The Gray Ship

by Russell F. Moran

  Harborrow then demonstrated a rocket propelled grenade or RPG. Because the rocket has no guidance of any sort, he aimed at a tree that was closer. He fired the grenade at a tree 75 yards away. The tree exploded and toppled. “This weapon,” said Bradley, “is especially useful against a vehicle of any type, such as a munitions cart or a caisson.”

  Bradley then ordered another sailor to stand up a two by four foot metal plank supported by logs to keep it upright. Seaman Harborrow fired a 45 caliber pistol at the plank from a distance of 25 yards. Because a 45 has a soft bullet, it is known for its stopping power, as the lead expands when it goes through a target. The bullet tore a five inch hole in the plank. “This pistol,” said Bradley, “will stop a charging horse in its tracks.”

  Bradley then withdrew a two-way radio from a bag. He sent a sailor with another radio a distance of 100 yards. “Johnson, can you hear me?” said Bradley. Beauregard heard the loud clear voice come out of the instrument saying, “Yes, sir.”

  Although he doubted Bradley’s sanity, Beauregard could not doubt what he had seen with his own eyes.

  The time was now 1130 hours. Beauregard decided that it would be best to take lunch with this man to learn more details of his plan.

  “Captain, or is it Commander Bradley?” said Beauregard.

  “I’m scheduled to be promoted to Captain shortly, General,” Bradley lied. He knew that Beauregard wouldn’t to be able to access his personnel file.

  “We shall return to my headquarters and have lunch. We have a lot to talk about.”

  Beauregard ordered the all the soldiers he had brought along to stay with the weapons to provide additional security.

  Beauregard and Bradley got into the General’s carriage and rode back to his headquarters. As they rode in the carriage Beauregard stared at Bradley, trying to determine if he could trust this man.

  Chapter 59

  She hadn’t heard from Bradley in three hours. Ashley called him on the two-way radio. “Tango Tango, this is Lima Juliette, come in.” There was no response after repeated attempts to get Bradley on the radio. Her alternate contact was Petty Officer Giordano, and she switched channels on the radio. “Zulu Xray, Zulu Xray, this is Lima Juliette, come in.”

  After three calls a voice answered, “This is Zulu Xray, go ahead Lima Juliette.”

  “This is Captain Patterson. Is that you Giordano?”

  “Yes, Ma’am, Giordano here,” came the response in a distinctive Southern drawl. Ashley knew Giordano was from Brooklyn, and he had the accent to prove it. Ashley’s nerves went into high alert.

  “I’m just checking to make sure everything is okay.”

  “Everything is AOK here, Captain,” drawled the voice.

  “I expect reports hourly,” said Ashley. “Lima Juliette, over and out.”

  “Get Lieutenant Conroy here NOW,” Ashley screamed to the Junior Officer of the Deck. Within a minute Conroy was on the bridge.

  “I have a concern Frank, a big one. Here, call Giordano to say hello,” She said, handing Conroy the radio.

  “Zulu Xray, Zulu Xray, this is Lima Juliette, come in,” said Conroy.

  “Yes, sir,” came the drawled response.

  “Geo, this is Lt. Conroy, I’m just following up on the Captain’s call to see if you need anything from the ship.”

  “We’re good, Lieutenant. If we need anything from y’all we’ll give a holler,” came the response. Ashley motioned a finger across her throat to break off the conversation.

  “This is Lima Juliette, over and out.”

  Ashley stared at Conroy. There was no need to ask a question.

  “If that’s Giordano,” said Conroy, “I’m Lady GaGa.”

  “Are you sure you had a good idea to send those weapons ashore, Lieutenant?” Ashley asked.

  Conroy’s jaw dropped. “Captain, it was Commander Bradley’s idea.” Ashley felt faint.

  She called CIC and spoke to Lt. Bea Toliver, the Combat Systems Officer. “Lieutenant, launch a drone immediately and send it to the coordinates of the weapons camp ashore. How long to the site?”

  “It’ll be overhead in 15 minutes, Captain.”

  Ashley and Conroy went below to CIC.

  Chapter 60

  The drone helicopters on the California are equipped with sound dampening technology, making it difficult to hear them when overhead. The drone sent to investigate the weapons camp arrived overhead at 1215 hours, flying at an altitude of a half mile. As the drone flew over the weapons site it transmitted real-time video to CIC on the California.

  The Captain and Conroy watched as the video showed the camp. They could see the piles of weapons, surrounded by, “Holy shit, 12 Southern mounted cavalrymen,” shouted Ashley. The soldiers appeared to be chatting with the eight sailors. They were inspecting the weapons. “Move the cursor up and to the right and zoom in,” Ashley said to the drone pilot. She looked at Conroy and said, “What do those mounds look like to you, Frank?”

  Conroy moved closer to the monitor and stared at the four mounds.

  “Those are freshly dug graves, Captain. Someone was even thoughtful enough to plant a rifle with a SEAL cap on top.” He looked at Ashley. “My guys have been killed, Captain.”

  “Increase altitude, Lieutenant.” Ashley said to the drone pilot. “I want surveillance of the immediate area.”

  A farmhouse surrounded by hundreds of Southern infantry and cavalry soldiers came into view. That must be a headquarters of some sort, Ashley thought, probably Beauregard’s.

  General Beauregard and Commander Bradley were having lunch at a table on the lawn in front of headquarters to escape the heat of the cabin.

  “Drop down for a better look,” Ashley said. “Now zoom in on those two men at the table in front of the farm house.”

  “You scumbag!” shouted Conroy, with an immediate apology for his profanity.

  There was Commander Philip Bradley, Executive Officer of the USS California, dining with a Confederate General. From photos that Father Rick had shown her, Ashley knew she was looking at General Beauregard. “Photo this,” she said to drone pilot Nathan, who snapped a still photo of the scene for further identification.

  Ashley yelled to a nearby officer, “Get me Personnel Officer Sobel and the Warrant Officer Ciano, the Master at Arms and get them here immediately. NOW!”

  Within minutes, Sobel and Ciano were in CIC.

  “We have evidence that XO Bradley has committed treason and is defecting to the Confederacy.” I want you to break into his office, confiscate all paperwork, and impound it in the lockup.”

  As Sobel and Ciano were about to leave the room, Conroy said, “Excuse me Captain, a word with you please.” Ashley was miffed that Conroy slowed down the action.

  “Captain, are we sure that this conspiracy is only ashore?”

  My God, thought Ashley. She gave Conroy an attaboy slap on the shoulder and said to Sobel and Ciano, “What you are about to do is absolutely Top Secret. No word to anyone but me.” She wondered if there was anybody in CIC to worry about.

  “Aye Aye, Captain,” they both said as they left the room to go to the XO’s office.

  Chief Warrant Officer Dennis Ciano, as Master at Arms, was the ship’s law enforcement boss, the Top Cop of the California. He easily broke the lock on the door and they entered. Sobel went to the first pile of papers, Bradley’s out box. There, on the top of the pile, was a letter on Bradley’s stationery that began: “Dear Captain Patterson.” It was dated today. Sobel said to Ciano, “Dennis, collect all documents and bring them to impound as the captain ordered. I’m bringing this to her now.”

  * * *

  Sobel raced back to CIC. Not expecting her back so soon, Ashley said, “Karen, did you have a question?”

  “Captain, I think you may want to read this immediately. It’s addressed to you. I haven’t read it.”

  Ashley looked at the letter.

  Dear Captain Patterson:

  I resign my commission in the United Sta
tes Navy, effective immediately. As you read this I shall have already made contact with the Confederacy, and I am now a servant of the Confederate States of America.

  Captain, you chose to intervene in history and to fight a war that was long ago over. My Southern heritage and my conscience force me to take up arms against the United States, along with eight of my fellow crewmen, whose names are attached.

  In the spirit of Robert E. Lee and other brave patriots who fought on the Southern side, I make this decision.

  Very truly yours,

  Philip Bradley, former Commander, United States Navy

  Chapter 61

  Ashley’s head pounded, her heart raced, and she was perspiring. She heard the sound of a whining little girl jumping rope. “You blew it Ashley,” said little Splashy. “You wanted to jump in and be a hero and now you’ve managed to fuck it all up. Why did you trust that asshole, just because he’s a man and older than you?” At ease, you little bitch, thought Ashley. I’m in command. Dismissed.

  Ashley didn’t need a meeting. She didn’t need to talk to Father Rick, Jack, or Ivan Campbell. She didn’t need to talk to anyone. She had all the information she needed. Those weapons are now in enemy hands. They need to be destroyed. She has to act, now.

  “Get me Battery 3 on the phone,” she said to Toliver. Battery 3 was the Cruise Missile battery, the most destructive weapons on the ship.

  “This is Battery 3, Captain, Lieutenant Jamal Jacob speaking.”

  “Arm one missile and aim for the target on the drone signal,” Ashley said.

  “Missile one armed and ready, Captain.”

  “Fire one,” said Ashley.

  The California shuddered from the blast of the Tomahawk missile as it rocketed away from the ship. In CIC they had a visual from the missile as it raced toward its target.

  * * *

  The soldiers and sailors were chatting at the weapons camp. Bradley’s hand-picked sailors were explaining each weapon and its proper use. They were sipping fresh coffee, a few pots having just been made.

  Three miles away at General Beauregard’s headquarters, the General and Bradley enjoyed a lunch of fresh chicken and collard greens while they discussed Bradley’s future and his role in the war effort. Beauregard drilled Bradley on the big weapons aboard the California. Bradley was proud of his foresight at having left aboard his main conspirator, Chief Ray. Bradley explained how Ray would disable the main weapons. Two other trusted sailors were with Ray, Bradley noted.

  The men at the weapons camp, as well as Beauregard and Bradley, heard a strange sound in the sky. Bradley knew the sound very well, having taken advanced weapons courses. The men at the camp had no idea what it was.

  The Tomahawk struck in the middle of the weapons cache with a ground shaking explosion, pulverizing the weapons and anyone near them. A plume of smoke and fire shot up 200 feet into the air. It left a crater 12 feet deep and 20 feet wide. No one survived the attack. All of the horses perished as well.

  At Beauregard’s headquarters three miles away, the shock wave from the blast tore through the trees like a hurricane. Fifteen horses in a corral jumped the fence and stampeded. The dinnerware on the table bounced two inches into the air. Both men instinctively ducked under the table.

  His ears still ringing, Beauregard looked at Bradley and said, “I believe, Commander, that you were just telling me about your colleague’s plan to disarm the weapons aboard the ship.”

  Chapter 62

  Ashley turned to drone pilot Nathan and said, “Hover over the area until the smoke clears so we can get some BDA (battle damage assessment).”

  “Aye aye, Captain.” said Nathan, shaken by what he had seen on his monitor.

  “I need to see Col. Bingham, NOW.” Ashley said to her aide Corporal Nesbitt.

  When Bingham walked into CIC, Ashley grabbed him by the arm, looked into his eyes and said, “Matt, I want your entire platoon guarding our weapons systems, absolutely fucking immediately.” She quickly explained the Bradley defection and the possibility of more conspirators on the ship. Weapons guard duty was the Marines’ battle stations so they were ready to go. “And, Matt,” Ashley said, “safeties off. Shoot to kill anyone who approaches a weapon.”

  Within four minutes, at least three Marines guarded each weapon battery.

  * * *

  The smoke had cleared from the sight of the blast at the weapons camp. What they saw wasn’t pretty, but it did show that the Tomahawk did its job. “If any weapon survived that blast,” Conroy said, “it will be useless.”

  The drone then circled Beauregard’s headquarters. The site was one of chaos, with horses and men scattering across the monitor. Ashley hunched over the monitor next to the pilot. She was looking for Bradley and Beauregard, but they weren’t in sight.

  Chapter 63

  Ashley realized that she needed to communicate with her department heads as well as the crew. You don’t fire a cruise missile and not explain it to people, Ashley thought.

  When the officers assembled, Ashley got right to the point.

  “Our Executive Officer, Commander Philip Bradley, has committed treason and murder. He has defected to the Confederacy, taking eight sailors with him.” She read the letter from Bradley to dispel any doubts.

  “A few minutes ago I fired a Tomahawk to destroy the weapons. There was no choice. They were already in the hands of Confederate forces. The SEALs have been murdered.” She passed around a still shot of the four graves with the SEAL caps on top of them.

  “We don’t know if Bradley left any co-conspirators on the ship,” said Ashley, “but it’s likely that he did. Disabling our main weapon batteries would be an obvious part of his plan. I’ve ordered Colonel Bingham to assign marines to guard every battery, and they’re doing so as I speak. I’ve also ordered Master-at-Arms Ciano to put on extra security in the engine room, the reactor room and CIC. From this point forward, I want every officer on this ship to carry a side arm.”

  Ashley then announced that the new Executive Officer of the California would be Lt. Cmdr. Ivan Campbell and that he would now have the rank of full commander. This surprised no one because it was obvious that Campbell was the de facto second in command for weeks. She also announced that Lt. Wayne Bellamy would be the new Navigator.

  “Ivan Campbell has my full trust and support and I expect everyone to show him the same. He did a great job as navigator. Hey, he never got us lost,” said Ashley, attempting to inject a bit of levity into the tense situation.

  “Never got us lost?” said Nick Wartella. “Then what the hell are we doing in the nineteenth-century?” They all enjoyed the laugh, a welcome one.

  The open secret in the room, as Ashley and everyone there knew, was that a co-conspirator could be at this very meeting.

  Chapter 64

  Ashley’s phone rang. “Captain, a word with you please?” said Father Rick.

  “Come on up Father. Bring Scotch.”

  Father Rick walked into the Captain’s office wearing his usual smile.

  “Father, I hope what you have to say begins with ‘Two guys walk into a bar.’ ”

  “I take it, my friend, that you have had a somewhat stressful day,” said Father Rick.

  “Well, let’s see. My XO defects to the Confederacy, steals half the ship’s weapons, commits treason and murder, causing me to fire a Tomahawk Cruise Missile, and I missed the bastard. Yes, it’s been a trying day, Father.”

  Father Rick reached across the table and grabbed his friend’s hands, saying, “Let’s bow our heads in prayer, Ashley.”

  “Heavenly Father, please watch over and bless those in peril on the sea, and please bless and give strength to your daughter, our leader, Ashley Patterson.”

  That was it. Ashley lost it. She broke down, which is exactly what her friend hoped for. Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed. Father Rick didn’t attempt to console her; he wanted her to let it out. When she stopped crying, she said, sniffling. “You know Father, you’re the only one o
n this ship that I could do that in front of.

  “I know,” said the chaplain, “that’s why I’m here.”

  “Tomorrow, with your permission, I’d like to have a memorial service at 0800 for our fallen SEALs as well as for the misguided kids who died in the blast. And I would like you to speak at the service.”

  “Of course. I’ll be there.”

  “Anything else, my friend?” Ashley said as the chaplain got up to leave.

  “Yes, one thing. How’s little Splashy doing?”

  “She’s in the brig until further notice.”

  Father Rick smiled and made the sign of the cross, giving her his blessing.

  Chapter 65

  Ashley called Jack Thurber’s line. “Could you come to my office please, Lieutenant.” said Ashley, trying to affect a command voice.

  Jack sat down across the table from Ashley. Their eyes locked for a few moments before either of them spoke, something that was happening more frequently.

  “How was your day, Captain?” asked Jack without any sense of irony or humor. He knew she had been through hell.

  “Well, Jack,” said Ashley,” I just spent a few minutes with Father Rick. I’m feeling much better now. And thank you for asking.”

  “Jack, I don’t have to review for you the last few hours. We have a defector who committed treason as well as murder, and I had to destroy half the ship’s small weapons as a result. Our drone tells us that Bradley wasn’t at the site of the blast but three miles away having a meal with Confederate General Beauregard. What we know is that a high ranking officer from this ship has gone over to the enemy, and is presumably spilling secrets all over Beauregard’s headquarters. But we also must assume, and I’m not alone in this, that there may be other conspirators on the ship. I’ve ordered high security for all of our weapons batteries as well as critical spaces on the ship, but we’re at risk. I’ve been combing my brain, imagining one of those actors from CSI, NCIS or Criminal Minds, and what they would do or think. Hell, they do it every week in less than an hour.”