air-to-air weaponry. The plan had called for each to release a Harpoon before
closing in to deal with the reduced escorting aircraft. But they would be
hard-pressed to outfight two full squadrons, both dedicated entirely to
air-to-air operations. And the other planes in Thor had never been designed
with dog-fighting in mind.
There were no options left. They had to call off the attack, or watch
twenty American planes go down in defeat to no good purpose.
With one daring move, that unknown Russian pilot had just saved his fleet
and condemned the Americans to stand by and watch helplessly as Bergen fell
and freedom was extinguished in Norway.
CHAPTER 24
Monday, 16 June, 1997
0020 hours Zulu (0020 hours Zone)
CIC Air Ops module, U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson
In the Norwegian Sea
Magruder reached for the microphone, feeling dead inside. They had come
so close …
“Asgard, Asgard, this is Odin,” Coyote’s voice boomed from the speaker.
“The Sukhois are on the run! I think they’ve had enough. Request
instructions, over.”
Tombstone swallowed and studied the plotting board again. There was
still a chance to stop those Russians … but only if the Vipers could get to
them in time. If only he had gone up with them. He knew that he and Batman
could have done it, just like at Wonsan and in the last wild fight of the
Indian Ocean intervention …
He shook his head. He didn’t have to be up there. Coyote and Batman
were two of the best, and the rest of the Vipers were as good as he had been
three years back. It was time he realized that the torch had been passed on.
Magruder’s fingers closed around the mike and he spoke with sudden
animation and urgency. “Odin, this is Asgard. New orders. Proceed toward
Target Thor, repeat Target Thor. Use any means available to support Thor
Strike against enemy aircraft. Do you copy, Odin?”
“Odin copies,” Coyote came back, sounding cool and calm, more like his
old self than he’d been for a long time now. “We’re on our way, Stoney!”
He bit his lip, deep in thought. It was an unplanned diversion of the
Tomcats, and that could play havoc with the logistical side of the operation.
The Vipers were as fast as the enemy MiGs, so they should be able to close the
range before Thor Group arrived on the scene. But by the time they finished
those F-14s would be flying on fumes. He would have to send a Texaco to
rendezvous with them.
There was something else he could do too to turn up the pressure on the
enemy. If they wouldn’t respond to a threat, perhaps they would react better
to something stronger. He raised the microphone again, and now he was
smiling.
0021 hours Zulu (0021 hours Zone)
Intruder 507, Loki Flight
Over the Norwegian Sea
“All Lokis, all Lokis, stand by for new orders.”
Bannon cocked his head as Magruder’s voice came from the radio. Was
Jefferson ordering a recall already? It was early for that, according to the
mission timetable … unless something had gone seriously wrong.
“Loki Flight, primary target is now designated active. Repeat, active.
Commence attack runs.”
The words sent a thrill through Bannon. This was what he had been
waiting for! He felt his grip on the yoke tightening. “You heard the man,
Gordo. Time to send them a little something to remember us by!”
Quinn formed them up into two waves of four Intruders each, with the
Hornets thrown out ahead in case any more interceptors tried to block the
attack. Bannon was part of the second wave, holding back from the battle
until the first four planes had taken their shot at the Soviet carrier.
“Tighten up your formation,” he heard Quinn order as the Intruders dipped
low over the ocean and started their run. “Watch those SAMs …”
“They’ve got a lock on me!” another pilot shouted.
“Climb! Climb! Drop some chaff and climb!”
The radio crackled once. Then Quinn announced somberly, “They got
Hoops.” That would be Lieutenant Commander Jack “Hoops” Wilson.
“Firing,” another voice announced calmly. Seconds passed. “Shit!
Defensive fire’s too damned heavy!”
Then Quinn again, sounding disgusted. “Second wave, take your shots. We