Free Undetected by Dee Henderson

hear you? Of everything I thought I might hear, I didn’t see that one coming.” He picked up his coffee mug, spun the liquid, finally looked over. “Until her brother is back onshore, you’ve got another job to do.”
    â€œFigured as much, unless you want Toombs to take it from here.”
    â€œShe chose you to tell. She got into town less than two weeks ago. I gather she had the idea in mind, she just needed the data to test it against?”
    â€œAppears that way. She didn’t offer details on how it works, just that it requires cross-sonar to be running. She was running a data set last night—the USS Ohio encounter with the Brit’s Triumph . Ohio was cross-linking sonar with the Michigan when it happened.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œShe’s going to need a sea trial test to get the full data she needs to study. Two fast-attacks and a boomer, different sea conditions. At a guess probably the Molokai Ridge, the continental shelf, and maybe an arctic ice. Nothing is noisier than glacier ice cracking and crashing into the sea.”
    â€œA month out, the USS Connecticut is wrapping up tests on an upgrade package for the MK48 torpedo,” Hardman said. “The Ohio will need a shakedown after refit. If the Nebraska flows out of the dry dock smoothly, it could be pushed a week on the deployment window. Sit down withthe schedulers and look at the next few months, see what’s possible.” Hardman set aside the coffee.
    â€œIf this were anyone other than Gina Gray,” the man continued, “I’d say hand it off to the Undersea Warfare Center to schedule and plan a trial. But this is an idea we’re going to want to keep close to the vest—nothing written down that describes it, no whispered conversations, no allusions to the fact it’s out there. For now, just you and me, and when he’s back, Jeff. Ask her not to speak to anyone else. The word is you’re looking at testing an upgrade to cross-sonar, which will improve its speed. That will be sufficient for what you need to do.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œDoes she realize the danger in this idea?”
    â€œShe does, although I don’t think she fully appreciates all the implications yet.”
    â€œAs long as we can do it, and no one else can.”
    â€œI hear you, sir,” Bishop said. He glanced at the time. He had to get back to the Nevada , and the admiral had someone waiting for him in the outer office. Bishop rose to his feet. “Security is around her, but it’s temporary. You might want to quietly see if it can be raised to national security asset without having to tell anyone why.”
    â€œDone.” Hardman leaned back in his chair. “She hit us with cross-sonar when she was 20, and now this when she’s 30. I think I may want to retire before she hits 40.”
    Bishop smiled, understanding the sentiment.
    â€œPut me on a close update loop, Commander.”
    â€œYes, sir.” He returned the coffee mug to the used side of the service tray and headed toward the door.
    â€œBishop?”
    He turned.
    â€œEvery military career has the odd kind of eddies and currents that can turn an officer into a flag officer—you’re in one now,” the admiral said. “SecNav will have this on his desk within hours of confirmation that it works.”
    â€œI’m aware of that, sir,” Bishop replied. “I’m more concerned with how to buffer her, as the weight of the Navy is going to come hard after that point, wanting to dissect her work.”
    â€œFor now, four people know. Let’s leave it at that and let her work.”
    Bishop nodded his agreement. “Gold crew would like to present you with the Seaweed Trophy at noon,” he said.
    Hardman laughed. “I’ve earned it. See you in six hours, Bishop.”

    â€œPermission to come aboard?”
    In the command-and-control center, Bishop leaned over to look