“Bring them. They’re very useful.”

The Zsu-23-4 mobile antiaircraft guns looked like tanks with four 23mm cannons mounted at the front of a flattened turret.

They could be used against ground or air targets, as necessary.

“Our command post should be up at the house,” Locusta added.

“Yes. Let me place these new orders, then get a driver.”

While he was waiting for Ozera to return, Locusta called his headquarters.

“The Dreamland people keep calling to ask if we need help,” said his chief of staff. “What should we tell them?”

“Tell them the situation is under control,” said Locusta.

“Tell them to remain on the ground. Tell them the situation is very confused, and we don’t want them getting in the way.”

“They already have at least one plane in the air, General.

And we understand more are being readied.”

“Tell them I’m traveling to the president’s home personally and will confer with them soon,” said Locusta. “But emphasize that we do not need them, and do not want them in the air.”

“Yes, sir.”

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“Where is the plane they have in the air?”

“I can check with air defense.”

“Do it. Call me back immediately.”

“Yes, sir, General.”

Dreamland Command trailer,

Iasi

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“IT’S TOO RUGGED TO LAND NEAR THAT PUMP HOUSE,” SAID

Danny, pointing to the satellite photo of the area. “But if they can come up the slope a bit, over to around here, we can lower a basket, take them out like it’s a rescue. Even in the dark it shouldn’t be that hard.”

“Can we get in there without being seen?” asked Samson.

“The Osprey is black, so it’s hard to see,” answered Danny.

“But it is pretty loud. I would say the people on the ground would know we’re there.”

“The President wanted this done without the Romanians knowing we’re involved,” said Samson.

“I’d like to get in and out quietly too, General,” said Danny.

“The less people who know we’re there, the safer we are. But no aircraft is silent.”

“I think we just have to do our best,” said Dog. “If they see us, they see us. But we can’t not grab him because we might be seen.”

“I didn’t say we weren’t going to do it, Bastian,” snapped Samson. He turned back to Danny. “What sort of team will you need?”

“If we can sneak in? I’d say a three man team—Boston, Liu, myself. We don’t want too many people because we want to move as fast as possible. For air support, one Flighthawk to show us what’s going on, another if things get tight to cover our exit. And whatever else you can throw at them if all hell breaks loose.”

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“We could run the Flighthawks as a diversion,” said Zen. “Do a low and slow approach along the road, have the Osprey come in from the north. That might solve the problem of the noise.”

“If it’s noise we’re trying to cover,” said Dog, “let’s bring one of the EB-52s down close. That makes a hell of a racket.”

“Good,” said Samson. “We can use one of the B-1s as well—a nice sonic boom should get their attention.”

“I thought you didn’t want to be seen,” said Danny.

Samson looked at Dog. “I think we can interpret the order to the effect that you’re not to be seen,” he said. “And take it from there.”

“Where do we go when we have him?” Danny asked.

“The American embassy,” said the general.

“Is that where he wants to go?”

“Why wouldn’t he want to go to the embassy?” asked Samson.

“If I was the president, I’d want to go to my office, rally my troops.”

“We can deal with that after we have him,” said Dog.

“Bastian’s right. Let’s just grab him.” Samson leaned across the conference table, looking at the Osprey pilots. “How long before you can get in the air?”

“As soon as the aircraft is fueled, we’re good to go.”

“Colonel Bastian!” Sergeant Liu stuck his head out from the communications area. “The Johnson is reporting four MiGs coming hot and heavy toward the Romanian border, straight across the Black Sea.”

Aboard EB-52 Johnson,

over northeastern Romania

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LIEUTENANT KIRK “STARSHIP” ANDREWS TRIED TO IGNORE

the pull of the Megafortress as it turned toward the north, focusing all of his attention on the control screens in front of 370

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

him. His Flighthawks— Hawk Three and Hawk Four—were just passing through 25,000 feet, climbing toward 30,000.

The Johnson’s radar was tracking four MiGs, flying in tight formation at roughly Mach 1.2, coming across the Black Sea.

“What’s the word on the ROEs?” Starship asked the Johnson’s pilot, Lieutenant Mike Englehardt, referring to their rules of engagement—the orders directing when they could and couldn’t use force.

“No change. We’re not to engage beyond the border.”

“These guys are loaded for bear,” Starship told him.

“They’re either coming for us or they’re going to hit something in Romania. Either way, I say we take them down now.”

“Our orders say no.”

“Screw the orders.”

“Yeah, we’d all like to, Starship,” said the pilot. “But our job is to follow them. We’ll get them when they cross.”

“By then it may be too late. What’s Dog say?”

“It’s not up to him.”

Starship nudged his control yoke, bringing Hawk Three on course for a direct intercept of the MiGs. He could take at least one of the planes down when they came across the border; with a little luck and help from the computer, he might get two. The Johnson could shoot down the rest with Scorpion-plus air-to-air missiles.

But by then the MiGs would be in position to launch their own attack, albeit at long range, against either the Johnson or the pipeline.

“Radar profiles indicate bandits are equipped with two AS-14 Kedge and free-falls,” said the radar operator. “Possibly GPS guided. Aircraft are still proceeding on course.”

Free-falls were bombs dropped almost directly over the target; they could be guided to their destination by the addition of a small guidance system that used GPS readings.

More deadly were the AS-14 Molinya missiles, known to REVOLUTION

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NATO as the Kedge. The air-to-ground missile could be guided by laser, thermal imaging, or television. In some respects similar to the American-made Maverick, its range was about ten kilometers—just enough to hit the gas pipeline without crossing the border.

“They’ll be in range before the border, or just after it,”

Starship told Englehardt. “Look, they shot down the helicopter. Things have changed.”

“Look, you’re preaching to the converted,” Englehardt replied. “I’m already on the line with them.”

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Iasi

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“IF THEY’RE CARRYING BOMBS, MY BET IS THEY’RE GOING

after the gas line,” Dog told General Samson. “They’ll do serious damage, a lot more than that guerrilla strike. Given the tactical situation, I’d say we should consider the rules of engagement obsolete. I say we get them right now.”

Part of Samson wanted to agree; the other part realized that this was just the sort of thing that could be used to end his career.

“We can always call Washington,” suggested Dog.

Samson started to reach for the headset, intending to do just that, then stopped. Bastian was lionized in Washington.

Why? Because he didn’t stop and ask for permission every time he wanted to do what was right. He just went ahead and did it, consequences be damned.

A good way to end your career if you were a general, however.

But damn it, Bastian was right. If they hesitated now, the pipeline would be blown up. And he would get the blame for that, no matter what else happened.

“Give me that damn headset,” he told Dog.