Vortex

VORTEX by LARRY BOND

Also by Larry Bond

RED PHOENIX

Published by

WARNER BOOKS

WARNER BOOKS

Copyright Oc 1991 by Larry Bond and Patrick Larkin All rights reserved.

Dedicated to our brothers and sisters, Mary Adams and Jim Bond, Erin Larkin-Foster, and Colin, Ian, Duncan, and Christopher Larkin.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Jim Baker, Jeff Bowen, Greg Browne, Jerry Cain,

Jeff Cavin, John Chrzas, Col. Terry Crews and Grace Crews, Dan and Carmel

Fisk, Bill Ford, John Goetke, Bill Grijalba, Peter Hilsenrath, Jason

Hunter, Dick Kane and Presidio Press, Don and Marilyn Larkin, John Moser,

Deb Mullaney, Bill Paley and Bridget Rivoli, Tim Peckinpaugh and Pam

McKinney-Peckinpaugh, Jeff and Deena Pluhar, Jeff Richelson, Dick

Ristaine, Michael J. Solon, Bruce Spaulding, Steve St. Clair, Thomas T. Thomas, Chris Williams, and Joy Schumack of the Solano County Bookmobile Service.

Special thanks to Steve Cole and his newsletter, For Your kyes Only, and Steve Petrick, for their assistance in reviewing the manuscript.

For Your Lyes Only was very useful in writing Vortex, and I recommend it as a way of keeping up with military and conflict issues around the world. Write to Tiger Publications, PO Box 8759, Amarillo, TX 79114-8759.

Finally, we would like to thank two men without whose constant and invaluable aid and advice this book could never have emerged from our word processors: our editor at Warner Books, Mel Parker, and our agent, Robert Gottlieb of William Morris.

AUTHORS NOTE

Though Patrick Larkin’s name does not appear on the front cover, Vortex is his book as much as it is mine.

This is the second book that Pat and I have written together, collaborating from start to finish. In a process that lasted nearly eighteen months, we helped each other over literary hurdles, argued politics, tactics, and strategy, and spurred each other on as the deadline approached. Like all good teams, we believe our work together reinforces our individual strengths and skills.

We hope you enjoy the story we’ve tried to tell.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

AMERICANS:

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Carrerra, U.S. Army-Commanding officer of 1/75th Ranger Battalion.

Lieutenant General Jerry Craig, USMC-Commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force and later the Allied South African Joint Task Force.

Lieutenant Nick Dworski, U.S. Army Special Forces Executive officer for Jeff Hawkins’s A Team.

James Malcolm Forrester-Vice President of the United States, chairman of the National Security Council.

Staff Sergeant Mike Griffith, U.S. Army Special Forces -Assigned as the heavy weapons specialist for Jeff Hawkins’s A Team.

Captain Jeff Hawkins, U.S. Army Special Forces-Commanding officer of a Green Beret A Team.

General Walter Hickman, U.S. Air Force-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Edward Hurley-Assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, U.S. State Department.

All

AV DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Lieutenant Jack “Ice” Isaacs, USN-A Navy F/A-18 pilot.

Captain Peter Klocek, U.S. Army-Operations officer of the 1/75th Ranger Battalion.

Sam Knowles-Ian Sheffield’s cameraman.

Captain Thomas Malloy, USN-Commanding officer of the Iowa-class battleship Wisconsin.,

General Wesley Masters, USMC-Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Christopher Nicholson-Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert O”Connell, U.S. Army-Acting commanding officer of the 1/75th Ranger Battalion, later commander 75th Ranger Regiment.

Hamilton Reid-Secretary of commerce.

Ian Sheffield-An American journalist assigned to South Africa.

Brigadier General George Skiles, U.S. Army-Chief of staff of the Allied South African Expeditionary Force.

Rear Admiral Andrew Douglas Stewart, USN-Commander of the carrier group including the Nimitz-class carrier Carl Vinson, later commander of Allied naval forces operating off the South African coast.

Major General Samuel Weber, U.S. Army-Commanding officer of the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division.

SOUTH AFRICANS:

Captain Rolf Bekker, South African Defense Force (SADF)—Company commander, 2nd Battalion, the 44th Parachute Regiment.

Brigadier Deneys Coetzee, SADF-A close friend of Henrik Kruger, now assigned to Army staff headquarters in Pretoria.

Brigadier Franz Diederichs, Security Branch, South African Police-Special military commissioner of Natal Province.

Major Richard Forbes, SADF-Executive officer of the 20th Cape Rifles.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE XV

Frederick Haymans-President of the Republic of South Africa.

Colonel Magnus Heerden, SADF-Head of Military Intelligence Branch of the Directorate of Military Intelligence.

Constand Heitman-South African minister of defense in Vorster’s cabinet.

David Kotane-ANC guerrilla leader commanding the Broken Covenant strike force.

Commandant Henrik Kruger, SADF-Commander, 20th Cape Rifles.

Colonel Sese Luthuli—A senior officer in Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military arm of the African National Congress.