by Dale Brown
“I know, Dave — I see the pictures too,” Rebecca said, “but I’m not risking losing my bombers.”
“Like we lost the Stud?”
“Don’t give me that crap, Dave — I know what’s going on here, and I’m just as mad about it as you are,” Rebecca snapped. “But may I remind you that our bombers are the only long-range strike aircraft we have now, and I’m not going to risk them on…an unauthorized mission.” It was no exaggeration, and Dave Luger knew it: since the American Holocaust, the Russian cruise missile attack on American bomber and intercontinental missile bases four years earlier, the only surviving long-range bombers had been the handful of bombers deployed overseas and the converted B-52 and B-1 bombers based at Battle Mountain.
Furness’s bombers soon racked up casualties of their own. All of Battle Mountain’s bombers had been sent to a Russian aerial refueling tanker base in Yakutsk, Siberia, from where Patrick McLanahan led attack missions against nuclear ballistic missile bases throughout Russia. When the American bombers were discovered, then — Russian president General Anatoliy Gryzlov attacked the base with more nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. Half the force had been lost in the devastating attack. The remaining bombers successfully attacked dozens of Russian missile bases, destroying the bulk of their strategic nuclear force; McLanahan himself, aboard one of the last EB-52 Megafortress battleships, attacked and killed Gryzlov in his underground bunker southeast of Moscow in a grueling twenty-hour-long mission that took him across the entire breadth of the Russian Federation.
After the conflict, Rebecca Furness had been given command of the Air Force’s few remaining bombers; consequently, no one knew better than she the incredible responsibility placed upon her. The surviving planes, and the few unmanned stealth bombers built since the American Holocaust, were the only air-breathing long-range strike aircraft left in the American arsenal — if any bombers were going to be built ever again, it might take decades to build the force back up to credible levels.
“Ma’am, I’m sure the strike mission will be approved once the national command authority gets our report on what happened to our spaceplane,” Dave said. “That mobile Kavaznya laser is the biggest threat facing our country right now — not just to our spacecraft, but possibly to anything that flies.” He paused, then added, “And the Russians just killed five of our best, ma’am. It’s time for some payback.”
Rebecca was silent for a long moment; then, shaking her head, she said wryly, “Three ‘ma’ams’ out of you in one conversation, General Luger — I believe that’s a first for you.” She punched some instructions into her computer. “I’ll authorize a change to thirty minutes’ bingo fuel.”
“Odin to Headbanger, I said, push them up, General Furness,” Patrick interjected from Armstrong Space Station. “Take them up to Vmax, then slow them down to one point two for weapon release.”
“What if they don’t make it to the air refueling anchor on the way back, General?” she asked. “What if there’s a navigation error? What if they can’t hook up on the first go? Let’s not lose sight of—”
“Push ’em up, General. That’s an order.”
Rebecca sighed. She could legally ignore his order and be sure her bombers were safe — that was her job — but she certainly understood how badly he wanted retribution. She turned to her Vampire flight crew and said, “Push them up to one point five, recompute bingo fuel at the air refueling control point, and advise.”
The crew complied, and a moment later reported: “Headbanger flight of two now at flight level three-one-oh, on course, speed Mach one point five, due regard, in the green, twenty minutes to launch point. Bingo fuel at the ARCP is gone; we’re down to ten minutes’ emergency fuel. We should make up a few more minutes after we get the tanker’s updated ETE.”
“That’s ten minutes after the second bomber cycles on the boom, right?” Rebecca asked. The grim, ashen expression and silent no on the face of the tech told her that they were in really deep shit.
CHAPTER SEVEN
In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.
— JOSE NAROSKY
ABOARD ARMSTRONG SPACE STATION
MINUTES LATER
“McLanahan here, secure.”
“McLanahan, this is the President of the United States,” Joseph Gardner thundered. “What in hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Sir, I—”
“This is a direct order, McLanahan: Turn those bombers around right now.”
“Sir, I’d like to give you my report before—”
“You’re not going to do a damned thing except what I order you to do!” the President snapped. “You’ve violated a direct order from the commander-in-chief. If you want to avoid life in prison, you’d better do what I tell you. And that spaceplane had better still be in orbit, or by God I’ll—”
“The Russians shot down the Black Stallion spaceplane,” Patrick quickly interjected. “The spaceplane is missing and presumed lost with all souls.”
The President was silent for a long moment; then: “How?”
“A mobile laser, the same one that we think shot down our spaceplane last year over Iran,” Patrick replied. “That was what the Russians were hiding at Soltanabad: their mobile anti-spacecraft laser. They brought it into Iran and set it up at an abandoned Revolutionary Guards Corps base, one we thought had been destroyed — they even placed fake bomb craters on it to fool us. The Russians set up the laser in a perfect spot to attack our spacecraft overflying Iran. They got the second-biggest prize of them all: another Black Stallion spaceplane. The positioning suggests their real target was Armstrong Space Station.”
Again, silence on the other end of the line…but not for long: “McLanahan, I’m very sorry about your men…”
“There were two women on board too, sir.”
“…and we’re going to get to the bottom of this,” the President went on, “but you violated my orders and launched those bombers without permission. Turn them around immediately.”
Patrick glanced up at the time remaining: seven-plus minutes. Could he stall the President that long…? “Sir, I had permission to launch the spaceplane into standard orbit from STRATCOM,” he said. “We suspected what the Russians were up to, but we were awaiting permission to go in. Our worst fears were confirmed…”
“I gave you an order, McLanahan.”
“Sir, the Russians are packing up and moving the laser and their radar out of Soltanabad as we speak,” he said. “If they are allowed to slip away, that laser will be an immense threat to every spacecraft, satellite, and aircraft in our inventory. We’re just a few minutes away from launch, and it’ll be over in less than a minute. Just four precision-guided missiles with kinetic-kill warheads — no collateral damage. It’ll take out the components that haven’t been moved yet. The Russians can’t complain about the attack because then they’d be admitting moving attack troops into Iran to kill Americans, so there won’t be any international backlash. If we can get Buzhazi’s troops in there to start a forensic search as soon as possible after the attack, we might uncover evidence that—”
“I said, turn those bombers around, McLanahan,” the President said. “That’s an order. I’m not going to repeat myself. This conversation is being recorded and witnessed and if you don’t comply it’ll be used against you in your court-martial.”
“Sir, I understand, but I ask you to reconsider,” Patrick pleaded. “Five astronauts aboard the spaceplane were killed. They’re dead, blasted apart by that laser. It was an act of war. If we don’t get direct evidence that Russia has commenced direct offensive military action against the United States of America, they’ll get away with murder and we’ll never be able to avenge their deaths. And if we don’t destroy, damage, or disable that laser, it’ll pop up somewhere else and kill again. Sir, we must—”
“You are in violation of a direct order from the commander-in-chief, General McLanahan,” the President interrupted. “I’ll give you one last chance to comply. Do it
, and I’ll let you retire quickly and quietly without a public trial. Refuse, and I’ll strip you of your rank and throw you in prison at hard labor for life. Do you understand me, General? One last chance…which is it going to—?”
Six minutes left. Could he get away with the “scratchy radio” routine? He decided he was far, far beyond that point now: he had no choice. Patrick cut off the transmission. Ignoring the stunned expressions of the technicians around him, he spoke: “McLanahan to Luger.”
“Just got off the phone with the SECDEF, Muck,” Dave said from Elliott Air Force Base via their subcutaneous global transceiver system. “He ordered the Vampires recalled immediately.”
“My phone call trumps yours, buddy: I just heard from the President,” Patrick said. “He ordered the same thing. He offered me a nice quiet retirement or a lifetime breaking big rocks into little ones at Leavenworth.”
“I’ll get them turned—”
“Negative…they continue,” Patrick said. “Bomb the crap out of that base.”
“Muck, I know what you’re thinking,” Dave Luger said, “but it might already be too late. The latest satellite image shows at least a fourth of the vehicles already gone, and that was over ten minutes ago. Plus we’re already past bingo fuel on the Vampires and well into an emergency fuel situation — they might not reach the tanker before they flame out. It’s a no-win scenario, Muck. It’s not worth risking your career and your freedom. We lost this one. Let’s pull back and get ready to fight the next one.”
“The ‘next one’ could be an attack against another spaceplane, a satellite, a reconnaissance aircraft over Iran, or Armstrong Space Station itself,” Patrick said. “We’ve got to stop it, now.”
“It’s too late,” Luger insisted. “I think we’ve missed it.”
“Then we’ll leave ’em with a little calling card in their rearview mirrors, if that’s the best we can do,” Patrick said. “Nail it.”
* * *
“He’s going to what?”
“You heard me, Leonid,” the President of the United States said on the “hot line” from Air Force One, just minutes after the connection was broken to the space station — he had to let loose a string of epithets for a full sixty seconds after the line went dead before he could speak with anyone else. “I think McLanahan is going to launch an air strike on a place called Soltanabad in northeastern Iran. He insists you have set up a mobile anti-spacecraft laser there and you used it to shoot down his Black Stallion spaceplane just a few moments ago.”
Russian president Leonid Zevitin furiously typed instructions on a computer keyboard to Russian air forces chief of staff Darzov while he spoke, warning him of the impending attack and ordering him to get fighters airborne to try to stop the American bombers. “This is unbelievable, Joe, simply unbelievable,” he said in his most convincing, sincere, outraged tone of voice. “Soltanabad? In Iran? I’ve never heard of the place! We don’t have any troops anywhere in Iran except the ones guarding our temporary embassy in Mashhad, and it’s there because our embassy in Tehran has been blasted to hell and Mashhad is the only secure place in the entire country right now, thanks to Buzhazi.”
“I’m just as flabbergasted as you are, Leonid,” Gardner said. “McLanahan must have flipped. He must’ve suffered some kind of brain injury when he had that heart flutter episode. He’s unstable!”
“But why does an unstable officer have control of supersonic bombers and hypersonic missiles, Joe? Maybe you can’t get your hands on McLanahan, but you can shut down his operation, can’t you?”
“Of course I can, Leonid. It’s being done as we speak. But those bombers may get off a few missiles. If you have any forces on the ground out there, I suggest you get them out pronto.”
“I thank you for the call, Joe, but we don’t have forces in Iran, period.” Still no reply from Darzov, he noticed — damn, he’d better get that laser out of there, or else their game was going to be over. “And we certainly don’t have some kind of magic super-laser that can shoot down a spacecraft orbiting Earth at seventeen thousand miles per hour and can then disappear like smoke. The United Nations investigated those reports last year and came up with nothing, remember?”
“I believe they said there were inconclusive results because—”
“Because President Martindale didn’t allowed them to interview anyone at Dreamland, and Buzhazi and his insane rebel insurgents didn’t allow them access to debris or the suspected site where the laser was supposedly set up,” Zevitin said. “The bottom line is that there is not one scrap of evidence out there pointing to some damned super-laser. McLanahan is obviously whipping up a lot of fear in Congress, in the media, and with the American public in order to keep his expensive and dangerous secret programs afloat.”
“Well, that’s going to be put to a halt real quick,” Gardner said. “McLanahan is finished. The bastard hung up on me and ordered that attack to continue.”
“Hung up on you?” That was perfect, Zevitin thought happily. Not only was McLanahan going to be removed, but he was going to be portrayed as a lunatic…by his own commander-in-chief! No way his supporters in the military or Congress were going to support him now! He choked down his glee and went on in a low, ominous voice, “That is insane! Is he crazy? You can’t allow this to continue! This unstable, insubordinate man has got to be stopped, Joe. You’re making a lot of folks real scared out here. Wait until the Duma and the Cabinet hears about another hypersonic missile attack in Iran. They’re going to shit their pants.”
“Convince them not to worry, Leonid,” Gardner said. “McLanahan is done for, and so is his private military force.”
“Shut it down, Joe,” Zevitin urged. “Shut it all down — the space station, those hypersonic missiles, the unmanned bombers with their EMP death rays — before it’s too late. Then let’s get together and present the world with a unified, peaceful, cooperative front. That’s the only way we’re going to ratchet down the tension around here.”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Gardner insisted. “In case your Caspian Sea ships are in the vicinity, you might tell them that the bombers might launch high-speed missiles.”
“Joe, I’m concerned about the backlash in Iran if those missiles hit that area,” Zevitin said. “The last I recall, that base was being used by the Red Crescent to fly in relief supplies, and by United Nations monitors—”
“Oh no,” Gardner moaned. “This is a damned nightmare.”
“If McLanahan blasts that base, he’ll be killing dozens, perhaps hundreds of innocent civilians.”
“Damn,” Gardner said. “Well, I’m sorry, Leonid, but McLanahan’s out of control for the time being. There’s nothing else I can do.”
“I have one radical suggestion, my friend — I hope you don’t think I’m crazy,” Zevitin said.
“What’s your—?” And then Gardner stopped, because he soon figured it out for himself. “You mean, you’re asking my permission to—?”
“It’s the only way, Joe,” Zevitin said, almost unable to contain his amazement at the direction this conversation was taking. “You know it, and I know it. I don’t believe even a stressed-out schizoid like McLanahan would ever dare launch missiles against a humanitarian relief airfield, but I can’t think of any other way to stop this madness, can you?” There was no response, so Zevitin quickly went on: “Besides, Joe, the bombers are unmanned, correct? No one will get hurt on your side, and we’ll be saving many lives.” There was a very long pause. Zevitin added, “I’m sorry, Joe, I shouldn’t have brought up such a crazy idea. Forget I said—”
“Hold on, Leonid,” Gardner interrupted. A few moments later: “Do you have jets nearby, Leonid?” he heard the President of the United States ask.
Zevitin almost doubled over with disbelief. He swallowed his shock, quickly composed himself, then said, “I don’t know, Joe. I’ll have to ask my air force chief of staff. We normally patrol this area, of course, but since our MiG was shot down by McLanahan’s bomber wi
th the EMP nuclear T-wave thing we’ve pulled back quite a bit.”
“I understand,” Gardner said. “Listen to me. My National Security Adviser tells me that the bombers launched from Batman Air Base in Turkey and are undoubtedly heading directly to a launch point over the southern Caspian Sea. We can’t tell you any more because we simply don’t know.”
“I understand,” Zevitin said. He could scarcely believe this — Gardner was actually telling him where the bombers had launched from and where they were going!
“We don’t know their weapons either, but we’ll assume they have the same hypersonic cruise missiles they used before, so the launch point is a couple hundred miles from Soltanabad.”
“I agree with your assumptions, Joe,” Zevitin said, trying to disguise the surprise in his voice and stay calm and serious. “We can search for them where you suggest. But if we do find them…Joe, should I proceed? I think it’s the only way to avoid a disaster. But it’s got to be your call, Mr. President. Tell me what you’d like me to do.”
Another pause, but this one shorter: “Yes, Leonid,” Gardner said, obviously racked with great anger. “I hate to do it, but that bastard McLanahan has left me no choice.”
“Yes, Joe, I understand and agree,” Zevitin said. “What about the T-wave weapon? Will they use it again to attack our fighters?”
“You must assume they will, and launch your attack from maximum range,” Gardner said. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any control over that, either.”
“I know it’s not your doing, my friend,” Zevitin said as solemnly as he could muster through his glee. Hell, now the guy was giving him suggestions on how to successfully attack his own people! “We’ll do everything possible to avert a disaster. I’ll be in touch shortly with an update.”
“Thank you so much, my friend.”
“No, thank you for the responsible notification, my friend. I don’t know if I can be in time, but I’ll do everything I can to avoid an embarrassing situation from getting worse. Wish me luck. Goodbye.” Zevitin hung up the phone…then resisted the impulse to take a little victory dance around the desk. He snatched up the phone again and asked to be connected immediately to Darzov. “Status, General?”