Scarecrow Returns

AIRSPACE OVER DRAGON ISLAND

1400 HOURS

SCHOFIELD’S ANTONOV shot through the air at phenomenal speed.

On the distant northern horizon, Schofield saw the silhouette of Dragon Island: its jagged southern mountains, and on the northern plateau, the disc-shaped tower with its lone spire and the two colossal vents.

He keyed the Antonov’s radio. “American listening post, do you copy? This is Captain Shane Schofield, USMC, in distress. Is anyone out there monitoring this frequency?”

A voice immediately came on the line, jabbering in angry Russian. Then suddenly, static cut over him and an American voice came in.

“Captain Schofield, hold for secure line,” some clicks, then: “Captain Schofield, this is United States Air Force Listening Post Bravo-Charlie-Six-Niner, operating out of Eareckson Air Station in the Aleutian Islands. We’d been instructed to keep an ear out for you, in case you called. Please state your service number and comm-security passcode for verification.”

Schofield did so, adding, “Now put me through to the White House Situation Room.”

“Patching you through now, sir.”

The President’s crisis team were still gathered in the White House Situation Room. With them now, however, were two extra people from the Defense Intelligence Agency: Dave Fairfax and Marianne Retter. And the CIA’s representative was no longer present: when Dave and Marianne had commenced their briefing, they had requested that he leave the room.

When word came in that Scarecrow was on the line, the National Security Advisor and former Marine general, Donald Harris, jammed his finger down on the speakerphone.

“Scarecrow, Don Harris. I have the President and the crisis team here with me. Where are you and what’s happened with the atmospheric device?”

“I stopped the activation of the device, sir, but I need to know: with the uplink signal down, have the Russians launched a nuke at Dragon?”

“Yes, they have. Three minutes ago.”

“How long till it hits?”

“Nineteen minutes.”

“Shit. Can you get the Russians to self-destruct it?”

“No. Satellite scans reveal that this missile’s guidance control systems have been disabled to prevent any outside takeover, even from its own base. After what happened to the last nuke they fired at Dragon, the Russians made sure this one would hit its target. Nothing can stop that missile now.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“Scarecrow?” Harris asked. “Where are you?”

“In a plane about sixty klicks south of Dragon.”

“Then what the hell are you thinking? Get out of there. In nineteen minutes that island is gonna be a mushroom cloud.”

“I have people back there, sir,” Schofield’s voice said.

The President leaned forward.

“Captain Schofield, this is the President—”

“Excuse me, sir, but by any chance did a guy named Dave Fairfax get in touch with the White House?”

The President turned to look at Fairfax.

“Why, yes, in fact he did. He drove right through the side gate, actually. He’s here now, with Ms. Retter from the DIA. They were just briefing us on some CIA plan called ‘Dragonslayer’ and an agent named Calderon.”

“I’ve been doing battle with Mr. Calderon all morning. Hey, Dave.”

“Hey, Scarecrow,” Fairfax said to the speakerphone, aware of all the eyes now on him. “How ya doin’ over there?”

“I died for a while, but I’m okay now. Thanks for everything, buddy. That info you sent made all the difference. Hope it didn’t get you into too much trouble.”

“A little,” Dave said.

“Well, thanks. Tell the DIA director and the President that this Marine thinks you deserve a promotion. And Mr. President, one more thing. I may have stopped the ignition of the atmospheric device, but Calderon got away—the bastard had an exit plan—but he’ll have to turn up at Langley sometime. I may not come back from this, but I want him brought in. Can you do that for me?”

“We’ll find him,” the President said. “You have my word on that, Captain.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ve gotta go now. I just arrived back at Dragon.”