Mason stood in the door, got a good grip on the line and jumped. As they had practiced dozens of times, the SEALs dropped a two-inch-thick rope that was secured to the hoist bracket down to the deck, then they donned heavy welder gloves. He said he would call as soon as he was aboard the LZ, military shorthand for landing zone, and quickly slipped his phone back into its pouch.Įvery man knew that this was when the teams were at their most vulnerable. He called the other teams to report visual contact. He made out the silhouette of an enormous ship plowing wake through the sea. Mason donned his night-vision goggles and ordered his platoon to do the same. After a thorough search, they climbed back to the main deck. The squads continued into the ship, and still they encountered no one. Proceed according to plan and cut out the lousy poetry." Gone through the crew and officers' quarters. In addition, the helicopter had sharp teeth: two M-60 machine guns and a Hellfire missile system.Ī voice crackled in Mason's earpiece. It was relatively quiet, had an infrared jammer and suppressor system, a radar threat-warning receiver and other electronic eyes and ears. The HH 60-H helicopter was ideal for the job. The mission depended on delaying detection until the last possible moment. They had rehearsed boarding vessels at sea dozens of times, but this was the real McCoy. Mason knew from hard experience that dropping out of the sky onto a huge and possibly heavily armed moving ship in open ocean and disarming an unknown explosive was not exactly a piece of cake. It seemed only seconds passed before the pilot said, "Visual contact." The tension was so thick he could have cut it with the knife at his belt. It was an unnecessary gesture because all his men were plugged into the helicopter's communications system, but he did it for emphasis. On the way, they passed men who were stationed on the decks and wings of the bridge keeping watch. Moving quickly, Mason led his team to the wheelhouse. Radio talk would be kept to a minimum as they swept the ship from one end to the other. He waved the light stick to let the port team know all was well. The lieutenant pulled a light stick from his vest and snapped it back and forth so that the chemicals inside mixed and glowed a cold blue. Mason could handle explosives in a pinch, but Baron was a pro. He was glad to see that the ordnance expert, Joe Baron, had made it safely. "Roger," Louis answered, although it must have killed him not to say "Dodger." Satisfied the deck was clear, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft past the masts and antennae and hovered at fifty feet. Thermal-imaging viewers scanned the ship for heat areas that would indicate human presence. At the last moment, when it seemed as if they were going to slam into the side of the ship, the Seahawks cut their speed, swooped up and over the vessel and hovered over each side of the wide stern deck. They were seconds away from their target. Besides, it was the air force's turn to name this mission." "Doubt if the admiral would like being called Goldilocks. "Lieu tenant, I think you should get up to the bridge as quickly as possible." The voice of the 2IC came onto Mason's radio.
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