Biowar

84

Malachi Reese leaned back from the console, waiting as the commander of the mission cleared his F-47C bird from the engagement area. Malachi had the second plane in the formation; the unmanned fighter had a pair of 2,000-pound selectable GPS/laser-guided missiles under its wing, ready to fire.

But no target.

“Hang tight, Mal,” said Train — also known as Major Pierce Duff, the mission commander. “Orion has some good snaps for us — no more resistance there.”

“Yup on that,” said Malachi.

“Get into position for the bunker shot,” said Train.

“On it.”

A targeting reticle had opened in the middle of Malachi’s main screen. It boxed the back portion of the Syrian intelligence agent’s house with a yellow square. At this point, Malachi could launch his two air-to-ground missiles with 98.9 percent confidence that their GPS systems would take them within eighteen inches of the center of the square, striking within.4 second of each other.

“Hold off,” said the commander. “We have people in the bunker. Our people.”

Malachi held his stick lightly, staying on course. While in theory he could launch from anywhere within a twenty-four-mile oval fire zone, his best aiming area was somewhat more limited; he’d run out of it in about ninety seconds and have to slide back in the formation. Truck had already taken direct control on the backup plane and would have the next shot.

“We’re just going to hold here,” said the commander. “We may not have to be firing at all. Mal, you copy that?”

“Roger that. I got it. All dressed up and nothing to blow.”

“Don’t sweat it,” said Whacker, who handled the weapons systems for the four-man team that flew the birds. If the GPS failed for some reason, he could use a laser system to put the bomb on target. He could also launch the weapons himself, if authorized by the pilot or commander. “You’ll get some action.”

“Still got plenty of time here,” said Riddler. He worked the electronic countermeasures, or ECMs. The remote-controlled attack aircraft were flown from a bunker at Crypto City by four-man teams, who together handled anywhere from four to eight planes with the help of computers. The computer system and crew arrangements were necessary partly because of the slight but significant lag time involved in communicating commands over the network. The automated flight control systems actually did much of the “real” flying and fighting. Typically, two men served as pilots, with another taking offensive weapons — usually air-to-ground bombs, though they could fly interceptor missions as well — and another handling the defensive gear. All four men were actually cross-trained and could handle any of the others’ tasks.

“Israeli fighters now zero-five off,” said Riddler, adding their approach and speed. The Israelis had not been informed of the Birds’ mission; the four planes were too stealthy to be picked up by Israeli radar at present. “Going to have to decide what we’re doing here, chief. They’re coming hot and look like the ‘shoot first, say prayers later’ types.”

“All right, let me talk to Telach and see whether we want to give these guys a heads-up or just blow out of here,” said Train.