Interdiction, W.Addison Gast [room on the broom read aloud .txt] 📗

and she can cover most anything that is thrown our way. If she calls, be straight out with her and give her what she needs. You’ll make a good friend there.”
“Roger. I heard that she is pretty cool. I remember just before she was chosen for the big guy’s running mate, she came over to Saudi and my folks were her host probably three or four times. My Mom sure likes her.”
DJ closed the communication and headed for the chopper.
He didn’t make it to the chopper before a tall awkward looking and loud talking reporter was trying to catch up with him. DJ reached over and grabbed one of the HAZMAT head covers and placed it on his head leaving the cami jungle cover in place and with the sunglasses, he could as well been Anwar Sadat. No cameras allowed on this jobsite thought DJ. The last thing I need is photos of me first on the scene here.
Tim was already in the seat behind the pilot giving instructions when DJ jumped in. The reporter, dressed in kakis that looked like they required every ounce of starch the hotel had in inventory to make the razor sharp creases continued to press for conversation while running up to the chopper. The idiot looked like something between a stork in an Army uniform and Frank Buck complete with button down flaps over the pockets. There was probably one on the back of his hat as well. “Tell FOSS NEWS how long ago this disaster happened” he yelled sticking the microphone inside the door.” You want a ride back to your hotel bar guy? DJ screamed at the guy standing outside. “Then you better move that chopper you came in on because there is going to be an air drop right where it is parked in ten minutes.” DJ climbed in and slammed the door on the microphone and it broke into three hundred small plastic pieces. He opened the door just wide enough to push all the pieces back out at the amazed looking reporter standing there holding the end of a wire that had nothing on the end of it./

DJ moved over to where Tim Moore was sitting and noticed that he had on an intercom lip mike. He asked Tim to request the pilot to make a pass over the city of Lahore on the return to Kabul. He watched as a lengthy conversation between Moore and the Captain that was skipper of the shiny new Skyhawk. Tim turned to DJ and said; “The Captain asked who wanted the route change and I told him you did. He asked what authority you had to do that and I told him Homeland Security. He says he needs someone with more horsepower than a Lieutenant to make the mission shift. “
“Can I use your lip mike Tim?” Asked DJ
Placing the lip mike and earpiece on his head DJ moved over to where the pilot could turn around and see who was talking to him.
“Captain I need to take a short recon of the disaster area around Lahore on our return. Are you low on fuel or what is the reason you can’t fly east for about twenty miles.? We won’t need to land, I just want to look at the area.”
“Lieutenant, we are flying this mission under the control of CENTCOM Kabul and my orders were to take Tim Moore and group to the bridge there and return. No deviation. Those were my orders.” The Captain was being a puss about the situation and he knew it. His copilot looked over at DJ and smiled a grin fuck at him.
“Tim. Tell them to hold here. No lift-off. Give me five minutes on my satcell.”
“Not a problem here DJ. You know that even if I asked to make that change these two Aces we have driving would give me the same story.”
“Right Tim. Back in five.”
DJ went to the rear of the cargo compartment and dialed on his satcell and told Penny his problem. Penny asked the side number of the chopper and its call sign then she said she’d take care of it immediately and while they were connected, she wanted him to know that he would be getting a call from the Vice President shortly because the event had hit the media like a ton. He assured he would give the Vice President whatever she asked. He closed the call and returned up to where Tim was seated. He motioned over to the crew chief of the Skyhawk that he would like a lip mike and earpiece. The crew chief handed the set to DJ and indicated where he could insert the jack so he could talk and hear not only the intercom but also the VHF and other frequencies.
DJ inserted the chord into the communications panel and turned on the ear piece. It was the pilot talking to the copilot.
“Thinks every time they get onboard that they automatically become the aircraft commander. Well, he’s not, he is a freeking Lieutenant and from what I can guess, fresh out of West Point.”
“Be careful what you say to the other guy though Captain, the IBAR, he has a lot of juice around the command.” Chimed in the copilot.
“We’ll only be a few more minutes Gentlemen. I’m expecting a call authorizing our plan change.” DJ looked at the two pilots who were surprised to see that DJ had on the lip mike and was listening to them as well as what he had said. Within a nano-second the radio crackled;
SKYHAWK 498941 CENTCOM. OVER.
The Captain grabbed the volume control and acknowledged the call. He had never had a call direct from CENTCOM.
It was if blue smoke was coming out of the radio mike. The Captain was saying “Roger,Yes sir, Yes Sir very well sir.” 498941 out.”
The Captain turned to DJ and said “We’ll be over the city in fifteen sir.” Before realizing he had addressed a junior officer as Sir.
Tim Moore who had witnessed this entire escapade, smiled, laid his hat forward to shade his eyes, folded his arms on his chest and stretched out to catch ten
“Was that actually Lt. General Finny on the radio Captain? “Asked the copilot over the intercom.
“Shut up and establish a heading for Lahore Captain” Was the reply from the left seat.
The river entered the town from the north and directly divided the area neatly in two halves. Straight through the town, no turns or bends. From the air it was possible to see not only the number of bodies lined up next to each other in several parking lots, but also the activity of the medical teams working the area. The river was completely empty of people but not bodies. They had removed some of the bodies by using emergency crews in shifts dressed in hazmat clothing. The military had established an incident command center off to the left of a large soccer arena and was working from there. Vehicles coming into the command center were being directed to the assets reserve area for assignment logistically. Flying to the south of town where the river exited the heavily populated area, DJ remarked to Tim that it would appear that the main damage was done in the city and there was no longer a danger to the people downstream. Tim Agreed
The chopper turned one eighty and headed back to Kabul. They had been on the return leg about fifteen minutes when the pilots received a call for DJ. “Please put Lt. Jacobs on the radio. He has a call from the Vice President.” Was all the caller said. This time it was a positive assumption that both pilot and copilot made brown hash marks in their skivvies.
Dj took the call. “Lt Jacobs here, not a secure link.”
“We have a scrambled link on this end Lt. what is the problem?” It was Penny. She was acting as a communications director for the VP.
DJ told her that he was airborne and the pilot and copilot were connected. “Tell them to disconnect their phone jacks until this conversation is ended DJ” Was the reply. DJ only had to glance at the two up front and the were reaching for their chords to comply with the wishes of that feminine voice.
“Lt Jacobs. VP Sally OMally here. I have a few questions for you if you will please excuse the lack of formalities but I think you’ll agree this is a most urgent situation.”
“Yes Maam. What can I provide you with?” Asked DJ
“Do you believe this is the same group that you were tracking in Afghanistan.”
“Reliability factor nine Maan. We have a photo of the same guy that crossed the Iran border with them and it matches the body we found in the van.”
“Do they still have this deadly formula that Brigadier Jacobs has told me about to your knowledge or do you think that they used it all where you are now?”
“I’d bet the farm Maan. They still have enough to cause a very large disaster if they get the opportunity again.”
“Are you getting the support you need there to carry out your mission Lieutenant ?”
“Yes Maam, 100% cooperation. We had a slight problem with the Israeli group here that Penny can tell you about but that is history.”
“Very well Lieutenant, please call my office when you return to this area. I’d like to meet with you.”
“Yes Maam, I will be pleased to do that. Right now I can’t tell you for sure when that will be, but I will do it.”
“Thank you Lieutenant.” The VP was gone.
“DJ—are you returning at this moment to Kabul?” It was Penny Buckley.
“A-firm.”
“Advise what you decide to do with that one captive we have been discussing. “ She was talking about Raj—he was sure. Evidently, she was smart enough to know that the Mossad was turned onto their frequency-scramble or no scramble.
“My first priority after we hit the deck Penny. I’ll advise within the next five hours. Sheephearder out.”
The chopper swung in low over the tarmac at Kabul and stayed airborne up to the operations building and then set down. DJ asked Tim if he needed a lift or wanted to go anywhere else.
“Thanks Lieutenant but after a few hours back here at the office, I think I’d better set up headquarters in Lahore for awhile.”
DJ gave Tim his satcell number and thanked him for the assistance that afternoon and climbed into the black SUV and headed to the detention area where Raj and the others had been left.

Chapter 21
Same game, different room

The detention center for insurgents in Kabul was
Very different than the previous locations where DJ had held the prisoners. This was a large penitentiary and it looked very foreboding As the SUV drive presented his credentials to the security guard, he turned and asked DJ to do the Same.
The guard looked at both ID’s and then came to attention and saluted DJ. The sentry called inside his guard shack and immediately a young Lt. came around the car and climbed in with DJ and the driver. “He will take you through the next check points and to the holding cell Lt. Jacobs.” The guard called him by name.
It was not surprising to see three of the Moussad crew standing outside the entrance to the small detention center. They were without their leader but DJ was confident that he would see his face within minutes..
The warden was an Afghan Lt. General and wanted to see DJ as soon as he landed in the chopper. DJ