Read Area 51: The Reply-2 for Free Online Page B
Authors: Robert Doherty
selling, and exporting them to the highest bidder. They used to do quite a good business on the international black market until Mandela came into power."
Zandra used the laser pointer. "Here is the airstrip near the compound. This building"—she highlighted a three-story structure—"is where we believe the Airlia artifacts are stored. This is the barracks for the paramilitary mercenary forces guarding the compound. There are also surface-to-air missiles, here, here, here, and here. Several armored vehicles." Zandra gave a frosty smile.
"Certainly they would not need such protection for just a mining compound."
"If these Terra-Lei people are out of South Africa, then why didn't they just move what they've found home?" Duncan asked.
"We don't know," Zandra said. "Our best guess is that maybe they can't move whatever it is they've found. Or perhaps the unstable political environment over the years in South Africa precluded that option. There was a discreet inquiry made through the United Nations Alien Oversight Committee to the South African government to get open access to the compound."
"And the answer, as you can tell by the fact we're heading there with a squadron of SAS on board," Duncan said, "was silence."
44
So they know we re coming," Turcotte summarized.
"Most likely," Zandra confirmed.
"Bloody hell," the SAS colonel muttered, then asked, "What about the Ethiopian government?"
"What about them?" Zandra replied, her tone answer enough that that was not a factor here.
Duncan looked at the SAS officer. "Colonel Spearson, what's the plan?"
Spearson stood and walked to the front of the room. He looked at the American officer in the flight suit. "When can we launch, Major O'Callaghan?"
O'Callaghan pointed at a map of northeast Africa. "The ship's captain is pushing his engines to the max, so we're making good speed. Our launch point, where all aircraft will have enough fuel for a round trip plus fifteen minutes on-station, is here, forty kilometers from our present position— which means we will be able to launch in less than an hour."
Spearson didn't look happy about that timetable, and Turcotte knew why. It would be dawn shortly, and the SAS would hit the compound just before daylight.
It was a tight window with a lot of room for disaster.
Spearson cleared his throat. "An American AWACS is in position off the coast.
It will control all flight operations, coordinating O'Callaghan's helicopters and jets from your navy. I am the commander of all ground forces. I will be on board an MH-60 until the first air assault wave lands. At that time I will reposition to the primary target.
"The basic plan is a four-stage attack. Stage
45
one is to land a squad by parachute on top of the building you believe holds the artifacts. These troopers are to gain a foothold. Stage two is an attack by antiradar missiles launched by Navy planes to take out their surface-to-air missile sites. Stage three is the rest of my force coming in by helicopter with gunship support. Stage four is to secure the compound." Spearson looked at the others in the room. "Questions?"
"How is your airborne force going in?" Turcotte asked. "HALO or HAHO?"
"HAHO," Spearson replied, letting Turcotte know that the men would be jumping at high altitude and opening their parachutes almost immediately, flying them in to the target. The thin chutes wouldn't get picked up by radar like aircraft would, allowing them to arrive undetected.
"I'd like to go in with the jumpers," Turcotte said.
"That's fine," Spearson said.
Duncan stood up. "All right—"
"I've got some questions," Spearson suddenly said, looking directly at Duncan.
"What if these Terra-Lei people have indeed uncovered some Airlia weapons?"
"That's why we're going there," Duncan said. "To find that out."
"But what if they can use these weapons against us?" Spearson clarified his concern.
"Then we're in big trouble," Duncan said simply.
"I doubt they have had any success in
Zandra used the laser pointer. "Here is the airstrip near the compound. This building"—she highlighted a three-story structure—"is where we believe the Airlia artifacts are stored. This is the barracks for the paramilitary mercenary forces guarding the compound. There are also surface-to-air missiles, here, here, here, and here. Several armored vehicles." Zandra gave a frosty smile.
"Certainly they would not need such protection for just a mining compound."
"If these Terra-Lei people are out of South Africa, then why didn't they just move what they've found home?" Duncan asked.
"We don't know," Zandra said. "Our best guess is that maybe they can't move whatever it is they've found. Or perhaps the unstable political environment over the years in South Africa precluded that option. There was a discreet inquiry made through the United Nations Alien Oversight Committee to the South African government to get open access to the compound."
"And the answer, as you can tell by the fact we're heading there with a squadron of SAS on board," Duncan said, "was silence."
44
So they know we re coming," Turcotte summarized.
"Most likely," Zandra confirmed.
"Bloody hell," the SAS colonel muttered, then asked, "What about the Ethiopian government?"
"What about them?" Zandra replied, her tone answer enough that that was not a factor here.
Duncan looked at the SAS officer. "Colonel Spearson, what's the plan?"
Spearson stood and walked to the front of the room. He looked at the American officer in the flight suit. "When can we launch, Major O'Callaghan?"
O'Callaghan pointed at a map of northeast Africa. "The ship's captain is pushing his engines to the max, so we're making good speed. Our launch point, where all aircraft will have enough fuel for a round trip plus fifteen minutes on-station, is here, forty kilometers from our present position— which means we will be able to launch in less than an hour."
Spearson didn't look happy about that timetable, and Turcotte knew why. It would be dawn shortly, and the SAS would hit the compound just before daylight.
It was a tight window with a lot of room for disaster.
Spearson cleared his throat. "An American AWACS is in position off the coast.
It will control all flight operations, coordinating O'Callaghan's helicopters and jets from your navy. I am the commander of all ground forces. I will be on board an MH-60 until the first air assault wave lands. At that time I will reposition to the primary target.
"The basic plan is a four-stage attack. Stage
45
one is to land a squad by parachute on top of the building you believe holds the artifacts. These troopers are to gain a foothold. Stage two is an attack by antiradar missiles launched by Navy planes to take out their surface-to-air missile sites. Stage three is the rest of my force coming in by helicopter with gunship support. Stage four is to secure the compound." Spearson looked at the others in the room. "Questions?"
"How is your airborne force going in?" Turcotte asked. "HALO or HAHO?"
"HAHO," Spearson replied, letting Turcotte know that the men would be jumping at high altitude and opening their parachutes almost immediately, flying them in to the target. The thin chutes wouldn't get picked up by radar like aircraft would, allowing them to arrive undetected.
"I'd like to go in with the jumpers," Turcotte said.
"That's fine," Spearson said.
Duncan stood up. "All right—"
"I've got some questions," Spearson suddenly said, looking directly at Duncan.
"What if these Terra-Lei people have indeed uncovered some Airlia weapons?"
"That's why we're going there," Duncan said. "To find that out."
"But what if they can use these weapons against us?" Spearson clarified his concern.
"Then we're in big trouble," Duncan said simply.
"I doubt they have had any success in
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