“Get me the liaison to the Allied forces, I want to speak with him immediately.” said the general to the air, expecting an automatic response from his aide de camp. But none came and he remembered that he had dispatched the man to look for the errant air force colonel.

“Radio,” he barked in anger, “contact flight control, and find out what the hell is going on over there. Where are Major Duranda and that colonel?”

The operator at the radio console spoke briefly into his headset and then turned to the general.

“Sir,” he said nervously, “I have Major Duranda online, sir, and he is requesting to be put through to you.”

“Very well, put him on speaker.”

The operator patched the radio connection through the main speakers and the voice of the general’s aide de camp filled the room.

“General,” said the unnaturally amplified major, “I have a disturbing report from the air field, sir.”

The general paused a moment, waiting for the report, then realized his assistant was being diplomatic, hoping to give his report to the general in private, as was customary. But the general had no time for such niceties, “Well, Major, go on.” he said loudly, “We are in the midst of an active engagement; where is that god damned colonel?”

The major’s voice was clearly strained as he reluctantly gave his report, “Sir, the colonel is unconscious, sir. They found him a few minutes ago. He has received a serious blow to the head and is not responsive at this time.”

“What!” said the general, incredulous.

“Yes, sir, they found him near to the runway, sir. We are moving him to one of the field medical facilities being set up on base, sir, but there is no information at this time as to what happened to him, as he was not injured in the original insurgent attack.” The voice hesitated a moment, then went on, “But that’s not all, sir, they found another unconscious officer with the colonel.”

The general’s mind raced, he had personally toured the base perimeter twice since they had gotten it back under Pakistani army control. There were over seven thousand troops in and around the base at this moment, actively deployed; to think that an insurgent had managed to escape detection was beyond imagining. But the aide was not done.

“Sir, the other officer—” came the aide’s voice once more. There was a pause, the room silent in anticipation as the aide prepared to deliver the last of his report, “The other man they found, sir, is one of the F-16 pilots; one we thought was even now in command of Pelishar Four, sir. I have checked and rechecked the pilot’s lists extensively, sir. I am afraid we have no idea who is flying that plane.”