Chapter 55 - Escape and Evade
"What just happened?" The Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) demanded, it wasn't a question.
The Four Star General looked at him, he wanted to explain to the politician that a soldier just sacrificed himself so that fellow soldiers would survive, but thought better of it, the man wouldn't understand. The General just ignored the SECDEF for a few seconds, he had operations orders to give, and he turned to the Major at the command console. "Get the backup helicopters up at to that man and send the Ranger's helicopters too. I want everyone out there immediately, Major."
The Major nodded, while he contacted the staging base, to send the heavy troop helicopters and their Marine SuperCobra gunships to escort them. "On their way, Sir"
The Four Star General, looked at the Air Force General who was the air liaison for this operation, "I want nothing hostile in the air till that man and the Ranger company are recovered." The Air Force General nodded and got on the phone with the operational Air Commander at the air staging bases.
The Four Star General then looked at the SECDEF, "No one told that man he wasn't expendable Sir."
"Well he is not, I want that suit back General." The General understood he had just been given an order by the SECDEF. "Can those Rangers help or can he get to them?" The SECDEF asked.
"No Sir. Too far away, he is on his own for the moment." He then looked at Turner, "Do you have any ideas how to help?"
Turner thought for a minute, he had only one man who had experience fighting in the suit. "Sir one of my men that might help is at Offutt Air Force Base, can I contact him?"
The Four Star looked at the Major, "Major could you please assist the General."
The Major nodded, "Yes Sir." Turner went to the Major to get a communications line to Offutt Air Force Base.
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More American military assets were put into play by the operations staff, as two F-15Es on alert to support this mission were launched, unlike the F-22s they were configured to carry air-to-ground weapons, like precision guided bombs. Each of the large fighters carried two different types of submunition bombs on their conformal fuel tanks, 12 weapons in all, four Small Diameter Bombs that were GPS guided, on the plane centerline pylon, and still carried four air-to-air missiles, plus two 600 gallon drop tanks on the wings. Each plane was a flying bomb truck carrying more weapons than a World War II bomber, with almost the same range, and much more accurate in delivering them. The fighters left the ground with full afterburner on, they would hit a tanker just before going over the country then use their weapons load to provide American troops, close air support, anyway they could.
The tankers the F-15Es were heading to before going in country, were now refueling the F-22s before they headed back in country. It only took about 10 minutes each before they broke off and headed back over the country to relieve two other F-22s that would need fuel soon too. These freshly fueled F-22s now received intercept data for two more MIG-29s taking off from the airfield in the country, the AWACs aircraft feeding a constant stream of data to guide the F-22s to the target. The two MIGs would suffer the same fate as their fellow comrades, but their sacrifice was not in vain, since they provided a distraction for two Mi-24P Hind helicopter gunships to take off from the airfield and fly at treetop level towards the facility.
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Leonard, the last two nights, had stayed awake until he knew Penny had fallen asleep, she had been acting a little lost since the day he went off to the command post. She was always a very touchy feeling person, but since that day he had noticed her cling to him sometimes and it bothered him that with her so still concerned about him that he had upset her. The last two nights she had buried herself in his arms at night, getting as close to him as it was humanly possible, he knew it was her seeking comfort so he held his angel as close as possible until he felt her relax and fall to sleep, letting him fall asleep. They had two beds attached together, but they both were curled up, on the one, so close, even that bed had space left. So the light coming on and a nurse shaking Leonard while a man called his name was a shock to them both, especially Penny, who rotated in his arms immediately, grabbing him and crying in terror, like she was in a nightmare.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hofstadter, Sir you are needed in the command post immediately. Sir please hurry." The Security Policeman was telling him, while he tried to wake up. It felt surreal to Leonard, he was in bed a nurse shaking him, the soldier trying to tell him something and Penny hanging on him crying.
Leonard shook his head trying to come awake from the nightmare, but it only took a second to realize everything happening was real. "What is going on?"
"Sir they need you in the command post immediately. There is flash traffic for you from the Pentagon. Sir you need to go with us now." The Security Policeman stated.
"I've got your uniform sir, you can put it on in the car." The second man told him and Leonard could see his uniform, boots and hat in the mans arms.
He was still dazed and started to get up, temporarily forgetting that Penny was hanging on him, "Penny, I got to go, something is up."
"No Leonard." Penny was still confused from waking up so suddenly and didn't want to let him go.
"Penny I have to." he pleaded
Ma'am, he has to come with us now." The Security Policeman said to the distraught woman.
"Leonard take me with you." Penny was now desperate.
"I can't Penny, I can't, they won't let you go." Leonard then forced himself to do something that he hated, he pulled her arms from around his neck, and gently pushed her back on the bed as he got out of it. "I'm sorry, I have to go Penny." He was almost pleading with her, the look in her eyes breaking his heart as he moved away. Leonard put his slippers on, grabbed his robe and got his crutches, then followed the Security Policemen out the door.
Penny watched as he went out the room door, tears dripping down her face and when he was gone, she just buried herself in the pillows and started bawling. It had been her worse nightmare, Leonard getting well and them coming for him, it happening in the middle of the night and her not being able to stop them, only made it more horrible. Everything had happened so fast she was almost in shock and the only thing her mind could process was they had taken Leonard away from her, again. The nurse still standing in the room had watched the whole drama unfold and now just watched as the Lieutenant Colonel's wife broke down. She had absolutely no idea what could be so important they had to get a man out of the hospital in the middle of the night, but she had been ordered to help get him up, so she just obeyed. The nurse now looked at the forsaken woman still in the bed, and not knowing what else to do, she went to the bed, sat on the edge, and started to rub the woman's back as she cried, trying to comfort her.
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It had been a half hour since the Commander had reached the facility, securing it, if that really made a difference now. He had been on the radio with the very upset General Staff of his country, for the last 10 minutes, giving them the status of what he found. He told them everything, even about the destroyed helicopter, which was the only thing they were happy about, and the tracks into the desert. Their orders were clear, take all his vehicles and find what went out into the desert, he knew they were hoping the tracks were from some Americans from the helicopter, they still wanted prisoners.
It took him less than five minutes to get his vehicles loaded up , the problem was they were following foot tracks into the desert, in the middle of the night, so they couldn't go extremely fast. The lead vehicle turned on its headlights and its driver leaned out of the hatch following the tracks at about 15 Kilometers Per Hour (KPH), while trying not to drive into something that would damage his vehicle. It was going to take a few minutes to reach who was walking away, but even at 15 KPH they were still going a lot faster than a man could walk in the desert and the Commander knew they would soon catch up.
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The Generals watched Howard's progress on the satellite infrared image, they also saw the armored vehicles start after him, and they knew it was only a matter of time. The Four Star looked to the Major, "How much more time for the helicopters?"
"27 minutes, Sir." the Major quickly responded.
"Damm."
"Sir there looks to be small hill to the left of his path, that would be better for him than being caught in the open." Turner offered.
"Tell him." The Four Star responded.
"Crystal Tower to Tim Man."
It surprised Howard, but it also gave him a little comfort that they were still able to talk to him. "Tin Man, go ahead Crystal Tower."
"Tin Man, there is a hill at 300 degrees from you position, recommend proceeding to that location."
"Roger, Crystal Tower, heading there now."
"Tin Man you have pursuers, estimated less than ten minutes out."
Howard felt that chill again as he turned to look the way he had come, just barely seeing a light in the distance, it terrified him. "Roger Crystal Tower." Howard now moved at a quicker pace to the hill.