The latest reports placed the Jefferson almost fifty miles southwest of
Sattahip now, still moving away at slow speed. That news would shake
the King, and all those who still hoped that American support would
come. And it would cheer the CPT revolutionary front now bracing for a
That army attack at U Feng. At least it would hold them together until
the coup could unite the army … under the leadership of Kriangsak
Vajiravudh.
Everything was unfolding precisely as Hsiao had promised. Kriangsak
could only shake his head in wonder.
The tank’s radioman tugged at Kriangsak’s pants leg, demanding
attention.
He ducked inside the hatch and accepted the radio headset. “Kriangsak
here,” he said.
“Colonel! This is Captain Priya!” The voice was rough with static,
and nearly lost in the racket from the tank column. “Headquarters has
been captured!”
“What? Speak up!”
“I said headquarters has been captured. Special Forces broke into the
Americana forty minutes ago!”
The news shook Kriangsak. It was not a fatal blow–there were other
arms and supply caches in and near the city–but it meant that the
government knew of his part in the coup.
A pair of helicopters roared low overhead, and Kriangsak looked up
nervously. It was still too dark to see their markings, but they were
flying with lights on. That spoke of arrogance … an arrogance born of
power.
Suddenly, Colonel Kriangsak felt less confident.
0521 hours, 21 January
New Phetchaburi Road, Bangkok
Master Sergeant Phillip Loomis, U.S.M.C., crouched on the rooftop of a
service station with the handful of That Special Forces men. In front
of them was a rugged-looking box with lenses and what looked like a
telescopic sight, directed over the low wall which surrounded the flat
roof area and toward a section of the road some three hundred yards to
the east. It was still dark, but the sky was growing rapidly lighter.
It wouldn’t be long now.
“Target area’s clear,” the That lieutenant at his side noted, lowering
his starlight scope. This was a relatively open part of the city, some
three miles east of downtown Bangkok. The buildings were low and widely
spaced, almost like a suburban neighborhood back home, Loomis thought.
South of the highway was a strip of shops, temples, and patches of trees
running between the highway and the straight-line slash of Kiong Sen
Seb.
New Phetchaburi Road was a fairly major artery. Even this early in the
morning it was usually clogged with the beginnings of Bangkok’s business
day rush hour.
But the street was deserted now. Many residents had fled the area
during the fighting the day before. Loyal That soldiers had evacuated
others, knowing that the fighting would be worse today. The street was
still lined with parked vehicles, but Loomis could see no movement.
He heard them first, the clash-clank of tracks on pavement, the rumble
of diesels. The lead tank came into view a moment later, first in a
long line of trucks and armored vehicles.
Loomis pressed his eye to the telescope sight, centering it on the lead
vehicle. He flicked a switch from standby to active, and a bright spot
of light appeared on the target, near the top of the Stingray’s turret.
“Firefly, Firefly, this is Zulu Three Kilo,” he said. The pencil mike
in front of his lips picked up the words and transmitted them to a base
station a few yards away on the rooftop. The station relayed the
message skyward. “The lamp is lit. I say again, the lamp is lit.”
“Roger that, Zulu Three Kilo,” a voice said in his ear. “We see the
light. Firefly on the way.”
The lieutenant at his side was speaking rapidly in That into his own
microphone, warning friendly forces to keep their heads down. The show
was about to begin.
Loomis had been in the Marines for twenty-five years. As a lance
corporal, he’d ridden out Tet and fought his way through the shattered
streets of Hue. Three months ago he’d been on the beach at Wonsan,
working with the Beachmaster to off-load AAFV “tuna boats” as rocket and
mortar fire dug holes in the sand and Tomcats shrieked overhead. This
was the first time he’d ever fought a battle with what was in effect