The Honorable Knight

by Patrick John Donahoe

  “According to the NHC, Melissa would hit West Palm Beach in about forty hours, and by my calculations the storm will reach your intersection point in about 35 hours. So according to yours and my calculations, the Red Unit has about seven hour’s leeway to reach her mission point,” added Chief Grimes.

  “Well done. With ourselves and the Blue Unit between the Red Unit and our guess at her mission point, we just have to adjust our estimates and our strategy in real time.” Jacques looked back to see the CWO standing behind him taking in the discussion.

  “Where’s my almond coffee?” Dave asked. “Just kidding. Sounds like you guys have it all figured out. I have the P-3 flights arranged. I don’t know where you get the kind of pull you have, but you could probably ask for a whole fleet to chase this guy if you wanted.”

  Jacques addressed the CWO, including his sonar techs, “We have to catch the Red Unit in the act. We can’t just sink, I mean simulate sink, her without confirmation that she’s attacking the United States. Even with proof, we could have an incident which would start World War III, so we’re going to try to not bury her in Davy Jones’ Locker. My teammates on the Blue Unit will try to stop the attack.”

  “By surfacing in the eye of the storm?”

  “I didn’t tell you that.” Jacques turned away and sipped the last dregs of his tea.

  Ian meanwhile had done similar plotting and calculations on the sonar monitors on the USS Montpelier and came to the same conclusions. Ian asked the captain to come to periscope depth and send a Top Secret Flash Naval Message telling his command that they were ready for Operation Storm Drain, and when they received the go ahead they would initiate ‘trail to engage.’

  The reply arrived in less than fifteen minutes and said, ‘proceed with Operation Storm Drain, air flights to augment tracking.’

  Ian, Colby and McLeod continued their four hour watches to minimize the extra personnel in the sonar space, and to be able to ‘hot bunk’ without inconveniencing the sonar crew. They used half of their off watch time to go over every action they would have to take to carry their gear up into the conning tower and position themselves so they could take out the MANPADS with the least amount of damage to the Kilo. Ian was a big fan of over preparation, much to the chagrin of his teammates.

  If possible, they would retrieve whatever was left of the MANPADS, the WMD canisters and rockets, and the human operators for analysis and questioning. Ian assumed that the operators would have to stand on the Kilo’s upper deck in the somewhat calm of the eye of the storm to launch the rockets. Ian set aside the other two hours of each watch off time to rest. Being rested was as important to a successful mission as preparation, and shuteye was preferable to boredom.

  Expecting a P-3 Patrol Aircraft flyover, Jacques ran out to the Valiant’s main deck and watched the plane fly across the sky toward the Bahamas. Within fifteen minutes CWO Cantrell received an OP Immediate message from the P-3 providing the current location in latitude and longitude of the target of interest, or TOI, that it was making about eleven knots on the surface and would pass to the Florida side of the Valiant in approximately six hours. The message ended with ‘S sends,’ indicating to Jacques that Serena was onboard the P-3. She has to be part of the action, Jacques thought.

  Jacques asked the ST supervisor to encode the P-3 obtained data into an active waveform and transmit it via Acoustic Comms to the Blue Unit, then send the current location of the Valiant in a second signal.

  Ian enjoyed the hospitality of the Montpelier crew. They knew something major was going down, and they all wanted to be a part of it. The Monty gave the Valiant a wide berth so as not to collide with her deployed to depth source array. Over the past twenty hours they had received three Red target track updates from the P-3s via Acoustic Comms. The surface weather had deteriorated to the point that the Kilo would have to submerge soon and the P-3s would no longer be able to assist. The Valiant had been transmitting only often enough to send acoustic Comms, but would start a low intensity search pattern once the target submerged.

  The USS Montpelier would have to use their own active sonar once they were under the inner ring of the storm. Ian assumed that the Kilo would continue on their evil mission even if they knew they were being trailed, since they were within striking distance of their goal. They would never expect a US attack submarine to surface next to them in the eye of the storm. If the terrorists successfully launched their attack, it would be impossible to prove they had attacked the US, even with the evidence Ian’s team had collected. They had to be stopped.

  “We’re increasing the transmit rate to increase the chances of maintaining track on the target, but I think we’re pretty much out of range; not because of the distance, but because the storm’s upped the ambient noise so high we can’t pick out the echo returns any longer. She must have submerged, because we did get a few low confidence detections, until an hour ago,” the sonar supervisor explained to Jacques.

  “You’ve done a great job. I couldn’t have expected more. It must be about sea state five or higher out there. It’s up to the sonar crew on the Montpelier to track the target now.” Jacques turned to CWO Cantrell and said, “This catamaran hull was a stroke of genius. A monohull ship would be foundering like a single finned whale in this weather.”

  CWO Cantrell asked, “Yes, it’s a stable platform, but can we call off the search and move back out of the storm. I don’t want to damage the sources trying to pull them back up out of the water through the moon pool.”

  “Maneuver into calmer water, but we can’t retrieve yet. We’re going to want to follow the target back to Cuba, if there’s a target left to track.”

  Thirty-Nine

  The Montpelier’s sonar supervisor reported, “The water temperature has risen five degrees, and ambient noise has dropped about 10 dB in the past half hour. Our active sonar indicated that the target is rising to the surface at a range of approximately 1000 yards.”

  Ian said, “Guide the Monty to the surface as close to the target as you can without bumping into her hull. My men and I are preparing to go topside. Let us know when we can open the outside hatch.” Ian left the sonar space and assisted Colby and McLeod assemble the gear at the bottom of the conning tower ladder.

  After what seemed like a half hour, the XO dressed in foul weather gear approached Ian and said, “Let me go up first and clear the conning tower, then you and your men follow with your equipment. It will be tight quarters up there for the four of us.”

  Ian followed the XO up the ladder. Ian grabbed the ladder rungs with his left hand and carried the strapped together RPG and two extra rockets with his right hand. Chiefs Colby and McLeod followed Ian, with Colby carrying the sniper rifle and McLeod carrying a modified tripod and enough ammo to disable the Kilo if necessary, and more than enough to take out the MANPADS crew.

  The XO opened the hatch, stepped out onto the conning tower, and offered Ian a hand up. The wind was at least forty knots and carried biting rain. Ian looked out across the water and spotted the Kilo sitting on the surface about 100 yards away. The XO hooked up his sound power phone into the submarine communication system. The four of them each fastened themselves to the conning tower tie downs with carabiners and nylon lines.

  Ian shouted above the noise of the storm, “Ask navigation to move in fifty yards closer to the target if possible. We’re about 100 yards out.”

  Ian assisted Colby and McLeod set up the .50-caliber sniper rifle, then asked the XO to assist with steadying the RPG to take better aim at the target.

  The XO used his binoculars to scan the deck of the Kilo. He yelled to Ian, “I see movement on the deck. It looks like two men are preparing a MANPADS to launch a rocket.”

  The Monty had moved to within fifty yards of the Kilo while both teams of men were setting up on the conning tower. The team on the Kilo and the team on the Monty were suddenly engaged in a deadly race.

  The XO shouted, “They’ve spotted us. They’ll speed up their preparations. W
e need to hurry.”

  The men on the Kilo were exposed to the elements much more than Ian and his team, who were semi-protected by the conning tower wall, but even that barrier was no match for the wind, rain, and rocking motion of the submarine within the eye of the storm.

  Ian held the RPG as steady as he could and sighted one of the men holding a MANPADS. Ian had to fire before the MANPADS operator. The MANPADS only required an upward aim, not a specific target, giving him a distinct advantage.

  Time was of the essence as the Monty was at the following edge of the eye and the Kilo was at the leading edge. The Monty would be buried under the storm column and subjected to 120 plus mile per hour winds in less than ten minutes. Ian took aim while the XO helped steady Ian as he launched the rocket.

  The MANPADS operator, in an act of desperation, started to lower his aim from the center of the storm above him to the Monty. Before he could get a steady bead on the Monty and fire, Ian’s rocket-powered grenade ran straight to the MANPADS operator and exploded against the Kilo’s conning tower. The blast knocked the MANPADS operator and his assistant to the deck. His assistant reached out to the man and caught his foot before he fell overboard. The MANPADS slowly scooted across the deck and fell into the sea. With the surging of the Kilo’s deck in the rough sea, the operator’s assistant lost his grip on the man’s foot and the operator slipped over the side into the water.

  The Kilo team had a second MANPADS unit, but Colby opened fire and knocked the second MANPADS operator and his weapon into the sea. His assistant fell to the deck, assumed dead. For good measure Colby sprayed the conning tower with .50-caliber slugs. The assistant in the first MANPADS team, having lost his operator and MANPADS, and having nothing left to fight with, scrambled across the few feet of deck and started to climb the conning tower ladder back into the Kilo.

  McLeod steadied Colby against the rim of the conning tower as the heavy seas rolled the submarine about like a great fishing bobber. Colby took careful aim and blew the terrorist off the ladder into the sea with a sniper-placed .50-caliber slug.

  Meanwhile, the first MANPADS operator, caught in the strong current, drifted away from the Kilo toward the Monty. Fear of drowning caused the man in the water to flail about in terror.

  Ian handed the RPG launcher to the XO and, risking his own life, unhooked his safety line carabiner, scrambled down from the conning tower to the upper deck, and hooked his safety line carabiner to a deck ring. He watched as the MANPADS operator crashed against the Monty’s hull head-first. Ian couldn’t tell if the man was dead or alive, but risking his own life again, he lowered himself to the water’s churning surface via his safety line and reached out for the man. The semi-conscious man reached out for Ian’s hand. Ian grasped the man’s forearm and pulled him up to the deck.

  The wind and rain were increasing rapidly and, with his footsteps slippery on the wave slapped deck, Ian unhooked his carabiner from the deck ring, threw the now unconscious man over his shoulder, and ran with a mountain goat’s surefootedness back to the conning tower.

  Colby and McLeod reached out to Ian in the driving wind and rain and pulled Ian and his shoulder load up the tower ladder.

  The topside battle had only taken a few minutes.

  The XO shouted, “Let’s get back inside.” Without hesitation, the XO unhooked the sound power phone, tossed the RPG launcher into the ocean, and headed down the hatch. Colby assisted Ian to lower their prisoner down the ladder. McLeod dumped the excess sniper rifle ammo into the ocean and carried the sniper rifle back into the submarine. Once safe inside, Ian dropped the prisoner to the deck. The XO pointed his pistol at the semi-conscious prisoner and tasked the waiting security force with locking down the prisoner.

  Ian noticed the rocking and rolling of the submarine subside as it descended to depth.

  The XO ordered the medic to check the prisoner for serious injuries after the security force secured him in the torpedo room. The Chief of the Boat handed each of the four men towels to dry off, and the XO and the three Seals reported to the Operations Center.

  Captain Duncan greeted them. “Whatever you did up there, the Kilo has submerged to avoid the surface weather, but hasn’t moved from her position. Do you think she would try to torpedo us?”

  “To save face, yes. After all, we’re dealing with terrorists,” Ian replied. “Can we disable them enough to cripple their fighting capability, but allow them to still limp back to port?”

  “You may have already done enough damage.”

  “Well, we did drill their conning tower with a few .50-caliber slugs, and Ian’s rocket grenade hit the tower, too,” Colby volunteered.

  “What have you done with the prisoner?” Captain Duncan asked.

  The XO answered, “The prisoner is under guard by our two Marine security force.”

  “They have a wire-guided torpedo that could do a lot of damage. We’re going to go deep and watch them for a while. They may be doing damage control and figuring out what to do next. We won’t make the initial attack on their boat, but if they attack us, they’ll be committing suicide,” Captain Duncan said.

  Thirty minutes later, the Kilo came to periscope depth and began transiting south toward Cuba at three knots, with the Monty trailing at periscope depth.

  Ian addressed the captain, “We need to escort the Kilo to an American port, Navy preferably, and take control of whatever fallout happens. Even caught red-handed, these people will lie about their activities and intentions. When we get to port they may even thank us officially for helping when they had an accident at sea.”

  The XO laughed out loud, but Captain Duncan, straight-faced, said, “We’ll continue to track the Kilo and request an escort.”

  Sonar reported, “We have an update from the Valiant. They reported that the Iranian frigate which is supposedly on a World Peace Cruise with the Kilo is headed our way.”

  “Did they give the position of the Iranian frigate?”

  “Yes, at their current speed and course, they’re about twelve hours away.”

  “We need to get our escort to us before the frigate arrives.”

  “I’ll include the urgency in our request.”

  “May I call the Valiant?” Ian asked. “I need my Intel officer to come on board and help interrogate our prisoner before we arrive in port, whether we dock in Cuba or in the US.”

  “Lieutenant Osborne, our Comms Officer, will assist you.”

  Ian called the Valiant on an encrypted satellite voice channel and asked Jacques, “Please arrange for Serena to be brought to the Monty via helo, ASAP.”

  “She’s already on the destroyer USS The Sullivans. They’re closing on your position. She intends to helo to your position as soon as the ship is within range,” Jacques replied.

  “What’s your estimate for her time of arrival?”

  “One hour.”

  “Understood. The sooner the better. Out.”

  Ian approached Captain Duncan. “Captain, we need to begin interrogating our prisoner now. Has anyone been informed about our prisoner?”

  “We’ve not reported our encounter with the Kilo . . . yet.”

  “Do what you’re required to do. If you can maintain silence on our prisoner for as long as possible, I’d appreciate it. It may take my intel officer too long to intercept us. I don’t want to have to give him up until we can interrogate him. Do you have a camera and someone to act as witness?”

  “The XO is a trained counselor. Will he do?”

  “Yes, sir, Let’s get started.” Ian took Colby, McLeod, and the XO with the video camera to the torpedo room where the two-man Marine security detail was guarding the prisoner. Ian asked the two Marine guards to keep the crew out of the torpedo room during the interrogation.

  Colby set up the tripod and aimed the camera at the prisoner. McLeod stood behind the XO to observe and maintain security.

  Ian sat in a straight back chair in front of the prisoner, and talked to him in Farsi. He asked the man if he was b
eing treated all right for a terrorist. The man didn’t reply. Ian told the man he had saved the man’s life. The man didn’t reply. Ian asked the man if he should have just let him drown in the sea. The man looked at Ian and replied ‘yes’ in Farsi. Ian asked the man his name. The man didn’t reply.

  Ian told the man, “I saved your life even though you’re a bad man.” Ian turned to the XO and said, “Please turn off the camera,” then turned back to his prisoner and said, “I saved your miserable life, and I can take it back,” in Farsi. He took hold of the man’s arms and lifted him to his feet. As he manhandled his prisoner through the hatchway out of the torpedo room he said, “Guards escort me and this man to the upper deck. I’m going to put him back where I found him.”

  Ian asked the XO to have the Monty stop dead in the water on the surface. Ian led the prisoner to the conning tower ladder and prodded him upward to the viewing platform, then down onto the deck. The prisoner still had zip ties handcuffing his wrists together, so when Ian shoved him off the deck into the ocean the man screamed with an overpowering sense of panic.

  The Monty was at dead stop in the water, but a low sea state four was still kicking up four to five foot waves, and forty miles per hour winds. Ian let the man sink below the surface once before diving in and dragging the man to the side of the submarine. “Are you going to talk to me?” Ian shouted in Farsi.

  The man shouted, “Yes . . . yes.”

  Ian said, “You’d better or I throw you in again.”

  One of the Marine guards threw Ian a life ring and dragged Ian and his prisoner back up onto the deck with the aid of the other guard.

  As the entourage made its way back down to the torpedo room, one of the Marine guards whispered to the other, “Must be some new water boarding technique.”