Right. Just like a bachelor party in Vegas. What annoys me is that the CIA thinks they have to re-pledge you to secrecy. Like no one but them gets the concept of keeping your mouth shut.
Bottom line, the CIA doesn’t like joint operations, and they see them as babysitting jobs. On the plus side, if something went wrong, they had someone else to blame.
To get something straight, I asked Chet, “Who is running this operation?”
Chet replied, “Buck is the team leader.”
“I mean, who in Washington is running this? Who do
“You don’t want to know.”
Then why did I ask? But obviously this was a CIA operation, directed from the highest level. If it was FBI, they’d make everyone wear blue windbreakers with big white letters that said “FBI.” They like to advertise. The CIA does not.
I asked Chet, “What is your job on this team?”
He reminded us, “I have operational control of the Predators.”
“Right. So we’re going to vaporize this guy?”
He also reminded us, “Predators are used primarily for aerial observation.”
Then why are they called Predators? Why not Doves with good eyesight?
Chet added, “I’ll get to the goal of this mission later.”
You usually start with the goal, then outline the plan. But Black Ops jobs were a little different, mostly because the goal-like whacking someone-was not always legal and therefore not spelled out; it was understood.
Chet began, “First, our intelligence sources-human and electronic-put The Panther in the vicinity of Marib.”
Brenner informed him, “This is what John and I heard from the prisoner in Ghumdan.”
“Right.”
I added, “And your colleagues in Sana’a also questioned the prisoner-or you did.”
No reply.
I asked, “Do you have a transcript of that interrogation?”
“Not yet.” He added, “Translation problems.” He inquired, “May I move on?”
“Sure.”
He continued, “Second, I have to tell you that we’ll be leaving here about midnight and flying to Marib, and we may not be coming back.”
Brenner asked, “Can you phrase that a bit differently?”
Chet actually smiled, then clarified, “If the mission is a success, we will not return here.” He advised us, “Pack only what you absolutely need, and leave everything else in your rooms, to be forwarded on.”
To
Brenner inquired, “And if the mission is not a success?”
“Then we may return here to continue the operation.” He added, “Unless we’re dead.”
Got it.
I informed Chet, “Just to let you know, Kate and I need to hear and approve of the operational plan before we go anywhere. That was the deal.”
Chet didn’t seem to know there was a deal and said, “I think you’ve passed the point of no return on that, Mr. Corey.”
Buck interjected, “John and Kate have volunteered to be bait, so they can suggest some changes to the plan as it relates to their roles.” He then said to Kate and me, “But I must tell you, this may be our only chance to apprehend The Panther before he disappears again.”
Kate replied, “We understand that.”
Chet continued, “We are flying out of Aden Airport on a DHC-6 Twin Otter.” He explained, “This is a two- engine short takeoff and landing plane, with reinforced fixed landing gear, capable of putting down on a road, which we will do.”
Say again?
He also informed us, “The Otter is registered in Kuwait as a regional charter craft, but it will be flown by two American pilots.”
Thank God. The Otter, of course, was actually owned by a CIA front company, and the pilots were CIA employees, though both those facts would be difficult for anyone to prove. The Company has excellent air resources all over the world, known in the trade as Spook Air. If anyone was ever able to count all the aircraft owned by the CIA, Spook Air would probably be bigger than American Airlines.
“Flight time,” said Chet, “will be under three hours.”
On that subject, Spook Air could have gotten us safely from Sana’a to Aden in under three hours without an ambush. But some idiot had decided to see what Al Qaeda knew, and what they could do. And also to see what the Hellfire missiles could do to Al Qaeda. I don’t remember volunteering for that, but if we’d blown up The Panther, I’d be patting Chet on the back now and getting ready to fly to New York instead of Marib.
Brenner asked, “Will there be a pathfinder on the ground?” Meaning a guy with a flashlight or at least a cigarette lighter.
Chet replied, “Yes, a trusted local.”
Brenner informed him, “No such thing.” He flashed back to some jungle clearing in Southeast Asia and said, “It has to be an American.”
“That’s not possible here.” Chet assured Brenner and the rest of us, “We’ve used this man before. He is well paid.” Chet added, “And he has family in the States whom he’d like to see again.”
Me, too. Well… not my in-laws.
Chet continued, “This man, who is code-named Tariq-which means ‘night visitor’-has a hand-held radio that will work on the frequency that the Twin Otter will monitor.” He said, “To mark the runway portion of the road, Tariq has a backpack full of small, self-contained electronic transponders that he’ll place as instructed along the road, and also at the beginning and end of the runway portion of the road to mark the thresholds.” He further explained, “The pilots will be able to see the signals from these transponders on the GPS flight panel display in the cockpit.” Chet assured us, “Tariq has done this dozens of times and so have the pilots.”
“And you?”
“Many times.” Chet continued, “All the transponders will be turned on when Tariq sets them on the road, but just before our arrival, Tariq will consider wind conditions and other factors, then turn off the threshold transponders at one end of the runway-the end he doesn’t want us to approach from. The pilots will now know the direction of their landing, but more importantly, if all the transponders are still on at both ends of the road-or if none of them are on-that would mean that Tariq, for some reason, is out of action.”
“Or sleeping like those schmucks who were supposed to videotape the Cole explosion.”
Chet forced a polite smile and continued, “That will be our first indication that we need to pull up and keep going.” He went on, “If the transponders are all set properly, then the pilot will ask Tariq by radio a single question-‘Any dust?’ Tariq will say ‘Yes’ if there are unfriendlies in the area, or if he has a gun pressed to his head. If Tariq says, ‘No dust tonight,’ then it’s all clear. And he will double verify that he is not under duress by also saying ‘Safe landing’ as we approach the runway.” Chet added, unnecessarily, “If he doesn’t say those words, or if the threshold transponders are not properly set, then we fly directly back to Aden.”
I saw this in a World War II movie once, but the pathfinder got captured by the Nazis, who tortured him and made him give them the sign and countersign for all clear. Everyone on the incoming aircraft was captured or killed. War is hell.
Buck told us, “I’ve made a few night landings around the country under similar circumstances, and it’s always gone well.”
Obviously, or you wouldn’t be here to say that.
Chet added, “Al Qaeda is too stupid to have identified Tariq as working for us, but even if they did, they’re too stupid to follow him, and too stupid to turn him around. They’d just kill him.” He added, “They’re not Germans.”
He must have seen that movie. But Al Qaeda was not
Chet also assured us, “Predators will be watching our approach and landing.”