"John Clark."
"Domingo Chavez." Handshakes were exchanged.
"Any more bags?" Ding asked.
"This is all I had time to pack. Lead on, people," Colonel Malloy replied.
"Need a hand with that?" Chavez asked a man about six inches taller and forty pounds heavier than himself.
"I got it," the Marine assured him. "Where we going?"
"Chopper is waiting for us. Car's this way." Clark headed through a side door, then down some steps to a waiting car. The driver took Malloy's bag and tossed it in the "boot" for the half-mile drive to a waiting British army Puma helicopter.
Malloy looked around. It was a crummy day to fly, the ceiling about fifteen hundred feet, and the drizzle getting a little harder, but he was not a white-knuckle flyer. They loaded into the back of the helicopter. He watched the flight crew run through the start-up procedure professionally, reading off their printed checklist, just as he did it. With the rotor turning, they got on the radio for clearance to lift off. That took several minutes. It was a busy time at Heathrow, with lots of international flights arriving to deliver business people to their work of the day. Finally, the Puma lifted off, climbed to altitude, and headed off in an undetermined direction to wherever the hell he was going. At that point, Malloy got on the intercom.
"Can anybody tell me what the hell this is all about?"
"What did they tell you?"
"Pack enough underwear for a week," Malloy replied, with a twinkle in his eye.
"There's a nice department store a few miles from the base."
"Hereford?"
"Good guess," Chavez responded. "Been there?"
"Lots of times. I recognized that crossroads down there from other flights. Okay, what's the story?"
"You're going to be working with us, probably," Clark told him.
"Who's `us,' sir?"
"We're called Rainbow, and we don't exist."
"Vienna?" Malloy said through the intercom. The way they both blinked was answer enough. "Okay, that looked a little slick for cops. What's the makeup of the team?"
"NATO, mainly Americans and Brits, but others, too, plus an Israeli," John told him.
"And you set this up without any rotorheads?"
"Okay, goddamnit, I blew it, okay?" Clark observed. "I'm new at this command stuff."
"What's that on your forearm, Clark? Oh, what rank are you?"
John pulled back on his jacket, exposing the red seal tattoo. "I'm a simulated two-star. Ding here is a simulated major."
The marine examined the tattoo briefly. "I've heard of those, but never seen any. Third Special Operations Group, wasn't it? I knew a guy who worked with them."
"Who's that?"
"Dutch Voort, retired about five-six years ago as a fullbird."
"Dutch Voort! Shit, haven't heard that name in a while," Clark replied at once. "I got shot down with him once."
"You and a bunch of others. Great aviator, but his luck was kinda uneven."
"How's your luck, Colonel?" Chavez asked.
"Excellent, sonny, excellent," Malloy assured him. "And you can call me Bear."
It fit, both men decided of their visitor. He was Clark's height, six-one, and bulky, as though he pumped barbells for fun and drank his share of beer afterward. Chavez thought of his friend Julio Vega, another lover of free weights. Clark read over the medals. The DFC had two repeat clusters on it, as did the Silver Star. The shooting iron also proclaimed that Malloy was an expert marksman. Marines liked to shoot for entertainment and to prove that like all other Marines they were riflemen. In Malloy's case, a Distinguished Rifleman, which was as high as the awards went. But no Vietnam ribbons, Clark saw. Well, he would have been too young for that, which was another way for Clark to realize how old he'd grown. lie also saw that Malloy was about the right age for a half colonel, whereas someone with all those decorations should have made it younger. Had Malloy been passed over for full-bird colonel? One problem with special operations was that it often put one off the best career track. Special attention was often required to make sure such people got the promotions they merited - which wasn't a problem for enlisted men, but frequently a big one for commissioned officers.
"I started off in search-and-rescue, then I shipped over to Recon Marines, you know, get 'em in, get 'em out. You gotta have a nice touch. I guess I do."
"What are you current in?"
"H-60, Hueys, of course, and H-53s. I bet you don't have any of those, right?"
"'Fraid not," Chavez said, immediately and obviously disappointed.
"Air Force 24th Special Operations Squadron at RAF Mildenhall has the MH-60K and MH-53. I am up to speed on both if you ever borrow them. They're part of Ist Special Operations Wing, and they're based both here and in Germany, last time I checked."
"No shit?" Clark asked.
"No shit, Simulated General, sir. I know the wing commander, Stanislas Dubrovnik, Stan the Man. Great helo driver. He's been around the block a few dozen times if you ever need a friend in a hurry."
"I'll keep that in mind. What else you know how to fly?"
"The Night Stalker, of course, but not many of them around. None based over here that I know of." The Puma turned then, circling, then flaring to settle into the Hereford pad. Malloy watched the pilot's stick work and decided he was competent, at least for straight-and-level stuff. "I'm not technically current on the MH-47 Chinook-we're only allowed to stay officially current on three types-technically I'm not current on Hueys either, but I was fucking born in a Huey, if you know what I mean, General. And I can handle the MH-47 If I have to."
"The name's John, Mr. Bear," Clark said, with a smile. He knew a pro when he saw one.
"I'm Ding. Once upon a time I was an 11-Bravo, but then the Agency kidnapped my ass. His fault," Chavez said. "John and I been working together a while."
"I suppose you can't tell me the good stuff, then. Kinda surprised I never met you guys before. I've delivered a few spooks here and there from time to time, if you know what I mean. "Bring your package?" Clark asked, meaning his personnel file.
Malloy patted his bag. "Yes, sir, and very creative writing, it is, if I do say so." The helicopter settled down. The crew chief jumped out to pull the sliding doors open. Malloy grabbed his bag, stepped down, and walked to the Rover parked just off the pad. There the driver, a corporal, took Malloy's bag and tossed it in the back. British hospitality, Malloy saw, hadn't changed very much. He returned the salute and got in the rear. The rain was picking up. English weather, the colonel thought, hadn't changed much either. Miserable place to fly helicopters, but not too bad if you wanted to get real close without teeing seen, and that wasn't too awful, was it? The Rover jeep took them to what looked like a headquarters building instead of his guest housing. Whoever they were, they were in a hurry.
"Nice office, John," he said, looking around on the inside. "I guess you really are a simulated two-star."
"I'm the boss," Clark admitted, "and that's enough. Sit down. Coffee?"
"Always, Malloy confirmed, taking a cup a moment later. "Thanks."
"How many hours?" Clark asked next. "Total? Sixty-seven-forty-two last time I added it up. Thirty-one hundred of that is special operations. And, oh, about five hundred combat time."
"That much?"
"Grenada, Lebanon, Somalia, couple of other places and the Gulf War. I fished four fast-mover drivers out and brought them back alive during that little fracas. One of them was a little exciting," Malloy allowed, "but I had some help overhead to smooth things out. You know, the job's pretty boring if you do it right."
"I'll have to buy you a pint, Bear," Clark said. "I've always been nice to the SAR guys."
"And I never turn down a free beer. The Brits in your team. ex-SAS?"