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be in Moscow in a few hours。 Other submarines would close on their expected track。 As soon as they were outside of shore…based air cover； Soviet search aircraft would e looking； with missile…armed Backfires behind them。
So many ships； O'Malley thought。 They passed a series of Ro/Ros； roll…on/roll…off container ships loaded with tanks； fighting vehicles； and the men of a whole armored division。 Others were piled high with containers that could be loaded right onto trucks for dispatch to the front； their contents recorded on puter for rapid delivery to the proper destination。 He thought about the news reports； the taped scenes of land bat in Germany。 That was what this was all about。 The Navy's mission： keep the sea…lanes open to deliver the tools those men in Germany needed。 Get the ships across。
〃How does she ride？〃 Calloway asked。
〃Not too bad；〃 Morris answered the reporter。 〃We have fin stabilizers。 She doesn't roll very much。 If you have any problem； our corpsman can probably e up with something。 Don't be bashful about asking。〃
〃I will try to keep out of your way。〃
Morris gave the man from Reuters a friendly nod。 He'd arrived with only an hour's warning； but he seemed to be a pro； or at least experienced enough to have all his gear packed in one bag。 He took the last available bunk in officers' country。
〃Your admiral said that you're one of his best manders。〃
〃I guess we'll find that out；〃 Morris said。
35 … Time on Target
USS REUBEN JAMES
The first two days went well。 The escort force sailed first； blasting with their sonars at the shallow coastal water for possible submarines and finding none。 The merchant ships followed； forming slowly into eight columns of ten each。 The twenty…knot convoy was in a hurry to deliver its goods。 Covered by a massive umbrella of land…based aircraft； it pressed on through the first forty…eight hours with only minor zigzagging as it sailed past the coast of New England and Eastern Canada； Sable Island； and the Grand Banks。 The easy part was behind them now。 As they left coastal waters for the Atlantic Ocean proper； they entered the unknown territory。
〃About filing my dispatches 。 。 。 〃 Calloway said to Morris。
〃Twice a day you can use my satellite transmitter as long as it doesn't interfere with official traffic。 You understand that your reports will be run through Norfolk for sensitive information？〃
〃Quite so。 Captain； you may believe me when I say that as long as I'm here with you； I will reveal nothing that would endanger your ship！ I had quite enough excitement this year in Moscow。〃
〃What？〃 Morris turned and lowered his binoculars。 Calloway explained what his spring had been like。
〃Patrick Flynn； my opposite number from Associated Press； is aboard Battleaxe。 Doubtless drinking beer；〃 he concluded。
〃So you were there when all this boiled up。 Do you know why all this started？〃
Calloway shook his head。 〃If I did； Captain； I'd have filed the story long ago。〃
A messenger appeared on the bridge wing with a clipboard。 Morris took it； read through three messages； and signed for them。
〃Something dramatic？〃 Calloway asked hopefully。
〃Fleet weather…update and something about that Russian reconnaissance satellite。 It es overhead in another three hours。 The Air Force is going to try and shoot it down before it gets to us； though。 Nothing major。 You're fortable； I presume。 Any problems？〃
〃None； Captain。 Nothing like a nice sea voyage。〃
〃True enough。〃 Morris stuck his head into the pilothouse。 〃General Quarters； Air Action。〃
Morris led the reporter into the bat Information Center； explaining that the drill he was about to see was to make sure his men could do everything properly even in the dark。
〃One of those dispatches give you a warning？〃
〃No； but in six hours we'll be outside of land…based fighter cover。 That means Ivan is going to e looking for us。〃 And it's going to get awfully lonely out here by ourselves； Morris thought。 He gave his men an hour's worth of drill。 The CIC crew ran a pair of puter simulations。 On the second one an enemy missile got through their defenses。
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE； VIRGINIA
The F…15 fighter rolled to a halt just outside the shelter building。 The crew chief set the ladder next to the aircraft； and Major Nakamura climbed down； already looking aft at her scorched airplane。 She walked over to examine the damage。
〃Don't look bad； Major；〃 the sergeant assured her。 A fragment from the exploding rocket motor had drilled a hole the size of a beer can right through her left wing； missing a fuel tank by three inches。 〃I can fix that in a couple of hours。〃
〃You all right？〃 the Lockheed engineer asked。
〃It blew； fifty feet away； and it just blew the hell up。 You were wrong； by the way。 When they blow； it's pretty spectacular。 Pieces all over the damned place。 I was lucky I only caught one of them。〃 It had scared hell out of the pilot； but she'd then had an hour to recover。 Now she was just mad。
〃Sorry； Major。 Wish I could say more than that。〃
〃Just have to try again；〃 Buns said； looking up at the sky through the hole。 〃When's the next window？〃
〃Eleven hours； sixteen minutes。〃
〃That's it； then。〃 She walked into the building； then upstairs to the pilots' lounge。 There was carpeting on the walls of the building for noise absorption。 It also prevented serious injury to the pilots' fists。
KIROVSK； R。S。F。S。R。
Unhampered； the Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite continued its orbit； and on its next pass over the North Atlantic found itself looking down on a collection of nearly a hundred ships in even columns。 This must be the convoy their intelligence reports had told them about； the Russian analysts decided…and； they noted with satisfaction； it was out in the open； right where they could get at it。
Ninety minutes later； two regiments of missile…armed Backfire bombers； preceded by Bear…D search aircraft； lifted off the four airfields around Kirovsk； topped off their fuel tanks； and headed for the radar gap over Iceland。
USS REUBEN JAMES
〃So this is the surprise you have in store for them？〃 Calloway asked。 He tapped some symbols on the main tactical…display scope。
Morris nodded thoughtfully。 〃So far we've sent most of the convoys across under EMCON…that's emission control…with their radars blacked out to make them hard to find。 This time we're doing something a little different。 This is the display from the SPS…49 radar…〃
〃That black monster atop the pilothouse？〃
〃Right。 These symbols are Tomcats from the carrier America。 This is a KC…135 tanker； and this baby here is an E…2C Hawkeye radar bird。 The Hawkeye's radar is shut down。 When Ivan shows up； he'll have to close to see what's here。〃
〃But he already knows；〃 Calloway objected。
〃No； he knows there's a convoy around here somewhere。 That's not good enough to launch missiles。 All he knows for sure is that there is one operating SPS…49 radar。 He'll have to light off his own radar to see what's on the water。 If Mr。 Bear does that； we see him； and we'll have fighters on his ass so fast he'll never know what hit him。〃
〃And if the Backfires don't e today？〃
〃Then we'll see them some other time。 The Bears talk to submarines； too； Mr。 Calloway。 They are still worth killing。〃
ICELAND
It was the first time they'd been bored。 Edwards and his party had been terrified often enough； but never bored。 Now they had been in the same place for four plete days； and still they had no orders to move。 They observed； and reported minor Russian activity； but without anything substantive to do； time was heavy on them。
〃Lieutenant。〃 Garcia pointed up。 〃I got airplanes heading south。〃
Edwards got out his binoculars。 The sky was dotted with white； fleecy clouds。 There were no contrails to be seen today； but…there！ he saw a flash； a reflection off something。 He strained his eyes to identify it。
〃Nichols； what do you think？〃 He handed the glasses over。
〃That's a Russian Backfire；〃 Nichols said simply。
〃You sure？〃
〃Quite sure； Leftenant。 I've seen them before often enough。〃
〃Get a count。〃 Edwards unpacked his radio。
〃I only see four。 All heading south； sir。〃
〃You're sure they're Backfires？〃 Edwards persisted。
〃I am bloody sure； Leftenant Edwards！〃 Nichols answered testily。 He watched the officer turn on the radio。
〃Beagle calling Doghouse； over。〃 The munications station was a little slow today。 It took three calls before they acknowledged。
〃Doghouse； this is Beagle； and I have some information for you。 We see Backfire…type bombers southbound over our position。〃
〃How do you know they're Backfires？〃 Doghouse wanted to know。
〃Because Sergeant Nichols of the Royal Marines says he's bloody sure they're Backfires。 Four of them〃…Nichols held up five fingers now〃 correction five aircraft southbound。〃
〃Roger； thank you； Beagle。 Anything else happening？〃
〃Negative。 How long do you expect us to sit on this hill； over？〃
〃We'll let you know。 Patience； Beagle。 We haven't forgotten you。 Out。〃
NORTH ATLANTIC
Bears advanced in an oblique line； their crews scanning the air with their eyes and probing the radar and radio frequencies。 Presently the leading Bear detected the emissions of a single American radar； and it took only a minute to identify it as an SPS…49 air…search model of the type used by Perry…class missile