Tidal Rip

Jeffrey winced. “You’re referring to Turkey?” In this war, not Gulf War II.

Hodgkiss sighed. “Look, you did your best.”

“Didn’t anyone try to warn da Gama about the von Scheer?”

“That’s when he threw our ambassador out of his office. Da Gama went ballistic, said it was the stupidest thing he ever heard, an insult, expecting him to swallow a tall tale like that. Virtually accused us of inventing the von Scheer, said she didn’t really exist, and even if she did she’d be over by Africa fighting the Allies there. Remember, he’s a former Brazilian Army general, got a Ph.D. in foreign policy from Princeton University, thinks he knows all about America and war — and maybe he does, too well.”

“Oh boy.” Jeffrey could half picture the scene. He’d met da Gama during a long seminar at the Naval War College, when Jeffrey was stationed there in Newport, Rhode Island, months before the war. Da Gama had grown up in poverty, a genuine self-made man. He’d be a tough nut to crack if he disagreed with you.

“Our ambassador went back to our embassy to call the State Department for guidance. A car bomb got him before his vehicle could make it into the compound.”

Jeffrey paused. “My condolences to his family, Admiral. And the other victims.”

“Later. The point is, we need da Gama on our side, and everyone of consequence on our embassy staff or other advisers in-country are suddenly dead or wounded or missing. One thing da Gama did say, in an earlier meeting, is that his country does not, repeat not, have nuclear weapons…. Which is, by the way, undoubtedly why he sees Germany giving A-bombs to Argentina as so preposterous.”

“The State Department, the CIA, they believe him?”

“Da Gama’s a forthright man. Honor and integrity mean a great deal to him personally.”

“No rogue faction behind his back?”

“Not in his administration. Or outside it.” Hodgkiss sounded quite positive.

“Then isn’t that good, sir? That Brazil doesn’t have any A-bombs?”

“Use your head. It’s terrible.”

Jeffrey tried to grasp Hodgkiss’s point. “Does the Axis know? Do the Argentines know?”

“We have to assume they do.”

“Then the prowar faction in Argentina can make a first strike and be sure they’re immune to atomic retaliation.”

“Affirmative. But if given the chance, they might have made a first strike anyway, out of recklessness or grandiose ego. Think, Captain.”

Jeffrey blanched. He saw it. “If the Germans know Brazil doesn’t have the bomb, they must have some other way or excuse to justify giving the bomb to Argentina.”

“You’re catching on…. Now, it gets even worse.”

“Sir?”

“The following is highly classified, but you need to know. Tell no one else on your ship unless they need to know, understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Our Deep Submergence specialists for a while have been using robotically operated vehicles to inspect hulks after nuclear battles. To monitor contamination and apply sealant foam when needed if there’s leakage from reactors or warheads.”

“And for salvage?”

“Got it in one. To remove or neutralize cryptogear or other sensitive equipment, and recover atomic warheads whenever possible. Ours or enemy, as the case may be.”

“Makes plenty of sense, Admiral.” So where is he going with this?

“An Arleigh Burke wreck has been plundered by the Axis.”

“Before our team could get there?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the problem, sir? They got the codes?”

“No. They didn’t get the codes. Those parts of the ship were vaporized, or left untouched.”

“Left untouched by what?”

“The destroyer hulk was three miles down.”

“That’s deep, sir, even for our Deep Submergence people.”

“Affirmative. But the vehicle they used to sniff around saw footprints in the bottom muck.”

“What?”

“Most of them were wiped off, or disguised as the divers withdrew. But the clincher, the real clincher, is that with all the waterlogged soot, the vehicle’s cameras saw fresh handprints on and inside the wreck.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Nevertheless, it’s a fact. Our scientists have suspicions how they did it, but that’s irrelevant right now.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Needless to say, our people on the scene gave high priority to determining what had been taken. The vehicle lost both its miniprobes trying to peer far enough in the hulk. All they could tell was that an intact internal magazine, which held atomic warheads, had been entered. We have to assume they went in there to steal one or more of the warheads…. It’s the only way they could have gotten those warheads. Gone inside and done it by hand using tools.”

“And the isotope mix when they detonate would tell any competent nuclear physicist which country made those bombs.”

“Got it in one. There’s the provocation, the casus belli.” The reason for war. “We suspect the von Scheer intends to somehow use those warheads to make it look like the U.S. gave atom bombs to Brazil and Brazil attacked Argentina with them. Then… Well… You get the picture. The von Scheer herself would have equipment to make the isotope analysis as a matter of course.”

Jeffrey had to sit down. “That justifies the so-called foreign aid. That makes it tit for tat. That makes it look like Germany only reacted, and fairly, to an atrocity we pulled off.” He thought about this hard. “But, Admiral, if the Axis frames us for a major crime, what’s supposed to be our motive? ”

Hodgkiss’s voice grew sarcastic, bitter. “Snatch South America as Allied turf before the neutrals there can go with the winning side, the Axis. Grab a bastion on the west coast of the South Atlantic because we know we’ll lose Africa soon. Do it on the cheap, use Brazilian troops and a handful of nukes, to not divert our own overstretched forces.”

Jeffrey hesitated. “Sir, it is the myth of the ugly American pushed to the hilt…. But the people down there are conditioned by their politics and culture to believe it, aren’t they? And the Allies occupied Iceland in World War Two, uninvited, to get there before the Nazis did. The Icelanders were really pissed, but we went in anyway….”

“Given the status of our usable senior personnel inside Brazil — i.e., virtually none — and given da Gama’s skeptical attitude, which may in part be due to Axis supporters there working against us — without da Gama knowing their true colors, I mean — our commander in chief sees only one recourse.”

“Admiral?”

“The president needs to give da Gama absolute proof that we’re telling the truth. The two of them go way back, even longer than you and da Gama do. They met at the Army War College when both were still in uniform.” Such international relationship building was one main purpose of the war colleges; it was by design, not coincidence, that so many key players knew one another from peacetime.

“So?”

“Da Gama will know exactly who you are, and that’ll count doubly with him because of all the publicity over your Medal, of which da Gama is well aware. You are ordered to serve as an emissary, president to president.”

“Sir?”

“Brazil is a different culture, like you said. Ceremony and gestures of good faith count for a lot there. If you leave your ship just long enough to meet da Gama, you achieve several things at once. Understand?”