Chapters (39)
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Acknowledgements
- Epigraph
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
100938ZAPR2012
FLASH
FM: COMSUBPAC
TO: USS MONTANA SSN-823
INFO: COMPACFLT USSOC
SUBJ: OPORDER 2012-0410-TS-001
TOP SECRET
//BT//
1. Upon receipt, terminate current ops, proceed Subic Bay. Arrive NLT 1000 local, 120408
2. On arrival Subic onload dry stores, fresh provisions, thirty (30) day deployment.
3. Offload Advanced Seal Delivery System (ASDS) and embarked SEAL DET minus two (2) qualified Lock Out instructor/operators.
4. Inventory/update all nautical charts, aids to navigation, emphasis littoral east coast China, Taiwan Strait, and environs.
5. Embark US Army SPECOPS team, rig for one (1) female rider.
6. All traffic FLASH precedence action COMSUBPAC, info COMPACFLT, USSOC.
7. Advise originator ASAP any/all mission degrading equipment/personnel concerns.
8. Report ready for sea NLT 0001 local, 150408
9. Mission details to follow.
10. Acknowledge receipt this msg via SLOT
11. Admiral Hendricks sends
//BT//
Gummerson reread the message, signed for receipt, then smiled broadly. He hoped his relief had decent accommodations in Sasebo, because the man would be waiting a little longer before he could steal Gummerson's boat.
GHOST TEAM ISOFAC
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE, PHILIPPINES
APRIL 2012
When U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was shut down back in 1992, the area was slowly converted into a tax- and duty-free zone not unlike those in Hong Kong and Singapore. Despite the naval base's closure, American warships continued taking advantage of the deep, natural harbor in order to resupply and provide their crews much-needed shore leave.
The Freeport Zone was operated by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and it was with this organization that USSOCOM had negotiated to borrow an old navy office building currently under renovation to become a souvenir shop.
Captain Scott Mitchell stood near the door of what was once a conference room. Beside him sat piles of lumber, table saws, and sheets of drywall. He gazed out through the dust at the eight other operators who, like him, were hot and exhausted but eager to learn more about Operation War Wraith, the Ghosts' answer to Pouncing Dragon.
Other than the jet lag, the sore muscles, the blood-shot eyes, and the pounding headache, Mitchell felt great. His people felt likewise and lied about it exactly as he had.
He and Ramirez (now a master sergeant) had already set up the computer and projector so they could begin discussing the target intelligence package they had downloaded a few hours earlier. He began with the Situation Report.
SITREP: Chinese cabal about to escalate war in the Pacific.
Task: Conduct direct action mission to infiltrate into China and terminate Spring Tiger Group at Hakka castle location.
Purpose: Disrupt Spring Tiger Group attack plan, Pouncing Dragon.
Method: Infiltrate into China via submarine, link up with CIA operatives of Chinese descent who will help recon and get into position in and around castle where the cabal members plan to meet on 22 April at 0800.
"Sir, once we're onshore," began Diaz, "how far inland is the target?"