Chapter 9.
THE RAID ON THE HANSCOM AIRFORCE BASE
Fourteen weeks had passed, and the team was now complete. It consisted of Matt Trakker, Hal 'Bishop' Everett, Bruce Sato, Hondo McLean, Paul Knight, Gloria Baker, Brad Turner, Dusty Hayes, Morten Øygard, Calhoun Burns, Katrina Dabrowski, Jacques LaFleur, Buddie Hawks and Marvin Rico.
They were scheduled to be moved from Parris Island to Thomas Jefferson Training Center in Virginia, but before that there was a special field practice planned to make a final test of their abilities in combat conditions.
Hugh Heyman, as always accompanied by Helena Bennett and Colonel Lyman Wolf visited the Hanscom Airforce Base located at the coast, near Boston. A facility that not only hosted the 66th Air Base wing but also the Electronic Systems Centre. An organization that provided the US military with the latest in Command and Control and Information system for the Airforce, the department of defence, and its allies.
The Commanding Officer, Colonel Jonathan Pearse, showed his visitors around the base.
"Lincoln Laboratory has been preparing a satellite that will be launched into orbit later this year," he explained. "This satellite is designed to send and receive the most powerful energy signals to any location in the world at any time. It has just recently been brought into the base for the final phase before we are set to launch it. As you understand, this facility is always under a very tight guard, so I don't really understand how you will use this as a fair test on your team, Mr. Heyman."
"First of all, The Special Missions Force consists of the absolute best agents this country has produced." H.H. said, followed by a barely audible snort coming from Colonel Wolf. "Their test will be to compromise the bases perimeter, get into the lab without being stopped and then return home. Apart from testing their own skills as a commando unit, it will also test your own defences, so I think this operation will be mutually benefiting."
Colonel Pearse thought it over for a moment. Then smiled mischievously, as the offer begun to tempt him.
"I like challenges," He said. "But I assure you, that your team won't make it through our defences."
"Of course, you realize that you're not allowed to warn your troops about this drill," H.H pointed out. "It wouldn't be fair play."
Pearse gave his promise.
H.H. and his attendance came out to the training facility at Parris Island the following morning to brief the team about the mission.
"This test will prove if the Special Missions Force is ready." He said. "Colonel Wolf, Sergeant Stillman and I will all be on location to see how you are doing, and we will grade your performance. Your objective will be to get inside the Hanscom Air Force Base without being stopped by the bases guard and get inside the lab that host the satellite that they are working on. Once there, you will steal the satellite and bring it out, again without being stopped by the bases guard, and bring it back home unharmed."
"Are we going to steal a real satellite that has cost millions of the taxpayer's money just for the test?" Morten Øygard asked. "Suppose we break it?"
"You break it, you bought it." Helena calmly replied.
"Naturally, the satellite you will steal aren't the real one." H.H. explained. "I have already briefed the bases commander about this, and the satellite you will abduct are the prototype.
The whole operation will be yours to plan. We will fit you with everything you require to pull it off." H.H. continued. "But we will not interfere with your planning or operation."
The group left, leaving the trainees alone. Matt, Bishop, and Bruce gathered the team around a table to start discussing the best way to work.
"The best thing would be to split the team into two groups." Bruce said. "One group land on the coast and gets in close to the base to observe the procedures, the strength of the defence etcetera. The other teams wait for instructions from the team already on location and moves in."
"It's a good start." Bishop said. "But it still has a few glitches that needs to be worked out. I suggest that we form three teams, one team that lands on the coast, a second team that goes in for taking the satellite, and a third team that acquires vehicles needed for the escape. We should also have a helicopter standing by for pick-up once we have acquired the target."
"There's also a few things necessary to remember about the helicopter," Brad pointed out. "A helicopter cannot extract us from a wooded area. We must bring it down in a clearing."
Matt noted this in his papers.
"What's the minimum clearance for an UH-60 Black Hawk?"
"Thirty-three feet." Katrina replied immediately.
"Good, keep that in mind everyone. I want someone by the computer to acquire all the information you can get regarding the airbase and its immediate surroundings. Get me the latest satellite feeds as well as the latest aerial recon-photos. I'm not going to send a team into hostile territory without knowing what we are getting into."
A smaller group under Hondo McLean started to work on the computers and just a half of hour later, there were considerably more print-outs and photographs on the table.
The immediate surroundings of The Hanscom Air Force Base were very flat plain with low relief. It had accommodations for the family of its workers, with Enlisted Dormitories, schools, chapels, clinics, and different recreation forms.
Hanscom was a quite unusual aircraft base, since there were no military aircraft positioned at it. Instead, the airfield was operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority. This however, was only for their benefit, as Matt pointed out, since any intercepting aircrafts had to come in from another air force base. The base was structured in a triangular form, with one side facing a woodland and a second side consisting of runways for aircrafts.
"I think the most recommendable course of action is to send in the recon-unit via the ocean." Bishop suggested. "We can drop them into the woods, beyond the range of the airbases sensor-scans. They advance towards the base, set up a base of operations, and then send back all the vital information to us via radio."
"I agree." Matt said. "This team will also remain in position as back-up if the infiltration group runs into trouble."
He looked up from his papers.
"Bruce, will you take charge of that group?"
The other gave his affirmative.
"What people do you want with you?"
"I will require Paul as radio operator." Bruce said. "Hondo has good eyes and Mortens wildlife expertise is vital. I would also want either Brad or Katrina in case we need to steal a helicopter to escape from the airbase."
"I can spare Brad." Matt contemplated. "But I need Katrina for flying you guys down to Hanscom and to lift all of us from the base."
Bishop took charge of the group that was to infiltrate the airbase. He choose Gloria Baker and Jacques LaFleur to aid him.
"That's a rather small team," Rico pointed out. "Are you sure you'll be able to make it just the three of you? I will gladly tag along if you want."
"Three pair of feet makes enough notice." Bishop calmly pointed out. "The fewer we are, the lesser is the risk that we will be discovered."
"Then the rest will be with me." Matt decided. "My team will land a helicopter at the airbase and Katrina will be at the helms, with me as co-pilot. Dusty, Calhoun and Marvin will have to settle on who will man the guns and the last two sadly has to stay behind since there's not enough room in the helicopter."
"I can stay behind." Dusty volunteered, as did Buddie.
"Good. Then it's settled" Matt gathered his papers. "I will present our plan to H.H. and see that we get the equipment we require. If the weather permits it, we will begin the operation the night before Saturday."
The team were then left to lounge. Brad stepped out into the yard to see if he could find anyone to play basketball with, when he noticed that Colonel Wolf was standing nearby talking to a man dressed in civilian clothes. He found this a bit odd, because there were not many people out in the training facilities except for the trainees normally, and Brad also knew that the Wolfman didn't particularly care for civilians.
Bishop came out from the door behind him.
"I wonder who that man is that the Colonel is speaking to." Brad said.
Bishop arched his neck to see more of the man who had his back turned to them. The man was completely bald.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's Cliff Dagger." Bishop told. "He was one of the army's top experts on explosives. Almost an artist. He knew precisely how much explosives he would need for a certain job. Unfortunately, one time some charges went of prematurely. Eight men was caught in the explosion and killed. Dagger was court martialled and fired from the army."
"That's not the type of man I would expect the wolfman to fraternize with." Brad muttered.
Just then the man turned around and Brad finally caught a look on his face. What he saw made him jump in surprise and horror. Dagger's face was horribly disfigured. He had neither hair, beard nor eyebrows. His right eye drooped slightly, deadened. The corner of his mouth turned down in an unintentional sneer. He looked unhuman with his pale facial skin pulled taut and bloodless.
Bishop caught his expression.
"Perhaps I should have mentioned that Dagger was caught in the same explosion. He suffered third degree burns and a major tissue trauma. You do know that second or third-degree burns are categories that define damage beyond the first layer of the skin, the epidermis, and into the next layer, the dermis? Third degree burns destroy the dermis. Burned skin does not regrow, so Dagger had to undergo several plastic surgeries in order to restore his face to something that looked human. Since there wasn't much skin they could transplant from his own body, he had to receive donated skin from cadavers."
"I wouldn't want to meet that guy in a dark alley in the middle of the night." Brad said a bit uneasy.
"Don't worry." Bishop calmed him. "He's known for having a very violent temper. But until he's driven to that point, his gentle as a puppy."
He noticed that Dagger had finished his conversation with the colonel.
"Hello Cliff. You're looking well."
The man came over and shook Bishop's hand.
"How are you doing, Bishop?" he asked. "Are the boys well?"
"They´re fine. We got a daughter five years ago. And you? Still no…?"
Dagger looked a bit sad.
"No. I'm still under a restraint order. I have been fighting the attorneys for ages, but I had to give it up. They're costing me a fortune, and I have to eat. I have to live. I don't have a fortune to fight with."
"I'm sorry." Bishop begun to say.
"Well, I have to go." Dagger cut off. "Take care, Bish."
"As I said," Bishop told Brad. "He has a violent temper when being driven to far. Unfortunately, he vented his frustration after being unemployed on his wife. She went to court and now he is under a ban of visiting. He hasn't seen his son for four years."
"What do you think he spoke to the Colonel about?"
"I don't know." Bishop admitted. "Dagger was in Wolf's unit during the intervention in the Iraq civil War. Maybe he was asking him for references. I can only guess."
Two nights later, a helicopter was warming up on the pad outside of the base in Parris Island, six members of The Special Missions Force trainees approached garbed in black camouflage suits, loaded down with weapons and rucksacks. Team one consisted of Bruce Sato, Paul Knight, who was the Radio Operator, Morten Øygard, Hondo McLean and Brad Turner.
"Infiltrate... establish your hide-site..." Matt instructed as they embarked on the helicopter. "Record any movement of troops, vehicles, patrols. Any activity inside your scan."
"Don't worry, Matt." Bruce promised. "You'll get all the information you require."
The unit took their seats inside of the helicopter, facing each other across a narrow aisle. They began to slather their faces with green camouflage paint.
In the cockpit Katrina studied readouts and worked controls. She wore a flight helmet and a pair of glasses to protect her eyes from the glare of the screens.
The helicopter took off from the pad with a deep rumble. Its powerful rotors carried the team at northeast under a night sky that would have been totally clear if it wasn't for some storm clouds further into the country.
From his seat Brad overlooked the inhospitable water below. The borderlines where the water within the reef met the open sea was very distinctive. The shallow water was clear blue, but the water in the open sea turned abruptly into an intensive marine-blue colour, which could only mean very deep water. He realized that beneath the blue surface reigned eternal darkness. He was glad that they would be dropped down by land, and not having to swim to the base.
Two hours later the helicopter swooped low over the water outside the coastline of Boston.
A screen winked to life, displaying a topographic map of the terrain they were overflying.
She nudged a trio of switches.
"Heading Southwest. Gear up. Two minutes to drop-zone."
Katrina brought the helicopter in over an open area in the woods. She never squatted the helicopter, she barely put it in hover. If she was watched, she had to make like she never stopped to let anybody off.
"Green light! Go!"
At her signal black figures leapt to the ground. Last man out, Bruce sprang clear and ran for the tree lines where the rest of the team was waiting. Above him the helicopter moved off and an inky stillness overtook the world. Four black faces regrouped around him. He checked a heat-bearing compass.
"South-southwest." He said, nodding in that particular direction. "Let's move it, and no sounds until we are underground."
The others nodded that they had understood.
"You know the drill, total noise discipline." He instructed in a voice just above a whisper. "Hondo and I form the security perimeter! Morten and Paul carry the equipment while Brad scout ahead. You'll make sure that we don't run into any more sentries ahead."
Brad rapidly ventured through the foliage to make sure that the coast was clear. Satisfied, he motioned to the others to proceed.
They Marched for an hour, until they came upon a moonlit river a half-mile from the Air Base. Bruce put on a pair of night-vision goggles and took in the surroundings. He saw nothing at first, but then two sentries appeared, patrolling the rocks. He turned to the others and motioned them down. Everyone hid in the bushes, out of sight.
When the patrolling sentries had moved on, the team got up on their feet and waded over the river. Alone Bruce quickly walked up the clearing. He removed his night-vision goggles and looked up and down the clearing. There was no sign of any other sentries. The woodland they had chosen to set up their hide-site in laid in front of them.
The hours before sunrise were hectic, as the Special Missions Force built their hide-site. They were digging feverishly, filling sandbags, telescoping open a roof pole, fanning out spars, laying canvas roof panels into place, camouflaging the panels, sprinkling sanitizing powder around the perimeter to ward off animals.
Once the underground shelter was finished, everyone moved underground and took their positions. The area they had to occupy was not larger than five feet, but no one uttered a single word of complaint. They had a mission to complete.
The sun finally came up, washing the island in morning light. The woodland remained still, with a road as the only visible only man-made feature. The spotting scope used by the team was so well camouflaged that only someone moving in close, watching deliberately for it would discover it. Now the team could get a good look at the airbase they were going to keep under constant observation for the next couple of days.
The airbase itself was of little interest since they already knew the schematics over it. Instead, they wanted to observe a complex just outside of the airfield where the engineers were stationed. It consisted of two large buildings in front of a large open parking lot and they figured the prototype was being held in the building to the right.
Every incident that occurred during the day was the carefully reported, complete with the exact time and snaps. Between those incidents, the team tried to relax and when it was time to eat, they opened some MREs.
Several hours later, as it had grown dark, Paul patched up his radio. They raised the antennae, which would have been easily spotted during the day, and sent the day's information back to home base.
"There are two entrances with gates." Bishop forwarded to the others at breakfast early the following morning. "The perimeter is too well guarded for daylight penetration, as expected, and the weakest link seem to be the portion of the fence directly below the flood lamp masts."
He was standing next to a white board in the conference room in the training facility, with the remaining team sitting by the table. He had nailed the aerial recon-photos to the white board, so they could get a complete view of the compound. He had debated possible entrance routes with Matt all morning, mixing information from the computer with suggestions forwarded from Bruce with their own personal opinions
"What about the river?" Buddie asked. "The runway starts just above the river, is it possible to penetrate the defences from that direction?"
"It's hardy a river." Bishop dismissed. "It's just a trench. But there are a few possibilities to get in undetected, and I intend to utilize three of them."
"Why not settle with one route?" Marvin asked. "Cut a hole though the fence, sneak inside, get the satellite and get out the same way."
"No." Bishop replied calmly. "Using the same entrance would put the mission in jeopardy should we be discovered. If just one of is apprehended, the other two will have a chance to complete the mission, that is why I want to use different penetration routes."
"How long time do you think that you require to complete the job?" Matt asked. "Timing is essential, so we can extract you out of the airbase as soon as you lay hands on the objective. Any delay could cost you dearly."
Bishop pondered on this for a moment.
"Give us twenty-five minutes from the moment the operation starts." He finally said. "If we aren't out by then, we have failed."
Matt nodded.
"All right. Let us synchronize our watches."
Early the following night a truck was on its way towards the airbase. Hiding in a tree at the side of the road was Gloria Baker; all dressed up in black and smeared down face. Her long hair was braided and put up, so it would not interfere with her movements.
As the truck passed, she leapt down at the roof on the covered platform, carefully so there would be no sounds.
She rode with the truck its entire run to the airbase and held on as it cleared the main gate. She remained at this position until the truck had parked out on the yard. Then she slid down and hurried over to a building nearby. She brought up a piton gun from her utility belt and aimed it at the wall ten meters above her and fired of the piton. It fastened itself into the concrete, and by using the electric retracting motor to reel the cord in, she scaled up to the roof of the building. She climbed up a telephone pole and brought up a pulley from her utility belt and used it to make the transit to another roof, from which she could get up on the top of the main building, the one where the lab was. Once up, she begun to anxiously await the others.
Bishop, who hid in the forest in dark camouflage clothes moved forward. Keeping in the level of the grass, he slithered up to the fence that they had determined was the weakest point. He produced tools necessary for his entry from his utility belt and cut himself an opening, he was careful to coordinate the wire cutting with the highest levels of nocturnal insect noise.
Once inside, he memorised the location of the entryway by counting the fence posts between the lights, if the situation would force the team to use that escape route. He took the long way around the base to the main building; he could find more covers there. Finally, he had made it up to the roof where Gloria waited for him.
"Hello, Bishop." She said cheerfully. "Glad you could drop in."
"The pleasure is all yours." Bishop said with a gentle smile. "I'm not too sanguine about my old age. On the whole, I would rather have been in Philadelphia."
Gloria smiled at the reference to his old age.
"Well, what is the next part of the plan?" She asked.
"We will disable the alarm, then get into the lab by climbing through the attic." Bishop explained.
With Gloria standing guard, Bishop disabled the alarm, so they could climb in via a roof hatch.
The attic might sound bigger than it was, since some buildings have an attic large enough to use as a storage room. However, this was only a tight passage, not more than a half of meter in height, just over the system of joists that was the roof of the lab.
The two agents carefully crawled through the passage, careful not to create too much disturbance. It would be enough if they tore down some dust into the hall below to make the guards aware of their presence.
Once they were above the lab, Bishop cut them a hole through the roof, while Gloria brought out a rope she had rolled around her stomach, allowing the two of them to climb down.
They came down in a rather large lab filled with comprising banks of processors, disc drives, test bays and prototype assembly areas.
"There's the satellite prototype." Bishop said, looking at the worktable. "Let's grab it and wait for Jacques' signal."
The last member of the infiltration team surfaced carefully in the dark water. Jacques LaFleur had travelled by rubber boat up the Merrimack River and then down the Concord River. He had left the boat approximately two miles away from the airbase and had swam the rest of the way underwater. Now he carefully spied the area before he quickly walked up on land.
"There must be an easier way to make a living!" Jacques muttered to himself.
He dropped his depleted oxygen tubes and slipped out of the wetsuit, revealing dark camouflage clothes underneath. He then had to work his way towards the base through the forest so he would not be seen, finally making his approach via a residential area just by the side of the target area.
At first, he was slightly disoriented, but as he looked around, he begun to recognize himself from the recon-photos. He hid in the foliage and waited as a guard walked by. When it was safe to move, he crept slowly towards his target. Another figure walked past, and Jacques took cover again.
At last, he spotted the loading platform. He knew that Bishop and Gloria was waiting just inside of the sliding door.
Looking around he found several cars parked nearby. He selected an open van for his purpose. Sliding behind the wheel, He quickly hotwired the engine, then put it in reverse and backed up against the platform. Before he had made it all the way up to the platform, he pressed down lightly on the brake in rapid session, sending a light signal to his colleagues inside.
Inside the lab, Bishop noticed the signal.
"That's our exit cue." he said. "Grab the satellite and let's go."
Jacques leapt out of the driver seat to give Bishop and Gloria a hand with carrying the satellite. Just then a guard approached, curious at who it was that had driven the car and for what purpose. The Canadian crept around the car, so he could come up behind the guard that was now looking into the driver seat for the driver. Without making a sound, Jacques rouse up and pulled the sentry to him, simultaneously covering his mouth with his hand, jerked him backwards and knocked him out.
He stalled long enough to check out the soldier to make sure that he hadn't injured him worse than he had intended, then he helped Bishop and Gloria to load the prototype into the back of the van.
At the same time, a helicopter approached the airfield. At the helm, dressed up in flight suit and helmet, sat Katrina Dabrowsky. Matt Trakker was at her side in the co-pilots seat. Back in the cabin, hugging the machine gun handle sat Marvin Rico. Matt was at the radio, trying to get a landing permit.
"Hell of a time to show up." The Flight Officer said. "Wouldn't it have been better to arrive during day hours?"
"We ran into some bad weather over Cleveland and had to land to get rid of some icing." He explained.
The Flight Officer accepted this fact, and finally the clearance to land was given.
"So far, so good." Matt said back to Marvin as Katrina steered the helicopter towards the landing pad. "Be prepared to lay out cover fire in case our guys have picked up some company."
Marvin gave the thumbs up, signalling his readiness. He hoped that he wouldn't have to use the machine gun though. After all, this was only a drill and the Special Missions Force was supposed to fight on the same side as the US army.
The landing was observed by Bruce from outside the base. His team had left their hide-site at the time that the operation begun, ready to act in case something went wrong.
"Katrina is down." he reported. "No sign of Bishop's team yet. No, wait a minute, here they come, and they are coming up fast!"
"Bet you a hundred that my wife is behind the wheel." Paul smirked.
"The area between them and the helicopter is too open and to bright." Morten noted. "It will be impossible for them to get to the helicopter without being spotted."
The car hadn't even covered half of the distance to the tarmac, when bright beams from the towers caught them. Gloria did her best to avoid them by sharply spinning the wheel. Over the sound of the running engine, they could hear people shout at them, ordering them to stop. Soon showers of lead begun to tear up the ground around them.
"Should we shoot back?" Marvin asked Matt.
"Negative." Matt replied. "We might hit the gunners in the tower, and this is still a drill, even if those guys don't know it."
Katrina thought fast to save the team from getting injured. She knew that Gloria would drive them safely all the way to the helicopter, successfully evading the bullets. But once they were out of the car and loading the satellite into the helicopter, they would be vulnerable. She fed the rotor more power but kept the helicopter on the ground. The result was that the wind from the rotors brought up a lot of dust, totally obscuring the helicopter from the view of the gunners. Marvin added to the confusion by firing of several rounds against the tower from his machine gun.
"Careful!" Matt reminded him. "Watch your aim!"
The van came up to the helicopter, evading all the bullets that came in their direction. All three agents quickly leapt out and loaded the satellite into the cargo hold.
"Come on! Come on!" Marvin urged them on. Looking behind his colleagues, he could see that several jeeps were coming their way, and each jeep was filled with armed soldiers.
As soon as they were aboard, Katrina took off and moved over towards the woodland where Bruce's team was waiting to get airlifted.
"Let's move out!" Bruce barked.
The entire group got up from their cover and loped through the woods to the link-up site. Above them the helicopter pirouetted in mid-air, waiting for the signal to come so it could come down and pick them up.
"Here we are, smoke it!" Bruce ordered, out of his breath. Everyone in the team was breathing like asthmatics after the wild sprint.
Hondo popped a yellow smoke grenade. Katrina noted it and begun to bring the helicopter down. Causing the smoke to whirl as it descended.
"Got you on visual." Katrina was now in contact with Paul via the radio. "Wind's let up a little. I'll set her down as close as I can.
Hold it there. Give me a little room. I don't want to come down on top of you."
They backed up slightly. Then suddenly, a Fast-Attack Vehicle crashed through the underbrush, M60´s barked at the helicopter's direction.
Marvin's machine gun begun spitting out bullets, driving the soldiers back. Bishop and Jacques added their own fire, keeping the opposition at bay. Each of them knew perfectly well that since only they knew that this was a drill, the risk that their team members would be cut down by a bullet from the soldiers was too big. Jacques threw out several smoke bomb canisters, making it even harder for the troops to see their prey.
Katrina wrenched the stick and the helicopter pivoted neatly. Gloria moved up to the door to help her friends aboard.
Morten appeared out of the smoke. He was firing back the way he came, holding his rifle in one hand as he and Brad helped Paul with the equipment with the other. Gloria gave her husband a quick hug as he came aboard.
Following in Morten and Pauls footsteps, Bruce and Hondo materialized out of the dense mist. They were retreating with precision, side by side, firing and covering the retreat as they fell back on the helicopter.
Under the accurate firing from the agents aboard the helicopter, Bruce and his crew made it aboard, then finally, Katrina could take off. The helicopter took several hits, but nothing vital was hit. When they were clear, everyone drew a deep breath of relief.
"This is crazy man!" Rico barked. "Heyman and the others could have gotten us killed in this damn practice!"
"Agreed." Brad muttered. "And they still can. If the air force is sent out after us, we're as good as history!"
"Then stay alert." Matt advised. "Seymour Johnson AFB is on alert five, so watch out for interceptors!"
"We'll stay below radar and hug the ground." Katrina determined. "That way their radar computer might fail to sort us out from the ground clutter. Also, as long as we keep over habited territories, they can't fire missiles at us."
"Fortunately, there's no moon so it should be harder for them to see us." Matt added.
Ten minutes later Hanscom Airforce Base was just a dark spot behind them.
The sky was surprisingly clear though, and they made it back to Parris Island without incidents.
Hugh Heyman hurried out on the runway as the helicopter made a landing circle before it settled down.
Matt Trakker stepped out and stretched his limbs.
"Good morning, sir." He greeted heartily. "Sorry to drag you up so early."
Hugh stared at the helicopter. It was full of holes and scorched at several places.
"Is anyone hurt?" H.H. asked worriedly?"
"No. Everyone is safe and sound." Bruce said as he climbed out from the cargo hold.
Colonel Jonathan Pearse, Helena Bennett and Sergeant Stillman all approached from the jeep.
"What about the satellite?" Pearse asked anxiously. "Did you get it?"
Brad and Morten brought out the satellite prototype from inside the helicopter.
"Here you go, sir." Brad said. "The requested satellite prototype!"
Pearse could only stare in disbelief.
"Well, I'll be..!" he finally mustered. "You accomplished it?"
H.H. could allow himself a triumphant smile.
"I told you that these are the absolute best soldiers this country has produced!"
The C.O congratulated the Special Missions Force.
"Well done, ladies and gentlemen! I see that this was done through perfectly planned commando work, a lot of guts, and some luck as well I would say."
"Don't we all need a little luck at times?" Matt asked.
"In this case, the luck was Hugh Heyman," Colonel Wolf pointed out. "He had made certain that the air force was not sent out to force you down."
"Goodness, no!" H.H. said. "Without support they would have been killed, Lyman!"
"The ability to survive under live fire is what separates the men from the panty-waists." The Colonel snorted. "We still don't know if the Special Missions Force will be able to operate perfectly in a war zone, or if they will fall down under the pressure."
Vanessa Warfield was also present, obviously once again having flown Colonel Wolf to the area. She checked the helicopter with interest.
"You really got this thing perforated." She noted. "It must have been some action over there."
"It was rather intense for a while." Matt confessed. "Trying to airlift a team out while under fire."
"And what where you armed with? Peashooters? You must at least have tried to suppress the fire?"
"Surely I did!" Marvin said boastfully. "I was the one that manned the gun and I kept firing over their heads to keep them down."
"Over their heads?" Vanessa said, almost disbelieving. "That's a classic. You know that even pinned down people can shoot back at you. You aim at their feet, leading with short bursts."
Marvin's proud smile vanished instantly. He had been so pleased that this pretty redhead had shown interest. Now he begun to learn why people referred to Vanessa as the Ice Queen.
"Since you're so knowledgeable about these things, why didn't you accept the offer to try out?" Matt asked. "I think you could have done well in the team."
Vanessa shrugged her shoulders.
"It was a nice offer, but I'm not much of a team player." She explained before walking over towards Gloria, whom she obviously felt a little bit more kinship to.
Dinner and extra sleep were a welcome addition for the crew of the Special Missions Force, who was now going on their reserves after the last days practice. At late afternoon, the training facility was completely silent, as the C.O had returned to Hanscom and Hugh Heyman and his staff had moved of the compound as well.
Well, it was not completely silent; a lonely figure crept around the base, stalking through the corridors until finally finding the door where the satellite prototype was being stored, waiting to get flown back to Hanscom the following day.
The figure produced an ID card, thumbed the security code, and quickly entered the room. Once inside, a small camera was produced, and several photos were taken of the satellite. When sentries a few minutes later made a patrol around the area, the intruder was already gone.