Retribution

“It won’t be today. We’ve done some new calculations based on Ms. Gleason’s findings,” said the scientist, launching into an explanation of why the five missiles still missing 182

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

had not been found. They all belonged to a subtype of the Prithvi family that had not been previously identified. According to Rubeo, solenoid valves that controlled parts of the engine had been shielded sufficiently so they had not been destroyed by the T-Rays.

As Rubeo’s discussion veered toward the technical, Dog cut him short.

“Do we have new projections of where they came to earth?”

“We’re working on them, Colonel. There are several vari-ables involved. At a minimum, we believe that all of the missiles went much farther north.”

Rubeo had a map ready. The search areas included Kashmir and the borders of Afghanistan and China.

“Ray, this map has to cover a hundred thousand square miles.”

“It’s 225, 963.” Rubeo’s scowl deepened. “We are working on reducing it. We don’t entirely understand why the solenoid valve—and it was only one—on the missile at I-17 wasn’t affected. We should have this quantified in a few hours, depending on how quickly Je

“I’m sure she’ll work as quickly as possible,” said Dog.

“What did she do? Set up a simulator in the Command trailer?”

“No, we’ve done the simulations. She provided the measurements and electric readings. I would have preferred—”

“Wait a second. Are you telling me Je

“Yes. I assume she checked with you before going … or is that an invalid assumption?”

Southeastern Pakistan

2115

DOG’S VOICE WOULD HAVE SHATTERED DANNY’S EARDRUMS

if it weren’t for the special volume reducer built into the smart helmet’s headset.

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183

“Why the hell did you let Je

demanded Dog.

“I didn’t let her do anything. Rubeo told me she was on the way. I thought you told her she could go.”

“Let me talk to her. Now. ”

Da

“Colonel wants to talk to you,” Da

Real hot.”

“WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR OBJECTION?” JENNIFER ASKED.

“You know very well what my objection is. You’re in a combat zone.”

“There’s no combat here. And I’ve been in combat zones before. We needed a specialist. I was available.”

“We have other experts. You’re a scientist, damn it.”

“I’m not made out of paper.”

“You’re more valuable back at the base,” said Dog. “You shouldn’t have gone to Diego Garcia in the first place.”

She could practically feel his anger in the long breath and pause that followed. Je

“I should have said something to you then,” Dog told her.

“I was wrong not to send you back. But this—”

“Colonel, is there anything else?” she demanded.

“The next time …”

She waited for him to finish the sentence. Instead, he signed off.

Je

“Officers,” she said, shaking her head.

“Know what you mean,” said the man, nodding.

THE PAKISTANI WAS SO EXCITED, AND SO DISTRAUGHT, that Da

According to the man, his house had been without electricity, 184

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

telephone, or ru

The man practically hopped up and down, pleading that he be let go so he could get his mother-in-law. He interspersed his English with long sentences in Punjabi, convinced that Da

He seemed to take the appearance of the Americans in stride, as if they belonged there; Da

But what should he do with him? Releasing him was too dangerous. On the other hand, it seemed that if they did nothing, the baby and its mother might die.

“Ya don’t even know if this woman he’s going to get can help her,” said Gu

Da

“We can deliver the baby,” said Liu. “We’ve done it before.

The woman could die without medical attention.”

“We’re not exactly a maternity ward,” said Da

He turned around and walked down the hill toward the rutted area where the missile had come to rest. A set of tarps had been erected to shield the work lights from the roadway.

Je

“How’s it going, Doc?” Da

“Slow, Captain. I’m not an expert on these systems.”

“I thought you knew everything, Jen.”

“Ha ha.”

“How much longer do you need?”

“Two or three hours at least,” she said. “Are we in a hurry?”

“I want to be out of here before daylight.”

“Then let me alone.”

Da

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185

versation about what was going on in the country. The man wasn’t interested in anything but his wife.

“Sergeant Liu, grab Blow and Jonesy and take this guy back to his house. Assess the situation and report back.”

“You got it, Cap.”

“Excuse me, Captain,” said Gu

“What’s up, Sergeant?” asked Da

“Hey, no offense here, but, uh, sending those guys out there—you really think it’s a good idea?”

“It’s the best alternative.”

“I don’t know about that. For one thing, he may be lying.”

“I don’t think he is.”

“For another thing, Captain, what are you going to do if she is in labor? We going to deliver the baby?”

Da

The Marine sergeant shook his head.

“Look, we’re not at war with these people,” Da

“I don’t think I’d trust them much.”

“You don’t have to,” said Da

Dreamland

0815, 17 January 1998

(2115, Karachi)

SAMSON FLATTENED THE PAPER ON THE DESK, SPREADING

his large hand across its surface. For all its high-tech gizmos, the Dreamland commander’s office still relied on a fax machine that used thermal imaging paper.

The letters were a little faint and the image crinkled, but he didn’t care. He could see what it said: The Whiplash order had been reissued, directed to Major General Terrill Samson, rather than Colonel Bastian.

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DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

Just in case.

He’d keep Rubeo through the deployment—being too vin-dictive would only hurt the mission. But once it was over, the egghead was history.

Samson got up from the desk. Bastian—or his predecessor, if the chief master sergeant was to be believed—had good taste in furniture, he decided. But the place was a little cluttered with chairs and files. The first thing he had to do was have them cleared out. He’d put them in the conference room next door, which he would now use as an office a

He didn’t need a conference room. He wasn’t pla

“Begging the general’s pardon,” said Ax, still standing near the doorway, “but was there anything else this morning?”

“Yes, Chief, there is. I need a memo telling all department and section heads, all heads of testing programs, everyone from the head scientist to the janitor, that Dreamland’s entire agenda is now open for review. My review. Top to bottom. I want something that will convey urgency. I want it to sound …”