They still weren’t taking much answering fire and Christine peered cautiously over the parapet lip. She was using only the mark one eyeball at the moment and the vista was positively Satanic: the blacked-out buildings of central Jakarta were a jagged mountain range around the valley of the square, with the burning defense ministry an erupting volcano, its flames glittering off acres of broken glass in the perimeter streets. In the square itself, the statuary seemed to writhe, dancing in agony in the smoky light.
It was a terrifying scene and Christine noted abstractly that a part of her was indeed terrified.
A loudhailer call suddenly rippled around the embassy compound. “Chemical Alert! Chemical Alert! GAS! GAS! GAS!”
The suppressive fire staggered as the marines snatched for the protective gear slung from their harnesses. Christine fumbled with her own gas mask, trying to remember the donning drill. If she didn’t get it right, she was likely to be very unhappy for some time to come.
*
The next movement in the intricate aerial ballet began. The Air Commando MH-60 flight swept inshore, flying nose to tail down a narrow corridor designated by their GPU systems, a corridor that passed upwind of the Merdeka Square area.
The Air Force compound helicopters carried multiple sub-munitions scatterpacks under their wings. Smoke and teargas grenades rained from the launcher tubes as they transited beyond the square. Hundreds of ghostly white plumes rose from the streets and rooftops, merging into a wall of eye-burning artificial fog that began to roll over the square and the embassy.
Smoke screens were not as commonly used as they once were – but no weapon or tactic ever becomes entirely obsolete.
The SPEED Hawks jettisoned their empty scatter packs and swung back toward the sea and their holding line. They would have another role to play shortly.
*
From his position atop Sky Island One, Stone Quillain watched the rivers of chemical vapor flow into the open reservoir of the square and soak into the surrounding buildings. He was well above the maximum concentration level, but he felt the first tingle of the tear gas and hastily pulled his chemical warfare hood down over his face.
“All Sky Island sniper teams, this is Sea Demon Six. Go to thermographic sights
and keep knocking ’em down! Keep ’em off the lift ships!”
The Marine and Beret gunners flipped their sighting system modules from low-light to infra-red targeting. Peering through the man-made smog bank, they continued their turkey shoot.
*
The first Osprey VTOL swept down out of the sky, smoke swirling tornado-like in the wash of its rotorprops. Its pilots had switched to their own haze-piercing thermographic vision systems. Passing over the compound wall, the Osprey pivoted, popped its landing gear and dropped onto the embassy helipad.
“First chalk load up!” the Marine pad boss bellowed over the turbine scream. “Move your ass! Go!” That he was yelling at a United States Ambassador and the leader of a major foreign power was irrelevant.
From her position on the wall, Christine Rendino watched as Ambassador Goodyard, President Kediri and their staff were hustled into the waiting belly of the impatient aircraft. In all probability Goodyard couldn’t see her, but she lifted a hand in farewell.
By the clock, the first Osprey was on the ground a bare thirty-five seconds. Then it was lifting off, climbing through the smoke screen for the sky, the sea and safety. The primary mission was accomplished. That which Admiral Ketalaman desired was out of reach. Technically, logically, there was no reason for the battle of Jakarta to continue. But as with all wars it was easier to begin than to end.
*
The Rebel NCO crouched in the corner of the Gambir station waiting room, his
eyes tear-blinded and his uniform splattered with the brains of his company
commander. “Yes, the damned Americans are pulling their people out of the embassy!” he yelled over the jamming warble in his transceiver. “No there’s nothing we can do! We’re being cut to pieces here! If you want them stopped we’ll need help! Everything we can get! Everything … and hurry!”
Glodok District, Jakarta
2338 Hours; Zone Time, October 31, 2008
Flashlights and headlights blazed. Shouted orders reverberated amid the dank concrete pillars. Engines roared to life, thickening the air of the underground parking garage with throat-tickling fumes. Vehicle crewmen squeezed into turret hatches beneath the low ceiling and mobile troopers piled into armored passenger compartments.
Shielded by multiple levels of concrete, they had been safe from both
observation and from the fire and thunder haunting the night. Now, as one of
the last uncommitted and intact elements of the Jakarta city garrison, it was
their turn.
Landing Force Operations Center, USS Shenandoah
2340 Hours; Zone Time, October 31, 2008
“Osprey Bravo is airborne.” The word came in from Air One. “The Australian Ambassador and his staff are clear. Osprey Charley is going in.”
“Those are all of the big-ticket items,” MacIntyre murmured.
“It’s still so far so good, Elliot,” Amanda replied, her eyes roving constantly over the Alpha display. “We’re in and we’re getting them out. That’s what counts.”
“Very true.” She glanced in his direction, making out his craggy silhouette in the screen
glow as he studied the tactical situation with the same focused attention. “But we still have a long way to go, young lady.”
Amanda could only agree. On screen, the red hostile unit hacks were beginning to move. Like white corpuscles attacking an infection, they were starting to converge on Merdeka Square and the landing site. As yet, the convergence was slow and erratic – but there was an increasing deliberation to it.
The Indonesians were still shocked but they were recovering command-and-control.
“Osprey Charley is airborne, Captain. That’s the first of the civilian refugee chalks.”
Good. That’s good!
“Captain,” another voice interjected. “The beach Firebase reports they’re down to four rounds per tube and they’re starting to get increasing ground fire on their perimeter.”
That was bad.
“Tell Firebase to check fire! Save those rounds for getaway ammunition. Order all
Special Boat elements to converge on the Firebase support stations. Prepare to
cover the extraction.”
The tide of the American raid was cresting. Soon it must begin to ebb.
Sky Island Alpha
Jakarta
