Then they marched off downstream toward the coast.
Holt fired up the SATCOM on TAC Two. The planes did not respond.
He tried TAC One, but reception was not possible through the mountains.
“We get to the coast we’ll try it again,” Holt said. “It should work out there.”
Murdock had grilled the seven SEALs on the death of the general.
They had to have the same story. The general had committed hara-kiri with his samurai sword, then toppled into the surging river, and they hadn’t been able to find him.
It took them another two hours to hike down the stream to the coast. Then the Tac One channel worked and Murdock talked to the admiral.
He explained their chase and the final capture and what had happened to General Nishikawa. The admiral said he would report it to the embassy and to Washington.
“Well done, Commander. You need transport?”
“First we have to find the other half of our platoon and about thirty Russians.”
“That would be Lieutenant Dewitt and the Second Squad. When you assaulted the mountain, he pulled back his squad with the Russians and worked back to the coast. One of our choppers picked him up about an hour ago. The Russians commandos with Dewitt are on their air-cushion craft. They radioed to us to come and get the SEALS.”
“Wondered about that. You might tell the Russian floater to move about four klicks north to find their captain and his eight men.”
“Will do, Commander. We’ll see you soon.”
Murdock sat down with his back against a tree ten yards from the beach and watched the waves roll in. The seven SEALs were close by.
“I’d kill for an MRE,” Ronson said.
“Hey, didn’t you bring one?” Jaybird asked. “I thought everyone did. Hell, no, I’m not sharing.”
The six SEALs rushed him, rolled him on the ground, and made certain he didn’t have an MRE in his pack.
“Doc, how about a casualty report,” Murdock said.
“Nothing I know about. Some nicks and scrapes, and Jaybird is getting strangled. That’s about all. We left Washington back at the village with that broken ankle.”
“Yeah, we still have all of our EARS? Count them, Jaybird.”
A minute later he reported. “All present, Commander.”
“Good. Stroh would skin, roast, and feed us to alligators if we lost one of them. We should have a bird here soon. Sack out if anybody wants to.” Murdock grinned. Even before he said it he heard two of the SEALs snoring. Yeah, great idea. His chin dropped to his chest and he slept.
26
Friday, 23 February
Mid-Coast
Kunashir Island
Kuril Chain, Russia
Murdock awoke to feel snowflakes hitting him in the face. It was a light fall of cold, dry flakes. He licked off a couple, then checked his watch. Almost 0830. Somewhere in the background he heard the Russians on a radio. He dozed again, then came alert. Chopper.
No doubt about it, the sound came again, the whup, whup, whup of the big rotors. He looked over where the Russians had been. They were gone. Captain Radiwitch had talked with Murdock and knew a chopper was coming. The Russian hovercraft must have come well before the helicopter. Murdock had shaken hands and said good-bye to the Russian captain. The Russians had brought out their one dead and four wounded.
Murdock checked seaward. The chopper sound persisted. He looked in his combat vest and found a red flare.
Two minutes later he could see an outline of the chopper through the light snow. He popped the flare and threw it down on the beach sand. At once the chopper changed directions, did a low fly-over, then circled around and came in for a landing just inside the dry sand.
The chopper hatch slid open and a crewman jumped out. “Up and at them,” Murdock barked. “Your limousine is here.”
Jaybird made sure everyone was awake; then they moved through the light snow flurries toward the twin-rotored Sea Knight, and climbed in the forward hatch.
“Glad you guys showed up,” Murdock told the crewman. He went to the cockpit and tapped one of the pilots on the shoulder. The aviator turned and nodded.
“Hey, can you contact Home Base and ask them if Lieutenant Dewitt picked up Washington, or if he’s still down there with the Russians in Golovnino.”
The pilot asked him to repeat the message, then got on his radio.
A minute later the pilot looked over at Murdock.
“Home Base reports that your man Washington was brought out and is on board the carrier now.”
Murdock thanked him and went back with the other SEALS. Five of his men had sat down and promptly gone back to sleep.
“Been a long day,” Jaybird said. “When did we get any sleep last?”
“A week ago Thursday,” Ken Ching said. He dropped his combat vest and slumped against it. “Don’t wake me up until Christmas,” he said.
Murdock walked among the bodies counting. They still had their six EAR weapons. Good. It would take them about twenty minutes to fly back to the carrier, get in the flight pattern, and come in to land, a crewman told Murdock.
Murdock waved. “Hey, take your time. I’m in no hurry. Not now.”
As soon as they hit the carrier deck, Murdock told Jaybird to get the men below and into the ready room. He’d be along shortly. He found a white shirt and followed him off the deck, and then a seaman took him to sick bay.
Washington was under the knife. Dewitt waited for the surgery to be over. Murdock found him.
“How’s Washington?”
“Looks like a clean break, but they wanted to be sure. The X-ray was a little dicey. The bone may need a pin, but no reason he can’t come back to full-duty status.”
“Good. We finally nailed the little general.”
Dewitt nodded. “See you in our assembly room.”
Murdock had little to say to the SEALS. All were there except Washington and Dewitt.
“Good work. Get out of here and hang some sack time or chow call, whichever you want first. We’ll get together here again about fifteen hundred.”
Murdock found his way to the Communications Center and asked them to make a call to Don Stroh’s number in Virginia. The encrypted call went from one satellite to another, then into the Washington, D. C., antennas. Don came on a moment later. “Yeah, SEAL kind of guy, hear you scored a touchdown.”
“Might have been a safety. At least we won. How is Japan taking the whole thing?”
“State says they are pleased. They pleaded for non-lethal, but they had to know it couldn’t hold up for the whole affair. From what I gather, the Russians were fascinated by your new sound toys.”
“I figured they would steal one before they left, but we still have twelve. I counted.”
“Good work, again, Murdock. You’ll probably want a long leave again so you can come to Washington.”
“Don’t know, Stroh. First I’m going to sleep for a week, then eat four meals a day. After that we’ll talk.”
“When does the fishing improve out in California? I’m still looking for some yellowtail and maybe a big-eye tuna.”
“You’re talking at least April or May. We’ll keep your toys safe.
I do want to get two of them on permanent loan. They might come in handy again for a stealth approach.”
“I’ll have to talk to the boss about that.”
“Stroh, what else is cooking? We have a couple of months to get patched up? I’ve still got some guys with bumps and bruises, and one new broken leg.”
“Depends on what pops first. That Korean thing is still hot, but it’s cooled off a little. We plan to hold you guys on the carrier there for a few weeks, so don’t plan any reunion. Looks now like the Korea situation will taper off and might not blow up this time, but I have a feeling it’s coming sooner or later.
“Then we have a problem in the Middle East again. I mean a real bad one that could go ballistic on us. Hey, you guys have the easy part. You just sit there an
d wait for us to decide where you go.”
“Yeah, sure, Stroh. I can’t fight with you when I’m this tired.
It’s sack time for me. You take care, and don’t call us. When we’re ready for something really big, we’ll call you.”
Stroh laughed and they said good-bye.
Murdock got a guide to help him find his quarters. Tomorrow he’d call Washington again, only this time he’d talk to Ardith Manchester.
Yeah, let her know he was safe and sound. He frowned. Did that mean he was getting serious about this woman?
Murdock gave up even trying to think about that, and hit the sack.
First sleep, then food.
Military Glossary
2IC: Second in command.
40mm Grenades: Fired from launcher on Colt M-4A1, others.
Aalvin: Small U.S. two-man submarine.
Admin: Short for administration.
Aegis: Advanced Naval air defense radar system.
AH-LW Super Cobra: Has M179 undernose turret with 20mm Gattling gun.
AK47: 7.63-round Russian Kalashnikov automatic rifle. Most widely used assault rifle in the world.
AKM-or AK74: 5 .45mm round.
AN/PRC-117D: Radio, also called SATCOM. Works with Milstar satellite in 22,300-mile equatorial orbit for instant worldwide radio, voice, or video communications. Size: 15 inches high, 3 inches wide, 3 inches deep. Weighs 15 pounds. Microphone and voice output. Has encrypter, capable of burst transmissions of less than a second.
AN/POS-7: Night Vision Goggles. Weigh 1.5 pounds.
ANVIS-6: Night Vision Goggles on air crewmen’s helmets.
APC: Armored Personnel Carrier.
ASROC: Nuclear-tipped antisubmarine rocket torpedoes launched by Navy ships.
Assault Vest: Combat vest with full loadouts of ammo, gear.
ASW: Antisubmarine Warfare.
Attack Board: Molded plastic with two handgrips with bubble compass on it. Also depth gauge and cyalume chemical lights with twist knob to regulate amount of light. Used for underwater guidance on long swim.
Aurora: Air Force recon plane. Can circle at 90,000 feet. Can’t be seen or heard from ground. Used for thermal imaging.
AWACS: Airborne Warning And Control System. Radar units in high-flying aircraft to scan for planes at any altitude out 200 miles. Controls air-to-air engagements with enemy forces. Planes have a mass of communication and electronic equipment.
Balaclavas: Headgear worn by some SEALS.
Bent Spear: Less serious nuclear violation of safety.
BKA: Bundeskriminant: Germany’s federal investigation unit.
Black Talon: Lethal hollowpoint ammunition made by Winchester. Outlawed some places.
Blivet: A collapsible fuel container. SEALs sometimes use it.
BLU-43B: Antipersonnel mine used by SEALS.
BLU-96: A fuel-air explosive bomb. It disperses a fuel oil into the air, then explodes the cloud. Many times more powerful than conventional bombs because it doesn’t carry its own chemical oxidizers.
BMP-1: Soviet armored fighting vehicle (AFV), low, boxy, crew of 3 and 8 combat troops. Has tracks and a 73mm cannon. Also has an AT-3 Sagger antitank missile and coaxial machine gun.
Body Armor: Far too heavy for SEAL use in the water.
Bogey: Pilots’ word for an unidentified aircraft.
Boghammer Boat: Long, narrow, low dagger boat, highspeed patrol craft. Swedish make. Iran had 40 of them in 1993.
Boomer: A nuclear-powered missile submarine.
Bought It: A man has been killed. Also “bought the farm.”
Bow Cat: The bow catapult on a carrier to launch jets.
Broken Arrow: Any accident with nuclear weapons or nuclear material lost, shot down, crashed, stolen, hijacked.
Browning 9mm High Power: A Belgium 9mm pistol, 13 rounds in magazine. First made 1935.
Buddy Line: 6 feet long, ties 2 SEALs together in the water for control or help if needed.
BUDS/S: Coronado, California, nickname for SEAL training facility for 6-months course.
BUPERS: BUreau of PERSonnel.
C-130 Hercules: Air Force transporter for long haul. 4 engines.
C-2A Greyhound: 2-engine turboprop cargo plane that lands on carriers. Also called COD, Carrier Onboard Delivery. Takes people, supplies, mail to and from CVN carriers at sea.
C-4: Plastic explosive. A clay-like explosive that can be molded and shaped. It will burn. Fairly stable.
C-6 Plastique: Plastic explosive. Developed from C-4 and C-5. Is often used in bombs with radio detonator or digital timer.
C-9 Nightingale: Douglas DC-9 fitted as a medical evacuation transport plane.
C-141 Starlifter: Airlift transport for cargo, paratroops, evac for long distances. Top speed 566 mph. Range with payload 2,935 miles. Ceiling 41,600 feet.
Caltrops: Small four-pointed spikes used to flatten tires. Used in the Crusades to disable horses.
Camelback: Used with drinking tube for 70 ounces of water attached to vest.
Cammies: Working camouflaged wear for SEALS. Two different patterns and colors: jungle and desert.
Cannon Fodder: Old term for soldiers in line of fire destined to die in the grand scheme of warfare.
Capped: Killed, shot, or otherwise snuffed.
CAR-15: The Colt M-4A1. Sliding-stock carbine with grenade launcher under barrel. Knight sound-suppressor. Can have AN/PAQ-4 laser aiming light under the carrying handle. .223 round. 20-or 30-round magazine. Rate of fire 700 to 1,000 rds/min.
Cascade Radiation: U-235 triggers secondary radiation in other dense materials.
Cast Off: Leave a dock, port, land. Get lost. Navy: long, then short signal of horn, whistle, or light.
Castle Keep: The main tower in any castle.
Caving Ladder: Roll-up ladder that can be let down to climb.
CH-46E: Sea Knight chopper. Twin rotors, transport. Can carry 22 combat troops. Has a crew of 4.
CH-53D Sea Stallion: Big Chopper. Not used much anymore.
Chaff: A small cloud of thin pieces of metal, such as tinsel, that can be picked up by enemy radar and that can attract a radar-guided missile away from the plane.
Charlie-Mike: Code words for continue the mission.
Chief to Chief: Bad conduct by EM handled by chiefs so no record shows or is passed up the chain of command.
Chocolate Mountains: Land training center for SEALs near these mountains in the California desert.
Christians In Action: SEAL talk for not-always-friendly CIA.
CIA: Central Intelligence Agency.
CIC: Combat Information Center. The place on a ship where communications and control areas are situated to open and control combat fire.
CINC: Commander IN Chief.
CINCLANT: Navy Commander IN Chief, AtLANTic.
CINCPAC: Commander-IN-Chief, PACific.
Class of 1978: Not a single man finished BUD/S training in this class. All-time record.
Claymore: An antipersonnel mine carried by SEALs on many of their missions.
Cluster Bombs: A canister bomb that explodes and spreads small bomblets over a great area. Used against parked aircraft, massed troops, and un-armored vehicles.
CNO: Chief of Naval Operations.
CO-2 Poisoning: Occurs during deep dives. Abort dive at once and surface.
COD: Carrier On board Delivery plane.
Cold Pack Rations: Food carried by SEALs to use if needed.
Combat Harness: American Body Armor nylon mesh special operations vest. Has 6 pouches, 2 magazines each, for drum-fed belts, other pouches for other weapons, waterproof pouch for Motorola.
CONUS: CONtinental United States.
Corfams: Dress shoes for SEALS.
Covert Action Staff: A CIA group that handles all covert action by the SEALS.
CQB: Close Quarters Battle house. Training facility near Niland in the desert training area. Also called the Kill House.
CQB: Close Quarters Battle. A fight that’s up-close,
hand-to-hand, whites of his eyes, blood all over you.
CRRC Bundle: Roll it off plane, sub, boat. The assault boat for 8 seals, all ready to go into combat.
CRRC: Combat Rubber Raiding Craft. Also the IBS or Inflatable Boat Small.
Cutting Charge: Lead-sheathed explosive. Triangular strip of high-velocity explosive sheathed in metal. Point of the triangle focuses a shaped-charge effect. Cuts a pencil-line-wide hole to slice a steel girder in half.
CVN: U.S. Carrier with nuclear power.
CYA: Cover Your Ass, protect yourself from friendlies or officers above you and JAG people.
Damflno: Damned if I know. SEAL talk.
DDS: Dry Dock Shelter. A clamshell unit on subs to deliver SEALs and SDVs to a mission.
DEFCON: DEFense CONdition. How serious is the threat?
Delta Forces: Army special forces, much like SEALS.
Desert Cammies: Three-color desert tan and pale green with streaks of pink. For use on land.
DIA: Defense Intelligence Agency.
Dilos class patrol boat: Greek, 29 feet long, 75 tons displacement.
Dirty Shirt Mess: Officers can eat there in flying suits on board a carrier.
DNS: Doppler Navigation System.
Drager LAR V: Rebreather that SEALs use. No bubbles.
DREC: Digitally Reconnoiterable Electronic Component. Top-secret computer chip from NSA that lets it decipher any U.S. military electronic code.
E & E: SEAL talk for escape and evasion.
E-2C Hawkeye: Navy carrier-based Airborne Early Warning craft for long-range early warning, threat assessment, and fighter direction. Has a 24-foot saucer-like rotodome over the wing. Crew 5, max speed 326 knots, ceiling 30,800 feet, radius 175 nm with 4 hours on station.
E-3A Skywarrior: Old electronic intelligence craft. Replaced by the newer ES-3A.
E-4B NEACP (called Kneecap): National Emergency Airborne Command Post. A greatly modified Boeing 747 used as a communications base for the President of the United States and other high-ranking officials in an emergency and in wartime.
EA-6B Prowler: Navy plane with electronic countermeasures. Crew of 4, max speed 566 knots, ceiling 41,200 feet, range with max load 955 nautical miles.
Easy: The only easy day was yesterday. SEAL talk.
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