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English, or that he had spent several years in America. He believed that was very much for the good, especially since he had overheard his captors say several times that he must be treated with care. Certainly they had been good to him so far.
They wanted to know how he managed the radar network. They asked of a laser, and missiles, but to every question he feigned ignorance.
He would say nothing. That was his duty.
High Top
1110
TORBIN HAD TROUBLE CONCENTRATING ON THE RADAR
screen as Jennifer Gleason reviewed the settings for him.
If the plane’s captain was the most beautiful woman Torbin had ever seen—and she was—Jennifer was number two.
Very different, though. Not military. Long hair, thinner.
Cursed like a stinking sailor. Smarter than any ten people he’d ever met.
“So you hit this sequence here, that just tells the computer to screw over its normal programming,” she told him. “Then you manually move the cursor to prioritize, or use verbal commands, like this.”
The scientist began speaking in a calm, almost quiet voice, using the screen ID codes to identify the targets.
“The thing to remember is that you have to precede instructions with the word ‘Computer.’ ”
“Got it,” said Torbin.
“Okay. You run through the simulation program I just set for you. I have to help install the laser detection gear in Raven, so I’m going to download some programming while you’re practicing. Then you’re going to come over to Raven with me and help calibrate it.”
292
DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND
Jennifer bent down to examine something on the screen of her laptop, exposing a small bit of flesh near her waist-band.
“Okay,” said Torbin, wrestling his eyes away with great difficulty. “Okay, okay.”
High Top
1115
WITHOUT THE MARINES OR OTHER CENTCOM SUPPORT, the best they could do was blow up the laser. Even then, it might be tricky—they had only six JSOWs left, to use against the three likely sites.
“We can get there in the Bronco,” insisted Mack, who had suddenly become enamored of the turboprop plane.
“In and out.”
“Your loaded radius just won’t cut it,” said Zen. “Especially if it turns out to be that site out near the lake. I’m sorry, Danny. Colonel Bastian’s right. This is the way we have to go.”
“I’m worried that we don’t even have all the possible sites,” said Alou. “From what Rubeo says, those four smaller buildings could be it too.”
“Once they fire at the Quail, we’ll know for sure,” said Bree.
“If they fire at the Quail.”
“They will.” The Quail was a decoy drone, essentially a cruise missile with a profile and “noisemaker” that made it appear to be a B-52 on radar scopes.
“I think they’ll go for it,” said Zen. “And Rubeo’s wrong about it fitting in a small building. Jennifer says it has to be one of those three sites.”
“She’s not an expert on lasers,” said Alou.
RAZOR’S EDGE
293
“She’s an expert on everything,” answered Zen.
Danny listened as they continued to discuss the contin-gencies, pondering how effective the JSOWs would be against a hardened site, even though Rubeo said it would be impossible to place the director or firing mechanism behind one.
In a perfect world, a massive strike by F-15Es would cover any possibility. But if it were a perfect world, Danny thought, he would have CentCom support.
He glanced at the map. If it made sense to survey the laser site when they thought it was in Iraq, it made even more sense now.
Two of the three most likely sites were within the Bronco’s radius, albeit just at the edge.
So maybe they should be in the air, just in case.
“What?” Zen asked him.
“Listen, if you’re going to use the Quail to try and find the site, then I’ll take a team in the Bronco in case it turns out to be one we can hit,” Danny told him.
“Now you’re talking,” said Mack.
“Iraqis’ll shoot you down before you get to the border,”
said Zen. “They’re running Zsu-23s up north like ants rushing to a picnic.”
“It’s an awful long shot,” said Bree.
“Granted. But the payoff would be high.”
“Not if you’re shot down,” said Alou.
“Hey, screw that,” said Mack. “I’m not getting shot down.”
“You almost got shot down by a helicopter,” said Alou.
“Not even close. And this time I won’t leave my Sidewinders behind.”
“Then you’ll never make it into Iraq,” said Zen. “It’s too far, Mack.”
“Don’t wimp on me, Zen boy.”
294
DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND
The back and forth might have been amusing if so much weren’t riding on it. Danny wondered if he sounded like Mack—willing to take enormous risks just to get in on the action.
Was that what he was doing?
Dreamland Command Center
0100
THE FACE THAT FLASHED ONTO THE SCREEN SURPRISED
Dog so much he found himself momentarily speechless.
“I hear you’ve been looking to chew my ear,” said General Clearwater, CentCom CinC. “Fire away.”
“Well, actually, it’s academic now,” said Dog, who’d just come back to the command center after catching a few hours sleep. “I wanted to inform you of a mission into Iraq.”
Clearwater moved his closed mouth, as if shifting his teeth around. “Well, your boys pulled that off very well, Colonel. Congratulations. Were you looking for assistance?”
“Just wanted to keep the lines of communication open, sir. A heads-up.”
“Very good.” The general seemed ready to sign off.
“General Clearwater, I wonder if we might have your support on another mission.”
“What’s that?”
“We believe we know where the laser is that’s been shooting down our aircraft. We want to hit it right away.”
“It should be a target. Have you talked to Jack?”
Jack meant Jack Christian, the Air Force general in charge of target planning for CentCom.
“It’s in Iran,” said Dog. “What I’m looking for—”
“Iran’s out of bounds,” said the general. “Are you sure about this?”
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295
“Yes, sir.”
Clearwater moved his jaw again. The deep lines on his forehead grew even deeper. “How sure?” he asked.
“Very.”
“My orders at the moment are very explicit, and I’ve gone over similar ground with the Defense secretary twice. I understand your orders may be different,” added Clearwater before Dog could say anything else. “But for the moment at least, my hands are tied.”
The screen blanked before Dog could say anything else.
High Top
1150
THE IDEA HAD FORMED IN DANNY’S MIND EVEN BEFORE THE
Marine Corps major came to see him. It was outrageous and even far-fetched—which made it perfect.
“I know you’re busy,” said the Marine commander, helping himself to some of the coffee on the trailer counter near the worktable. “I was wondering if I could arrange a briefing on the valley you flew through on your way back from the Iraqi radar site. We have a mission just north of there. We’re going to pick up some Kurd leaders and bring them to Turkey for a conference. I’m authorized to take out anything that gets in the way.”
“I’ll give you the whole rundown,” said Danny.
“There’s a helicopter base down there that you ought to wipe out along the way. They have at least two Mi-24
Hinds on the ground.”
“We’ll nail them,” said the Marine.
“Wait. I’d like one of the helicopters,” said Danny.