Executive orders - Tom Clancy [569]
Radio chatter, I have radio chatter on UHF, bearing zero-one-five.
Take the shot, Kemper said instantly.
Shoot! Weps said over the voice channel to the helo.
Roger, engaging!
Combat, lookout, sir, I have a flash like a missile launch on the port quarter-make that two, sir, a speaker announced.
Give it a sweep-
Two more launches, sir.
Shit, Kemper thought. The helo carried only two Penguin antiship missiles. The enemy had gotten the first two off. And he couldn't do anything now. The decoy group was fulfilling its function. It was getting shot at.
Two vampires inbound-target destroyed, the pilot added, announcing the destruction of the missile boat confirmed a moment later by the topside lookout. Say again, two vampires inbound O'Bannon.
Silkworms are big targets, Weps said.
They watched the mini-battle imperfectly. The navigation-RADAR display showed O'Bannon changing course to port. That would be to unmask her point-defense missile system, located far aft. It would also provide a huge RADAR target to the inbound missiles. The destroyer did not fire off her decoys for fear that spoofing the in-bounds would only divert them to the replenishment ships she was guarding. An automatic decision? Kemper wondered. A considered one? Ballsy either way. The destroyer's illumination RADAR came on. That meant she was firing her missiles, but the navigation RADAR couldn't tell. Then at least one of the frigates joined in.
All kinda flashes aft, the topside lookout said next. Wow, that was a big one! There goes another! Then five seconds of silence.
O'Bannon to group, we're okay, a voice reported.
For now, Kemper thought.
THE PREDATORS WERE up, three of them, one each for the three corps encamped southwest of Baghdad, motoring through the air at only twice the speed of a tank. None of them got as far as planned. Thirty miles short of their objectives, their look-down thermal cameras showed the glowing shapes of armored vehicles. The Army of God was moving. The feed to STORM TRACK was instantly cross-loaded to KKMC, and from there all over the world.
Another couple of days would have been nice, Ben Goodley thought aloud.
How ready are our people? Ryan turned to the J-3.
The 10th's ready to rock. The 11th needs at least a day. The other brigade doesn't even have its equipment yet, Jackson replied.
How long before contact? the President asked next.
At least twelve hours, maybe eighteen. Depends on where they're going, exactly.
Jack nodded. Arnie, has Callie been briefed in on all this?
No, not at all.
Then let's get that done. I have a speech to make.
ALAHAD MUST HAVE gotten bored running a business with no customers, Loomis thought. He left early, walked to where his car was parked, and drove off. Tailing him on such empty streets would probably be fairly easy. A few minutes later, the subject was observed to park his car and enter his apartment building. Then she and Selig walked out of the unit they'd been in, crossed the street, and walked around the back. There were two locks on the door, which caused the junior agent to take ten minutes to defeat them, much to his own annoyance. Then came the alarm system, but that was more easily accomplished. It was an old one with a socket key and a very simple disarming code. Inside they found a few more photos, one, probably, of his son. They checked the Rolodex first, and there was the card for J. Sloan, with the number 536-4040, but no address.
Tell me what you think, Loomis said.
I think it's a new card, not dog-eared or anything like that, and I think there's a dot over the first numeral four. Tells him which number to change, Sis.
This guy's a player, Donny.
I think you're right, and that makes Aref Raman one, too.
But how to prove it?
THE COVER MIGHT or might not have been blown. There was no knowing. Kemper assessed the situation as best he could. Maybe the missile boat had gotten off a broadcast and received permission to fire Maybe the young commander had decided to shoot on his own probably not. Dictatorial countries