Today’s
excerpt is from Back To China, a standalone Jim Scott book, featuring Jim, some
old friends, and a newer one. Jim decides
the best way to get two kidnapped scientists back from China is to rescue them
by first parachuting out of a B-2 at 30,000 feet. Enjoy and have a fantastic day.
m.j.
While Tony and
Hector were making their calls, the President had spoken to the Wing Commander
at Whiteman Air Force Base. He told him
he was to take any requests from Jim Scott as having come from him directly. He also informed the Wing Commander the phone
he was using was on speakerphone.
After the Wing
Commander reluctantly agreed, Jim got right to the point of the call. “Sir, I’ve got a couple of questions for
you. Is it possible to bail out of one
of your B-2s? I mean, is it feasible for
someone other than the pilots in an abandoning mode.”
“While the A/C
wasn’t designed with that in mind, with some temporary modifications in the
bomb bay, it can probably be done with reasonable risks—depending on numbers of
people and amount of support equipment. How
many and how much do you have in mind?”
“There will be
four of us. Could you accommodate that
many in the bomb bay, with the necessary support and survival equipment for a
drop from 30K.”
“I suppose it
could be done—and before you ask, we could probably keep you from freezing to
death before dropping you. We would also
rig communication between you and the flight crew. Do you mind if I ask why you would take this
type of risk?”
Jim explained
about the two kidnapped physicists and what they had been working on before being
captured by the Chinese, then added, “Timing is of the essence. It is our judgment that they must be rescued
within twenty-four hours, to keep what they know from being bled from
them. What we plan is for the four of us
doing the jump to rescue them, then be picked up by a C-130 already in route to
the area. We have GPS on the exact
location of the facility where they are being held—it’s in Qinghai Province.”
“Whew. We’ll make it work, Mr. Scott. When do I expect you?”
“One member of
the team is arriving via car. His name
is Bob Becker. Please have him met at
the front gate and brought to you. The
other three of us will be arriving on the fastest plane available at
Andrews. I hope to leave within the next
half hour. Have a couple more
requests. In addition to the thermal
gear you’ll come up with to keep us from freezing to death, we will need black—or
black and dark green—camos, with a yellow star on a red field on the left
chest. We’ll also need some sort of
Chinese-looking hat with the same logo on the hat. Can do?”
“We’ll get what
you want together, somehow. Anything
else?”
“How are you at
praying?”
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