Raven Strike

“You’re flying to Sudan,” Brea

Brea

“Less than twelve hours ago, a UAV called Raven went down in a mountainous area in the southeast corner of Sudan, not far from Ethiopia,” she said. “I have a map here.”

“That’s pretty far to get some pictures,” said Turk, looking at the screen. “Going to be a long flight, even supersonic.”

“It’s not just a reco

“Gotcha.”

Whiplash was the code name of a joint CIA–Defense Department project run by the Office of Special Technology. It combined a number of cutting-edge technologies with a specially trained covert action unit headed by Air Force colonel Da

Unlike the Dreamland version, the new Whiplash worked directly with the Central Intelligence Agency and included a number of CIA officers. The head of the Agency contingent was Nuri Abaajmed Lupo, a young covert agent who, by coincidence, had spent considerable time undercover in roughly the same area where the Raven UAV had gone down.

Nuri had been the first field agent to train with a highly integrated computer network developed for Whiplash. Officially known as the Massively Parallel Integrated Decision Complex or MY-PID, the network of interco

The high volume data streams traveled through a dedicated network of satellites. The amount of data involved and the limitations of the ground broadcasting system required that the satellites be within certain ranges for MY-PID to work. The Tigershark II could substitute as a relay station in an emergency.

“You’re to contact Da

“All right, I guess.”

“Problem, Captain?”

“No ma’am. Just figuring it out.”

Turk folded his arms and stared at the screen. The target area in southeastern Sudan was some 13,750 kilometers away—roughly 7,500 nautical miles. Cruising in the vicinity of Mach 3, the Tigershark could cover that distance in the area of four hours. At that speed, though, it would run out of fuel somewhere over the Atlantic. He’d need to set up at least two refuels to be comfortable.

“The first tanker will meet you in the Caribbean,” said Brea

“How long do I stay on station?”

“As long as it takes. We’ll find another tanker; you can just stay in transmission range if you have to refuel off the east coast of Africa. Obviously, you won’t be able to provide any surveillance, but we’ll have to make do until we get more gear there. Frankly, it doesn’t seem like it’ll even be necessary. The mission looks very straightforward.”

Brea

“This satellite will pass back over that area in three hours,” she said. “It’s possible that they’ll find the wreckage before you arrive. If not, you’re to use your sensors to assist in the search. All right?”

“Sure.”

“Colonel Freah will have operational control.”

Brea

“What’s wrong, Captain?”

“Nothing.”

“Out with it.”

“Tigershark’s unarmed.”

“And?”

“I could do a much better job with the gun.”

The gun referred to was the experimental rail gun. The weapon was undergoing tests in a second aircraft, which was also housed at the leased Dreamland base.

“The weapon’s not operational. And there shouldn’t be any need for it.” Brea

“Looks more like a Tigershark than a Predator.”

“It is. The contractor is the same for both systems.” Brea

“I didn’t think Ethiopia was an ally,” said Turk.

“They’re not.”

Chapter 8

Western Ethiopia

Da

“Hasn’t changed,” said his companion bitterly. Nuri Abaajmed Lupo was sitting in the sling seat nearby, slumped back, arm draped over the canvas back.

“Maybe it has. Too dark to see,” said Da

“Never changes,” said Nuri. “It’s a shit hole.”

Da

A good christening.

Since that time, the lawless situation in southeastern Sudan had gotten worse. Worried about violence spilling over the border, the Ethiopian government had declared its “neutrality” in the civil war, but was ineffective in keeping either side out.

At the same time it was engaged in an unrelated feud with the United States, Ethiopia had dismissed the U.S. ambassador a few weeks before. This made the existence of a secret American base in the northwest corner of the country even more problematic.

“Wish you were still in Alexandria?” Da

Nuri shrugged.

“We’ll wrap this up and get back,” said Da

Nuri frowned. “She” was a colonel in the state police administration, assigned as one of their liaisons. The sudden assignment had interrupted Nuri’s plans to take her out.

The Osprey dipped into a valley, skimming close to the treetops. As the aircraft slowed, the engine nacelles on the wings swung up. Da

Outside, the air was cool and crisp, a welcome change from Egypt, where it had been oppressively hot. Da

“They didn’t even send anyone to meet us,” said Nuri, surveying the field.

“We probably got here faster than they expected,” said Da