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Juan checked the tactical display, gauging distances between the torpedoes targeting the Aggie Johnston and the Oregon and the ships the her hull split open by a direct hit He watched the line of the rocket torpedo cutting across the flat panel, e every second He had to h so she couldn’t fire another spread but not to so cripple her that she sank

“One thousand yards, Chairh Juan could see the nu backward for himself

There was less than two hundred yards now separating the Johnston fro her The vectors and speeds involved were complex, but Juan had a handle on it all

“Wait for it,” he said If he detonated the rocket too early, there was a chance it wouldn’t cut all the wire Too late and the Kilo’s crew of fifty-three were going to die

“Wait for it,” he repeated, watching the Hoot arrow through the sea and a faint line of disturbed water approaching the supertanker’s exposed flank

One torpedo was fifty yards froet, the other, three hundred, but their relative speeds were so vastly different that they would reach their objectives at precisely the same instant

“Now!”

Mark hit the button that sent an autodestruct signal to the torpedo’s onboard co solid rocket fuel blew a fraction of a second later, sending an erupting geyser of water into the air and opening a hole in the sea that was fifty feet deep and equally as wide A stunning concussion wave radiated froon bow on, but haie Johnston so that the htly to port

With the explosion’s acoustical onslaught reverberating through the sea, it nals impossible to detect Cabrillo focused his attention on the topside camera shot of the Petromax supertanker She rolled ponderously back to an even keel He continued to watch her for a moment before a smile crossed his lips There was no explosion fro into her hull Max’s plan had worked The wires coiling out frouide her fish had been cut, and the weapons immediately shut down

“Linda, tell ,” he ordered

“Co now Give me another few seconds”

Hali turned in his seat “Chairs wants to knohat just happened”

“Stall him,” Juan said, his focus still on Linda, who sat as still as a statue, her right hand clahtly to her head while in front of her tendrils of light floated down the sonar system’s waterfall display

She finally looked over at hi torpedoes are dead and most likely on their way to the botto from inside the hull WaitOkay, it’s puht smile bloomed on her impish face “We did it! They’re on their way to the surface”

A round of cheers and applause reverberated through the Op Center, and even Max’s bulldog face cracked into a grin