“All right, XO. Let me know when we have a curve. I want to bracket the range estimate and spiral in on him. I want to shoot from a range of five thousand yards, broad on his quarter. Do what you have to do to get me there.”

Edwards answered, “Yes, sir!” and stepped back over to look at the fire control computer screens.

Pat Durand looked up as Edwards leaned over his shoulder. The young lieutenant had stopped clicking away on his keyboard for a moment. He looked worried.

“XO, I heard Master Chief’s report, but my stuff is telling me this guy is pretty close. The only solution I can fit is at five thousand yards.” Durand pushed a button on his panel and tweaked a small knob on the keyboard. “Frequency’s going up, so we know he’s closing.”

Edwards watched the computer screen for a moment. Durand was very good, but Zillich was the acknowledged master. It would be much simpler if they both heard the same things.

“Try a solution farther out,” Edwards suggested, making another of his patented snap decisions. “I’m going with the master chief on this one.”

Not convinced, Durand nodded anyway and tweaked the dials some more, making it look out through the black water at longer ranges. The display now showed the target out at over nine thousand yards, moving across the screen diagonally at twenty knots, just as Zillich had said. Durand shook his head, still unconvinced. This solution fit the data all right, but not as well as the close-range one. Durand looked up at the XO, who nodded, even more satisfied now that Zillich had the right answer. The distant target was the one they were looking for.

Edwards turned to Glass. “Skipper, we have a curve, contact sierra three-one, current bearing zero-two-one, estimated range nine-two-hundred yards. Recommend coming left to new course one-two-five.”

Glass played the picture out in his mind. His executive officer’s solution had the target heading from the northeast toward the southwest. He was setting up to sneak around behind him, all the while keeping him at a range where he would not detect Toledo. Once they were in place, they would shoot the target in the back. The first time the poor, helpless target would even suspect Toledo was in the area would be when he heard the ADCAP torpedo racing in for the kill. Assuming Master Chief Zillich was correct about where the prey was located, it was a good, smart tactic. Time would tell.

Glass turned to the helmsman and ordered, “Left full rudder, steady course one-two-five.”

He watched as the rudder swung over to the left and the compass started to swing to port.

Suddenly the 21MC blared with Master Chief Zillich’s excited voice.

“Torpedo in the water! Bearing three-five-five.”

Glass didn’t hesitate. He ordered, “All ahead flank! Right full rudder! Steady course two-four-five! Launch the evasion device!”