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“No, sir The torpedo exploded prematurely It was hit by the second defensive torpedo I’ the stern of the Kansas City”

He still had an unidentified hostile down there, one that had fired two mini-torpedoes

“Prepare to fire torpedo number two,” he ordered

“Aye, captain Torpedo Two ready to fire in all respects”

Before he could give the command to launch it, he heard a sailor yell, “Men in the water!”

It was an officer on the bridge wing He was pointing in the direction of the Kansas City’s location

Vega raised the binoculars and sao nized the iency Could they be fro them?

“Stand down the torpedo!” Vega shouted “Get a rescue boat in the water”

Before the boat got out to them, another two men appeared on the surface Over the next two hours, twenty-six sailors miraculously came up

The mystery sub eventually surfaced Empty It was identified as the Kansas City’s SEAL Delivery Vehicle Vega theorized that a crewman somehow made it out of the dry deck shelter and saved his fellow sailors before succu the SDV in a stupor They’d keep searching for his body until the Americans arrived

Vega was so busy with the extensive search and recovery effort that he paid little attention to the cargo ship that sailed slowly by two miles away

41

Having coave Lieutenant Bradley some clean overalls, a bottle of water, and one of the sandwiches they’d brought along After wolfing down the sandwich and draining the bottle, Bradley dozed during the long ride back to the Oregon

When they surfaced in the moon pool, Julia Huxley was there to meet them and take Bradley to the infirht hi with a spread of food laid out by Maurice Bradley calass cast on his arm

“You sure have been keeping me busy,” Julia said as she escorted him into the room “I’ve delivered so many patched-up patients to you over the last week or so that I feel like I’ Day”