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“No,” Kurt said, “stay with the to need you to lead them out when the Marines come over the wall”
Aboard the lead Black Hawk, code-naon One, Lt Brooks studied his men as the strike team continued inbound Some of the ear repeatedly in some kind of ritual, and others had faces of stone Different personalities got ready for battle in different ways, but one look told Brooks they were ready
So far, they’d come three hundred miles south, htti operation without incident Fro for the coast, traveling in formation, at a hundred thirty knots a mere fifty feet above the surface of the Mozambique Channel
“We’ll be crossing into Madagascar airspace in seven minutes,” the pilot informed him
“Any word from the Bataan?”
“Nothing yet,” the pilot said “If we don’t get final authorization by the time we hit that limit, I’ll have no choice but to abort”
Brooks understood He was in charge of theorders “Throttle back a bit,” he suggested “And take us parallel to the line for a while” “Sir?”
“It’ll save us soists a littleto pull this off?” the pilot asked skeptically
“I’m not sure,” Brooks said, “but I’d hate to be headed home if they call for help”
The pilot nodded his agreement, made a quick radio call to the other helicopters, and then banked to the right and began reducing speed The other Black Hawksrace toward the coast becaht parallel to it There was little danger of theascar had only a prier concerns
“Okay, Lieutenant,” the pilot said, “we’ve dialed it down to the econo” As it turned out, they didn’t have to Fifteen nal came over the satellite downlink
“Dragon leader, this is Courthouse Do you copy?”
Courthouse was the Bataan’s code name Brooks pressed the transo ahead”
“You are cleared to the objective Current target status is green Friendlies have been identified Total of fifteen, possibly sixteen Their location will be s are believed to hold up to twenty hostiles Light weapons are indicated”
A surge of adrenaline pulanced at the pilot and toward the coast like a referee signaling first down The pilot took the hint, turned inbound once again, and brought the Black Hawk back up to full speed