class Coast Guard cutter. The cutter was easily recognizable by the telltale red slash painted along its sides. The sleek and modern design along with the presence of an obvious helicopter pad along the aft of the vessel helped him identify the class. Passing by at just over two miles off their starboard side and at their current speed and altitude they would already be visible to the crews on the ships so Crusher flipped his radar and fire control systems on full power and signaled Huntress to do the same.
"Guntrain, this is Champion 56 with a tally on those ships." Crusher called back to the carrier to report the contacts.
"Go ahead Champion 56." The reply came back instantly.
"We have a sighting on three vessels, one medium sized civilian cargo vessel, one civilian fishing trawler and a Legend-class Coast Guard cutter complete with at least one helo visible on deck." He reported.
While he waited for further instructions from the carrier he punched a set of commands into his onboard flight computer and was presented with the specifications of the cutter. For a Coast Guard vessel he was impressed with its armament, the main gun was a Bofors 57mm with fire control system. That explained the fire control emissions they had detected. It would also be carrying a pair of 20mm close in radar controlled autocannon's, several .50 machine guns and a collection of smaller 7.62mm machine guns. The 57mm and 20mm weapons gave him some concern, but if they kept a respectable distance and speed they should be alright. Those weapons were intended for engaging other surface vessels and structures along shorelines. They were accurate but the slow firing of the 57mm and the limited range of the 20mm were easily avoided in their fighters. His computer also helped him identify the helicopter he had spotted on the aft landing pad, it was most likely a MH-65c Dolphin search and rescue helo. It was a capable and fast bird with a respectable range when fully fueled, but posed no real threat to them. While the helicopter was capable of being armed it would only have light machine guns and small arms aboard.
Even though the ships and helicopter posed no real danger to either of their planes, the main 57mm gun could deal some damage to the carrier if the cutter managed to get in range with hostile intent. The helo could also attempt a forced landing on the carrier’s deck with sick people on board turning it into a modified biological weapon. In a normal situation the carrier would be traveling with a flotilla of surface ships that would be charged with intercepting any such threat long before it got anywhere close the carrier. Lacking long range weapons the greatest offensive power an aircraft carrier brought to the table was its compliment of aircraft. In this case they had not anticipated surface action against other ships and all of their antiship weaponry remained stowed in the farthest reaches of the Abraham Lincoln's massive weapons lockers. That left the Cheyenne to deal with these ships if it was deemed they were threatening the carrier or the mission. Crusher anticipated that he would next be ordered to raise the cutter on the radio and determine their situation and intentions. It would be his job to attempt to warn them off if they made any attempt to close on the carrier or enter the patrol zone they were steaming towards. US Navy carriers automatically declared a one hundred mile exclusion zone while in transit, it was a widely known fact that any ships attempting to enter that zone ran the risk of being fired upon. The crew on board the cutter should be well aware of that fact and hopefully willing to respect it.
Crusher's computer beeped in his ear alerting him to additional information. Scanning the readout he saw that his radar had identified the transponder beacon of the cutter. It was the USCGC Bertholf, and as he had suspected it was a Legend-class National Security Cutter. One point of interest that caught his attention was that the ship was listed as being home ported out of Alameda, California. It was operating in the wrong ocean and on the wrong side of the country. Its crew compliment was declared at one hundred and thirteen, fourteen officers along with ninety nine enlisted sailors. The rest of the information only confirmed the capabilities and armament carried on such a vessel. They were too far off to identify the other two civilian ships, but he wasn't really concerned about them, any weapons they carried would be limited to small arms, possibly a light machine gun or two on the cargo ship, nothing that would pose a threat to them or the carrier.
His instructions came back from the carrier to maintain visual contact with the ships and attempt to make radio contact to determine their intentions, just as he had predicted. Crusher instructed Huntress to sustain a loose formation with him, he wanted good separation between them just in case someone on the cutter got a little jumpy on the trigger of that 57mm. He found it hard to believe that they had reached a point where there was a fear of being fired on from their fellow men in uniform, but he also knew that desperate people would do desperate things.
"Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf, this is US Navy Hornet flight circling your location, do you copy?" he called out over the open frequency.
The reply came back immediately, "Navy flight, this is the Bertholf, thank god you are here. We have crew and refuges in need of medical attention and require resupply of food and water. Can you assist?"
"Shit" he muttered to himself. Although he had half expected something like this, he was now faced with the task of refusing their request. There was a level of desperation in the man's voice on the other end of that radio that sent a shiver up his spine and made his task all that much more difficult. In any normal situation a call for help like that would have resulted in the carrier sending a helicopter with medical personnel and supplies to board the cutter and render aid. They would also make contact with shore based stations to dispatch rescue craft to this location. There would be no such assistance or rescue for these people.
"Bertholf this is Navy flight, that is a negative on your request. Your current course has you approaching a naval exclusion zone and we are here to advise you to change course immediately." He tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible.
There was no immediate reply and Crusher could picture the scene on the bridge of the cutter as the crew discussed his refusal to help and what they should do next. Something inside of him told him that they were not going to simply take no for an answer.
"Navy flight, please understand. We have women and children on board the civilian ships, close to three hundred refuges. Many of them are sick or injured. We're all on the same team here, we once again respectfully request that you follow proper maritime laws and render aid and assistance."
Crusher would have preferred that the guy had come back with a stream of insults and curses instead of keeping such a measured and professional tone. It would have made it much easier for him to deal with.
"Bertholf, we understand your situation however we are unable to assist. You are once again instructed to alter course to avoid entering our declared exclusion zone, will you comply?" His training had never covered a scenario quite like this so he was really just making it up as he went. His orders were to assess their intentions and take measures to keep them away from the carrier. How he went about doing that had been left up to his own discretion.
"Crusher, check out the activity on the gun deck of the cutter." Huntress called out over their secure frequency.
She was in a better position to observe the cutter and he had to turn around in his seat to get eyeballs on
the bow of the ship near the weapon stations. Several figures were visible running across the deck towards the big cannon as well as the bow mounted 20mm guns. It appeared that the ship’s crew was rushing to their battle stations, he considered that to be their answer to his last question.
"Yeah, I see it, stand by. Guntrain this is Champion 56. Be advised, the cutter is manning battle stations at this time. We can see crew taking up station on topside weapons platforms. Request instructions." Crusher informed the carrier.
While they had of rules of engagement to guide them, he didn't want there to be any confusion in this situation on exactly what actions they were allowed to take. There really wasn't a great deal they could do anyways, only their cannons would be of use against the surface ships and they would have to get well within the cutters own weapons range to use them. He didn't think they would be ordered to mount any type of attack, at least he hoped they wouldn't.
