Net Force - Tom Clancy [131]
I dont think they want us to leave, Fernandez said.
Howards belly was suddenly full of dry ice and liquid nitrogen. He nodded. But the longer they stayed here, the more dangerous it got. Somebody might get nervous, his finger might slip, and the first round that went off would trigger a fusillade from both sides.
Slowly and carefully, Howard triggered his com headset, opened the opchan to the second Huey. He hoped they werent too far away to hear him on the portable. C2, this is Alpha Wolf.
There was a moment of dead air.
C2, respond.
Copy, Alpha, this is C2.
Howard repressed the urge to sigh in relief. We need a distraction here. Theres a big van with a flashing blue light about sixty meters north of our position next to Cl. I would appreciate it if you would approach from the north and have somebody lean out and put a couple of magazines of hardball into the roof of that vehicle.
Consider it a done deal, Alpha. Were coming in.
Give me an ETA.
Forty-five seconds, sir.
They hadnt gone far, a thing for which he was extremely thankful at the moment.
We are leaving, troops, Howard said, loud enough for his force to hear. At this point, he didnt much care if the opposition heard him. On my command, by twos, as fast as you can.
He saw a few of the Chechens glance away from their sights, looking up and behind. Theyd be able to hear the oncoming Hueys engines-the big Pratt and Whitneys could put out almost 1200 horsepower in a pinch, and at full bore, quiet they were not.
Stand ready Howard said.
In the reflected light from the Chechen vehicles and the yellow sodium lamps outlining the oil tanks, Howard saw the Huey roar in and swing into a drifting broadside turn eighty feet up. After a beat, the rapid yellow-orange flashes of two or three submachine guns blasted from the open doorway.
His troops could shoot. The roof of the van rattled under the jacketed hail.
The Chechens turned to face the new and more active threat.
Go, go, go!
Howards troops piled into the Huey-
The Chechens opened up on the hovering copter-
The last of his troops scrambled into the grounded bird. Only Howard and Fernandez remained outside.
Get in, Julio!
Age before beauty, sir.
Howard grinned, and leaped for the copter. Fernandez bumped him from behind as he cleared the door.
Lift, lift! Howard yelled.
The pilot powered up, and the Huey lurched into the sky.
The Chechens realized the attack from the air was a diversion. They turned their fire in two directions. Jacketed bullets chunked into the copter.
Keep their heads down! Howard yelled.
Fernandez, closest to the door, opened up, waving his H&K back and forth like a garden hose. The Chechens ducked behind their cover. Bullets hammered their vehicles.
The command Huey canted and fell away at a sharp angle, climbing slowly and spiraling upward. A couple more incoming rounds hit and clanged, but a moment later, they were clear.
C2? Howard yelled into his mike.
Right behind you, Alpha.
Casualties your way?
Negative, sir.
Sergeant?
Anybody hit? Fernandez yelled.
Apparently nobody was.
Howard blew out a big breath and grinned. They had done it! Man!
This is kidnapping! You cant do this!
Howard regarded the indignant Russian. He felt a cold hatred fill him as he looked at the man.
You fools will create an international incident! I have influential friends! You cannot expect to get away with it!
Howard stared at the man. We already have gotten away with it.
The Russian began cursing, in Russian. Howard recognized a few of those words, too. He was not disposed to listen to them. He held his hand up for silence. The Russian fell silent and frowned at him.
Mister, you killed a man I liked and respected. If you dont shut up right now, you might accidentally fall out of this thing. At this speed and height, you will bounce like a rubber ball when you hit the ground.
The Russian apparently decided he had nothing else to say.
Saturday, October 9th, 6:54 p.m. Quantico
The phone rang in the conference room. Alone, Michaels grabbed it. Yes?
Sir, patching through