Chapter 9

That greeting, reunion, meet or whatever you wish to call such unexpected glee was short-lived as everyone but Sam and Tara found emergency signals were going wild, even both planes got orders and started to prepare for their new role.

Anyone viewing would now would see why Tarinka had gotten ‘The Terrible’ moniker added. The alarms had not yet subsided and already Tarinka made her call. All one could see or hear was her unconscious head nod and her single replies of, “Da”; then she started barking orders, to everyone, Sam and Tara included.

Bianca, her sister, leader of the Asia team was in-trouble. As always without any respect for her age or physical status (She was not built like Brie) but looking and listening to her none could doubt why Carmen considered her the ‘Best of the Best’, his ‘Ace’.

While still with the Sat to her ear she first motioned to her sisters, the Eves’, and whispered a single phrase to them, alternating conversations with the phone which was obviously ‘patched in’ by some master control to a number of participants

That being said, the Eves ran off to Tara’s plane. Tarinka motioned Carla and Brie over next, handed the Sat to Carla then took a package someone from her plane had brought. She ripped that open, tore off what little she wore of that ‘schoolgirl’ outfit and proceeded to stand naked on deck while putting on a jumpsuit. She might not be built like Brie but she also did not look like any 15 year old I had ever seen, well maybe one, Sam had a memory or three about the other Tara who was still in his arms. I had said she looked and acted a lot older.

When, me and my clinging vine were called over next, she said. “You both will attend me on my plane. The others will be aboard the other. Ensure all the equipment is secured when loaded on-board.”

Tarinka took the Sat back from Carla and sent them on their way. Her earpiece must have enabled her to listen to everything that had been said,

“Commander, I am at ‘our’ London HQ now, the former SAS base. We will leave here aboard ‘my’ two planes as soon as men and equipment are loaded and the planes refueled. Victor will provide us escort planes when we near the landing site as well as additional support if we must jump. My father has other support readying as backup. Bianca is holding an airfield for us and the relief forces to land. I for one will not be late for this party. I suggest you do not wish to be late either or you will know why they call me what they do?”

I was not certain exactly whom she was talking to but by the look on her face, I would not want to be late.

She shooed us on our way, Tara and me, to follow her orders. She was standing alone as we left, a minute later I (Sam) looked back to see a dozen hooded figures at her feet. They had made no sound getting there. She meanwhile still stood seemingly staring into space and changing languages as she spoke in Russian, French, German and some Chinese dialect I did not understand, it might even have been Japanese, who knows with her.

Towards our right, Tara’s and mine we saw several slugs pulling containers, crates and field packs for loading. Several hundred troops were nearing the Airbus my Tara had arrived on. More were coming along with a procession of ground vehicles heading towards Tarinka’s black plane. I assumed this cargo was meant for us to secure.

I had often heard the term ‘Rapid Response’, but this effort, this was a bit unusual. Tarinka was like the conductor of a symphony. Each player serving or filling a role and each poised to await the ‘call to arms’ from the conductor. It would have sounded wonderful should it have been music; but it wasn’t, it was the preparation to wage war. Seeing her in ‘action’ would lead to no other conclusion that these efforts would be successful or none would be returning. I imagined that was something that was not new to most of these soldiers though. I did not believe we even had ‘pipe and drum’ coming with us.

It was the four girls, Carla, Brie and the two Eves who noted the 180-degree swing we had now embarked upon from supplying arms for one to actually waging a war. To me, probably Tara also it was as if we were just along for the ride. Just as the first gear was to be loaded, I looked at what had been a budding teen back home but now I could only see a woman on a mission as she too was now stripping and pulling on a jumpsuit and boots someone had brought us. I determined Tara was a good name for her too. For a fleeting moment I wondered if Bonnie had ever got that ‘emancipation’ thing done, if not how old did you need be to marry in England, even in Russia for that matter. ‘Hell’ I thought, ‘we may not even make it back from this fling to find out the answers to those questions, why worry now?’

The next thought, like ‘where exactly we were headed’ was rudely interrupted by Tara hitting me then saying “Hurry up old man and get changed”. She was shoving a jumpsuit and boots to me now while she started securing straps and directing the load. Tarinka’s plane only had seats for 60 but a shit load of space for cargo and fuel. Although a might chilly, today we would trade fuel consumption for a lower altitude as near 100 more troops mixed with the cargo (Each wore a mask with external breathing gas). I think they tried blocking the way out for my Tara as a joke. They did not mean to keep her, did they? Then I recalled her not so little show she gave while changing into that jumpsuit.

The head swerve from two of Tarinka’s hooded guards who magically seemed to appear gave a non-verbal order for us, both of us to follow. Remember, most everyone had Tarinka’s ‘nick’ down pat and by extension knew she would brook no diversions from whatever she would command. The term order did not seem severe enough. I already knew what my stance on losing my Tara would be. I would have fit in with many of Sal’s friends in that.

We were ‘On Our Way, Not Sure When We’ll Be Back Again’ or better call it ‘A Balkaning We Go’.

Note: Extending to the south from central Europe into the Mediterranean Sea, the Balkans includes the countries of Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and European Turkey.

Where we were headed, where Bianca was already at, barely holding ground; was a place in Bulgaria south of the city called Varna.

Much had been staged to keep the Americans from ‘over-reacting’ to Russian, even British forces so close to Turkey but if Istanbul fell, the peninsula would became an easy gateway to Europe. With the Eighth Army needed in Korea and all eyes on China, the Mid-East, India and Pakistan we had a window open now. Our fallback was to land near Odessa. If the ‘Soviet Union’ had still existed land and sea forces could more readily do the job they would have been sent from there, but ‘Alas poor Serge’ it was not to be. The Ukraine was no longer a vacation spot for a Russian.

Even moving a few Hinds and fast-movers to skim over the Black Sea cost us a bit extra. A NATO exercise, don’t you know?

All told we would have 8,500 reinforcements for Bianca, most would arrive too late though. Those the Tara’s would bring an the armor on their planes plus what would be left of her insertion team would only need to ‘hold the line’ until our others arrived or NATO gained agreement from Bulgaria and Serbia to move troops in from Bosnia. If not the only other land routes would need to be through Hungary and Romania, That would have taken more time than she had to hold the fort, so to speak.