Blackmail

89 SIBERIA, RUSSIA

Delta Force operator Joe Martin, wearing a ram-air parachute system strapped to his body, sat quietly in the cargo hold of the MC-130H Combat Talon II, awaiting the end of his journey. After taking off from Dolon Air Base in Semey, Kazakhstan, and heading north, Martin and the other operators in his Delta Force unit were flying at thirty thousand feet, having entered Russian airspace moments earlier. Although the aircraft was outfitted with terrain-following radar that enabled operations as low as 250 feet, it wouldn’t be needed today. The MC-130H Combat Talon, flying at the same altitude and flight path as commercial airliners traveling between Kazakhstan and Russia, would blend into the traffic.

Under normal circumstances, deploying against heavily defended installations, Martin and his team would have been dropped under the cover of darkness. This wasn’t the case today, as it was approaching noon in the Siberian province. Martin wasn’t worried, however. The facility would be lightly defended, if at all. Plus, the small size of the metal objects they carried meant they wouldn’t be detected by radar during the jump, and the speed of their descent would give their opponents little time to respond even if they were.

As Martin’s unit headed north, he knew that two dozen Delta Force and Navy SEAL units were aloft, heading toward their targets. Martin surveyed the other fifty-one men in the aircraft’s cargo hold. Each was outfitted with a helmet, goggles, and oxygen mask, which wasn’t surprising given their plan for a HALO — High Altitude Low Opening — insertion. Martin was breathing oxygen supplied by the Combat Talon to help clear the nitrogen from his bloodstream, and would shift to his own oxygen supply shortly before the jump.

Although Martin would breathe oxygen during his descent, there was always the risk of hypoxia, which could result in unconsciousness. As a safeguard, his parachute would deploy automatically at a designated altitude — four thousand feet in this case — and his team would assemble in the air and land together in the designated drop zone. Martin was also dressed warmly, with a layer of polypropylene knit undergarments, to guard against frostbite, since temperatures during HALO jumps could dip to minus fifty degrees Fahrenheit.

Additionally, today’s jump would be a heavy one. Martin’s rucksack weighed over one hundred pounds, filled with weapons, food, water, first-aid kit, and a special selection of armaments required for this mission. With a parachute system weighing forty pounds, his rucksack, plus ammunition and body armor, Martin would exit the aircraft today weighing almost four hundred pounds.

A burst of static from Martin’s radio was followed by an order, and the fifty-two men in the cargo hold stood. Martin switched over to his own oxygen supply and disconnected from the aircraft’s, and when the jump light switched from red to yellow, he checked his equipment one last time. The ramp at the rear of the MC-130H slowly lowered, and frigid air filled the cargo hold. Hand signals followed, and Martin led the way toward the back of the aircraft. When the jump light switched to green, he stepped off the ramp and plummeted toward earth.

During the free fall, Martin’s team maneuvered to stay together, forming several tactical groups. Martin monitored his HALO altimeter during the descent, and his parachute opened as programmed at four thousand feet. As he approached the ground, Martin disconnected and dropped his rucksack, suspended by a lanyard, keeping the heavy bag away from his body in preparation for landing. As the landing zone rose up to greet him, Martin pulled on his parachute risers and angled toward his target.