Read Online The Passage by David Poyer - Free Book Online

wore khakis, the usual in-port uniform, except for Giordano, who was in coveralls.
    Dan remembered the light cruiser he’d served on during his
third-class cruise. The wardroom was lily white then; a Catholic or a Jew was exotic. Barrett reflected a changing Navy. The majority was still Caucasian, but Burdette Shuffert, Dan’s fire control officer, was black; so was Glenn Crotty, the main propulsion assistant, and Martin Paul, the first lieutenant. The operations officer was Felipe Quintanilla, a dark stocky man with a Hispanic accent that got stronger when he was excited. He’d grown up in a family of migrant farmworkers and managed to get himself appointed to the Naval Academy.
    His musings on sociological change were interrupted by one of the ensigns, talking to Ed Horseheads, who was scanning the morning paper. “What’s the news, Mister Ed?”
    â€œThe usual shit. Castro’s making hostile noises again.”
    â€œAnything else?”
    â€œThreadfin, that sub they lost. There’s an article says it was probably a flaw in the welding.”
    â€œWelding, shit! The fucking Commies sank it.” A lean, grizzled man in an old-style foul-weather jacket stenciled uss ENTERPRISE pulled out a chair next to Dan. He wore a knife and a flashlight in a black leather holster, aviator-style glasses, and had whitewalls to his haircut, though he was going thin on top. “Caught it out there alone and dropped the hammer on it. Morning, shipmates.”
    â€œHow’s it going, Chief Warrant?”
    â€œI’ve had it better, but I’ve paid more.”
    CWO3 Jay Harper was the C3M officer, short for command, control, and communications maintenance, though most still called him the electronics maintenance officer. Dan had seen a lot of him since commissioning, since Harper was also the combat systems test officer, responsible for accepting the sensors and weapons as the yard finished installing them. This had made it awkward for Dan, taking over. The captain had developed reflexes, and even now, when something was wrong, he’d pick up the phone and call Harper. Dan was trying to cure him of that.
    â€œLook like you got up on the leeward side, Lieutenant. Out steaming last night?”
    â€œCracked a couple. You, Chief Warrant?”
    â€œPussy and booze don’t affect me like it does you young guys. Want me to take officers call?”
    â€œI’m on deck. We ready for the conference?”
    â€œRight after quarters.”
    Horseheads, still deep in the paper: “Christ, you see this? About the chief getting murdered?”
    â€œWhat’s that, Mister Ed?”
    â€œTold you, J. J., call me that again and I’ll shove a horseshoe up your ass.”
    â€œOne of our chiefs?” said Dan.

    â€œNo, no. Yeoman chief on the Biddle. His wife was banging this guy who works at a Seven-Eleven. When the chiefs in port, the guy works nights. He’s at sea, the guy works days. Chief deploys, he moves in. Finally, he gets back from the Indian Ocean a week early and finds them both there. The wife hands the guy a knife, he ventilates the chief about twenty times, and the cops catch them hoisting him into a Dumpster.”
    â€œAny kids?”
    â€œA boy. He was at Scout camp when they whacked his dad.”
    Shuffert grunted, “Why do we keep people like that around?”
    â€œNow you’re talking, Hoss,” said Harper. “Microwave ’em both.”
    â€œHer, too?” said a slight man with a black beard. “Then who raises the child?”
    â€œHey, the cunt’s been screwing the guy all along, gave him the knife. What kind of mother’s that? You always was a softy, Mark. Being liberal, does that go with being kosher? It’s genetic, or what?”
    â€œSome of the most right-wing assholes I know are Jews,” said Deshowits. “What’s your excuse, Chief Warrant?”
    Antonio and Pedersen, the stewards,