As fractured and contradictory as they were, he felt the radio transmissions gave him a better sense of what was going on. They were more visceral, and he could judge from the excitement in the voices what the men on the ground were feeling about the battle. They were done; it was over, it had been a good mission, and now things were going to be easy for a day or two or three. The sudden appearance of the drones changed everything. The two aircraft popped up over the water a few miles from the coast. As they did, the elint-equipped Global Hawk II being commanded from back in the Cube detected a transmission. The game was on. “Basher Two, you see those aircraft?” asked Danny. “Affirmative,” said Turk. “We just got them on radar. I was about to radio you.” “Aircraft are considered hostile,” said Danny. “You are authorized to shoot them down.” “Copy that. Basher One, you copy?” “Basher One copies. We’re cleared hot. Bandits are hostile and will be engaged. I’m talking to ground now.”
