Read Online Balance of Power: A Novel by James W. Huston - Free Book Online
Authors: James W. Huston
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“Muster on the fantail! Roach, geton the radio to the 53. Emergency extraction! Emergency extraction!”
Armstrong continued to run with his offensive handgun in his hand, but it was utterly useless. Armstrong’s mind raced. “Davidson! Get to the fantail. Set up the SPIE rig. Roach, tell the 53 we’re going to extract on the SPIE rig.
“Listen up!” Armstrong said with forced coolness as he climbed a ladder toward the open deck. “I want everyone hooked onto the SPIE rig in thirty seconds. Drop whatever you’re doing and head to the fantail now!”
All the SEALs immediately ran toward the fantail.
The two CH-53s raced from the horizon toward the ship. The fourteen SEALs and the remaining EOD tech gathered on the fantail and looked around, each unconsciously counting the number of SEALs missing as the seconds passed.
Armstrong was the last to arrive. He watched the CH-53E Super Stallion tear toward them, less than half a mile away. All the other SEALs were hooked up to the SPIE rigs. “Prager buy it?” he asked no one in particular.
“Yes, sir.” Lee unhooked himself from the SPIE rig and ran back to Armstrong. “Take a look at this,” he said, handing Armstrong something. Armstrong looked around, assessed the situation and checked for the helicopter, then took what Lee was offering. It was a Polaroid photograph.
“What’s this?” Armstrong asked.
“Looks like a picture taken on the bridge. I picked it up off the binnacle before the bridge blew. I think they wanted us to find it.”
Armstrong studied the picture of a crewman with the silencer of an automatic weapon pressed against his ear. Electronically superimposed on the photograph was the date and time of one hour ago.
Armstrong handed it back frowning, “What kind of weapon is that?”
“Can’t tell for sure, but it looks like it might be aChinese Type 64. I’m prepared to bet that’s the captain. I think they took him with them.”
Armstrong looked at him and narrowed his eyes. Lee returned to his position and attached his chest ring to the eye hook on the SPIE. As Armstrong hooked on, he and the rest of the SEALs were nearly knocked off their feet as another mine went off three decks below them, disabling the engines, gearing, and steerage.
“Stand fast!” Armstrong said, reassuring them as they watched the helicopter pull up over the fantail and hover directly overhead. The helicopter crew chief kicked out a length of rope, which touched the deck near the front of the SPIE rig. Chief Lee reached down and connected the rig and gave the helicopter crew chief a thumbs-up as another explosion went off in the bow. Every one of them heard it and the helicopter pilot saw it. The crew immediately began pulling up. Half the SEAL platoon was lifted quickly off the deck of the Pacific Flyer . The second CH-53E raced in behind the first. Its crew chief threw the line out and Davidson hooked up the second SPIE rig. The Super Stallion jerked the eight remaining SEALs off the deck and pulled away from the ship. The SEALs hung from the Special Insertion and Extraction Rig underneath the helicopters like a clump of grapes, as the helicopter banked away and flew toward the horizon.
Armstrong thought about Prager and allowed the rage in his belly to climb to his head. Whoever hijacked the cargo ship and slaughtered the crew had set a trap to kill anyone who came to the ship’s rescue. The Pacific Flyer receded as they gained altitude and pulled away. Almost instantaneously, explosion after explosion rocked the Flyer.
5
I T WAS D ILLON ’ S TURN TO HOST M OLLY AND B OBBY at his place to watch the basketball game. They had considered canceling after the hijacking was announced. But a couple of hours after the President’s news conference they thought they would sneak out for the last half of the game.
Dillon helped Molly take off her coat in the entryway to his apartment. He loved the opportunity to study her from behind, to stare without being
Armstrong continued to run with his offensive handgun in his hand, but it was utterly useless. Armstrong’s mind raced. “Davidson! Get to the fantail. Set up the SPIE rig. Roach, tell the 53 we’re going to extract on the SPIE rig.
“Listen up!” Armstrong said with forced coolness as he climbed a ladder toward the open deck. “I want everyone hooked onto the SPIE rig in thirty seconds. Drop whatever you’re doing and head to the fantail now!”
All the SEALs immediately ran toward the fantail.
The two CH-53s raced from the horizon toward the ship. The fourteen SEALs and the remaining EOD tech gathered on the fantail and looked around, each unconsciously counting the number of SEALs missing as the seconds passed.
Armstrong was the last to arrive. He watched the CH-53E Super Stallion tear toward them, less than half a mile away. All the other SEALs were hooked up to the SPIE rigs. “Prager buy it?” he asked no one in particular.
“Yes, sir.” Lee unhooked himself from the SPIE rig and ran back to Armstrong. “Take a look at this,” he said, handing Armstrong something. Armstrong looked around, assessed the situation and checked for the helicopter, then took what Lee was offering. It was a Polaroid photograph.
“What’s this?” Armstrong asked.
“Looks like a picture taken on the bridge. I picked it up off the binnacle before the bridge blew. I think they wanted us to find it.”
Armstrong studied the picture of a crewman with the silencer of an automatic weapon pressed against his ear. Electronically superimposed on the photograph was the date and time of one hour ago.
Armstrong handed it back frowning, “What kind of weapon is that?”
“Can’t tell for sure, but it looks like it might be aChinese Type 64. I’m prepared to bet that’s the captain. I think they took him with them.”
Armstrong looked at him and narrowed his eyes. Lee returned to his position and attached his chest ring to the eye hook on the SPIE. As Armstrong hooked on, he and the rest of the SEALs were nearly knocked off their feet as another mine went off three decks below them, disabling the engines, gearing, and steerage.
“Stand fast!” Armstrong said, reassuring them as they watched the helicopter pull up over the fantail and hover directly overhead. The helicopter crew chief kicked out a length of rope, which touched the deck near the front of the SPIE rig. Chief Lee reached down and connected the rig and gave the helicopter crew chief a thumbs-up as another explosion went off in the bow. Every one of them heard it and the helicopter pilot saw it. The crew immediately began pulling up. Half the SEAL platoon was lifted quickly off the deck of the Pacific Flyer . The second CH-53E raced in behind the first. Its crew chief threw the line out and Davidson hooked up the second SPIE rig. The Super Stallion jerked the eight remaining SEALs off the deck and pulled away from the ship. The SEALs hung from the Special Insertion and Extraction Rig underneath the helicopters like a clump of grapes, as the helicopter banked away and flew toward the horizon.
Armstrong thought about Prager and allowed the rage in his belly to climb to his head. Whoever hijacked the cargo ship and slaughtered the crew had set a trap to kill anyone who came to the ship’s rescue. The Pacific Flyer receded as they gained altitude and pulled away. Almost instantaneously, explosion after explosion rocked the Flyer.
5
I T WAS D ILLON ’ S TURN TO HOST M OLLY AND B OBBY at his place to watch the basketball game. They had considered canceling after the hijacking was announced. But a couple of hours after the President’s news conference they thought they would sneak out for the last half of the game.
Dillon helped Molly take off her coat in the entryway to his apartment. He loved the opportunity to study her from behind, to stare without being
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