“We got a six-man team. We have a six-day sail to this area.” He pointed to an unfamiliar place on an unfamiliar map. “Your bird looks solid,” he said as his he examined the cargo area.
“Big Bev will always get you home,” Seven replied.
“The boat will drop anchor about sixty-five miles off the coast, we’ll take your bird to here, just inside the coastline. We’ve secured a good clearing for a landing. You’ll drop in here and we’ll deploy the vehicle and gear. Four of us will take the vehicle and gear. A two-man security detail will stay with you and the bird till we return. We anticipate about seventy-five minutes on the ground and then we haul ass back to the boat. Pretty routine trip.”
Davis made the whole event sound like a trip to the store with Seven and Al waiting in the car while momma and daddy picked up the groceries. The problem was with the location of the store. Seven was never a geographical scholar but he knew well that most of the countries in the world that ended with the suffix of “stan” were not generally considered to be all that accepting of the American flag. The first thing Seven noticed on the unfamiliar map was that suffix of “stan.” It was real now. This was a spy mission, and Seven, Al, and six other one-named coverts were about to infiltrate a hostile zone and do some good for the American government. Seven was certain he was about to experience the first of many covert adventures that would surely be the greatest of careers. He couldn’t wait to tell the Colonel.
The wind coming over the bow of the ship was strong, almost strong enough to lift Big Bev off the flight deck without using the overhead propeller. She was heavy with men, cargo, and a vehicle. Seven and Al were seated behind the controls, waiting for the final clearance to leave the ship. It had been a restless six days at sea for them. The deck was busy at 2 a.m. local time. If all went well, they were due to be back on the deck as the sun was rising in the east. Seven addressed the six one-named passengers aboard over the in-flight radio. He advised them of the flight time and weather conditions