Easy Day for the Dead Read Online Free PDF Page B

“You’ll use this for the demolition: the Mark-2 SADM.” SADM stood for Special Atomic Demolition Munition, sometimes called the “backpack bomb.” The Mark-54 SADM was developed in the 1960s, but the one in front of the Colonel looked smaller andlighter. Congress banned the development of backpack bombs in 1994 but then removed the ban ten years later. “This weighs fifty pounds and packs a yield of one kiloton of TNT,” the Colonel said. “You can imagine how upset people will be if they find out we nuked Iran.”
    Pancho’s low whistle spoke for all of them. A nuke!
    â€œI assume there’s a good reason we won’t be using conventional explosives for this,” Alex said.
    â€œThere is,” the Colonel explained. “We’re not sure as to the extent of underground structures and how reinforced they are, and we’re unclear as to how we’d disable the whole plant with conventional explosives or other methods, such as hacking their computers or cutting critical power lines. Also, all the scientists and their support live in the compound—we want you to destroy all the scientists.”
    â€œWho’s the poor bastard who has to jump out of the plane carrying that?” Pancho asked.
    The Colonel’s eyes scanned the Outcasts before stopping at John. “John. You’ve been to SADM school for this very purpose.”
    â€œThis just keeps getting better and better,” John grumbled.
    Pancho smiled. John’s unhappiness made Pancho happy.
    â€œI have a question,” John said.
    â€œGo ahead,” the Colonel replied.
    â€œI heard you got out of the military. You don’t work for JSOC anymore, do you?”
    â€œGood question,” the Colonel said, avoiding an answer.
    â€œIf you don’t work for JSOC,” Pancho said, “who do you work for? The Agency?”
    The Colonel gave away nothing.
    â€œBitter Ash?” Alex asked, looking for a reaction.
    The Colonel shifted his weight.
    Alex interpreted the shift to mean yes . The Phoenix Program of capturing and assassinating high-value personnel didn’t truly endwhen the Vietnam War ended. Rather, it transformed into Bitter Ash. The Outcasts’ previous mission to eliminate al Qaeda leaders fell under the command of Bitter Ash. Once again, it looked like Alex, Pancho, and John would be operating in the darkest shadows of blackness.

4
----
    T he inside of the C-130 remained darkened except for the red lights illuminating the interior as Alex, Pancho, and John took off their civilian clothes. Alex wore silk boxer shorts, and he wasn’t the least bit ashamed. John, however, had on black Speedo swim jammers—formfitting nylon and Lycra spandex that extended from mid-waist down to mid-thigh, similar to triathlon shorts. Alex felt John should have been ashamed, and in the real world he would have, but then there was Pancho. Pancho, always the fashionista of their group, wore only his birthday suit. On this matter, Alex and John thought alike—if they ever got in too much trouble, they could always strip off everything except their shorts and make a swim for it, then walk onto a crowded beach and fit in like the other beachgoers. Pancho hoped he ended up on a nude beach—if not, oh well—can’t blame a guy for hoping.
    The SEALs put on polypropylene tops and bottoms in order to wick moisture away from their bodies. It wasn’t simply a comfort thing. They’d be jumping from a high altitude in subzero temperatures and sweat would freeze.
    Despite all the advances in material for extreme weather, they all wore wool socks. Scientists still hadn’t managed to beat sheep whenit came to putting something on your feet that would wick away moisture and keep them warm.
    On his belt he carried a Swiss Army knife and a holstered Iranian Zoaf 9mm pistol, a knockoff of the SIG Sauer. The Zoaf was inferior to the SIG, but SEAL Team Six’s