Color inside the line
Chapter 23rd
General Norton needed to call back the captain before he disappears with his black coffee. He comes back with the tone of the voice with the general. He was up to something for when it comes to finding his prey with the Seaview.
"Captain I want you to send a scout plane with the best pilot and equipment it with one explosive bomb enough to make them think we are serious about winning the exercise." General Norton will ordered while watching the captain shaking his head with no guts at all.
"Sir don't you think it's uncalled for to do something dangerous like that with the explosive? Who knows what Admiral Nelson might think at that particular time?" Taking a large sip of his black coffee. "If this is the case General I will need to place this carrier on general quarters." He announced with his decision to have the General repeating his order while the captain went to the intercom to call Colonel James Bracken his best pilot answering right away from his quarters.
"Sir, you want me to do what?" He was livid with his voice loud over the intercom.
"You heard me Colonel! Fit your plane with one of the explosives that was recently brought abroad. You're to search for the location of the Seaview and drop it two hundred yards from it's bow. Do I make myself clear with the order Colonel?" The captain will say with his anger getting in the way of his job for this exercise.
"Damn right Captain I understand the order." Colonel Bracken had shut down the intercom to get himself dressed and ready with the crew chief to place the explosive inside the hatch before dropping it into the murky waters.
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Meanwhile on the Island
Kowalski, Patterson along with the crew members and the two hostages were heading out into the rafts having given a signal to the Seaview that they were heading back with the two hostages to be interrogated by Admiral Harriman Nelson.
It was now dark with a partial moon covered behind the darkened clouds as if a storm was going to be brewing soon. They needed to move quickly before the heavens opens up.
Executive Officer Stu Riley had given the order to have the Seaview to head for the surface along with cracking the hatch to have a team to help everyone abroad within the next twenty minutes.
Riley advised Admiral Nelson that the party was back with the two hostages from the exercise. "Have them brought to the brig until I am ready to talk with Executive Officer Riley?" Nelson having woke with feeling slightly refresh.
"Aye I will let them know Admiral. They will be arriving within the next 18 minutes." While scanning the Control room and his relief should be arriving with Commander Harrison to take over since Commander Morton and Captain Lee Crane were knocked out of the action right now. He was tired with not being used to the long hours.
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His jet plane a newer version of the F-16 was sitting on the top of the deck with his crew chief finishing up with two other crew members to fit the last connecting bolt into the hatchway.
Colonel Bracken was still angry when he arrived to his plane. And Crew Chief Daniels turning to say one last night to his two men finishing up. "You're all set Colonel and with the hatchway adjusted for the weight of the explosive. It should poise no trouble once you reach the exercise target." He complied with scratching the top of his head.
"Thanks chief. I really don't like this at all in what the General had ordered. More crew members can get hurt dropping the explosive so close to the submarine Seaview." He said with his anger building with his hurt demeanor.
Chief Daniels stopped him for a moment before placing on his helmet and stepping up to the cockpit. "You know there is always a possible chance you can let go premature early with missing the Seaview by more than two hundred feet? Who is going to know for sure?" He winked with helping him abroad the jet and into the cockpit.
Moments later he was off and running heading into the direction of the Seaview being followed on radar in the Control room.
It was going to take an twenty minutes to reach his target at mach 15. Colonel Bracken had made his decision to drop the explosive five to 1000 feet away from the submarine. Checking his instruments even though it was on computer controls. He pressed the control to take over and head on over to his destination.
Meanwhile on board the Seaview
Crew members working both radar and sonar had advised that a bogey was heading there way with a single plane having to be a F-16 that the computers were able to bring up on the screen above the radar station.
Ensign Davidson working the late night watch called Commander Harrison about the bogey. He came over to stand behind the shoulder of Davidson at his radar station. "I don't like this at all. Sound general quarters and call Admiral Nelson to the Control room." Opening the main intercom public address. "ATTENTION all hands be advised of possible attack by a single F-16. Missile room ready surface to air missile to knock out the possible attacker."
Admiral Harriman Nelson still wearing his soiled clothing from earlier ran down the spiral stairway. When the explosive was dropped five hundred feet from the submarine to knock everyone off their feet. Commander Harrison helped the Admiral off the floor with bruising his elbow. "What the hell is going on?" When he heard the surface to air missile leave the silo.
Nelson headed quickly over to the control panel to destroy the surface to air missile by the nick of time when the F-16 using counter measures with moving off from the missile when it explodes in mid-air to have Colonel Bradley breathing better from the very close call.