very disturbing sensation-one that left him feeling like he was not entirely in control of his destiny. And for a person like Hunter, that was a very frightening prospect indeed.
Suddenly, the radar that was built into Hunter's brain started humming. The magical sixth sense that he simply called the feeling , told him something was wrong. Somewhere.
He was about to click his radio microphone to call back to the train when Catfish radioed up to him instead. "Get to Dodge City ASAP, Hawk," he heard his friend say with the chilling tone of déjà vu . "The Wrecking Crew just fell into one hell of a mess . . ."
Chapter 13
Unlike the quiet, but grisly, reception in Topeka, the F-4X Super Phantoms of the Ace Wrecking Company were welcomed to old Dodge City the old-fashioned way: with a storm of gunfire.
Sent ahead to recon the airport near the city, Crunch and Elvis Q had just spotted the outline of the field on the horizon when the sky was suddenly filled with Sparrow air-to-air missiles.
"Where the hell did they come from?" Crunch had yelled over to Elvis, nimbly dodging the lead rocket.
"Beats me," Elvis called back, noting that his radar screen had suddenly filled up with a bunch of nasty blips. "There must be a low-altitude combat patrol in the area."
Elvis's guess was correct. A swarm of deadly F-104 Starfighter jets rose to challenge the Super Phantoms as they approached from the east. The Starfighters, agile supersonic fighters favored by many of the continent's air pirate gangs, had been flying at barely five hundred feet to avoid any radar interception until the last possible moment.
The United American pilots had no choice but to meet the first wave of rising air pirates head-on. Using a combination of practiced flying skills and Sidewinder missiles, the two Super Phantoms quickly managed to send a pair of F-104's tumbling down in flames. But then several others immediately took their places, with a radar indication of many more racing to join the fight.
Crunch quickly appraised the situation and then radioed his partner. "I think we've crashed a very big party here," he said arming two more Sidewinders.
"If you're suggesting a strategic retreat, Pm with you, boss,"
Elvis replied, counting as many as eighteen Starfighters in the vicinity. "Maybe we can lead some of these guys back in the direction of the train, call Hawk and even the odds a little."
Crunch paused long enough to dodge a pair of F-104's that were zeroing in on him, nose guns blazing. "Makes sense to me, partner,"
he replied finally.
As Crunch relayed their plan back to the train via the radio scrambler, the two Super Phantoms turned away from Dodge City and headed east again. Six of the F-104's followed them in hot pursuit.
"I just hope these guys don't figure out what's going on," Crunch muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Hunter was racing westward.
He keyed in on the Wreckers' last known position, and within minutes he saw the specks of the two Super Phantoms barreling eastward, with six Starfighters practically on their tails. Hunter knew that if they had so desired, the skilled Wreckers could have easily lost the trailing F-104's. But Crunch and Elvis had managed to stay just far enough ahead to keep their pursuers interested.
"Never a dull moment," Hunter thought as he put the Harrier into a screaming dive.
Crunch had just started to get anxious when he saw the familiar outline of the jumpjet flash down in front of him.
"It's the sheriff!" he called over to Elvis, as the Super Phantoms quickly peeled off and let the Wingman do his thing. "And not a second too soon, pardner."
Hunter pulled out of his steep dive and pointed the nose of the Harrier directly at the lead F-104. One blast from his twin Aden cannons and the enemy plane disintegrated in a ball of fire and smoke.
Hunter's attack was so sudden and unexpected that one of the trailing jets plowed right into his
Suddenly, the radar that was built into Hunter's brain started humming. The magical sixth sense that he simply called the feeling , told him something was wrong. Somewhere.
He was about to click his radio microphone to call back to the train when Catfish radioed up to him instead. "Get to Dodge City ASAP, Hawk," he heard his friend say with the chilling tone of déjà vu . "The Wrecking Crew just fell into one hell of a mess . . ."
Chapter 13
Unlike the quiet, but grisly, reception in Topeka, the F-4X Super Phantoms of the Ace Wrecking Company were welcomed to old Dodge City the old-fashioned way: with a storm of gunfire.
Sent ahead to recon the airport near the city, Crunch and Elvis Q had just spotted the outline of the field on the horizon when the sky was suddenly filled with Sparrow air-to-air missiles.
"Where the hell did they come from?" Crunch had yelled over to Elvis, nimbly dodging the lead rocket.
"Beats me," Elvis called back, noting that his radar screen had suddenly filled up with a bunch of nasty blips. "There must be a low-altitude combat patrol in the area."
Elvis's guess was correct. A swarm of deadly F-104 Starfighter jets rose to challenge the Super Phantoms as they approached from the east. The Starfighters, agile supersonic fighters favored by many of the continent's air pirate gangs, had been flying at barely five hundred feet to avoid any radar interception until the last possible moment.
The United American pilots had no choice but to meet the first wave of rising air pirates head-on. Using a combination of practiced flying skills and Sidewinder missiles, the two Super Phantoms quickly managed to send a pair of F-104's tumbling down in flames. But then several others immediately took their places, with a radar indication of many more racing to join the fight.
Crunch quickly appraised the situation and then radioed his partner. "I think we've crashed a very big party here," he said arming two more Sidewinders.
"If you're suggesting a strategic retreat, Pm with you, boss,"
Elvis replied, counting as many as eighteen Starfighters in the vicinity. "Maybe we can lead some of these guys back in the direction of the train, call Hawk and even the odds a little."
Crunch paused long enough to dodge a pair of F-104's that were zeroing in on him, nose guns blazing. "Makes sense to me, partner,"
he replied finally.
As Crunch relayed their plan back to the train via the radio scrambler, the two Super Phantoms turned away from Dodge City and headed east again. Six of the F-104's followed them in hot pursuit.
"I just hope these guys don't figure out what's going on," Crunch muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Hunter was racing westward.
He keyed in on the Wreckers' last known position, and within minutes he saw the specks of the two Super Phantoms barreling eastward, with six Starfighters practically on their tails. Hunter knew that if they had so desired, the skilled Wreckers could have easily lost the trailing F-104's. But Crunch and Elvis had managed to stay just far enough ahead to keep their pursuers interested.
"Never a dull moment," Hunter thought as he put the Harrier into a screaming dive.
Crunch had just started to get anxious when he saw the familiar outline of the jumpjet flash down in front of him.
"It's the sheriff!" he called over to Elvis, as the Super Phantoms quickly peeled off and let the Wingman do his thing. "And not a second too soon, pardner."
Hunter pulled out of his steep dive and pointed the nose of the Harrier directly at the lead F-104. One blast from his twin Aden cannons and the enemy plane disintegrated in a ball of fire and smoke.
Hunter's attack was so sudden and unexpected that one of the trailing jets plowed right into his
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