176 DALE BROWN

"I know the limits of this crew and aircraft," Ormack said.

"We have the capability to engage DreamStar and hopefully detain him long enough for help to arrive. I won't go beyond the limits of my responsibility or common sense-"

"You already have. He can launch a missile against us at any second--

"Seventy miles and closing fast, General."

"Wendelstat, sit back and shut up, " Colonel Jeff Khan, the copilot, broke in. "The general knows what he's doing."

Ormack reached up to the overhead communications console and switched his command radio to channel eleven. "CATTLECAR, this is Dog Zero Two. We have the hostile at our twelve o'clock, seventy miles. Closing on an intercept course. Requesting instructions from HAWC Alpha as soon as possible."

"Break. Zero T\vo, this is HAWC Alpha. You can't do anything up there, John. We're vectoring in the F-16s now. Get out of the area as fast as you can. Over."

"I've got a lock-on and I'm turning for an I. intercept, Alpha," Ormack answered back. "I can turn it into a radar pass at any time. Just say the word."

"Sixty miles."

"He's got two Scorpion missiles, John," Elliott said. "Repeat-he's armed with two live Scorpions. You won't have a chance. Disengage and leave the area-"

"I've got two Scorpions too, General. Plus I've got jammers that can counter the Scorpion's active radar. He doesn't.

"He can fly circles around your Scorpions--

Ormack interrupted again. "I can engage him, maybe force him to turn back, maybe knock the sonofabitch down. Or I can let him fly our plane to Central America or wherever the hell he's going. Which is it going to be?"

No immediate reply. Ormack nodded-he'd otten his answer.

9

"Radar, change to Scorpion-attack profile. Crew, prepare to engage hostile air target."

Frost had his finger on the function key and hit it even before Ormack finished giving the order. Immediately the Old Dog heeled over into forty degrees of bank, then abruptly rolled out.

It was now aiming for a spot several miles along DrearnStar's flight path, projecting out to intersect the fighter's path at the AIM-12OC's optimum flight range. Ormack pushed his throttles up to full power, then reached over to his left-side panel and DAY OF THE CHEETAH 177

flipped a gang-barred four-way switch. "Guns, you have Scorpion missile launch consent."

"Confirmed," Angelina Pereira replied. "Left pylon on automatic launch, missile counting down ... twenty seconds to launch.

On the UHF radio Ormack said, "CATTLECAR, this is Dog Zero Two. Clear airspace for red fox engagement. Be advised, red buzzer activity on all frequencies. Dog Zero Two out." On interphone Ormack said, "Defense, clear for electronic countermeasures. Crew, prepare for air combat engagement."

"Fifteen seconds . . ."

Suddenly a metallic, computer-modified voice cut in on the frequency: "Dog Zero Two, disengage. I'm warning you."

Khan looked puzzled. "Who the hell was . . . ?"

"ANTARES. The master computer on DrearnStar. " Ormack flipped to the channel. "This is Dog Zero Two. Who's this?"

"This is Colonel Andrei Ivanschichin Maraklov, General Ormack. " Maraklov thought before continuing: should he give his American name? But he @was never going to return to America-the KGB or the CIA would see to that-and they would find out anyway. "You know me as Captain Kenneth Francis James, sir. "

Ormack swore through his oxygen mask. "Goddamn-Ken James stole DreamStar." He switched his command radio to channel eleven. "Alpha, monitor GUARD channel. Urgent." He then quickly switched his radio to the universal emergency frequency, GUARD.

"James-Ken-Mara . . . whatever the hell it is . . . land that plane immediately. I have orders to attack." On interphone he told Angelina Pereira to get ready to cancel the auto attack.

"Yes, sir . . . ten seconds."

"Turn off your attack radar immediately, General Ormack,"

the computerized voice of Maraklov on the emergency channel said, "or I will have no choice but to defend myself."

"Damn it, James, you're about ten seconds from getting your ass blown out of the sky. Decrease speed and lower your landing gear or I'll engage."

No reply.

"Five seconds . . . four . . . three .

"Any change in his airspeed or heading?"

"Negative," from Frost. "Still goin' full blast .

"Launch commit," Angelina said.