Cooksey watched the procession and signaled his XO to join him beside the monitor.
“That was an excellent briefing. Skipper,” Craig said.
“The men were a bit shocked, to say the least.”
“Thanks, Rich. I think I got my point across. And I don’t blame them for being surprised. I’ll never forget that moment when Admiral Miller sat me down and gave me the initial details. To tell you the truth, I still have trouble believing that this thing is really coming down.”
“Ditto for me. Skipper. The part I’m having trouble with is the fact that the Soviet Premier has actually asked for our assistance. Things must really be out of hand for him to call us in to blow away one of their own subs.”
“I’ve got to admit its one for the books all right. I just hope we don’t let them down.”
As the captain reached over and turned off the monitor, Craig asked, “Say we don’t make it in time, and those missiles get released — what then. Skipper?”
Cooksey reflected a while before answering.
“I shudder when I think of the possible consequences, Rich. A magazine full of SS-N-18s can cause one hell of a lot of damage. From their intended launch position, they could probably hit targets anywhere in the continental United States.”
The XO’s face suddenly paled.
“Oh, sweet Jesus!
Susan and the baby! They’re laying there right at ground zero.”
“Easy now, Rich, we’ve still got a bit to say in the matter.”
“Oh, come on, Skipper, you know what an impossible task we face. They could be hundreds of miles away from us right now. And not only are the chances of tagging them slim, but then there’s that Alfa to contend with. If we get anywhere close to the Vulkan, we’re going to have one deadly tiger on our tail!”
Almost fatherly, Cooksey put his hand on his XO’s shoulder.
“That kind of thinking will only get you an ulcer. It’s highly speculative, and self-defeating, too.
If that Delta-class sub is there, we’re going to take them out. I don’t give a damn what they’ve got between us and them. Nothing is getting in the way of the USS Triton!”
These words were delivered with such conviction that the XO couldn’t help but lighten.
“You said it, Skipper. Let’s go get them!”
Playfully, Cooksey cuffed his exec on the side of his head, then pointed to the door. Without comment, Richard Craig managed a brave smile and followed the captain outside.
Chapter Eleven
Deep within the bowels of the Vulkan, Senior Lieutenant Vasili Leonov was in the process of “inspecting the portion of the sub that held the missile tubes, known as the taiga. The cavernous compartment was empty except for Weapons Chief Yuri Chuchkin, who was following Leonov. Their steps echoed off the narrow metal walkway as they passed by the bases of the sixteen missile tubes, placed eight on each side. Beyond, the constant faraway hum of the vessel’s engines droned incessantly.
As the senior lieutenant passed the silo marked, 4, he caught sight of a greasy rag sticking out from the silo’s support cowling. He halted and studied it with unbelieving eyes. Yuri Chuchkin noticed his distraction and cautiously asked, “Is something the matter, Comrade? “
Leonov pointed to the cowling and replied with a disgusted shake of his head, “Is this the way your men prepare their stations for inspection?
Such sloppiness is inexcusable! If the maintenance of the SS-N-18s themselves is as slipshod as this compartment’s interior, we’ll be lucky to get even a single warhead airborne.”
Chuchkin reached out and grabbed the offending rag and briefly inspected its surface.
“I am sorry, sir. It’s only a towel used to clean off excess grease from the sealant gaskets. I can guarantee you that the integrity of the missiles is in no way compromised.” “That makes no difference!” Leonov shouted.
“Leaving such a rag behind is only indicative of your crew’s general carelessness. The simplest mistakes have a way of producing the most dire consequences.
Remember this, Comrade, and never let it happen again.”
Doing his best to accept the rebuke, Chuchkin lowered his eyes.
“You are right, sir. I will speak to the men and get to the bottom of this.”
“We must all have pride in our service,” Leonov said.
“Such careless mistakes should never happen.
Now, did you complete the warhead coordinate changes as I requested?”
“Of course, sir. They have been entered into the computer and triple-checked for accuracy.”
“Well, check them again. Comrade Chuchkin. A careless mistake in this process could be disastrous.”
Chuchkin straightened his shoulders and nodded.
“I will do that, sir. I must admit that it represents a radically new set of target coordinates from our previous ones. I imagine it all has to do with those new ground-burrowing warheads that we recently took on.”
“That is none of your concern. Comrade.” The Senior Lieutenant turned away and continued his inspection.
Further down the walkway, Chuchkin said lightly, “Of course, this coordinate change is nothing but one of those endless alert exercises anyway. Most probably I’ll be changing them back within a matter of hours.”
“You never know, do you Comrade Chuchkin?”
Shrinking from Leonov’s icy words, Chuchkin attempted to change the direction of their conversation.
“You certainly gave me a scare back in Petropavlovsk, sir. For a while there, I thought that you might go A.W.O.L..”
This unexpected comment caught Leonov up short.
Slowly, he turned to face the chief.
“I understand that you were one of those who initiated a search of the city on my behalf. I appreciate this gesture and truly regret that a moment of self weakness made it necessary. I learned much during this personal crisis, Comrade. You can be assured that it will take more than a woman to divert me from my duty to the Rodina. They are nothing but a bunch of filthy tramps, anyway.”
“I don’t know if you can go so far as to say that collectively, sir. I must admit that I’ve had my fair share of female problems, but every once in a while one comes along to make all the bad experiences worth it.”
“I guess I’m just waiting for that one to arrive,” Leonov said thoughtfully.
“Regardless, I want you to recheck those coordinate changes and then speak to your men once more. Instill in them a pride in their duties.
Afterward, have them go over this compartment with a fine-tooth comb. I want this all completed within the hour, so snap to it, Comrade!”
Accepting the chief’s salute, Leonov hurriedly checked the remaining silos and then ducked through the hatchway leading to the bow. He continued to complete the second portion of his tour of inspection.
Just as important as the missile compartment was that section of the Vulkan from which the weapons would be launched, the attack center.
Located near the bow, two floors above him, the deserted attack center would soon be alive with frantic action. Anxious for this fated moment to finally arrive, Leonov checked his watch and increased the length of his stride.
As he walked down the cramped corridor he passed that portion of the sub reserved for supply storage.
This was not a busy area and his progress was unhindered.
Leonov found himself a bit disturbed that the weapons chief had brought up the subject of his recent troubled leave in Petropavlovsk. He knew that he should have been anticipating such a comment. The goodnatured chief had only been trying to lend a helping hand. Never again would Leonov allow his personal life to be scrutinized by his shipmates. This was one painful lesson he had learned all too well.
Though the entire affair had taken place but a few days ago, Leonov felt as if it had happened in a past lifetime. So much had happened since that fated afternoon that the very fabric of his being seemed like it had been torn apart and subsequently’re sewn In place of the old self was a new, enlightened being, free from the bonds that had previously tied him down.