Vortex

by Larry Bond

  Africa’s large st-c ircu I at ion daily newspaper. Her long-held dreams were finally coming true. So what could be so wrong?

  A treacherous corner of her brain whispered the answer. Ian Sheffield was what was wrong. Or rather, his absence.

  Right after the war ended, he’d been called home to America by his network. She hadn’t minded that so much. After all, he deserved the awards and accolades he’d said they’d showered on him. Besides, he’d wanted to see his parents and brothers and sisters. Nothing could be more normal.

  But he hadn’t come back. Oh, they’d exchanged cards, letters, and even a phone call or two-but the intervals of silence had steadily grown longer. Now she hadn’t heard anything from him for more than two weeks.

  He hadn’t answered any of the messages she’d left in various places.

  Emily shook her head, impatient with her own feelings. What else could she have expected? They came from two different worlds and now their two different worlds were even farther apart-Ian was well on his way to being a top-ranked newsman in America. She knew what that meant. No matter what his wishes were, there would always be another assignment, another crisis that would keep him busy and away from South Africa. Time and distance would do the rest gradually burying love under a growing pile of new experiences, new friendships, and everyday worries they couldn’t share.

  She stabbed keys with even more vigor, ripping apart a perfectly good piece of prose for no particular reason.

  “I hope you’ve got that keyboard insured, Emily van der Heijden. Didn’t anybody ever tell you how expensive computer gear is?”

  Emily spun around in her seat, stunned by the familiar voice. Ian

  Sheffield stood behind her, grinning down at her startled face.

  “Ian!” She jumped up and into his waiting arms. Her staring colleagues, her computer, and her current assignment could all go hang.

  “Mmmm.” He pulled his lips away briefly.

  “So aren’t you going to ask what

  I’m doing here?”

  She touched his lips.

  “Don’t be an idiot, idiot. You are kissing me. “

  Ian laughed.

  “True. No, I mean here. In Jo’burg.”

  “Then tell me.”

  He sat down in a nearby chair and she pulled her own seat up close.

  Ian’s story tumbled out in excited words that almost got tangled up with one another. Practically as soon as he’d landed in New York, his network bosses had begun giving him everything he’d considered his heart’s desire-an overdue vacation, a big pay raise, and the promise of a plum assignment on Capitol Hill. It had taken several weeks for reality to sink in. Being back on the “fast track” didn’t seem to matter very much when you weren’t sure you wanted the prize waiting at the finish line.

  At the same time, he’d begun realizing that, back in the States, he was just another sharp-eyed reporter-one of hundreds all chasing the same stories, following the same leads, and coming up with pretty much the same angles. In South Africa, he’d actually come to believe his work had meaning. Even more important, he’d come to realize just how much Emily meant to him-and just how big a void her absence left in his life and heart.

  She interrupted him there. But once she let him up for air, Ian kept going with what he obviously considered the most important part of his tale.

  “So I told the guys in New York they could take their new job and ..

  .

  give it to somebody else.” He grinned.

  “My

  two weeks’ notice expired a couple of days ago, so I hopped the first available plane out here.”

  Emily was shocked.

  “You quit your job? For me?”

  “Well, not exactly… ” He had the grace to appear slightly shamefaced.

  “I’m going freelance. I did a little checking around and it seems that the other networks and Sunday-morning news shows think I’ll have some kind of edge over here. Or anywhere in Africa for that matter.

  So they’re all willing to pay me for footage-maybe even some commentary or documentary pieces. “

  “But that’s wonderful! Truly wonderful! You will be your own master.”

  “Yeah.” Ian smiled at her.

  “Besides, there’s always that book we were talking about writing together.”

  He leaned over to kiss her again.

  A second familiar voice broke them apart.

  “Hey, Ian! I heard some big news over the police radio. A madman is saying he will blow both himself and the Voortrekker Monument to tiny pieces unless his demands are met.

  I have the car around front already.”

  Emily stared at Matthew Siberia. The young black man stood in the doorway to the newsroom-practically staggering under the weight of the camera, sound gear, and other equipment slung over his thin shoulders. He smiled shyly at her.

  “Hello, miss.”

  Ian grinned at her surprise.

  “I need a cameraman, don’t P-He rose.

  “Well, gotta go. The news waits for no man.”

  “Or woman.” Emily thumped him in the ribs.

  “I yield.” He raised his hands in mock surrender.

  “Take my story, but give me your heart.”

  She scooped a notebook, pen, and tape recorder off her crowded desk.

  “Don’t be silly, Ian Sheffield, you have them both. “

  GLOSSARY

  A-6E Intruder-A twin-engine attack plane, the Intruder is one of the few planes that can strike a target in any weather. It is launched from carriers and has a prodigious payload. The crew of two sits side by side, and although the copilot has no flight controls, he can fly the plane by telling the plane’s computer what to do.

  AA-2 Atoll-The first Soviet heat-seeking air-to-air missile, it is a direct copy of the 1950s-vintage AIM-913 Sidewinder. Like the early model of this missile, it can attack targets only from the rear. It has a range of about two miles.

  AA-7 Apex—A Soviet radar-guided missile of mediocre performance. It has a range of about twenty miles.

  AA-10 Alamo-An advanced Soviet radar-guided missile. It has a better seeker and a higher speed than the Apex.

  AA-11 Archer-A Soviet short-range, heat-seeking missile. It has a range of about four miles, and most importantly, the ability to engage enemy aircraft from the front.

  Afrikaans—Along with English, one of South Africa’s two official languages. Afrikaans is a variant of Dutch mixed with French and German.

  It also includes words brought from Malaya and Madagascar by slaves.

  Afrikaner—Term used to described white South Africans descended from

  Dutch, German, and French Huguenot settlers first arriving in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Often referred to as Boers, the

  Dutch word for “farmer,” they now dominate both South Africa’s politics and its economy.

  AFV-Armored Fighting Vehicle-This abbreviation is used to describe any military vehicle that can shoot and expects to be shot at.

  AH-64-An American armored attack helicopter, it carries both laser-guided antitank missiles, rockets, and a 30mm chain gun.

  AIM-7M Sparrow-The standard U.S. radar-guided missile, its twenty-five mile range is shorter than that of the AIM54C Phoenix, but much longer than that of the Sidewinder or any other heat-seeking missile. It has gone through many improvements. Although the initial versions used in Vietnam were poor performers, the later makes are considered very effective.

  AIM-9M Sidewinder-One of the most effective and successful missiles ever made. After launch, it homes in on the heat given off by an aircraft and explodes. Unlike earlier models, or other similar missiles of other countries, it does not need to see the hot tailpipe of a jet aircraft, but can even lock onto an aircraft from the front. It has a range of about ten miles.

  AIM-54C Phoenix-A U.S. radar-guided missile, it is linked to the F-14

  Tomcat’s AWG-9 weapons system. This huge weapon has a range of over on
e hundred miles and a speed over five times the speed of sound.

  AK-47-A Russian-designed assault rifle, this simple, effective weapon has been widely exported and copied by many nations. A 7.62-caliber rifle, it can be fired either in semi or full automatic. It weighs about ten and a half pounds, and has a thirty-round magazine.

  AKM-A newer and slightly lighter version of the Soviet AK-47 rifle.

  ANC-First established in 1913, the African National Congress is the largest and most prominent black political group opposing apartheid. It has always had socialist leanings and is closely allied with the South African

  Communist Party. Its military arm is Umkhonto we Sizwe—spear of the nation. “

  Apartheid-An Afrikaans word literally meaning apart ness or “separation.”

  A political philosophy espoused by Afrikaners and first articulated between

  World War I and World War II. Implemented as government policy after the

  National Party electoral victory in 1948. Apartheid was intended to ensure continued white control by geographically and socially separating racial groups as much as possible. Unlike the American concept of segregation-‘ I separate but equal-apartheid included as one of its explicit assumptions the superiority of the white race.

  APC-Armored Personnel Carrier-A general term used to describe vehicles designed to ferry infantry across the battlefield. Their light armor provides protection against artillery fragments and small-arms fire.

  AWB-Afrikaner Weerstandbeweging, or Afrikaner Resistance Movement. A political movement and paramilitary group, it could be compared to the Ku

  Klux Klan, or the Minutemen in America, except the Armenian groups are too liberal. Its entire political philosophy is based on white supremacy and the use of violence to maintain white rule. The AWB believes that armed resistance to the liberalizing trend of the South African government is necessary.

  Battalion-A large ground unit made up of three to five companies. A battalion will have about one thousand men.

  If it is a tank or an armored-infantry battalion, it will also have about fifty armored fighting vehicles.

  Brigade-A ground unit of three or more battalions, with smaller specialized units attached. Sometimes an ad hoc formation, brigades combine available units for a specific task. A fast, mobile brigade might consist of one tank battalion, two motorized-infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and an antiaircraft company.

  Broederbond-Afrikaans for “band of brothers.” A secret society established in 1918. Members had to be both ideologically and racially pure

  Afrikaners, committed to the reestablishment of “Afrikaner culture” and the imposition of apartheid as a governmental system. Broederbond cells permeate Afrikaner political parties, businesses, schools, and churches.

  Until recently, only Broederbond members held political or party office inside South Africa’s ruling National Party.

  BTR-Bronetransportr-A Russian term for a series of armored personnel carriers.

  BTR-60-An eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, it first appeared in the early 1960s. The first of a long series of similar designs, it has a boat-shaped hull and can carry fourteen men. One flaw in this design is its two gasoline engines, located behind thin armor. This was corrected in later versions.

  Buffel-A wheeled personnel carrier, it is arguably the ugliest an-no red vehicle ever built. Specially designed to be mine resistant, it can carry a squad of infantry and is often used by South African paramilitary or police forces.

  C4-The designation for a type of plastic explosive used by the U.S. Army and others. It can be worked like modeling clay, burned, or dropped, but will not detonate without an igniter.

  C-5 Galaxy—The largest aircraft in the U.S. inventory, this monster can carry 110 tons of cargo. It can also carry troops,

  but is usually used to carry items too bulky or heavy for the C-141

  Starlifter.

  C-130 Hercules-An American four-engine turboprop cargo plane, this successful design is used by dozens of countries around the world.

  C-141 Starlifter-This four-engined transport is the standard cargo plane for the U.S. Air Force. It can carry over two hundred troops or thirty-five tons of cargo.

  Cactus-A South African version of the French-designed Crotale, Cactus is a short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to protect high-value installations from air attack. It consists of a wheeled launcher vehicle with four missiles and a guidance radar, and separate command vehicle and search radar. It has a range of about five miles. Although never used in combat, the system has a good reputation.

  Carl Gustav-A man-portable antitank weapon, this Swedish-designed weapon is used by many countries. It is lighter and cheaper than an antitank missile, but has shorter range and less hitting power. It can be used to attack targets other than tanks and still packs a respectable punch. In the 1982 Argentine invasion of South Georgia, British troops nearly sank a frigate with two hits from the weapon.

  Chain gun—A form of automatic cannon, the gun takes its name from the fact that a bicycle chain forms part of the drive mechanism. These rapid-fire, medium-bore cannon pack a terrific punch and are often capable of defeating lightly armored vehicles.

  Claymore mine-Most land mines are buried in the ground and are tripped when a vehicle or soldier passes over them. The Claymore is different.

  Spikes hold it upright on the surface of the ground. It is tripped electrically, on command, and sends out a fan-shaped pattern of steel balls that shred anything in their path. It is called a “directional” mine.

  Company-A ground unit of one hundred to two hundred men, made up of three or four platoons of three or four squads

  each. Normally three platoons will be of the same type infantry or armored vehicles, while the fourth platoon is made up of heavy support weapons or other specialized equipment. In the cavalry, a company-sized unit is called a troop.

  DivisionA large ground unit, often containing three brigades or nine maneuver battalions, plus separate support units-engineers, artillery, supply and maintenance personnel, and others. A division will have between ten and twenty thousand troops, hundreds of vehicles, and dozens of helicopters.

  Eland-An older armored car still in service with the South African Army.

  Designed and built in South Africa, it is based on a 1950s-vintage French design and mounts a 90mm, high velocity gun on a very small chassis. Like all armored cars, it is lightly armored, but its wheels make it faster over flat terrain than many tanks.

  F-14 Tomcat-A twin-engine, two-seat, swing-wing fighter used by the

  U.S.

  Navy for fleet air defense. It carries a powerful radar and very long range missiles.

  F/A-18 Hornet-A twin-engine, single-seat jet designed to replace the

  A-7

  Corsair 11. The F/AI 8A is a multi role aircraft intended to be equally adept as either an attack aircraft or an air-superiority fighter. Very maneuverable, it is designed to be launched from carriers.

  G-5 guns-The best artillery piece in the world, the G-5 was designed and built in South Africa using technology stolen from several sources, including the United States. It can fire a 155mm, (six-inch) shell twenty-four and a half miles with phenomena] accuracy. The G-5 is towed behind a truck or logistics vehicle. The related G-6 mounts the same gun on a six-wheeled, lightly armored chassis.

  Gun-Artillery pieces are classed as either “guns” or “howitzers.” Guns have longer barrels, which give them higher velocity and longer range, but at a cost in weight. A howitzer ha~ a shorter range, but can also fire at higher angles of elevation, making it possible to drop shells into “dead zones” behind obstacles that a gun could not hit.

  Homelands—An integral part of the 1948 apartheid plan, each major tribe in Africa was assigned a geographic area that was~ ostensibly its traditional region. For the most part, they have little to do with the actual location of the tribe and are often on barren, undeveloped land.

  Every black i
n South Africa was assigned a tribe, and thus a homeland, of which they were automatically a citizen.

  The fact that an individual had never seen their particular homeland and had no desire to live there was irrelevant.

  HUD-Heads Up Display-Projects important information onto a clear plastic plate directly in front of the pilot’s eyes, making it possible to avoid going “heads down” to look at cockpit instruments. The HUD is a vital aid during a fastmoving air combat. The data displayed on the windscreen includes speed, altitude, weapons status, g forces, target data, and fuel status.

  IFF-Identification Friend or Foe-An airplane or ship sends a coded electronic signal out to an unknown contact. A black box on an aircraft, if it receives the proper code, responds with a signal of its own, telling the observer that the aircraft is friendly. Aircraft without the proper codes are the enemy. The codes are changed daily.

  11-76 Candid-An Ilyushin-designed cargo plane, it is the Soviet analogue to the U.S. C-141 Starlifter. It has four engines and a rear cargo ramp, like the Starlifter. It can carry about forty metric tons.

  Inkatha-A political party made up almost entirely of Zulus, with the majority of its members in Natal Province. Inkatha is the primary rival of the ANC, another black opposition group within South Africa. Some of this rivalry is based on political differences, the rest on centuries-old tribal enmity.

  IP-Initial Point-Refers to the geographic location used as the start point for an approach to a target.

  Kukri-A heat-seeking missile designed and built in South Africa. While not as advanced as first-line missiles, it does have one advantage. When mounted on the Mirage F. 1, the pilot can use a special helmet-mounted sight to lock the missile’s seeker on targets off to one side. This is a tremendous advantage in a dogfight, since the plane’s nose must no longer be pointed exactly at a violently maneuvering enemy.

  LAW-Light Antitank Weapon-A 66mm rocket in a fiberglass tube, this one-shot, throwaway weapon weighs about five pounds. It has a short range and limited penetrating power, but gives the individual soldier a powerful onetime “punch” against lightly armored vehicles, bunkers, or buildings.

  LCAC-Landing Craft, Assault Cargo-A large Hovercraft used to ferry troops and equipment from naval ships to the beach. Because of its Hovercraft design, it can move at eighty knots and does not have to stop at the water’s edge.