RENDAN BECKETT SPENT THREE YEARS B AS A HELICOPTER PILOT FOR THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE IN VIETNAM DURING WHICH TIME HE RECKONED HE’D SEEN EVERYTHING. FATE, THOUGH, HAD A STRANGE WAY OF SHOWING HIM THAT HE STILL HAD PLENTY TO LEARN.
STORY TOM HART ART BENET COVER BENET
4 WHEN AUSTRALIA WITHDREW HER FORCES FROM THAT CONFLICT HE WAS ONLY TOO GLAD TO GET BACK TO HIS FAMILY’S SHEEP FARM. UNFORTUNATELY FOR BRENDAN, TIMES WERE TOUGH BACK HOME. THEIR STATION WAS CAUGHT IN A DECADE-LONG DROUGHT AND THEIR FLOCK WAS SLOWLY DYING OF THIRST. THAT’S THE FIFTH THIS WEEK.
IF IT GOES ON LIKE THIS WE’LL BE BANKRUPT BY NEXT SPRING.
BRENDAN HAD TO KEEP HIS FLYING SKILLS SHARP FOR THEIR STATION WAS SO VAST THAT A HELICOPTER WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET ABOUT QUICKLY. ONE DAY, AFTER RETURNING FROM FIXING THE FENCE IN A FAR PASTURE, HIS BROTHER HANDED HIM A LETTER. IT’S A CANBERRA POSTMARK.
IT’S FROM DON. WHAT’S HE DOING IN OZ?
5
WE GOT EACH OTHER OUT OF SOME TIGHT SPOTS IN THE PAST. MAYBE HE’S IN A FIX AGAIN.
DON WAS BRENDAN’S OLD FRIEND, U.S. MARINE CAPTAIN DON VOLCKER.
WE’RE IN LUCK, BOYS! HERE COME THE AUSSIES.
DON, IN AUSTRALIA’S CAPITAL CITY ON A GOODWILL VISIT, SUGGESTED THEY MEET UP. AFTER A FEW PLEASANTRIES HE GOT DOWN TO BUSINESS. DON WAS PART OF A SMALL FORCE LEFT IN VIETNAM TO PROTECT AMERICA’S INTERESTS AS COMMUNIST FORCES MOVED CLOSER TO THE CAPITAL. THE TOUGH MARINE HAD A PROPOSITION FOR BRENDAN. I’M PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM AND I’LL NEED A RELIABLE PILOT. IT’S ON THE QUIET, SO NO DETAILS UNTIL YOU GET IN-COUNTRY BUT THERE’S A BIG PAYOUT AT THE END.
IF IT’S AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL SAVE OUR FARM COUNT ME IN, DON.
6 IT WAS, AND ON ARRIVING IN VIETNAM, THE FRIENDS HAD INSTRUCTIONS TO HEAD FOR THE A STREET CAFE IN SAIGON’S GANGLAND DISTRICT. HERE THEY MET DICK PYLE, A C.I.A. AGENT CO-ORDINATING THE OPERATION.
LISTEN UP, BOYS. THE COMMIES WILL BE IN SAIGON ANY DAY SO THE GOVERNMENT HAS SHIPPED OUT ALL THE COUNTRY’S GOLD RESERVES. ALMOST ALL. THERE’S STILL A FORTUNE IN BULLION HELD UP WHEN THE NO HANG BRIDGE WAS BLOWN.
SO OUR MISSION IS TO FLY IT OVER THE BORDER TO THAILAND?
STREWTH!
PYLE NODDED, ABOUT TO SAY MORE, WHEN A CAR WHIPPED PAST THE CAFE, A SUB-MACHINE GUN BLAZING FROM ITS REAR WINDOW. TABLES AND CHAIRS WENT FLYING.
WHAT THE…?
GET DOWN!
7 THE MEN FOUND THEMSELVES IN A SAVAGE SHOOT-OUT. DRAWING HIS COLT AUTOMATIC, DON SHOT OUT ONE OF THE CAR’S FRONT TYRES.
I DON’T KNOW WHO THESE RATS ARE BUT THIS’LL SLOW THEM DOWN.
BRENDAN, TOO WAS QUICK TO REACT, CUTTING DOWN ONE OF THEIR ATTACKERS AS THE VEHICLE SLEWED TO A HALT.
ARRGH!
THE SURVIVORS CONTINUED TO TRADE SHOTS, ONE OF THEM PULLING OUT A GRENADE. IF THAT LANDED IN THE CAFÉ, THE UPTURNED TABLE WOULD PROVIDE NO PROTECTION.
8 AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT, THOUGH, ANOTHER GROUP OF MEN BURST FROM A SIDE STREET, FIRING AS THEY ADVANCED. SHOOT THEM DOWN!
ARRGH!
OUTFLANKED, THE MEN AT THE CAR FELL IN SECONDS. IN CHARGE OF THE NEWCOMERS WAS MAJOR PHAM VAN LUAN OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY, AN OLD BUDDY OF DON’S. HE HAD BEEN HEADING FOR THE MEETING TO DISCUSS FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE OPERATION WHEN HE HEARD THE AMBUSH. AN HONEST MAN, HE COMMANDED RESPECT FROM FRIENDS AND ENEMIES ALIKE. LUAN, THIS IS MY BUDDY BRENDAN, EXPERT CHOPPER JOCKEY.
SORRY TO MEET YOU UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. THESE ATTACKS BECOME MORE FREQUENT EACH PASSING DAY.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD MAKE TRACKS, EH?
9 LUAN USHERED THE MEN INTO HIS JEEP, AND SPED TOWARDS THE OPERATION’S AIRPORT BASE.
I’M WORRIED. THERE ARE TOO MANY LOOSE TONGUES AROUND THIS JOB. WAS THIS ATTACK RANDOM OR DID SOMEONE KNOW OF YOUR MEETING?
DON’T FRET, MAJOR, MY BOYS HAVE THIS OPERATION SEWN UP. SECURITY’S TIGHTER THAN A K.G.B. THUMBSCREW. I’VE BEEN IN SITUATIONS MUCH HOTTER THAN THIS, I CAN TELL YOU… BRENDAN AND DON EXCHANGED DUBIOUS LOOKS, THEY DIDN’T MUCH CARE FOR PYLE’S RECKLESS OPTIMISM, OR THE SMELL OF WHISKY ON HIS BREATH. NEXT MORNING BRENDAN LOOKED OVER THE CHINOOK HELICOPTER HE WOULD BE FLYING. NEARBY THE RAG-TAG GROUP OF MEN RECRUITED BY PYLE FOR THE OPERATION HELD A SLOPPY PARADE. THE HELICOPTER IS A BEAUT, BUT I DON’T LIKE THE LOOK OF THOSE FELLAS.
I’D HAVE CHOSEN MY OLD UNIT, BUT PYLE INSISTS THESE GUYS ARE THE BEST. HE’S BEEN IN-COUNTRY LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW. THE MEN WERE MERCENARIES FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA, OUT FOR A QUICK BUCK DOING DIRTY JOBS FOR THE C.I.A. IN INDOCHINA.
10 LATER THAT DAY PYLE AND BRENDAN WERE HEADED FOR LUAN’S OFFICE FOR A BRIEFING WHEN THEY NOTICED SOMETHING AMISS. LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE’S GOING THROUGH THE MAJOR’S DESK.
I’LL SOON PUT A STOP TO THAT!
WITHOUT THINKING, BRENDAN CHARGED THE INTRUDER, BUT BEFORE HE HAD GOT ANYWHERE NEAR HIM, A PISTOL’S REPORT BARKED OUT. PYLE HAD DRAWN HIS GUN AND SHOT THE MAN DOWN. RIGHT YOU! WHAT THE…?
AIIIEE!