Page 141 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

"We were planning to fake something, for your benefit," he said. "But actually this is the real thing."

He looked so worried that Tanya believed him. "We're not going to shoot it down, are we?" she said.

"I don't know."

"The arrogance of these Americans!" Paz raved. "Flying right above us! What would they say if a Cuban plane overflew Fort Bragg? Imagine their indignation!"

The major ordered a combat alert, and Soviet troops began to move missiles from transporters to launchers, and to attach the cables. They did it with calm efficiency, and Tanya guessed they had practised many times.

A captain was plotting the course of the U-2 on a map. Cuba was long and thin, 777 miles from east to west but only fifty to a hundred miles from north to south. Tanya saw that the spy plane was already fifty miles inside Cuba. "How fast do they fly?" she asked.

Ivanov answered: "Five hundred miles an hour."

"How high?"

"Seventy thousand feet, roughly double the altitude of a regular jet airline flight."

"Can we really hit a target that far away and moving so fast?"

"We don't need a direct hit. The missile has a proximity fuse. It explodes when it gets close."

"I know we're targeting this plane," she said. "But please tell me we're not actually going to fire at it."

"The major is calling for instructions."

"But the Americans might retaliate."

"Not my decision."

The radar was tracking the intruder plane, and a lieutenant reading from a screen called out its height, speed, and distance. Outside the command post, the Soviet artillerymen adjusted the aim of the launchers to follow Target No. 33. The U-2 crossed Cuba from north to south, then turned east, following the coast, coming closer to Banes. Outside, the missile launchers turned slowly on their pivoting bases, tracking the target like wolves sniffing the air. Tanya said to Paz: "What if they fire by accident?"

That was not what he was thinking about. "It's taking pictures of our positions!" he said. "Those photographs will be used to guide their army when they invade--which could be in a few hours' time."

"The invasion is much more likely to happen if you kill an American pilot!"

The major had the phone to his ear while he watched the fire-control radar. He looked up at Ivanov and said: "They're checking with Pliyev." Tanya knew that Pliyev was the Soviet commander in chief in Cuba. But surely Pliyev would not shoot down an American plane without authorization from Moscow?

The U-2 reached the southernmost tip of Cuba and turned, following the north coast. Banes was near the coast. The U-2's course would bring it directly overhead. But at any instant it could turn north--and then, traveling at about a mile a second, it could quickly be out of range.

"Shoot it down!" said Paz. "Now!"

Everyone ignored him.

The plane turned north. It was almost directly above the battery, though thirteen miles high.

Just a few more seconds, please, Tanya thought, praying to she knew not what god.

Tanya, Paz, and Ivanov stared at the major, who stared at the screen. The room was silent but for the beeping of the radar.

Then the major said: "Yes, sir."

What was it--reprieve or doom?

Without putting down the phone, he spoke to the men in the room. "Destroy Target No. 33. Fire two missiles."

"No!" said Tanya.

There was a roar of sound. Tanya looked through the window. A missile rose from its launcher and was gone in a blink. Another followed seconds later. Tanya put her hand to her mouth, feeling she might vomit in fear.

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