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“I have a radar at two hundred miles south,” reported Torbin. “Uh, belongs to a missile—SS-N-127 That’s wrong, but it’s definitely targeting.”
“Give me a heading,” said Brea
“I’m with you,” said Zen, pulling Hawk Two around and tucking tight to the EB-52 as it began to accelerate south.
“Lost it,” said Torbin.
“The container ships,” reported Collins a few minutes later. “I have an SOS. Fire. People in the water. Doesn’t look good.
Philippines Forward Operating Area
1350
a lifetime ago, American Aircobra P-39s had flown off the hard-packed dirt beneath Da
Other aircraft had used the base as well—P-38’s, some P-40’s, B-25’s, B-26’s, and on several occasions B-29’s. but if the ghosts of old machines could be said to haunt a place, it was the spirit of the P-39 that remained: tough, somewhat misunderstood jungle fighters who spit 37mm bullets from their nose and drummed through the air with a guttural hum.
Da
Jemma would be heading back home by now. He could see her jaw set, her slight nod to the man asking if he could take her bags at the hotel.
A flicker of blue print at the right side of his viewscreen sharply brought back his attention. A yellow shape materialized from the foggy green and black shadows.
“CAT” said the legend below the small shape at the base of the tree.
Da
Something else moved, fifty yards farther down the slope. Da
It took a moment before he realized the figure was actually in the trees. The computer, meanwhile, realized the figure was human. It didn’t note any weapons.
The ghost began moving downward. The program now had measurements to work with; just under five feet, one hundred pounds.
More a kid than a man, and unarmed, Da
Da
He debated whether to try talking to the Filipino or not. He’d memorized a few words on the way out; while it was likely the person would know English—a large number of Filipinos used it as their second or even first language—Da
Hapon, like harpon, only without the R.
Magandang hapon po.
He could link to Dreamland Command and get a native speaker whispering in his ear if he had to. He’d take the first shot on his own, make the effort.
Da
IR view picked up the embers of a fire beyond them. a cooking fire, probably; the vegetation was too thick to see clearly.
A whistle broke the silence. Da
The person he’d been following was crouched at the edge of the water, thirty-five yards away.
Watching him? Or the whistling duck?
Da