Piranha

A second carrier!

Again the gods had been beneficent, guiding them here so they could strike both.

The sonar room gave a fresh warning—the frigate was turning in their direction.

“Return to passive sensors. Take us to a safer depth.”

Swiftly, the crew moved to obey.

Philippines

1326

The water lapped at Da

It wasn’t exactly private, but thanks to a contingent of Marine guards and Dreamland security protecting the island and this cove below the airstrip, it was very exclusive.

Da

He didn’t stand until the water was less than waist-deep. When he reached his blanket on the shore, he saw Bison heading down the rock-strewn path from the airstrip.

“Hey, Cap—Colonel Bastian looking to talk to you up at the command post,” said the sergeant.

“Thanks,” said Da

“Water warm?” asked Bison.

“Yeah,” said Da

“Say Captain, mind if I ask you something?”

“What’s that?”

“How come Powder chose that reading?”

“Sorry?” said Da

“Powder—Liu told me to make sure the chaplain got the verse right. That’s what he wanted read? Turn the other cheek and all that shit? I don’t get it.”

Da

“It’s supposed to be a message to us, sure, all right, I can understand that,” said Bison. “But from Powder? Man, he liked to shoot things up. Now he’s telling us to turn the other cheek? Shit. Powder?”

bison—who’d never gotten along particularly well with Powder while he was alive—looked a little as if he was going to cry.

“To be honest, I don’t get it either,” said Da

“Yeah, weird. Powder. Fuck. It sucks, Captain.”

“It does suck, Bison. Big time.”

“He told us about you in Sarajevo, how you saved his life that time.”

“It wasn’t Sarajevo,” said Da

“I’m glad you did.”

Da

By the time the captain reached the trailer, Dog was already giving the pilots the lowdown. Even before he heard the words, Da

“Bottom line, we continue monitoring the Chinese sub until further notice. Bree, your plane’s out in three hours, relieving Major Alou. My replacement will take Iowa six hours after that. We’ll keep turning it around until we’re ordered to go home.”

Zen raised his hand to interrupt. “Colonel, Jen and I have been doing a little thinking. With a little work, we may be able to squeeze the gear tightly enough and route things so Raven and Quicksilver can fly one of the Flighthawks and handle Piranha at the same time.”

“Well, that’s not really necessary,” said Bastian.

“It would keep the Chinese off us,” said Zen. “The way things are going, it makes sense for a Fligthhawk to be along.”

“Our orders are not to engage the enemy,” Colonel Bastian’s eyes were almost glassy—obviously that was the heart of the trouble.

“Flighthawks can help hold them off,” said Zen. “Bree wouldn’t have had to get that close to the Viking. Besides, if the subs surfaces, the Flighthawk can get up close and personal.”