Read Online Survivalist - 22 - Brutal Conquest by Jerry Ahern - Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry Ahern
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targets.”
Michael Rourke didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. If Admiral Yamamoto had suddenly walked into the underground briefing complex, Michael wouldn’t have been surprised.
Hong went on. “Pearl Harbor is on low-level alert status and has been for several months. Which means, of course, they’ll be a litde sloppy about it by now. Before we strike, we intend to soften them up a litde. Gruppen-fuhrer Croenberg will fill us in from here.”
Croenberg. In the first instant Michael entered the room beside Gunther Hong, his eyes were drawn to the man. Croenberg somehow seemed to exude intelligence, discipline, competence—and evil.
Bowing slighdy toward Michael as he stood, Croenberg began to speak. “To recap, gentlemen, the National Socialist movement has placed agents in key positions within the Hawaiian chain over the last two years. Our agents report that they are ready to undertake their assigned tasks when the order is given for them to do so.”
Croenberg extended his hand toward Hong, receiving the light pen and nodding curtly in return. With the light pen moving over the console’s monitor, its motions repeated on the screen which filled a third of the area of the far wall, he pointed to various locations one after the other. “At the designated moment, such acts of sabotage will be committed as to produce long-term disruption of power and communications facilities, defense sensing and imaging installations, etc. And, of course, once our agents are away, preset bio charges will detonate. The result should be temporary decapacitation of nearly ninety per cent of the island’s population, including those military personnel not operating within a hermetically sealed environment.
“Controlled EMPs will be executed over Pearl Harbor itself,” Croenberg went on, clearing his throat. And “EMP” Michael knew, was an Electromagnetic Pulse, derived from a nuclear explosion. “We will be utilizing low-yield devices, of course. Specially trained and equipped SS units will then depart Staging Area Alpha, here on Molokai… .” The image shifted on the screen so rapidly that watching it was almost nausea inducing. “They will seize control of their respective areas, and barring the unforeseen, Pearl Harbor and an estimated sixty-seven percent of the American naval fleet will be under our complete control.
“Those vessels affected by the EMPs—ones well out to sea, I should add—will be powerless to resist once our forces are in place. Only vessels in deep water will be operational, and that will comprise a minuscule percentage of the whole. Individual commanders refusing to surrender could be neutralized easily.”
There was silence, and everyone looked at him. Michael Rourke realized it was suddenly incumbent upon him to speak. But the slightest error could cost him his life. Carefully, he composed and asked his question. “The likelihood of having to neutralize these independent commands, what is it?”
Croenberg seemed satisfied. “The Americans are strong-willed. Our best estimates are that more than ninety percent of those who were operational would resist, either by attempting to launch a counterattack on their own initiative or by fleeing to Mid-Wake.”
Michael Rourke merely nodded… .
Paul Rubenstein climbed the only high outcropping of rock within sight. Doing so got him some twenty feet
above the plain. Using a pair of German field glasses, he looked first toward the rift valley.
Along the horizon line to the east, he saw no spotter or attack aircraft. But, as he intensified his focus and turned his glasses to the south, he saw a snow trail, the sort that would be made by a vehicle moving at reasonably good speed. He watched it for almost a minute. Its vector was taking whatever made it straight toward their position.
Paul Rubenstein cased the field glasses and, carefully lest he slip on the rock face, started down.
They would have to move—and quickly, too… .
Mary Ann
Michael Rourke didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. If Admiral Yamamoto had suddenly walked into the underground briefing complex, Michael wouldn’t have been surprised.
Hong went on. “Pearl Harbor is on low-level alert status and has been for several months. Which means, of course, they’ll be a litde sloppy about it by now. Before we strike, we intend to soften them up a litde. Gruppen-fuhrer Croenberg will fill us in from here.”
Croenberg. In the first instant Michael entered the room beside Gunther Hong, his eyes were drawn to the man. Croenberg somehow seemed to exude intelligence, discipline, competence—and evil.
Bowing slighdy toward Michael as he stood, Croenberg began to speak. “To recap, gentlemen, the National Socialist movement has placed agents in key positions within the Hawaiian chain over the last two years. Our agents report that they are ready to undertake their assigned tasks when the order is given for them to do so.”
Croenberg extended his hand toward Hong, receiving the light pen and nodding curtly in return. With the light pen moving over the console’s monitor, its motions repeated on the screen which filled a third of the area of the far wall, he pointed to various locations one after the other. “At the designated moment, such acts of sabotage will be committed as to produce long-term disruption of power and communications facilities, defense sensing and imaging installations, etc. And, of course, once our agents are away, preset bio charges will detonate. The result should be temporary decapacitation of nearly ninety per cent of the island’s population, including those military personnel not operating within a hermetically sealed environment.
“Controlled EMPs will be executed over Pearl Harbor itself,” Croenberg went on, clearing his throat. And “EMP” Michael knew, was an Electromagnetic Pulse, derived from a nuclear explosion. “We will be utilizing low-yield devices, of course. Specially trained and equipped SS units will then depart Staging Area Alpha, here on Molokai… .” The image shifted on the screen so rapidly that watching it was almost nausea inducing. “They will seize control of their respective areas, and barring the unforeseen, Pearl Harbor and an estimated sixty-seven percent of the American naval fleet will be under our complete control.
“Those vessels affected by the EMPs—ones well out to sea, I should add—will be powerless to resist once our forces are in place. Only vessels in deep water will be operational, and that will comprise a minuscule percentage of the whole. Individual commanders refusing to surrender could be neutralized easily.”
There was silence, and everyone looked at him. Michael Rourke realized it was suddenly incumbent upon him to speak. But the slightest error could cost him his life. Carefully, he composed and asked his question. “The likelihood of having to neutralize these independent commands, what is it?”
Croenberg seemed satisfied. “The Americans are strong-willed. Our best estimates are that more than ninety percent of those who were operational would resist, either by attempting to launch a counterattack on their own initiative or by fleeing to Mid-Wake.”
Michael Rourke merely nodded… .
Paul Rubenstein climbed the only high outcropping of rock within sight. Doing so got him some twenty feet
above the plain. Using a pair of German field glasses, he looked first toward the rift valley.
Along the horizon line to the east, he saw no spotter or attack aircraft. But, as he intensified his focus and turned his glasses to the south, he saw a snow trail, the sort that would be made by a vehicle moving at reasonably good speed. He watched it for almost a minute. Its vector was taking whatever made it straight toward their position.
Paul Rubenstein cased the field glasses and, carefully lest he slip on the rock face, started down.
They would have to move—and quickly, too… .
Mary Ann
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