by Tom Carroll
Within a minute, Parker reported, “I see we have an offer from Ready Room 7! Are there any others? No? That’s a pity! Lieutenant CHEMO Wilkins, you can come to CVIC and claim your helmet. And don’t forget to bring the five bucks! Okay, that’s all for the Event 2 brief. Have a safe flight!”
Dan Garrett turned to Katrina Pierce with a wide grin. “Wouldn’t want to be CHEMO right now!” he chuckled.
“That’s the third time this cruise he’s done that!” Katrina laughed. “You’d think he’d learn! You ready to dress?”
The two officers left the ready room and walked across the passageway to a smaller room where squadron aircrew stored their flight gear and began the time-honored ritual of suiting up for their flight. Directly over their dark green flight suits they put on G-suits, or “speed pants,” which inflated during very high-speed maneuvers to prevent blood from draining from a pilot’s brain and causing a loss of consciousness. Next was the integrated harness and survival vest with an inflatable life jacket. An oxygen mask and flight helmet came last, along with a pair of fire-proof gloves. After dressing, the two officers made a last trip to the head and then made their way to the flight deck to inspect their aircraft.
Onboard a CMV-22B Osprey from the Reagan to Osan Air Base, South Korea
The large aircraft lifted straight into the air and then moved forward and upward as it transitioned to conventional flight. Although Colt Garrett felt this trip to Seoul was the most important mission of his career thus far, he wasn’t certain he would be successful, or even what success, in this case, would look like. POTUS had tasked him to meet with South Korean President Kim to hear what Kim had to say regarding the missing U.S. warheads, but the South Koreans had already denied any knowledge of the weapons and were unlikely to provide additional information, so what might be gained by this visit?
When Colt had sought guidance from Secretary of State Jon Unger about protocols and expectations when in Seoul, Unger had given him wise advice. “Your job is to develop a relationship with President Kim, or at least start one in the short time you will be meeting with him. He’ll be assessing you as a person and asking himself if you can be trusted. You cannot fake sincerity. Don’t lie, and never say anything without considering its impact. It’s okay to take a moment and think before you speak. Make certain the others in your party pay close attention to Kim as well as his staff; nonverbal communication can be most revealing. After you leave Seoul, we’ll talk again to get your perspectives and anything else you may have learned or have questions about.” The experienced diplomat had tried to give Colt a crash course in foreign diplomacy, and Colt hoped it would be enough.
For the diplomatic mission, Colt decided he would take Lenny, the Reagan’s senior intelligence officer, Commander Jen Abrams, and the two NCIS special agents, Anna DeSantis and Kevin Orr. Actually, it was DeSantis who had insisted the protection detail accompany him on his mission to Seoul. Colt wanted Jen along because of her intel background and her in-depth knowledge of Western Pacific politics. Abrams also possessed a working knowledge of the Korean language, a skill that could prove useful during the meeting with the South Koreans.
Colt looked at Jen now, sitting directly across from him in the Osprey. She was impeccably dressed in her service dress blues, with three gold stripes and a gold star on each sleeve and three rows of ribbons on the left side of her uniform jacket. While reading an issue of Proceedings, a magazine published by the U.S. Naval Institute, Jen looked up and caught Colt looking at her. She smiled warmly at him and let their eyes meet for several moments more than would be typical. Purposely shifted his gaze to a section of the aircraft fuselage, Colt wondered if Abrams was flirting with him. During their flight from Seattle to Tokyo, she had shown no real interest. Perhaps now that he was the secretary of defense, he had more potential in her eyes. Was she the type of woman who would pursue him to advance her career?
Anna DeSantis shifted in her seat as the aircraft banked to the left, adjusting herself so her concealed pistol wouldn’t dig as much into her side. The pistol was a continual reminder of her role as an NCIS special agent, and also of her responsibility for the personal safety of the secretary of defense. Garrett had initially declined Anna’s suggestion that she and Kevin Orr accompany him, fearing that it might be seen as an insult to the South Koreans. Anna had insisted, however, telling him that because he was such a critical element of the National Command Authority, he was required to have his personal protection detail with him at all times. Ultimately, he agreed. Anna had also contacted the Army CID command in Seoul, and the Army had agreed to provide the remainder of the personal protection detail once the Osprey landed at Osan Air Base.
Kevin Orr sat next to Anna, thinking about his threat vulnerability assessment and its progress to date. He and Commander Abrams had been developing a list of those on board the Reagan who might be a danger to Secretary Garrett. Abrams had proved very accommodating in providing Kevin with access to military service records and the background investigation results he needed for his research. At this point, he had a list of 27 crew members he intended to interview, and he hoped to have them completed over the next few days. Nobody really stood out as a serious threat, but nevertheless, Kevin wanted to meet each individual to draw his own conclusions. Next on his to-do list would be a review of all the civilian contractors onboard, to determine if any of them met his threat criteria. Commander Abrams would be getting those records from the contractors’ respective employers, a task that undoubtedly would be extremely challenging. Once that review was completed, Special Agent Orr would be able to complete his report and submit it to Anna.
Kevin looked to his right at his NCIS colleague sitting next to him. Although she certainly had her own way of doing things, Very Special Agent Anna DeSantis had become an unexpected pleasure to work with. Over the past few days, they had spent quite a bit of time together as they looked through personnel records and planned for the protection detail. As an excuse to spend more time with her, Kevin had given Anna a private tour of the Reagan, showing her some of the more interesting places and spaces he had discovered since first reporting aboard. He was pretty certain she wasn’t dating anybody, and he, of course, was single. Kevin liked to think it was because the crew saw him as the Law, but more likely it was because he was a fairly shy guy — except when he was around Anna. He was fully aware that he might be falling for his captivating co-worker, and he wondered whether she, too, might be interested.
The Flight Deck, the Reagan
The EA-18G Growler was the most advanced airborne electronic attack platform in the world and manufactured by Boeing, it was the only electronic attack aircraft currently in production. A variant of the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet, the Growler provided tactical electronic jamming and protection to U.S. military forces and their allies all around the world. At over 60 feet in length and with a wingspan of 44 feet, the Growler could generate 44,000 pounds of thrust from its two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines and reach a speed of 1,000 miles per hour or more. Operated by two crew members, a pilot in the forward seat and an electronic warfare officer in the rear, the airplane could provide an electronic envelope of protection for the carrier’s attack aircraft, and it could also protect itself, against other aircraft with the AMRAAM medium-range missile or ground-based missile systems with the HARM anti-radiation missile. But the Growler’s primary purpose did not involve the use of missile systems. Instead, it used its signals receiver and multiple electronic signals jamming pods to counter enemy radar sensors.
After an in-depth visual check of the aircraft, Dan and Katrina climbed up into the cockpit of the airplane to go through a series of flight readiness checklists. Dan then started up both of the powerful engines, closed the canopy, and followed the flight deck crew’s instructions to position the aircraft on one of the ship’s steam catapults. He positioned the Growler’s front landing gear into the catapult mechanism, and a massive jet blast deflection barrier was raised behind the air
craft. Dan advanced the throttles fully forward, turned to salute the launching officer, and then pressed his head back against the headrest. Moments later, the Growler was accelerating down the bow of the ship and, after only two seconds, was airborne.
“Looks like we’re going flying rather than swimming today!” Dan commented into the plane’s intercom.
“Thanks for not killing me again, JOKER!” replied Katrina, as Dan raised the plane’s landing gear and kept climbing away from the carrier. The Growler continued to accelerate until it reached 500 knots and climbed above 10,000 feet before Dan started to level off.
“Thanks for noticing, HURRICANE! It’s heart-warming to know you appreciate my exceptional aviator skills that are keeping you safe from harm and making it possible for you to survive so that one day you can put innocent people in jail!”
“Amazing that you can fit that big head of yours into a flight helmet, JOKER! How about doing me a favor and come left to 275 whenever it suits you so that we can rendezvous with our two playmates? I’ll check in with the Hawkeye.”
A moment after Katrina gave Dan the new heading, he rolled the Growler into a tight left turn to initiate the intercept.
“Coming left to 275, HURRICANE!” Dan grunted as he fought the G-forces that were pressing him into his ejection seat.
Today’s “playmates” were two F/A-18E Super Hornets that were tasked with finding the Growler and then simulating a missile shoot down of the aircraft. The Growler’s task was to avoid being detected. In addition, an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye with a 24-foot APY-9 rotodome radar affixed to its fuselage was tasked with providing initial control of the exercise and then going silent once the exercise commenced.
When the two Super Hornets began the intercept, Katrina flipped a switch on her control panel and announced, “Master Rad on!” indicating she had energized the ALQ-99 pod to jam the Super Hornets’ radars. Four attempts later and the Super Hornets remained unable to obtain radar lock-on of the Growler. After the E-2D controller announced “FINEX, FINEX” over the radio frequency, one of the F/A-18 pilots radioed, “Hey, JOKER, how about turning that damn machine off and letting us practice shooting your butt out of the sky? Or are you worried that your piloting skills aren’t up to our standard without the help of HURRICANE?”
While the Super Hornet pilot was still transmitting, Dan had banked his Growler into a sharp right turn and rapidly descended on the pair of fighters.
“Let’s keep the music off for a sec, HURRICANE,” said Dan into the intercom as he pushed the Growler into afterburner, injecting additional fuel into the jet pipes downstream of the turbine engines and making the Growler go supersonic. Five seconds later, Dan keyed the radio and proclaimed, “I got tone!” indicating he had locked-up the fighters on his fire control radar. And then, “Fox Two, Fox Two!” as he simulated the firing of two air-to-air missiles.
The E-2D controller keyed his mic. “Splash two Hornets! Let’s call it a day and head back to the boat.”
Dan maneuvered the Growler into the landing pattern and lined-up the aircraft for final approach to the carrier. “I just engaged Magic Carpet,” he said to Katrina, “Now the computer has the ball!”
Dan considered the use of the Magic Carpet landing system to be a bit like cheating — Navy pilots prided themselves on their keen ability to manually “fly the ball” and land an aircraft on a violently pitching flight deck. He understood that the system was intended to make landings safer and allow combat pilots to focus on the assigned mission rather than on landing their aircraft. But his own preference was not to rely on a computer to do his job.
Katrina found the entire issue ironic. “Let me get this straight, JOKER,” she said, somewhat mockingly. “The whole purpose of this aircraft is to use our computers to fool an enemy’s computers, and yet you think it’s cheating if we use yet another computer to land on the carrier? That’s priceless!”
“Well, yes,” Dan replied as the Growler slammed onto the deck and snagged the number three-wire. He pulled the throttles back, raised the tailhook, and then taxied to the spot on the deck as directed by a Sailor wearing a yellow jersey.
Dan and Katrina put their ejection seats in a safe condition, disengaged a variety of attachments and electronic connections and then climbed down from the aircraft. Opening the hatch on the way to CVIC for debriefing, Dan boasted playfully, “Well, HURRICANE, I brought you back safely again, and simulated the splashdown of two Hornets!”
Katrina removed her helmet and turned to Dan. “Congratulations, JOKER! Just three more simulated kills, and you’ll be a simulated ace!”
U.S. Embassy, Seoul, Korea
Colt Garrett was met by an impressive welcoming committee as he walked through the main entrance of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul. First to greet him was Ambassador Aaron Greer, a retired four-star Navy admiral with a wealth of experience in the Pacific Theater. Unlike many of his fellow ambassadors, Greer was appointed as ambassador for his in-depth experience in the region, rather than as a reward in exchange for a political favor or campaign contribution. Ambassador Greer hadn’t let his new role as diplomat change his military bearing or the firm handshake he had developed after nearly four decades of service to his country.
“Welcome to South Korea, Mr. Secretary, and congratulations on your appointment! Secretary Unger has told me he’s extremely pleased to be working with you and your DOD team on this issue. Is this your first time in Seoul?”
Colt returned the ambassador’s handshake and replied, “Thank you, Ambassador! I did visit Seoul many years ago but didn’t have much time to see anything other than the inside of a command center.”
Colt was pretty certain that Greer would have ordered an exhaustive review of his history with the Navy, department of defense, and any tourist travel, making the ambassador’s question simply an icebreaker to make him feel at ease.
“Mr. Secretary, may I present General Leon Boyd, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea.”
Leon Boyd was a West Point graduate and proudly wore the uniform of an Army four-star general with the requisite rows of impressive ribbons and qualification badges on his uniform jacket.
“Welcome, Mr. Secretary. USFK stands ready to assist you in any way possible.”
Colt shook the general’s hand. “Thank you, General!” he said. “I hope to get the chance to meet with your command staff and perhaps a few troops before I fly back to the Reagan.”
Ambassador Greer stepped forward again. “Mr. Secretary, I’d like to present Dennis O’Keefe, the agency’s man in Seoul.” Dennis O’Keefe had been the CIA’s station chief for three years, coordinating all U.S. intelligence activities in South Korea.
“Welcome to Seoul, Mr. Secretary,” O’Keefe said. “Thank you for getting here so quickly. I have a secure room all set up and waiting so that we can prepare for this afternoon’s meeting with President Kim and his staff.”
Another man, dressed in a dark blue suit, stood next to Dennis O’Keefe and offered his hand. “Mr. Secretary, I’m Special Agent Glenn Carpenter from Army CID. I’m the supervisory agent responsible for your protection detail. I have a team of three other CID agents with me, and we’ll be supporting your NCIS protection agents during your stay here in Seoul.”
Colt looked at the serious and well-fit man. “Weren’t you with Secretary O’Kane when he died?” He asked. “That must have been difficult for you and your team.”
Carpenter’s eyes softened, and he said, “Yes, sir. Secretary O’Kane was a fine man and a real American hero. He was never quite the same after losing his wife, so somehow it felt right that he passed on while visiting her grave.”
Colt placed his hand on the agent’s shoulder. “I liked him, too. He was a good man, and he left large shoes to fill. I hope to do the job half as well as he did. Will you be coming with us back to the Reagan?”
“No, sir, unless you want or need us to. Deputy Secretary Holmes has us flying back to Tokyo to wait for you there with the Nightwatch aircraft.
He said NCIS would handle the protection responsibilities while you’re onboard Reagan. Do you know when you’ll be leaving for D.C.?”
“Not yet. I guess that depends upon how things go today.”
Ambassador Greer motioned toward the door. “And now, Secretary Garrett, please follow Mr. O’Keefe to our secure conference room. I believe we have some refreshments waiting there for us.”
Anna DeSantis had been standing back while the group of senior officials introduced one another. She now stepped forward to talk with Special Agent Carpenter.
“I’m Anna DeSantis, NCIS. I heard you say you’re Glenn Carpenter. I hope CID isn’t too bent that the Navy has been providing the detail for the defense secretary for a few days?”
“Actually, I was relieved to find out you were with Mr. Garrett when his appointment was announced. There was no way we could have had a team ready for his protection detail that quickly out here in the Pacific. We’ll just work with you while PATRIOT’s in Seoul, and we’ll assume responsibility when you bring him to Tokyo in a few days.”
The Blue House, Seoul, Korea
The State Room in the Blue House was the most spectacular location in which to hold a summit between the governments of the United States and South Korea. The room had at least four times the amount of space needed to hold the 20-foot, boat-shaped conference table, which was constructed of beautifully finished cherry wood and included four chairs on each side.
Colt was seated on one side of the table, with CIA Station Chief Dennis O’Keefe on his left, Ambassador Greer on his right, and General Boyd next to the Ambassador. Directly across from Colt sat President Kim, and across the table from the CIA chief sat Director Pang of the South Korea’s NIS. Across from Ambassador Greer was General Lee, the Minister of National Defense, and across from General Boyd sat Admiral Pak, the South Korean Chief of Naval Operations. Lined up behind the conference table were more than two dozen senior advisors and staff members representing both nations, Lenny Wilson and Commander Abrams among them. President Kim brought the meeting to order.
