Free D. M. Ulmer 01 - Silent Battleground by D. M. Ulmer Page B

for the finishing work.  Fieldstone collected from the site made up a large fireplace on the family room north wall.  A divan and several large chairs formed a semicircle facing the hearth.  Two baths, a loft bunkroom, a master bedroom and two other bedrooms rounded out the spread. 
    Eric Danis had to bow out at the last minute. Dave regretted his friend canceled his visit, but he didn’t let it dampen the good spirits that accompanied each of his visits to what Dale had dubbed the Digs.
    Bea wondered if the presence of Eric Danis and her dad might put a damper on her weekend with Brent.  But, she had been raised among submariners and knew of their tendency for taking life in stride, so concluded it would have been a fun time.
    Dave ate far too much baked salmon, the traditional opening meal established by his late wife.  After several games of cribbage with Bea, he turned in then fell into a deep and restful sleep.
    Hours later, Bea stood beside her father’s bed wearing one of his old bathrobes.  “Dad … Dad!  Wake up!  Something is very wrong.”
    Dave quickly woke.  “What, Baby?  What’s the matter?”
    “Come outside and look.  East of the Olympics.”
    “East of the Olympics?  What are you talking about?  You can’t see anything from here.  The mountains are too big.”
    “Come outside, Dad, and have a look.  Unless the sun is rising three hours early, something pretty terrible is happening.”
    Dave emerged from the Digs to see the source of Bea’s concern.  A red glow probed the black night with such brightness that he could detect the Olympic Mountains’ ridge. 
    My God!   The dumb bastards really did it.  “Bea, go inside and turn on the radio.”
    Electro-magnetic pulses from detonated nuclear warheads created oscillations in the ionosphere like ripples on a pond, causing distant radio transmissions to fade in and out.  Bea finally founda commercial station in western Montana at just the right distance that bounced a sky wave off the ionosphere and reflected it to the Washington coast. 
    The announcer spoke in quiet, serious tones, “So far, enemy strikes appear limited to just Naval bases and shipyards.  On the east coast: Kittery, Maine; Groton, Connecticut; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Kings Bay, Georgia.  Targets on the west coast are the Trident Base at Bangor and nearby Bremerton Naval Shipyard, in Washington State.  In California: Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, and Naval Bases in San Diego. 
    “Pentagon sources advise American response has been limited.  Also, other unofficial sources reported a total of seventeen missiles have been launched in retaliation.  There are no reports on the extent of damage from Soviet warheads, but it is apparently heavy.  Main thoroughfares from the damaged areas are jammed with fleeing survivors, as are those from New York, Chicago and other population centers not yet under attack.”
    Father and daughter listened in stunned silence to the unthinkable.  Visited by a host of emotions, Dave felt gratitude his beloved Dale had to see none of this in her lifetime and it saddened him to reflect upon the impact it would have on Bea’s future.
    The recent conversation with Eric Danis came to mind.  His friend had urged him to make the trip, likely for good reason.  Dave hoped Eric had made it to sea and survived.
     
    Captain 1 st Rank Igor Sherensky, commanding officer of the Soviet nuclear submarine Marshall Zhukov, reined in his exhilaration.  He dare not let it affect performance of the critical task-at-hand, sinking the mighty U.S. nuclear-powered attack aircraft carrier, Savo Island .  A three second view through Zhukov ’s attack periscope showed the giant ship lumbering toward him at a full twenty-five knots.  The periscope video camera, peri-viz, recorded information to refine target range, course and speed well beyond the precision needed for a successful attack.  For