The Daedalus Protocol by Jeff Sheckter

Author:Jeff Sheckter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jeff Sheckter
Published: 2023-05-11T20:31:51+00:00

μέρος τρίτο

Part Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Bet Shemesh, Israel

February 11, 1:04 a.m.

Gryph was running through his mental checklist before they exited the vehicle and laid boots on the ground. The Daedalus crew had been snaking through deserted roads for the last hour and just pulled into the town of Bet Shemesh. This small desert metropolis of 125,000 people was about a half hour drive from Jerusalem and the last major stop before they would cross into Arab-controlled territories in Hebron.

“We’re five minutes out from the edge of the city,” Chief said to the five passengers in the back.

A Wolf Armored Vehicle, known as a Ze’ev in Israel, was transporting Gryph, Ali, Phil, Daedalus, and a newcomer to the ground mission inside its bulletproof cab. Solo Daniels, the probationary pilot who’d helicoptered them into New York on their first day, had also piloted Hera. Having Solo take command of the massive business jet was the final step in completing his recruitment process. He’d performed every assignment flawlessly. Solo was now the official pilot of the Daedalus crew responsible for managing all flight operations going forward. The ex-fighter pilot had flown some hairy combat missions during the war in Afghanistan and was already an Air Force Silver Star and Air Force Cross recipient. Daedalus recruited him immediately after his last rotation. Gryph felt it would be smart to bring him along and see how he performed in the field under pressure. He didn’t anticipate any serious action during their current incursion, but he could always use an extra pair of eyes and ears. He knew Solo was a decorated and experienced pilot and military man, but he wanted to see if he was as cool and in control on the ground as he was at forty thousand feet.

They maneuvered their way through the city, traversing the narrow streets until they reached the outskirts of the Israeli town, bringing them even closer to the Arab security patrols. Their armored vehicle kicked up dust as it tore down a long gravel road before reaching a dead end by way of a heavy metal gate. The yard they were stopped at was ringed by a thick metal fence, topped with rusting strands of concentric razor wire. The gate in front of the Ze’ev rolled open just wide enough to allow the vehicle to pass through. They inched slowly forward, realizing they were surrounded by armed soldiers on all sides. When their vehicle cleared the gate, it closed immediately behind them. The remote location of the yard afforded them roads that were devoid of cars or foot traffic. Their rendezvous point looked like a car dealership, a junkyard, and a mechanic’s shop rolled into one. The first stage of their advance from Hera to that point had proceeded like clockwork, but that was the easy part. Everything would get more difficult from here. Their IDF escort dared not proceed much further in the Wolf. Any incursion by the Israeli military could be perceived as an act of aggression if they were confronted by Arab security patrols.

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