Читать книгу Strike Zone - Dale Brown - Страница 16

Stoner could feel his eyes drooping as he stepped off the elevator and headed for the commander’s suite. He’d pulled an all-nighter, working out a plan with Zen to provoke whoever was flying the ghost clone into appearing again. The Air Force officer clearly didn’t like him, but Stoner admired him even so. Zen had lost the use of his legs in a flying accident; rather than dropping out he’d fought his way back into the Air Force and actually onto the front lines.

Stoner would have liked to think that he’d have done the same thing – but he was smart enough to realize he would more likely have succumbed to the inherent bitterness of the situation. While Zen did seem to approach the world with a chip on his shoulder, he didn’t let the chip keep him from getting things done.

That alone made him worth watching.

Chief Master Sergeant Terrence ‘Ax’ Gibbs popped up from a desk near the side of the room as Stoner entered.

‘Stoner, right?’ asked the chief.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Jackie, go get Mr Stoner some coffee. He likes it on the weak side. Grab some sticky buns too. The cinnamon ones.’ The chief master sergeant turned to him and grinned. ‘It’s okay, Mr Stoner, one or two buns isn’t going to hurt your girlish figure.’

Stoner had never met him, much less told him what he liked to eat or drink, but somehow the chief had nailed it.

‘Thanks, Chief Gibbs,’ he said.

‘We take care of people here. Zen’s inside already, along with the colonel. You call me Ax,’ added the chief. ‘You need something around here, you get ahold of me. You got that?’

Ax reached back to his desk and hit an intercom buzzer, then stepped up to the door.

‘We all know what you did to save Captain Stockard,’ said Ax. ‘We appreciate it.’

‘She saved me as much as I saved her,’ said Stoner.

The chief smiled and pointed at him, then opened the door.

Dog nodded as the CIA officer entered his office, listening to Zen as he continued laying out the game plan – two Megafortresses, one to act as agent provocateur and the other hanging back to gather information. When the clone showed itself, Flighthawks from the second EB-52 would come forward. Operating at the far end of their range, they would gather information on the clone without its being able to detect them.

‘We could even turn them loose,’ said Zen. ‘We could program them to home in on their own, gather whatever information they can get, then return.’

‘No – too risky,’ said Dog. ‘I don’t want to chance losing one. But otherwise, this makes sense.’

‘We need a remote base,’ said Stoner. ‘I’d recommend the FOA in the Philippines we used last month.’

‘It’s a good distance from the area you two have mapped out,’ said Dog.

‘We’re not quite sure where exactly the clone is flying from,’ said Stoner. ‘If it’s China, this is far. But if it’s Thailand, say, or even off a ship –’

‘The Philippines also limits our exposure,’ said Zen. ‘We’ve been there already. And in terms of the operating radius, it’s the same.’

‘Still a stretch,’ said Dog.

‘Better than locating in a country that has the clone,’ said Stoner.

‘As unlikely as that may be,’ said Zen.

‘Start working on a detailed deployment plan,’ said Dog, ignoring the bite in Zen’s voice. ‘I’ll talk to Jed and get the wheels in motion. It may take a while to get approval.’

‘This may not work,’ said Stoner.

‘Don’t be a pessimist,’ said Zen. He wheeled himself backward and spun toward the door at the right side of Dog’s office, which had been widened so his wheelchair could easily fit through.

‘I’m just being realistic,’ said Stoner, standing.

He went to open the door for Zen, but the major had already gotten it himself.

‘Play nice, boys,’ said Dog as they disappeared.