job. It’s for you to
worry about what Command will think.”
Guy looked back through his binoculars and was
certain that the devastation had doubled in just the last five minutes. More
fires had taken hold, and Army helicopters zipped across an ever expanding area
like hungry buzzards. Brooklyn remained quiet, but Roosevelt Island was aflame
and the chaos had begun snatching at the fringes of Long Island.
“Take us a quarter-mile into the Upper Bay, Frank.
I want to see if our help will even make a difference before I think about
lending it.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Guy left the pilothouse and headed down to the
armoury. He expected to find Lieutenant Tosco there, but instead, he found two
ensigns and a dozen enlisted sailors. They stood to attention when they saw him
approach.
Guy waved a hand. “At ease. How goes it?”
Ensign Lucy Smith answered, “Lieutenant Tosco
asked us to ready weapons and ammunition, sir.”
Guy nodded, pleased that Tosco had carried out his
orders as requested. “Good.”
“How long until we enter the harbour, Captain?”
“Who said we’re going into harbour, Ensign Smith?”
“Oh, I… My mistake, Captain. I just assumed.”
Guy gritted his teeth. Toscohad beengetting
ahead of himself. “No decision has been made whether to head into harbour,
Ensign, so do not pre-empt my orders.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Do we know what’s happening out there, Captain?”
asked one of the ship’s mechanics, Seaman Biggins.
Ensign Smith shouted at him. “Biggins! Do not
address the captain unless you are spoken to.”
Guy waved a hand. “It’s okay, Ensign. Truthfully, Seaman
Biggins, I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s not anything good. As soon as Command
gives an update, I will share it with the crew.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“You’re welcome. Now, where is Lieutenant Tosco?”
Ensign Smith pointed towards the wide shutter at
the end of the storage area. “Out on launch deck prepping the Jayhawk.”
Guy gave a slight nod and marched away. “As you
were, sailors.”
He went over to the shutter and raised it. The
wind came rushing in, along with the sound of distant chaos from Manhattan. Tosco
was indeed outside on the launch deck, sitting inside the Jayhawk rescue
helicopter and running system checks. The main rotor spun and the rear prop
propeller whirred in fits and spurts.
“Everything nominal, Lieutenant?”
“I’m still running checks, but aye, sir.”
“Why did you tell Ensign Smith that we’re heading into
the harbour?”
“I said we need to prepare to go into
harbour.”
“You can see her confusion.”
Tosco stopped flipping switches for a moment and
stared at Guy. “It’s only a matter of time before Command gives orders to head
in. People are in trouble, and we’re floating out here doing nothing when we
should be helping.”
“What we do is entirely my decision, Lieutenant.
You give orders without my say so and you’ll find yourself working a tugboat in
the Arctic.”
“Don’t threaten me, sir.”
“It’s no threat.”
Tosco hopped out of the helicopter and faced Guy
down. “Times have changed. The Coast Guard doesn’t pull drowning fishermen out
of the sea anymore. We fight drug lords and human traffickers. We are men of
action.”
“If you want to fight so badly, Lieutenant, I
suggest you transfer to the Navy. They would be glad to have you.”
Tosco rolled his eyes. “I’m not interested in
fighting foreign wars. I am a Coast Guard because I want to protect the shores
of my country. Right now, I am failing to do that. The citizens of New York need
us.”
“The men on this ship need you, Lieutenant. They need
you to do your job and carry out my orders. Undermine me and you jeopardise the
safety of the crew.”
“Then don’t give me a reason to undermine you,
Captain”
Tosco went to walk away, but Guy stopped him by
grabbing his arm. “Do you know what it takes to send a man to the brig, Lieutenant?
My say so,
worry about what Command will think.”
Guy looked back through his binoculars and was
certain that the devastation had doubled in just the last five minutes. More
fires had taken hold, and Army helicopters zipped across an ever expanding area
like hungry buzzards. Brooklyn remained quiet, but Roosevelt Island was aflame
and the chaos had begun snatching at the fringes of Long Island.
“Take us a quarter-mile into the Upper Bay, Frank.
I want to see if our help will even make a difference before I think about
lending it.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Guy left the pilothouse and headed down to the
armoury. He expected to find Lieutenant Tosco there, but instead, he found two
ensigns and a dozen enlisted sailors. They stood to attention when they saw him
approach.
Guy waved a hand. “At ease. How goes it?”
Ensign Lucy Smith answered, “Lieutenant Tosco
asked us to ready weapons and ammunition, sir.”
Guy nodded, pleased that Tosco had carried out his
orders as requested. “Good.”
“How long until we enter the harbour, Captain?”
“Who said we’re going into harbour, Ensign Smith?”
“Oh, I… My mistake, Captain. I just assumed.”
Guy gritted his teeth. Toscohad beengetting
ahead of himself. “No decision has been made whether to head into harbour,
Ensign, so do not pre-empt my orders.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Do we know what’s happening out there, Captain?”
asked one of the ship’s mechanics, Seaman Biggins.
Ensign Smith shouted at him. “Biggins! Do not
address the captain unless you are spoken to.”
Guy waved a hand. “It’s okay, Ensign. Truthfully, Seaman
Biggins, I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s not anything good. As soon as Command
gives an update, I will share it with the crew.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“You’re welcome. Now, where is Lieutenant Tosco?”
Ensign Smith pointed towards the wide shutter at
the end of the storage area. “Out on launch deck prepping the Jayhawk.”
Guy gave a slight nod and marched away. “As you
were, sailors.”
He went over to the shutter and raised it. The
wind came rushing in, along with the sound of distant chaos from Manhattan. Tosco
was indeed outside on the launch deck, sitting inside the Jayhawk rescue
helicopter and running system checks. The main rotor spun and the rear prop
propeller whirred in fits and spurts.
“Everything nominal, Lieutenant?”
“I’m still running checks, but aye, sir.”
“Why did you tell Ensign Smith that we’re heading into
the harbour?”
“I said we need to prepare to go into
harbour.”
“You can see her confusion.”
Tosco stopped flipping switches for a moment and
stared at Guy. “It’s only a matter of time before Command gives orders to head
in. People are in trouble, and we’re floating out here doing nothing when we
should be helping.”
“What we do is entirely my decision, Lieutenant.
You give orders without my say so and you’ll find yourself working a tugboat in
the Arctic.”
“Don’t threaten me, sir.”
“It’s no threat.”
Tosco hopped out of the helicopter and faced Guy
down. “Times have changed. The Coast Guard doesn’t pull drowning fishermen out
of the sea anymore. We fight drug lords and human traffickers. We are men of
action.”
“If you want to fight so badly, Lieutenant, I
suggest you transfer to the Navy. They would be glad to have you.”
Tosco rolled his eyes. “I’m not interested in
fighting foreign wars. I am a Coast Guard because I want to protect the shores
of my country. Right now, I am failing to do that. The citizens of New York need
us.”
“The men on this ship need you, Lieutenant. They need
you to do your job and carry out my orders. Undermine me and you jeopardise the
safety of the crew.”
“Then don’t give me a reason to undermine you,
Captain”
Tosco went to walk away, but Guy stopped him by
grabbing his arm. “Do you know what it takes to send a man to the brig, Lieutenant?
My say so,
Similar Books
