These Few Brave Souls

by Rodney Manchester

  Bouafra, Morocco

  Sous-lieutenant Mohammed Aliegiah noticed a strange moldy dirt smell that began to catch his attention as he walked toward the hills north of Bouafra. The high altitude desert terrain was mostly flat with fist sized rocks scattered about. He kept putting one foot in front of the other and gradually made his way southeast. His immediate target was soon reached, National Highway 17, which connected Tendrara and Bouarfa, both small desert communities. He continued southeast, toward town, now only a few klicks away. Until he came to a car, which he originally thought was parked on the side of the road. Upon approaching it, he realized that it had drifted off the road, crossed a shallow ditch and had come to a stop 12 meters from the road.

  Mohammed approached it warily, steeling himself for a look at a dead body in the driver’s seat. Alas, there was no one in the car, only a pile of clothes behind the wheel.

  He continued his walk to town.

  Lima, Peru

  Irene Beneventes sat silently staring at the crib her husband had built. The loving care and workmanship that he had put into it had taken so long that the baby arrived the day after he finished. All of their friends had joked and kidded Juan about how long it was taking. “The baby would be ready before the crib,” they said. They were almost right.

  Almost from the beginning they had argued about money. They just didn't have enough to pay rent on their apartment and pay for the hospital, especially when she had to quit work. She was a secretary at the Foreign Ministry and she enjoyed her job. Then Juan had received the promotion to foreman at his construction job. The promotion carried with it a raise and, more important, medical insurance.

  Her labor had started with a tingle in her back. She had awakened every hour from 12:30 until 6:00 when she decided to stay up. She didn't even think that it could be the baby. She thought that she had one of the backaches that had been so common for over a month now. She thought that this was just another one. Then a muscle spasm started across her abdomen and suddenly she knew. Irene was making a pot of coffee in the kitchen when the contraction occurred. She almost dropped the cup in her hand when she grabbed at the counter edge.

  Looking back, her husband had been funny in his haste to get them to the hospital. He had gotten her to the car and forgotten her bag. Then her water broke and he almost wrecked the car. Juan had had to be calmed by the doctor before he had collapsed from nervous exhaustion. Finally, he gained some of the patience they both needed for the long day ahead. Twenty-two hours later she delivered a seven pound baby girl.

  She chuckled to herself as she remembered his fumbling panic when she placed the child in his arms for the first time. The look of pure adoration that was in his eyes still caused her heart to wonder where she had found such a man.

  He was sound asleep at her side when she heard their daughter awaken again. She knew that he needed rest for his demanding and now so very important job, but sometimes she wished he could breast feed and she could sleep the night uninterrupted.

  She arose and walked over to that special crib, speaking in soothing tones to their daughter stirring beneath the soft white baby blanket. She uncovered the baby and brought her to her chest. She walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. The child suckled at her breast and she began to sing a soft lullaby when she noticed a green filter to the light coming into their bedroom window. She looked intently outside and saw a bright green blanket of mist covering everything.

  "Juan, wake up Juan," she said

  "What. What is it?" he asked.

  "Something’s wrong. I'm frightened," she said.

  "With the baby," he cried in alarm, thoughts of sleep suddenly gone.

  "No. Outside. Everything's green."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Come here and look out the window," she said.

  Juan climbed out of bed and quickly went to her. Leaning over, he looked out upon the green mist. "That's strange. Wait here while I go check."

  Irene watched as her husband put on a robe and left their bedroom. She heard their apartment door open and he was gone. His footsteps reverberated throughout the building as he descended the stairs.

  Minutes passed before he returned, coughing badly. "Gas!" he sputtered, slamming the door. Panic, real panic, entered her mind then. Juan turned on their bedroom light and began to tear the sheets from their bed and stuff them in the crack under the bedroom door. He then hurried to the window and checked the seal around the edge.

  Irene noticed a strange, earthy smell about her husband. Then her eyes began to burn and her skin itched horribly. Their baby daughter began to cry.

  "Oh, God," she said. "What do we do?" Thoughts of protecting her child flooded her mind.

  "I don't know," Juan replied. He was near panic himself. Then he began to pray aloud and Irene joined him.

  Blocking the flow of air from under the door was only marginally effective as the chemical entered the room through the wood and stucco of the walls. Their actions did not prevent their deaths, it merely prolonged the agony.

  Thousands of similar dramas were played out all over the capital as over seven million people died, most in their sleep, unaware of their fate.

  CHAPTER 6

  Atlanta, Georgia

  In the CNN Newsroom in Atlanta, the Peru story was being scanned by the news director when an assistant handed her another stack of Wire Service copy. Confirmation came from over a dozen sources as the world wide communication net began to break apart in Peru. The story went out 30 seconds later when the night desk anchorperson was handed a sheet of paper to read.

  No one in Atlanta even noticed that a small village in Morocco had just died. And there were hardly any people in the western China desert to report on or care about.

  Washington D.C.

  The Beltway in Washington D.C. contains a variety of Intelligence Services. Each have a television set always tuned to CNN with a person whose sole responsibility is to watch it. Around the world, most governments tune in to CNN for their first indicator of worldwide events. This is true from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Not surprising, the world got their first inkling of a problem from this news service.

  Absurd as it may sound, some Washington D.C. reporters had learned and reported during the Panama invasion and the Gulf War that a great number of pizza deliveries were made to the Pentagon on a daily basis. When some operation was being planned or seriously contemplated, this high number dramatically increased. Pizza restaurant managers, believing their job to have nothing to do with national security, felt free to tell reporters who called about pizza orders to the Pentagon. Tonight was strange in that pizza orders were greatly reduced. One reporter felt that this was a reaction by Pentagon bureaucrats to the pizza-in-a-crisis story and concluded that something was in the works. With the other top stories, the conclusion was obvious.

  Outside Tucson, Arizona

  The Kitt Peak National Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under contract to the US National Science Foundation. It's located on the Papago Indian Reservation near Tucson Arizona at 7000 ft. above sea level. The equipment includes the Mayall one hundred fifty-eight inch reflector telescope. This instrument is easily capable of viewing a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, all it takes is to be looking in the right direction, which is no minor feat. An undergraduate student majoring in journalism and minoring in astronomy happened to be doing just that with a thirty inch telescope a short time later (he was unable to get time on the Mayall, that being reserved for projects more important than star gazing). The black and white photos taken were shown to the editor of the local newspaper where the student had a part time job. They were perfect additions to the next morning’s edition, and because of the students insistence on their value, they were posted to the National Wire Service.

  CHAPTER 7

  Aboard USS Ingersoll

  Forty-eight miles off the West coast of Peru, near Callao, two US Destroyers cruised in formation. The
y were approaching Peru with the intent of practicing naval war games with their South American counterparts. In the past, this had proven to be an interesting exercise as Peru had acquired most of their naval equipment, indeed most of their military equipment, from the former Soviet Union.

  Inside the bridge of the lead Destroyer, the USS Ingersoll, the Officer of the Deck was looking at their position on the map when he heard the buzz of the intercom.

  He walked over to the gray box and pressed a button on its face. "Bridge," he said.

  "Sir, we have an unidentified aircraft approaching. Speed four hundred twelve knots, range forty-seven miles, bearing seventy-eight degrees at thirty-two thousand feet," reported the Air Traffic Control officer.

  "Any IFF ID?"

  "No, sir."

  "OK, warn him off," the OD said

  "Aye aye sir,"

  The OD picked up a handset and punched in a two digit number and rang the Captain's quarters.

  The phone was answered with a groggy sounding "Captain."

  "Sir," the OD began "We have an incoming unidentified aircraft at four hundred twelve knots, range forty-seven miles at thirty-two thousand feet."

  "Maybe it’s our Peruvian friends trying to shake us up?" the Captain ventured.

  "I don't think so sir. They're not squawking any IFF at all."

  "OK. Sound General Quarters. I'll head right to CIC."

  "Aye aye, sir," the OD responded.

  The Officer of the Deck took one step and pressed a big red button and a horn began sounding throughout the ship.

  The Captain entered CIC and took stock of the situation. The other ship in the group was the USS Deyo, another Spruance Class destroyer. She had received the information at the same time and had also gone to General Quarters.

  The Captain is the Commanding Officer of a ship. This position is held by the senior officer assigned to the vessel. In the case of the USS Ingersoll, this position was held by Commander Frederick Douglas Williams. He was a 34 year old graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and the second member of his family to serve the US Navy. His father had been a stevedore during World War II.

  Commander Williams was 6 feet tall and weighed 205 pounds. He was an imposing looking black man who prided himself on his professionalism. After being awoken in the middle of his self-imposed sleeping period, he appeared in a crisply starched khaki uniform.

  "Sir, the ship is manned and ready at General Quarters," an Ensign reported.

  "Thank you Mister Smith," the Captain responded. "Are we tracking this guy with targeting radar?"

  "Yes sir," was the reply.

  "Has he responded to our challenges?"

  "No sir. He is flying to our Northeast and will come within 6 miles of our position on his current course," the Ensign replied.

  "That's too close. Ready the Sea Sparrow missile for air action, target the inbound aircraft and lock on. Notify the Deyo," Williams ordered.

  "Aye aye sir," Ensign Smith replied.

  Two technicians exchanged glances as they carried out their orders. This was getting hairy.

  The Sea Sparrow targeting radar console indicated that the system had locked on the inbound aircraft. Sweat broke out on half a dozen foreheads in the air conditioned compartment.

  "The aircraft is turning," reported Ensign Smith.

  A collective sigh of relief came from the CIC crew. This kind of situation was always stressful, especially since the Vincennes shot down the Iranian Airbus over the Persian Gulf.

  Ensign Smith reported "The aircraft's new course is ninety-two degrees, same altitude and speed."

  "Good job everybody," the Captain said. "Mister Smith, how long did it take to come to General Quarters?"

  "Four minutes, 13 seconds sir."

  "Not bad for the middle of the night, but we can do better," the Captain said. "Break lock and keep tracking this guy with target acquisition for a few minutes."

  "Aye aye sir," replied Ensign Smith. He turned and relayed the order as Captain Williams sat in his chair.

  Two minutes later, the intercom buzzed from the Bridge. "Man down on the bridge," Lieutenant Parsons said.

  The Captain was on his feet and rushing to the bridge immediately.

  When he arrived he saw Lieutenant Parsons slumping over the rail of the bridge wing with an enlisted man lying beside him, both appeared to be surrounded by a fine green mist. He heard the echo of an agonizing scream followed by an enlisted man slamming the hatch. Seconds later a corpsman rushed into the bridge.

  "Seal the ship for chemical attack, seal the ship for chemical attack," went out over the ship's P.A. moments later and crewmen scrambled to comply.

  "Fifteen degrees starboard rudder, come to course two seven zero degrees, all ahead flank, start hose down procedures and notify Third Fleet Headquarters," the Captain ordered, "and get me a casualty report."

  The Presidential Apartments

  The White House

  Washington, DC

  The President was awakened at 2:30 A.M. by the ringing of his telephone. He leaned over the sleeping form of his wife and answered it. "Yes?"

  "Sir, the orbital object seems to have launched small craft," The watch officer replied. "These craft may be on a re-entry trajectory. Also CNN is reporting a loss of communication with some South American Cities. Our embassy in Lima does not respond to regular or secure phone lines. We are trying to establish contact with other cities in the region. Information is being compiled in the situation room."

  "Thank you, I'll be down in a minute," he replied and got out of bed to get dressed.

  Cynthia Bermin stirred in her sleep, reached over to the now empty spot and opened her eyes.

  "What's the matter dear?" she asked sleepily.

  "Oh, just something going on in Peru and the staff wants me to fix it," he said with a chuckle.

  When he finished getting a pair of casual slacks and a pull over shirt on, his wife had fallen back asleep so he quietly slipped out the door.

  By the time he got to the Situation Room, reports were in confirming a chemical attack on an anti-submarine group consisting of 2 Spruance Class Destroyers off the coast of Peru, near Callao. Reports had shown sixteen dead with forty-two injured. That made it US business.

  CHAPTER 8

  Aboard USS Carl Vinson

  The USS Carl Vinson, CVN 70, was the third Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier to be built. It differs slightly from those made before only in self-defense weapons. It is a proud member of the group of naval vessels universally considered to be the most powerful ships ever set afloat.

  Captain Larry Henderson, skipper of the Carl Vinson was asleep when the phone in his quarters rang. "Captain Henderson," he said into the instrument.

  "Captain, we just received a Flash priority message. two of our destroyers were subjected to a chemical weapons attack three hundred eighty miles southeast of us, and we are tracking one Peruvian Cruiser and two Destroyers," the executive officer stated.

  "Where were our Destroyers at the time," the Captain inquired.

  "About 50 miles West of Callao," replied the Exec.

  "I'll be right there."

  He was getting dressed when there was a knock on his quarter’s door. Opening the door to his quarters, there was a messenger sent by his exec with the Flash priority message form. In terse navalese, it announced the chemical weapons attack on the USS Ingersoll and the USS Deyo, two Spruance Class Destroyers, off the coast of Peru. It went on to briefly describe the loss of all communication with the US Embassy in Lima, Peru.

  "Tell CAG about this and suggest that he get a CAP and an E2C up. I'll be in CIC in just a minute. Has the Admiral been notified?" Captain Henderson asked.

  "Yes sir."

  The Captain closed his quarter’s door and quickly finished getting dressed, then went to CIC.

  The Admiral arrived moments later and stood quietly by as Captain Henderson ensured the immediate security of his ship. The Captain commanded the
USS Carl Vinson, but the Admiral commanded the entire Carrier Battle Group which included the Vinson and the two destroyers off the Peruvian coast.

  Once Henderson was satisfied, he turned to Admiral Jacobs and asked "Did you see the Flash?"

  Rear Admiral (lower half) Jacobs nodded his head and said "Let’s see if we can find out what's going on. How soon can you get something over that way?"

  Captain Henderson turned toward Captain Jim Stainer, the Commander Air Group, and nodded.

  CAG said "I can have a pair of F-18s there in forty minutes with a radar picture of the area from an E2C about ten minutes later. I am recommending we hold the Hornets back until we get the Hawkeye in position. We can also start a pair of Hornets toward each group of Peruvian warships."

  "You think they're involved?" the Admiral asked.

  "Could be," replied CAG. "It doesn't hurt to be sure."

  Captain Henderson nodded his agreement.

  "OK Jim, do it," the Admiral replied, turned and went into his flag staff room.

  The Hawkeye is a turbo prop driven aircraft designed specifically to fly high and slow. It has a large radar dome mounted above the fuselage and is used to scan the sea and airspace above it with a radius of two hundred nautical miles.

  Minutes later, "Sentry ten, arriving on station. We have ID on the Ingersoll and the Deyo and a radar link. They are tracking an unidentified aircraft. We also have an exact fix on 3 Peruvian Navy vessels."

  Inside heart of the Carrier Battle Group Admiral Jacobs ordered the Hornets in to take a look. A pair of F-14 Tomcats were 5 minutes behind them with more Tomcats on the way.

  The Hornets were tracking the Peruvian vessels discretely when the Cruiser, Aguirre, Flagship of Admiral Lopez of Peru, initiated communication. One Peruvian destroyer had been attacked with chemicals and their main naval base at Callao was off the air. They were advising the US group to stay clear until an assessment could be made.