Executive orders - Tom Clancy [556]
The 10th Cav's helicopters were flying around the country's border, their Longbow RADARs looking deep into the UIR for movement, and so far seeing nothing of particular note. The Kuwaiti air force was standing a four plane combat air patrol, with the rest of the force on high alert. Outmanned though they were, this would not be a repeat of 1990. The busiest people were the engineers, who were digging holes for all the tanks so that they could fight hull-down, with only their turrets showing. These were covered with netting to make them invisible from the air.
And so, Colonel? the senior Kuwaiti commander asked.
Nothing wrong with your deployments, General, Magruder replied, scanning the map again. He didn't show everything he felt. Two or three weeks of intensive training would have been a blessing. He'd run one very simple exercise, one of his squadrons against the Kuwaiti 1st Brigade, and even then he'd gone very easy on them. It wasn't the time to break their confidence. They had enthusiasm, and their gunnery was about seventy percent of American standards, but they had a lot to learn about maneuver warfare. Well, it took time to raise an army, and more time to train field officers, and they were doing their best.
YOUR HIGHNESS, I need to thank you for your cooperation to this point, Ryan said over the phone. The wall clock in the Sit Room said 2:10.
Jack, with luck they will see this and not move, Prince Ali bin Sheik replied.
I wish I could agree with that. It is time for me to tell you something you do not yet know, Ah. Our ambassador will present you with full information later in the day. For the moment, you need to know what your neighbors have been up to. It isn't just about the oil, Your Highness. He went on for five minutes.
Are you certain of this?
The evidence we have will be in your hands in four hours, Ryan promised. We haven't even told our soldiers yet.
Might they use these weapons against us? The natural question. Biological warfare made everyone's skin crawl.
We don't think so, Ali. Environmental conditions militate against it. That had been checked, too. The weather forecast for the next week was hot, dry, and clear.
Those who would use such weapons, Mr. President, this is an act of utter barbarism.
That's why we do not expect them to back down. They can't-
Not 'they,' Mr. President. One man. One godless man. When will you speak to your people about this?
Soon, Ryan replied.
Please, Jack, this is not our religion, this is not our faith. Please tell your people that.
I know that, Your Highness. It isn't about God. It's about power. It always is. I'm afraid I have other things to do.
As do I. I must see the King.
Please give him my respects. We stand together, Ali, just like before. With that the line went dead.
Next, where exactly is Adler right now?
Shuttling back to Taiwan, Rutledge answered. Those negotiations were still going on, though their purpose was now rather clear.
Okay, he has secure comm links on the plane. You brief him in, he told the Under Secretary. Anything else I need to do right now?
Sleep, Admiral Jackson told him. Let us do the all-nighter, Jack.
That's a plan. Ryan rose. He wobbled a bit from the stress and lack of sleep. Wake me up if you need me.
We won't, nobody said.
WELL, CAPTAIN KEMPER said, reading the CRITIC message from CINCLANT. That makes things a lot simpler. Range to the Indian battle group was now two hundred miles, about eight hours of steaming-still the term they used, though all the combatant ships were now powered by jet-turbine engines. Kemper lifted the phone and flipped a switch to speak on the ship's 1-MC