Submarine Warriors: The Enemy Beneath by Rob Tiffany Page A

yourself,” replied the Admiral.
    “ Fire control, plot a firing solution to the bridge,” the Admiral commanded. “This should be easy since the bridge is directly in front of us.”
    “ Admiral, the bridge is full of people,” replied Nick.
    “ Plot a firing solution or I’ll find someone else to do it,” the Admiral snapped back impatiently.
    “ Yes, sir,” replied Nick. “Hey, is anyone in the sonar shack?” he yelled out down the passageway. “I need a ping to verify range to the Hood Canal Bridge.”
    Without a reply, the sound of a loud ping echoed through the control room. Ping! The digital readout on Nick’s fire control panel went from zero to 1,500 yards. Using what he learned from his training class just hours before, Nick plotted a simple firing solution that would shoot the torpedo directly ahead with a range of 1,500 yards and closing.
    “ The firing solution is ready,” Nick exclaimed.
    “ Torpedo room, Conn, open the outer door and flood torpedo tube one,” Admiral Connery spoke.
    “ Opening the outer door and flooding torpedo tube one, aye,” replied the Torpedoman. “You better know what you’re doing, old man.”
    “ You’re relieved,” the Admiral ordered.
    “ You’re letting your missing son cloud your judgment, Admiral!” The Chief of the Boat got up in the Admiral’s face.
    “ I know what I’m doing, COB,” countered the Admiral.
    “ Chrissie, call your mom and tell her she has less than a minute to clear the bridge.” The Admiral motioned.
    Chrissie frantically dialed her phone.
    “ Mom, you’ve got to get everyone off the bridge right way!” Chrissie screamed into the phone. “We’re going to blow up the bridge with one of our torpedoes. Hurry, get out of there!”
    Ashley burst into the bridge control room to see the Petty Officer pointing his gun at Michelle.
    “ Looks like we have company,” the Petty Officer remarked. “Let me guess, you probably brought a rubber knife to take me down, right?”
    “ Okay, I admit it, we’re not commandos.” Michelle held her hands up in the air.
    Ashley turned to the Petty Officer. “Unfortunately, we have a little problem here. The thing is, if you don’t open this bridge, the Alaska is going to blow it up with its torpedoes.”
    “ You’re bluffing,” said the Petty Officer.
    “ I’m no Texas Hold’em player, but are you willing to bet your life on that?” she retorted. “Are you going to bet the lives of all these civilians in their cars on the bridge? We’re all going to be dead in the next minute.”
    The Petty Officer turned to the window and his demeanor changed when he saw the approaching submarine. He immediately pulled down a lever that lowered crossing-guard arms on both ends of the bridge and then picked up a microphone.
    “ Ladies and gentleman,” the Petty Officer spoke. “You have less than a minute to get out of your cars and run back to shore. Clear the bridge immediately. This is an emergency. Run!”
    Complete hysteria ensued on both sides of the Hood Canal Bridge.
    The Petty Officer looked back at Mike and Chrissie’s moms. “I’ll make sure all these civilians are safe, but my orders are clear; I will not let the Alaska and the enemies of America through this bridge.”
    Back on the Alaska, Admiral Connery ordered, “Nick, shoot torpedo one.”
    “ What about the people on the bridge?” Nick pled with the Admiral.
    “ Just trust me,” replied Admiral Connery.
    Nick pushed the firing button for torpedo tube one. Seconds later, with the assistance of 1,500 PSI hydraulic power, a giant water-ram inside the tube forced the water and torpedo out of the sub. The Alaska shuddered and everyone felt a whoosh as it fired a torpedo out into the Hood Canal.
    From the bridge tower, the Petty Officer looked on in disbelief as a giant bullet of water and bubbles emerged from the sub.
    Michelle screamed, “We’ve got to get out of here!”
    “ Oh my God, they really did it!” yelled the