The Circle War by Mack Maloney Read Free Book Online

war in Europe. The unusual-looking 'Bolts —more flying weapons platforms than graceful jet fighters —had wings strong enough to carry tons of varied ordnance, as well as two Vulcan cannons in their noses. The Cobra Brothers'
    helicopters were also assigned to the ground support arm, its pilots shared duty as the unit's operational commanders.
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    Stationed beside the center-strip runway was the base's Bombardment Group.
    There were 18 aircraft in all, including ten massive B-52s, four nearly-antique B-57s, two A-3 "Whales," plus a cranky, old B-58 "Hustler,"
    left over from the Football City War.
    Next to the bombers sat the fighter-interceptor squadron —among them four F-104 "Starfighters," two F-106 "Delta Darts," six souped-up A-7
    "Strikefighters," six converted T-38 "Talon" trainers and two F-105X "Super Thunderchiefs." Two of these airplanes were always in the scramble mode
    —armed, fueled-up and ready to go up and intercept any perceived threat to the base. And, with proper configuration, each of these airplanes could be converted to a fighter-bomber role.
    Further along the flight line sat the "oddball" unit. The twelve airplanes
    —known throughout the base as "The Dirtiest Dozen" —were favorites of Hunter.
    PAAC had come upon them in a variety of ways — some were thrown in free when the base purchased other high-end aircraft, others were found abandoned at air bases throughout the west. Still others were liberated from a small air museum in old Utah. There was the F-84, a veteran of the Korean War; an F-94, the two-seat mid-50s interceptor that was designed with chasing UFOs in mind. And there were two A-l "Skyraiders," hulking prop-driven planes that were already grandfathers when they were used in Viet Nam.
    But these planes were youngsters compared to aircraft that the base's ground crew mechanics (known by all as "monkeys") had somehow resurrected from the Utah museum. There was one P-38
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    "Lightning," and a P-51 "Mustang," both heroes of America's effort in World War II. The oldest plane on the base was a veteran Curtis biplane, which carried a still-working Vickers machinegun.
    Then there were the five B-47 "Stratojets," bombers nearly as big as B-52 and nearly as old. Hunter had purchased them for duty in the Football City War and they served well, if briefly. Now the PAAC had inherited them, as well as the oddest duck of all: an enormous B-36 bomber. This airplane, built just before the Jet Age dawned in the late 1940s, had six propeller engines fitted backwards onto ultra-long wings. Hunter kept promising himself that he would take the big bird up for a ride one day, but he never seemed to find the time.
    The base also maintained a small fleet of helicopters, including the Crazy Eights, and used three Boeing 727 converted airliners as cargo planes and also on convoy duty.
    It was an air fleet that rivaled any power on the continent — even PAAC-San Diego could boast only six more aircraft. In free-for-all New Order America, air power was usually the determining factor in most disputes, big or small.
    The continent was united —for trade purposes —only by air travel. Huge supply convoys —made up of reconditioned airliners like Boeing 707s, 727s, and 747
    Jumbo jets —traveled between eastern Free Canada and the West Coast. As the skies were filled with air pirates who made a living shooting down stray airliners, convoy protection—in some cases provided by freelance fighter pilots —was in high demand.
    But it was one pilot —and one jet fighter—that was known as the best in the business. The pilot was Hunter. The airplane was his F-16. And within minutes of the status report being completed, Hunter was roaring down the base's center runway, taking his jet up for its daily workout.

Chapter Five
    It was the same airplane Hunter had flown when he was part of the USAF's Thunderbirds acrobatic demonstration team. When the Soviets "won" the war and the New Order became a reality, one