This is Not a Drill

22.

One last snapshot and we trot the short distance between the maneuverability of the chopper and the speed of the Gulfstream G200. She can cruise at 450 knots with range of 3K, or non-stop anywhere on the Atlantic to anywhere on the Pacific in less than four hours. She is pointed west into a light breeze as I climb the five steps into her sleek fuselage. 

I am invited to sit in the operations section, fore and port side by an attendant wearing a dark blue flight-suit. I recognize the patch over his left breast, an eagle toting lightening bolts of missile tipped arrows in both talons as those of PATRON 12. He advises me to buckle up for take-off and quickly disappears. I click into the harness as the g-force pins me to the back of the seat fabric, a sensation that I have always enjoyed. Inside of a minute I can tell by the climb rate were are at altitude, leveling off. The attendant returns, asks if I need food or water and hands me a remote control unit for the TV monitor opening on the bulkhead in front of me. A headset appears from the side storage compartment and a desktop slides into place perfectly positioned above my knees. The attendant places a cardboard box on the desktop along with a bottle of ‘smart’ water, points to a button labeled ‘service’ and pulls a curtain to provide a private, secure environment. Being the only passenger on the flight I am a little surprised at the level of security. I push the power-up icon of the remote unit and open the bottle of smart water. 

In my headset I hear TOM in a monotone Churchill-esque narration cut right to the chase: “These are the latest satellite images of Navy and Marine facilities in Pensacola, Barksdale and Pendleton. You will see an interesting commonality in each recon photo.” I strain to focus as the images are placed side by side on the screen. “Correct,” he continues, giving me credit for unraveling the mystery prior to being told, “there is a far greater than normal line of assault aircraft assembled and apparently ready for deployment.” 

“Not sure I understand, sir”

“They are not part of any advance directive. There is no active situation, no emergency response and nothing to suggest a pre-emptive build up scenario.” 

“That is a lot of firepower centered in three locations, all on the Southern border, with no administrative knowledge.” 

“Quite so.” 

The screen images are replaced by three others of similar resolution obviously taken on the same satellite pass as the first. TOM identifies them as Cuba, Venezuela and Guadalajara, Mexico. TOM suggests that it is odd that these three have an equal number of aircraft assembled and under flimsy camouflage as the US bases. 

“Chatter is suggesting something in the works, but we think this buildup of activity is a misdirect. International drug trade is the obvious and easiest assumption. This is where they want us to look.”

I am trying to keep up, wondering who ‘they’ are, scratching notes on the tabletop with a mechanical pencil and recalling the text message highlighting a top priority insurgency with Saunders as point of contact, when another image comes on the screen. It is also a satellite image. There is an old truck burning, a fire truck en-route and thermal images of what appears to be a small group of what? scouts, soldiers, mercenaries? All seemingly in emergency response mode. Two of them are down, as a chopper enters the scene from the south. 

Close-ups appear on the screen of Cap, Saunders and Davis. 

“They were assigned to infiltrate a suspicious insurgent group, Saunders being inserted as deep cover. They were either ambushed or victims of an extremely unlucky accident.” 

“Cap and Saunders are in County General Hospital, he for life-threatening head trauma and she for a hip fracture and internal injuries. These as a result of a vehicular collusion with the truck you see in flames. The driver appears to be an unwitting civilian, but that may be a cover as well. As you know Davis is now leading the remaining company to our base location.”

“We think there is a larger strategy involved with a significantly more valuable target. And we obviously have a mole somewhere, hence the joint operation.”

“Get to Saunders and debrief with as much precaution as you can. Our contact at the hospital is a Dr. Hamsten. He can be trusted to level four. Get his updated prognosis and get Saunders out as quickly as possible. If this was indeed just a stroke of bad luck, her cover remains intact.” 

TOM continues, “Once you have Saunders get to the rendezvous location and regroup with the team and Davis.”

There is a pause.

“The clock is running on this one, until we have additional intel the assumption is that aggression of some sort is imminent.” 

Another pause.

“Bogart?”

“Yes sir?”

“This is not a drill.”