Chapter 71
Three minutes!” the Chinese captain bellowed.
Ice Wolves never complained about the cold.
To a man, they stood in line waiting for their commander’s signal.
Every soldier was bulked up by gear and heavy winter clothing.
The captain wore a headset that connected him to the flight deck.
The pilots had expressed reservations about even attempting the jump.
They voiced concerns about descending to low altitude in such terrible weather.
Aviators, the captain knew, were trained to avoid risk.
He, however, was wired very differently.
He was perfectly aware of the risks of jumping in such conditions.
The strong winds on the surface would have been far out of limits for any training jump.
But this was not an exercise. This was a mission of vital national importance to the People’s Republic.
Still, he thought it wise to take every precaution.
Even though his men were highly trained, he shouted a last-minute briefing.
He reiterated the techniques for landing in high winds and added that they would likely not get a good look at their landing surface.
He reminded everyone that bent legs, along with a tight roll, were a must for dissipating energy on solid ice.
Most important of all, he told them to release their chutes quickly to avoid being dragged away by the fierce winds.
He left unmentioned that the landing area did have certain advantages.
They didn’t have to worry about hanging up on trees or power lines, and snowdrifts in certain areas might cushion their landings.
Best of all, if the most recent intelligence assessment was correct, the opposition force would be minimal: one or two CIA operatives, along with four U.S.
Navy sailors from a nearby submarine. And barely worth mention: one traitorous Chinese scientist. If the ragged group put up any resistance at all, it would be quickly put down.
As something of a footnote, he reminded his men that the scientist should, if at all possible, be taken alive.
The men checked each other’s gear, patting harnesses and tightening ruck straps.
Being a combat force, they were mostly loaded down with weapons and ammo.
In addition to battle rifles, there were grenade launchers and mortars.
The more mundane supplies, things like food, snowmobiles, and tents, would be dropped in the second wave after the Ice Wolves had secured the area and seized their objectives.
The captain received the signal from the flight deck. “One minute!” he shouted.
The side door opened and subzero air filled the cabin. In that moment, the poor cabin heat actually worked in their favor. Had it been warmer inside the aircraft, some of the men might have sweated, and perspiration would freeze almost instantly as they dropped through the frigid sky.
The jump signal light went from red to green.
With a final shout and a slap on the back, the first man launched himself through the door and disappeared. The rest followed right behind him. The interval was kept to a minimum, allowing the platoon to land in a tight group and organize more quickly.
In less than a minute, all twenty-four men were falling through the stormy Arctic sky.