Chapter Ninety Convincing Evidence

“Let’s everyone take a seat,” President Egan says. “We have a great deal to cover. John Walker, I’d like you to give everyone a report regarding what NSA has learned recently from Whispering.”

Chairs get shuffled around as the attendees pick spot in which they suppose they’ll be comfortable; they all expect this meeting to be a hard one. As they look around the table at each other, taking mental inventory of the players today, they can’t help but notice the absence of both the vice president and the chief of staff. Their expressions range from puzzled to dubious.

John Walker begins. “Okay, folks, ’round 2400 hours Atlantic time last night, Project Whisperin’ picked up a communication intended for the five Kilo subs. Basically it told them they were to proceed to a position two hun’red miles from their targets and that they were to be there in three days. The message went on to say that at 2400 hours Greenwich Mean Time on the fourth day from today, they were to execute their ordahs. We’re ’sumin’ that each sub received its ordahs when they set sail and already know what their ordahs are. The communication said they should acknowledge receipt of this ordah by merely sending a one-word reply, presumably so’s not to reveal their positions. Which I gotta admit worked – we weren’t able to locate any of ’em by their responses. They were then told not to communicate with Iran ’til they were at least two thousand miles – I repeat, two thousand miles from their targets.”

Admiral Smith speaks, “That tells me they expect to pull off this attack, and want their vessels somewhere safe enough from retaliation for use another day.”

President Egan’s eyes roam the room, watching for signs that someone has something to be say. Seeing none, he says, “John, go on. I know you have more.”

Chapter Eighty-Nine The First of Four Days

At 2400 hours Atlantic Time, 2000 hours Pacific Time and 0600 hours when the sun has risen over Israel, each Kilo raises its periscope to check the surface and then raises their radio masts to receive their orders. The orders come in exactly on time.

TO KILOS 101 THROUGH 105―PROCEED TO A DISTANCE OF 300 KMS FROM YOUR TARGETS―TAKE 3 DAYS TO ARRIVE THERE―ON THE 4TH DAY AT 2400 HOURS GMT YOU ARE TO EXECUTE YOUR ORDERS―ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIVING THIS BY SENDING ONE WORD ONLY (UNDERSTOOD)―DO NOT TRANSMIT ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION UNLESS YOU ARE AT LEAST 3000 KMS FROM YOUR TARGETS―

All five Kilos transmit their UNDERSTOODs.

Chapter Eighty-Eight Changing Tactics

Admiral Smith picks up his satellite phone to the fleet and calls out to Vice-Admiral Kevin O’Rourke. “Kevin, what kind of success are your two squadrons having finding the Kilos they’re trailing?”

“They’re reporting only intermittent success so far, sir, I regret to say,” he says.

“No, that’s okay. I want you to pull both squadrons back to the lines in the previous message I just sent you. Concentrating the greater number of vessels and planes we can there will give us a better chance of finding them.”

“You’re saying you just want us to break off as if we quit looking for them?” O’Rourke questions.

“That’s exactly what I want you to do,” the admiral replies. “If they believe we’ve quit, we may find it easier for us to corner them closer to our shores.”

“That’s a real gamble, sir,” the vice-admiral says without considering the impact such words might have.

In frustration, the admiral replies, “No shit, Kevin, but do it my way, will you?”
“Yes, sir. Will do.” Kevin O’Rourke knows the admiral will remember those four careless words for some time to come.

Book Signing on February 20, 2010

Joe Smiga will be signing his novel, "Behind The Lies," on Saturday, February 20th from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. The signing will be held at The Toadstool Bookstore in Milford, New Hampshire. Everyone is invited to attend.

Chapter Eighty-Seven Same Day

Admiral Smith is on the phone to Vice-Admiral Dave Peterson, commander of the Atlantic Fleet.

“Dave is there any word from SOSUS or your screen identifying a Kilo?”

“No, sir, not as yet.”

“SOSUS picked up two Kilos headed to the west coast,” the admiral says. “I cannot believe they are going to leave the east coast clear, Dave.”

“I can’t either, sir. Not with such a tempting target as Washington.”

“Okay, Dave, keep me posted. We’re running a display screen in the Situation Room on every move we see.”

Chapter Eighty-Six Third Week in October

DEFINITE KILO-CLASS SIGNATURE HEADED EASTBOUND ON A COURSE OF ZERO-NINE-ZERO DISTANCE FROM COASTLINE IS APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES DESIGNATE THIS KILO AS KILO ONE. IF THEY CONTINUE ON COURSE THEY ARE HEADED FOR LOS ANGELES OVER.

SOSUS CENTER IS THERE ANY WORD OF A SECOND SUB OVER.

NEGATIVE WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. HOW OFTEN DO YOU REQUIRE OUR READINGS OVER.

GIVE US AN UPDATE EVERY HOUR UNLESS KILO CHANGES COURSE WE NEED A FIX FROM LOS ANGELES SO WE CAN TRIANGULATE OUR SHIPS’ COURSES TO INTERSECT OVER.

SOSUS CENTER AYE YOU’LL HAVE LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE IN ONE MINUTE OVER.

“Okay, people,” the admiral says to those gathered around him. “We know that one sub is some fifteen hundred miles west of L.A. Once we get an approximate fix, we can move part of our screen to surround that one. Then we wait for word from the White House.”

Admiral O’Rouke notifies a squadron of his destroyers and frigates to intersect Kilo one. May God be with them, he will remember thinking for the rest of his days.

First Reading and Book Signing Scheduled at a Barnes and Noble Store

On Saturday, March 27th, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, Joe Smiga, will read excerpts from

his novel, “Behind The Lies,” at Barnes and Noble in Manchester NH. Following the

reading, he will hold a book signing. You are invited to attend and listen to

portions of the book. In the October 19th issue of the New Hampshire Union Leader,

John Clayton wrote that the novel is worthy of Tom Clancy.