"Don't be so goddam cheerful," Bennett said with mock earnestness. "The day this shooting match ends, you and I are out of a job. "
The big flier said, "Yeah, I know. But somehow being unemployed doesn't bother me much anymore. I guess the main thing we have to worry about is the State Department. They know we're here. Probably know what we're doing."
"Well, don't sweat it, Bear. If necessary, we can dig up a sea lawyer to muddy the waters. After all, we're not in the same boat as the contract maintenance folks, or even the military attaches. We're working directly for the king of Saudi Arabia. State isn't going to rock the boat after that. If anything, the diplomats will be falling all over themselves to return to business as usual in Riyadh. If things do get tight, I think we can count on Safad to smooth things over."
Bennett turned from the wall map and picked up a clipboard with operations reports. "I see the Saudis approved your rotation plan for the northern bases. Are the two Jordanian outfits flying from Green and Blue Bases now?"
"Affirmative. And Black is supposed to rotate back here with Orange in a couple days. Now that it's about over, I guess Devil and Rajid and the guys will look forward to some Rand R in Bahrain or Riyadh."
"Some of them will, but I don't know about Ed. He's having a real good time. He bagged another one a couple days ago and he won't be satisfied unless he gets the last kill with the last missile in this war." Bennett flipped the chart cover shut. "Besides, there's no kind of Rand R Devil would enjoy in any Muslim country."
"I guess you're right. But what about the young tigers? I'd imagine Rajid is anxious to see his boy again. The kid must be… what, almost two years old?"
"Not quite two." For the first time in days, Bennett thought of his own son, and of his granddaughter. God, I'm ready to go home. We've proved our point. ''Things still quiet along the border?"
Barnes leaned back on the table, one leg dangling. "Pretty much. Some of the boys are saying the Israelis are afraid to come back in force after the big shootout, and I lit into a couple of them. I was polite, you understand, but firm. I guess we've both seen that kind of overconfidence backfire on a pilot."
"Damn right, Bear. These kids need to understand the Israelis haven't been back because there's no reason for it. Hell, from their viewpoint there was no good military reason in the first place. The fact that the politicians panicked and ordered their air force south just means our plan goaded them into our hands." He thought for a moment. "There must be some mighty upset Israeli drivers up around Tel Aviv this week. I wouldn't blame 'em for dumping napalm on the Knesset."
Bear consulted his notes. "Tiger Force is deploying standing patrols along the Jordanian-Saudi border, alternating with F-5s. I figure since the radar signature is identical for each type, the Israelis will have to assume all patrols are F-20s. At least, as long as the guys keep zip-lip."
"Remind me to hire you as an ops officer sometime, Barnes. You show real promise. Now, I'm going to log some ACM with a couple of the guys. Is 001 ready?"
"Right where you parked her last time, boss."
Colonel Solomon Yatanahu checked the communications from Heyl Ha'Avir headquarters again. He had informed the air staff that he wanted to consolidate his remaining Eagles into two squadrons instead of the usual three. Attrition had made the ordinary administrative division unwieldy. Now the base commander wanted to pool all his aircraft and assign them to pilots from the same squadrons in order to maintain maximum possible coordination in the air. He proposed putting up four-plane flights from two squadrons at a time, keeping the pilots of his third squadron on rotation.
Yatanahu was reading the availability reports when his adjutant, Lieutenant Yoni Ben-Nun, entered the office. "Excuse me, Colonel. We've just had a bit of good news."
The fighter ace turned around. "I could stand some good news, Yoni. What is it?"
Ben-Nun waved a teletype form. "Word from the International Red Cross. Aaron, Colonel Hali-he's a prisoner of the Saudis. He injured his back on ejection but apparently he's all right otherwise. "
Yatanahu, like many Israeli pilots, was not devoutly religious.
But he closed his eyes and said a short, heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving.
The aide saw the relief on his superior's face. "Evidently several other pilots were captured, too. We probably won't know full details until a cease-fire is arranged."
"Well, that may be quite a while, Yoni. I just saw the kill-loss ratio from the first week. We're destroying eight to ten enemy aircraft for each loss in air combat. It's not as good as it used to be."
The captain said, "We knew the Syrians were working hard to improve in the past three years. And the Iraqis have a lot of institutional experience from fighting Iran. Even the Iranians have produced a few top fliers. You recall that memo about their ace F-14 pilot who claimed sixteen kills against Iraq during the 1980-88 war. But-"
"I know," the colonel interrupted. "The Saudis. We may be lucky to break even against them. They and the Jordanians are very good."
Feeling defensive, Ben-Nun interjected, "But there have been only a handful of engagements, sir. We were fighting over their territory, close to their bases. My God, the Ha'il strike was a nine-hundred mile round trip. And the F-20 is so small. It's very hard to see. Many of our pilots never even-"
Yatanahu waved a hand. "Yes, yes. I know all the pertinent arguments, Yoni. And each one of your points is valid. But we shouldn't have expected a pushover. Intelligence reported the Tigershark pilots were flying a minimum forty hours per month, often sixty. With the quality of their instructors, a fine airplane, and three and a half years, they were bound to build a first-class air force." The colonel looked sharply at his aide. "You remember your basic military doctrine? Never, never assume enemy actions based upon what he is likely to do. Assume the worst case he is capable of forcing upon you and proceed accordingly."
"Yes, sir."
"All right. Enough philosophy. What else do you have for me today?"
Consulting his clipboard, Ben-Nun pulled out a notification of the next day's scheduled operations. "The army is moving some units from the West Bank to reinforce the northern front, where the Syrians are massing. We have to maintain standing patrols over the withdrawal area before daylight and maintain cockpit alert with every serviceable aircraft not assigned to fly."
Yatanahu glanced at the order and initialed it. "Very well. What do you make of this, Yoni?"
The aide hated it when his CO played military professor.
"Sir, I suspect a deception. The Syrians already control all of Lebanon. The stated Arab goal in this war is to drive us from Jordan and the West Bank. If they follow von Clausewitz, they'll concentrate at the decisive point-the West Bank. This activity in Lebanon could be meant to draw us off."
"Excellent!" The colonel clapped his aide on the shoulder. "It so happens I agree with you. It also appears the government wants to seize some Lebanese territory as a bargaining chip to retain a presence on the West Bank if we're forced out."
The young captain asked in a low voice, "Colonel, can we hold the West Bank? If we have to pull back-"
"I know, Yom, I know. There'll be hell to pay."
CAIRO (Exclusive to Middle Eastern News Service)-Egyptian forces entered the thirteen-day-old Arab-Israeli war this evening, driving a two-pronged assault into the previously inactive Sinai front. The attack, apparently largely unexpected in Tel Aviv, is directed along the coast to the Gaza Strip as far as Ashqelon in the north. The southern flank seems aimed for Sedom on the shore of the Dead Sea. Reports indicate that favorable defensive terrain has slowed the Egyptian column in the hills near Dimona.