Nightwatch

Chapter 34

Because of the rote nature of submarine duty, meals were something to look forward to. Of all the submarines in the fleet, the Polk featured an award-winning dining facility, with the best food ‘service beneath the seven seas.

Brad Bodzin and Jaffers were certainly looking forward to their meal as they arrived in the mess, got in line for the steam table, and picked up their trays. They were scheduled to take the next sonar watch, and a full belly would keep the hunger pangs at bay throughout this six-hour shift. Both of the sonar men filled their trays to nearly overflowing with hamburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, onion rings, and French fries.

The only one of the twelve elongated, picnic-style tables that had two vacant places left was the one usually reserved for the Chiefs. COB was already seated there, along with the senior radio technician. Chief “Shorty” Hassler, and one of the boat’s SEALs.

“Can we join you, COB?” Bodzin asked.

“Make yourselves at home,” COB answered.

They wasted little time setting their trays on the red-and white-checkered tablecloth, and they dug into their food like they hadn’t eaten in a week. They were well into their respective meals when Mallott came over, wearing his customary khakis and royal blue polo shirt, complete with a crest displaying a palm tree and a colorful parrot, with jimmy’s buffet embossed in gold below.

“Well, gents, how do you like your chow?” Mallott queried.

“I’m not complaining any, Howard,” said COB.

“But whatever happened to that low-fat, reduced-cholesterol menu you were promoting? Why, we haven’t had turkey in a whole three days.”

“Who said anything about abandoning my low-fat menu, COB?” replied Mallott with a wide grin.

“Those are lean bison burgers you’re scarfing down, with those rings and fries cooked in pure canola oil. Why, even your shakes are made of reduced fat ice cream. Inside Jimmy’s Buffet, you eat good and healthy at the very same time.”

Mallott excused himself, leaving the diners to sip their shakes and reflect on their full bellies.

“Any luck tagging the bogey that struck the Rhode Island, Mr.

Bodzin?” asked COB.

“Negative, sir. The current watch team hasn’t heard a peep out of them. While I was in my rack, I played the tape of the collision over and over. Whatever the Rhode Island hit, it came out of a black hole, and returned there afterward.”

“Maybe they struck a whale, or a submerged wreck,” offered Shorty.

“I seriously doubt that. Chief,” Bodzin replied.

“The only thing that could have caused all that damage to the Rhode Island’s sonar dome was another submarine.”

COB directed his next inquiry to their senior radio technician.

“Hey, Shorty, what’s the skinny on that latest salvo of EAMs?

Are they legit, or just another drill?”

Shorty made certain that he had the undivided attention of all those present before replying.

“The latest news is that this last alert was generated by a Russian test launch that was mistakenly thought to be the first wave of a full-scale nuclear attack. Lieutenant Ritter says our boomer was actually spinning up its missiles, and was less than ten minutes away from a launch when the termination order came down from TACAMO.”

COB finished his milkshake and grunted.

“Yet another reason to give some serious thought to that Global Zero Nuclear Alert Treaty that’s been making the headlines lately. With our hairtrigger nuclear response, we’ve been very fortunate all these years that we haven’t been the victim of an accidental war. Even if we have a legitimate crisis, at least if it took a while to marry up the warheads with the delivery bodies, there’d be some time for cooler heads to prevail.”

“Bullshit!” replied the SEAL.

“That fucking treaty is a oneway ticket to certain destruction. If such an agreement was signed, do you really think the Russkies or the Chinks won’t keep a few nukes stashed away for safekeeping? Then if they got a hair up their ass, they could hit us with a surprise attack, and we’d never have the capability to retaliate. Hell’s bells, they’d think nothing of blowing us to kingdom come, and we’d be down here stroking our cocks while our loved ones back home were being incinerated.”