Shock Warning

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The three Super Hornets were waiting for them, as promised, at Oceana, right there on Tomcat Boulevard in Virginia City, an homage to the old Grumman F-14 Tomcats. Room for one pilot and one passenger in each. Twenty percent larger than the Legacy Hornet, and fifteen thousand pounds heavier at max weight, with a third more fuel capacity, the F/A-18F Super Hornets could kick just about anything’s ass. At fifty-five million dollars a pop, they’d better.

“Don’t wreck ’em, okay?” said Commander Stephen Joseph. “These babies almost cost real money.”

“Range?” asked Devlin. “And don’t bullshit me, because I’ll know.”

“Twelve hundred nautical miles, in and out.”

“Airborne refueled?” asked Danny.

“What, do I look stupid?”

“Radar?” Devlin again.

“If they’re looking you in the face or up the ass, they ain’t gonna see ya. Not quite Stealth level, but good enough for government work. Full ECM. But try to fly straight.”

Danny was walking around one of the three Super Hornets. “Weapons? I see a twenty-millimeter Gatling, four Sidewinders, JDAMs… ”

“And you can get them in red if you don’t like them in white or blue,” said Joseph. “Sparrows, Mavericks…”

“JDAM bombs. I like that,” said Danny. “I hear CBU Clusters, too.”

“If you say pretty please.”

Danny kicked one of the tires. “We’ll take three,” he said.

“Where to, sir?” asked Commander Joseph.

“Diego Garcia, and we’ll take it from there,” said Devlin.

Diego Garcia was a small atoll in the Indian Ocean south of the subcontinent. Administratively, it belonged to the BIOT, the British Indian Ocean Territory, but in practice its forty-four square kilometers were entirely given over to a joint forward operating base of the Americans and the Brits. Basically, it was a stationary aircraft carrier fashioned from a coral reef. Strategically situated among East Africa, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, India, Indonesia, and, at a stretch, Australia, Diego Garcia controlled one of the most critical areas on the planet.

“What about you, Mr. Harris?” asked Joseph. “And you, Mr. Barker?”

“We’re headed elsewhere.”

“We’ll need some choppers, too,” said Danny. “Carrierbased in the Gulf of Oman. The Eisenhower will do just fine.”

“Heavy lifting? MH-47s? We can have those there as well.”

Danny shook his head. “More along the lines of MH-60Ks. The new ones, with Stealth technology. Six will do just fine.”

Commander Joseph smiled. “ ‘Night Stalkers Don’t Quit,’ huh?”

“They never die, either.”

Joseph looked at the two men standing before him. This was probably the last time he would ever see them, no matter whether the mission was a success or a failure, whether they lived or died. But he was proud to be serving with them.

“I suppose this is all classified.”

“Got it in one.”

“Dangerous? I mean, more so than usual?”

“Any man KIA, his family will be taken care of. No worries there. But I’d prefer bachelors, if you catch my drift.”

“Got three hot-sticks flight teams itching to mix it up.”

“They’re going to get to scratch that itch. And if you know your men, Commander, they’ll all be coming home.”

“Outstanding,” said Commander Joseph.

“Now load those suckers up with JDAMS and get them in the air.”

Devlin and Danny started to walk away. They were heading back to Washington to go over the plan with Danny’s Xe ops once more and then they’d be in the air, and on their way to the Al Dhafra Air Base in the Emirates, which would be their jumping-off point. Joseph called out after them.

“We’re going to get it right this time, aren’t we?”

Smart fellow.

Devlin turned and gave a thumbs-up, and then they were gone.