Chapter 3

Pointing to the outside door at the bottom of the stairs, I said, "Block that open, please. We can move the people easily."

Honor handled it! She reloaded her shotgun, followed up by blowing the door loose from its hinges and lock, then shouldered the ruined door out of the way.

I pulled off my goggles and earmuffs as I stepped out of the now wide-open doorway, to observe our air cover at HOTEL. 'Hotel' status, by positively identifying the hostage location, allowed our air assets to attack any remaining bad guys - hopefully preventing them from firing on our helicopter-loading operation.

I looked around, saying, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" Honor elevated an eyebrow as she shook her head. We ducked back inside, as another exploding building collapsed.

Nikki had an elegant solution to the problem of kidnappers hiding in the buildings to snipe at us. She painted the front door of the farthest building with her marking laser. The F-14 Bombcat, with its LANTIRN guidance targeting system, slammed a 750-pound laser guided bomb through the door, collapsing the building. Then she used the F-14s to collapse the next two buildings, in order.

Kidnappers came running out of building four and five, as they realized her next likely targets. Out in the open, they were easy meat for her fifty as well as Sally Ann and Mavis in the two Cobras.

I said (over the sound of the firing outside), "Mindy and Cynthia, you have the door. Toss a white smoke out into the commons. We need a wind direction. Honor is with me."

Mindy grabbed a CTS 5210 white smoke grenade. Pulling the pin, she gave it a heave far out into the square. The smoke gave a clear indication of wind direction, and some idea of force. More luck! The dawn air was fairly calm.

I trotted up the steps, with Honor behind me. I was pulling off my Nomex Balaclava. I threw my goggles and earmuffs into the Balaclava when I reached the second floor.

'Tex, ' whose name was actually Destiny (from Idaho), had the school's administration ready to greet me. She introduced the Dean of the School, Cerise Nguyen. Cerise, dressed in a thin chemise with her shapely figure, almond eyes and long black hair far down her back, was the very epitome of the best possible blend of her French and Vietnamese heritage. The Dean's secretary Sydne Ainsworth, a tall, slender, elegant and quite lovely Englishwomen was wearing a thin silk robe barely covering her butt.

Tex then introduced the school's two lead teachers, Karin and Carina Lennartsson, twin Swedish blondes with long white blonde hair. They were tall, thin, with even longer legs and massive breasts. They were both naked, having been rousted from a bed where they slept in the nude.

Cerise, Sydne, Karin, Carina, and Tex gathered around me when Tex suddenly exclaimed, "You're Americans. God Damn, welcome to Ekwueme."

I replied quietly, shaking my head. "No we're not. In fact when you talk to the authorities you are going to be pretty sure that we talked with heavy Russian accents."

Sydne asked in puzzlement, "Russian?"

I nodded. "Many Russian Spetsnaz special forces veterans are in the mercenary job market for operations just like this one."

Cerise nodded in understanding as she said, "We will inform the students. Your secret is safe with us."

I said quietly, "Thank you. I'm sorry as hell for the damage to your school. We've made a fucking mess of your campus and destroyed personal property. I'd like to believe it couldn't be helped. Anyway it's my plan being executed out there, any blame falls to me."

Cerise was shaking her head as she responded emphatically, "Non, non, you are my hero. All of you are our heroes. Saving us from Gods knows what they had planned for us today and the days after. We are alive; we can buy other 'things'. They will rebuild or not! If not, I go elsewhere. Perhaps I should go anyway; they did not protect us very well, after all. What do you need from us now?"

I replied, "Now, it's time to load up for the trip to Mireille. I want a manifest with the names of your people as we load. Do you have a list?"

Sydne perked up as she showed me several folded up pieces of paper covered with minute neat script, saying, "This is everyone."

I said, "Excellent work. Then will you please mark off as we load them out?"

Cerise nodded. "A good idea. We must leave no one behind to be subjected to reprisal." Sydne nodded in agreement.

I said calmly, "Please get them lined up at the top of the stairway, ready to move on our signal. We're looking at more than thirty bodies per chopper, so it's not going to be comfortable."

Karin suddenly spoke up. "Just so we're off this bloody island. I can stand any kind of uncomfortable trip."

The emphatic nods of agreement needed no amplification. I whistled with a hand gesture. Akira, Miriam, and Dixie quickly joined Honor and me with the school administrators. I announced, "We're ready for INDIA. Honor has top of stairs, with Mindy and Cynthia supervising stair bottom and door. Akira, Mir, and Dix, you're with me, loading. "

I pointed at the school folks, saying, "You are with me counting people into their rides. That means you are last out. OK? "

They nodded again. I keyed my microphone as I said, "Audra flight, we are at INDIA, repeat INDIA. Execute now, please."

We hit the bottom of the stairs as Cyn floated over the top of our building dropping into the commons with all her guns blazing. She settled into a blocking position with her door gunners continuing to 'power fire' into the school buildings and any other likely cover. Adrian was next landing in another blocking position, oblique to Cyn, with her door gunners firing as well. When they were both down, and with Sally Ann and Mavis continuing to fire their weapons, I keyed my microphone, saying, "We are at JULIET. Juliet One now, please. Repeat, Juliet One!"

The first 'transport' Blackhawk landed in front of our building. The rhythm picked up markedly. A single file of women started out of the building. We started handing naked and near naked women into the cargo door. I handed my Nomex Balaclava to Tex, swinging my MP5SD2 into ready position, standing exposed in the grassy campus center. Akira was counting, and at her signal, we held them up at the doorway.

Akira stepped back as I pointed to Amanda the pilot. I gave her thumbs up. She immediately lifted straight up, then turned on the exit path, back to the coastline. I requested our next ride. "Juliet Two, to the dance floor please. Juliet Two. "

The next helicopter settled smoothly in front of the building, with Akira immediately loading women in the wide-open cargo door. She stepped back, and again I pointed at Janine with thumbs up. The helicopter followed Amanda out to sea.

I glanced over, to see Miriam and Dixie fixedly staring at the windows overlooking our loading operation. They would shoot into window openings showing any movement, perfectly willing to waste rounds on blowing drapery, rather than ignore a possible sniper. Comforted that they had my back, I continued with my radio call. "Juliet Three, please. Juliet Three."

The Blackhawk eased down onto the grass, just as close as Melissa dared to the building. Akira was back on station, helping women into the cargo door. When Akira stepped away from Melissa's chopper there were still half clad women milling around.

I pointed at Melissa and gave her the thumbs up. She smoothly elevated, turning out to sea as soon as she was above the nearest school building. Akira rounded up women still on the commons, leading them to Cyn's Blackhawk. Honor, Mindy and Cynthia were swiftly scooping the remaining teachers and administrators into our Blackhawk.

Sydne paused in the cargo door to look over at me. Pointing to her list, she yelled, "That's everybody. All accounted for."

She clambered aboard. Mir and Dix were herding me to the cargo door, for all the world like two worried sheep dogs moving an errant part of their flock. Akira stood at the cargo door, waving me forward. I keyed my microphone announcing, "KILO. Green smoke. Current status is Kilo, please."

I stopped reaching into my pouch I retrieved a CTS 6210 green smoke grenade. I armed it as I tossed it at the entry on the hostage building followed with two more 'greens.'

Cyn's copter was up ten feet, with all her guns blazing, as I reached my ride. Akira, Mir, and Dix climbed in at my gesture. I pointed at Adrian then stood in the door as Adrian elevated us, moving us out of the open commons and above the trees surrounding the campus.

As Adrian held us above the tree line Kim taking my MP5SD2 handed me my headphones and Rayban aviator sunglasses. Nikki continued to direct traffic. The green smoke was our marker that hostage extraction was complete and we were LEAVING.

I contacted my girl Neon four five. "Neon four five, be advised: good guys extracted, only bad guys on the ground. Going to LIMA on my mark. Fast movers to the deck please."

I paused then announced on our flights frequency, "LIMA, status is Lima. Audra flight RTB immediately. We are LEAVING. LIMA, LIMA, LIMA."

Our two Cobras broke off, heading out to sea, with Cyn's Blackhawk accelerating to take lead of our flight back to Mireille.

The fast movers were down to tree top height in pairs with their 20 mil Gatling guns firing as they dumped the last of their ordnance on the school grounds. First the two pair of F-14 Bombcats followed by their escort flight a pair of F/A18E Super Hornets.

Cerise was standing next to me holding my arm as she peered out the cargo door, watching the destruction of the school she administered. Despite her brave words she was crying unreservedly at the ruin. I put my arm around her holding her tight as she cried herself out.

Nikki finally wheeled, heading out to sea past us, as the jets pummeled the school grounds. There would be no revenge anti-aircraft fire from the kidnappers. Right about now, any surviving kidnapper had his nose buried in the dirt, praying to his preferred deity for protection from the best of Northrop Grumman Aviation and the USN.

We were last helicopter on station; it was past time to go. I pointed at Adrian. She gave me a big smile and thumbs up. I looked back at the school being ravaged by our air power. Switching to intercom I said, "Get us the fuck outta here, love."

I was still standing in the cargo door as she took us away from school grounds. Sydne gently pulled Cerise down into a group hug with Karin and Carina while I contacted Neon four five again. "Neon four five. Please go to MIKE repeat Mike. Thank our fast friends for their help."

There was no acknowledgment; instead, I heard, "Audra six, stand by for message."

Then silence. I stood quietly if not calmly waiting. I flipped the AWACS frequency to the internal system intercom and speakers. Neon four five came back with, "Audra six, be advised that a strong seaquake in excess of eight on the Richter scale has struck Indonesia. The quake is generating intense wave action. Mireille will be subject to harbor wave. Satellite data indicates harbor wave height five meters or more at shoreline. Sunrise has evacuated Mireille, putting to sea under emergency power. Over."

There was dead silence aboard the chopper as I looked around. I asked Neon a question. "Neon four five thank you for the information. Do you have an ETA for wave hitting Mireille? Over."

While she was off the air I switched to flight frequency and brought everybody up to date. Neon four five was back. "Audra six, we make best guess first impact approximately twelve hundred hours. Over."

I exclaimed, "Shit." Then I realized I had an open mic. I said, "Four five, Audra flight ETA Mireille is noon. Over."

Neon came back with, "Six, we agree. Maintaining current course speed Audra flight will be over Mireille runway at twelve hundred hours. Over."

I was still standing in the door watching the blue water go by as Adrian put miles between us and the kidnappers on Ekwueme. I keyed my mike distractedly, "Four five, standby for further traffic, out."

I grabbed the upper doorframe in both hands leaning out letting the wind buffet me while I looked at the rest of Audra Flight ahead of us. Audra meant storm in Lithuanian. Altogether too prophetic for my taste.

Adrian's soft calm voice in my headphones asked, "You with us, lover? We still need you."

Pulling back in I smiled and gave her a thumbs up as I said over the intercom, "Yeah, I'm back. Thanks, love. We can do this."

I got on the radio to Audra flight, leaving the people in our bird listening on intercom, but asked only Cyn and Nikki to respond, saying, "Audra flight, Cyn and Nikki only please. Ladies, I need you to change power settings to slow us down. Nikki, calculate for arrival over Mireille runway after thirteen hundred repeat thirteen hundred. Cyn, Audra two will be new flight leader and pacesetter. Audra one will leave formation to scout runway, observe tsunami arrival and assess damage. Six, out."

I flipped the radio to our AWACS frequency, saying, "Four five did you copy that last transmission? Over."

Neon responded quickly, "Affirmative, six, over."

I asked, "Four five, in event Mireille runway unusable, you have room at the inn or even in the stable?"

Neon came back quickly, "Negative six. Carrier group already moving at flank speed to support rescue and relief efforts. I have gas station available after fast movers."

I just exploded, "God damn it Neon. Only half my fucking flight is set up to refuel on the move and nobody repeat nobody is certified for mid air refuel. I need an alternate. NOW! Over."

I was seething as the silence on my radio lengthened. I was trying to remember if the airport at Victoria, Seychelles capitol on Mahe Island was at sea level. That would blow our cover all to hell for sure when Seychelles customs and immigrations came wandering out to check passports on the Audra girls!

Nikki called on flight frequency saving my sanity again, "Firebird one, this is your fire goddess. Over."

I responded, smiling, "Goddess, tell me good news, love. Over."

Nikki said, "Ted, We used less fuel during operation than I planned. I had loiter time on each end of the flight that we did not use. Throttling back saves us fuel. We have room to maneuver, big guy. Over."

I asked, "Goddess, Do we have enough fuel to divert to Victoria? over"

Before she could answer Neon four five barked, "Audra six negative on Audra flight Victoria diversion. That is not a secure location. Repeat negative on diversion."

I answered calmly, "Get the fuck off my frequency, four five. Out."

I called Nikki again. "How about it, goddess. Can we make Victoria?"

Nikki came back with, "Ted, are you in as much trouble as it sounds like?"

I laughed. "Yes, my love they're gonna draft me just for a proper courts martial. Answer my question. OVER!"

Nikki said, "Yes we can make Mahe island and land somewhere well above water line. I would have to make the course change about twelve hundred hours. Over."

Once more I lost it. "Son of a BITCH! "

Then just like that I was calm my mind going a mile a minute as I said, "Nikki. Slow everybody down. Cyn is leader. We are out in front scouting. Lay in diversion course, do not execute. Inform me when flight reaches the divert point. We may need to use up some loiter time at divert. Over."

Nikki said simply, "Copy that, Ted. Luck, love. Nikki out."

Cyn came on with, "Copy that, Ted. Good luck, lover. Cyn out."

Every Audra pilot responded acknowledging the new plan. I turned to crew and passengers of our UH-60, saying over the intercom:

"We may have a problem with the diversion if it comes to that. We're burning fuel; nobody else is. I'm sorry -- somebody has to do this, and you happen to be along for what may be a bumpy ride."

Nancy suddenly spoke up from her spot second seat. "Quit whining Ted. We're all volunteers. I'm sure one of the nice ladies from the school will be happy to suck you off if it makes you feel better."

This ignited a raucous veritable free-for-all of offers of sexual service from everyone on the intercom, involving techniques and positions that rapidly became anatomically difficult followed quickly by impossible.

While this was going on Adrian had pulled out of line, forging ahead as Cyn slowed Audra flight per Nikki's instructions. I decided I might as well try to kiss and make up with my girl Neon.

I called on the AWACS frequency, "Neon four five, Audra six, over"

Neon came back just a pleasant as before, "Go ahead Six, over."

I responded, "Four Five, sorry I yelled at you. Can I get a relay to Sunrise please? Over."

Neon replied, "Understandable Six, you're worried about your people. Stand by for Sunrise, over."

In seconds I was talking to Tawny on Sunrise. I assume Captain Dale, standing on the bridge, was torn between observing our progress and the big waves. So figuring what the hell?, I said, "Tawny, is Dale around? Over."

Poor Tawny sounded like she was choking. The next voice I heard was Dale's, and he was laughing heartily. "Audra six, Yes I'm around. Congratulations on a well executed operation, over."

I replied, "Not done yet. Still need to get down. Please, tell me everything I need to know about the incoming harbor wave and Mireille. I'm putting you on the speaker, over."

Dale came back calm and reflective just like always. "Six, go ahead. I have some first hand experience but each tsunami is a unique event. We are in the path of it, outside the one hundred fathom line. Sunrise is safe. The wave is only destructive as it ramps up shallow sea bottom. We will be able to provide a warning when it passes us. The fault was on a north and south line generating a wave along this axis, moving almost straight east and west, over."

I replied, "I understand so far, but what happens when it hits the shallows surrounding Mireille? Over."

Dale came back, "I have been studying the charts. I believe the harbor is safe given its orientation, narrow entrance and very deep water surrounding the breakwater. I estimate a surge appreciably above high tide but no wave action in harbor, over."

I was nodding, then realized he couldn't see that. I said, "Copy that, over."

Dale went on. "Windward side by your hangars is less predictable. The bottom drops away sharply relatively close to shore minimizing 'harbor wave' but a very shallow line of reefs runs to the northeast far out into current. This gives it spawning ground, over."

I was puzzled. "Reef, what reef?"

Dale was laughing, "You were probably distracted by something or somebody; likely, several somebodies. The lighthouse. That reef. Over."

Now I got it, exclaiming, "Shit. The lighthouse. Copy that. Stand by."

The rest of the chopper was cracking up at Dale's comment about distraction. I was remembering the lighthouse. On the windward side, where we gather driftwood on the beach, far out to sea is a tall brick masonry lighthouse completely surrounded by water. The lighthouse at the end of the submerged underwater reef Dale mentioned. The lighthouse is no longer used, but it's a spectacular sight when the water crashes far up the sides in a tropical storm.

I keyed my mic again. "Any estimate of damage on windward side. Over."

Dale replied, "The runways are well above sea level, that's good news. Buck found bunkers and other concrete structures between beach and hangars. There will slow and soften wave action. He moved equipment we did not take into hangars farthest from beach, those protected by concrete blast revetments. Buck estimates waves will not reach those hangars with ability to cause structural damage. Buck is an optimist by nature. Over."