“Right.”
Colonel Renault emerged from the building with Lieutenant Fellows. Renault prodded the young black lieutenant with his rifle. Mortars still zoomed over their head as Renault’s team ensured that no one was going to try to counterattack. The fires had subsided, but the air was still filled with acrid smoke.
Vikki waited until they were halfway to the bunker before contacting the helicopters on the walkie-talkie. Almost immediately the HH-53’s swung from their sentry above Alpha Base and circled an opening between bunkers. As they descended, Vikki estimated the landing area was two hundred yards away. She shouldered her rifle and moved out to greet Renault.
“How did it go?”
Fellows looked sullen as Renault shoved him forward. The colonel beamed. “Great. All we need is a bunker.”
Vikki jerked her head behind her. “The choppers landed. There’s plenty of bunkers over there.”
“Let’s move it, then.” Renault took a quick look around. “Where’s Dr. Harding?”
“I’m not sure — probably hunting down security policemen.”
“I’m sure he is.” Renault shoved Fellows forward.
The path to the helicopters was dark. Every time they passed a bunker, Vikki squinted into the shadows, trying to see if anyone was hiding.
Harding met them as they approached. Ten additional security policemen lay on the ground, their hands tied over their heads and their boots all unlaced. Renault wore a thin smile. “Congratulations, Dr. Harding. If I’d known you were such an excellent stalker, I would have hired you years ago.”
Harding ignored Renault’s sarcasm. “Just think of them as catalyst for our young friend to open up the bunker.”
Renault pushed Lieutenant Fellows up to a clearing where the helicopters had landed. He chose the nearest bunker and directed the young officer to open it.
Nudging the captured security policemen with his automatic weapon, Harding forced them to stand and herded them forward. They shuffled as a group until Harding had them stop next to Lieutenant Fellows and the bunker.
Renault lit a cigarette and waved smoke away. “Lieutenant, we’ve wasted enough time sparring with each other. You know I promised you your life if you opened the bunker. Don’t make me shoot more of your men if you fail to keep your side of the bargain, eh?” Renault drew on his smoke and watched the officer.
Fellows set his mouth and began working. Bringing the holograph up to the box, he leaned over his shoulder and checked the bunker number: 6640. Harding kept his weapon trained on the airman as he watched him. Fellows keyed 6640 into the interference device, then waved it over the tiny glass hole. The box beeped.
Harding stepped back. “What was that?”
Renault grunted and motioned for the lieutenant to continue. When Fellows waved the second device past the box, the bunker’s steel door started to rumble. Slowly, the four-inch-thick sheet began to swing open.
“Watch out — back up,” shouted Renault. The men scrambled to get out of the way. Vikki kept her rifle trained on the security policemen.
As the door crept open, Harding glanced at the prisoners. “Vikki, get rid of them. All they’ll do is get in our way.”
Vikki opened her mouth to answer when a shout erupted from a helicopter.
“Colonel, we’ve intercepted some radio traffic.”
“What is it?”
A man ran up. “Wendover has called in reinforcements.”
“How did they do that?” interrupted Harding angrily. “I thought your men were going to cut off all communications outside of the base?”
Renault ignored him. The colonel spoke patiently to the pilot. “What happened?”
“Someone is communicating with Air Force fighters. They are five minutes out and are being directed straight for Alpha Base.”
“Just friggin’ great!” Harding spat out.
Renault persisted. “Where’s the transmission coming from?”
“I’m not sure. But to transmit at that range using that frequency, they must be airborne.”
Renault craned his neck and scanned the sky. The moon was just setting, and the stars blazed down in the crystal-clear night. He searched for something, anything that looked out of place. “There, that bright light, directly above us.”
The pilot squinted. “That’s right, Colonel. It looks like a strobe!”
“And I bet it’s an HH-53.” Renault looked down. “All right, I’ll take care of this.” He shoved Fellows toward Harding. “You’ve got it, Dr. Harding. The bunker’s open, so it’s your ball game.”
Harding grabbed Fellows, astounded. “What do you plan to do?” he said to Renault.
“Misinformation. Al Qaeda used it all the time in Iraq, Syria, and anywhere else they had a presence. I bet the Air Force hasn’t learned its lesson after all these years. By the time I’m through with these fighters, they won’t know who to trust.” Renault sped out toward the helicopters.
Harding looked to Vikki. His eyes were glazed, but bright. “Let’s go, babe. This is what we’ve been waiting for.” He shoved Lieutenant Fellows into the bunker.
Vikki drew in a deep breath, relieved; she’d been afraid that Harding would massacre the security policemen she guarded. She motioned for Renault’s men to secure the prisoners. “Make sure they won’t escape.”
She followed Harding and the lieutenant into the depths of the nuclear weapons storage bunker. Wide yellow stripes were painted on the floor, leading into the storage facility. After a year of planning, it was all coming together.
Chapter 19
The two worked in silence, Manny keeping the chopper steady while McGriffin compared the location of the terrorists with their position on the map. The temperature was steadily rising, heat diffusing into the craft from the helicopter’s stealth exterior.
Wiping a hand to remove the sweat from his brow, McGriffin looked up. “Ready to play Forward Air Controller?”
“Just as long as those jet jockeys stay away from us.”
“That’s the whole idea.” Just as McGriffin reached to click his mike, a voice came over the radio.
“Falcon One, this is Wendover. There is a maverick HH-53 circling approximately one mile AGL over Alpha Base in violation of restricted air space. He has dropped ordnance on the Alpha Base and is dangerous. Request you ace this bandit soonest. He will probably try and break into this frequency and claim he is a friendly.”
McGriffin’s mouth dropped open. Manny nearly sent the helicopter into a dive. McGriffin choked. “He means us! Someone’s vectoring the 16’s in on us!”
He frantically tried to raise the fighters. “Falcon One, this is Wendover airborne CP — that’s affirmative, we’re in a chopper approx one mile AGL, but this frequency is tapped. I say again, this frequency is bugged. Switch to your secure comm link ASAP.”
A voice cackled back immediately. “Negatory on that, airborne Wendover — or whoever you are. I’ll need validation on you. Now what the hell is going on? Why are you flying in restricted air space? You’ve got one minute to clear the area. We’ve been unlocked from our Wing at Hill and are arming now. So move!”
Manny turned white. He held a steady hand keeping the helicopter at altitude. Turning to McGriffin, he wet his lips. “What do we do?”
McGriffin tried to think. Manny and he were the only two people between the terrorists and the nukes. But what could he do?
Manny raised his voice. “Come on, Bill — what do we do? I’m for turning our lights out and getting the hell out of Dodge. What do you say?”
McGriffin shook his head and whispered, “I don’t know—I don’t know!”