The Daedalus Files Vol 4
by
Pages: 61
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 62
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 64
SEALS Winged Insertion Command (SWIC) has based Tiger Bailey's operational SWIC-3 out of Howland Island near the Equator in the central Pacific, just a few kilometers away from Baker Island, location for the socket where Amelia Earhart Skytower terminates. Tiger Bailey's squad is tasked to drop from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Mayotte Island, northwest of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, to rescue a U.S. Senator and his family who were taken hostage by pirates.
Publisher: Fresh Ink Group
Illustrators:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tropes: Born Hero, Fellowship, Person in Distress, Quest, Space Pilot, Training
Word Count: 12500
Setting: Earth, South Pacific, LEO, San Diego, Madagascar
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Tropes: Born Hero, Fellowship, Person in Distress, Quest, Space Pilot, Training
Word Count: 12500
Setting: Earth, South Pacific, LEO, San Diego, Madagascar
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL—200 KILOMETERS NORTHEAST OF MAYOTTE ISLAND
The explosion showered Capt. Mansur Darusman with thousands of tempered glass shards as the windscreens on the bridge of the Tasmanian Cruise Ship CS Platypus burst inward. Darusman slammed to the deck bleeding from dozens of cuts on face and hands, the front of his captain’s uniform shredded. As he painfully raised himself to one knee, his undamaged eyes, shielded by cracked but still intact glasses, sought the source of the explosion. In good weather, he kept the weathertight doors to the flying bridges latched but not sealed. The explosion had blown both open. He got to his feet and turned to his right.
READ MOREA dark-skinned man wearing a white turban-like headcloth, blue tee-shirt and khaki trousers, shod in ragged sneakers, and carrying an AK-47, stepped through the door and fired a burst of three shots, striking the captain’s right arm and shoulder. Darusman dropped back to the deck as the pirate swept the bridge with his fire, killing everyone but the captain.
“Senator…senator!” the Pirate screamed, pointing his weapon at Darusman’s head.
Darusman got to his feet slowly, left hand in the air, right dangling uselessly at his side.
Another pirate entered the left bridge door and pointed his weapon at the captain. He also wore a headcloth, but his tee-shirt was pink with black trousers. His sneakers were even more ragged than the first pirate’s. The first pirate waved the other one down and screamed again, “Senator! Senator!” Then he commenced pushing and prodding the captain toward a door at the back of the bridge.
“No! No!” Darusman said, trying not to sound challenging. He reached for the mike to the general announcing system and held it up in his open hand.
Both pirates pointed their weapons at his head.
“The Senator,” Darusman said, waving the mike. “Senator Manfred…”
The first pirate nodded with a grin displaying several missing teeth.
Darusman pressed the General Announcing call button with his thumb, “Senator Manfred, Senator Jack Manfred, your presence is requested on the bridge. Senator Manfred, please come to the bridge.” Then he surreptitiously pressed a second button on the mike. “Mayday, Mayday…Tasmanian CS Platypus hijacked…Mayday… Mayd…”
Both pirates fired, splattering Capt. Darusman’s brains all over the bridge.
COLLAPSEProf. John B. Rosenman, Norfolk State University Former Chairman of the Board, Horror Writers Association Author of The Inspector of the Cross Series on Amazon editorial review wrote:The test and training runs are over; now it's time for the SWIC to see real action. Williscroft's latest, Daedalus Combat, literally starts with a bang and keeps on going...
Dr. Dave Edlund USA Today Bestselling Author The Peter Savage Thrillers on Amazon editorial review wrote:Daedalus Combat is a fi tting conclusion to and culmination of the other three stories in Williscroft's action-packed, hard science-fi ction series, The SWIC Daedalus Files. When Pirates snatch a U.S. Senator and probable next President from a ship and hold him for one hundred million dollars ransom, the Navy SEALS quickly move to rescue him. Once again Derek "Tiger" Baily's six-man SWIC squad is featured, only this time, the operation is "dramatically different from anything any warrior had ever done before." Why? Because it's the first time anyone has ever 'dropped from LEO [Low Earth Orbit] into a combat scenario.' It's the full nature of this combat scenario that is the real "Wow" factor here. All the different units of the military machine must work together if the mission is to succeed. The action and suspense are intense, and they kept me turning the pages until the very end.
This final short story by author Robert Williscroft brings Lt. Cdr. Derek "Tiger" Baily into a rescue mission with no margin for error. Sporting the newest version of the fully-armed wingsuit (the Gryphon 10 Mk 4), Tiger and his squad must rescue a U.S. Senator--and presumed future President--who is being held for ransom by pirates. Each of the Daedalus adventures, told through the voice of Tiger, is a short story, and I'd encourage fans of sci-fi and military thrillers to read them in the order they were published--they stitch together smoothly into a comprehensive tale of adventure and suspense. In Daedalus Combat, author Williscroft demonstrates his knowledge of military tactics and equipment to paint an all-too-realistic picture of what could be tomorrow's headlines. This is an exciting, hard-charging read that is sure to satisfy thriller and sci-fi readers.
