Rogue Forces

“That nearest column of Turkish armored vehicles inbound from the north are ten klicks out,” Weatherly said. “They’ve spotted Piney Two-Three and are holding position.”

Wilhelm ran as fast as he could downstairs to his console, with the others following. The video feed from the Avenger antiaircraft unit showed a dark green armored vehicle, flying a large red flag with a white crescent. Its machine guns were raised. The XC-57’s laser radar image showed the other vehicles in line behind it. “Two-Three, this is Alpha, weapons tight, road-march position.”

“Copy, Warhammer, we’re in road march already,” the Avenger vehicle commander replied, verifying that his weapons were safe and the barrels of his Stinger missiles and twenty-millimeter Gatling gun were aimed skyward, not at the Turks.

“Can you back up or turn around?”

“Affirm to both.”

“Very slowly, back up, turn around, and then head back to the base at normal speed,” Wilhelm ordered. “Keep your barrels aimed away from them. I don’t think they’re going to bother you.”

“Hope you’re right, Alpha. Two-Three copies all, on the move.”

It was a tense few minutes. Since the camera on board the Avenger only aimed forward they lost the video feed, so they couldn’t see if the Turkish APC crews were readying any antitank weapons. But the XC-57 image showed the Turkish vehicles holding position as the Avenger turned around, and then following it from a distance of about a hundred yards as it headed back to the base.

“Here they come,” Wilhelm said, removing his headset and throwing it on the desk in front of him. “Mr. Vice President, at the risk of stating the obvious, you’ll be our guest for the near future, courtesy of the Republic of Turkey.”

“Well handled, Colonel,” Ken Phoenix said. “The Turks know they can blast us up, but they’re holding back. If we struck back, they’d have attacked for sure.”

“We’re allies, right?” Wilhelm said sarcastically. “Somehow I almost forgot that. Besides, it’s an easy call not to hit back if you have almost nothing to hit back with.” He turned to Kris Thompson. “Thompson, cancel the repel-forces order, but shut down the base, get everyone up, and man the gates and perimeter. I want a strong presence, but minimal visible weapons. No one fires unless fired upon. Weatherly, monitor the other inbound Avengers, let them know we have visitors, weapons tight and raised. I think the Turks will let them through.”

In less than an hour, every major entrance to Allied Air Base Nahla had a team of two Turkish armored vehicles parked outside. They presented a very nonhostile appearance, with weapons raised and infantry crews remaining near their vehicles with rifles shouldered…but they weren’t allowing anyone to come near. The base was definitely closed down.

CHAPTER SIX

Failure to recognize possibilities is the most dangerous and common mistake one can make.

—MAE JEMISON, ASTRONAUT

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, ÇANCAYA, ANKARA, TURKEY

EARLY THE NEXT MORNING

“That’s the third call from Washington, sir,” an aide said as he hung up the phone. “The secretary of state herself this time. She sounded angry.”

President Kurzat Hirsiz waved at the aide to shut him up, then said into his telephone, “Go ahead with your report, General.”

“Yes, sir,” General Abdullah Guzlev said via secure satellite telephone. “First Division has pushed all the way to Tall Afar, northwest of Mosul. They’ve surrounded the military airbase and secured the pipeline and the pumping station at Avghani. The Iraqis can still disrupt flow from the Baba Gurgur fields to the east and trans-shipped oil from the southern fields, but the oil from the Qualeh field is secure.”

Amazing, Hirsiz thought. The thrust into Iraq was going better than expected. “The Iraqi army did not secure the pipeline or the pumping station?” he asked.

“No, sir. Private security companies only, and they did not resist.”

That was truly great news; he had expected the Iraqis to vigorously defend the pipeline and infrastructure. The oil flowing through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline represented 40 percent of Iraq’s oil revenue. An interesting development indeed…“Very well, General. Your progress has been amazing. Well done. Continue.”

“Thank you, sir,” Guzlev went on. “Second Division has pushed all the way to Mosul and has captured Qayyarah South Airport. Our air forces bombed the runway at Nahla, the Iraqi military air base north of the city near Tall Kayf, and we have that airfield surrounded. We are presently landing transport and armed patrol aircraft at Qayyarah South Airport.”

“Any resistance from the Iraqi or Americans at Nahla?”

“The Americans are not resisting; however, we are not in contact with any Iraqi forces based there.”

“Not in contact?”