I slumped back in my chair, shocked beyond words.
'Until I know otherwise, I have to view this relationship between Admiral Magruder and Commander Kursk with some concern,' Lab Rat continued. 'Remember, this is the same man who tried to kill him when he was still on board Jefferson. And now they are working together?' Lab Rat shook his head slowly. 'Tell me I have a nasty, paranoid mind, Admiral. Reassure me that there's nothing to this, that I'm not going to get my ass blasted by D.C. for divulging classified information to a senior officer who may be compromised.'
'Compromised.' I spat the word out, tasting its foulness in my mouth. 'Are you accusing Tombstone Magruder of being a spy?'
Lab Rat spoke quickly now. 'Not intentionally, Admiral. It's possible that his drive to seek his father has led him to make arrangements that the United States might view with some alarm.'
'Cut the bullshit, Lab Rat. Do you seriously believe that Tombstone Magruder would betray his country in any way? That he would release classified information without proper authorization? Particularly to them?'
'He's got you convinced we need to make a bombing run on the interior of Vietnam, based on the same associations,' Lab Rat pointed out. 'Admiral, please ? understand my position. I'm not accusing Admiral Magruder of being a spy. I'm just saying that there's something questionable about this entire association, this sequence of events. Frankly, I don't want to take the chance. Can you honestly say that you do? Putting aside your personal friendship with Admiral Magruder ? and remember, Chief Warrant Officer Walker also had personal friends in his command ? are you completely and professionally satisfied with this entire situation?'
I was so angry I almost couldn't think straight. I stood, and started to scream at Lab Rat and chew his neck to a bloody, red froth. Then it hit me, the unsettling feeling that circled around the pit of my stomach whenever I was about to make a fool of myself. I sat back down heavily.
Perhaps there was something to what he was saying. No, not that Tombstone would ever betray his country ? that I simply could not believe. But the circumstances ? yes, there was a lot left to be desired in them. Now that I reviewed them, Tombstone's explanation sounded all the more lame. That the leader of his group had mysteriously disappeared, that he'd fled the fire and had a chance encounter with the one Ukrainian he had reason to hate most of all in the world, then gone with that man voluntarily to conduct surveillance on a secret Chinese weapons-production facility ? now that I ran through the facts again, it sounded more and more bizarre. Bizarre ? but true. Had it been anyone else except Admiral Magruder, who I'd known so long and so well, I would have wondered about it. But coming from him…
And that was exactly Lab Rat's point. I couldn't let my personal friendship with Tombstone cloud my judgment in this matter. Not with what we were about to undertake. Really, the only reason I was completely convinced at that point was that both stories backed up Lab Rat's national-asset data about a possible nuclear plant deep in the jungle of Vietnam. Whoever it belonged to ? Chinese, Vietnamese, or even Ukrainian ? it needed to be put out of business. That they were up to no good was evident by the care they'd taken to conceal their activities.
'Tombstone isn't compromised,' I said finally, my voice sounding weak and quiet even to my own ears. 'It's not possible.'
Lab Rat nodded. 'I tend to agree with you, Admiral. But as I said ? it's not a matter of what we think or feel. It's a matter of what the facts are ? and what our duty requires us to do.'
'I don't believe it,' I said finally. 'I won't.'
It was Lab Rat's turn to stand, and he paced angrily in the small confined space. He appeared to be at war with himself, struggling with some decision he knew he must make. Finally he turned to me, a harsh expression on his face. 'Admiral, I've reviewed everything I can think of concerning security clearances. Of course, you have the absolute right to grant a clearance to anyone you wish, if you follow the regulations listed in the manual for granting interim ones. I know those rules cold ? and so do you, I suspect.'
'So what are you saying?' I asked.
'Admiral, Admiral Magruder is a visitor aboard this ship. Technically, you must formally authorize his access to classified material from my shop. As I said, it is your sole decision ? but it's normally one made with the concurrence of the top-secret control officer. That would be me.'
I felt my jaw drop as I contemplated where this young officer was about to go. He wouldn't dare. He couldn't- He did.
'I do not concur with any decisions to authorize Admiral Magruder access to classified material,' Lab Rat said firmly. 'Furthermore ? and understand, this is not a threat, I am merely complying with regulations ? if you do grant him access to classified material, I will be forced to file a report with the National Security Group in Hawaii, indicating my concern that classified material may be compromised by your actions.' A strange, almost pleading look swept over Lab Rat's face. 'I don't want to do this, Admiral Wayne. But I don't have any choice.'
I sighed heavily, dumbstruck. 'If you pull his clearance, you realize he's grounded,' I said quietly.
Lab Rat nodded. 'I know that. And truly, if I saw any other way, I wouldn't do it.'
As much as I hated it I saw Lab Rat's point. Had it been anyone else, I would 'have done as he suggested in a heartbeat.
'All right,' I said, the words heavy in my throat. 'I'm not convinced, for what it's worth. But I agree. I'll tell him myself.'
Lab Rat took a step closer to me. 'But not until after I've debriefed him thoroughly,' he said quietly. 'I Want a straight story, his first story, Admiral. Not one based on any suspicions that you may raise in him.'
'Suspicions?' I was on my feet too now, outraged again. 'How dare you-' I bit my words off in mid-sentence as I saw the look on Lab Rat's face.
There are many forms of courage, but one of the most difficult to measure is moral courage. It is that strange conviction that drives a man to do what is right, not what is convenient or attractive. It requires standing up to superior officers when they are in the wrong, taking a moral stand whenever possible. In that instant, I saw those qualities in Lab Rat's face.
'I apologize,' I said, my voice quiet now. 'You're absolutely right. I won't tell him ? not until you tell me to. In the meantime, we'll shield him from all classified material. How is that?'
A vast look of relief washed over Lab Rat's face. 'Thank you, sir. I think we can resolve this quickly.'
I nodded. 'So do I, Lab Rat. So do I.'
I opened the outer door, and motioned Tombstone back into the room. I forced a hearty, relaxed expression onto my face. 'Your turn, amigo.'
Tombstone shot me a quizzical look. 'I don't know how long this'll take, but could you have someone hunt me down a bed? I'm about out on my feet ? I suspect I need about ten hours in the rack before I even start to sound coherent again.' He chuckled, and pointed at Lab Rat. 'I pity him, trying to have to piece this story together the way I'm feeling right now.'
Inwardly, I winced. Tombstone had no idea of what had transpired, and it would soon be my sad duty to tell him his clearance was pulled. And that he was grounded, since the entire interior of the Tomcat is classified. I wasn't looking forward to it, any more than Lab Rat had wanted to talk to me about it. But it had to be done ? and I'd done it.
I left Yuri in the care of two Intelligence Specialists who were obviously chomping at the bit to ask him questions, but were under strict orders from Lab Rat to leave him alone until Lab Rat himself could debrief the Ukrainian. After making sure that he was comfortable and promising to find him a rack as well, I headed back to my cabin. The walk back took far longer than the trip to CVIC had in the first place.
13
I went down to Medical to see how Gator was doing, but the corpsmen wouldn't even let me in the door until I'd had a shower. They damned near grabbed me and pitched me in one right there, claiming I posed a health hazard to the entire ship. I gave up trying to get in and went back to my stateroom to hunt down a clean pair of
