Interdiction - W.Addison Gast (great novels TXT) 📗

and laid his lap top on the table he offered to bring back something to drink or eat from where he was going-the galley where the two attendants were on duty.
“You got the codename for this folder from your Dad,…..”
DJ immediately placed his hand on top of her hand that was still on the folder Buckley had laid on the table.
“Lets deal with this right away-OK?”
“It was a slip.”
“Lose lips sink ships, Penny.” Was DJ’s retort referencing the slogan from wwII that warned defense plant workers from talking about their jobs in unsecured areas.
“To my knowledge, you and Dan are the only ones on this aircraft or in my new world of contacts that know the family connection. Let’s keep it that way-ok?”
“Good thinking and not a problem. I’m sorry.”
“Codename Saih. Which in Farsi incidentally means tourist . Tell me a story.” DJ relaxed and sat back in the large seat and listened to Buckley relate how the CENTCOM counterterrorism group had worked this folder since a number of young Iraqi youths had been recruited in and around the city of Tikrit. The last contact that CENTCOM had with them was when they crossed into Iran over a year ago. There was supposed to be a mole, an informant, an asset with the group but as no one had heard from him since the Iranian crossing, they assumed he had been compromised or dropped from the group. When the face photos from the nest in Afghanistan were run in the I.D. image system, they bingoed on this bunch. However there was Zippo on the asset.
Buckley continued; “All of this group are within two years of age between them all. This leads us to believe that they were hand picked for some particular reason and an asset they have for Al Queda . Possibly the student status and English capability. We are not sure.”
DJ’s cell rang and after getting over the surprise that there was someone in addition to the General that had his number, he answered.
“DJ”. That was the best he could do for an acknowledgement. He all of a sudden felt like the new kid on the block again. He didn’t have a codename like the rest of the party.
“Cowboy here Sir. I just had a look at the photos that CENTCOM sent back to us on this group on the roof here. The photos are sharper and a lot clearer than what we saw in the camera when we shot them or I would have seen it then.”
“Seen what Cowboy?” DJ asked.
“I know this bunch”
“You know them? There was an understandable surprise in DJ’s voice.
“I know of them I should say. These people were all on the same flight I was on to this location about a year ago. I even talked to one of them, the one called Haydar. At least that is his name on the student card issued at the Iran border. When they left the terminal here at Mazar I Sharif, they were picked up by a large white van. That’s all I can contribute but I’m positive these guys are the same. I have not seen any of them in town since that day but they evidently have been here all along..”
“ok Cowboy. Good recall. Thanks for the heads-up. We will see you in about eight hours. Out”
“Why don’t you get some rest Lieutenant, we are due to make a refueling stop in Rota Spain and then we will be on the deck in Afghan shortly thereafter.” Suggested Penny.


Chapter 12

Rooftop OP Mazar I Sharif

“Cowboy to rover boy. Have you finished your patrol and mission?”
“Rover to Cowboy. Affirm. We accomplished mission about two hours ago and was on our way home when we had a call on the other side of town. We are just entering the compound now.”
“Is the baby riding piggyback with its mother?” Cowboy was asking if they got the bug on the VW Badra was driving.
“Affirm Cowboy. You can turn the radio back on, I think the baby is asleep and it wont bother him.”
“Roger Rover, Cowboy out. The sergeant turned to the technician and instructed him to turn on the tracker on the bug in the van. He would feed the signal to the Predator that was due in the area in seven and see where the two occupants were headed or if they were still moving..
“Head shed we are going to send the tracking feed directly to you via Predator so we can get a GPS on the van-Roger?”
“Cowboy, we have the signal. It would appear that the van has turned off the highway and headed south very slowly. We do not show any vehicle roads in the area where they are.”
What the fuck? We just deployed half the local force into planting this bug so we can find where they have gone and they have decided to park and play dip the weenie or what? Thought the Sergeant.
“How much longer can we get feed from Eagle-Eye? Asked Cowboy.
“Way past when you will be relieved Cowboy. Eagle just arrived on station. He will be there as long as we require.”
“Head shed. Do you have an image from Eagle yet?
“Negative Cowboy. We are getting an image but it is only the flight path enroute to your GPS tracker.”
“How about keying in that freq from the bug to SATCOM and requesting an image? Asked Cowboy thinking his options for finding what is causing this van to be moving across the desert slowly in an are where there is nothing but more sand.
“Negative Cowboy NAVOBSERV says we need a deeper priority for them to task one of their birds for the project.”
“Cowboy, we have the target on the screen. It will come up on your viewer in three. You’re not going to like this.”
Cowboy looked at the viewer. He could see why the tech back at head shed made the last comment.
The lead camel appeared to have a problem with its hoof. It was limping and the Bedouin was walking beside it. The rest of the caravan was at the same pace. Nomads have wondered that part of the earth for centuries and were not at all concerned about arriving anyplace special on time. Cowboy looked at the group closely. There was no van crawling along in the progression. Did they ditch the van and are using the Bedouin as cover to get to the training camp? Cowboy had to find out. He knew the general had been watching all of this.
“Sir, can we request that Sand Trap send some sparrows to look-see this camel brigade?”
Affirm Cowboy. We’ll feed them the video from Eagle and ask them to keep you wired in. What is the action from the OP on the roof?”
“Zippo Sir. Looks like Gomer is catching some z time.”
It was approximately twenty minutes after the last transmission that the commander of the sparrow team called in to report that they were about to interdict the Bedouin caravan.
As Cowboy watched the live feed from Eagle of the sparrow team looking in the caravan, he saw the team gather around one Bedouin and look at some clothing. Cowboy’s next thought was well, you’re fucked.
When the team leader of the sparrow unit made his report that the transmitter was in a bundle of clothes that the lady and the man in the car had given them, the search was terminated. They would have to get the intel of where that camp was from the room beneath the house. They had to watch the nest very closely from this point on because as soon as the woman could communicate back to the room beneath the house, she would of course inform them of the planting of the bug and the group would get squeamish.

Chapter 13

Big Bird touched down at Rota Spain at 0330 and was immediately refueled. The pilots and attendants left the aircraft briefly as the ground crew refreshed the coffee and emptied the honey bucket and replenished the blue water. DJ and crew were asleep when the pilots re boarded. DJ had always been a light sleeper but was capable of getting a good rest regardless of where he was. One thing he did have as an asset in his new job was that he remained as cognizant of happenings around him regardless of how deep a sleep he was in.
There were extra people that had joined the group here in Rota. He heard different voices in the forward cabin.
Three hours from touchdown at Mazar I Sharif, Danny and Penny yawned and stretched as they started their day. The attendants brought them each a breakfast tray and then hot towels and a freshen up tray that had toothpaste, a razor and mouthwash.
DJ had completed his breakfast and was in the head. He washed his face and placed the cold cloth on his neck and started to use the razor and then thought,not for awhile, let it darken and grow. You’ll look less like a spit and polish west pointer on his first tour. He returned to his seat. He smelled something. Something vile and puke related. He got up from his seat and went into the forward cabin. As he came thru the door, he saw the newly added passengers from Rota Spain. One was a dark skinned middle easterner with hair longer than the usual military cut and a trim dark beard. His uniform was more that of a swat team member than it was a uniform. The two companions seated on the opposite side of the aircraft looked up at DJ as he came forward and made a remark to the bearded one in Israeli. DJ’s Hebrew was not as good as his other languages but he could tell it was something like here is your guy now.
DJ looked at the three new additions to the passenger list and continued forward. The tall flight attendant was completing a customs report and looked up at DJ.
“Can I get you something Lieutenant?” she asked again with a beautiful smile. My god, how can these gals fly for hours at a time thru three time zones, not sleep and still be miss personality to her passengers?
“Good morning. May I ask you a question? Have you told our new passengers that this is a non smoking flight?”DJ was signaling over his right shoulder at the bearded one with the stinking cigar.
“I’m sorry sir but I did inform the gentleman as soon as he lit that but he,…..well, he declined to extinguish it at my request.”
“In other words, he was rude and used some language that was not necessary-right?”
“I’m really sorry sir,…I…..
“Thank you Miss. Now tell me who these people are. They are not obviously department of Defense personnel.”
“I’m sorry sir, I can’t tell you that. They are onboard at the request of the state department I can say.”
“Ok, thank you.” DJ turned and started back through the cabin. He stopped next to the bearded one who was at that moment exhaling a large plume of cancerous garbage.
“Excuse me, my friend”. He said to the man laying one hand on the back of his seat and the other on the seatback across the isle.
“I can see that you obviously enjoy the Cuban cancer sticks and certainly care less about the people’s health around you, but this is a non smoking flight. You’ll have to save your enjoyment until after you depart the General’s aircraft here.”
The bearded one withdrew the cigar from his mouth and smiled up at DJ after looking at