Schofield couldn't believe it
There were Marines outside Wilkes Ice Station； right outside Wilkes Ice Station。 Only one mile out The first thing Schofield wanted to know was…
〃Romeo； how long have you been out there？〃
〃Ah； about thirty…eight minutes now； Scarecrow；〃 Romeo's voice said。
Thirty…eight minutes； Schofield thought with disbelief。 A squad of Recon Marines had been sitting on their asses outside Wilkes for the last half hour。
Suddenly a voice came over Schofield's helmet inter… not over the radio room's speakers。 It was Romeo。
〃Scarecrow； I gotta talk to you privately。〃
Schofield clicked off the station's radio and spoke into his helmet mike。 Romeo was using the closed…circuit Marine channel。
〃Romeo； what the fuck are you doing？〃 Schofield said。 He couldn't believe it。 While he had been inside the station doing battle with Trevor Barnaby； a whole unit of Marines had been arriving at Wilkes Ice Station and waiting outside。
〃Scarecrow； it's a fucking circus out here。 Marines。 Green Berets。 Hell； there's a whole goddamn platoon of Army Rangers out here patrolling the one…mile perimeter。 National mand and the Joint Chiefs sent every unit they could find to cover this station。 But the thing is； once we got here； they ordered us to wait until a Navy SEAL team arrived。 Scarecrow； my orders are very clear： if any one of my men moves toward that station before that SEAL team arrives； he is to be fired upon。〃
Schofield was stunned。 For a moment he didn't say anything。
Suddenly the situation became clear to him。
He was in exactly the same position that Andrew Trent had been in in Peru。 He had got to the station first He had found something inside it And now they were sending a SEAL team…the most ruthless； most deadly special forces unit the United States possesses…into the station。
A line from Andrew Trent's e…mail suddenly popped into Schofield's head：
USMC PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT HAS YOU LISTED AS DEAD。
Schofield swallowed deeply as the horror of the realization hit him。
They were sending in the SEALs。
They were sending in the SEALs to kill him。
SEVENTH INCURSION
16 June 2200 hours
〃Romeo； listen to me；〃 Schofield said quickly。 〃The ICG planted men in my unit。 One of my own men began killing my wounded。 That SEAL team they're sending in is going to e in here and kill me。 You have to do something。〃
Schofield felt a chill run down his spine when he realized that he was saying to Romeo exactly the same thing that Andrew Trent had said to him from that temple in Peru。
〃What do you want me to do？〃 Romeo said。
〃Tell them that there's nothing in here；〃 Schofield said。 〃Tell them there's no spaceship buried in the ice。 Tell them it's just an old Air Force black project that got left down here for some reason。〃
〃Uh； Scarecrow； I have no information on what's inside that station。 I don't know anything about spaceships buried in the ice or Air Force black projects。〃
〃Well； that's what this is all about； Romeo。 Listen to me。 I have fought French paratroopers for this station。 I have fought Trevor Barnaby and a platoon of SAS mandos for this station。 I do not want to be killed by a bunch of my own psycho countrymen after all I've been through； you hear me！〃
〃Just hold on a second； Scarecrow。〃
There was silence on the other end of the line。
After a minute； Romeo said； 〃Scarecrow； I just consulted with the Army Ranger Captain out here…guy named Brookes； Arlin Brookes…and he said that he will shoot any of my men who attempt to enter the station before the SEAL team arrives。 〃
Schofield pulled out his printed copy of Andrew Trent's e…mail； the list of ICG informers。 His eyes fell on one entry：
BROOKES； ARMN F。 A。 RNGRS CPTN
Son of a bitch； Schofield thought。 It was the same guy he had run into outside the temple in Peru。 Arlin F。 Brookes。 ICG cocksucker。
Romeo said； 〃OK； Scarecrow。 Listen up。 I may not be able to e in； but I'll tell you something I heard about thirty minutes ago。 The Wasp is sailing about three hundred nautical miles off the coast； out in the open sea。 After we got here； I got a call from Jack Walsh on the Wasp。 About thirty minutes ago； a patrol of four Marine Harriers shot down a British VC…10 tanker plane about 250 nautical miles off the coast after the tanker tried to make a run for it。〃
Schofield was silent。
He knew what Romeo was getting at。
Tanker airplanes exist for one reason and one reason only： to top up the fuel on attack planes on long…distance missions。
If a British tanker airplane had been shot down 250 miles off the coast； then it was a good bet that somewhere out there； there was another British plane； an attack plane…a bomber or a fighter…that had been getting its fuel from the tanker。 And it probably had orders to…
Oh； no； Schofield thought； realizing。 It was Barnaby's eraser。
Like the French team's eraser； that British fighter probably had orders to fire upon Wilkes Ice Station if Trevor Barnaby didn't call in within a certain time。
Romeo said； 〃The Air Force has been called in。 They're sweeping the air over the ocean with AWACS birds and F…22 fighters。 They're looking for a rogue British fighter and they have orders to shoot on sight。〃
Schofield fell back into his chair。
He frowned； rubbed his forehead。 The world was closing in around him。
He was trapped。 Totally and utterly trapped。 The SEALs would be ing in soon…whether or not they realized there was nothing to be gained from this station。 And even if Scho…field managed to evade them after they stormed the station； there remained the possibility that Wilkes would be destroyed by an air…to…ground missile from a rogue British fighter off the coast。
There was one option； though； he thought。
Go outside and surrender to Romeo before the SEALs arrived。 At least that way； they would stay alive。 And if Schofield had learned nothing from this whole day； it was that if you stayed alive； you still had a chance。
Schofield keyed his helmet mike。 〃Romeo； listen…〃
〃Oh； shit； Scarecrow。 They're here。〃
〃What？〃
〃The SEALs。 They're here。 They just let them through the outer perimeter。 Four hovercrqfts。 They're ing toward the station plex now。〃
One mile out from Wilkes Ice Station an armada of hovercrafts formed a long； unbroken line。 They were arrayed in a semicircle on the landward side of the station and they were all pointed inward…pointing in toward the station。
At that moment； however； four navy blue hovercrafts broke through the line and glided across the ice plain toward the station。 They wended their way through the outer buildings of the station plex； in no apparent hurry。
They were the SEAL hovercrafts。
Inside the lead hovercraft； the SEAL mander keyed his radio。 〃Air Control； this is SEAL team； report；〃 he said。 〃I confirm previous instructions。 We will not enter the station until we are sure you have the bogey。〃
〃SEAL team； this is Air Control。 Stand by；〃 a voice on the radio said。 〃We are standing by for a report from our birds right now。〃
At that very same moment； at a point 242 nautical miles out from Wilkes Ice Station； six F…22 USAF fighters rocketed over the Southern Ocean。
The F…22 is the most advanced air superiority fighter in the world； the heir to the throne of the old F…15 Eagle。 But while the F…22 looks a little like the old F…15 Eagle； the F…22 has one thing the F…15 never had…stealth。
In the lead F…22； the squadron leader was listening to his helmet radio。 When the voice at the other end finished speaking； the squadron leader said； 〃Thanks； Bigbird； I see him。〃
On his puterized display screen the squadron leader saw a small blip heading west。 A readout on the screen read：
TARGET ACQUIRED： 103 NM WNW AIRCRAFT DESIGNATED： E…2000
An E…2000； the squadron leader noted。 The Eurofighter 2000。 A twin…engine； highly maneuverable pocket fighter； the E…2000 was a joint project of the British； German； Spanish； and Italian Air Forces。
On the squadron leader's screen the blip appeared to be flying casually； pletely unaware of the stealthy American fighters a hundred miles behind it。
〃All right； people；