David Golemon - Ancients

The defensive SAM sites started tracking new targets. These were not giving off false radar bounces and they were anything but incoming aircraft. The commander of the SAMs knew that they were under missile attack. However, before he could give the order to target the Tomahawks coming from the Cheyenne, his radar commander called in ten new targets to the east of Crete and coming on at Mach 1.9--more than twice the speed of sound. The Coalition general knew that the Americans had outsmarted him. To split his remaining SAMs among the two incoming sets of targets was to guarantee that half of the bogeys would get through.

"Sir, the incoming targets to the east are intermittent, not a strong bounce-back. I suspect another trick," his radar officer reported.

Yes, the Americans made the mistake of showing their hand earlier, he thought. Obviously, the targets that had swung around to the east for the attack were nothing more than the same type of missile that radiated like a fighter signature. They hoped to fool them into firing on them again.

"Once too many times to the well," the commander said. "Target only the western bogeys, ignore the eastern threat."

As he watched, SAM after SAM lifted off its launch rails and streaked into the sky headed west. Almost immediately, the general started receiving reports that the incoming targets were being struck without evasive maneuvering. The general raised his field glasses and looked to the lightening western sky. He saw a sky burst as something went down in flames.

"How many targets have been destroyed?"

"Six--there are six still incoming!"

The general closed his eyes and lowered his glasses for a moment. He then brought them back up and looked into the eastern sky and saw, in nightmarelike slowness, that the aircraft he thought had been decoy missiles were actually fighters. The first of the ten F-22A Raptors, acting as a Wild Weasel antiradar attack plane, launched its missiles. He lowered his glasses again before the nine other, started launching their long-range ordnance. Right at that moment, the remaining six cruise missiles he had mistaken for manned aircraft screamed overhead and then air-burst over the SAM batteries. Then the first antiradiation Snake Eye struck the radar and command bunker.

The population of Crete, around 650,000 people, awoke to the tremendous explosions at the center of their island. The cruise-missile airbursts were an added bonus for the American commander. He actually did not think any of them would get through to their targets. The downward pressure of the warhead explosions drove the batteries into a crumpled heap along with the crews who operated them.

The ten F-22A Raptors tore over the island and fired on anything that moved. Either the Coalition troops were running around dazed or they made their way to the giant opening of the excavation.

The sound of helicopters came with the first rays of the sun. V-22 Ospreys and U.S. Marine hovercraft were making a run unopposed to the beaches of Crete.

The Second Battalion, First Marine Expeditionary Force (recon) was starting the land-assault portion of Operation Morning Thunder.

The special conference room had been set up at a moment's notice. The American ambassador had finally talked the delegations from Russia and China into attending, along with any military attaches they chose to bring.

As the live feed from one of the KH-11 satellites continued to show real-time visuals, the room remained silent as a tomb. The destruction in the opening moments of the attack stunned the gathered attaches and diplomats.

Five minutes later, Space Command reported that the Blackbird was drifting out of visual range of the battle and could not maintain the live feed.

"What you have just witnessed was an attack by Coalition forces on military units of the United States. A force you did not believe existed, a group that has made the United States look guilty at every turn in this very murderous game they are playing. Moreover, what is worse is the fact that we have intelligence that states they are going to strike your homelands within the hour. Earthquakes designed to destroy your way of life and take away any offensive military capabilities you have. They are going to make China and Russia so weak they will no longer be a threat to their long-range plans of dominating your societies."

The Russian ambassador silently stood and then looked back at the large screen on which he had just watched many people die. Then he nodded at Compton and left the room with his military attache close behind.

The Chinese delegation sat for a moment. The ten men did not exchange words; they only looked at Niles, gauging his words and watching for the moment when a lie would be detected in the American's face. Slowly, the ambassador rose to his feet, followed by his entourage.

"If you will excuse us, we have much to absorb and much more to discuss with Beijing. Thank you for our inclusion in this briefing."

Compton watched them leave and then harshly pushed a chair out of his way as he grabbed his coat. Their honesty seemed that it would only delay the inevitable.

The president would have to defend those boys in Korea, and Niles knew that this would mean the world would then go to war.

An hour later, Compton was sitting with the president and the National Security Council in the subbasement of the White House.

Niles thought it ironic that the two parties most involved in the conflict were both buried below ground and waiting for things to play out above. He also knew that the Coalition would not be content to wait things out--they were going to strike; and it looked as if Jack and his team wouldn't get to them in time to stop the Wave from unleashing its devastating effects.

On the large monitors placed at the four corners of the room, Marine Corps General Pete Hamilton was seen on a live feed from the USS Iwo Jima .

"Yes, Mr. President, the second assault wave is ashore. We have curtailed the Sea Harrier and Raptor strikes on the island for lack of viable targets. The civilian population has cooperated thus far, and I am using two companies of marines to safeguard the indigenous personnel. That will make the tunnel-assault force light, but we'll have to do it with what we have on hand."

Every man in the room had been impressed with how the plan had unfolded thus far, but the real nut remained to be cracked.

"Any report from Operation Backdoor?" Niles asked from his seat away from the table.

"None. Since we have had no contact, as operational field commander, I must assume they have not reached their objective, dictating that we attack the front door with everything we have."

Niles lowered his head in thought. Only he knew that Collins had never failed at a mission he'd set out to complete.

"Thank you, General. We had one last go at the Russians and Chinese and it looks like they'll have none of what we're selling. So, good luck and Godspeed," the president said as he ordered the satellite feed terminated.

"What's the latest from Korea, General Caulfield?"

"Still just the one spearhead has crossed the border. We have learned that the commanding general has finally crossed with them and is leading the assault. We have a mixed bag of intelligence, some saying that this general," Caulfield looked down at his notes, "Ton Shi Quang, is acting alone and against orders from Pyongyang. Other intel says he is acting directly on Kim Jong Il's orders. In any case, his spearhead will meet up with the Second Infantry Division's armored forces ten miles north of Seoul. Satellite imagery has given us a grim picture of what's to come. The North could cross with thirty-five divisions at any time."

"We all know I cannot let the South Korean government fall. The painful truth of the matter is that we are a prisoner of our own past. We would betray those that have died there in hot war and cold. Either we stop them any way that we can, or have those boys will be overrun."