Rogue Liberator by John R Monteith

Author:John R Monteith [Monteith, John R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781640620629
Publisher: Braveship Books
Published: 2018-10-02T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

Lieutenant Commander Jazani pleaded his case. “Sir, I want divers and dolphins.”

The task force commander’s tone was stern. “The divers are sapped. They just worked themselves into exhaustion scouring the bottom for the American submarine.”

“Don’t we have ships with side-scan sonar that can do that?”

“We do, but I’m searching with every asset I have. We use humans and technology to search.”

Jazani leaned forward into his console and adjusted the boom microphone running along his jaw. “But it’s all for nothing. Our lightweight torpedo hit something, but we can’t find the American submarine.”

“The conclusion is that we hit something else. That’s the only logical explanation, and we’ve seen the Americans using decoys and robots to absorb our heavyweights.”

“I know that, sir. I’ve read the reports. But when decoys and robots deceive our heavyweights, we hear them. Their whole point of their existence is to make noise and become targets, but I didn’t hear a false target when the lightweight exploded. Nobody did.”

“So, you think the first American submarine was hit?”

“I know it’s hard to conclude that without evidence on the seafloor, but it must be considered.”

“Then where is it? Do you propose that it turned into a ghost?”

The Ghadir’s commander hesitated to share his theory and stalled. “I don’t have a solid answer, but I have to speculate given the Americans’ harsh response.”

The task force’s leader scoffed. “You call this harsh? One Virginia-class submarine, which, may I remind you, is likely the one we missed with the lightweight torpedo, is harassing us along with a mercenary mini-fleet. If you call that harsh, you’d be disappointed if we really infuriate the Americans.”

“But then why the mercenaries? And especially why bring their ugly railgun ship?”

As if being patient with a child, the task force commander sighed. “It’s a measured response. The mercenaries have their less-than-lethal weapons, and you can’t blame the Americans for making someone else handle their dirty work. As for that railgun ship, it’s there to attack our shore-based military targets in case we overplay our response.”

Jazani muted his microphone while groaning. He thought his nation’s politicians had demanded the impossible by ordering the American submarine hobbled with a lightweight weapon. Now, they were reacting to the undesired outcome, and his task force leader’s explaining couldn’t hide the stench of desperation seeping into his new instructions. He unmuted his headset. “So, my orders are now to sink any mercenary vessel I find, but not at the risk of hitting said vessel in international waters, losing my ship, or hitting an American.”

“Correct.”

“Has anyone considered that the Americans want us to do exactly that? They may be using the mercenaries to bait our submarines into shooting and exposing ourselves to counterfire.”

The task force commander’s voice became deeper. “Your orders are your orders.”

Jazani tried a new angle. “I want to keep searching for a bottomed American submarine.”

“Absolutely not. Were you listening when I told you it’s not there?”

“Of course, I was listening, sir. I mean to search farther east.”

“I’m not following you.”

“I mean,

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