Chapter 18: Pulling In

Eisenhower Naval Base, France- Europe

USS McCain- US Fleet

1 Hour and 10 Minutes After Contact…

The waves below the ship started to ease as the grey US Navy destroy glided through the waters closer to the Eisenhower Naval Base. The blues waves lightly swished into the ship as the metal exterior was shining in the sunlight above. The birds above started to fly with the ship as it got closer. The concrete piers ahead were half the size of the ship, the light grey metal parts covering the walls that helps the ship park and divide itself from other ships. The Patrol Boat accompanying the USS McCain was the USS Hurricane. The smaller, grey Patrol Boat sailed to the left side of the bigger and stronger US Navy destroyer. The sailors on board were on their weapons, escorting the USS McCain into port. The sailors on board the McCain were up tight, like the Patrol Boat sailors. The sailors monitored the horizon and the waves and even the bright, dreamy, blue skies above. The sailors were on their stations, ready to fight if they needed to. Mark was in the bridge, monitoring the progress of getting the ship into port without further enemy interruption. He looked at the PT boat outside the window as it sailed side by side with his destroyer. Then, the radio started to go off in front of Mark. He picked it up and answered the call.

"Yeah?" Mark asked.

"This is the USS Hurricane, welcome back to port." an officer said into the radio.

"Thanks." Mark replied, looking out onto the ruined piers. "I see that you guys were busy defending."

"We tried our best." the officer replied. "But, we couldn't handle them all." Mark sighed silently, then swallowing.

"That's all that matters." Mark replied. "So, do you have any supplies?"

"Affirmative." the officer said. "We had a Humvee drag in some for you, like food, ammunition, etcetera." Mark nodded, relieved.

"Well, that's a relief." Mark said. Lacy then walked up behind Mark. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder and he immediately turned around to face her in the eyes.

"Mark, we have a problem." Lacy said. "It's about that ship that sank the Jones."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's back…" Lacy replied. Mark's eyes opened widely as he hung up the radio. He then followed Lacy outside of the bridge tower, where she handed Mark a pair of binoculars. Mark took them and stared out into the blue ocean, where he saw a huge ball-like ship approaching slowly towards the harbor.

"Holy crap…" Mark said. "That's the ship."

"What should we do?" Lacy asked. Mark turned to her and handed her back the pair of binoculars.

"We pull in, quickly." Mark replied. He then marched back into the bridge, where he quickly contacted the Hurricane.

"USS Hurricane, we have a bit of a problem." Mark said.

"What's the issue?"

"We need you to bring the supplies on board." Mark said. There was a brief pause."Why?" the officer asked.

"We got company heading our way." Mark told. There was a brief pause that was broken with a light sigh. The officer cleared his throat as he prepared himself.

"Alright, I'll have a boat bring your supplies on board." the officer said.

"Thanks." Mark replied. Mark hung up the radio and then went down to the tactical room, where it was buzzing with activity from the sailors. They were monitoring their video screens and manning their stations with one hundred percent attention. They stared at the screens without flinching and continued to do so as Mark and Lacy and Andy leaned over the map. The dull pencils and ball point pens were scattered over the map as they looked at the harbor on the map.

"Alright, it's coming this way, right?" Mark asked McKenzie.

"Right, sir." McKenzie replied. "We're right here. In this tiny opening inland." McKenzie circled the small area. He then circled the area the ship was spotted.

"We spotted the ship their?" Mark asked.

"Yup." McKenzie told Mark. "Just right behind us. But, we have time."

"Lacy, get everyone to their battle stations and tell them to load every single weapon we have on this ship." Mark ordered. Lacy nodded and rushed up to the bridge. Mark then looked at McKenzie.

"So, how long do you think it will take to load those supplies by PT boat?" Mark asked out of curiosity.

"Well, sir, it may take almost fifteen minutes or so." McKenzie replied. "It may take even longer or maybe less."

"So, we're sitting ducks." Mark said.

"Not necessarily." McKenzie told Mark.

"Is there a way to not get screwed over?"

"Yes, sir." McKenzie replied. "If we can have enough ships engage the enemy with us while protecting the PT boat loading the supplies, we might have a chance since we have a number advantage." Mark pondered as he stared at the map. He was silent as he pondered, thinking about the risk that it may deliver to the remaining Patrol Boats if they were to ever engage the enemy directly. Then, Mark realized that they had no choice. It was either destroy that enemy ship or let it continue its reign of terror against the rest of the NATO fleets. He turned to McKenzie quickly and nodded his head up and down.

"Get the rest of the Patrol Boats ready for combat." Mark told McKenzie. "We're engaging the enemy ship once it gets in range of our guns."

"Yes sir." McKenzie said, saluting and then rushing out of the room to contact the rest of the Patrol Boats, which was four. Mark then leaned over Royce's station, looking over him at the monitor on the C-WIS gun camera. He saw the small black dot getting larger very slowly.

"Sir, do we have a chance?" Royce asked.

"I think we do, Royce."

"But, what about what it to the John Paul Jones?" Royce asked, worried.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." Mark replied, then leaving Royce's station to go upstairs to the bridge where several sailors manned their stations. McKenzie stood with one of the officers near communications, talking to him about the current status of the McCain.

"Did you get the order out?" Mark asked.

"Yes, sir." McKenzie told Mark. "They're rallying around our ship."

"Spin the ship around to face the direction of the enemy ship." Mark ordered.

"Aye, sir." one of the officers said, grabbing hold of the wheel and turning on the ship's engines, then slowly rotating it as he turned it to a half circle. The roaring engines could be heard from the shore as the ship slowly rotated, according to Mark's orders. The ship then stopped, its auto-cannon facing the horizon where the black dot was getting larger and larger.

"Order the Patrol Boats to spread out." Mark said.

"Aye, sir." McKenzie said, then getting on the radio. He clicked the button on the radio speaker and licked his lips.

"All Patrol Boats, spread out." McKenzie said through the radio. "I repeat, spread out."

"Roger that." Utah said through the radio, his Patrol Boats spreading out, shredding through the waves in the harbor. The USS hurricane was along the right side of the McCain, the boat's crew manning its weapons. A black haired girl and a taller sailor manned the front machine gun, while two sailors manned the top gun on the Patrol Boat, the automatic chain gun. The rest of the ships sat in position, laying in wait. The Supply Patrol Boat was making a trip onto shore, where a Humvee dragged the much needed supplies to the loading dock for the Patrol Boat to pick up. The ship then got larger, the center sphere now visible on maximum zoom on the C-WIS camera back at the tactical room. Mark took the binoculars from one of the officers in the bridge and zoomed in on the ship, noticing the scratched, but smooth black surface of the enemy ship. The grey line that spanned horizontally along the ball wrapped around it, splitting the sphere equally in two, one half on top, the other on the bottom. He then looked at the side wings the ship had. The two, large, bulky wings had the some of the weapons the ship had, four square peg pods, two on each side. Then, he knew its main weapon, the huge laser weapon inside the sphere. He then gave the binoculars back to the officer.

"Get ready, people." Mark said. "All hands to their battle stations." McKenzie nodded and hopped onto the radio quickly without hesitation.

"ALL HANDS TO THEIR BATTLE STATIONS!" he yelled into the PA system and radio. The noise through out the ship was that of stomping boots, yelling, order barking, and cursing as the sailors rushed for their stations. The young crew of the McCain hustled against time as the large, enemy ship approached fast. Mark looked out to see the Supply Patrol Boat loading the much needed supplies onto a larger ship that held all of the supplies needed. The shells for the cannons were in huge boxes, the missiles were huge metal boxes, the bullets were smaller, wooden boxes, and everything else was put into a big container. Mark then diverted his attention to the enemy ship, which then disappeared from sight. Mark's eye brows raised as he noticed that the ship had submerged.

"It's submerged!" Mark said. "Keep an eye out for ripples in the water!" Mark warned. Then, McKenzie pointed out the trail of water ripples, approaching fast towards their position.

"Get ready everybody!" Mark shouted. As they prepared themselves, the large enemy ship surfaced, popping out from under the harbor's calm waters. Tons of water was tossed into the air as the ship started to hum. The ship was almost seven kilometers out, where it sat and stared at the formation of navy ships and Patrol Boats.