“None,” Hardy answered, “except that the weather’s going to get progressively worse, and they won’t be able to work at all starting in October. It’s reasonable to assume they’re close to being done.”
The president added, “I’m also working with the Joint Chiefs on a massive no-notice deployment ‘exercise’ to Europe. The planners don’t know anything about Overcharge and don’t need to, but if this”—Hardy tapped the envelope—“fails, then the troops won’t be taking part in an exercise. They’ll be the first wave of reinforcements in what will be a very bad war.”
“It will work, Skipper. Lou is new, but he’s had time to learn his boat and his crew.”
Hardy made a face, not quite a frown. “But he’s never fought. He’s done well with the UUVs, and you just pointed out how tricky this will be…”
“Skipper, do you have some concern about Lou Weiss? Please, tell me.”
“Jerry, I’m putting you aboard Carter as mission commander.”
“Then you are concerned about Lou’s ability,” Jerry accused.
“No,” Hardy replied sharply. “Not a bit, and I understand what this will mean for both you and him, but as I told Commander Weiss yesterday, there’s a better chance of the mission succeeding with both of you aboard than just him. And this has to work, Jerry.”
Jerry didn’t reply immediately, sorting through the implications, then asked, “So Lou knows, then? How did he react?”
“I told him myself yesterday evening. And as you’d expect, he wasn’t happy,” Hardy admitted, “but he took it aboard. ‘Two heads are better than one.’ His own words.”
Jerry was still frowning, and Hardy pressed his point. “You have more time with UUVs than almost anyone else in the Navy, and you’ve used them in combat situations. You’ve fired torpedoes in anger; he hasn’t. I need that experience on board Carter.
“The arrangement will be awkward, but I think the two of you will figure out how to deal with it. After all, if a pair of hyperactive Type A’s like Joanna and I can do it…” Hardy looked toward his wife and smiled. Patterson stuck out her tongue. “Then you two can.”
“And if the president of the United States gives me an order, it’s up to me to do my best to follow it.” Jerry nodded solemnly. “We will make it work somehow, sir.”
“Which gives me a better feeling about this mission,” Hardy replied. “Dwight will get you down to Groton. Carter sails tonight.” He offered his hand. “Godspeed and good hunting.”
The car dropped Jerry off at the EB graving dock just before ten o’clock. Civilian workers were busy preparing for Carter’s departure. He’d been involved with enough undockings to see that everything was proceeding properly. There were few sailors visible in the basin. There was plenty for them to do inside.
The quarterdeck watch was waiting for his arrival, and a messenger ran up to collect his bags. He would have liked a moment or two to gather his thoughts, but realized he’d just be stalling. As he saluted and crossed the brow, he heard a bell ring four times, and “DEVRON Five, arriving.”
Jerry started to follow the messenger down the forward escape trunk, then paused. Instead, he told the quarterdeck, “Ask Captain Weiss if he can come topside for a few minutes.” The OOD relayed the message, and Weiss appeared only moments later. He approached Jerry, standing on the aft casing, and snapped a salute sharp enough to cut a mooring line.
“Welcome aboard, Commodore.” After Jerry returned the salute, as crisply as he could, they shook hands.
Jerry asked, “Can you step off the boat for a few minutes, Lou? Can they spare you?” He tried to sound as sincere as possible. The last thing he wanted was to slow down preparations while he and Lou Weiss hashed things out.
“Certainly, sir. It’s going pretty smoothly, and you know as well as I that the XO is doing most of the work,” Weiss reported, gesturing toward the brow. As he followed the commodore, he added, “Everyone’s been waiting for the ‘go’ signal.”
Jerry saw the quarterdeck watch preparing to render honors again as they stepped ashore, but he waved them off. “We’ll be close by,” he explained.
Electric Boat’s graving dock was surrounded by a concrete apron as wide as an eight-lane highway. While there was plenty of activity near Carter, they quickly found a quiet spot in sight of the boat. They sat on a low, wide packing crate long enough to hold a school bus. A cool breeze off the water offset the sun’s heat, reflecting off the surrounding concrete.
Jerry knew Weiss would wait for him to speak first, and lacking anything better to say, he tried to sound positive. “I just came from a meeting with the president; that’s when he told me I was going along. This is still your mission, Lou.”
“Thank you for saying that, sir, but it can’t be, not with you aboard.” Jerry opened his mouth to respond, but Weiss held up a hand and kept talking, the words pouring out. “I’ve seen how you operate, and I’ve done my best to follow your example. I’d be nuts not to. But I have to be honest. Every time I give an order, my guys will be looking to you for confirmation. You are senior, and you are much more experienced.”
Jerry couldn’t disagree, but there was more to it. “I don’t want the crew looking to me. That moment of indecision could be disastrous. The president told me to back you up, not take over. I won’t tell you how to run your boat, Lou. My job is to advise you and help you complete the mission.”
Weiss nodded. “And it makes sense for you to come along. You’ve got more command time and combat experience, not to mention working with UUVs.”
“You did good work with them on your last patrol,” Mitchell offered.
After a short pause that threatened to get longer, Jerry explained, “If it’s any consolation, the president knows exactly what he’s asking us to do. I was with Lowell Hardy when he was the CO of Memphis and Joanna Patterson was the mission commander — also assigned by a president. That was my first boat, and my first patrol. I watched them not work together. It took time, but they hammered out an arrangement that got the job done.”
“So that story is true?” Weiss asked.
Jerry shrugged. “I don’t know which version you heard, but there was a ‘process’ both of them had to go through.” He smiled. “But they managed to work it out. We can do that, too.”
“She wasn’t Navy,” Weiss observed.
“And she had a lot of learning do to, which we can skip,” Jerry countered. “Saves time. Think of it this way — let me be your consigliore. You have seen The Godfather?” he asked.
Weiss nodded. “Yep, and you’d be a wartime consigliore at that.”
Jerry relaxed a little, and expanded his idea. “On the trip up, we are going to work out tactics for Carter and the UUVs, and drill until they’re second nature. If we have any differences, that’s when we resolve them. Later on, if things get sticky, or you’re looking for a second opinion, I’ll be there.”
Weiss was considering what Jerry said, but he still looked like a kid who’d just gotten underwear for his birthday. He might really need it, but he didn’t have to like it.
Jerry said, “I really don’t expect, and don’t want to ever give an order when I’m in control. If I do have to give one, I’ll expect you to follow it, but that’s not how I see things sorting out. Think of me as a coach, prepping you for the big game, and standing by on the sidelines while you run the plays.”
“I like the consigliore analogy better,” Weiss observed. “Thanks for taking the time to talk about this, sir.”