Pacific Siege

26

Murdock awoke to feel snowflakes hitting him in the face. It was a light fall of cold, dry flakes. He licked off a couple, then checked his watch. Almost 0830. Somewhere in the background he heard the Russians on a radio. He dozed again, then came alert. Chopper.

No doubt about it, the sound came again, the whup, whup, whup of the big rotors. He looked over where the Russians had been. They were gone. Captain Radiwitch had talked with Murdock and knew a chopper was coming. The Russian hovercraft must have come well before the helicopter. Murdock had shaken hands and said good-bye to the Russian captain. The Russians had brought out their one dead and four wounded.

Murdock checked seaward. The chopper sound persisted. He looked in his combat vest and found a red flare.

Two minutes later he could see an outline of the chopper through the light snow. He popped the flare and threw it down on the beach sand. At once the chopper changed directions, did a low fly-over, then circled around and came in for a landing just inside the dry sand.

The chopper hatch slid open and a crewman jumped out. “Up and at them,” Murdock barked. “Your limousine is here.”

Jaybird made sure everyone was awake; then they moved through the light snow flurries toward the twin-rotored Sea Knight, and climbed in the forward hatch.

“Glad you guys showed up,” Murdock told the crewman. He went to the cockpit and tapped one of the pilots on the shoulder. The aviator turned and nodded.

“Hey, can you contact Home Base and ask them if Lieutenant Dewitt picked up Washington, or if he’s still down there with the Russians in Golovnino.”

The pilot asked him to repeat the message, then got on his radio.

A minute later the pilot looked over at Murdock.

“Home Base reports that your man Washington was brought out and is on board the carrier now.”

Murdock thanked him and went back with the other SEALS. Five of his men had sat down and promptly gone back to sleep.

“Been a long day,” Jaybird said. “When did we get any sleep last?”

“A week ago Thursday,” Ken Ching said. He dropped his combat vest and slumped against it. “Don’t wake me up until Christmas,” he said.

Murdock walked among the bodies counting. They still had their six EAR weapons. Good. It would take them about twenty minutes to fly back to the carrier, get in the flight pattern, and come in to land, a crewman told Murdock.

Murdock waved. “Hey, take your time. I’m in no hurry. Not now.”

As soon as they hit the carrier deck, Murdock told Jaybird to get the men below and into the ready room. He’d be along shortly. He found a white shirt and followed him off the deck, and then a seaman took him to sick bay.

Washington was under the knife. Dewitt waited for the surgery to be over. Murdock found him.

“How’s Washington?”

“Looks like a clean break, but they wanted to be sure. The X-ray was a little dicey. The bone may need a pin, but no reason he can’t come back to full-duty status.”

“Good. We finally nailed the little general.”

Dewitt nodded. “See you in our assembly room.”

Murdock had little to say to the SEALS. All were there except Washington and Dewitt.

“Good work. Get out of here and hang some sack time or chow call, whichever you want first. We’ll get together here again about fifteen hundred.”

Murdock found his way to the Communications Center and asked them to make a call to Don Stroh’s number in Virginia. The encrypted call went from one satellite to another, then into the Washington, D. C., antennas. Don came on a moment later. “Yeah, SEAL kind of guy, hear you scored a touchdown.”

“Might have been a safety. At least we won. How is Japan taking the whole thing?”

“State says they are pleased. They pleaded for non-lethal, but they had to know it couldn’t hold up for the whole affair. From what I gather, the Russians were fascinated by your new sound toys.”

“I figured they would steal one before they left, but we still have twelve. I counted.”

“Good work, again, Murdock. You’ll probably want a long leave again so you can come to Washington.”

“Don’t know, Stroh. First I’m going to sleep for a week, then eat four meals a day. After that we’ll talk.”

“When does the fishing improve out in California? I’m still looking for some yellowtail and maybe a big-eye tuna.”

“You’re talking at least April or May. We’ll keep your toys safe.

I do want to get two of them on permanent loan. They might come in handy again for a stealth approach.”

“I’ll have to talk to the boss about that.”

“Stroh, what else is cooking? We have a couple of months to get patched up? I’ve still got some guys with bumps and bruises, and one new broken leg.”

“Depends on what pops first. That Korean thing is still hot, but it’s cooled off a little. We plan to hold you guys on the carrier there for a few weeks, so don’t plan any reunion. Looks now like the Korea situation will taper off and might not blow up this time, but I have a feeling it’s coming sooner or later.

“Then we have a problem in the Middle East again. I mean a real bad one that could go ballistic on us. Hey, you guys have the easy part. You just sit there and wait for us to decide where you go.”

“Yeah, sure, Stroh. I can’t fight with you when I’m this tired.

It’s sack time for me. You take care, and don’t call us. When we’re ready for something really big, we’ll call you.”

Stroh laughed and they said good-bye.

Murdock got a guide to help him find his quarters. Tomorrow he’d call Washington again, only this time he’d talk to Ardith Manchester.

Yeah, let her know he was safe and sound. He frowned. Did that mean he was getting serious about this woman?

Murdock gave up even trying to think about that, and hit the sack.

First sleep, then food.