Satan's Tail

“This is our ship,” said Ali, pointing to a set of blue letters at the lower left of the screen. “That—that at the center—is the source of the information. Flip back to the first screen you started with.”

Habib did so. It was some sort of scale.

“The buttons below the screen change the scale; the ones at the right, they have something to do with the detection modes,” said Ali. “Go to the longest plot—the small scale.

There!” He pointed to the top of the screen. “That is the ArkRoyal. That’s our target.”

It wasn’t clear from the screen what the distance was, but Ali guessed it was less than eighty miles.

“Helm, come five degrees to port,” he told Saed. “And then get as much from the engines as you can. Habib, you have done a good job. Now determine how to use the weapons systems.” He put his hand on his sailor’s shoulder.

“God is with us. He will help you see.”

IX

The Glory of God

Aboard the Abner Read

11 November 1997

0052

JENNIFER CRINGED AS THE ABNER READ’S PHALANX ANTIMISsile system began firing. The fact that the ca

“Strike!” said the defensive systems operator over the shared communication cha

“Do your best,” said Storm calmly. “Fire at whatever you have.”

“I can help,” said Je

“I can’t safe it down to let you in,” said the system officer.

“No, I’ll use Wolf One,” she said, already punching into the controls for the aircraft, which had just been secured for refueling when the missile attack began. “Clear the deck!

Clear the deck!”

Someone shouted at her over the radio, but she couldn’t tell whether it was an acknowledgment or a warning. “Clear the deck!” she repeated. “I’m launching!”

“Do what she says,” snapped Eyes. He bent down next to her. “I trust you, but what the hell are you doing?”

374

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

“I can hover just above the ship and use the sensors to help sort the missiles,” Je

“The guns will shoot you down.”

“No, not if I stay right above the superstructure. As far as they’re concerned, the Werewolf is part of the radio mast.”

She had to override the computer to take off, since the aircraft had hardly any fuel left. It rose off the deck slowly, buffeted by the wind.

“I need my laptop open where I can see it,” she told Eyes.

“I’m going to put the aircraft plot there and look at the radar on the main screen. Come on! Get it!”

Eyes pulled the laptop, which was already open, around so she could see it.

“Hold it for me,” she said, her fingers crashing on the key-board. “Just hold it.”

“All right.”

“Your contact M3—it’s real,” said Je

“Missiles in the air!”

“M3 and M5.”

The ship’s guns rattled so harshly that the ship seemed to sink low in the waves. An explosion shook the AbnerRead—there were shouts and screams.

“M8! M8!” yelled Je

“Got it!”

“M19!”

The rattle intensified, then stopped. In the silent moment, the ship rose at the bow and Je

SATAN’S TAIL

375

Aboard the Wisconsin

0058

“ONE OF THE MISSILES STRUCK THE ABNER READ,” SAID DISH.

Dog didn’t reply. He had just heard from Brea

It was a good distance away. But Saudi Arabia, the most logical place to land, was out of bounds, and as Brea

Of course, by that logic, if it stayed in the air another ten seconds, it would fly for the rest of the week. She’d volunteered to try Diego Garcia, but he ruled that out.

Dog hooked into Dreamland Command and told them he wanted to arrange a landing in India. Major Catsman switched him over to Jed Barclay, who was at the White House. Jed’s face came up on the screen, a little pastier than normal.

“Jed, we need an emergency landing in India.”

“I heard, Colonel. The request has already been made and approved.”

“Thanks.”

“Good luck.”

Someone behind Jed started to say something, but Jed cut the co

Washington, D.C.

10 November

1658

“BASTIAN—GET OVER TO CAPTAIN GALE’S SHIP,” SAID BAL-boa. “Render all necessary assistance to him … Bastian?

Bastian?”

“Why isn’t he answering?” asked the Secretary of State.

“I killed the co

376

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

Balboa exploded. “What the hell did you do that for?

What the hell are you doing?”

“We’re not here to run the mission for them,” said Jed.

“I’m strictly observing and facilitating.”

“You are just an aide,” snapped Balboa. “You carry my orders out.”

“I’m the assistant National Security Advisor for Technology,” said Jed. “And I am responsible for interfacing with Dreamland.”

“This isn’t a Dreamland mission. Get them back,” said Balboa.

“Get them back, son,” said Hartman.

Jed stood up. “No.”

Balboa turned to the lieutenant. “Get them back.”

“Sir, I’m sorry, but for security purposes Mr. Barclay has to authorize the co

Secretary Hartman took hold of Jed’s arm. “Come on now, Jed, be a good boy and do as you’re told.”

“Get bent,” said Jed, starting out of the room.

Hartman grabbed him by the shirt outside in the corridor.

“Jed, you and I both know that you want to do as I say,”

Hartman said. “Now just calm down. You can’t afford another screwup.”

You can say that again, thought Jed, twisting away.

Diego Garcia

0400

MACK SMITH STEPPED BACK FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS

console in the Dreamland Command trailer, walking a few steps toward the center conference area and then walking back. Now that he could walk—and he could, though his muscles were stiff and sore and his back ached and his neck seemed ridiculously stiff—now that he could walk he SATAN’S TAIL

377

wanted to be out there where the action was, not sitting here in the stinking trailer trying to figure out what was going on from the radio and the lousy sitrep display.

If he were out there, he’d be coordinating the aircraft better. They needed an aircraft coordinator in the Abner Read, directing the Megafortresses and the Flighthawks, and everything else, for that matter.

If they had, they probably wouldn’t have lost the Osprey.

What he really wanted to do was be at the stick of an F-22, taking the MiGs down, two at a time.

Give Starship some points, though—the kid had nailed half the Yemen Air Force. Of course, he hadn’t seen the MiG