"Maloney, Mack - Wingman 03 - The Lucifer Campaign UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maloney Mack)

"The American pilot," the man said. "He is my friend. He saved me. He is the man who shot them all down."

Crunch and Elvis exchanged winks. "Go on, Diego," Crunch said.

"The MiG pilots," he continued, "they knew the American was coming. They are very excited as there is a reward for shooting down the American's airplane. They wait until he shows up on radar, then they take off, all five of them. They plan beforehand how they will attack him. Like an ambush.

"Ah, but the American, he's way too smart for the

MiGs. He knows somehow they are waiting for him. He has more Sidewinders on his jet than anyone I have ever seen. The MiGs jump him, right over the base. But he flies like a demon. Twisting. Turning. Diving. One minute he's here. Next second, way over there. One by one, he blasts all five MiGs from the sky. I watch the whole thing, cheering. My throat still stings I cheer so much. Trouble is, the wrecked MiGs, they fall on my base."

"After the battle, did this American land here?" Crunch asked.

"Well, of course, sehor," Diego said, slightly taken aback. "This American is now a very good friend of mine."

"Did he tell you what his name was?" Elvis asked.

"Yes," the old man said with a sly smile. "But I know who he is before he even lands his airplane. I have heard of this American pilot. He flies a red, white, and blue jet. The powerful F-16. I know my airplanes. I know no one flies the F-16 anymore, except for this American."

"Was his name Hawk Hunter?" Crunch asked.

"Si, sehor," the man said excitedly. "But I know him by his other name. He's the pilot they call The Wingman."

Crunch and Elvis looked at each other and nodded.

"The Wingman stays only a day," Diego went on. "Then he says he must go."

"So, if you and he are such good friends," Elvis asked, "who tied you up here?"

"The others, sehor," Diego said, anger coming back into his voice. "The others land hours after Hawk Hunter leaves. They too are looking for him."

"Who were these 'others'?" Crunch asked. "More Russians? Were they flying Russian jet fighters?"

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"No," Diego answered. "They come in only one airplane. An American P-3. Big, four propeller engines. Old U.S. Navy. But these men are not Americans. They are Arabs, I think. The plane is painted all black. I know they stole it somewhere."

"And they were also looking for Hunter?" Elvis asked.

"Yes," Diego continued. "They come and they slap me around. I'm an old man. I can't take all this. They are mad that Hunter has shot down the MiGs. These men have paid for the MiGs to shoot down Hunter. Now they are mad that it is the MiGs that have crashed."

"So they tied you up and left you out here?" Crunch asked.

"Si, si, sehor," Diego said, spitting for emphasis. "They are pigs. They could have just shot me. But they leave me to die the slow death. But I knew that either Hunter or his friends would rescue me."

"What else did these other men say?" Elvis asked.

Diego shook his head. "They say a big battle is soon to happen. Out in the eastern Mediterranean. Out in the desert. These men, like the MiGs -they are on the bad side. But they are afraid."

"Afraid?" asked Crunch. "Afraid of what?"