by Dale Brown
“Copilot…?”
“Explosive decompression, two alternators and generators offline, and I feel a tremor in the fuselage,” the copilot reported.
“I have the airplane,” the pilot said. “I’m turning north.” He keyed the mike button. “Two, this is lead, I think we’ve been hit by ground fire. We’re taking evasive action north.”
“We’re thirty seconds to missile launch, lead,” the second Blackjack bomber pilot responded. “We’re not picking up any threats. We’ll stay on the missile run and rendezvous when—”
And the radio went dead.
The pilot strained forward in his seat to look as far to his left as he could — and he saw the second Blackjack bomber start a tail-over-head forward spin, flames tearing through the bomb bay, its burning wings breaking off and cartwheeling across the sky. “Oh, shit, two just got hit!” he cried out. “He’s on fire!” He shoved his control stick farther right. “We’re getting out of here!”
* * *
He’s turning, Top — don’t let him get away,” Hal Briggs radioed.
“I can see that, sir,” Sergeant Major Chris Wohl said. He was standing atop the MV-32 Pave Dasher tilt-rotor aircraft as it bobbed in the choppy and gently rolling Bering Sea, sixty miles north of Shemya Island. Wohl, along with one more commando in Tin Man battle armor and eight more commandos in advanced ballistic infantry armor seated in the cargo compartment, had raced across the Bering Sea to a spot where they predicted they could intercept any Russian attack aircraft returning from Alaska that might launch a similar attack against Shemya. The MV-32 crew then deployed its emergency-survival flotation bags, which resembled a gigantic raft surrounding the entire lower half of the tilt-jet aircraft, and set the aircraft down on the Bering Sea.
Wohl smoothly tracked the target through his Tin Man electronic visor display, which showed the Russian Blackjack bomber in a steep right turn. The display also showed the predicted impact point for one of his hypersonic electromagnetic projectiles, fired from his rail gun. Wohl’s microhydraulically powered exoskeleton covering his Tin Man electronic body armor allowed him to easily track the bomber while holding the large, fifty-eight-pound weapon. He lined up the impact reticle onto the radar depiction of the bomber as precisely as a conventional soldier would sight the main gun on an Abrams battle tank.
“Fire five,” he said, and he squeezed the trigger. A pulse of electricity sent a seven-pound aerodynamic depleted-uranium projectile out of the large rail-gun weapon at a muzzle velocity of over eighteen thousand feet per second. The heat generated by the projectile’s movement through the atmosphere turned it into blue-and-yellow molten metal, but the supersonic slipstream kept the bolus together, leaving a long, hot vapor trail in its wake. When the molten uranium hit the Blackjack bomber, the bolus cooled and decelerated. The collapsing supersonic cone caused the bolus to break apart, scattering thousands of pellets of red-hot uranium in a wide circular pattern through the Blackjack’s fuselage, like an immense shotgun blast.
The Blackjack was obviously hit, but it unsteadily continued its northbound turn. In a few seconds, it would be out of range. “Crap, not a fatal shot.”
“Don’t let it get away, Top,” Hal Briggs warned. He and another of his Tin Man commandos had returned to Shemya from Attu Island to help defend the island against the expected Russian attack. They had successfully shot both Kh-15 missiles out of the sky with their rail guns. The other Battle Force commandos, along with as many of the island’s personnel as they could carry in several trips with the MV-32, had evacuated Shemya for Attu.
“Don’t worry, sir,” Wohl responded. “Got it, Sergeant?”
“Roger that, sir,” responded the second commando in Tin Man armor, alongside Wohl. “Fire six.” Even at such a great distance, it only took three seconds for the projectile to hit. This time the shot had a more spectacular effect — the entire aft end of the fuselage sheared off the aircraft, sending the big bomber tumbling out of control.
“Good shooting, boys,” Hal Briggs said. “Control, splash two Blackjacks and a couple cruise missiles. Sensors are clear.”
“Copy that,” Patrick McLanahan responded. “Nice work. Glad you made it out there in time.”
“We couldn’t just sit out there on Attu and watch Shemya get blown to bits by those Russian muthas,” Hal said. “So what’s the plan now, boss?”
“You guys are on,” Patrick said. “I need you refueled, equipped, and on your way as soon as possible. We’re in the process of recovering all our planes and loading them up. The Dragons will be headed out from Dreamland in a couple hours.”
“All right!” Briggs exclaimed. “Those are my honeys!”
“We’re going to launch everything we got and get some help from a few planes from off-station,” Patrick went on. “You’ll have as much backup as we can provide, but you guys are going to have to be the pointy end of the spear. Take those bastards down, and get the place ready for visitors.”
“You got it, boss,” Hal Briggs said. “Good to have you back on the team.”
“Good to be back, guys,” Patrick said proudly. “It’s damn good to be back.”
8
Ryazan’ Alternate Military Command Center,
Russian Federation
A short time later
First indications are confirmed, sir,” said Chief of the General Staff and Minister of State Security Nikolai Stepashin. “Two Tupolev-160s missing after they successfully attacked their targets on the Alaskan mainland. Presumably lost while making their final run on Eareckson Air Base in the Aleutians. Probably surviving fighter jets from Eielson or Elmendorf, deployed or dispersed to Eareckson because it’s the only surviving military base in Alaska.”
Gryzlov thought for a moment, then shook his head. “It has begun, Stepashin. American fighters who survived the attacks on the mainland would not deploy fifteen hundred kilometers out to a windswept island at the end of the Aleutians. I believe the counteroffensive has begun, Nikolai — McLanahan’s war.”
“Who, sir?”
“McLanahan. Thorn will send Patrick McLanahan and his modified long-range bombers into battle. They will deploy to Eareckson Air Base and launch attacks on us in the far east.”
“Perhaps the bombers were shot down by a Patriot or I-Hawk surface-to-air missile?…”
“We have been watching Eareckson Air Base for months — there was never any indication they were going to install Patriots on that rock. We would have seen it,” Gryzlov said. “No. I believe that McLanahan has been activated — his planes are already on Shemya, or soon will be. He will commence attacks on our Siberian bomber bases very soon — they may already be under way.”
“That’s crazy, sir,” Stepashin said. “Why attack bases in the far east? Why not Moscow, St. Petersburg, or any of dozens of active bases in the west?”
“Because McLanahan has discovered our secret — that we are using long-range bombers launched from Siberian bases,” Gryzlov said. “It was he that sent those small satellites over our bomber bases.” He thought hard for a moment, then said, “You must assume that all of our eastern sub bases will be attacked soon, probably first by long-range bombers launching cruise missiles, followed by commandos — if McLanahan is involved, they’ll probably use their Tin Man commandos in small groups.” He paused again, then corrected himself. “No — McLanahan will attack air bases, not naval bases. He’ll go after Anadyr, Blagoveshchensk, Ulan-Ude, Bratsk, or maybe even Kavaznya again.”
“How do you know that, sir?” Stepashin asked skeptically. “If I were he, I’d go after the ballistic-missile sub bases — Rybachiy and Vladivostok. He should know that all of our Pacific ballistic-missile subs are based there, and that we keep most of them in port. Our bombers have scattered — there’s nothing to hit at any of those bases except for a few empty planes.”
“I know him, and I challenged him, so that’s what he’ll do,” Gryzlov said confidently. “Even if the bases are empty, he’ll bomb them just
to show us and Thorn that he can bomb them. Thorn will keep him on a tight leash. He won’t want to provoke a nuclear counterattack by striking our nuclear-sub bases — that would be an overt act of aggression, and Thorn isn’t built for that.”
Gryzlov picked up the telephone to the communications center. “Get me President Thorn immediately on the hot line.” To Stepashin he said, “Listen to me carefully, Nikolai. You may get only one chance to stop him. I have studied McLanahan, his weapons, and his tactics. I believe that this is the best way to stop him:
“First, his stealth technology is second to none,” Gryzlov began. “He will come at you from every direction, even from behind. It is absolutely critical that your defensive forces not use radar, except for long-range surveillance. The first targets he will attack are surface-to-air missile-defense systems. Activating surface-to-air missile radars will only result in their being destroyed. It is important not to waste your defensive-missile systems, because the initial attacks are designed only to clear a path for follow-on forces—those are your main targets. They will attempt to degrade or destroy your defensive systems enough to allow less stealthy special-operations transports to fly in, and you cannot allow that to happen.
“The fighters are your first line of defense. You must mass your fighters around your important bases, use long-range-surveillance radars only, and have the fighters use just optronic sensors to the maximum extent possible. The minute they turn on radar, they will be shot down. Any targets you see on surveillance radar are your real targets, but you must assume that they are being escorted by stealth aircraft with substantial air-to-air capabilities. Therefore you must have your fighters go in fast, strike at long range, and then get out of the area. There is no use in doing visual identifications or trying to close in to dogfight-missile range — McLanahan’s stealth aircraft will eat your forces alive. Knocking down as many of the special-operations transports as possible is more important than knocking down the bombers.
“However, you must assume that some special-operations forces will sneak in — most likely McLanahan’s Tin Man armored commandos,” Gryzlov went on. “Unless you receive intelligence information that indicates otherwise, I suggest you augment forces at every bomber base with additional heavy infantry. Don’t bother with heavy armored vehicles: The Tin Man commandos are far too fast, and they carry penetrator weapons that can disable even main battle tanks with ease. Light, fast armored reconnaissance units, helicopters with precision-standoff antiarmor weapons, and dismounted infantry with antitank weapons can deal with them effectively.
“More important is the Tin Men’s ability to vector unmanned bombers and attack aircraft, so you must supplement your ground forces with as much antiair weaponry as possible,” Gryzlov said. “Use passive infrared and optronic sensors, not radar. Don’t try to detect their aircraft from long range — you won’t see them until the attack has begun. The Americans will go after command and control, communications, power generation and distribution, air defenses, radar, and airfields first, so have each base decentralize and disperse its resources, and have alternate, backup, and emergency networks in place.
“McLanahan’s forces hit fast, hit hard, then disengage,” Gryzlov summarized. “The better your forces can ride out the initial standoff attack and then give chase as they try to withdraw, the more success they’ll have in whittling down his Tin Man forces. Killing one Tin Man is equivalent to destroying an entire mechanized infantry platoon or tank squadron. Do you understand, General?”
“Yes, sir.” Stepashin picked up a telephone and began issuing orders.
“Mr. President, Thomas Thorn is on the line for you,” the command center’s operator announced. “An interpreter is standing by.”
Gryzlov picked up the phone and nodded for the connection to be opened. “Is this Thomas Thorn?” he asked.
“This is President Thorn. To whom am I speaking?”
Gryzlov paused a moment to collect his thoughts, took a deep breath, then said through his interpreter, “This is President Gryzlov, Mr. Thorn.” He purposely tried to keep Thorn off balance by not using his title of “president,” addressing him as just another bureaucrat or functionary. “I just wanted to call to inform you that we have detected movement of General McLanahan’s forces from Battle Mountain.”
“Do you expect me to confirm that information for you, Gryzlov?” Thorn asked. “Or did you call just to make more threats?”
“I am glad to see you did not attempt to deny it,” Gryzlov said. “You are not very good at lying, and your truthfulness is your most endearing virtue. It will also be your downfall.”
“Let me guess, Gryzlov,” Thorn said. “You will say that I should recall all my special-operations forces immediately; that any forces in your country will be caught; that if caught, they will be summarily executed; and that if there are any attacks on any base in Russia, then you will have no choice but to retaliate with all weapons under your command. Is that what you called to tell me, Mr. President?”
“I am calling to tell you, Thorn, that you will be responsible for triggering more death and destruction, and it is totally and completely unnecessary,” Gryzlov said. “Our attacks on your bases were done out of frustration and desperation. It is not a sign of an all-out war between our countries, I swear it. I hereby promise to you that I will order a complete stand-down of all Russian strategic and tactical forces around the world immediately.”
Thorn paused for several moments. Finally he said, “I am very glad to hear it, Mr. President.”
“I know that McLanahan’s bomber forces and most assuredly his Tin Man commandos are even now moving toward staging locations at Eareckson Air Base on Shemya Island, and that a number of his Tin Men are already located there,” Gryzlov went on. He thought he detected an uneasy rustling and a slight intake of breath on the line and was pleased that he’d apparently guessed correctly. “Our intelligence also indicates that McLanahan intends to strike our bomber bases at Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok, and Blagoveshchensk. These attacks are not necessary, Thorn. I wish to do everything in my power to convince you to stop these attacks from commencing.”
“I’m sure you do, Gryzlov.”
“I will order all Russian strategic and tactical forces to stand down — but not our defensive forces. All air, coastal, and base-defense and — security forces will remain at one hundred and fifty percent manning and at full alert.”
“I think that is a very wise and reassuring move, Mr. President.”
“But it would not look wise or reassuring for my base defenders to have to fight off your attack planes and armored commandos after I announce a cease-fire,” Gryzlov said. “I think it would be most wise to recall McLanahan’s forces and any other military, paramilitary, or intelligence operations you have ongoing against my country. We certainly cannot commence negotiations for a complete end to hostilities with foreign military troops on our shores.”
“Now that your military objectives have been met, you want to negotiate an end to hostilities, is that it, Gryzlov?”
“I told you before, Thorn: Our actions were not premeditated,” Gryzlov said. “They were born of desperation and frustration on our part — not of American hegemony but of our inability to make any progress in reversing our own economic misfortunes. As the only remaining true world superpower, you must certainly understand the enormous pressure on myself and my government to come up with results. The military response was unfortunate and miscalculated, and I take full responsibility for it. Russia will do everything possible to compensate the United States for its loss and ensure that such a horrendous, unspeakable catastrophe never happens again.”
“What do you propose we do to decrease the likelihood of another attack on one another, Mr. President?” Thorn asked.
“Russia’s actions will be unilateral,” Gryzlov said. “I will immediately order all ballistic-missile submarines to unload American targeting data from their missiles’ computers, leave their alert launch positions, and re
turn to their bases; I will order all land-based ballistic-missile forces to unload target data and return to normal alert; all mobile land-based missiles will unload data and return to their shelters; and all strategic and tactical aircraft will unload their nuclear weapons and return them to storage. I will hope that the United States will follow suit, but there is no condition for our own actions.”
“The United States will certainly cooperate, once we observe your forces returning to normal alert and once their status can be verified,” Thorn said.
“I thank you, Mr. President,” Gryzlov said. “I think this is an important first step in ensuring peace.” He paused for a moment, then added, “But as I said, Mr. President, there remains the problem of McLanahan’s attack forces. They are undoubtedly already on their way and ready to close in on our bomber bases. You of course understand that it would look very, very bad for myself and my government if I announce a unilateral stand-down and then several of our most important eastern bases come under attack. Ordering McLanahan’s forces to withdraw to Eareckson Air Force Base or to the continental United States would help me convince the parliament and my people that my actions truly are in the best interests of peace.”
“Negotiating a cease-fire with Russia when in eight American states radioactive fires caused by Russian nuclear warheads are still burning will not look good for me either,” Thorn said. “Besides, I’m not confirming or denying any national-security activities in Russia or anywhere else in the world.”
“I understand, Mr. President,” Gryzlov said. “I’m sure you understand my position as well, and you will do the appropriate and right thing. All I can offer is this: If you give me their location and egress-route information in a timely manner, I will guarantee their safe passage out of Russian territory and airspace. They will not be harmed. I will publicly guarantee this. If they are downed or captured, I will return them to American control immediately, with no recourse whatsoever to the Geneva Conventions. They will be treated as noncombatants and turned over to you or to a third party you designate who can guarantee their safe return.”
