lder boards that sparkled in the late…morning sun。
‘Admiral Maxwell！‘ Kelly was glad for the pany； especially this man； but his lower legs were covered in mud from the walk out of the water。 ‘I wish you‘d called ahead； sir。‘
‘I tried； Kelly。‘ Maxwell came up to him and took his hand。 ‘We‘ve been calling here for a couple of days。 Where the hell were you？ Out on a job？‘ The Admiral was surprised at the instant change in the boy‘s face。
‘Not exactly。‘
‘Why don‘t you go get washed off？ I‘ll go looking for a soda。‘ It was then that Maxwell saw the recent scars on Kelly‘s back and neck。 Jesus！
Their first meeting had been aboard USS Kitty Hawk； three years earlier； he as AirPac； Kelly as a very sick Bosun‘s Mate First Class。 It wasn‘t the sort of thing a man in Maxwell‘s position could forget。 Kelly had gone in to rescue the flight crew of Nova One One； whose pilot had been Lieutenant； junior grade； Winslow Holland Maxwell III； USN。 Two days of crawling about in an area that was just too hot for a rescue helicopter to go trolling； and he‘d e out with Dutch 3rd； injured but alive； but Kelly had caught a vicious infection from the putrid water。 And how； Maxwell still asked himself； how did you thank a man for saving your only son？ So young he‘d looked in the hospital bed； so much like his son； the same sort of defiant pride and shy intelligence。 In a just world Kelly would have received the Medal of Honor for his solo mission up that brown river； but Maxwell hadn‘t even wasted the paper。 Sorry； Dutch； CINCPAC would have said； I‘d like to go to bat for you on this； but it‘s a waste of effort； just would look too； well； suspicious。 And so he‘d done what he could。
‘Tell me about yourself。‘
‘Kelly； sir； John Т。； bosun‘s mate first …‘
‘No。‘ Maxwell had interrupted him with a shake of the head。 ‘No； I think you look more like a Chief Bosun‘s Mate to me。‘
Maxwell had stayed on Kitty Hawk for three more days； ostensibly to conduct a personal inspection of flight operations； but really to keep an eye on his wounded son and the young SEAL who‘d rescued him。 He‘d been with Kelly for the telegram announcing the death of his father； a firefighter who‘d had a heart attack on the job。 And now； he realized； he‘d arrived just after something else。
Kelly returned from his shower in a T…shirt and shorts； dragging a little physically； but with something tough and strong in his eyes。
‘How far was that swim； John？‘
‘Just under five miles； sir。‘
‘Good workout；‘ Maxwell observed； handing over a Coca…Cola for his host。 ‘You better cool down some。‘
‘Thank you； sir。‘
‘What happened to you？ That mess on your shoulder is new。‘ Kelly told his story briefly； in the way of one warrior to another； for despite the difference in age and station they were of a kind； and for the second time Dutch Maxwell sat and listened like the surrogate father he had bee。
‘That‘s a hard hit； John；‘ the Admiral observed quietly。
‘Yes； sir。‘ Kelly didn‘t know what else he was supposed to say； and looked down for a moment。 ‘I never thanked you for the card 。。。 when Tish died。 That was good of you； sir。 How‘s your son doing？‘
‘Flying a 727 for Delta。 I‘m going to be a grandfather any day now；‘ the Admiral said with satisfaction； then he realized how cruel the addition might have seemed to this young； lonely man。
‘Great！‘ Kelly managed a smile； grateful to hear something good； that something he‘d done had e to a successful conclusion。 ‘So what brings you out here； sir？‘
‘I want to go over something with you。‘ Maxwell opened his portfolio and unfolded the first of several maps on Kelly‘s coffee table。
The younger man grunted。 ‘Oh； yeah； I remember this place。‘ His eyes lingered on some symbols that were hand…sketched in。 ‘Classified information here； sir。‘
‘Chief； what we‘re going to talk about is very sensitive。‘
Kelly turned to look around。 Admirals always traveled around with aides； usually a shiny young lieutenant who would carry the official briefcase； show his boss where the head was； fuss over where the car was parked； and generally do the things beneath the dignity of a hard…working chief petty officer。 Suddenly he realized that although the helicopter had its flight crew； now wandering around outside； Vice Admiral Maxwell was otherwise alone； and that was most unusual。
‘Why me； sir？‘
‘You‘re the only person in the country who‘s seen this area from ground level。‘
‘And if we‘re smart； we‘ll keep it that way。‘ Kelly‘s memories of the place were anything but pleasant。 Looking at the two…dimensional map instantly brought bad three…dimensional recollections。
‘How far did you go up the river； John？‘
‘About to here。‘ Kelly‘s hand wandered across the map。 ‘I missed your son on the first sweep so I doubled back and found him right about here。‘
And that wasn‘t bad； Maxwell thought； tantalizingly close to the objective。 ‘This highway bridge is gone。 Only took us sixteen missions； but it‘s in the river now。‘
‘You know what that means； don‘t you？ They build a ford； probably； or a couple underwater bridges。 You want advice on taking those out？‘
‘Waste of time。 The objective is here。‘ Maxwell‘s finger tapped a spot marked with red pen。
‘That‘s a long way to swim； sir。 What is it？‘
‘Chief； when you retired you checked the box for being in the Fleet Reserve；‘ Maxwell said benignly。
‘Hold on； sir！‘
‘Relax； son； I‘m not recalling you。‘ Yet； Maxwell thought。 ‘You had a top…secret clearance。‘
‘Yeah； we all did； because of …‘
‘This stuff is higher than TS； John。‘ And Maxwell explained why； pulling additional items from his portfolio。
‘Those motherfuckers 。。。‘ Kelly looked up from the recon photo。 ‘You want to go in and get them out； like Song Tay？‘
‘What do you know about that？‘
‘Just what was in the open；‘ Kelly explained。 ‘We talked it around the group。 It sounded like a pretty slick job。 Those Special Forces guys can be real clever when they work at it。 But …‘
‘Yeah； but there was nobody home。 This guy‘… Maxwell tapped the photo … ‘is positively ID‘d as an Air force colonel。 Kelly； you can never repeat this。‘
‘I understand that； sir。 How do you plan to do it？‘
‘We‘re not sure yet。 You know something about the area； and we want your information to help look at alternatives。‘
Kelly thought back。 He‘d spent fifty sleepless hours in the area。 ‘It would be real hairy for a helo insertion。 There‘s a lot of triple…A there。 The nice thing about Song Tay； it wasn‘t close to anything； but this place is close enough to Haiphong； and you have these roads and stuff。 This is a tough one； sir。‘
‘Nobody ever said it was going to be easy。‘
‘If you loop around here； you can use this ridge…line to mask your approach； but you have to hop the river somewhere 。。。 here； and you run into that flak trap 。。。 and that one‘s even worse； ‘cording to these notations。‘
‘Did SEALs plan air missions over there； Chief？‘ Maxwell asked； somewhat amused； only to be surprised at the reply。
‘Sir； 3rd SOG was always short of officers。 They kept getting shot up。 I was the group operations officer for two months； and we all knew how to plan insertions。 We had to； that was the most dangerous part of most missions。 Don‘t take this wrong； sir； but even enlisted men know how to think。‘
Maxwell bristled a little。 ‘I never said they didn‘t。‘
Kelly managed a grin。 ‘Not all officers are as enlightened as you are； sir。‘ He looked back down at the map。 ‘You plan this sort of thing backwards。 You start with what do you need on the objective； then you backtrack to find out how you get it all there。‘
‘Save that for later。 Tell me about the river valley；‘ Maxwell ordered。
Fifty hours； Kelly remembered； picked up from Danang by helo； deposited aboard the submarine USS Skate； which then had moved Kelly right into the surprisingly deep estuary of that damned stinking river； fighting his way up against the current behind an electrically powered sea…scooter； which was still there； probably； unless some fisherman had snagged a line on it； staying underwater until his air tanks gave out； and he remembered how frightening it was not to be able to hide under the rippled surface。 When he couldn‘t do that； when it had been too dangerous to move； hiding under weeds on the bank； watching traffic move on the river road； hearing the ripping thunder of the flak batteries on the hilltops； wondering what some 37mm fire could do to him if some North Vietnamese boy scout stumbled across him and let his father know。 And now this flag officer was asking him how to risk the lives of other men in the same place； trusting him； much as Pam had； to know what to do。 That sudden thought chilled the retired chief bosun‘s mate。
‘It‘s not a really nice place； sir。 I mean； your son saw a lot of it； too。‘
‘Not from your perspective；‘ Maxwell pointed out。
And that was true； Kelly remembered。 Little Dutch had bellied up in a nice thick place； using his radio only on alternate hours； waiting for Snake to e and fetch him while he nursed a broken leg in silent agony； and listened to the same triple…A batteries that had splashed his A…6 hammer the sky at other men trying to take