Deadly Sea

By Chris Ashley

A modern day pirate is recruited to help a terrorist retrieve a stolen weapon of mass destruction. Both men are headed toward a confrontation that will take them far from their homes and on to the streets of New York City. Trying to piece together all the clues is a small group of sailors and airmen who always seem one step behind. Losing this fight will mean millions of casualties. But how do you fight an enemy you cannot find?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Dec 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490779515

Chris Ashley

Chris Ashley is an established writer, a husband, a father and a lover of storytelling. When he is not working in healthcare in Canada, he can be found writing a chapter of his next book.

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Copyright 2016 Chris Ashley.

Cover art credit: Melissa Daniel Stone

Instagram @melisart

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7950-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7952-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7951-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016920393

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Dedication

Chapter 1 – The Kongbang Incident

Chapter 2 – A Deal Is Struck

Chapter 3 – The Defiance

Chapter 4 – The Maria Del Sol

Chapter 5 – Picture Time

Chapter 6 – Debrief

Chapter 7 – Life On The Sea

Chapter 8 – No Going Back

Chapter 9 – Seeking Riches

Chapter 10 – Poking The Tiger

Chapter 11 – Storm Ahead

Chapter 12 – Silver Lining

Chapter 13 – A Pirate’s Ship

Chapter 14 – Loose Ends

Chapter 15 – Lost Cargo

Chapter 16 – A Deal Is Made

Chapter 17 – Pre-Flight Check

Chapter 18 – Remote Control

Chapter 19 – Crew Assembly

Chapter 20 – The Olympic Leopard

Chapter 21 – Operation Intercept

Chapter 22 – Rendezvous

Chapter 23 – Disappearing Act

Chapter 24 – Off To Africa

Chapter 25 – Call To Arms

Chapter 26 – Opportunity Lost

Chapter 27 – Felipe Cristobal

Chapter 28 – Coming To America

Chapter 29 – Thunderbolts

Chapter 30 – Flight Test

Chapter 31 – Final Approach

Chapter 32 – New York

Chapter 33 – Return To Treasure

Foreword

This is a fictional story. Any resemblance to real characters is unintentional. The author has used some speculation during content creation in aspects of the book. Use of any trademarked names or terms of any type in this book is done recognizing the right of the company holding the trademark and no infringement was intended. Redistribution or copying of this book whether print or electronic version requires prior and written consent from the author.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my exceptionally talented and wonderful wife Stephanie. She is my rock and my biggest fan. With her at my side, I know all things are possible.

Chapter 1

THE KONGBANG INCIDENT

Atlantic Ocean (340 miles from Miami)

The radio crackled to life just as the laptop email beeped a notification of an incoming message. Captain Kris Anderssen looked up from his charts and swiveled to face the radio. A familiar voice sounded The following is a weather update from the National Weather Service Forecast Center in Miami. There is a high risk of a Severe Thunderstorm for the area south of Ft. Lauderdale and west of Hialeah. Winds will be from the East with gusts up to 40-55 mph. Sustained winds will be 25 mph. Waves are expected from 6-8 feet. All boats smaller than 50 feet should not plan travel for the next 36 hours.

Captain Anderssen looked out the window. It was beautiful. The sun was shining, the water was a brilliant blue. Hard to believe he thought …all this will change dramatically in the next 6 hrs. He was far too experienced to doubt the validity of the storm warning he had just heard. The technology today was incredible and he also knew how quickly storms came up. He also knew how deadly they could be if the warning was ignored.

I had better get the crew working on securing the Defiance for the storm. he thought to himself. At 283 feet the Defiance was 2600 tons and built to ride out this storm. Still a lot of work was needed to prep her and he reached for the intercom to alert the crew there was a meeting on the bridge in 10 minutes.

The Defiance was originally built by the US Navy as a cutter, launched in 1968. It was then transferred to the US Coast Guard in 1999 and named USCGC Alex Haley after the author who spent 20 years in the Coast Guard. She was re-designed by the Coast Guard to patrol the West Coast completing law enforcement and search and rescue operations. The Defiance was built to support a crew of 104 and could accommodate a helicopter. The USCG ship patrolled for 9 years until cutbacks in 2008 forced her to be mothballed.

When Houston Global Inc. was looking for a vessel to support the work of their new division Maritime Salvage, the broker they typically used to find appropriate vessels brought this ship to their attention. It was not a normal ship to consider but had three strong benefits that made sense to Houston Global and Maritime Salvage: 1) it was mostly designed to do the type of work that was needed and would require fairly minor modifications, 2) it was in excellent condition and ready to use where a new ship to be built would take 36 months at a minimum and 3) it was being offered at a significant reduction based on market value. After a series of meetings with the broker, Coast Guard personnel and Houston Global Inc. executives, the USCG Alex Haley was sold and quietly re-registered in Miami as The Defiance. The boat was taken to the Houston Global shipyard to undergo a 4 month re-fit to change the configuration of the vessel to support its new purpose for Maritime Salvage.

When the Navy heard of the sale of the ship to Houston Global it caused several meetings to occur. The first was between the Vice-Admiral and the head of Houston Global. The Admiral knew Houston’s newest technology, the Ocean Mapper software, to be used on board the Defiance would provide unheard of high-def mapping of any underwater area in the World. Vice Admiral Sanford (Sandy) Johnson (Commander, Naval Surface Force, US Atlantic Fleet) was always several steps ahead of most people. His brain and resulting service record had allowed him to ascend the ranks quickly and he now was head of the Atlantic Surface Fleet. All at the relatively young age of 48.

Vice Admiral Johnson had proven himself a cunning tactician during the Gulf War when as a Junior Officer in charge of smaller ships he was responsible for the capture of several enemy water craft on their way to transfer combatants to locations to commit terrorist acts against the US and its Allies. However, he was most famous for a specific event known as the Kongbang Incident.

2003 – Korean peninsula

When Korean Express Airline flight 65 was lost in 2003 it happened to be Captain Sanford Johnson’s ship that was only 140 miles away from the crash zone. There were no survivors. The flight from Seoul to Beijing had gone down early in its relatively short flight and there was widespread speculation the plane was shot down by a surface to air missile fired by the North Koreans. The airliner had been climbing to cruising altitude when suddenly the plane disappeared from air traffic control radar. There was no warning, no May Day signaled from the Pilot or Co-Pilot of the Boeing 777 carrying 178 people. To air traffic control, one moment the plane was there and communicating and the next it had vanished.

The plane was packed with a typical load of business people and family members traveling to important destinations. The largest group was a delegation of 23 Korean government officials on their way to Beijing for a trade summit to discuss car manufacturing.

The speculation was the North Koreans felt this was a soft target that would have extremely high impact on political and financial stability in the Region. In the early stages of the investigation speculation from every angle ran rampant. Terrorism was quickly a focus given the suddenness of the airplane disappearing from radar along with multiple reports from fishermen in the area of seeing some sort of fireball in the distant sky. The first fishermen interviewed by military and government officials spoke of a long tailed comet rising into the air and disappearing into the clouds. All those reports were not conclusive evidence of a missile strike but the evidence against North Korea, that just happened to have missile batteries in the area, was damning.

Technically the Americans, Chinese and South Koreans all had missiles in the general area. Each of those missiles was capable of striking an airliner at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet. Still it was only the North Koreans who could have had any conceivable motive. Oddly there had been no prior provocation leading up to the disaster, no tense stand-off due to military overflights of territorial borders or any recent war of rhetoric in the media which was often the case. However, the North Koreans were an easy target to blame and in the Court of Public Opinion around the World the North Koreans were already tried and convicted. Confirming their involvement was just a matter of time before evidence to support that was found.

Immediately on several news stations the International Press condemned North Korea. The North Korean communication machine roared into life blaming the downing on the trigger happy Americans who were painted as trying to instigate an international incident and blame North Korea. Then an Army General in North Korea said that it couldn’t be North Korea because none of their missiles had that range or accuracy. When CNN broke that story they reported it globally as North Korea had virtually no threat worthy missile technology. Whether on purpose or purely coincidental, the North Korean General was relieved of his duties and neither he nor his family were seen again. In a desperate attempt at damage control to save face for North Korea, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un went on national television to confirm North Korea did have missile technology that could strike an aircraft at cruising altitude but he neither confirmed or denied North Korea had fired a missile. He came across as smug and unsympathetic which worsened the tense situation and whipped the media into a true firestorm of condemnation. Government leaders all over the world called for more sanctions on North Korea which was already incurring some of the most severe sanctions ever imposed on a country. Assets of North Korea anywhere in the world were already frozen and had been frozen for years. Diplomatic embassies were long since closed making communication with North Korean leaders even more challenging.

During all of this, Captain Johnson, was in command of the guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur. Captain Johnson had the Wilbur on scene within hours of the crash even though the debris field was dangerously close to North Korean territorial waters. While the rhetoric escalated behind closed doors in Washington and Pyongyang as well as publicly in the press and around people’s dinner tables at night, Captain Johnson commanded his ship right into the center of the carnage and began the grim job of retrieving the remains and debris floating in the water. Anything floating could contain clues to help determine exactly what happened to Flight 65. Captain Johnson dispatched his ship’s SH-60 Seahawk helicopter to fly the area spotting whatever it could and directing US Navy personnel in zodiacs to help retrieve what was on the surface.

The bodies of men, women and children were recovered along with suitcases, stuffed animals, passports and assorted clothing. Even a wedding dress was found floating amongst the massive oil slick on the surface. Video of the recovery and the bloated body of a small child made its way to all the national networks courtesy of the US Navy and the World became even more enraged. North Korea became almost irrational from the world-wide pressure and began to make demands that all ships in the area must leave at once as the crash was in North Korean territorial waters. The World was quick to judge North Korean’s demands sensing they were looking for a way to cover up any evidence.

In a Command Center in a large Army base in Pyongyang, the Supreme Leader sent word to his Naval Admiral of the Yellow Sea Fleet in the port city of Namp’O to clear the crash area of any and all ships.

The North Korean Navy while not a powerhouse was still fairly impressive for the size of the country. North Korea had spent heavily on its military infrastructure every year to project strength to the outside World but as a consequence it had adversely affected the well-being of most North Koreans who were struggling to find food and basic shelter. North Korea’s desire was to be seen as a dominant force not only in the Region but in the World. They wanted everyone to believe they were capable of taking over South Korea at any time. Their focus on spending limited resources mostly on the military had clearly trumped its treatment of its own people and any logical balance to improve their economy.

North Korean Naval operations generally didn’t go beyond the 50 mile zone they had imposed on all nations as their territorial waters. The Americans referred to their Navy as a brown-water Navy meaning their area of coverage was more coastal (brown water) than far off shore (blue water). As a result the design of their ships and their tactics were mostly for surface patrol, mine laying and troop insertion with a focus primarily on South Korea. For North Korea to send any type of fleet to scare off a US Navy ship was not just a stretch, it was laughable. But that’s exactly what they did.

The Commander of the North Korean missile boat group received the call to launch a strike team to the area.

Commander Soon-Lin, how quickly can you launch your missile boats to force the Americans to leave the area?

The Commander responded confidently We have been preparing for this call for 2 days Sir and are ready now. We have 3 missile boats fully loaded with supplies and weapons.

Excellent, Supreme Leader will be happy. Send them out at once. And I want you on board Commanding. This will be a great victory for North Korea for all the World to see.

I would have it no other way, Admiral. To serve Supreme Leader is my honor.

Good luck Commander and do not let North Korea down.

The connection broke and the Commander hung up then dialed a new number. Operation Marshal Victory is a go, I repeat, Marshal Victory is a go. Marshal was another name for their Supreme Leader and the military strategists thought it befitting to name this mission after their glorious leader.

The Commander hung up the phone and paused for a moment. This was really happening. He was getting his chance to take on the American Navy and finally show the World North Korea was not to be taken lightly.

On board the USS Curtis Wilbur Captain Johnson and his crew were in a solemn mood. The bodies or in many cases the body parts that had been recovered were being transferred to the deck of the ship and inserted into body bags. Seamen wearing hazmat suits were photographed carrying the limp bodies of men and women in their arms. Tears flowing freely down the sailors faces. Never had any of them seen such carnage. Normal people on the way to do business or see friends or family. Lives changed forever for thousands of family members affected, millions more around the World lit candles and prayed. Hard to imagine the last moments for these people but everyone knew it would have been a horrible way to die. It was unclear if anyone survived the likely initial explosion, however it was caused, but it was clear no one would have survived the impact into the water.

Seaman Lyle Evan Montgomery from Macon, Georgia was so angry at North Korea he wanted to punch someone. He was a good ol’ Southern boy who respected his parents, loved his country, his football, hunting with his dogs and fishing for bass. He could not believe what he was seeing on this very sad day. The sheer cruelty one group could direct towards innocent people was beyond his ability to understand. If there had been a war and this was a military plane, he could understand. Countries at war incurred military casualties and both sides took that risk when they declared war. But these were ordinary people just going about their lives with no affiliation to any conflict.

Lyle walked back to the unloading area on the deck. A Zodiac had dropped off more debris and 3 more bags containing human remains. When he got to the loading zone an officer instructed Seaman Montgomery to pick up the body bag on the far left marked 114 and take it to the ship’s large freezer. He found the body bag and knelt down beside it. The bag was small and as he picked it up he wondered if it contained just limbs. Then he noticed the outline of a child’s body inside the bag. He thought of his young cousins who were about the same size.

This child would have been only about 6 years old. He gritted his teeth. The fire inside him raged.

Commander Soon-Lin arrived at the docks in Haeju and as he got out of his limousine he stopped to admire the 3 Kongbang II/III class hovercrafts lined up at the dock. Each hovercraft was a deadly combination of speed and potent power. While their range was usually limited to within 50 miles of land, the hovercraft could reach speeds of 50 knots and was equipped with 25mm cannons and surface to air missiles. These particular hovercraft were also outfitted with Chinese anti-ship cruise missiles. With this armament the Americans would truly have to respect us Soon-Lin proudly said to himself.

Each hovercraft was 60 feet long and had a beam of 23 ft. They carried a crew of 10 each and could be configured to carry 30 to 50 marines or other cargo.

The boats were ready for departure and a few crewmen could be seen standing at attention on each of the bows. When the Commander walked on to the pier all of the sailors saluted him. He saluted proudly back knowing these sailors were going to become famous today. A small party of Officers ran over to greet the Commander and direct the Commander to the lead ship called the Sunchon.

Do we have full armament Captain…including missiles and anti-ship weapons? asked the Commander.

Yes sir, fully loaded. All boats. smiled the Captain.

They all scurried up the walkway and within minutes the three ships departed at high speed toward the US Navy ship.

Captain Johnson had been overseeing the retrieval of bodies and debris from the bridge as well as keeping an eye on the horizon.

He’d met earlier with his officers on the bridge.

Radar Officer…keep scanning as far as you can see. I’m looking for any contact big or small whether in the air or on the surface. I know those smaller, fast attack boats of the North Korean Navy are hard to pick up but if you see anything out of the ordinary I want to know about it.

The Radar Officer replied Sir, if a mouse shits out there, I’ll pick it up.

While the mood was pretty somber, a few chuckled at the much needed moment of comic relief. The Captain’s smile was genuine but short-lived.

Weapons I need everything ready to fire. I want our long-range surface to surface missiles ready to lock on anything Radar finds. I want our CIWS on automatic and set to destroy on a 2.5 mile range.

The CIWS was the Close In Weapons Systems which was effectively a radar enabled self-guided massive chain gun that protected the ship from any type of close in threat whether it be a missile, airplane or an approaching water craft. The CIWS had its own radar system and automatic fire control system. The operator could simply set it up to target anything within a specific distance and it would sit at the ready scanning the horizon 360 degrees waiting for anything to venture inside its target range. The Curtis Wilbur had been outfitted with the newer version of the Goalkeeper CIWS. It had replaced the older Phalanx system in use on most US Navy ships. The Goalkeeper fired a larger round, had a longer range and had a more rapid firing rate. The only problem was the number of shells it could fire was only 1190 rounds which was about 20% less than the Phalanx. However the larger shells gave it a distinct advantage.

When something did cross the range boundary of the Goalkeeper, the chain gun would swing around to face the target and burp out a volley of 30 mm shells at a rate of up to 4,500 rounds per minute which effectively put a wall of lead into the threat. The results were typically devastating for the target and no matter how fast the threat flew, the CIWS had pinpoint accuracy making it a formidable defensive weapon.

What is the status of our Harpoon launchers? I understood one has been out of commission since Tuesday.

The Weapons officer or Weps to most people on the bridge responded Sir, team Echo worked through the night. All launchers ready, all Harpoons loaded. Harpoons (RGM-84) were anti-ship missiles the Captain could launch if he felt an enemy ship was threatening his ship.

Hearing all Harpoons were ready was unexpected but good news. He thought he would be down a launcher which in the event of a fight, would have limited his abilities to attack.

Just then, the SH-60 helicopter landed on the deck below them to re-fuel. It was loud and the Captain was done so he dismissed his team back to their posts.

About 70 miles slightly north and west of the Wilbur the 3 hovercraft were racing toward the scene. Their orders were clear. Order the US ship to leave the area immediately or face consequences from the Korean People’s Army - Navy (KPA).

The North Korean men on board were excited and anxious to arrive. Most had never seen a US Navy ship and were confident the Americans would turn tail and run when they saw the three Kongbang class boats arrive. The KPA crew readied their weapons and loaded the Gatling guns on the deck. Tubes containing missiles and anti-ship weapons were prepped for launch.

As the hovercrafts raced at close to 50 knots their radar systems were active, watching for any signs of the evil Americans just over the horizon.

Captain Johnson had requested and promptly received access to real-time US satellite imagery in HD showing the approach of the KPA. The Captain was literally watching the 3 hovercrafts making high-speed toward their position. The picture was so clear he could make out sailors strapped into seats through the windows of the fast moving hovercraft.

It was the Radar Officer who painted the images and reported to the Captain. Captain we have 3 Kongbang class hovercraft approaching at ~45 knots.

Weps, what kind of weapons are we talking about here? What’s their long range capability specifically?

The Weapons Officer was an expert in not only their own United States Weapon Systems but also in the Weapon Systems of any countries in their patrol zone. Sir, the Kongbang class hovercraft are equipped with automatic cannon fire manually controlled, surface to surface missiles with a 30 mile range and some are equipped with anti-ship missiles that have a 50 mile range and are radar guided. If I was launching a force against the US Navy, I’d make damn sure my hovercraft had anti-ship capability.

Thank you Weps. And if they plan to use the anti-ship missiles they will have to paint us first?

Correct sir.

Captain Johnson knew that he just needed to confirm it.

A tense 20 min past and the Captain ordered all crew to cease recovery activities and to man Battle Stations. This put the entire ship on alert for imminent conflict and everyone on board had a role to play and a place to be, to ensure the Wilbur was ready to strike or defend itself.

Seaman Lyle Evan Montgomery was at his post manning one of the two M-242 Bushmaster chain guns on board. This gun was like a flame thrower of supersonic lead. The gun could fire 500 rounds of 25mm shells per minute and easily cut through light armor. Lyle’s chain gun was forward on the ship not quite at the bow. He knew the range of his weapon. At 2 miles it was deadly but he knew he could put lead on target even as far out as 3-4 miles.

Please Lyle said looking out at the horizon please… come a little closer.

As the 3 hovercrafts passed within 30 miles of the US Navy ship they fanned out to widen the distance between them to about 1 mile apart. Commander Soon-Lin radioed to the other hovercraft I will take lead. The other hovercraft Captains swelled with pride at their brave Commander. He was going to chase the American Captain back to South Korea with his tail between his legs.

The Commander ordered the hovercraft to maintain full speed. He wanted to make a big show when first confronting the Americans and his plan was simple. In a few minutes when he was very close he would radio the American ship they were unauthorized and in KPA waters. He would tell them they would be fired upon if they did not immediately reverse course. He planned to give them less than one minute to break off because deep down he wanted the glory of sinking the unsuspecting Americans. He also knew the Americans were unlikely to turn and run when asked and he was counting on that. He’d give the Americans 45 seconds and if they did not reverse course he would turn on his Fire Control Radar, quickly paint the big Destroyer and then immediately launch a coordinated attack from all 3 hovercrafts simultaneously launching 3 anti-ship missiles. It would take mere seconds for the missiles to reach their target and the fight would be over before the Americans could do anything. And the whole thing could easily be blamed on the Americans provoking North Korea.

On board the Curtis Wilbur, the Captain was scanning the horizon looking for the first signs of the hovercraft. Range? he asked without putting his binoculars down.

Radar said 24 miles and still at 45 knots. ETA 27 minutes.

The Captain confirmed The KPA are in range of our anti-ship weapons now?

Yes captain.

Weps, if they so much as turn on a radar to paint us, we launch a Harpoon at each target and ready the launchers for a second strike if needed.

Aye aye captain.

Aboard the Sunchon hovercraft

The Commander of the hovercrafts knew the moment he turned his radar guided weapons on, the American defense systems would pick that up. He knew he had better be prepared to fire first. His plan made him smile. He would wait until he was too close and too late for the Americans to respond. He knew the Americans would not fire first given their strict Rules of Engagement protocol and he was going to use that to his advantage. He smiled picturing himself being welcomed home by Supreme Leader.

15 minutes to intercept Sir said the North Korean sailor into his headset. The hovercraft was noisy and the bridge fairly tight so everyone was belted into a seat to do their job and each person wore a headset to communicate.

One of the KPA sailors scanning the horizon with binoculars put the device down and rubbed his eyes. Then he quickly cleaned the lens and continued scanning a specific location. He adjusted the focus then slowly put the binoculars down again. He looked over at his partner who was scanning the starboard side of the horizon. His friend looked over and said. What is it?

I’m not sure but there is something out there…and it’s big. No, huge.

What…let me see and the sailor focused his binoculars toward the spot his shipmate had just observed. He focused intently on the same location and without taking his eye off the object he said I see it too. I have never seen such a ship.

Back on the Curtis Wilbur, the Radar Officer gave an update. The hovercrafts are approximately 15 miles out, 1 mile parallel spread pattern and they are moving at 42 knots. They do not have their attack radars on at this time.

Captain Johnson was wondering what the KPA plan was. Surely they weren’t going to just roll up in front of the Wilbur and ask them to leave. He doubted it would be that simple. If I were them and I had just shot down an airliner, I’d be completely open to doubling down on a US Navy destroyer.

That made him think. They are coming in at a high rate of speed and they don’t have their radars on. If they get too close and open up on us we could be sitting ducks. He knew he was authorized to engage if engaged first by the North Koreans. He’d have to play this one very carefully.

Weps – how long will it take for one of their anti-ship missiles to fly about 4 miles?

Sir, their weapon has a top speed of only 500 mph but it takes at least 10 seconds to reach that speed. So about 39 seconds.

Commander Johnson knew that was about all the time he had to make a decision if he allowed them to come closer.

Set the CIWS to max range…3 miles.

Setting CIWS to 3 miles. The Weapons Officer watched his crew update the panel in front of them. Outside the radar of the CIWS was spinning at 40 revolutions a minute scanning 360 degrees for threats within a 3 miles range. The big gun rotated to the ready position. No further human intervention was needed. If the radar picked up a threat within 3 miles, the gun would automatically track the object and fire at it until the threat was stopped or Goalkeeper ran out of ammunition. A crew stood by to reload the gun if needed.

The sailors on board the Sunchon no longer needed binoculars to see the massive US Navy warship. The USS Curtis Wilbur even at a distance of 10 miles was massive and there was a mixture of apprehension and fear amongst the sailors who had never seen an American ship let alone one this big. The Curtis Wilbur was 505 feet long roughly 8 times larger than each hovercraft.

The Commander of the Sunchon was positioning his attack vessels to get in range of the big US Navy boat. Such a beautiful ship he said to himself sad you will soon rest on the bottom of the Yellow Sea.

The Commander could see the look in his crew’s eyes and he spoke into the headset. The beast ahead is large but we are strong and smart. We will slay them quickly and we will all go home to glory. Be ready.

The crews were inspired by their leader and turned their attention to achieving their goal.

When the hovercrafts were 8 miles out, the Captain of the Curtis Wilbur radioed the Captain of the hovercrafts and ordered them to reverse course immediately. The Commander of the hovercrafts heard the radio message but informed the crew to ignore the request and continue on at flank speed.

Captain Johnson got an immediate report from his Radar Officer, the North Koreans were not slowing down in fact they were now travelling closer to 50 knots directly at them.

Captain Johnson knew what he had to do.

Weapons Officer – open up the M-45 deck gun and put 2 rounds into the water in front of the lead hovercraft.

The Weapons Officer relayed the command and the crewman behind him quickly entered some commands on the fire control keyboard then pressed a red fire button. The big 5 inch gun boomed once then a few seconds later boomed again. Each time a large puff of gray smoke poured out of the barrel.

It took each 70 lb shell 15 seconds to reach its intended target. The first shell impacted the water 204 yards in front and to the left of the Sunchon. A geyser of water shot up into the air almost 40 ft. This got the immediate attention of the crew in the hovercraft and the Commander instructed them to stay the course. The hovercraft pilot was momentarily panicked by the shell impact and had veered slightly to the right to avoid the plume of water but he quickly corrected course.

The next shell landed 3 seconds after the first and this shell landed 40 feet directly in front of the hovercraft since it had veered slightly. The plume of water shot up into the air and then cascaded down in a torrent briefly covering the deck and windows of the hovercraft. This impact was so close it rattled the windows of the hovercraft.

Stay the course! was the only command from the North Korean Commander.

They are not deviating Sir.

Nice shooting Weps said the US Navy Captain as casually as if he was admiring a smooth golf swing.

Passing 5 miles Captain.

Ok crew, the hovercrafts are officially a threat to this ship. We are going to take full counter measures to protect ourselves from imminent danger.

"Weapons Officer light up the targets, paint them left to right Red 1, Red 2 and Red 3. Launch Harpoon tube 1…Red 1. Harpoon 2…Red 3.

The Weapons Officer acknowledged the command and repeated it to his crew. More furious typing of commands into the fire control system and a separate launch button was pressed.

On deck two Harpoon anti-ship missiles each 15 feet long received electronic instructions to fire. From their compartments on deck, one after another the hatches slid off. The engines of the Harpoons each ignited leaping from their tubes in a blinding roar of flame and smoke. The Harpoons reached sub-sonic speed in seconds traveling just 16 feet above the surface toward their target.

At almost the same time without any human intervention, the Goalkeeper CIW’s radar detected a threat which was Red 2, the lead hovercraft. With a mechanical whirring noise the big gun swiveled on its base to point toward the incoming threat. Without warning, there was a tremendous Braaaaaaap from the gun. It sounded similar to a chainsaw but that’s where the similarities ended. A tongue of fire 5 feet long erupted from the seven barrel GAU-8 Gatling gun, the same gun used in the deadly A-10 Warthog. A single one second burst of the 11.4 inch depleted uranium shells from the GAU-8 could cut a main battle tank in half. Goalkeeper had no trouble with the lightly armored North Korean vessel.

The 30mm rounds were fired at a rate of 3900 per minute and traversed the short distance to the lead hovercraft moving at 3,600 feet per second.

On the Sunchon

The Commander was watching the distance to the US ship and gave the order to all hovercrafts to turn on their fire control radars.

Acquire then fire! I repeat acquire then fire immediately. He yelled to all hovercraft commanders. He wanted the Americans to have no time to react to his incoming anti-ship missiles. He felt immense pride as the order left his lips. This would go down in history as a defining moment for North Korea. They would finally be seen on the World stage as a force to be respected.

Out of the corner of his eye to port he watched as the left most hovercraft disintegrated in front of his eyes. One second it was roaring across the ocean and the next there was just pieces of metal and fiberglass splashing into the ocean. He could not comprehend.

Just as quickly he heard a whoosh and the hovercraft to his starboard met the same fate. This time he saw glass blow out of all windows before the entire structure disappeared in a ball of flame and debris splintering all over the ocean.

If he had been able he would have seen the streaking payload of the Harpoon missile which had approached the ship now just 12 feet above the surface of the ocean skimming the waves at approximately 530 mph. The 1500 lb rocket slammed into the bow of the hovercraft exploding on contact. The 487 lb high-explosive core was the business end of this weapon and the explosion tore into the hovercraft with a blast wave ripping the 60 foot craft in half. The resulting shock wave pulverized everything else that was left including humans and hardware.

They are attacking us! the Commander’s brain finally kicked in. At that moment everything in front of him exploded. Windows. Panels. Seats. People.

The CIWS initially laid down two quick bursts of cannon fire followed by a third longer burst. The initial bursts of about three seconds each first impacted the sea in front of the hovercraft but the path of the directed fire was like a laser and walked directly into the bow area and along the front deck of Red 2. During that first burst of the CIWS, approximately 300 HEI (High Explosive Incendiary) shells each about seven inches long left the gun traveling 3/4 of a mile per second. The second burst of 300 shells impacted the port side of the ship and angled across the deck slicing through anything in its path including the bridge where the Commander and his crew were strapped into their seats.

For the Commander, there was a blinding white light as his whole world lit up like it was on fire. His last cognitive thought was the naval officer to his left who was steering the craft no longer had a head. He never felt the five shells punch through his arm and chest. No trace of the Commander or his crew remained a few seconds later.

The GAU-8 gun ceased firing but the radar of the CIWS continued to scan in all directions for possible threats. Detecting nothing new, it switched automatically into Standby mode. Smoke drifted out of the long barrel.

Captain…all threats neutralized. said Weps.

Great job team. Captain Johnson said to the crew around him. Now the fun really begins. he muttered to himself knowing this was going to be an international incident like no other.

Present day

Admiral Johnson had immediately gotten on the phone to Stephanie Houston when he heard of the plans by Houston Global to acquire the ex-USCG ship. He arranged a meeting for them to discuss something mutually beneficial.

Chapter 2

A DEAL IS STRUCK

As always Admiral Johnson did his homework before meeting with Stephanie Houston, Chairwoman of Houston Global. Admiral Johnson read her file and knew she was very intelligent given her degree in Economics from Georgetown University in Washington and her MBA obtained from Harvard. She wasn’t hard on the eyes too. he noted.

They met at US Navy Headquarters Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia. Admiral Johnson had offered to send his private jet to pick them up but Stephanie had declined saying she would arrive via her own corporate jet. She was used to travel and the flight was less than 2 hours so she would get caught up on paperwork on the way.

She arrived just before 6pm and a US Navy car and driver was there to meet the small party from Houston Global. They were whisked quickly to the front gates of the US Navy facility in the Sewell’s Point area of the city. Even though it was a US Navy vehicle and plated as such, armed Sailors from the Military Police stopped the vehicle in front of a mechanical arm that blocked the lane. Security thoroughly checked the IDs of all passengers against a tablet containing approved visitors for the day. A barrier designed to stop a truck going 60 mph had raised up automatically when the arm was down. Stephanie observed the Sailors were all carrying side arms and two other Sailors were standing back at a distance each had some type of automatic weapon clipped to a shoulder strap for quick use. While they were questioned by the Sailor who approached the driver side window, another sailor walked around the car sliding a special mirror under the car revealing anything suspicious. A third soldier this one dressed in a dark tan uniform and helmet walked to the rear of the vehicle and tapped twice on the trunk. The driver popped the trunk and the Marine looked inside, apparently satisfied nothing unusual was there.

The Sailor returned the IDs, gave a short command to a Sailor in the guard shack and the arm began to raise while the crash barrier descended. When the barriers were clear, the car proceeded forward heading to Complex C - building 1B.

Inside the building the Admiral’s Chief of Staff stuck his head in the Admiral’s office. Sir, your guests from Houston Global are pulling up front now.

Very well Stan. I’ll greet them in here.

The Admiral’s office was very spacious. At one end was a great wooden desk that used to belong to George Washington. It had been restored to its original beauty and while old school in many respects, the history it represented was undeniably fascinating. Admiral Johnson sometimes sat at the desk looking at the various scratches on the surface and wondered if George Washington himself had made any of those marks.

Behind the desk on the wall were a large selection of pictures and plaques the Admiral had collected over the years. There were pictures of him standing proudly on the decks of many different ships in his whites saluting other Officers as he took Command of new ships or received promotions or commendations. Some of the pictures showed the Admiral shaking hands with important people including a few Presidents. There was even one picture of him getting a bear hug from Dwayne the Rock Johnson. The Rock had visited the ship while they were stationed in the Persian Gulf and the as part of the visit the crew had requested The Rock give the Captain one of his famous Bear Hugs. When the Captain agreed, as he was a secret fan of the action star, the crew roared with delight and both The Rock and Captain put on quite a show for the Sailors gathered on the deck that day in the blazing sun.

The other half of his office was a seating area that made a U shape around a large gas fireplace. On a table nearby was a silver service on a cart complete with coffee, cookies and a fruit plate.

A few minutes later he heard some noise in the outer office and there was a knock at the door. Sir interrupted his Chief Stephanie Houston, Madison Greenway and Meghan Donnet are here to see you.

Send them in Chief Admiral Johnson said as he closed a file folder with the words TOP SECRET in red on it. He slid the file into his personal safe, closed the door and spun the dial

He stood up and walked over to greet Stephanie who had taken the lead walking into the office and immediately offered the Admiral her outstretched hand.

Admiral, pleasure to meet you Sir she said.

Miss Houston, call me Sandy please. he said smiling.

Call me Stephanie then. she winked and he caught the playfulness in her voice. I’d like to introduce you to Madison Greenway my assistant, as well to my Chief Financial Officer Meghan Donnet.

Admiral Johnson shook both hands and offered them seats. The Admiral’s Chief came into the room and waved off the serving staff member. I’ll handle this Fernando. he said with a nod and the staff member gave a quick bow and backed out of the office.

We have a lot to talk about Miss Hou…I mean Stephanie. Any one need a cookie or some fruit for energy before we begin?

Stephanie looked over at the Admiral with an inquisitive look on her face and then replied Don’t mind if I do. reaching for a plate and some mango.

For the next hour the Admiral explained the Navy’s desire to acquire the rights to the Ocean Mapper software and what they wanted to do with it. Madison had her notebook out and quietly took notes on every topic. Her job was to keep Stephanie Houston organized and it was no easy feat. Admiral Johnson explained how the Navy was certain this software would be instrumental in allowing them to chart underwater to an accuracy no one had ever known before. For safe passage of US Navy ships including submarines these mappings would be invaluable even life-saving for ships entering and exiting the coasts surrounding the United States. Meghan asked several questions about the scope of the licensing they were suggesting and what limitations, customizations and conditions the Navy was expecting. She was already mentally calculating what kind of number to present to the Admiral later.

The Admiral didn’t say it but Stephanie knew full well, the same technology could also allow the US Navy to gain excellent data on the coasts of any country they had an interest and potentially gain a distinct upper hand during an invasion.

Chapter 3

THE DEFIANCE

Captain Kris Anderssen had been employed by Houston Global for 22 years working his way through a progression of crew positions until finally becoming a Captain. For the past 8 years, Kris had commanded all types and sizes of vessels for Houston Global. Captain Anderssen knew the coast of Florida like the back of his hand which was where they were now. This voyage was going to be a first for a variety of reasons. This was Captain Anderssen’s first trip as Captain of the newly refurbished Defiance and his crew would be made up of both civilian and military sailors. The addition of military crew was as a result of a deal struck between the US Navy and Houston Global relating to the Ocean Mapper side scan sonar they were trialing. Captain Anderssen would have to get used to commanding a crew other than his own. He knew the military crew was there to assist him but he also knew they had other duties he was not privy to. His orders were to ensure they had everything they needed.

This was completely accepted by Captain Anderssen. While he was an accomplished sea captain with a spotless record, of more importance, he was a self-described Patriot proud of the United States. He had very high expectations of his crew and encouraged them to do their best. He was known as friendly and fair but everyone knew he would not tolerate any sloppiness or lack of attention to detail.

On one voyage the seas had been very rough coming home and one of the navigation officers had had to work back-to-back shifts for 23 straight hours because his replacement had come down with a violent flu and was in the ship’s medical unit. The navy officer was very tired and fighting to keep himself awake while monitoring the instruments on the bridge. The captain had just entered the bridge and assumed control of the vessel when he noticed the officer drift off for a second while standing at his station. The officer caught himself just as quickly and an adrenaline surge jolted him back to full alertness. He looked around to make sure no one had seen him fall asleep. The captain was glaring at him and immediately called him over. In a very public and loud display he chastised the navigator for his lack of attention.

If you had fallen asleep and no one had noticed we could have had a collision with another vessel endangering everyone on board! the captain was furious. The navigator stood at attention, eyes directly ahead.

He stammered Sorry sir.

I don’t want apologies, I want your full attention while on shift and if I cannot have it then you will be relieved.

The other crew on the bridge was careful not to look over for fear they would draw the attention of the captain. The Executive Officer (XO) of the ship is the person who is second in command when the captain is not on the bridge. The XO is responsible to ensure the crew is trained to do their jobs, performing their tasks properly and learning from any mistakes. The XO while fiercely loyal to his captain felt it a little unfair as the navigator had been on shift 23 straight hours through no fault of the navigator.

Sir, I should remind you that Halton has been on shift since yesterday and is quite tired.

That did not satisfy the captain at all. I know exactly how long he has been at his post and I expect him to remain alert every second until relieved. These men report to you Lt. Saltzman, I expect you to ensure this does not happen again.

The XO knew he was right. It won’t happen again Sir. He did not like to disappoint his captain but it was also important for him to stand up for his men in this case. The captain knew it too and respected Lt. Saltzman’s loyalty.

Today, off the coast of Florida, was a different day and the storm was a new pressing concern. Captain Anderssen reached over and flipped the intercom switch to Active. Attention, attention, this is your captain. All officers are to report to the salon in 10 minutes for a weather briefing. A storm is approaching and we need to rig the ship for rough seas. 10 minutes in the salon. That is all. Captain out.

Another beep from his laptop. Captain Anderssen swiveled around to his Dell and his fingers flew over the keypad to access his secure email. He