No more. These photos had been taken only hours before. They were in infrared, penetrating the darkness. Individual people were clearly visible.
Magruder found himself looking down on two men in ragged uniforms with AK-47s across their shoulders; the glowing tips of their cigarettes registered like tiny, diamond-brilliant stars.
In two hours, Bright Lightning would hit U Feng like a whirlwind. That soldiers were already moving into position. They would go in when the bombs stopped falling. The victory had to be clearly theirs, proof to the dissidents and a panicky population that the Royal Army had things well in hand.
Washington had agreed with his assessment. Nothing would discourage the army mutineers or strengthen the legitimate government's resolve faster than a quick, sharp victory at U Feng.
"Admiral Magruder?"
He looked up. His Chief of Staff stood in the door. "Come in, Brad.
What do you have?"
"Eagle is airborne, sir. Thunderbird is over the coast now, on course, on time. Pried-Fly reports that Chickenhawk is ready for launch."
"Thanks, Brad."
Eagle ― six aircraft of VF-95 ― would escort Thunderbird ― the Intruders of VA-84 ― into U Feng. Chickenhawk was the code name for the F/A-18 Hornets of VFA-161. Their job would be flack- and SAM-suppression over the target.
Faster, but with smaller fuel reserves, they were being launched last. VF-97, once again, was being held in reserve, providing CAP for the Jefferson… and reinforcements, should the need arise over Bangkok.
"Uh… there's something else, Admiral. Something kind of screwy."
"What is it?"
"This just came through from Bangkok, sir." Gilmore handed the admiral a teletype sheet. "Just been decoded."
He read the message.
UNCONFIRMED REPORT TWO WESTERN PRISONERS, ONE MALE, ONE FEMALE, ARRIVED U FENG MIDDAY YESTERDAY. HELD IN BUILDING NEAR FUEL DUMP.
REPORT BROUGHT TO DOI CHIANG DAO BY KAREN GIRL NAMED PHYA NIN. WOULD DISCOUNT, BUT MESSENGER CLAIMS KNOWLEDGE OF SOMEONE NAMED BATMAN, U.S.S.
JEFFERSON, PLEASE ADVISE.
Two prisoners! Magruder knew immediately that it was Bayerly and Pamela Drake.
He felt cold as he scanned the message a second time. Held near the fuel dump… and the fuel storage tanks on the east side of the U Feng perimeter would be among the first targets hit by Thunderbird.
Magruder felt as though he were balanced on a knife's edge. Jefferson had almost thirty planes in the air or ready for launch, aircraft with a destination five hundred miles north and with fuel in short supply. The alpha strike could not be kept waiting, not for two people who might or might not be Westerners, hostages of General Hsiao.
On the other hand, one of those hostages was a civilian, a well-known American news correspondent.
The other was an officer under his command, Lieutenant Commander Bayerly.
Magruder had heard the stories about Bayerly, about the tragic death of Admiral Fitzroy's daughter and the scandal surrounding the aviator who had been with her when she died. He knew that when a cloud like that attached itself to a Naval officer, that man's career was all but finished.
But Bayerly was a member of Jefferson's air wing, CO of VF-97. More than once in the past, Admiral Magruder had been forced to make difficult decisions regarding Jefferson personnel. Not going in to rescue Batman and Malibu the week before had been such a decision, one forced on him by the politics of the situation.
Here was a situation where carrying on with the mission meant killing one of Jefferson's own.
Damn it all! Bright Lightning could not be aborted. The Thais had already been brought in, and to back out now would leave them hanging. To go on…
"First," Magruder snapped. "Raise Colonel Caruso on the Chosin. I want to get in touch with the Marine Recon team heading for U Feng. Second, get me General Duong, That Military Staff Command. Third, I want confirmation on this from Batman Wayne. See if he trusts this woman. Fourth…" He hesitated. "Fourth, get down to CIC and have CAG make a signal to ninety-nine aircraft. Bright Lightning is on hold until we get this resolved. Got it?"
"Got it, sir!"
"Then get on it!"
"Aye, aye, sir." Gilmore whirled and rushed out the door.
Magruder couldn't cancel Bright Lightning, but he could delay it… a very little. It would mean diverting the alpha strike aircraft to bingo fields in Thailand rather than recovering them aboard the carrier, but that possibility had been considered from the beginning since fuel was such a critical factor.
And the delay might give them a chance to get the Marines in. A twenty-man Marine Recon force was already en route toward U Feng aboard one of Chosin's transport helos. Slower than the aircraft of the alpha strike, the Marine Super Stallion had taken off almost two hours earlier and was over central Thailand by now. The force's mission was to support That ground operations and to provide ground spotting and laser designation for the Navy attack aircraft.
But perhaps their mission could be changed to include a rescue.
Magruder hoped so. It was damned chancy tampering with the mission planning at this late hour, but none of the alternatives was attractive.
General Hsiao stood at the window of his office, hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the jungle as his aide delivered the report. "Go on."
"All radio contact has been lost with Colonel Kriangsak, sir, both with his headquarters at the Americana Hotel and with the troop column tasked with seizing the government complex in Bangkok. There are wild rumors that the Yankees are bombing Bangkok, that their Marines are landing in the city, but nothing confirmed…"
Hsiao's fingers tightened their grip behind him. "What else?"
"General Kol is waiting outside. He wishes to see you most urgently."
Hsiao turned and smiled. "That I can believe."
"Radar reports unusual air activity between here and Bangkok. There are also rumors of troop movements on the road north of Chiang Mai. Colonel Wu believes that an attack may be imminent and requests a meeting with you at your earliest convenience."
Hsiao sighed. "Very well. Tell Colonel Wu I will see him in ten minutes. At his office."
"Yes, sir."
"Tell that pig of a Burmese general to come in. I will deal with him now."
The aide made a wai and backed out of the room. A moment later, General Kol entered, his chubby face flushed with anger. "I have heard rumors, General," Kol began. "Rumors that the Americans are attacking."
"That is nonsense, Kol."
"You said that there would be no direct confrontation with the Americans.
You claimed the damage done to their ship would drive them away." He shook his head stubbornly. "Our agreement never called for armed conflict with the Yankees. I am returning to Burma with my men. Now."
Hsiao laughed. "It is a little late for that now, don't you think, General Kol? Haven't you heard the reports? That army forces are closing in on U Feng even as we speak! Your pathetic little army would be trapped and cut down before it got within five kilometers of the border!"
Kol swallowed. "Nonetheless," he said. "My men will not fight the Americans. What do we have to gain from such a confrontation?"
"I'm paying you enough, General. Your men will do what I demand of them."
"We'll see about that." He turned away.
"Have you forgotten General Xiang?" He drew his Type 62 pistol and pointed it at Kol's head. "That, my fat friend, is the price of crossing me!"