“Pretty good shooting, Your Highness,” Patrick said as he and the other Night Stalkers joined him a few moments later.

“Shukran gazilan,” Sanusi replied. He looked at the other Mi-24 gunship and nodded happily. “Pretty good piece of flying yourself, Mr. McLanahan.” Sanusi’s men were already taking possession of the vehicles that were still intact—one T-60 tank, four armored personnel carriers, and a Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship.

To Patrick’s surprise, Sanusi’s men and a good number of the Libyan soldiers were greeting each other like long-lost brothers—the Libyan soldiers were tearing off insignia and patches that had anything to do with Zuwayy’s regime, and Sanusi’s men were giving the defecting soldiers imperial insignia to wear. Moments later, they were all lined up before the king and each individually swore loyalty to him in front of the others. They all did so without one moment’s hesitation. The two surviving officers refused to swear loyalty to the true king of united Libya—and were executed on the spot by a knife thrust to the heart, by their own men.

“Turns out most of these men were from the same town, west of Tripoli,” Sanusi said several minutes later after he rejoined Patrick and the other Night Stalkers. “They are based at Al-Jawf. They were sent out to investigate the reports of nuclear weapons and possible hostile military presence at Jaghbub. They believe that if they made contact with any enemy forces Jaghbub was going to be attacked by attack helicopters and bombers from Zillah or rockets from Al-Jawf.”

“Strange that the Libyans haven’t sent more troops, Your Highness,” Hal Briggs observed as the day wore on. “They lost three attack helicopters and a light armor scout platoon—I thought they’d be a bit more curious as to why.”

“They didn’t lose them,” Sanusi replied with a smile. “The platoon has checked in every hour on the half hour, as ordered. The platoon is continuing their search of Jaghbub. They have encountered heavier-than-expected radiation levels, however, and are advising against sending any more forces toward the town.” He was pleased at Briggs’s smile. “Clever, sir. But you realize that won’t last long.”

“We have extended the fiction another day or two, I think,” Sanusi acknowledged. “But soon the platoon will be relieved, and that’s when Zuwayy will strike with force.”

“That’s why we need to attack,” Patrick said. “Let’s get back to Jaghbub and get our planes in the air.”

CHAPTER 7

OUTSIDE ZILLAH AIR BASE, CENTRAL LIBYA
 THAT NIGHT

“Grumble Twelve, this is Lion Seven at checkpoint two- nine-three.”

Dead on course. With all the activity around the base as the division got ready to go to war with the Egyptians, it was a relief to have a helicopter crew where it was supposed to be, especially at night. “Acknowledged, Lion Seven,” the Libyan air defense radio operator replied. “Radar contact, four-eight kilometers bull’s-eye. Verify altitude.”

“Altitude four hundred.”