John Schettler - 9 Days Falling, Volume I

He decided he had better notify Miss Fairchild, and also get word to the Argonauts they had deployed to the Kashagan oil fields. Perhaps they could use one of the X-3s to keep an eye on the situation. Then he turned his attention to the other troubling matter that morning—the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

That little Georgian Coast Guard patrol had been brushed off easily enough, but now the Russian fleet was moving out from its bases to the north, and that was going to mean trouble. They had already overflown the tanker loading operation once the previous day with a drone, and undoubtedly knew what was going on there. Two and a half million barrels of oil was a very valuable commodity just now. The Russians were obviously trying to shut down all export routes for oil to the West. They were leaning on Georgian government, and this latest move looked ominous. The spot market price per barrel had just surged through the $200 mark and would likely go higher.

It’ll be $300 a barrel in short order, he thought. Fairchild is going to make a killing on this haul, if we can only manage to get the damn oil safely out of the Black Sea. Something tells me that fleet up north is going to have something to say about it soon enough. I’d best let Gordie MacRae know we’re about to have company. He reached for his intercom, a troubled look clouding his dark eyes.

On the Bridge of Argos Fire Captain MacRae was well aware of the Russians. His long range radar was very good with the Sampson system scouring the region, and even better when augmented by the SM1850M2 addition, which enhanced the ship’s coverage even against ballistic missile threats from the edge of space. The Russian fleet was moving, and Mack Morgan was worried about it.

MacRae had Iron Duke further out in a single ship picket now that Princess Irene was topped off and heading south. An older Type 23 Frigate, the Iron Duke had seen several upgrades to extend her active service, particularly with the addition of new radar sets and a better medium range air defense missile, the Sea Ceptor . That missile replaced the older Seawolf system, giving the frigate a modest AAW umbrella out to 25 kilometers.

“Mack says they’re sailing with the best they have,” said Commander Dean. “Those three new frigates, Grigorovich, Essen and Makarov put out to sea an hour ago. It looks like they may throw an old Krivak or two into the mix as well. Vorovskiy was operating in their border guard unit, and that’s probably the best of that lot.”

“Where are they headed, Mister Dean?”

“We have our last X-3 up watching them and returns are being fed to our systems here. The heading is due south, speed twenty.”

“They don’t seem to be in any hurry.”

“No sir, but even at that speed they can assume a position to intercept us when we head west in just two hours. We’ll be well within range of their SA-N-27 Sizzlers , and the Onyx system as well.”

MacRae thought for a moment. “This situation is very delicate at the moment,” he said. “Technically the Russians and Americans are in the thick of things in the Pacific. Britain is a NATO ally and therefore would be considered hostile.”

“And what about the Turks, sir? Iron Duke says she’s tracking a Turkish sub out there, S-354, the Sakarya.”

“Don’t worry about the Turks, Mister Dean, they’re in it with NATO too.”

“But can we count on Turkish support, sir? They can match or beat the Russian Black Sea Fleet out here.”

“That they can, and I believe certain arrangements have been made, if you follow me. That sub out there will throw in on our side if need be, and the Turks have promised us two frigates when we start heading west.”

“That’s welcome news, sir.”

“Aye, but Morgan says the Russians threw everything they had at the Americans this morning. Then that bloody volcano blew its top and we’ve heard nothing since. Thing is this, laddie. If the Russians decide to engage here, then you can bet they’ll hit us with everything they have as well. They don’t have enough of a fleet here to last out the week, if it comes down to it, but they can make our life miserable, particularly if they shoot first and ask questions later.”

“I understand, sir.”

MacRae looked at his watch. “They’ve rigged up two more lines and the pumps have been working overtime. We’ll have a couple million barrels under our belts in another hour. Then there’s this business in the Caspian. I don’t much like the fact that we’ve three of our X-3s and good men out there. There’s no way we can protect either Chevron or BP operations in those oil fields. Now Mack Morgan seems a wee bit flustered over something the Russians have going at Kaspiysk. He thinks he sees a Special Ops mission staging there, and what else would they be looking to bother out there but those oil fields?”

“Sounds logical, sir.”

“And a bloody cold logic at that. Well, the thing is this, Mister Dean. If they move on those fields any time soon the Argonauts will be in a bar fight there. I’d just as soon have those men with us. We’ve got our oil. Let’s bring the lads home.”

“Very well, sir. Chevron won’t be happy about it.”

“Chevron doesn’t write my paycheck, Mister Dean, nor yours either.”

“Aye, sir.”

MacRae was pacing now, walking slowly back and forth on the bridge as he considered the situation. But he didn’t have much time to think about it. His Sampson air alert operator called out ‘Top One,’ a single aircraft inbound on their position.

“What is it, Mister Conners?”

“Single contact, Mach one at 20,000 feet. Probably an Su-24, sir.”

“One plane?”

“Aye, sir. Range is 186 miles and closing. If it’s packing heat it can fire in five minutes.”

“Then we go to full Air Alert. Is Iron Duke tracking it, Mister Boyle?”

“Sir, Comm signals indicate affirmative. They have a live track but have not locked on missile targeting radars.”

“Very well.”

MacRae decided to wait. If the Russians were attacking, it would not be with a single plane. Iron Duke was out there with her Sea Ceptor s, and fully capable of handling the situation, but she wasn’t locking on. This was most likely a recon flight, though it was rather ballsy, he thought. Then again….All it would take is for us to give this single plane a pass and have it pump a missile into one of those tankers out there. All’s fair in love and war. My charge is to defend these ships at any cost.

“Mister Boyle,” he said calmly. “Contact that plane and tell them if they come within fifty kilometers of this operation we must assume hostile intent and will act accordingly.”

“Aye, Sir!” Boyle was quick to it, and always by the book.

“That’ll give them something to think about,” said MacRae. “They’ll have to be wondering if that means Iron Duke out there, or us. Either way we’re one and the same. Let’s see what they do.”

The Russians didn’t think long.

At a range of 100 kilometers the situation took a dramatic turn when the Russian plane fired a pair of missiles. Seconds later the Sampson system had identified them as Kh-58U Anti Radiation missiles for targeting radars.

MacRae was truly surprised. “What in bloody hell are they doing?” he said aloud.

“Iron Duke is locking on, sir. They’re firing a barrage of Sea Ceptors .” Britain’s newest air defense missile was firing from VLS quad packs installed on the frigate’s forward deck. The Duke fired four, and the speedy missiles were out after the incoming targets in a heartbeat, two for each of the missiles fired by the SU-24.”