Sensor Sweep

by Don Pendleton

  “I know it got pretty hot and heavy when we were first coming down, boss,” Hawkins interjected. “It’s a good bet they ran into some trouble along the way.”

  “Well, there are one of two major possibilities,” Manning said. “They’re either dead or they’re alive, and in the case of the former we know what to do. But I think we should wait at least—”

  The headsets of all three men buzzed briefly for attention, then the voice of Encizo came through. “Green Three to Green Lantern.”

  “Green Lantern, here. Where away?”

  “I’m out of the main cargo hold. Mission accomplished and charges are in place. I rigged them to destroy the lift if they try to prep the missile for launching.”

  Manning gave McCarter a thumbs-up.

  “I’m on one of the lower decks,” Encizo said, “but I’m not sure how to get out of here. I couldn’t come in the same way I went out, and Green Four and I had to separate. Now I’m pretty sure I’m cut off. I think I hit the motherlode. There’s a hallway directly ahead, and just beyond it I can hear activity. Lots. I’m guessing there are at least thirty targets in that area.”

  “Is that conservative, mate?” McCarter asked.

  “Depends on your definition of the term, but I’d say yeah.”

  McCarter looked at Manning for help. The Canadian knew why. Manning could get a much more accurate picture of Encizo’s position than anyone else, and would recall if there was an alternate way to the top of the deck. He’d studied the blueprints of the freighter very carefully, learning every inch in the event he had to rig the thing for demolitions capable of sinking it if all else failed.

  “Green Two to Green Three,” Manning cut in. “Do you see any landmarks, a corridor number, anything of that nature?”

  “There are some markings on the wall, but they’re in Arabic and I don’t have a clue what they mean. I’m afraid my Arabic’s a little rusty, Green Two.”

  “I swear, we’re all taking a bloody crash course when we get back to the Farm,” McCarter murmured.

  “Do you know how many decks down you are?” Manning asked.

  “That I did keep track of,” Encizo replied. “I’d say I’m two decks below and maybe at midship.”

  Manning nodded. He could guess, based just on the description, that Encizo was almost directly beneath them. He told McCarter and Hawkins, adding, “The only trouble with where he’s at is that there’s no more an easy way out than there would be going in. There are two main hatches, one just below us, but he won’t find them easy to gain access to.”

  “What do you recommend?” McCarter asked.

  “That we tell him to stay put until we can get to him. He’s right in that he’s basically trapped. He certainly can’t fight off a couple dozen terrorists by himself, and if he goes back the way he came, in the direction of the missile, it’ll be out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

  “Green Lantern to Green Three,” McCarter said. “Hold your position. We’re on our way.”

  “Roger that, Green Lantern.”

  “Out, here.”

  McCarter switched off the radio and asked Manning, “How is this set to go off?”

  “Just like we discussed,” Manning said. “No timers, so I can only blow it remotely. But we don’t want to be anywhere near it if I have to do that. In fact, I wouldn’t even want to be on this thing when it goes.”

  “Good,” McCarter said, then turned to Hawkins. “You stay behind and shut down the engines. Then I’d head to the main deck and wait for the cavalry. I’m sure the skipper of that destroyer over there will be sending a boarding party, and we don’t want them to get any nasty receptions from our Qibla friends.”

  “Fair enough,” Hawkins said, “but if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather help you find Rafe.”

  McCarter shook his head and firmly replied, “No. I need you to look this thing over and see if you can pull any information on the other freighters. They have to be communicating with each other somehow, and as you’ve more electronics training than anyone else on the team, you’re the most logical candidate. You know what to look for.”

  “All right, but what about Calvin?” Hawkins asked.

  “He can take care of himself,” Manning replied. “We’ll either run into him going to find Rafe or he’ll meet up with us here as originally planned.”

  “It’s important you do this for us, T.J.,” McCarter said. He added on afterthought, “Trust me. And don’t worry about Rafe, we’ll bring him back in one piece.”

  Manning could tell by Hawkins’s expression that the former Delta Force soldier didn’t like the assignment, but he knew the young guy would give it his best shot. McCarter was right. There wasn’t anyone more qualified to handle the radio systems than Hawkins. If there was something to be found, he’d find it, of this much Manning was certain.

  McCarter turned to Manning and said, “Well, mate, you wanted your chance to dish out some of what we took in Cape Town. Maybe now you’re going to get your bloody wish.”

  “Yeah,” Manning replied as he followed McCarter out of the tower. “Goody.”

  ENCIZO WASN’T THE LEAST bit certain how he’d managed to get into his current situation, but he wasn’t keen on having to ask McCarter and the others to come bail him out. Still, he supposed it was partially his own damn fault. When he and James had volunteered to go into the belly of this iron heap to rig that missile, they should have at least discussed a plan for getting out. Now, Encizo found these lower halls chilling and lonely, and he wished for nothing more than the arrival of familiar faces.

  What he got instead was a series of angry faces, the anger evident by the wicked-looking weapons pointed in his direction. Six terrorists abruptly emerged from the hatchway leading to the area where Encizo knew his enemies were holed up. He had felt almost like a cat waiting at the proverbial hole for the proverbial rat. Most rats, however, weren’t terrorist fanatics toting automatic rifles.

  Encizo went prone as a maelstrom of hot lead passed over him. The Cuban warrior brought his MP-5 to bear and triggered a sustained burst that caught two of the six terrorists in the narrow hallway. Several rounds punched through the chest of one of the terrorists, the impact driving him back into his remaining comrades. Another’s head exploded under the impact of the 9 mm rounds traveling at a muzzle velocity in excess of 400 mps. Encizo fired a second burst to keep heads down as he leaped to his feet and retreated down the corridor.

  That did it. Before long, he’d have the entire group in pursuit and all the while not having a clue where he was going. As he rounded a corner, he finally got his wish to see a familiar face, this one black and sweaty, and a row of teeth that gleamed below a pencil-thin mustache.

  “Glad you could make it,” Encizo said.

  “Thanks,” Calvin James said. “I got your invitation and figured it would be a marvelous time.”

  “Well, I do know how to throw parties, darling. You got any idea how to get out of here?”

  “Why, of course,” James said, inclining his head in the direction he’d come. “This way.”

  He led Encizo down the corridor, keying his radio as they went. “Green Four to Green Lantern.”

  “Green Lantern, here,” McCarter replied immediately.

  “I’ve got our prodigal son and we’re headed back toward the missile. I’d say cancel your approach and meet us somewhere near the entrance to the main cargo hold.”

  “Wilco, Green Four. But what’s the plan?”

  “No time to talk now,” James replied. “We’ve got a whole terrorist posse on our tails. Just meet us there and I’ll explain it then.”

  “Acknowledged. We’ll be there, boys.”

  “Out, here,” James replied.

  As they continued toward the missile site, Encizo tried to imagine what his friend had planned now. It didn’t make much sense why he’d want to go back to the missile. At any moment they might engage the box, and it was rigged with enough explosives that they wouldn�
��t be able to go anywhere. Still, Encizo had learned to trust all of his teammates. If James was taking them that close to danger, then he obviously figured James had considered the risks and found them outweighed by the benefits.

  And he couldn’t wait to see what the Chicago badass had planned for the Qibla terrorists.

  “YOU WANTED PAYBACK, right?” James asked Manning.

  The Canadian nodded, a little puzzled as he exchanged glances with his teammates.

  “Well, I’m about to show you payback like you’ve never seen before.”

  The foursome had finally met up and found a brief respite behind some stacked crates. Heavy wafts of smoke still clung to the air high above their heads, but the terrorists had managed to put out the fire and were now attending to their plans.

  “Eventually, the other terrorists Rafe bumped into are going to find their way in here,” James said. “Once they’re ready to launch the missile, they’re going to think this is the safest place to be. And when they do, we’re going to have a little surprise for them.”

  “So what do you have in mind, mate?” McCarter asked. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”

  James flashed him a wicked grin as he pointed to an area just barely visible through the gap between their cover and the freighter wall. “You see those two large plastic barrels over there? I’ve seen them before in pictures. When I worked with SWAT we used to have to train on hazardous materials emergencies, controlling scenes of chemical spills, things like that. Those containers are the same kind common to ships that regularly transport biohazardous waste and caustic chemicals. They’re lined with plastic, and they have a small sheet of lead inside that is lined with more plastic. This provides an air cushion.”

  “I get it,” Manning interjected. “You think that’s what the terrorists are shipping this chemical in, this cholinesterase.”

  “Yeah, and I believe it’s transmitted by airborne means. There doesn’t seem any other plausible explanation.”

  “He could well be right about that,” Encizo said.

  “And I noticed something else,” James replied. “They don’t happen to have the first clue that all of the doors leading into this area are fireproof.”

  “That’s standard on merchant marine vessels,” McCarter said. “Hell, I thought everybody knew that. The bloody vendors won’t let them ship materials on most freighters unless they’re rated with such construction. It didn’t used to be required, but in more recent years it’s become a necessity on all maritime vessels, especially where oil tankers are concerned.”

  “Yeah, so we’ve been against odds like this before,” James replied, “but why work hard? We need to work smart.”

  “Oh, hell,” McCarter said. “I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t think I like it.”

  “I do,” Manning said.

  “What?” Encizo interjected. “Have you lost your mind, Gary? I mean, they’re terrorists but they’re still human beings, for God’s sake. You can’t actually be thinking of turning that shit loose on them.”

  “You’re damn right I am,” James said.

  “Think about the moral implications of what you’re suggesting,” Encizo stated.

  “It wasn’t my idea,” Manning shot back, “but I’m afraid I’m with James on this one. Do you think these Qibla bastards are in any kind of ethical dilemma about killing thousands of innocent bystanders with the stuff? And what the hell difference does it really make in the end, eh? Tactically speaking, and only speaking that way, we could turn this from their planning room into their tomb.”

  David McCarter was astounded at what he was hearing. It seemed like all at once the mission was falling apart on him. On the one hand, he saw a quick and easy way of eliminating the terrorist threat aboard this freighter in a very final manner, and he didn’t really care how they did that if it meant the ends would justify the means. On the other hand, to expose the terrorists to something as deadly toxic as this poison made him feel as if he were no better than they were, in spite of how much poetic justice there seemed to be in the move.

  Whatever the outcome, he knew that the men would look to him for the answers. The final decision rested on his shoulders and his shoulders alone. They certainly weren’t equipped to take the terrorists one-on-one in a firefight. Both sides would run out of ammunition before that could happen. On the other hand, they could wait it out long enough, fighting where they had to, until he could contact the HMS Newcastle and ask them to dispatch their complement of Royal Marines. Then again, that was involving an outside force and they would have lots of questions to answer. They also had to consider the possibility that another freighter would need to be intercepted somewhere.

  “Well, the way I see it,” James finally said, “it’s David’s call. What do you say, David? Do you want Gary to wire those things for effect?”

  And there it was. He knew it would ultimately come down on his shoulders.

  “No,” he said quietly, catching just a notion of the surprised look that crossed Manning’s face. “I don’t want it wired for effect. If we do that, we’re no better than those we fight. We don’t go to that level because we can’t go to it. We have to draw a line somewhere, and as leader of Phoenix Force I’m the one who has to draw it.”

  He looked at Manning and added, “I know you want a piece of these bloody bastards, and so do I, mate. But I’m not willing to trade the objectives of this mission just for the satisfaction of getting my bloody kicks watching our terrorist friends die a slow and miserable death, despite how attractive the offer. We stay away from those chemical containers, period and end of story. Understood?”

  It seemed everyone on the team let out a big sigh of relief, then McCarter continued, “But there is a viable alternative. We’ve got one of the queen’s finest destroyers sitting right off the bow of this thing, and I believe that there is something about James’s idea that has merit.”

  “What’s that?” Encizo asked, simultaneously intrigued and relieved.

  “We passed some lockers a little ways back that contained oxygen tanks and acetylene torches. We get them all inside here, or at least most of them, and then weld the doors shut. And I might point out that if the place would make a good tomb, then it will sure as hell make a bloody great prison.”

  McCarter looked at Manning. “You got anything left in your bag of tricks that you could use to guide our friends in the right direction?”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, I’m sure they’ve split up in what’s probably some effort to engage us. If you can manage to blow out some major hatchways, you could eventually lead the majority of them in here. We can then seal this place from the outside.”

  Manning squeezed the satchel tighter and nodded, the determination evident in his eyes. “Consider it done.”

  “Good,” McCarter said. “Get cracking.”

  The Briton turned to the two remaining faces eagerly awaiting his next instruction. “We chaps have the special honor of letting these Qibla terrorists chase us through this floating teapot. Are you feeling up to a brisk run?”

  DAVID MCCARTER’S PLAN WORKED like a charm and they managed to get all but a few of the terrorists sealed inside the cargo area that housed the missile. The terrorists attempted to launch the missile once they realized they were trapped, but Encizo’s handiwork on the lift controls squashed their effort. Several of the terrorists were wounded by the blast, and the one who had triggered it was killed instantly.

  The remaining terrorists realized the futility of doing battle with the Phoenix Force commandos and quickly surrendered when they realized they were outclassed and outgunned.

  As McCarter sent a message to the HMS Newcastle and Manning and James transferred their gear to a waiting chopper aboard an American aircraft carrier that had arrived a short time earlier, Encizo and Hawkins studied the data Hawkins had found in the communications system.

  “According to this,” Encizo observed, “there are a total of four freighters.”


  McCarter joined them at that point. “What’s the story?”

  “We were just talking about that,” Hawkins said. “We need to get this information to Carl Lyons and the Farm as soon as possible. One of the freighters went out days before the rest. That was the decoy Able Team picked off outside of Boston. The other two appear to be headed for targets in the States and Great Britain.”

  “Do we know where, exactly?”

  “No, but we definitely know which freighters they are now.”

  “Then time’s wasting away,” McCarter replied. “I’ll have them give us a secure patch aboard the chopper. Navy’s going to fly us to Hellenic AFB at Souda Bay, Crete. Jack will meet us there.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Stony Man Farm, Virginia

  Hal Brognola hung up the phone, yanked the unlit cigar from his mouth and sighed with relief.

  After more than an hour on the phone with the Oval Office, he finally got the sense that some of the weight had come off his shoulders. While they were certainly far from a resolution in his mind, Brognola knew that Phoenix Force’s job in the Mediterranean had gone a long way to put the President at ease and to demonstrate that his confidences in the Stony Man group weren’t in vain. With the information of the location of the remaining freighters now in their possession—and assuming that this wasn’t another elaborate attempt by Qibla to deceive them—Brognola figured they could safely proceed on the offensive.

  Barbara Price entered the War Room, a cup of coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other. “Time to eat.”

  It wasn’t a suggestion, and Brognola knew it. While Price might have been a hardcore professional and mission controller for Stony Man, she also had a tendency to take on the roll of mother hen for everyone at the Farm. She even buzzed around the field teams when they returned from a mission, ensuring their wounds were treated and that they received baths, hot meals and as much rest as they could.

  Brognola acknowledged Price with a grateful nod and waved her into a chair.