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just below a sharp cliff. A sequence of satellite photos had been used to form the basic layout, focusing on three old buildings across from a mooring where there had been occasional activity over the past several weeks. The old ships in the harbor gave the pirates good hiding places and made it difficult to flush them out if they managed to take positions there. While none were visible from the photos, the Abner Read would begin the engagement by pummeling the old hulks and neutralizing the possibility. The ship would wait for the submarine to come out of the cave; the shallow water as well as a breakwater and two old wrecks near the entrance prevented an easy torpedo shot.
The ground team would prevent escape by land and secure whatever the pirates had onshore. The old village had been largely abandoned and could be isolated by capturing a small bridge at the southern end accessible from the water; with that out of the way, the main force could concentrate on the buildings directly across from the mooring. The Marines and Danny Freah’s Whiplash team would land at the top of the cliff and rappel down from two different points to press home the attack. The troops could be deposited as the Werewolves blazed in from the oceanside. Between the high-pitched whine of the robot helos’ rotors and the Abner Read’s exploding shells, the Osprey’s approach would be difficult to hear.
“They most likely have at least a token watch in this area up here,” said Danny, pointing to a ridge just behind the point of the cliff. “We have to find out before we attack. We can send a Flighthawk over shortly before the attack and look at the infrared camera. That’ll show us where everything is. We can have it orbit during the operation, showing us what’s going on.”
“We need at least a token force to come in off the shore to the west,” said Dancer. “Otherwise they can just filter down here and get away. And just for good measure, we should put people on this side of the village to the east as well. We’re looking at three heavily armed teams, lots of firepower, sup-
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port from those robot helos. If there are two hundred pirates in there—”
“I doubt there are two hundred,” said Danny. “Not even a hundred.”
“We still need more people,” said the Marine lieutenant.
Danny found himself admiring her professional skepticism.
Too often junior officers simply parroted what their superiors drew up.
And she was good-looking when she was skeptical.
“We can always use more people,” said Danny. “But the technology will let us leverage what we have.”
“I’ll take two boots on the ground over a silicon chip any day,” said Dancer.
“We can use the SITT teams onshore,” said Storm. “In a pinch we can make a shore party from some of the people on Shark Boat One. They should be able to handle the western escape route. The Shark Boat can be operated with a minimal crew and still provide fire support.”
They worked the changes into the computer driving the holographic display. The elements snapped in: a dozen men down each side of the cliff, with a team at the top of the cliff to keep them secure; two fire teams on the shore below, a Flighthawk for reconnaissance, the Werewolves for pinpoint fire support, the Shark Boat to provide support and cut off any retreat, the Abner Read to methodically wipe out the wrecks and any other defenses that turned up.
It looked like it would work. But it was a complicated plan, and Danny would have much preferred to rehearse it a few dozen times before the main event, especially given the fact that his men and the Marines had never worked together before.
“What are you thinking, Captain?” asked Dancer.
“I’m thinking I’d like a chance to work with you guys before we do this, just to make sure we’re all on the same page,” he said.
“I wouldn’t mind that,” answered Dancer. “But I don’t SATAN’S TAIL
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think we can tell the pirates to hold in place for six months.”
“I’ll settle for three days.” Danny turned to Jennifer Gleason, who was standing at the side of the room, working on one of the computing units. “The Werewolves will be operational in time, right, Jen?”
“Oh, yeah,” she told him, in a voice that clearly indicated she was not happy. “I have some tests to run, and then we’ll finish training our pilot.”
“You’re not flying them yourself?”
“Captain, if you want to discuss tasking, I’ll be available following our planning session,” said Storm.
“Captain Gale, there’s an urgent communication from the Dreamland aircraft Wisconsin for you, sir,” a sailor said.
They turned toward one of the screens at the front of the room, where Dog’s helmeted head appeared.
“Storm, this is Bastian. We have a ship dead in the water that looks as if it’s been abandoned. It’s the oiler we spotted the night of the battle. We think you should send somebody to check it out.”
Danny watched Storm scowl. The Navy captain went to the holographic display without saying anything.
“Hey, Colonel,” said Danny.
“Danny.”
“Where exactly is it?” snapped Storm.
Jennifer glanced at the hologram, then tapped something on her laptop. A black box appeared near the coast about fifty miles west of the pirates’ camp; it blinked yellow for a few seconds, then turned red. It was about a hundred miles east of them, in territorial waters.
“That’s it,” she said.
“I’ll send one of the Shark Boats,” said Storm. “OK, Bastian. Good work.”
“Jen, we’re ready for that diagnostic series,” said Dog without acknowledging Storm’s comments.
“Coming up,” she said, pulling a seat over. “But the fact that I was able to add that information to the display means 288
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we’re going to come through with a hundred percent. The Megafortress sensor data is now available on the Abner Read’s network.”
“Let’s run the tests anyway.”
“Ready whenever you are.”
“I have an idea,” Danny told Storm. “What if Sergeant Rockland and I take some of the Marines and your SITT unit out in the Osprey and run an operation to board the ship? It’s not exactly a dress rehearsal, but we’ll be able to work together for a little, see if we’re going to have any major problems. It would at least let us get our feet wet together before the main event.”
“I like that idea,” said Dancer.
“So do I,” said Storm. “Good idea, Captain.”
“What do you think, Colonel?” asked Danny, turning to the screen.
“Sounds good to me, but it’s not my show.”
“That’s right,” said Storm. “I call the shots.”
Dog cleared his throat. “And Delta One is the aircraft that will be on patrol. You’ll have to alert them. I’m turning you over to the copilot, Jen; I’ve got some things to take care of here.”
Washington, D.C.
1650
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT,” SAID FREEMAN OVER THE
scrambled line.
“I know it was stupid, sir. It was idiotic and childish and I have no defense. I should not have made the image.”
“You shouldn’t have given your laptop to the Secretary of State,” said Freeman.
“He kind of demanded it,” said Jed, surprised that Freeman was focusing on that. “I made sure the drive was totally wiped before I left for New York. I always run the shredder program. You know, in case something screws up and it gets, SATAN’S TAIL
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um, like lost. The only stuff on there was the presentation.”
“You should not have handed over your laptop.”
“He was pretty adamant. I guess you could say he was ticked.”
“Jed, when you get that laptop back—if you get it back—anything could be on it. Anything. You’d have no proof of anything.”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“Look, you’re a bright kid. You know technology and you know a lot about how countries can use it, and you deal with the people at Dreamland and the other military pretty well.
General Clearwater down at CentCom was asking about you just the other day. But you have to understand, son—this is Washington. You cannot trust anybody. Do you understand?”