Read Online Show of Force by Charles D. Taylor - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles D. Taylor
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exploded in the water, this time close enough to almost upset the sturdy little whaleboat. Palmer put his rudder over sharply, at the same time making the motion for full speed, fearing the next shot would be a hit.
David turned from the side of the boat, looking back in tears at his boatswain. Palmer pointed at the Bagley, nodding his head that he was returning to the ship. Saying nothing, David slumped back in the bottom of the boat, vaguely aware of the noise around him and the men still in the water waving at the boat as their last chance pulled away.
The first indication he had of their return to the Bagley was the whaleboat bumping heavily against its hull. There was water in the bottom of the boat, and he was wet. He looked up to see familiar faces staring down at them. He became aware of many people in the boat, probably fifteen who had been lucky enough to be pulled from the water.
They edged beside the ladder. Palmer motioned for the young officer to be the first up the side. David shook his head. The few wounded they had were taken up first, followed by the still limp form of the sailor who had succumbed to the canteen. David looked up to the bridge and saw Sam Carter waving down at him, but he did not return the wave.
When just he and Palmer remained, the sailor reached down and gave him a hand, pulling him shakily to his feet. At the foot of the ladder, David motioned Palmer to step up first as he looked back at the boat, now taking on water more rapidly. “No, sir.” He put out his hand and shook David's firmly. “I'd like to follow you:”
The young officer nodded at the other man and stepped up the ladder to the main deck of the Bagley. It was solid, a secure feeling after the wild antics of their little boat. A messenger was waiting for him. i“The captain would like you to report to the bridge, if you're okay, sir.”
“I am,” David replied. As a corpsman handed him something cool to drink, the messenger wheeled about and headed back to the bridge to report to Carter.
David finished his drink, handed the glass to someone nearby, and strode to the ladder leading to the 01 level. He calmly walked forward on that deck and swung up two more levels to the signal bridge, nodding at sailors who stared at him silently. He moved past the flag bags at the rear of the open bridge to where Carter was waiting for him, standing beside his chair on the starboard wing. He saluted the captain.
“You wanted to see me, sir.” David had suddenly become very tired. He decided he didn't particularly care what anyone else was going to say, even this captain before him.
Carter returned the salute. “You did a hell of a job in there, David, but you didn't follow my last orders.”
David looked back at him. “No, sir,” he said very calmly.
“Do you mind telling me why? You could have lost some good men, including yourself.”
“You don't seem to understand. A lot of people were being killed. They were being slaughtered.” He was very tired now.
“I know that, David. I've been there before.”
“I saw Jorge in the water. He asked where my Navy was.” He looked closely at Carter, tears forming in his eyes again. “Do you know where our Navy was, sir?”
“We may never know where it was, David. It wasn't out here today, and we may never know why either. But I don't ever want you to forget what I told you last night. And I think you may already have started to forget some of it. Whoever made this decision doesn't know you, or me, or even Jorge, but he or they taught you a lot about power today. And power doesn't always make the decision you think is right. But power can do that because it can do anything it wants. And if you're going to sail with me, you're going to have to remember that.”
“And can it lie to men like Jorge?”
“You'll have to decide that for yourself some day, David.” He looked closely at the young man, and remembered another young man, a Lieutenant Sam Carter, who had had a
David turned from the side of the boat, looking back in tears at his boatswain. Palmer pointed at the Bagley, nodding his head that he was returning to the ship. Saying nothing, David slumped back in the bottom of the boat, vaguely aware of the noise around him and the men still in the water waving at the boat as their last chance pulled away.
The first indication he had of their return to the Bagley was the whaleboat bumping heavily against its hull. There was water in the bottom of the boat, and he was wet. He looked up to see familiar faces staring down at them. He became aware of many people in the boat, probably fifteen who had been lucky enough to be pulled from the water.
They edged beside the ladder. Palmer motioned for the young officer to be the first up the side. David shook his head. The few wounded they had were taken up first, followed by the still limp form of the sailor who had succumbed to the canteen. David looked up to the bridge and saw Sam Carter waving down at him, but he did not return the wave.
When just he and Palmer remained, the sailor reached down and gave him a hand, pulling him shakily to his feet. At the foot of the ladder, David motioned Palmer to step up first as he looked back at the boat, now taking on water more rapidly. “No, sir.” He put out his hand and shook David's firmly. “I'd like to follow you:”
The young officer nodded at the other man and stepped up the ladder to the main deck of the Bagley. It was solid, a secure feeling after the wild antics of their little boat. A messenger was waiting for him. i“The captain would like you to report to the bridge, if you're okay, sir.”
“I am,” David replied. As a corpsman handed him something cool to drink, the messenger wheeled about and headed back to the bridge to report to Carter.
David finished his drink, handed the glass to someone nearby, and strode to the ladder leading to the 01 level. He calmly walked forward on that deck and swung up two more levels to the signal bridge, nodding at sailors who stared at him silently. He moved past the flag bags at the rear of the open bridge to where Carter was waiting for him, standing beside his chair on the starboard wing. He saluted the captain.
“You wanted to see me, sir.” David had suddenly become very tired. He decided he didn't particularly care what anyone else was going to say, even this captain before him.
Carter returned the salute. “You did a hell of a job in there, David, but you didn't follow my last orders.”
David looked back at him. “No, sir,” he said very calmly.
“Do you mind telling me why? You could have lost some good men, including yourself.”
“You don't seem to understand. A lot of people were being killed. They were being slaughtered.” He was very tired now.
“I know that, David. I've been there before.”
“I saw Jorge in the water. He asked where my Navy was.” He looked closely at Carter, tears forming in his eyes again. “Do you know where our Navy was, sir?”
“We may never know where it was, David. It wasn't out here today, and we may never know why either. But I don't ever want you to forget what I told you last night. And I think you may already have started to forget some of it. Whoever made this decision doesn't know you, or me, or even Jorge, but he or they taught you a lot about power today. And power doesn't always make the decision you think is right. But power can do that because it can do anything it wants. And if you're going to sail with me, you're going to have to remember that.”
“And can it lie to men like Jorge?”
“You'll have to decide that for yourself some day, David.” He looked closely at the young man, and remembered another young man, a Lieutenant Sam Carter, who had had a
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