'Colonel, you've got a lot of wind there,' Herbert said.
'You'll have to speak up.'
'Bob, we've had a major setback here,' August said loudly and slowly.
'Indian troops from the LOC peppered us with flak on the way down. Most of our personnel were neutralized. Musicant and I are the only ones on the plateau.
Rodgers missed but he may have reached the valley. We don't know if he's hurt. I'm trying to reach him by radio.'
'Say again,' Herbert asked.
'Two safe, one MIA, rest dead.'
'That's correct,' August told him.
The intelligence chief looked up at Hood, who was still standing in the doorway. Herbert's face looked drawn. He muttered something in a taut, dry whisper. Hood could not make out what Herbert was saying.
Perhaps it was not meant to be heard.
But Hood had heard what August said.
'Colonel, are you all right?' Hood asked.
'Mr. Musicant and I are fine, sir,' August replied.
'I'm sorry we let you down.'
'You didn't,' Hood assured him.
'We knew this wasn't going to be an easy one.'
August's words were still working their way into Hood's sleep-deprived brain. He was struggling for some kind of perspective. Those lives could not simply have ended. So many of them had only just begun.
Sondra Devon the Ishi Honda, Pat Prementine, Walter Pupshaw, Terrence Newmeyer, and the rest. Hood's mind flashed on their faces. Dossier photos gave way to memories of drilling sessions he had watched, memorial services, barbecues, tackle football games. It was not the same as the death of one man. Hood had been able to focus on the specifics of losing Charlie Squires or Bass Moore. He had concentrated on helping their families get through the ordeal. The scope of this tragedy and of the personal loss was both overwhelming and numbing.
'What's your assessment. Colonel?' Hood asked. His voice sounded strong, confident. It had to for August's sake.
'We'd still like to try and intercept the cell,' August went on.
'Two extra guns may help them punch through somewhere along the line.'
'We're behind you on that,' Hood said.
'But there are a lot of infantrymen headed our way,' August went on.
'Can you contact the Pakistanis and let them know what happened?' 'We'll try,' Hood said.
'The Pakistani leader has Friday's phone. She is not the most cooperative person we've dealt with.' 'Does she know we're coming?' August asked.
'Affirmative,' Hood told him.
'Has there been any arrangement with her?' August asked.
The colonel was asking who would be calling the shots once they linked up.
'The cell commander and I did not have that conversation,' Hood told him.
'Use your own initiative.' 'Thank you,' August said.
'One more thing, sir. We're looking at darkness and some heavy winds and cold coming in. I hope you have a contingency plan in place.'
'We were just working on that,' Hood lied.
'But we're still counting on you and Corporal Musicant to pull this one through.'
'We'll do our best,' August assured him.
'I know that. We also need you two to stay safe,' Hood said.
August said he would. He also said he would inform Op Center if he managed to raise Mike Rodgers. Then he signed off. Hood disengaged the speakerphone. There was a long moment of silence.
'You all right?' Hood asked Herbert.
Herbert shook his head slowly.
'We had thirteen people out there,' he said flatly.
'I know,' Hood said.
'Kids, mostly.'
'This was my call,' Hood reminded the intelligence chief.
'I gave the operation the go-ahead.'
