Biowar

32

“He’s got two platoons, no air support, nothing heavier than sixty-millimeter mortars that date to World War II,” said Foster, looking at the plan Karr had outlined.

“I like a unit that travels light,” said Karr.

Foster shook his head. The other Marine made a sound something similar to what a horse might make if sighing.

“You guys don’t think they’re up to it?” asked Karr.

The check of the computers showed that the Thai major had been pushing for raids over the border; all indications were that he was loyal to the government and Rubens had given his okay to proceed. The Art Room had made a decision on the first target, selecting the largest of the three camps it had spotted earlier. Satellite reconnaissance had detected pigs there; while there didn’t seem to be any of the prerequisites an advanced bio lab would require — there was no electricity, for example — the animals conceivably could be used for experiments or even breeding germs. Most of the experts described that chance as “vanishingly small”—but they couldn’t rule it out. For his part, Karr preferred to hit the largest camp first; that meant the others should be easier.

Assuming, of course, the tiny Thai force didn’t get squashed.

“With a lot more firepower, maybe we could take these guys,” said Gidrey. “Or, if we were talking two teams of Marines—”

“What, eight guys?”

“The right guys you could do it with four,” said Foster.

“See what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, but these guys… I mean, no offense,” said Gidrey, “but they’re not equipped. And, uh, from the looks of the way they got this camp organized—”

“Got to work with what we got,” said Karr. “Come on — there’s not that many people at this guerrilla camp, are there? Dozen at most.”

“They all got guns, though.”

“First of all, to get to any of these camps, it could take more than a day of travel by foot,” said Foster. He jabbed his hand at the map. “The terrain is torturous, and I’d bet there’s lookouts, booby traps, mines maybe — all sorts of crap. Plus, you have to cross area here which is held by another guerrilla group. The woods are full of ’em.”

“So we need a couple of helicopters. What else?”

“A gunship.”

“Like an AC-130? What else?”

“You’re going to get a gunship over here?” asked Gidrey. “From where?”

“Oh, I can get anything I want. My daddy’s rich,” said Karr. “Come on; help me draw up the attack. Don’t forget half these warm bodies here are just pigs — the swine kind, not the human. They’re going to have trouble aiming rifles.”