“WHAT?” Lieutenant Commander Russell “Shakey” McDevitt exclaimed to the LSO phone talker on the platform. “Barricade?”
“Yes, sir,” the young sailor replied. Shakey saw the look of concern the sailor couldn’t hide as he relayed the message. “After this Rhino, they gonna rig it for four-zero-six!”
Shakey looked aft at the blinking lights of the Super Hornet some five miles away. “Who’s in four-oh-six again?”
“Jasper,” a young LSO sang out, at the same time Dutch said, “It’s Sponge.”
Sponge, Shakey thought, and immediately his mind spat out a trend analysis: Sponge tends to get overpowered and drive himself high in close and overcorrect to an early wire. He responds to calls, a solid nugget, trainable.
Shakey then turned his attention to the aircraft at one mile. The rain started to pick up again.
As Shakey, with Dutch backing him up, worked to get the Rhino aboard, he fought to keep from thinking of the barricade approach he would wave less than 10 minutes from now. Mercifully, the deck cooperated with the Spartan, and it flew a solid pass. Shakey then walked over to call the tower, picked up the receiver, and dialed.
The call was answered after the first ring. “Air Boss.”
“Boss, Shakey. Are we really going to barricade this guy?”
“Yeah, he couldn’t plug. We’ve got an alert tanker, and we’re shootin’ him now. But we need to get four-oh-six aboard. How’s Jasper been lately?”
“He’s doin’ good, sir. Tends to be overpowered.”
“A few extra for the wife and kids. Nothin’ wrong with that!” he said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Then the Boss turned serious. “Can he handle this?”
“Yes, sir. We’ll get him aboard.” Shakey hoped he was right.
“You ready for this?”
“Yes, sir. We’ve got it.”
“Good job, Paddles. We’re workin’ a 28,000 gross… Gotta go.”
“Yes, sir” Shakey said as he hung up.
Seconds later the Boss came over the 5MC. “On the flight deck, we’ve got a low-state Hornet comin’ in. Rig the barricade. Rig the jet barricade for Raven four-zero-six.”
Shakey looked at Dutch, who was still stunned by the news. “You good to go?” he asked.
Dutch looked toward the horizon and back toward Shakey. “Yep, I’m right behind you — unless, of course, you want Stretch up here.”
“No, his eyes aren’t night adapted. You back me up.”
“Roger that,” Dutch replied, and grabbed a radio handset to listen to the CATCC controlling his sqadronmate.
