OUTCAST Ops: African Firestorm

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Riyad stared at the radar as if willing it to show him something else. But it displayed the same thing it had shown for the last twenty minutes — the Northstar Venture sitting in one place.

He glanced at the captain. "Anything on the radio?"

Kashgari shook his head. "I think we must assume that both DESERT WIND and SANDSTORM have failed."

Riyad nodded. “What do our current transponder settings show us as?"

"The African Rosebud, out of Capetown."

The ICA colonel nodded. "Good. Hold course for now, and ask the Northstar if they need help as any good Samaritan ship would do. How soon before we're in range for the Termits?"

"Ten minutes."

"Okay. As soon as we are in range, fire two missiles. I want the Northstar sunk."

Kashgari frowned. "That is risky.”

"It would be more risky if we turned and ran away. Alert the crew and tell them prepare. How close is the Pharaoh's Pride?"

"Three hours southwest of us."

"Contact them and alert them to the failure of DESERT WIND. Tell them to do nothing that will draw attention to themselves."

"The council will not be happy."

"Leave the council to me. Someone talked, someone who knew DESERT WIND. I intend to find out who."

"I hope you are—

"I have contacts!" the helmsman called out. He squinted at the radar screen. "Four contacts coming in fast from the northwest!"

Riyad looked over. “What—“

"Missiles inbound!" the technician screamed.

Kashgari looked at Riyad. "We're dead.”

"Evasive maneuvers!" Riyad snapped. He ran toward the starboard side of the bridge.

Victory Flight received their new orders thirty minutes after they had made the run against the first target.

"All right ladies," Drummond said. "Cyber, you and Gabby make the first run. If need be, Jocko will make a second run."

"Roger, Bulldog," Perko responded. "Commencing run now."

The two F-18s dropped to thirty thousand feet and started their offensive. Twenty-five miles from the target, the fighters deployed all four Harpoons. The four ship-killers bore in on their target with the single-mindedness that only electronic intelligence can achieve, with no thought of right or wrong or morality.

The Saad el Melik died in seconds as all four Harpoon missiles slammed into her and exploded. The rear half of the ship ceased to exist as multiple fireballs surged through it. What was left began sinking quickly, water doing what fire couldn’t. In ten minutes, there was only a few burning pools of oil, various wreckage, and several bodies to mark what had once been the Saad el Melik.