Читать книгу End Game - Dale Brown - Страница 36

Starship acknowledged the radio call from the approaching Indian destroyer, identifying himself as an aircraft from the Abner Read. He was ten miles northeast of the ship, the Calcutta, too far off for them to realize that the aircraft was too small to hold a pilot.

‘Werewolf One, our commander wishes you to pass along a message to your commander,’ said the radioman aboard the Calcutta.

‘Sure,’ said Starship.

‘He salutes Captain Gale on his many victories. He hopes that he will have an opportunity to visit the Abner Read in the future.’

‘I’ll relay the message,’ said Starship.

Starship circled over the Indian warship twice, then began heading back toward the Abner Read, close to 250 miles away. He double-checked the auxiliary screen showing the status of Werewolf Two – the computer was flying the aircraft in a routine patrol pattern around and ahead of the ship – then turned his full attention to the sea in front of him. An oil tanker was about a mile and a half northwest of him, low in the water with its full load.

Something else was there, too – a plane almost in the waves, moving at 100 knots, about five miles north of him.

‘Werewolf to Tac,’ said Starship. ‘Hey, check this contact out!’