TSUNAMI STORM (24 page)

U.S.S. Massachusetts, Pacific Ocean, Off the Coast of Oregon

“Sir?” one of the crew of the control center said as he handed the headset back to the Captain. “It’s the sonar room – we’re being hailed by the
Boise
.”

Jacobs took the headset and put it back on. “This is the Captain.”

“Sir, the
Boise
has us on their sonar system. They want to know if our situation is stable or not. They are asking for one clang for stable or two for unstable.”

Nothing had changed in the last twenty minutes, so things at least appeared to be stable. “Radio room, con, one clang and only one clang.”

“One clang, Sir.” The sound echoed through the hull of the sub.

“Sir, the
Boise
is going to periscope depth to report our position and condition. They will return to watch over us.”

“Thank you,” Jacobs replied.

When the
Boise
returned they reported over the voice modulated sonar that the seas had calmed on the surface and that a rescue ship with a floating dry dock was on its way. There was at least some hope. The
Boise
remained at 1500 feet relaying messages to the
Massachusetts
. Because of the HY-100 armor steel used in the hull construction, the
Massachusetts
was able to withstand greater pressure on its hull than the Los Angeles Class submarines, like the
Boise
, which used the older HY-80 steel. That difference was the only thing that kept the
Massachusetts
from being crushed where it was.

Twenty-eight hours later, Captain Jacobs heard noises from the hull of the sub. Something was operating outside the boat. Soon the noises stopped. Nine minutes later the
Boise
relayed a message: the Remotely Operated Vehicle from the rescue ship had attached a steel cable to the stern of the
Massachusetts
. They were aware that the boat had to remain almost vertical in the water in order to maintain its buoyancy.

The
Massachusetts
gave a sudden small jolt as the steel cable became taut. Slowly the sub began to rise in the water. The crew in the control center watched intently as the depth gauge needle slowly moved away from the red line that represented its crush depth. Progress was agonizingly slow as the sub was gradually pulled toward the surface. Hours passed as the sub approached the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Finally the
Boise
reported that the stern of the
Massachusetts
was visible from the deck of the rescue ship and Navy divers were in the water attaching additional steel cables to secure the
Massachusetts
. Slowly the sub was pulled and rotated to a level position.

“Con, radio room, we’re being hailed by the rescue ship. We have a working radio.”

Jacobs opened the water tight door between the control center and the radio and sonar rooms. The radio operator handed the headset to the Captain.

“This is Captain Paul Jacobs of the U.S.S. Massachusetts. Is it safe for us to come to the top of the sail?”

It was, but for now, only the sail. All other hatches were to remain closed and latched. Jacobs quickly returned to the control center and climbed the steel ladder to the round hatch that led to the sail. He turned the wheel to disengage the latches and pushed up on the hatch door. Water cascaded down on him and then stopped. He climbed the next steel ladder to the top of the sail and emerged into the daylight.

The back end of the rescue ship was open to the sea. Large cranes were standing at the end of each of the sides that rose four decks above the water. Two smaller cranes were at the far end of the rectangular bay. The two smaller cranes were dragging the
Massachusetts
into the bay in the center rear of the rescue ship. The two larger cranes supported the damaged bow. Silverton joined the Captain on the observation deck. They watched over the next hour as the submarine was slowly pulled into the bay in the middle of the rescue ship. As the bow got close to the stern of the rescue ship, the two large cranes began to move forward on their rails, moving the
Massachusetts
completely into the rescue ship bay.

The rescue ship was also equipped with a system of ballast tanks, and as the water was pumped out of the tanks, the rescue ship rose in the water. The
Massachusetts
gradually settled onto the supports that were part of the bottom of the rescue ship bay. As the rescue ship continued to rise, the water flowed out the open stern. A large door that had been under the water came into view and was raised by hydraulic cylinders to close up the stern of the ship. Once sealed against the sea, the water continued to be pumped out of the bay. One of the cranes lifted a metal walkway over to the deck of the
Massachusetts
connecting the deck of the sub to the side of the floating dry dock.

The crew of the
Massachusetts
packed up their sea bags and exited the submarine through the deck hatches. One by one they crossed the metal walkway, paused and looked at the damaged sub upon which they had almost died. They were escorted to a berthing area where they settled into bunks. From there they were led into the mess hall where they enjoyed their first hot meal in three days.

Jacobs, Silverton and Adams stood silently on the side deck of the rescue ship as first, an investigative team entered the
Massachusetts
, and then a medical crew entered. The three of them stood vigil as the bodies from the torpedo room were removed one at a time, all covered in black body bags. Eleven black bags, one of which carried the remains of Navy Lieutenant Tiffany Grimes who had given her life to save her shipmates.

Over the next several days each of the crew members was interviewed. The rescue ship arrived at the Bremerton ship yard and the crew moved to their barracks on the Navy Base. Jacobs, Silverton and Adams attended the Court of Inquiry that reviewed the entire incident from start to finish. They left the courtroom not knowing what the final disposition would be.

Two days passed without any word from the court. Then at 11:30 at night, Jacobs received a phone call summoning him to the Squadron 5 Commander’s office in the Bangor Naval Station. The court had reached its decision, and being summoned in the middle of the night was not a good sign.

Dolphin Beach, Oregon

Willa and Frank slowly made their way down the sloped road that led to what was Dolphin Beach. Frank’s leg was in a light blue cast as he used his crutches to navigate the scattered remnants of the city. A large front end loader was scooping up the debris and piling it into large dump trucks for removal. Most of the huge piles that remained of the buildings after the 9.1 magnitude earthquake had been washed out to sea. The people of California and the Baja Peninsula would be picking up pieces of Dolphin Beach that washed up on their beaches for the next several years.

They stopped at what was the city limits of Dolphin Beach. The Pacific Ocean now extended farther inland than it had before. The beautiful beach that the tourists loved so much was now covered by eight feet of water. The ocean waves crashed not on sand, but on the disintegrating foundations of small motels and B & B’s that once lined the ocean shore. It was difficult to even recognize what had been where. The open land stretched the length of what was once a thriving resort town. Willa and Frank walked and talked about Dolphin Beach and its future.

“I won’t oppose you if you want to run for mayor of Dolphin Beach,” Willa said. She was having trouble shaking the depression that had settled in since the loss of her beloved city. Frank stopped and thought about what Willa had said. She turned to him only to find him staring at the ground. When he finally lifted his head and made eye contact with her he spoke softly and slowly.

“I thought I would have made a great mayor for Dolphin Beach,” he said. “But if I had been mayor, the vast majority of people who lived in and visited Dolphin Beach would be dead. I would be dead, except for you.”

“And Chief Dolan,” she corrected.

Frank chuckled briefly. “Yeah,” he said, “about that. I spoke to the Chief. He said he would have left me in the wreckage of my hotel if it wasn’t for you. He respects you a lot more than he does me. I’m beginning to see why. I would have left me, too. I wouldn’t have risked my life like you did to save someone I didn’t like. Or need,” he added.

Willa was seeing a side to Frank she hadn’t known existed. He was finally being open and honest about how he felt. That alone was refreshing. Perhaps facing his own mortality had changed him. It had certainly changed her. She viewed life in an entirely different light. Where she had valued things, position and influence before, now she valued people, friends and life more than anything else. It was this change in her priorities that prompted her to offer Frank the unopposed election of mayor of Dolphin Beach.

“I respected you, you know,” Frank said. “You stood up to me. You were the only one in Dolphin Beach that earned my respect.”

“It didn’t feel like it,” Willa replied.

Frank nodded. “I know. I can be an angry old fool sometimes. I wouldn’t have fought so hard if I didn’t think you were worth the effort.”

Now Willa laughed. For the first time since the earthquake she could actually laugh. The release of pent up worry and concern flooded from her heart as she continued to laugh. Frank started to laugh, too. The two of them leaned against each other and continued to laugh, tears running down their cheeks. When the laughter came to a gradual end they looked at each other.

“You were a much better mayor than I could have ever been,” Frank said. “Your love for the people of Dolphin Beach is what got you elected. I know that now. And that is what should keep you as mayor. Personally, I think you should be mayor of Dolphin Beach for life. I will be your greatest supporter in the November election.”

Willa looked down at the ground. “I know you have always had a vision for Dolphin Beach. Years ago, when Dolphin Beach was just a sleepy little dent in the coastline, you saw a future that no one else could see. You built the Ocean Grand Hotel. I thought you were insane. How could you ever get enough tourists to come to Dolphin Beach to even pay the overhead on a building that size? No one could visualize that except you, and you made it work, not only for your hotel, but for all of Dolphin Beach as well. Everyone in this city owes at least part of their success to you and your vision.”

Frank looked around at the stretch of empty land that was once Dolphin Beach. “Yeah,” he said, “and look at how that turned out.”

Willa looked at the empty space. “Instead of looking at what was, we should be looking at what can be, and I don’t know anyone who can do that better than you can. I’ll agree to stay on as mayor if you will agree to become the community planner for the New Dolphin Beach.”

“The people need your heart to give them the strength to rebuild,” he said.

“And we all need your vision so we know how Dolphin Beach should be rebuilt,” she replied.

Frank stood motionless for a moment. He then held out his hand. “Deal?”

“Deal,” she said as they shook hands. “Since this has been declared a National Emergency Area, there are millions of dollars available in grants and guaranteed loans. Major contracting companies are already calling, offering to help us rebuild, mostly at the expense of the Federal Government.”

“Plus the insurance companies will be making payments on their policies,” Frank said. “There’s more than enough to rebuild the Ocean Grand Hotel and the other buildings the city needs. I was thinking we could…”

They walked together slowly up the hill imagining what the New Dolphin Beach would be like. Between the two of them it would all come together.

Submarine Squadron 5, Bangor, Washington

Captain Jacobs walked from the Officers’ Quarters across to the Administration Building and entered the front door. He took the elevator to the third floor, turned to the right, and continued down the hall. The only other person he saw was a seaman in dungarees swinging the floor polisher from side to side. The seaman stopped polishing the floor and allowed the Captain to pass, then resumed his task.

The lights were on in the Submarine Squadron 5 Office. He knocked as a matter of protocol and entered the outer office.

“In here, Paul,” the Squadron Commander said from the inner office.

Jacobs took a deep breath, exhaled and went in. Two men sat in the office. The Submarine Squadron Commander sat at his desk, his uniform jacket hung on a coat rack. The Squadron 5 Commander was a Rear Admiral Lower Half with the single broad gold band with a gold star above it on the cuff of his uniform jacket. The other man was dressed in a nice suit. Jacobs was caught by surprise.

“I’m sorry, Sir, I didn’t expect the Secretary of Defense to be here,” Jacobs said.

The Squadron Commander extended his arm toward a padded chair. “Please, sit.”

Jacobs sat, not knowing what was about to happen. He had expected the Squadron 5 Commander, but the Secretary of Defense was a complete shock.

“I’ve had the Court of Inquiry’s report since noon, but I wanted to wait until the Secretary could get here. He arrived half an hour ago and he will return to Washington later tonight. You are not to speak of his being here.”

“Of course,” Jacobs replied.

“The U.S.S. Massachusetts suffered severe damage,” the Squadron Commander said. “It’s a damned miracle you and your crew managed to survive. I’m afraid the cost to repair the
Massachusetts
is more than we can put into her. We can build a new Virginia Class sub for less than the cost of repairing the
Massachusetts
. It’s going to be scrapped. That will leave us with only three Seawolf Class subs, but that will have to suffice.”

“Sir,” Jacobs said softly. “There were some extraordinary acts of courage and bravery that allowed most of my crew to survive. In my report I recommended…”

“Yes, Captain,” the Squadron Commander interrupted.” I’ve made some of my own recommendations as well. I’ve approved your recommendations and passed them on up the line. I’m afraid the
Massachusetts
will be the last sub you command. Your crew will be reassigned to other subs.”

Jacobs lowered his head. The Navy didn’t take the loss of a 3 billion dollar submarine lightly. He wondered if he might be able to patch things up with Lynn Waggoner. She might be in another relationship by now, but he could ask. He waited in silence for the rest of the Squadron Commander’s decision. Instead, the Secretary of Defense spoke.

“You showed great courage and skill in handling this situation, Captain. I know what you must be thinking. The thing is – this whole disaster was created by someone I trusted – someone who took it upon himself to use the force of one of America’s secret technologies to covertly attack mainland China without authorization. He has confessed to his crimes and will go to the hell he created. We have given his wife the pension he earned in exchange for his cooperation and her discretion.

“You have discovered part of the secret technologies in your encounter with the Chinese sub – the use of explosive devices to trigger what appear to be natural disasters. Your action of taking out that Chinese sub and stopping the placement of more mines cut the strength of the earthquake to a quarter of what it would have been. In doing that, and warning us before the earthquake struck, you saved several hundred thousand lives. I don’t take that kind of action lightly.

“Publically, it will be just that – a natural disaster. I don’t want to turn a man of your experience and, let’s say your knowledge, loose. You think fast on your feet and you make good decisions. You did not hesitate to make tough life and death decisions. You are a valuable asset to your country. Vice Admiral Billingsly’s departure moves General Jankowitz of the Air Force up to the position of Deputy Director of Covert Operations. I would like you to move up into the General’s position as Assistant Deputy Director. It will mean a desk job at the Pentagon and a promotion to Rear Admiral Lower Half. You will also receive the Navy Cross per your Squadron Commander’s recommendation. Does that interest you?”

Jacobs felt relieved on one hand and stressed on the other. He didn’t know if he could go back into another submarine and risk his crew again. But instead of taking on fewer life and death decisions, he was about to have more. It was that or resign and take his pension. But what would he do? The Navy was his life. He had never married or had a family. The Navy
was
his family, Lynn Waggoner notwithstanding, and serving his country was the only thing he was actually married to; there really was only one option.

“There’s more than bombs and earthquakes, Sir?” Jacobs said, managing a partial smile.

“There’s a lot more,
Admiral
Jacobs.” The Secretary of Defense replied. “You’re stepping into a whole new world – one you may not have imagined existed at all.”

“When would you like me to start, Sir?”

“You have some leave accumulated – you tell me when you can start.”

“I will do that Sir. I just have one more duty as Captain of the
Massachusetts
to perform.”