"Maloney, Mack - Wingman 02 - The Circle War UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maloney Mack)

the far end of the table sat Ben Wa and J. T. Toomey, Hunter's friends who had served with him in the Thunderbirds before the war and in his F-16 squadron during it. They had also been with him at ZAP. Next to them sat four officers known as the Ace Wrecking Company, the two-plane F-4 fighter team for hireЧand commanded by the swaggering Captain "Crunch" O'Malley. They had helped Hunter win the Battle of Football City and had accepted employment with PAAC when Hunter headed west.

Beside them sat two officers from The Crazy Eights, the eight-aircraft chopper team that once formed the equally famous Zone Air Ranger brigade back in the days of ZAP. The Crazy Eight Rangers were now doubling as the new base's airborne security force.

Captain Frost, an officer in the Free Canadian Air Force and another friend of Hunter's, was on hand as the liaison officer for PAAC. Next to him, and sitting at Hunter's right hand, was Captain John "Bull" Dozer, the tough Marine commander who had been with Hunter all through the war with The Family.

These men made up the war council, the group which, by agreement, was called to a meeting any time a crisis threatened the security of PAAC or the territory it protected.

Now Hunter had the floor.

He flipped a switch and the video screen came to life in a burst of static. He waited until a fuzzy image appeared on the screen then froze the picture.

"This is the videotape shot from the U-2 two days ago," he started. "Before I roll it, let me just say that

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I'm glad what's on this tape proves that I am not losing my mind Чthere were Russians out there Чand that the tape will clear up a little of the mystery as to how the Soviets were able to disappear so quickly and take fifty jets with them. In a blizzard yet."

He paused briefly, "this is just one of a number of strange things that have been happening around here. Before I run this tape, let's just hear what you guys have run into lately, then maybe somehow, we can try to figure out what the Christ is going on."

He turned to Ben Wa and Toomey. "Ben, you first."

Ben Wa, the Oriental fighter pilot, stood up and began his story.

"About three weeks ago, J. T. and I were on TOY down to Nellis Air Force base outside of Vegas. As you know, we've been using the Nellis as a refueling station and target practice area lately.

"Anyway, we were drinking in town one night Ч there are a few barrooms still open in Vegas Ч and the locals told us they had heard strange stuff out in the desert a month or so earlier."

"What kind of strange 'stuff?' " Jones asked.

"A loud explosion, sir," Toomey, the perpetually sunglassed pilot jumped in. "Like an atomic bomb went off, one guy told us. Louder than a sonic boom or jet aircraft or things like that."

"But that area is practically deserted," Jones said.

"Yes," Wa continued. "That's what was so strange about it. The people were scared, sir. They said the explosion Чor whatever it was Чshook the city for ten minutes. Then they saw a lot of smoke and flame, out on the eastern horizon.

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"We decided to stick around and try to track it down. We flew around the area where they said they saw smoke and flames. It took us a while, but then we found it."

"And what was 'it?' " Jones asked.

"A crater, sir," Twomey said. "The biggest Goddamn crater you'd ever want to see. It looked like it was made by a nuke. Easily a mile across. It was still smoking when we got there."

Jones took a swig of his spiked coffee. "Meteorite, maybe?"

Toomey shook his head. "We landed, then drove out to the place, sir. It was definitely an explosion. There were bits and pieces of metal everywhere. Plus a few threads of clothing. Even a few fresh bones Ч they still had some, well, muscle on them."

Jones took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "A mile wide crater?" he asked. "That's a lot of bomb, if it was a bomb . . ."