Operation Orion - Kevin Dockery [61]
Robinson made a gesture like an inverted fishhook. “It’s got a downward-facing bell. The air comes up from below, then emerges through a grid to bubble right into the water.”
“What kind of grid?” Jackson asked, a little worried.
“Simple steel, sir,” Robinson replied with a grin. “Nothing that Baxter won’t be able to cut with his soldering iron.”
“All right,” Jackson said. “I think I’ve got the beginnings of a plan.”
Thirteen: A Knock on the Door
Like any sensible commander, Jackson hated to divide his forces before an engagement. But when he considered the risky, almost desperate, nature of the task before them, he decided that there was no decent alternative. The trick for the CO was to determine the right balance of men for the two tasks he had in mind. In the end, that balance weighed heavily in favor of the infiltrators, with only one fire team held out to create the all-important diversion.
The elements favored the operation, he told himself. Whether it was because this steep-walled valley protected them from the wind or the storm itself was waning, he couldn’t be sure. But the force of the gale and even the intensity of the snowfall had eased considerably. From their position at the rim, they could see more than two kilometers now, all the way to the far side of the depression. The valley was a circular space there, like a wide spot in the canyon, with sheer cliffs to the right and left. The only obvious points of access were the gentle pass where the Team was positioned and a similar gap that led to the continuation of the canyon on the far side of the bowl.
After some consideration, he had decided to have the five sailors, the crewmen from the drop boats, accompany the larger group of SEALS, the men who would seek to penetrate the enemy installation. After he explained his plan to Coxswain Grafton, the sailors laid Zimmer’s body near the side of the ridge, with a small cairn of rocks to mark the spot. If the Team was successful, they would return to get the remains. If they were not successful, Grafton readily understood that there would be a lot more bodies to worry about.
“G-Man, Falco,” he explained tersely. “I need you to hold position on this ridge. When you see the last man get into the water, start a twenty-minute countdown. On zero, I want you to make these hostiles think that an all-out attack is coming in the front door.”
“Gotcha, LT,” replied the big SEALS, the tallest and strongest operator in the Team. He patted the long barrel of his rail gun. “I presume you want me to use Baby to ring the bell.”
“Right. Give ’em a wake-up call and wait for a reaction. If nobody shows after sixty seconds, send in a second shot.” He turned to the sniper. “I don’t need to tell you to be ready if they sortie.”
“I’ll be ready, skipper.” Falco cradled his Mark 30 rifle. The long gun, tended carefully by the sniper, was dry and clean, the lenses of the scope covered for now to protect them from the elements. The 10.2-mm round fired by the sniper rifle had a lot more stopping power than the 6.8-mm rounds of the G15, and Falco seemed to think he could drop a yeti with a single shot, if necessary. “At this range and with that snow, they won’t have much chance of getting over to us unless they send a tank.”
“I hope they send a tank,” LaRue noted with a chuckle that was totally devoid of humor. “Baby likes big game.”
“I remember,” Jackson said drolly, thinking of the dinosaur-like reptile the big man had blown apart on their last combat mission. “Good luck.”
“Thank you, sir. You, too,” the big man replied meaningfully.
The rest of the Team was ready to move out. Robinson, the man who first had investigated the pond that was their destination, took the point, with Dobson close behind. Jackson came third, with the rest of the Team filing after him. Though only the two scouts wore the ghillie cloaks, the adaptable camouflage of the pressure suits rendered all thirteen of the SEALS pale ghosts, moving soundlessly and carefully through the snow. The five sailors were less effectively camouflaged in