Kara’s Game. Gordon Stevens

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СКАЧАТЬ minutes to go – Janner counted down.

      ‘Mission approved,’ he and Finn were informed on the secure net. ‘Confirm laser coding.’ To ensure that the pilot received the correct target positioning.

      ‘Charlie Two Two. Laser coding confirmed. Over.’ Janner on burst, the transmission lasting a millisecond.

      ‘Charlie Two One. Confirmed. Over.’ Finn.

      The guns pounded again

      ‘Thunder One airborne,’ the FAC and UNMO teams were informed.

      ‘Confirm you are still in danger,’ MacFarlane was requested.

      ‘Confirmed.’

      So what was she going to do? Kara held Jovan close and rocked him gently. Try to get him to the medical centre in Maglaj new town, which would mean running the risk of the snipers in the daylight and the guns even in the dark? Or stay here and pray the fever didn’t develop and the pain went away?

      The guns were still pounding.

      ‘Thunder One over Adriatic,’ the FAC and UNMO teams were informed. ‘Thunder One crossing coast. Thunder One over Bosnian air space.’

      ‘Magic Five Five.’ The Jaguar pilot to the communications AWACS. ‘This is Thunder One entering the area.’

      ‘Roger, Thunder One. This is Magic Five Five. You are cleared to contact Charlie Two One and Charlie Two Two.’

      ‘Charlie Two One. This is Thunder One. Radio check.’

      Thank God, Finn and Janner thought.

      ‘Roger, Thunder One. This is Charlie Two One. Loud and clear.’

      ‘Charlie Two Two. This is Thunder One. Radio check.’

      ‘Roger, Thunder One. This is Charlie Two Two. Loud and clear. Check position.’

      ‘This is Thunder One. Now thirty miles south of Maglaj.’ The Jaguar travelling at a mile every six seconds and losing altitude for the run-in.

      ‘Roger, confirm target position,’ Janner requested.

      The first target – Janner’s target – was camouflaged in a yard at the side of two houses, both empty except for the gun crews.

      ‘Target as briefed.’

      ‘Okay, Thunder One.’ Janner switched on the laser marker. ‘Lima on.’

      The pilot saw the cross in the HUD, the head-up display, the L to the right indicating the laser was operating. He checked the code and selected the rocket on the weapons panel.

      Four miles and twenty-four seconds out. Cross and L in HUD – he checked automatically. Everything okay.

      Can’t see target but I can see buildings, he thought.

      The ground was a hundred feet below and he was following the course of the valley.

      Three miles and eighteen seconds out.

      I can see two buildings where the target should be, he thought.

      Two miles and twelve seconds.

      I can’t see any guns. I can only see two houses.

      One mile and six seconds.

      Kara heard the thunder. What is it, Jovan asked. I don’t know, she told him.

      ‘Aborting run. No target in sight. I can only see two houses.’ He was already a mile past the target.

      ‘Yeah,’ he heard the man on the ground. ‘The guns are camouflaged in a yard to your left of the houses.’ And you should have known that, because it was on my report. Except somewhere along the line somebody forgot to tell you.

      ‘Okay, Charlie Two Two. Coming round again. With you in forty seconds.’

      ‘Okay, Thunder One. Lima on.’

      In the winter light, the sun glinted on the laser sight.

      ‘Thunder One. This is Magic Five Five.’ The command and control AWACS. ‘Are you task complete?’

      The Jaguar was five miles and thirty seconds from the target.

      ‘Negative, Magic Five Five. This is Thunder One. Will be in thirty seconds.’

      ‘Thunder. This is Magic. Abort. Abort.’

      The Jaguar was four miles and twenty-four seconds out.

      Christ, the pilot thought. ‘Magic, confirm mission abort and reason.’ Because someone – somehow – might be playing silly buggers.

      Three miles and eighteen seconds.

      At the head of the valley the sun glinted again on the laser sights.

      ‘Thunder One. This is Magic Five Five. You are to abort. I time authenticate Whisky Juliet.’

      Each operation was coded for such a situation, the code changed every two minutes. The pilot checked the authentication code. ‘Confirm reason for abort,’ he asked.

      Two miles and twelve seconds out.

      ‘Thunder One. This is Magic Controller. Just fucking abort.’ Meaning how the hell do I know?

      One mile and six seconds.

      In the house Kara heard the thunder again. Listen, she told Jovan. The planes are coming to stop the guns. The planes are coming to save us.

      ‘Charlie Two One and Two. This is Thunder One.’ The Jaguar was past the target and climbing hard above the hills to the north.

      What the hell is this? Janner wondered.

      What the hell’s going on? Finn almost swore.

      ‘Bad news. Just been told to abort the mission.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Sorry. Have to exit area. Good luck.’

      Because the negotiators in Vienna have said they were on the verge of a breakthrough, so do nothing to rock the boat, Janner thought. He waited for the next salvo from the hills. One minute, two, three.

      The guns have stopped, Kara thought. We’re going to live, going to survive. Adin’s coming home and little Jovan will be okay. Nine minutes since the last rounds, ten. Suddenly fifteen, twenty. The planes have done it, Kara whispered to Jovan: the United Nations have saved us. The blue of the sky had turned to purple and the purple was deepening into black, the first stars above them. Told you we could handle it, Janner knew the negotiators in Vienna would be telling each other, told you we could call their bluff. Kara held Jovan in her arms. Almost laughing, almost crying, not sure which but not caring.

      The twilight was gone and the night was cold and hard, the silence СКАЧАТЬ