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FLAT LINE

Charles F. David

Copyright © 2012 by Charles F. David.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920588 ISBN: Hardcover Softcover Ebook

978-1-4797-4246-2 978-1-4797-4245-5 978-1-4797-4247-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Preface

Chapter 1 Do It

Chapter 2 Now Or Never

Chapter 3 Exit

Chapter 4 Fire Ball

Chapter 5 Way Out

Chapter 6

Chapter 7 Hell Out Of Here

Chapter 8 Hot One

Chapter 9 Let’s Do It

Chapter 10 The Fan

Chapter 11 Spook

Chapter 12 Aces And Eights

Chapter 13 All Over Again

Chapter 14 Call It Off

Chapter 15 Anybody In Here

Chapter 16 The Mog

Chapter 17 Getting Soft

Chapter 18 Fast And Furious

Chapter 19 See This

Chapter 20 Hell Will Break Loose

Chapter 21 As Long As It Takes

Chapter 22 Hell Hole

Chapter 23 Here They Come

Chapter 24 Suitcase Nukes

Chapter 25 Blackhawk Down

Chapter 26 Mogadishu

Chapter 27 One We’ll Never Forget

Chapter 28 Not The End, Just The Beginning

COVER ILLUSTRATIONS BY:

D.E. FERGUSON

DEDICATION

This writer dedicates this book to all the Navy SEALs past and present who have given their all to protect our country from those that would bring it down and destroy it. Dedicated to all the men that survived and to those that never made it back.

All heroes never to be forgotten.

PREFACE

The stories in Flat Line are wrapped in fiction. The characters in this book are the elite fighting force known as the Navy SEALs, a tight group of warriors that circle the globe fighting clandestine battles under the cloak of secrecy, never looking for the credit they rightly deserve. In the following stories, they pursue the terrorist that threaten our country and our way of life. The SEALs are our first line of defense, and in this book, amongst other missions they take on, they pursue the terrorist bomb makers that put together suitcase nukes that are carried into the United States. In these troubled times of trial and error, the threat of nuclear war still hangs heavy over our heads. The following stories will lead its readers in the direction of what could someday come to fruition, a nuclear war that could destroy our country and return us to the Stone Age. Something that we have always feared, being Flat Lined.

CHAPTER 1

DO IT

Time Line, the present. On a U.S. ship somewhere in the Arabian Sea, in the dead of night two Navy SEAL teams board waiting choppers that will take them on the first leg of an alltoo-important mission. Two eight-man teams are set and ready to take on maybe the most important mission of their Navy SEAL careers. The men have been briefed on their mission, and it’s a go. Team Strike, commanded by Lieutenant Jay Brady, will take his team in to bring out one of the top Iranian nuclear scientists that is ready to defect. The second team, Team Bolt, commanded by Lieutenant Rip Haskell, will go in to take out the nuclear complex where the soon-to-be-extracted Iranian scientist is working. They are on the deck of the huge carrier waiting to board the choppers that will take them to rendezvous with the submarine that will get them through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. The team commanders give the high sign as both teams board the choppers and are soon in the air heading for the meet with the sub that cruises below the surface of the dark waters of the Arabian Sea. Once on board, one of the men fields a question that is also on the minds of the others. “LT, do you expect this little jaunt to be a rough one? What’s the chance that we might be walking straight into the shit with our eyes wide open? What’s to say that Iranian is on the up and up?” “Nothing’s carved in stone, Chief. The Israelis that we hook up with when we hit the beach have been dealing with the situation. They say their s have set the wheels in motion. The Iranian Scientist wants out of there. He probably figures the Israelis will take out that complex sooner or later and doesn’t want to

be there when the shit hits the fan. As far as I know, the Intel is A-OK. We’ll handle it as always. We’ll take it as it comes.” The chief sat back and glanced over at the other men for a reaction. They looked to be taking everything in stride, looking as though this mission was no different than the many they had under their belt. Master Chief Rick Ponchielli, better known as Ponch by the men, sat back and went with the flow. Just as daylight was about to light up the waters above the submerged sub, the choppers made . They watched as the sub surfaced in the predawn light. The order was given to rope down to the deck of the sub below. “Okay, let’s do it. That sub will want to submerge as fast as it surfaced. Hit that rope.” The men quickly roped down to the waiting sub, each chopper taking its turn to disgorge the men they were carrying. In no time, the men were below, with the sub again disappearing below the surface of the dark waters as the sun made its way back to usher in a new day. Once below, as the sub buttoned up its hatches, the two team commanders were summoned to the control room to meet the captain. “Sir, Lieutenants Brady and Haskell. Good to be aboard, sir.” “Gentlemen, good to see you and your men made it without a hitch. Let’s hope the rest of your mission comes off as planned. After we make it through the Strait of Hormuz, things could get touchy. We’ll be in Indian country with a lot of Iranian activity topside. The Iranian government has been saber rattling, with threats of closing the strait. Small Iranian gunboats have been threatening shipping, keeping things pretty riled up. It wouldn’t take much to start a shooting war in this part of the world. If that happens, the Middle East will blow up, threatening the entire region. The chain of command believes the Iranians already have a nuclear weapon at their disposal. If this is true, they’ll most likely use it on Israel.” “Understandable, sir. We can relate to that. Have our Israeli counterparts checked in?” “Everything is a go on that end, Lieutenant. The Mossad has been on top of

things. Israeli special forces are on the ground and in place. They’ll be waiting on shore tonight to guide you in. I suggest you and your men relax and enjoy the ride. I’ll fill you in when we’re an hour out. At the present time, we’re thirty into approaching the strait. I’ll keep you abreast of what’s going on topside. Kick back, gentlemen.” The sub slid through the troubled waters of the Gulf of Oman and entered the narrow Strait of Hormuz. Everything was quiet topside, with very little activity on the surface. It wasn’t long before things changed. The quiet waters that flowed through the strait came alive with activity. Sonar had picked up multiple ships moving on the surface. An hour into it had the sub’s commander on the bridge surveying what was going on top side. “Sir, we have activity topside. Sounds like the Iranian shallow-water navy is up to something. Better have a look-see, sir.” Making it to periscope depth, the captain found the source of the sudden activity that popped up. Small Iranian gunboats were hassling an American oil tanker that was slowly making its way out of the Persian Gulf. The ship was on its radio, putting out a distress call. The Iranian gunboats were circling the tanker, trying to provoke an incident. “Sound general quarters. This could turn into something. Let’s hope the pinheads that are in charge of those gunboats don’t decide to start World War Three. If we are forced to surface, this incident could jeopardize the mission. Call the SEAL lieutenants to the con. They might want to see what’s happening topside.” While this was going on, the SEAL teams were on the edge wondering what was going down. They watched as the activity aboard the sub increased. “LT, what the hell is going on? Sounds like something is happening topside. Sounds like all hell is breaking loose. What the hell do you suppose is going down?” “Can’t say, Chief. I’m sure we’ll hear about it sooner or later.” As the two men talked, a crewman popped up. “Lieutenant Brady, the captain wants to see you and Lieutenant Haskell on the con ASAP.”

“Here we go, Haskell. I think we’re about to find out what the commotion is all about. The rest of you guys sit tight. We’ll fill you in when we get back. Let’s go, Lieutenant.” The two men hurried to the control room, where they found Captain Dryer busily giving orders. They were running at periscope depth, taking in what was unraveling on the surface. “Gentlemen, thought you might want in on this. We have a scenario taking place top side. Iranian gunboats are screwing with one of our oil tankers that’s minding its business. If they attack that ship, I’ll need to surface and take on those gunboats to get them off the tanker’s backside. This incident could screw up your mission. As of this moment, the Iranians hopefully have no idea of our presence. Let’s hope it stays that way.” Minutes ticked by, with a tense crew at the ready. The atmosphere in the control room was thick enough to cut with a knife. The minutes turned into five and then ten. Still the episode kept up, refusing to unwind and force the sub to take a hand in what was going down. Just as abruptly as it had started, the gunboats broke it off and disappeared, defusing the incident that could have been blown out of proportion. The all-clear was sounded, and the men on the bridge stood down. “Well, gentlemen, that was a touchy one. For a minute there, I thought we would have to go topside to defuse what was about to take place. So far our luck is holding out. We might pull this off yet. Let’s hope those gunboats aren’t around when we surface. We’re about two hours out, Lieutenant. I’ll brief you both when the time comes. We’re about to make with the Israelis. Let’s hope everything is under control ashore. You and your men will need to be ready when the time comes. We have a limited window once we surface.” Back with their men, the lieutenants were hit with a raft of questions. The men were curious to know what had been going on. “LT, what the hell was that all about?” “Nothing more than some wild-ass Iranians looking to pick a fight with an unarmed oil tanker. Seems like the jokers are itching for a fight. You can more than likely figure that’s the way it will be when we get to go up against them.

You boys will need to stay sharp. I have a gut feeling this is not going to be a cake walk. Chief, have the men check their equipment. We’re about an hour out. When the order is given, we’ll all need to be sharp and move fast.” It was soon time, and the captain made the call to attend the briefing. The teams would soon be called on to leave the sub and head inland. Lieutenant Brady and his cohort Lieutenant JG Haskell were all to ready to get it on and get their mission off the ground. They hurried toward the bridge to be briefed on what was to come. The captain was waiting to fill them in. “Gentlemen, it’s almost time to get underway. We’ve made with the Israelis, and everything is a go. As of now, everything is going as planned. When you get ashore, your will be a Major Stahl. He’ll lay out the scenario that will take place. He has along with him a detachment of Israeli special forces. They will be instrumental in helping you to complete your mission. One thing, there is a slight change of plans. When and if you succeed in locating the defecting Iranian scientist, you are to hand him over to the Mossad. Our government does not want to look like they know about his whereabouts. He still has family in Iran that will be left behind. The Mossad is working on getting them out of the country. Your mission is cut and dried—snatch the scientist and destroy as much of that complex as humanly possible. You will need to get the job done and be ready to be picked up shortly after nightfall. This ship will surface at precisely 1900 hours tonight. Be there waiting for the pickup. Your window of opportunity to board this ship will be limited. You’ll get the green light in twenty. Good luck, gentlemen.” “Looks like it’s all up to us now, Haskell. We’ll need to get the men ashore under cover of darkness and locate our Israeli . If everything goes off without a hitch, we’ll be back on this sub before you know it. Let’s give the men a short pep talk and get them ready. I’m sure they all have an adrenalin rush ready to take off.” The lieutenant was right in his thinking—the rest of the men were charged and ready to take on everything and anything that was out there waiting. The rush they were about to experience was nothing new to them. They had felt it take over many times before, on many missions that spanned the globe. It was time to shove off. The green light flashed to get the mission underway. The hours ahead would prove to be an uphill battle for the SEAL teams to

overcome. It was a go. The sub quietly surfaced, a ghostly figure coming up from the depths of the cold black expanse that had hidden it for many hours. The hatches opened, revealing the SEAL teams that emerged to fill the rubber boats that would take them to shore. Only a few short minutes separated them from the sub that quickly slid back under the veil of darkness and the waters that would hide them until they would again surface. The rubber boats filled with the men now headed toward the Iranian shoreline, heading into the unknown. The SEALs were quiet as they paddled their way forward. The shoreline soon became visible, with the light of the coming day starting to rear its ugly head. Off in the direction they were heading, they soon picked up a light that flashed a message. It was a beacon that directed them to their Israeli , the Mossad agent. The SEALs picked up on it and continued on toward the meet. “LT, there’s our . Check it out. That light is dead ahead. Looks like that is our man.” “Okay, guys, stay alert. We can’t be sure what is there waiting for us. We need to stay on top of our game.” As they moved toward the flashing light, it abruptly ceased to guide them in. Something ashore had stopped it to function. The lieutenant brought the rubber boats to a halt and waited to see it reappear. “Chief, something’s not right. Our must have come up against something. Without that light to guide us in, we’re screwed. We can’t sit out here waiting for something to happen. We’ll need to keep moving. Let’s head toward the direction we last spotted the light. It’s our only option. Let’s… DO IT.”

CHAPTER 2

NOW OR NEVER

The SEAL teams now found themselves up the proverbial creek without a paddle. They knew if they lost their , the mission would start off on the wrong note. They paddled in, hoping that the light would again appear. “Keep paddling, men. We don’t need to be caught out here when daylight strikes. We’ll be fish in a barrel if we stay here. Let’s hit that beach and fast.” It now became a race against time, with the sun coming in to light things up. Their only hope was to make the shoreline before things began to unravel. When they made it to the water’s edge, they left the boats and looked for cover. “LT, we made it this far. All we need to do now is find that Israeli agent. Where the hell do you suppose he got to?” “Chief, over here. I think we found our man. He’s in a bad way. His throat has been cut.” In the dim light, Brady looked down at the man staring up at him. He lay on the ground bloody, with his eyes wide open, staring up at the two men that looked down at him. “LT, looks like a setup. With this dude gone and out of the way, we’re f-cked. Whoever took him out has us backed into a corner. How in the hell are we going to find his outfit to hook up? What’s our next move?” “Too late to turn back now. We’re in the shit with no backup. Only option we have is to continue on and hope that we come across the rest of those Israelis. Haskell, move on up, we have a change of plans.” “What’s up, LT? What’s our way out of this?”

“Let’s move up and check out the installation. It’s our only move, nothing else left open to us. We’re probably in deep shit already. We need to keep moving. Get the men up. We’ll try to pull it off.” The SEAL teams left the beach and moved inland. With daylight upon them, they moved forward, keeping as much cover as they could find. About a hundred yards in, all hell broke loose. Waiting for them on the perimeter of the installation was a sizeable force of Iranian military. They opened up on the SEAL teams and put down a steady stream of fire, stopping them cold in their tracks. The men now found themselves pinned down, with no place to go. “LT, they caught us cold. The mother-fuckers were waiting for us. They have us pinned down. We’ll never get past this point. What’s our next move?” “Only one thing left to do. We need to back on out of here and try to get back to that sub. The bastards have us outnumbered and in a shitty spot. Get the men back down to the beach while the getting is good. I’ll stay behind with three of the men and hold them off. Get on the radio and see if you can make with the sub. It’s our only way out of here.” The men left their cover and slid back down toward the beach and the boats that were left behind. They picked up two of the men that were hit and took off with gunfire tracking behind them. “Chief, Jonesy caught one. I think he bought it. I’ll go back and check him out. Give me some cover fire.” The SEAL turned and braved the incoming fire to check on the man that had gone down. When he was but a few feet from making it, he noticed that the man that had taken the hit was KIA. When he finally reached him, he saw that he had taken a round to the head. The man was dead before he hit the ground. As he started to pick up the dead SEAL, he too took a hit. A bullet caught him in the right shoulder and caused him to drop his buddy to the ground. He was now unable to carry him out. The chief saw what went down and yelled back to the man. “Hollister, get your ass out of there. Nothing more you can do back there. Move away and head toward us.”

Just as Hollister started to move, he caught another bullet in the leg that stopped him from making it out. He signaled back to the chief that he was unable move. “Give me some cover fire. I need to go back and get his ass out of there. This place is getting to damned hot. We need to get back down to the beach. Keep trying to raise that sub. We need out of here and fast.” “The radio took a hit, Chief, can’t say if we made it through to the sub. We can only hope they heard us before the radio went down.” The chief moved like a cat shot in the ass and, in no time, was dragging Hollister toward the beach. When they reached the water’s edge, they found Lieutenant Haskell and the other men in the boats ready to take off. Haskell was quick to ask the whereabouts of Lieutenant Brady and the others. “Chief, are the others behind you?” “Negative, sir. When I was pulling Hollister’s ass out of the fire, I looked back and saw the LT and the others being overrun by the Iranians. Couldn’t see if they did them in or not. I think they’re screwed, sir. Do we go back for them?” “Too late for that, Chief. We need to get these wounded the hell out of here. Let’s hope that sub received our distress call before the radio was taken out. Shove off before the shit hits the fan and pulls us down too.” The boats carrying what was left of the two SEAL teams headed back out to sea. It was bright daylight by this time, giving them no cover whatsoever. They reached the rendezvous point where they sat in the rubber boats waiting for the sub to surface. “Chief, I wish I knew if the sub picked up our distress call before that radio went out. We’re not in what you would call a good place to be. Sooner or later, those rag heads are going to come out here to finish us off. You men, keep a sharp eye for any signs of a periscope. That sub has to be close by.” They sat in the boats bobbing like a cork, praying that the sub would surface and come to their rescue, all the while scanning the coastline looking for the boats that were sure to come. “Sir, what the hell are we going to do if and when those mother-fuckers decide to come out here and finish us off? We don’t stand a chance in hell of getting out of

this in one piece.” “Can the negativity, Chief. As long as we’re still breathing, we have a chance of getting out. Think about it. We’ve been in tighter spots before. When the time comes, we’ll think of a way out. Keep looking for that sub.” Minutes were slipping by with no sign of the submarine that they knew was out there below the waters of the gulf. Each man silently prayed for something good to happen. “Sir, here they come. There’s a boat straight off our bow coming straight at us. It won’t be long before they’ll be crawling all over us. Any ideas?” “Okay, guys, here’s where all that training Uncle Sam paid for comes in. we’ll need to slip into the water and hit them when they get here. Do any of you still have a grenade?” “Got you covered, sir. I’ve got two left.” “Okay, give one here. We’ll toss them in the boat when they pull up.” “What the hell are we going to do with Hollister? He’s shot up pretty bad. He’s not even conscious.” “We don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s our only way out. It’s do or die, guys. It’s now or never. When they get close, disappear and come up fighting. They’ll probably come in slow and cautious when they see somebody in one of the boats, so don’t cut them any slack when they get here.” “Ain’t that a bitch. We’re using Holly for bait. What the hell is going to happen if they come in hot and open up on him?” Just as the men thought the Iranians came in eyeballing the man that bobbed up and down in the rubber boat, looking him over and wondering where the other SEALs got to. As the Iranians stood in the boat jabbering away and surveying the almost-empty boats, the SEALs that were submerged broke to the surface, firing their sidearms. The two grenades were tossed, and the men watched as they exploded, tearing the small craft apart. The ruse came off without a hitch. The plan worked.

The SEALs climbed back into the boats just as one of them let out a yell. Breaking the surface was the sub they had been looking for. “Well, they say timing is everything, guys. Better late than never, I guess. Help get Hollister up on deck so we can get a corpsman to take a look at him. Let’s hustle. This Sub will want to disappear again.” The hatches closed, the sub slipped quietly below the surface. The men were now safely aboard. Once below, Lieutenant Haskell sought out the captain. “Lieutenant, I understand your mission didn’t come off as expected. I hear you lost some of your men. Before you made it back, we received a radio message from the Israelis. Seems that the Iranian scientist was not who they thought he was. He was part of a ruse to draw us into the trap you walked into. It was a setup, Lieutenant.” “Some of us thought about that from the get-go, sir. One or two of the men had an uneasy feeling about the mission from the start. We knew there was trouble when we lost the light on shore that was guiding us in. Our ass was hanging out, but we had to keep going. Is there any word on the men we left back there?” “I was just getting to that, Lieutenant. The report we received from the Israelis filled in the blank spaces. The four men you left behind didn’t all make it. Two of them wound up KIA. The other two were captured, and we believe they are still both alive. According to the Israelis, they were handed over to a Palestinian group working in the country. The Mossad believes the Iranians think the situation is too touchy for them to handle. The Israelis are keeping close tabs on the goings-on and will keep us informed and in the loop.” “Captain, sir, we left men back there. We need to get them out. We need to stay on top of it and do whatever it takes to bring them back.” “Command is already working on it, Lieutenant. They want those men back as bad as you do. Things have deteriorated in the past few hours. Those Iranian gunboats returned to hit that U.S. oil tanker. At the present, it’s burning out of control. They flew in firefighters from the task force to contain it. That’s when the shit really hit the fan. They knocked one of our choppers down, and that’s when all hell broke loose. Our ships made it in and tangle-assed with those gunboats. From there it was all downhill for the bad guys. After our ships sank two of them, the rest high tailed it out of there. As we speak, a flotilla of U.S.

ships is making their way through the strait. This whole mess could blow up and fast. If the Iranians grow balls, and I think they will, we’re in for one shitty day.” “Back to our men, sir. How are we going to get them back? I know you have a lot on your plate, but SEALs never leave SEALs behind.” “I’ll keep you abreast of the situation, Lieutenant. Nothing more we can do at the moment. Get with your men. As soon as something comes up, I’ll send for you.” Back with the men, Lieutenant Haskell filled them in on what was going down. For some of the questions that were asked, he had no answers. They bombarded him with questions as soon as he popped up. “Lieutenant, any word on our guys?” “Were they captured?” “Are they still alive?” “Hold it, one at a time. As far as I know, two of them are still alive. The Israelis are on top of it. They’ll get back when they have something.” “Are we going to go back in for them, Lieutenant?” “You can bet your ass we are. As soon as the Israelis pin it down. I’ll get the okay. How is Hollister doing, Chief?” “He’s in a bad way, but he’ll make it.” “Okay, sit tight and hang in there, guys. We’ll get a shot at it. You can be damn sure of that.” Thirty minutes ed before word came. Over the intercom, a voice directed the lieutenant to make his way to the control room. “Sir, you wanted to see me? Did anything come back from the Israelis?” “Good news, Lieutenant. The Mossad pinpointed where they took the two SEALs. We believe one of them is Lieutenant Brady. They also confirmed that the other two men were KIA. Sorry about that. The men are down the coast

about ten clicks from where they were picked up. They’re in a warehouse at a small fishing village. The building is dockside. An Israeli special forces team has it eyeballed. I cleared it with your superiors, and you have a green light to go back in. Took it on my own, thought you would be all for it.” “Thank you, Captain. The men will be glad to hear the news. When will we shove off?” “We’ve been on a course headed that way for the past hour. We should arrive about dusk. How many of your men are up to it?” “Ten of us are raring to go, sir. We’ll bring those SEALs back or die trying.” “Okay, Lieutenant, get your men ready. We should arrive on station within the hour. Will that give you enough time to get your men ready to take it on?” “No problem, sir. We saw this coming. We’re ready to go. Just give the word.” A short time later, the sub arrived at the entrance of the small inlet and raised its periscope to take a look-see. Nightfall was setting in, with limited visibility. Lieutenant Haskell was back in the control room waiting for a last-minute briefing. He and his men were eager to get underway; they had a job to do. “Lieutenant, it will be dark enough to surface in about ten. Get ready to shove off. We’ll be back at this location at 2200 hours to pick you up. Try not to be late. Come daylight, this entire area is going to come apart at the seams. An Iranian sub, along with some surface crafts, has entered the gulf looking for trouble. Command thinks it’s unavoidable. The shit’s going to hit the fan. Good luck, Lieutenant.” Under the cover of darkness, the sub surfaced. Hatches were opened with the men scrambling up on deck. Rubber boats were in the water with the men starting to load. The lieutenant gave the chief a thumbs-up with a last word before he climbed down. “Let’s go! . . . . IT’S NOW OR NEVER.”

CHAPTER 3

EXIT

As the men paddled away from the sub, they looked back to see it slip below the surface once again. In no time, it was gone, leaving the men topside in the small rubber boats. They quickly got underway to head inland. Looking toward shore, they noticed that the area along the boat docks was dimly lit. The buildings that lined the docks were crammed tightly together with a small village that backed it up. They moved through the narrow inlet that opened up into an area that was filled with small boats. Everything looked peaceful and quiet. “Chief, that dock up ahead is where we’ll start things off. That Israeli team should be there waiting. When we land, station two of the men on each end of that dock to cover our ass when we go in. Those Israelis should have the location pinpointed as to where our guys are being held. We should be able to pull this off in no time and get back to that sub. Take it slow so we don’t need to rile these rag heads any more than necessary. At least not until we find the lieutenant.” As thought, the four-man Israeli team was there waiting. It looked as though everything was working out as planned. The SEALs now moved in to hook up, tying their boats to the dock. The Israeli in charge made his presence known, waving to the lieutenant and the men to move up. “Lieutenant, glad to see you made it in. My name is Captain Bergman. We’ve been keeping a close eye on things. Your men are in one of these buildings dockside. Sorry, we don’t know which one. They’re all hooked together, with the men inside being able to move from one building into the other. As close as we can tell, there are twenty or more terrorists in those buildings guarding your men. There’s also something else going on that we haven’t been able to figure out. I have a plan put together on how we’ll approach this.”

“Go ahead, Captain. Let’s hear it.” “The way I see it, we’ll need to hit them from both ends and work toward the center of things. That way, we’ll be sure to come across the area where they are holding your men. We need to get it done with as little gunfire as possible so as not to rile the men up that are holding the hostages. We’ll break up into two teams to get it done.” “Sounds okay to me. Let’s hope that it comes together the way you laid it out. We’ll need to get underway if we expect to make it back to that sub that is waiting to pick us up. Lead the way, Captain.” “All right, Lieutenant. Leave two of your men dockside to be able to warn us if we have company visit us from the village. Have them cover both ends of the dock. We’ll need to start by taking out the guards that are patrolling the street in front of the buildings. They by about every twenty minutes or so. After we take care of the guards, we’ll move in and enter the buildings from each end of the street. It should work out. I’ll accompany you and your team with one of my men and send my other two men in to back up your second team.” The SEAL teams along with the Israelis took cover and waited for the patrol to show up. Twenty minutes, then thirty, still no patrol. Lieutenant Haskell began to wonder what was up. “Captain, where the hell do you suppose that patrol got too? Do you think that maybe they’re on to us?” “Can’t say, Lieutenant. They’ve been in and out of here all night. We’ll give them another few minutes, then we’ll move on in. They should have been here by now.” After an agonizing few minutes ed, the men gave up waiting for the patrol to show and decided to continue on. They left the dock and headed for opposite ends of the buildings. They wasted no time crossing the open area that left them vulnerable. After making it across, both teams entered the building to their front. Once inside they moved cautiously, working their way from room to room. It seemed as though the buildings were empty. “Captain, are you sure this is where they brought my men? So far it doesn’t look promising. Do you suppose they bugged out, and you didn’t see them leave?

Maybe they left by a rear entrance. I’ll see how the other team is doing. Chief, any luck on your end?” “Negative, Lieutenant. It’s as quiet as a church over here. So far it looks like this dump is empty. Guess that’s why that patrol never showed. Are you having any luck?” “Same here, Chief. Nothing’s shaking so far. If we don’t make soon, we’ll have put our heads together to come up with something that pays off. We should be hooking up soon—don’t mistake us for the bad guys.” Both teams methodically moved through the buildings, working their way from room to room. They were disappointed to find the emptiness they came across. After a brief time, the two teams met, both empty handed. “What now, Captain? Where do we go from here?” “Best I can do at the moment, Lieutenant, is for you and your men to stay put until I can take my men out to see where the insurgents got to. They have to be here some place. They couldn’t have gotten away. Sit tight until we locate them.” While the two men talked, the lieutenant’s radio headpiece came alive. One of his men posted outside on the dock reported in. “Lieutenant, we have company. Two rag heads just turned on the street and are coming your way. Looks like trouble. Do you want me to pop them?” “Negative, sit tight. We’ll take care of them. No gunfire unless absolutely necessary. Stay put and keep your eyes open.” The lieutenant and his team moved to the front of the building and watched as the two insurgents moved down the street toward them. When they got to the doorway where the lieutenant stood, they stopped, lit a cigarette, and stood talking. “Lieutenant, those two rags stopped and are standing in front of the building. Can you see them?” “Affirmative, they’re standing right outside the door I’m standing behind. I can hear the two creeps talking. I think they’re going to come inside. We’ll take them

out if they decide to enter the building. You guys, be ready if and when that door opens. , no gunplay, use your blade.” After the two men in the street finished their smoke, they pushed in the door and entered the building. No sooner did they enter the room than they got a taste of the SEALs’ blade that took them out. It was over in seconds. They didn’t know what hit them. “Drag them in and close the door. You two on the dock, any more activity out there?” “Negative, Lieutenant, nothing moving. Did you take those two out?” “All taken care of. Let us know if we get any more company. The teams are going to sit tight until the Israelis have a look-see. Stay alert. Keep your eyes peeled for bad guys.” They would now have to wait for the Israelis to return with word of where the prisoners were being held. They sat in the dark building, covering all entrances to where they waited. The men wondered if they would find the two SEALs before the time was up—2200 hours would be there before they knew it. “Lieutenant, what are we going to do if 2200 comes and goes and we still haven’t located our guys?” “Think positive, Chief. We’ll get it done. The Israelis will locate them. Be ready to move when they get back. I think I hear them coming now. Check that door.” “Lieutenant, we found your men. They are holding them in a small building not far from here. There are only a handful of men guarding them. Should be a pushover getting them out of there. You still have plenty of time to make it back to the sub after we retrieve them. Looks like you had company while we were gone. Any trouble taking them out?” “No trouble, Captain. The two of them just kind of wandered in. Took them out without a problem. Let’s go. Take us to where you found our men. You men on the dock, the Israelis found our guys. Stay put and cover our getaway. We’ll be moving fast when we come back through there.” The teams left the building following the Israelis to where the men were being

held. They made it to the small building housing the SEALs and stopped to put a plan in motion. “Looks like maybe two guards outside, Captain. How many do you figure are inside?” “No more than two, Lieutenant. Don’t think they were expecting any trouble. We’ll take out the two outside, then storm the building and hit them before they know what hit them. Try not to use your weapon, use your blades. No need to wake up the rest of the rags.” “Chief, take one man and take out those guards. We’ll move up when you get the job done.” Like a jungle cat stalking its prey, the two SEALs moved in the shadows to take out the sentries. They moved in for the kill, hugging a low stone wall to keep their cover. Just as they were about to pounce on the unsuspecting sentries, the door the men were guarding swung open. Out walked a small group of insurgents that stood with the others and lit up a smoke. The chief took notice and spoke to the lieutenant. “Lieutenant, we have a situation unfolding. The two rags guarding the door just got company. The two outside the door just turned into six.” “Sit tight, Chief, and see if they move out. There’s too many to take on. Stay put.” “Lieutenant, you didn’t think we were going to walk in there, did you? Those rags are carrying automatic weapons. Don’t worry, we’ll stay put.” The two SEALs crouched low behind the wall and waited for the smoke break to end. As they lay behind the wall listening to the chatter, they got another surprise. One of the insurgents walked over to the wall where they were taking cover and took a leak. The men that were hanging back scoped it out and almost cracked up. “Lieutenant, take a look at that. One of those rags is standing over that wall taking a piss on our guys. The chief is going to blow his cool any minute now.”

With a move that was almost quicker than the eye, the chief reached up and pulled the surprised man over the wall, taking him out. It happened so fast that the others never saw him disappear. Things went on like nothing had happened. “Do you believe that shit? The chief just took that bad guy out. I don’t think the others know what the hell just went down. They’re just standing there finishing their smoke. I don’t believe that shit.” “Chief, what the hell was that all about? You could have screwed things up. Have the others missed that rag yet?” “Lieutenant, that mother-fucker was pissing all over us. I had to take the little prick out. Nothing came of it. His buddies are still having their smoke. It looks like they’re getting ready to move out. Maybe we’ll get a break. Doesn’t look like they missed the little creep.” Like the men thought, the insurgents that left the building for their smoke break finished up and headed down the dimly lit street and disappeared into the darkness. The SEALs would now be free to move on the two guards that were busily chatting away. “Ponce, looks like it’s a go. We’ll slip around this wall and take those two out, and then we’ll signal the others to move up. This is starting to get hairy, take it slow.” In no time, the two SEALs were on top of the guards, taking them out, their blades finding their mark. It was now time to signal the others to move on up. “Let’s go. That’s it—they took out the guards. We’ll hit that house fast and get the hell out of here. The time is clicking away. We have barely two hours left to make it back to the sub. Let’s get the job done.” Everything was going according to plan. The guards were disposed of, giving them the green light to move on to the men that were holding the lieutenant and the other SEAL. They were minutes away from rescuing the men being held. “Chief, take four men and blast your way in there. We’ll cover the street and keep our escape route open. Make it quick. We need out of here and fast.” Little did the lieutenant know how fast. Just as the chief and the other SEALs

busted their way in to where their men were being held, all hell broke loose. Coming back down the street were the five insurgents that had left only minutes before. “Here comes trouble, Lieutenant. Looks like those mother-fuckers finally missed the dude the chief took out that pissed on him. Looks like we’re in for it.” Inside the building, the chief and the other SEALs made short work of the four men that were working the lieutenant over. The other SEAL had been beaten and was out of it and unconscious. In seconds, they took out every combatant in the room. “Boss, are you okay? Looks like we got here none too soon. These guys were working you two over pretty hard. Are you okay to travel?” “Try me—I’m ready. Check on Ryan. They f-cked him up pretty bad. Glad you got here when you did. I was afraid they were getting ready to kill us both. By the sounds of it, the street outside has become a war zone. What the hell did you guys run into?” “The rags that left here a while back returned to look for one of their buddies I had to take out earlier. There’s only five of them. Shouldn’t be any trouble getting out of here. Are there any more in this building?” “Negative, there were only twelve or so that brought us here. Don’t know how many more that could be in this shit hole.” The chief was now on the radio, filling in Lieutenant Haskell on what was taking place inside the building. They had cleared it and were on their way out. “Lieutenant, what’s that street look like out there? Is it clear for us to come out? We took care of everything in here. The lieutenant and the other SEAL are in rough shape, but they’ll make it. We’ll need to carry Ryan. He’s out cold and in a bad way. Send Doc in here to check him out.” “Sit tight until we clear the street, Chief. Looks like those rags brought a small army with them. There has to be twenty or so out here trying to move in on us. Send out two of your guys to help us. Keep that back door buttoned up, could be more trying to flank us. We’ve got less than an hour to make it back to the sub. We need to get things under control and bug out of here. We’ll take care of the bad guys. You men be ready to move when I give you the high sign.”

“Just clear the frig-in’ street. We’ll be ready to go. You better make it quick, looks like rags are trying to work in behind us.” The street now became a killing zone, with the insurgents trying to crawl over the SEALs that were holding them back. To make things worse, they were trying to work their way in from the back of the building. “Lieutenant, don’t know how long we can keep these rags off us. They’re coming through the back of the building. Won’t be long before we’ll be out in the street with you guys. How close are you to clearing our… EXIT?”

CHAPTER 4

FIRE BALL

“Hang in there, Chief. Looks like we’ll need to make a break for it. Is the lieutenant and the other man ready to move?” “We’re as ready as we’ll ever be, sir. Just clear us a hole to crawl out of. Doc, get the lieutenant and Ryan ready to move. Keep that back door covered so they don’t crawl over us before we get a chance to bust out of here.” Things were close to blowing up. The SEALs were now facing hostiles on two sides that were trying to sandwich them in. They had to make their move and fast. “Chief, it’s now or never. Get your men ready to move out. We need to bug out before half of the town is crawling up our backside. Booby-trap that back door and let’s go.” The SEALs made their move, with the chief and the others leaving the building and hitting the street. Fire was now coming from all directions, with bullets ricocheting off the low rock wall that was giving the SEALs the little cover they enjoyed. The group was now ready to make their move. “You men down on the dock, we’re heading back to the boats. Bad guys will be on our ass. Give us cover fire. There’s a small army of rags trying to kick our ass.” “It’s still quiet on the dock, sir. Hasn’t been any movement since you left. We’ll give you cover fire. Bring it on.” The SEAL teams found themselves under heavy fire, with the insurgents trying to move in on them. Muzzle flashes from their weapons lit up the dark street. The teams were up against it, trying to leave the scene.

“Chief, move out with the men and head for the boats. I’ll stay behind with the Israelis to cover your withdrawal. We’ll plant a few surprises to shake them up. Captain Bergman, have your men booby-trap this alley after my men through. We need to slow these rags down and get them off our back.” While the men went to work on the alley, they watched the booby-trapped building go up. An explosion brought the structure crumbling down. The street filled with debris and smoke that brought things to a halt. The lieutenant called back to the chief asking what they had planted to slow the insurgents down. “Chief, what the hell did you guys rig up back there? We just watched that frigin’ building you were in come down. How much C-4 did you plant back there?” “Enough to stop the rags in their tracks, sir. We wanted to buy you guys enough time to be able to make it out of there in one piece. How did we do?” “Well, let me put it this way, chief. Nothing’s moving. If those mother-fuckers get through, they’ll have another surprise waiting for them in this alley. We’re ready to head your way. Heads up.” The insurgents kept up the pressure and stayed on the tail end of the SEALs trying to make their way back down to the water. They booby-trapped the last alley they had to through then hightailed it to hook up with the men that were now in the boats waiting to leave. The two SEAL snipers were still on the dock, ready to give covering fire. “We’re coming out. We have rags close in. Keep them off our back. Are the boats loaded and ready to go?” “Ready and waiting to shove off, sir. Get here in one piece, and we’ll get the hell out of here. The chief rigged the dock with C-4. This place is ready to go up like a roman candle. If it’s anything like that building they rigged, this won’t be a good place to hang around. We’ll guide you through when you get here.” The gunfight was now moving down to the dock area. The SEALs had slowed up the insurgents with the booby trap left in the building and now waited for the alley that was set to go sky high. Reaching the dock, the men looked back to see it go up, but nothing happened. They watched as the enemy filtered through. “Captain Bergman, the rags made it through. They made it past what we left behind for them to walk into. What the hell do you suppose happened?”

“Can’t say, Lieutenant. That alley was rigged to go sky high. We need to move the hell on out of here while we still can.” “You shooters on the dock, we’re clear. Take out any movement you see exiting that alley. The bad guys are right on our ass. Something went wrong. What we left for them to walk into didn’t happen. I guess it’s all left up to what the chief left for them.” They all made it to the boats and headed out to deep water to rendezvous with the sub that would hopefully be there to extract them. The men watched as the insurgents filtered in behind them and took over the dock area. “Lieutenant, we made it out of there in the nick of time. Those rags are crawling all over that dock. They’re in for a surprise when that place goes up.” The words barely out of the man’s mouth when the entire dock area lit up and went sky high. They had triggered the booby trap that sent them all to hell. The men paused long enough to watch the fireworks then got underway again. They would now head out to deep water and wait for the sub to surface and take them aboard. “Lieutenant, we’re an hour late. Do you think we missed the sub? Maybe they gave up on us and thought we weren’t coming back. They wouldn’t leave us here, would they? Maybe it’s too damn dark out here to see us. “Don’t worry, Chief. They’re still on station. They’ll be here. They’re probably getting ready to pick us up as we speak. How are Ryan and the lieutenant holding up?” “The LT is A-OK and Ryan’s hanging in there. He’s busted up. The rags broke some of his ribs when they kicked the shit out of him. He’s conscious, and he’ll make it. Doc has it under control. Those two are lucky. They could have bought it back there. Glad we got there when we did.” As the men talked trying to the time, a SEAL in one of the other boats let out a yell. The dark silhouette of the sub broke the surface of the cold dark waters and popped up. The sub was there and was starting to surface. They would now be able to climb out of the rubber boats and board their ride out of there.

“Okay, Chief, get the men below. I’ll get with you when we are underway again. It will sure feel good to climb out of these cramped rubber boats. Have Doc take care of Ryan when we get aboard.” That said, the men were below decks in record time, all too anxious to go below where it was warm and dry. Once below decks, Lieutenant Haskell was summoned to the con where the ship’s captain waited to be filled in. “Lieutenant, glad to see you all made it back. The mission was a success. You retrieved the two men you went in for. When you didn’t show, I knew right off that you probably ran in to more than you bargained for.” “You can say that again, Captain. There were more rag heads in there than we expected to see. They were coming out of every crack in the woodwork. For a while there, it was touch and go. They were all over us from the start. What’s been going on out here?” “The situation has been tense, hasn’t gotten any better. In fact it’s gotten much worse in the last twelve hours. Iranian gunboats have been cruising the gulf looking to start something up. They have been operating an old Russian sub out here. We’ve been keeping tabs on it. The chain of command believes the shit is going to hit the fan in the next twenty-four. We’re going to make a beeline for the Strait of Hormuz while the getting is good. The Iranians are expected to blockade the strait and bottle up all shipping that tries to through. They’ll probably sink a tanker or two in the straight to bottle things up. At least that’s what they are threatening to do. Any of our war ships that have been operating in the Persian Gulf waters have been pulled out. Too tight in here, the brass wants to operate out in the Arabian Sea in deep water where they can maneuver and flex their muscles. See to your men, Lieutenant. I’ll keep you abreast of anything that comes down the pipeline.” The entire area was on the verge of blowing up into a major confrontation. The men onboard the sub knew how grave the situation could become and wondered if things would unravel. Consensus was that the next twenty-four would tell the story. After the briefing, the lieutenant made his way to check on Lieutenant Brady and the other SEALs. “Boss, are you feeling any better? How is Ryan making it? You two had a close call. You almost cashed in.”

“I’ll make it, Lieutenant. It’s Ryan I’m worrying about. Those rags f-cked him up pretty bad. If you hadn’t got there when you did, it might have been too late to save our ass. They worked on him for hours trying to find out what we were doing there. He never once gave them the satisfaction of learning what our mission was all about. Before you got there, I thought it was curtains.” “It’s water under the bridge, LT. We’re just glad we got both of you back. Talked with the captain, and things are really deteriorating big time. The Iranians are looking to start some shit. This part of the world is going to blow up and come apart. It’s a giant shit sandwich, and it looks like we’re going to take a big bite of it. The Israelis are being pushed into a corner. I think they’ll come out fighting— that’s their only option. We’re in this shit up to our eyeballs.” “Where are we headed, Lieutenant? What’s our next move? As far as I know, sir, we’re headed back through the Strait of Hormuz into the waters of the Arabian Sea. The brass wants to operate with enough room to maneuver. I’ll keep you in the loop when I know something.” An hour ed before Lieutenant Haskell was again summoned to the con. He immediately got with Lieutenant Brady to accompany him to the briefing. Once there, they found Captain Dryer waiting to fill them in on what was about to go down. “Lieutenant Brady, I see your up and moving again. Are you ready to take command of the teams? Just received word from command. I have new orders that include you and your men.” “Not yet, sir, I’m nursing a few bruised ribs. Lieutenant Haskell is my second-incommand. I think he can handle anything that’s out there.” “What came down the pipe wasn’t good news, Lieutenant. My orders are to stay on station to assist your teams to complete your new mission. Your orders are to go back in to destroy the site you originally had targeted. Command believes the Israelis are ready to unleash an attack. The attack could be only days away. The targets they go after will more than likely be Iran’s nuclear sites. Problem is the site you went after is buried deep down, makes it hard to get to from the air. The brass is counting on you and your teams to be able to neutralize the target. I summoned Captain Bergman. He and his men will be in on what’s about to go down. He’ll be with us shortly.”

“What’s your take on the situation, Captain? Do you think it’s inevitable that the Israelis will sooner or later come out swinging?” “That’s my belief, Lieutenant. In the past twenty-four hours, the Iranians have been pushing to bring things to a head. Both sides are being pushed in a corner. The Israelis are dealing with a life-and-death situation, and the Iranians are dealing with plenty of unrest in their country. The powers that be have their hands full trying to keep a lid on the unrest. The big wheels in Iran have their sights set on hitting Israel and can’t see any further than that. At the present time, Iran is saber rattling, trying to buy more time to be able to finish their nuclear weapons program. The Iranian people are ready to hit the streets again. They all don’t see it the same way. Things aren’t looking good topside, gentlemen. The brass thinks Israel is getting ready to take out Iran’s capabilities on their own. If Iran keeps fanning the flames, they’re going to start a brush fire that’s going to ignite and turn this entire area into World War III. Crazy thing is Iran wants to take on the U.S. too. When the shit hits the fan, we’ll be right in the middle of it all. Captain Bergman, come on in. We’ve been expecting you.” “I understand you have my orders, sir.” “Yes, Captain. You and your men are going to go back in to hit that Iranian target the SEAL teams hit on the first go-around. Chances are the Iranians won’t be expecting us to hit it again so soon. The job has been left up to the teams. The brass has confidence in them being able to get the job done. A coordinated effort is in the works. Other teams are lined up to hit other targets at the same time. Radar and missile sites are also being targeted. Israeli commando units are already on the ground. This will be an all-out effort to force the Iranians to sit down and listen to reason. This time around, Iranian dissidents will be there to help us pull it off. Get your men ready to move, gentlemen.” The entire region was starting to unravel. Iraq was starting up again with the help of foreign fighters mostly backed by Iran. With the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, civil war in that country was looming on the horizon. It looked as though bloodshed would again cover that country. Pakistan was becoming a hotbed of unrest, with factions wanting to start things up with India. Old rivals, with both sides chomping at the bit to kick each other’s ass. A nuclear confrontation was just as great in this area.

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan was a tinder box. Things in Afghanistan were as bad as day one. The Taliban were as strong as ever. Most of the countries that had sent troops there to fight were long gone, leaving the U.S. forces high and dry. Our forces were bogged down in every part of the country, especially on the border of Pakistan. The rugged terrain of the Afghan countryside stayed mostly in the hands of the Taliban, giving them the edge at every turn. The U.S. was between a rock and a hard place, unable to bring things to a screeching halt to leave it all behind. It looked as though they would be bogged down for many more years to come. Afghanistan still and was a thorn in the side of the U.S. Casualties were starting to mount, with numbers close to reaching the ones we endured in that long-ago war we fought in Vietnam. There seemed to be no end in sight. The Arab world was starting to pick sides to ensure their safety. The world watched as Russia and China stood in the wings, watching the goings-on. Most believed that a nuclear confrontation from just about anywhere was imminent. Each of these countries was capable of dragging the world into a global… FIRE BALL.

CHAPTER 5

WAY OUT

“LT, what’s your take on this mission? Do you think there’s a chance of us walking smack dab into another setup? I’m starting to think that the odds are mostly against us. We walked headlong into an ambush the last time we tried to hit that target. It bothers me when I think that Iranians will be in on some of this. What makes the brass think that they all can be trusted? Ten to one, they have moles planted in every group of dissidents. I have a gut feeling that we could be screwed.” “Lieutenant, all this is nothing new. Every time we take on a mission, the odds are fifty-fifty that we’ll walk into something we hadn’t planned on. It’s the same old shit that comes with the job. This mission will be like all the rest you’ve been on. Sometimes a breeze and sometimes a nightmare that you have to live with. You’ll be okay.” “LT, do you think this mission is a lead-up to things to come? Do you think the Israelis will go through with the strike?” “Can’t see how they can do anything but that. Consensus is that the Iranians are close to putting a bomb together, if they haven’t already done so. Those rags are hell-bent on wiping Israel off the map, then trying to take us out close behind. Israel will do the right thing and protect themselves. I hope the hell we do the same.” “I can see them having the capacity to lob one at Israel, but how the hell are they going to get at us? I doubt if they have the long-range capacity to reach the U.S.” “There’s more than one way to skin a cat, Lieutenant. I’m sure they already have that figured out. The borders back home are wide open—it wouldn’t be that hard to walk something in. The part that bothers me is who might help them get the job done. There are a few countries that would jump at the chance to get in on

trying to kick our ass. When and if this all comes together, and I think there’s a good chance that it will, we’re going to get hit hard back home. Let’s hope I’m wrong, and it doesn’t come out that way. Let’s hope the big wheels back home that are running things can see what’s coming down the pike.” The sub’s intercom lit up. They had reached their jump-off point. Both lieutenants were again called to the con. They would soon be back into the thick of it. The two men made their way to the control room to what they thought would be a final briefing. “Gentlemen, we have a situation on our hands. Seems like the Iranians are taking no chances this time. We have spotted two Iranian gunboats that are patrolling not far offshore. I guess we didn’t give them enough credit. I thought they would be more lax.” Lieutenant Haskell was quick to ask. “So what happens now, Captain? How in the hell are we going to get past them?” “Nothing that a slight change in plans won’t fix, Lieutenant. It’s a cinch we can’t surface. We’ll get it done another way. I’ll take you in as close as we dare go and get you out through the escape hatch. I’m sure you’ve done that maneuver before.” “Not a problem, Captain. When will we shove off?” “It will be dark soon, Lieutenant. We’ll maneuver in using the darkness for cover. For the time being, we’ll keep an eye on those gunboats and hope that they move off before you get underway. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to plant some charges on their hulls on the way in. We don’t need them out here nosing around when you finish and are on your way back. One other thing, gentlemen, you’ll be ing through an underwater minefield. I suggest you take every precaution when you make your way through it. It should be a go in about sixty. I’ll keep you posted and give you a heads-up when we’re about ten out.” With things set to go, the lieutenants returned to ready their men for what was to come. Spirits were high, with the men ready to take on the mission. The thought was that they needed to successfully pull off the mission at any cost. Lieutenant Brady addressed the men. “Listen up, guys. You should be shoving off within the hour. There’s been a slight change of plans. The sub will not be

able to surface. There are two Iranian gunboats topside trying to prevent just what is going to happen. You will make an underwater entry. You’ve all done it many times before. On the way in, you’ll need to through an old underwater minefield. Watch your ass when you go through it. Sorry I won’t be going on this one. Lieutenant Haskell will get you there and back in one piece. Good luck, men. See you all when you return.” With everything said, Lieutenant Brady left the SEALs to return to the control room. He wanted to stay on top of things and be there when the team left the sub. His feelings ran high. He was disappointed that he would be sitting out the mission that was about to take place. He had served with some of the men from day one, and staying behind was not his cup of tea. “Any changes topside, Captain? Those Iranian gunboats still prowling the waters?” “They’re still up there, Lieutenant Brady, just holding the same position. I hope your men get a chance to plant a charge on their hulls. I’ll take them in as close as possible, and then they’ll be on their own. This is one hell of an important mission they threw at you. An awful lot depends on the outcome.” “You can say that again, Captain. I wish I didn’t have to sit this one out. I’m pretty tight with my men. It’s a bitch staying behind.” It wasn’t long before the SEALs got the green light to shove off. The gunboats were still topside and hadn’t moved like the captain thought they might. Once free from the sub, the men headed to shore, ing the patrol boats on the way in. They would leave them a surprise that would shake them up in the hours to come. The SEALs made their way to the boats and planted the charges. “Chief, plant a charge on that boat. I’ll take care of the other one. Let’s get it done and head toward shore. We have a night’s work ahead of us.” With the charges attached to the hulls on the gunboats, the SEALs continued on and headed in to reach the minefield. As they approached the underwater obstacle, their lights revealed what was out ahead of them. “Heads up, guys. Take a good look at what’s up ahead. There’s enough shit in there to get tangled into. Watch your every move. If we get through this without

a hitch, you can count your lucky stars.” The SEALs, along with the Israeli commandos, moved cautiously into the minefield. It was an entanglement of barbed wire and mines strung in the water at different levels. It was situated so as to be able to take care of surface craft and underwater intruders. The SEALs’ movement now became hindered by what was strung under the water to take them out. The lights they used to find their way were barely enough to keep them out of trouble. “Lieutenant, this frig-in’ place is mined to beat hell. If any of us get caught in that barbed wire, it will be curtains for all of us. There’s enough shit down here to blow us to kingdom come.” The team moved slowly, trying their best not to get tangled in the barbed wire that seemed to be everywhere. As they worked their way through the entanglement, one of the Israeli commandos became tangled in a wire that was attached to one of the mines. He stopped moving and got the attention of the others. “Lieutenant, one of the Israelis just got hung up. Looks like he got tangled in some of that barbed wire. I’ll move on over and see if I can get him loose. You better keep moving with the rest of the men just in case that mine goes up and takes us out.” The chief headed to where the Israeli was entangled. He saw that the man was hooked by a wire that had looped around his air tank. He was stopped cold and motioning to the chief to move in to unhook him. “Stay cool. I’ll get you untangled. If you move before I get you lose, we’ll both go up. Hang in there until I get the wire off your tank.” It was easier said than done, the wire had hooked itself around the tank and was not about to come off. The trapped man, sensing that the SEAL was having a problem extricating him, started to panic. Just as he started to move to try and break away, the Israeli captain appeared. He signaled to his man and gave him the high sign. This seemed to calm the man who stopped trying to escape the wire that the chief was about to cut. The man was freed when the wire was cut. They both watched as the mine that was hooked to it broke loose and headed for the surface. They looked up as it disappeared in the dark waters.

“That was a close one. The mine that was hooked to that wire almost took us both out. You had Lady Luck on your side that time. Lieutenant, the Israeli is loose, and we’re heading toward you. How does it look up ahead?” “We’re out of the minefield, Chief. Should be clear from here on. Move on up so we can get this show on the road. We lost a lot of valuable time back there. We need to make it up.” It wasn’t long before they were ashore and scoping out what was up ahead. Not far from the water’s edge, they ran into the chain-link fence that surrounded the complex. Lieutenant Haskell was quick to point out what was in their path. “Hold up, guys, that fence could be electrified. At the very least it could be hooked into a security system. We need to scout and look it over before we set something off.” The team moved along the fence perimeter to figure out where they could gain access. After moving a short distance, they came across a hole under the fence that had been washed out by the ocean waters at high tide. “Looks like we lucked out, Lieutenant. I think we can squeeze under the fence right here to get inside. I’ll go in first. Shove the gear in behind me. Station one of the men by the hole to keep the others from getting hooked up.” In no time, they were under the fence and inside the complex. When they moved in close, they could see how well-lit the area was. Close in to the buildings they could see sentry’s patrolling. The lieutenant signaled to the Israeli captain to move up to where he had taken cover. “Captain, we’ll need to take out those sentries before we can move in. Once they’re out of the way, we’ll work our way over to where the underground entrance is. From there, we’ll have to play it by ear.” “My men can handle those guards, Lieutenant. Give us a few minutes to get the job done. I’ll signal you when it’s clear.” The Israeli commandos moved in the shadows, keeping their cover to be able to reach the sentries that patrolled the nearby buildings. The men that hung back watched as they closed in on the unsuspecting Iranian guards. One by one, they took them out to clear the way for the team to move on up. Once cleared, the

signal was given for the others to move to the buildings that were at the mouth of the underground entrance. The team was now about to take on whatever was standing in their way. “Lieutenant, my men took out the guards. They tell me the entrance to the underground complex looks to be free and wide open. I think it’s clear for us to move on in. My men will go ahead to take care of any personnel that might pop up.” The team left the cover of the buildings after setting charges to cover their escape route. They rigged everything in the area to go up on their way out and then moved to the tunnel to scope things out. A short distance from the entrance, the men came across a shaft with a lift that would take them down into the underground complex. This would be where things could get hairy. “This is it, Chief. From here on, things could turn upside down real quick like. No telling what could be waiting for us when we get down there. When we reach the bottom and stop, get ready to blast your way in. Station two of the men topside to cover our way out of here. Let’s do it. We can’t get the job done standing here.” The men got on the lift and started down, each man wondering what might be waiting down below. The next few minutes would determine their fate. “Listen up, men. When the lift stops, bail out and grab whatever cover you can find. Fire your weapons only as a last resort. We still have the element of surprise on our side. Let’s take advantage of it.” When the lift reached bottom and came to a stop, the team scattered in the dimly lit tunnel. For a few seconds, it was touch and go, with the men expecting trouble. There was no one to be found. Lieutenant Haskell turned to the Israeli. “Captain Bergman, where do you suppose all the rag heads got to? I should think they would have guards posted all over the place. You don’t suppose we’re walking into a trap?” “I don’t think so, Lieutenant. Let’s keep moving. We’re bound to come across trouble sooner or later. I’ll take two of my men and move on up. Hang back until we get a chance to scope things out.”

The Israeli commandos moved deeper into the tunnel. About five into it, they radioed back to the lieutenant that trouble was heading his way. “Lieutenant, that trouble you were looking for is heading your way. They just popped out of a side tunnel after we ed them by. I counted four of them. They should be almost on top of you. Do you want us back there to help take them out?” “Negative, Captain, we can handle it. Cover the area they just walked out of. Hang there until we take care of business and move up. It shouldn’t take long. Get ready, guys. We have company headed this way.” Coming down the tunnel toward them were four Iranians engrossed in conversation. They jabbered away unaware that they were walking straight into hell. When they reached the area where the SEALs waited hidden by the dim light, the trap was sprung. In a split second, it was all but over. The SEALs pounced on their unsuspecting targets and swiftly took them out. “Nice job, boys. Drag their dead ass off to the side and let’s get moving. I think the Israelis may have hit pay dirt up ahead. They found a second tunnel.” After disposing of the four dead Iranians, the lieutenant and the others moved down the tunnel where they found the Israelis waiting. “Lieutenant, looks like you took care of things. Behind that door over there is where those four rags popped up. Haven’t checked it out yet. Don’t know what could be behind it. I think maybe we should hit that tunnel first.” “My thoughts too, Captain Bergman. We’ll check it out and see where it takes us. We need to start planting explosives. No telling how long we’ll be able to stay down here before we run into something we can’t handle. Let’s have a looksee.” The team slowly opened the door and made their way inside. The concrete tunnel was dimly lit like the main tunnel and lined with boxes that ran along both walls. They were marked and labeled in Chinese. “Take a look at this, Chief. These boxes are covered in Chinese writing. Wonder what the hell they contain? Open one up. Let’s have a look-see.” The men opened one of the boxes and wondered what they were looking at. Each box they opened contained a lead container that was sealed tight. They

were heavy and hard to move. “What do you make of this, Captain Bergman? If this shit is sealed in lead, it must be what we came to destroy. Start getting it ready to blow. I’ll take two of the men and continue on to see where it takes us. Be ready to get the hell out of here when I get back.” The lieutenant and his men continued on, seeing nothing but box after box stacked in the narrow tunnel. After moving for ten minutes, they finally made it to where the tunnel fizzled out. “Looks like we’ve seen everything we’re going to see, guys. This place is nothing more than a storeroom. I guess we’ll need to get back to the main tunnel to see where that leads us.” Once again on the move, they headed back to where they had left the other men that were busy setting charges to blow and seal the tunnel. Everything taken care of, the team headed out to exit the tunnel that was set to go up on their way out. As they approached the tunnel door and opened it, they heard voices coming toward them. The men at the door signaled the lieutenant that they had company. Their exit was now blocked by a group of men that were heading straight into their… WAY OUT.

CHAPTER 6



“Lieutenant Haskell, there are some rags heading this way. I think the motherfuckers intend to come in here. Looks like six or seven of them. We’re going to have our hands full. Better brace yourself for a fight.” The Iranians stopped short of entering the tunnel where the team stood waiting for the confrontation they thought would take place. They stood talking for a moment before they continued on. The coast was again clear. It looked as though they were heading to relieve their men that had been taken out by the team on their way in. “Chief, better warn the men topside that company is headed their way. When they see that we took out the sentries up there, the shit will hit the fan. Let’s head down that tunnel so we can wrap this deal up. Things are getting too hairy down here. Don’t like the idea of being trapped below ground.” As they moved deeper underground, the tunnel became wider and better lit by a string of lights that led the way. It looked as though they would soon start to run into more than they had bargained for. “Chief, any word from the men topside? Those rags should have gotten there by now. What the hell is going on?” “Lieutenant, word is everything is quiet up there. They haven’t seen any movement heading their way. Looks like those rags had somewhere else in mind to be. Where the hell do you suppose they got to?” “Don’t know, but I don’t like what is happening. Could we have missed another side tunnel? I have a gut feeling that it’s going to be a bitch getting out of here. Let’s keep moving and see if we can wrap this gig up.”

As the men talked to piece things together, they heard sounds coming from up ahead. They moved up to see an area that opened up into what looked like another storage room. Boxes were stacked two high with men working on tables, putting pieces and parts together on what seemed to be makeshift explosive devices. There were about twenty or so men in the room working on them. “What do you make of all this, Captain? What the hell do you suppose those rags are working on? Looks like something meant to screw somebody up. Looks like a frig-in’ bomb factory. I wish I could get close enough to see what the hell they are working on. There’s just too damn many of them here to take on. Doesn’t look like we’ll be able to go any further. Let’s rig this place to go up and then get the hell out of here.” As they went about the business of planting explosives to screw up the bomb makers, one of the Israelis got the attention of one of the rags that had just entered the area. The man let out a yell that got the attention of the others. They scattered and took cover. The team then started to fire straight in their direction. “We have a situation, Lieutenant. The rags are on to us. I think we brought their work to a screeching halt. Lieutenant, how come they’re not returning fire?” “Must be what’s in these boxes. I guess they figure they’ll blow us all to hell if they start shooting. Rig this place to go and then let’s hightail it out of here. See if you can take out some of those rags before we move out. Toss in a few grenades to give them something to think about.” The SEALs laid down fire, taking out a few of the Iranians that were unable to fire back. After a short time, the team was ready to move. A few well-placed grenades would be all it would take to keep the Iranians at bay. “Move, move, move! Let’s get the hell out of here before this place goes up. We need to get back to that lift and get topside. Let the boys up there know that we’re coming out. Booby-trap our way out. Leave something to slow the rags down to keep them off our backs. String some trip wires.” “Sir, one of the men caught one and went down back there. I think he’s alive. He’s still moving. Give me cover fire. I’ll go back and bring him out.” “Go for it, Doc. Don’t waste any time getting it done. This place is going to turn into a frig-in’ shooting gallery before long. We need to get our ass topside while

the getting is good.” The corpsman made his way back to where the wounded SEAL sat propped up against one of the boxes to keep his cover. He had a trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth that could be seen across the grin on his face. “Doc, what the hell are you doing back here? This place is about to go up like a roman candle. I’m a goner. Get your ass the hell out of here.” “Zip it, Malone, and take that frig-in’ grin off your face. What the hell is so funny anyhow? When you caught that bullet, did it hit a funny bone?” “Just had a crazy thought, Doc. Nothing you would get a kick out of.” “Try me. Let me in on it. I could use a laugh right about now. Keeping you guys patched up never strikes my funny bone. Let’s hear it.” “It’s really nothing, Doc. One of those bullets almost took my nuts off. Always wondered what I would do if I lost them. It just struck me funny. Pictured myself carrying them back in a plastic bag and handing them to my gal back in the States.” “What the hell is so funny about that?” “Just the thought that I would be beating her to the punch. She caught me with another chick a while back and threatened to cut them off and hand them to me. The look on her face would be worth it all.” “You’re a sick son of a bitch, Malone. It would take you to think of something like that. Get ready. I’m going to drag your ass on out of here. Another thing, don’t expect me to put your balls in a bag if they are shot off.” “Aren’t you at least going to check them out, Doc?” “Can it, Malone. Let’s get your shot-up ass out of here and get that shit-eating grin off your face. If your nuts need to go in a bag, you’ll have to do it yourself. The lieutenant’s waiting for me to get you back. We need to make tracks fast.” “Move it, Doc! Move it! What the hell was the holdup back there? I asked you to get him out, not hold a frig-in’ conversation with him. What the hell was that all

about?” “Nothing that can’t wait till later, Lieutenant. Just something that sick-o had to get off his chest. I’m sure he’ll let you boys in on it sooner or later. He’s shot up, but he’ll make it.” “One of the Israelis got nicked, Doc. Better take a look at him. Can Malone travel under his own steam?” “Negative, sir. I’ll put him across my shoulders and carry him out myself after I take a look at the Israeli.” The wounded taken care of, the team left the room that was ready to blow and headed back down the tunnel to make their way out. After moving only a short distance, they ran into a group of Iranians that popped up in their path. They looked to be the ones that had made their way down the tunnel past the SEALs earlier. “Lieutenant, more trouble up ahead. I think we ran into those rags that ed us earlier. It’s going to be a bitch getting around them. We might need the guys topside to come down and bail us out. We’re in between a rock and a hard place, sir.” “Okay, make the call. Get them down here. In twenty minutes, this place is going to go sky-high. If we don’t get past those rags and soon, you can kiss your ass good-bye. Put a grenade in on those bastards.” It now became a fight for life and death. Their escape route was blocked, and there was no other way out. They would need the help of the men that had stayed above ground. The call was made, and the two men topside started down to help bail out their team . Minutes later, the trapped team could hear gunfire coming from behind the Iranians. The SEALs had made it down and were taking on the men that had them trapped. “Sounds like our guys made it, sir. Let’s push ahead and see if we can over run those rags. Looks like we have maybe ten minutes to get the hell out of here before this place goes sky-high.” “Okay, Malone, it’s now or never. I’m going to hoist you up on my shoulders to get your worthless ass out of here. Don’t bleed all over me.”

The team, bolstered by the help they were receiving from the men that had made it down the shaft, pushed forward and in minutes ran through their opposition, taking out the last holdout. The way was now clear for them to escape and head topside. They hooked up with the two SEALs that had come to their rescue and loaded on to the lift that would take them back up where the air was clean and void of the gun smoke that now filled the tunnel. With no time to spare, the SEALs barely made it above ground when the complex below ground started to go up. Just as the last man stepped off the lift, the force of the underground explosions could be felt coming up through the shaft. They had made it with only seconds to spare. “Damn, that was close, Chief. Another minute and we would have been picking splinters out of our backside. By the looks of things, it should take the rags some time to get that tunnel complex up and working. Get on the radio and let the sub know that we have accomplished our mission and are heading back out to the pickup point.” As the SEALs pulled out, they saw to it that the charges they had set on just about everything above ground blew everything sky-high. They left the complex in shambles, destroying everything that stood when they got there. The buildings were ablaze with explosion after explosion ripping through them. “Lieutenant, if we don’t get company after all this, I’ll be surprised as all hell. We made enough noise to wake the dead. If there are any Iranian troops nearby they’ll surely look us up. Let’s hope those patrol boats don’t put two and two together and waylay our ass on the way out.” It all turned out to be wishful thinking. The explosions woke more than the dead. Heading toward the mostly destroyed complex were two trucks loaded with troops. They were relief troops that had been alerted by the Iranians that had come under attack. The situation would now turn things upside down. Just as the men were about to make their escape, the troop-laden trucks pulled up. “Damn, I was afraid this would happen. Here comes more trouble. Two trucks just pulled up loaded with rag heads. We’re going to catch hell now.” Just as the first truck pulled up, it went sky-high. It had hit something that took it out. The second truck stopped to watch the men pour out with their clothing ablaze.

“What the hell just happened, Chief? That truck just ran into something that took it out. I can’t believe what just went down. Were our guys responsible for that?” “Affirmative, sir. I had the men prepare for just what you saw taking place. I figured it might get hairy when we tried to bail out of here. This gig has been one bitch of a problem from the start. I tried to think ahead to get it to ease up on us.” “Good thinking, but there’s still enough of those rag heads left to try and put our dick in the dirt. You can bank on those patrol boats being ready to screw up our exit. Get the sub on the horn to get their input.” “Sir, we raised the sub. They say that two more patrol boats have ed the two already out there. They want us to head down the coast to the secondary pickup point. Iranian dissidents will meet us along the way. The captain says to detonate the charges you planted on the patrol boats on the way out. Thinks that will shake their ass up. They’ll us at 0200 hours tomorrow morning. Signed off with good luck.” “Thanks a lot, I think we’ll need more than luck to get out of this one. The rags know we’re here. They’ll stay on our ass to try and f-ck us up. If they figure out where we’re headed, it will be an uphill battle all the way. Did the captain say where the dissidents will pick us up?” “He didn’t pinpoint it, sir. He said somewhere along the way. Said they would show up and find us. We better get moving before the rags that are left out there decide to look us up. Are you ready to detonate the charges on those two gunboats?” The lieutenant gave the word while the men watched the patrol boats blow skyhigh. Two fire balls were created when the charges went off. The Iranians on the boats didn’t know what had hit them. “Lieutenant, bet those mother-fuckers were surprised. If this keeps up, we’ll blow a big chunk out of this part of the world. Do you think those Iranian freedom fighters will have any trouble finding us?” “They’ll find us. Let’s keep moving. If we miss this pickup, we’ll be left here high and dry. That sub will never surface if daylight beats us out. How are the wounded making it?”

“We jerry-rigged a stretcher to carry Malone. He’s lost quite a bit of blood. Doc has stabilized his bleeding. He’ll stay close to him. The Israeli is doing just fine —the bullet just grazed him. He’s moving on his own steam. Malone is in a bad way, sir. I hope he makes it.” The team was now under the gun. They had just enough time to make it to the rendezvous with the sub. They stopped to pour over their maps to see what lay in their path. “Lieutenant, looking at the map, looks like there’s a small village about a click up ahead. Maybe we can get help there for Malone. He’s starting to fade, sir. With any luck, those friendlies might show.” “Yeah, and maybe we’ll just walk into a frig-in’ trap. How the hell will we know if we can trust the dudes we’re going to hook up with? If we get out of this one in one piece, it will surprise the hell out of me. If there’s such a thing as Lady Luck, I hope she’s on our side. Let’s head toward that village and see if we can hook up.” The team kept moving, waiting to see any lights that might pop up out in front of them. They stumbled along through the dark night, heading in the direction where they thought their s might be. “Lieutenant, we need to take a break. Malone’s wounds are bleeding again. If Doc can’t stop the bleeding, we’ll lose him. He’s in a bad way, sir.” “Do what you can, Doc. Chief, what say we scout out that village to see what’s there? We’re losing too much time. We’ll never be able to make it up. Take two of the men and have a look-see. Make it snappy and get on back with good news.” “You got it, sir. We’ll be back before you know it. Waleski, you and Denton come with me. We’re going in to scout that village up ahead. We’ll be back as soon as we can, Lieutenant. We’ll keep radio .” The SEALs headed out into the unknown. They disappeared into the dark night that swallowed them up like an angry monster. They were gone in minutes vanishing into the darkness. On the way, the two men got the ear of the chief to ask what they could expect.

“Chief, what the hell do you suppose is waiting out there for us? Do you think we’ll hook up with those friendlies that are waiting for us to show? I have my doubts about trusting those bastards. We’ve been had once too many times. Don’t know who we can trust.” “You got that straight, Denton. We’ll play it by ear when the time comes. If and when we hook up with the friendlies, we’ll play to the hand we hold. Did either of you two pick up the… ?”

CHAPTER 7

HELL OUT OF HERE

“Chief, we’re with you. You volunteered us to follow your ass out here. We would have been just as happy hanging back with the others. What the hell are we going to do if we meet up with those friendlies? Better make the call and find out what the is.” The chief, hesitant to call, gave in and asked the lieutenant for the he neglected to learn before he left to reconnoiter the nearby village. “Sir, we’re about to reach the outskirts of that vill’. Need the to lay on those friendlies when we hook up with them.” “Better late than never, Chief. ‘Freedom,’ that’s the . Countersign is ‘strike.’ Keep in touch. Get back if you make . Watch your ass when you move in. You could be walking into an ambush.” With the and the countersign under his belt, the chief led the SEALs and pushed on to reach and hopefully connect with the freedom fighters that would help them make it through to their secondary pickup point. After about twenty minutes of groping their way along in near total darkness, they saw the dim lights of the village they had set out to find. Five hundred yards ahead was the place they were looking for. “Heads up, guys. Looks like we found what we were looking for. With any luck, we’ll find those friendlies. Let’s hope we don’t find bad guys waiting instead. Stay on your toes, just in case we find the latter.” In minutes they were walking down a road that led them into the dimly lit quiet surroundings. The street they now walked on was vacant of any movement or signs of life. It was as though they had walked into a place void of habitation.

“Chief, what the hell do you make of this? Hell, there’s not even a dog roaming around. This doesn’t look kosher. I can smell a trap.” “You got that right, Denton. I have a gut feeling we’re walking into something. When it’s this quiet, it usually means there’s something waiting. I think we should back the hell on out of here while we still can.” The words backing out just crossed the chief’s lips when all hell broke loose. The street to their front lit up with flashes from automatic weapons. The SEALs had almost walked into an ambush. Muzzle flashes covered every corner of the street; their gut feeling had served to be true. They would now have to back out without catching a hot round. “Let’s boogie, guys. This place is too hot for comfort. Those bastards were just sitting there waiting for us to waltz in. Let’s back the hell on out of here. Get on the horn and let the lieutenant know that we walked into an ambush. Tell him that we’re heading back and to hold his position until we get there.” “Chief, where the hell do you suppose those friendlies got to? We could have used them right about now.” Lead was now flying in all directions. The Iranian troops that had been lying in wait were hell bent on taking out the SEALs that were there to find a safe route out. They were pinned down and trying to slide out from under the fire that had them unable to move. Just when they thought the situation couldn’t get any worse than it was, they started to get relief from fire that came down on the Iranians that had them pinned down. “Chief, looks like maybe those friendlies just showed up. Somebody has just got the attention of those dudes that have been trying to kick our ass. Maybe we lucked out.” “Okay, this is our chance to get out from under all this. Let’s take advantage of it and slip on out of here. We need to head back and see what the lieutenant has in mind.” With the opportunity presenting itself, the three SEALs hightailed it back to where the others waited. The heat was off and the coast was clear.

“Lieutenant, we almost walked into a hot zone. The rags were there and waiting. They may have figured out our escape route. They had us pinned down until somebody else intervened. It had to be those freedom fighters we were trying to hook up with. If it wasn’t for that friendly fire, we’d still be back there. Whoever it was that laid it down sure pulled our nuts out of the fire. What the hell are we going to do now, Lieutenant?” “Well, it’s a cinch. We can’t go back the way we came. There’s only one way out. They won’t expect us to keep going. That’s just what we’re going to do. There’s a good chance we’ll meet up with whoever got you out of the scrape you just escaped from. Get the men ready to move out.” Time was starting to slip away from their meet with the sub that would be on station waiting for the team to make it out. If they missed the pickup, they would find themselves up a creek without a paddle. The lieutenant was beginning to worry about their chances of making it out. “Chief, I’m beginning to think we’re up shit creek without a paddle. If we don’t make that rendezvous with the sub on time, we could be left here high and dry. At the rate we’re going, we’ll never make it on time. We’ll need a miracle to pull our ass out of this one. We need to hook up with those friendlies and fast.” The SEAL team kept moving, determined to skirt the village and by whatever was there to slow them down. When they again reached where the chief ran up against the hostile fire, everything seemed to be quiet and peaceful. “What do you think, Lieutenant, think the Rags bugged out? This is the way we found it the first time, just before it exploded in our face. Do you think they’re trying to sucker us in again?” “Can’t say, Chief, but we’re not going to chance it. We’ve lost too much time screwing around already. We’re close to not making it to the pickup point as it is.” “Lieutenant, let me run something past you. If we can get in there and grab a vehicle, it will help us make up the lost time we have behind us. It’s worth a try, sir.” “Okay, Chief, see if you can get it done. If you can pull it off, maybe we’ll make it yet. We’ll hang here and wait for you to get back. Take two of the men with

you.” “Waleski, Denton, let’s go. We’re going to see if we can pick up a set of wheels. Grab that radio. We might need it.” The chief, along with the other two SEALs, headed back to enter the much too quiet village. They made their way along the dark street waiting to take fire at any moment and run into the Iranian troops that tried to waylay them earlier. After moving maybe a hundred yards, the men came to the conclusion that the Iranians had pulled out. “Guys, it looks as though the rags took a powder. If they were here, they would have hit us by now. Maybe we’ll get out of this yet. Let’s see if we can find that set of wheels and get on back to load up and head out of here.” The SEALs kept moving until they finally came across a van parked on the street. As they moved up to commandeer it, one of the men saw movement in the shadows. “Chief, we got company. Somebody’s in that doorway, could be a setup. I’ll move on up and see if I can take him out. Hang back and give me a minute.” The SEAL moved cautiously, hugging the wall of the building that would lead him to whoever lurked in the shadows. When he reached the doorway where the movement had been spotted, he found no one there. Whoever had been waiting and watching was long gone. He waved to the others to move on up. “Didn’t find a thing, Chief. Came up empty. Would have sworn somebody was there. Let’s grab this van and get the hell out of here. No keys? Better hot-wire the damn thing.” Waleski pulled down the visor and the truck keys fell into his hands. He looked at Denton with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Is this what you’re looking for?” With the keys now in the ignition, the van was started and they were on their way. They spun it around and headed back down the road to where the lieutenant and the men were waiting. “Wondering when the hell you guys were going to get back. What took you so long? Was about ready to come looking for you, thought maybe you might have walked into something. Didn’t hear any gunfire so we decided to stay put. What

did it look like back there?” “Quiet as all hell, sir. I think the rags pulled out. Thought for a minute that we saw somebody eyeballing the van. Turned out to be nothing. Are you guys ready to get the hell out of here?” “We’re ready. We’ve been ready. Been looking over the map. This road should take us pretty close to where we need to be. If we can get there without running into trouble, we should be able to make it on time.” The van loaded, they took off in the direction they needed to go. The lights on the van lit up the road as the driver looked ahead, hoping not to see a roadblock that would bring them to a screeching halt. After about thirty minutes of knuckle-clenching hanging-on from the ride over the rough road, they came to the end of the line. The road that would take them to the water was blocked by the burned-out hulks of two trucks. “Trouble ahead, Lieutenant. The road is blocked up ahead. Looks like it’s the end of the line. We would have been hoofing it sooner or later anyway—this piece of shit is almost out of gas. Looks like those trucks ran into a tank.” “Okay, bail out and get the wounded ready to travel. We need out of here and fast. Those trucks are still smoldering. Whatever went down happened only a short time ago. Chief, check out the trucks and see who took it in the shorts.” As they looked through the burned-out trucks, they found the bodies of a half dozen or so dead that looked to be nonmilitary. “Lieutenant, looks like we found some of those freedom fighters we’ve been trying to hook up with. The poor bastards must have walked into a roadblock that was set for us. What’s left of them probably headed toward the beach with the Iranians hot on their trail. Looks like we lucked out on that one.” As they stood looking things over, a band of the shot-up friendlies popped up. They came out of the darkness yelling to the SEALs not to fire on them. “American, hold your fire! Don’t shoot!” “Lieutenant, we have company. Looks like some of the friendlies that just took the hit. They’re dragging some of their wounded in with them. I think they’re the ones we’ve been looking for. I think they’re legit.”

The shot-up remnants walked in excitingly trying to talk to the SEALs. They had their hands raised in the air shouting not to shoot. “So much for the , Chief. I don’t think these poor slobs even knew it. See if you can calm them down and find out who is in charge. They are one excitable bunch.” After calming the group down, the chief singled out the man that spoke next-toperfect English. He immediately filled the SEALs in on what had gone down. “Lieutenant, this dude tells me that they ran into a roadblock that was set up here. The rags had a tank they couldn’t get away from. It took out two of their trucks before they could beat it out of here. Says they knew we were coming this way and tried to hook up with us. Thinks the Iranian troops knew we were headed this way too. Two of their trucks filled with men made it out and headed for the water with the rags on their tail. They’re going to lead them down the coast past our pickup point and try to keep them busy. It should be all clear when we get to the beach. They said they’ll follow us down and try to give us cover if we need it.” “Okay, that’s that. When we get down to the beach, we’ll the sub. Doc, see if you can patch some of them up. Looks like they could use your help.” With things taken care of, the SEALs started on the move that would take them to the beach where they hoped to be picked up by the sub. They were about two clicks from the water when they started to hear gunfire up ahead. “Chief, what the hell do you suppose is taking place up ahead? By the sounds of that fire, that’s a heavy machine gun working. It could be that tank those Iranians told us about. We better move up and see just what the hell is happening.” It sounded like the SEALs had another obstacle in their path. As they got closer to the gunfire, they figured out what it was. The tank that had been pursuing the Iranian rebels had caught up to them and was systematically taking them out. “Lieutenant, looks like the rebels have their hands full. That tank is putting a real hurt on them. We better figure a way fast to get it off their back before it takes them all out.” “Chief, take a look. That tank is sitting back there with no infantry to it.

Those Iranian troops are all out in front of it trying to mop up the rebels. If one of our guys could get in behind it and plant some of that C-4 we’re still totting, we might just get lucky and knock it out. See what you can do to get it done.” One of the SEALs volunteered to take on the tank. With the C-4 in hand, he made his way toward the iron monster that was laying down the murderous fire. As he approached the tank, it suddenly started to move forward. When it again stopped, the SEAL moved up and planted the C-4 on its underbelly. For a minute or two he lay under it, listening to the fire that was coming out of it. As he crawled out from under it, he got the attention of the nearby Iranian troops. They turned and fired on him and tried taking him out. Unable to escape their fire he stayed put. The Iranian troops now started to direct their fire his way. Mortally wounded and knowing that he was a goner, he detonated the explosives just as the tank tried to move away. When the tank went up, it took with it most of the Iranian troops that were nearby. “Son of a bitch, Bradley was still under that tank when it went up! There won’t be enough of him to scrape up. He took out that tank because he knew it was going to move away. I can’t believe it.” The SEALs now moved up and took down the Iranians that had survived the blast. The rebels, seeing what had just gone down, pushed back to help mop up. In no time, their path was cleared for them to continue on. The SEALs now stood looking at the tank that was ablaze, each man paying his respects to their fallen comrade in arms. “Damn, what a way to go. Can’t say I would have had the balls to do it. That took a lot of guts. Chief, see if you can that sub. Doc, see what you can do for those rebels. They’re shot up pretty bad.” “Lieutenant, have the sub on the horn. They say they are on the way in to pick us up, want us to be on the beach and ready to move when they get there. Want to add anything to it?” “Tell them we’ll be waiting. Chief, give those rebels what ammo and supplies we have left, then let’s get down to the boats to get the… HELL OUT OF HERE.”

CHAPTER 8

HOT ONE

“Lieutenant, I guess this is where we part ways. We’ll be staying here. There’s still a lot of work to do. Maybe our paths will again cross one day. Shalom, Chaver.” “I figured you would be going with us, Captain Bergman. You can expect this part of the country to come alive with Iranian activity after what went down here. Have you already received new orders?” “Lieutenant, we already had them before we hooked up. This area was a hotbed before we even got here. Before we finish and pull out, it will get even hotter. We have a job to do, Lieutenant, and we’ll be here until we finish it.” The SEAL team headed for the beach where they would pick up the boats that would come in to extract them. The men had completed their mission and were ready to pull out. They signaled the sub then sat back to wait for the extraction. “Lieutenant, glad we’re not in those boys’ shoes. Those poor bastards are a glutton for punishment. Their job isn’t over even after it’s over. I’ll bet the odds of their making it out of here alive are pretty slim.” After a short wait, the boats there to take them off the beach showed up. They came out of the black of night ready to pick up the SEALs. Once loaded they headed back out to board the waiting sub. The submariner on one of the boats quizzed the SEALs. “Looks like you boys had a rough one. Heard you blew that complex back there all to hell. Looks like you might have left one or two of your men back there, Chief.” “Yeah, we did, not because we wanted too. If it wasn’t for Bradley, none of us would be here. It was a rough go. We’re all going to miss that SEAL.”

Once on board the sub, the lieutenant made his way to the control room to be debriefed. He was met by the captain, his first officer, and Lieutenant Brady. “Lieutenant, glad you made it back. By all s, your mission seemed to be a success. The Iranian radio chatter seems to bare that out. You stirred up a hornet’s nest back there, Lieutenant. How deep into that underground complex did you get?” “Not as far as I hoped to, sir. That place was crawling with rag heads. We came across storage areas, one in particular. There were boxes piled up in there with Chinese markings all over them. They were filled with lead-sealed containers, couldn’t tell what they held. After we rigged it to blow, we came across another area where we found rags building what we thought were some kind of bombs. The shit hit the fan, and we never did get to figure it out. We ran into all kinds of shit in that complex. We’re lucky we got the hell out of there when we did. Just made it above ground when the place went sky-high, was no picnic getting the hell out of there. Blew everything topside when we pulled out. Rebels weren’t much help, didn’t hook up with them until it was almost too late. In fact, we wound up pulling their nuts out of the fire. It was pretty much a cluster f-ck, sir.” “Well, the important thing is you destroyed what you came up against. It will slow down whatever they were up to. That’s what counts. We’ll wait for the intelligence reports to catch up. Clean up and chow down, Lieutenant. We’ll get back to this a little later. For now, we’ll wait to see what comes of what just went down.” “Let’s go, Lieutenant, Haskell, we’ll see if we can get you fixed up with a cup of Joe and some hot grub. After you get that under your belt, a hot shower should bring you back to life. By that time, we should get some intel on what our next move will be.” “Sounds good, LT.” An hour ed before the lieutenants were again called to the con. They were anxious to hear reports on the mission that just went down. “Gentlemen, you’ll be glad to hear that the Iranian complex was totally destroyed. As of this very moment, underground explosions are still rocking what you left behind. Intelligence has come up with info on what they might have been up to. As you probably already know, Iran has been a benefactor to

the terrorists in all the hot spots in this area. All indications point to what we have long feared, a suitcase nuke that could easily be delivered anywhere the terrorists desire to take one. The brass thinks it’s not too farfetched. It’s common knowledge that the Iranians are working hard to deliver such a weapon. If and when they get it, there’s a good chance they’ll use it on us. My orders are to head out of here and leave the gulf. Once we make it through the strait and are again in deep water, we’ll rendezvous with a navy ship that will take you and your men off the sub. From there, it’s anybody’s guess where you could wind up.” “Those suitcase nukes, sir, do you think that’s what they’re up to? If the brass is right on this one, it could be a bitch to control.” “You got that right, Lieutenant. One or two of those bombs detonated back in the States could wreak more havoc than anything else they have tried. Look how they set the U.S. back when they hit the Twin Towers in New York City. Our borders back home are wide open. They could easily walk them in through Mexico along with the drugs that routinely pour through. We live in troubling times, gentlemen. It will be up to you and men like you to try and stop it before it happens. You SEALs are our first line of defense. We should make with the surface ship by 0800 hours tomorrow. Have your men ready to leave the sub. I’ll keep you abreast on anything that develops along the way.” The SEALs now had something to think about. If the captain and his superiors were right about the suitcase nukes, the men knew there was a good chance they could be called in to track them down. The thought of what could happen if the nukes made it through sent a chill down their spines. “LT, what do you think about all this? Think the scenario the captain laid out could come about? It’s sure a lot to swallow.” “If you want my slant on this, Lieutenant, I think the captain has it right. The terrorists want to kick our ass. Can’t think of a better way to get it done. Hate to think of what it would be like if they hit us with nukes. Once all this shit is brought back to our shores, I hate to think about the results.” While this talk was going on, the sub was plowing through the gulf waters, heading for the Strait of Hormuz. Little did the ship’s captain know what was out in front of them. The Iranians had made their threat about closing the strait a reality. The sub’s radio lit up with a message for the captain and his crew.

“Captain, sir, just received a radio transmission. Intel reports that the Iranians have blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. You are to take evasive measures to run the blockade.” The scene was now set for a possible confrontation. If the sub was attacked by Iranian surface ships, there was a good chance it would need to fight its way out of any tight spot it found itself in. The die was cast; the sub and its men were now between a rock and a hard place. Any attack brought on by the Iranians could start an open conflict. The hours ahead would determine the outcome. General quarters were sounded. “Officers to the con. Now hear this. Officers to the con. All hands, man your battle stations.” All this got the attention of the SEALs onboard. They knew right off something was about to go down. It sounded as though the shit was about to hit the fan. Lieutenant Brady was again on his way to the control room. “Lieutenant Brady, looks like we could be walking straight into something. Reports have it that the Iranians have made good their threat. They’ve blockaded the strait. They’ve mined the open waters and have stopped all ships trying to through. Shipping is starting to back up. Getting through that blockade will take some doing. We’re going to back off and observe what’s taking place. If they start to mess with any U.S. tankers, it could mean trouble. That’s when we’ll need to get involved. If worse comes to worst, we might need your SEALs to open a path through the minefield. The Iranian ships have the open water pretty much covered. Things should come to a head when daylight arrives. I’ll keep you advised, Lieutenant Brady.” Time slowly slipped by as intelligence reports found their way to the sub that waited in the dark waters of the strait. The captain kept busy planning a strategy for the subs move when the time came. His thoughts were with what it would take to run the blockade. He and his officers poured over the intelligence reports at hand. “Gentlemen, when daylight breaks through, we’ll need to put a plan of action to work. The longer we sit here, the greater chance there is of a confrontation taking place. When the shit hits the fan, bottled up in here will be the wrong place to be. Word has it that any U.S. tankers that were trying to make it out will

stay put until things ease up. Our main worry now is how do we run the blockade without being detected? Once we make a move, the Iranian surface ships will pick us up on their sonar. We’ll need to create a diversion to be able to get the hell out of here. I think this is where Lieutenant Brady and his SEALs come in. Summon the lieutenant to the control room.” Brady, along with Lieutenant Haskell, was again heading to meet with the sub’s captain and his officers. Both men had a gut feeling that something was up. “Lieutenant, we may have a job for you and your men. Let me run it past you. Things in the strait have stabilized somewhat but are still preventing us from making it out. Shipping has been halted and nothing is moving including us. I think you SEALs can get us out of the mess we find ourselves in.” “Say the word, Captain. That’s what we’re here for. What can we do to help?” “Lieutenant, we need to get this sub through the strait and out into deep water. The Iranians have us bottled up in here. They know we’re in here some place and want to get us to show our hand. If the shit starts, the brass wants the Iranians to make the first move. We’ll need you to clear a path so we can get the hell out of here before things blow up in our face. The way I see it, you and your men can get things moving with a diversion. If you can cut some of those mines loose, it could be just what we need to stir things up long enough to get through. If we can get it done before daybreak, the outgoing tide will carry the mines into where the Iranian ships could get tangled up into them. Could be just what we need to break out of here. Think you can get it done, lieutenant?” “Not a problem, Captain. Sounds like something that could work. We’ll get right on it.” “Good deal, Lieutenant. We have a three-hour window to accomplish the task. Let’s get right on it. We’ll surface just long enough for your men to leave the ship and resurface just before daylight takes over to get you back on the sub.” The men on the sub now had a plan to open up an escape route. If the SEALs could cut some of the mines loose, and if the outgoing tide would cooperate, it would give the sub just the chance it would need to evade the Iranian surface ships. Consensus was that it would work. Lieutenant Brady got with his men to put the plan into motion. “Lieutenant

Haskell, we have a job to do. I’m going to take out a team to dislodge a few of those Iranian mines that are out there. Get five men ready to go. We’ll need burning torches to cut through the cables that are holding those mines.” “Boss, why don’t you let me take out the team? Are you sure you’re up to taking on the task so soon?” “Not a problem, Lieutenant. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines long enough. It’s about time I get back into the swing of things. Pick five men and get them ready to shove off. Time’s a-wasting.” It wasn’t long before the sub broke the surface to deliver the men topside. The pitch-black night was there to cover their existence, giving nothing away. In minutes, the sub again slipped below the surface and disappeared like a shadow. The SEALs were now on their own. The team got right to it and in no time had a number of mines floating loose and unencumbered. The errant mines were now making their way with the help of the tides into the open channel. It looked as though they would soon create havoc with the Iranian surface ships. The task accomplished, the SEAL team made their way back to be picked up by the sub. Once back onboard, the SEALs settled in for the long wait to see the results of what they had just accomplished. The SEAL lieutenants now made their way to the control room to be there when it all came together. “Lieutenant, we should soon see the results of your efforts. Sooner or later, one of those Iranian surface ships are going to come in with one of those floating mines. That will be all we need to make a break for it. Hang here. The shit should hit the fan any time now.” The men waited, watching and listening for the Iranian ship that would make with one of their own mines that were placed to take out any ships that would try and run their blockade. Just as the sun was about to return to light up what was about to take place, the men in the sub heard the first explosion rip into one of the Iranian ships that started through the strait. “Bingo, sounds like one of their ships zigged when they should have zagged. Up periscope. Let’s take a look. Feast your eyes, Lieutenant Brady. One of those surface ships just connected with one of those mines you cut loose. That should

keep them busy and give them something to think about. As soon as it gets light, we’ll see how they react to what just went down.” As the men on the sub kept the vigil, it wasn’t long before they heard a second explosion. Through the periscope, they saw a second Iranian craft run afoul of another floating mine. The Iranian surface ships now had their hands full trying to stay away from certain death. “Okay, this is the break we’ve been waiting for. It’s now or never. It will take those ships topside a while to figure out what just took place. It’s our chance to make it out of here.” The Iranian ships found themselves in deep shit. They had blundered unaware into the very mines they had set out to stop anything that tried to through. Until it was light enough to spot what was loose in the water, they would have their hands tied. It was now time for the sub to make a break for it. “Captain, just made with an unidentified sub. They’re 5000 yards out and tracking us. What are your orders, sir?” “Give me the angle on the bow. Relative target bearing mark 4500 yards. Ready tubes one and three and stand by. Be ready to take evasive action if they fire on us. All hands, battle stations.” The U.S. sub now found its self on the brink of having to take on an enemy sub. They would have to hold their fire until they came under attack. Their orders had been to evade a confrontation and not fire unless they were fired upon. “Keep tabs on that sub. Let me know if they let loose with a… HOT ONE.”

CHAPTER 9

LET’S DO IT

The U.S. sub was now braced to take on an attack by the unidentified sub that was closing in on them. The word finally lit up the sub. “Torpedo on its way.” “Take evasive action and elude. Prepare to fire. Brace for impact.” The U.S. sub evaded the incoming torpedo and listened as it went on by. The order was now given to retaliate. “Fire both tubes. Take that son of a bitch out before he sends another fish down our throat.” “Captain, both fish running hot and normal, five seconds to impact. Five, four, three, two, one, detonation. Direct hit, sir! We took out the target.” The man on the sonar listened to the rogue sub as it broke up in the water. Both torpedoes had found their target, putting an end to the threat. Their way was now clear to make it out of the strait. The remaining Iranian gunboats were hightailing it out and leaving the scene, leaving behind two burning surface craft and an unidentified Submarine. “All ahead full. Let’s head for deep water. Radioman, break radio silence and get on the horn and see if intelligence can shed a light on who the hell we just sank. It might help us to know who we’re up against.” Leaving the Strait of Hormuz behind them, the sub headed for the now late rendezvous with the U.S. ship that was out there waiting to pick up the SEAL teams. Once on the radio, the sub learned who the unfortunate party was that they had sent to the bottom of the strait. The information was no surprise to the captain.

“Sir, intel just checked in. That was a Russian sub we sent to the bottom. They just picked it up from Russian radio chatter that was decoded.” “Well, that settles that. I always knew that sooner or later it would come to this. The Russkies have been heading down that path for quite some time. It was inevitable. They’ve wanted to put our dick in the dirt since World War II. They’ve been itching to take us on from that far back. Let’s hope they back off and don’t start World War III.” “Captain, this could be where everything takes off. Do you think the Russians will retaliate?” “Not a chance, Lieutenant. They’ll never it that they took us on after all this time and came out on the short end of the stick. They grew balls, but the U.S. Navy just stepped on them. They’ll keep the incident under wraps unless it gets out. Once out in the open, they’ll deny it ever happened. Like their buddies the Chinese, they’re not good at loosing face. We made with that ship that is standing by to take you aboard. Get your men ready to shove off. We’ll rendezvous with the ship within the hour. Oh and, Lieutenant, it’s been a pleasure serving with you. Give a thumbs-up to your men. They did a fine job back there.” “Same here, Captain, maybe we’ll meet some place down the line during another mission. The men will be ready to leave the sub when you give the word, sir.” As expected, the navy ship was on station, waiting for the transfer. The SEALs left the sub and loaded into the small boats that were sent to pick them up. Once away from the sub, they looked back to see it slide beneath the surface and disappear like a ghost that was never there. The SEALs boarded the ship and waited for Lieutenant Brady to return with news of where they could expect to wind up. They sat down to a hot cup of coffee and speculated on what to expect. “Lieutenant Haskell, what’s your take on what just went down back there? Do you think the Russians will look for payback?” “They’re not ready to take us on just yet. They’ll sit back and wait for these other countries to get things started. When they think the time is right, they’ll jump in on whatever is going on. They, along with the Chinese, supply these Arab countries with weapons. It’s pretty lucrative. It’s all about money, Denton. Let’s hear what you think is in the works?”

“I think as soon as Iran gets the bomb, they’re going to use it. Why the hell do you think the Israelis are so damn nervous? They’re first on the list, and we’re a close second behind them. Those rag heads back in that complex we destroyed were doing their part to further things. Those weren’t firecrackers they were fcking with. Another thing, those boxes covered with that Chinese writing wasn’t to comforting. Hell, except for the Israelis, this entire region wants are head on a pole. Our side is in deep shit and don’t know it. If we don’t wake up soon, it will be too late to crawl out from under what’s on the way down. Frankly, I think we’re screwed.” Just when things were starting to heat up, Lieutenant Brady made his way back from the briefing in time to put a damper on things. The discussion came to an abrupt end. “Sounds like you boys were into it hot and heavy. You didn’t need to stop on my . What was that all about?” “Nothing you haven’t heard a hundred times or more, LT. We were discussing what went on back in the strait and what we think is coming our way. Nothing new, the same old shit, sir. What do you have to add, LT? Where are we headed?” “We’re headed to a place we left about six months ago, Pakistan. We’re going in to locate a SEAL team that fell off the edge. They were dropped in six days ago and haven’t been heard from for five of the six days. Command thinks they’re in over their head and might have run into some shit they couldn’t handle. We’re going in to locate that team. We’ll be choppered in tomorrow morning to try and bail them out. I suggest you grab what rest you can. It could be a tough one.” “Listen to this, guys. It can’t be any rougher than the mission we just came back from. That sure and hell wasn’t a cake walk. Do you expect to run into the same shit the missing team ran into?” “Lieutenant, it’s like I always say. They can kill us, but they can’t eat us. You will be going along on this one. Pick six of the men that are fit and get them ready. Have them ready to make the briefing at 0600 hours. Another thing, Lieutenant, this gig will be far from a cake walk. We’ll be in Indian country right from the start.” That night, the men speculated on what to expect. Months earlier, they had been

in Pakistan where they had run into a band of Al-Qaeda terrorists, resulting in a firefight that claimed two of their men. This mission would give them the chance to make amends for the loss of the SEALs that were taken out. “Waleski, looks like payback coming our way. If we run into Al-Qaeda again, it will give us a chance to even the score. The last time we were in that part of the world, it wasn’t cool. We lost two of our guys there. that fiasco?” “How could I forget, Denton? We walked right into that setup with our eyes wide open. Maybe this time we’ll go in on our own without help from the Pakistani military. That gig was a setup from the start. We were f-cked from square one.” “Don’t worry, Ski. We’ll get payback. We’ve got it coming. It will happen. Doc, by the looks of things, we’ll need you along on this one. It was bloody last time. This time probably won’t be any different. Chief, how many of us are going on this little jaunt?” “Eight SEALs, Denton, one team. As far as I know, it will be an in-and-out deal. We’ll locate those SEALs that went in and be out of there. You’ll know more when they brief us in the AM. Why don’t you guys zip it up and grab some shuteye? It’s going to be a long day ahead of us.” The chatter was put to rest, and things quieted down. This night would be like many that came before, with the men keyed up and trying to grab what shut-eye they could. Another restless night for the men that waited for the call to hit the deck.

“Okay, ladies, hit it. We need to grab some chow and get to that briefing. I’ll give you ten to get squared away and look bushy tailed. Ski, get your ass out of that rack.” “Damn, Chief, I was just getting into it and starting to enjoy this rack. I was having one hell of a dream about my last liberty. Did I ever tell you guys about that one?” “Can it, Waleski. Anything you have to tell us is just another one of your pipe dreams. Get your ass in gear and get moving. Let’s go, guys.”

With a little prodding from the chief, the men were finally on their way to chow. After a hot cup of coffee and some grub, they were good to go and on their way to the briefing they all had waited for. Once at the briefing, they were met by an intelligence officer that was there to fill them in on the mission. “Gentlemen, good morning. You look like a wide-awake bunch of men that are raring to go. I’ll get right to it and get this briefing underway. As you already know, a SEAL team went in seven days ago and hasn’t been heard of for the past six days. Pakistani intelligence on the ground thinks they were captured and taken by Al-Qaeda operatives to a place in the vicinity of the PakistanAfghanistan border. As close as we can tell, it’s in and around Quetta, Pakistan. Word has it that four of the team were shot up and are no longer with the SEALs that survived. The top brass thinks that the intel is legit.” “With all due respect, sir, the Pakistani intelligence we have received in the past has been wrong before. We have lost trust in the Pakistanis we’ve dealt with in the past. Our last incursion turned into a giant cluster f-ck. We lost two good men before we were able to withdraw. The men that survived that mission all believe they walked us headlong into that ambush that almost took us all down.” “I know where you’re coming from, Lieutenant, but that’s all we have to work with. That part of the world is just the way it is. We have to make do with what is at hand. It’s a learning experience, Lieutenant, not to our liking, but that’s all we have to deal with. Each time we draw a hand, we should come away just a little better off than the time before.” “It’s a lot to swallow, sir, when you lose good men to bad intelligence.” “I agree, Lieutenant. Getting back to the reason why that SEAL team went in, they drew a tough assignment that was risky from the start. They were sent in to capture and bring out an international terrorist that has eluded capture. He’s an Al-Qaeda operative that’s been chased from country to country, eluding capture each time we get close to him. We believe that he’s responsible for a lot of bombings that have taken place in a lot of countries. Our own intelligence reports have linked him to an Al-Qaeda cell that has been working with a group that is thought to be working on putting together an attack using a suitcase nuke. I don’t need to tell you men what that could mean. The info comes from a good source, the Israeli intelligence network. If the Al-Qaeda puts it together and gets their hands on that kind of a weapon, it could mean big trouble for our side.

They could walk them in our back door back home and raise a lot of hell we’re not ready for. That man needs to be killed or captured before he can pull it off. He goes by the code name ‘Scorpion.’ Fitting name, would you say? Let’s pull the stinger out of that son of a bitch. Are there any questions?” “Only one, sir, do you want him dead or alive, and what do we do if we come across one of those nukes?” “Preferably dead, Lieutenant. The less Al-Qaeda knows, the better off we’ll be. They’re better off kept in the dark wondering where the hell he got to. If you are fortunate enough to come across one of those suitcase nukes, bring it back so we can take a good look at it. We have brains ready to tear it apart and see how they put it together. Get the job done and get back in one piece. Good luck, gentlemen.” The SEALs left the briefing, ready to take on the mission that was dealt to them. They knew all too well how important the outcome could be. The lives of many back home hung on the results of how things would come out in the end. It was a live-or-die situation. They were soon boarding the choppers that would take them into whatever hell awaited them. “Ski, are you ready for this? Sounds like we’re walking straight into hell. We might wind up between a rock and a hard place before this is over.” “Not to worry, Denton. Like the lieutenant says, they can kill us, but they can’t eat us.” “Are you sure about that, Waleski? Those rag heads we’ve been running into look pretty damn undernourished. Most of them look like they could use a square meal. Let’s hope they don’t have a barbeque in mind if we take a fall.” The choppers were now over Pakistani territory, heading inland. They were heading for the drop zone on the edge of Quetta where they would be ed by a Pakistani military patrol that would lead them in. The dark night was still on their side, cloaking them from being discovered. Everything seemed to be going to plan. “Lieutenant, heads up, we’re ten out. This will be a touch-and-go drop. Our forces on the Afghanistan side of the border have set up a diversion. They’re going to lob in some artillery on the surrounding hills to draw the attention of

any prying eyes. They’ll create enough background noise to cover the insertion. Get your men ready to move.” Like a well-thought-out plan, the artillery rounds started coming in and dropping on the nearby hills surrounding their drop zone. The chopper came in and disgorged the men that hit the ground, looking for cover. They were now on Pakistani soil waiting to hook up with the Pakistani patrol. “Chief, have the men stay put until the Pakistanis make themselves known. Be ready to move out when that barrage lets up. Eyeball that goat trail up here. That’s the direction they should come from.” Minutes after the barrage lifted, a Pakistani soldier appeared. After making his presence known, five others popped up behind him. “Lieutenant, looks like our welcoming committee just showed up. Look off to your left. They’re coming in. That dude in the lead looks like he has some rank.” Walking up to the lieutenant was a Pakistani captain that spoke perfect English. He gave a salute and extended his hand to shake. He immediately ed the word that they would need to move out. “Lieutenant, we’ve been expecting you. Our intelligence network believes they have located your missing men. They’re being held about two kilometers from here in a compound on the outskirts of Quetta. They’re under guard and being interrogated as we speak. Al-Qaeda methods are harsh. We need to get your men out of their hands before we lose them.” “Lead the way, Captain. We’re right behind you.” “Lieutenant, I suggest that you put these robes on over your uniforms. We need it to appear that you are local Pakistanis that are in our custody. That will give us the edge we need to get close enough to the Al-Qaeda compound. It will be touch and go getting in close enough to try and overwhelm the occupants.” “Sounds like it could work, Captain. By the way, you speak damn good English. Where did you pick it up?” “Spent quite a few years in your country, Lieutenant, graduated from the University of Southern Cal. I have a brother living in LA, owns a 7-Eleven on

the outskirts of the city. I hope to get back there after I fulfill my service here and him. Miss all that Mexican food and the California atmosphere. Have a U.S. born Pakistani girl waiting for me to return. She’s a damn knockout.” The SEALs donned the Pakistani robes, covered their heads with the scarves that were given to them, and were ready to head out toward the compound in question. Daylight was fast coming, and they knew that they would be exposed and out in the open with no cover when they reached their destination. “LT, do you think we can trust these guys? That captain sure has a handle on the English language. Did you catch his name? Do you think it was a good idea putting on this Pakistani garb?” “Chill out, Chief. That dude wants to get back to the States as much as we do. Yeah, I got his name. I think he’s Pashtun. Most of the people in this area belong to the Pashtun tribes. He fits right in. I think he’s legit.” “What about these robes, Lieutenant? Do you think that was a good idea?” “It was well thought out, Chief. They’ll help get us in close enough to storm that compound. We’ll be hitting it in broad daylight. We’ll need the element of surprise on our side if we expect to get the job done. Just be ready when the shit hits the fan.” After an hour or so, they finally reached the compound that was just outside of Quetta. It was along the main road in a grove of trees partially hidden from view. Outside the eight-foot wall that ringed the two-story building were to guards that manned the gate that led into the compound. They each had a weapon slung over their shoulder. “Heads up, guys, This is it. If this captain can get us in close enough, be ready to take out those two guards stationed out by the gate. We’ll need to get it done quietly. Use your blade.” The Pakistani captain ed the word and led the group straight toward the two men that were guarding the gate that was their way in to the compound. The guards stood smoking, seemingly unaware of what was about to take place. When they stopped in front of the gate, the two guards left their post and walked toward the SEALs that were ready to take them out.

“Get ready… LET’S DO IT!”

CHAPTER 10

THE FAN

The guards unslung their weapons and started a verbal confrontation with the Pakistani captain. They moved toward the group motioning for them to move on. The captain’s answer seemed to agitate the two Al-Qaeda that now leveled their weapons at him. For the next minute or two, they stood and argued, waving their hands and pointing in the direction they wanted them to take. It was the diversion the SEALs needed to dispatch the two Al-Qaeda guards. They quickly moved in on them and took them out. It was over before it started. The word was given to drag their bodies off to the side. The Pakistani captain now informed Lieutenant Brady that he and his men could go no further. “Lieutenant, I’m afraid that you’re on your own from here on. We cannot enter that compound without a direct order from our superiors. The best I can do is to stay in the background and be here when you bring out the men that are being held captive. “All right, get these two out of the way. You heard the man. We’re on our own. Get ready to hit that compound. Chief, take two men and head for that house. Spread out and find those SEALs. The rest of you, hit it from the back.” “Here we go again. These Pakistanis are leaving us high and dry. They’re probably walking us into another ambush.” “Can it, Chief. We’ll play the hand that we’ve been dealt. Take those men and get the job done. Get inside that frig-in’ building.” The SEALs slid open the gate and entered the grounds. Everything looked quiet. They made their way across the compound and headed for the building, spreading out with the chief and the other two SEALs entering through the front door. Once inside, they ran across a small group of Al-Qaeda that were in the

first room they came to. They quickly took them out with the silencers on their weapons, keeping things confined to that area of the house. They moved from room to room, working their way through the now-empty building. They soon came across the SEALs that had entered through a rear entrance. “LT, the frig-in’ place is empty. Where the hell do you suppose they took our guys? Looks like they knew we were coming and bugged out. What’s our next move?” As the SEALs talked about what their next move would be, one of the men dragged in an Al-Qaeda insurgent that had tried to make a getaway. They now had a live body to interrogate. “Look what we have here, LT, a live one. Just caught this little mother-fucker trying to make it over the back wall. Let’s see what we can get out of him.” “Denton, you speak this lingo. Shake this son of a bitch down. See what the hell he knows. Find out where they took those SEALs.” Denton went to work on the man they now had kneeling on his knees. They had him scared shitless and spilling his guts. He was babbling on like he had something to say. “Sounds like he has a lot of info. What the hell is he telling you? Does he know where they took our guys?” “Can’t tell, sir. This dude isn’t Pakistani. He speaks a dialect I don’t know. I think he’s a Saudi. Maybe that Pakistani captain that’s cooling his heels out there can make something out of what he’s trying to say.” “Okay, there’s nothing more we can do here. Drag his ass out to the road. We’ll see if that captain can make heads or tails out of what this turkey has to tell us. Take a look around before we leave just in case we overlooked something that could shed some light on what went down here.” They took the man still talking as he left the compound. Once back at the road, they handed him over to the Pakistani captain. The lieutenant asked him to give the man the third degree. “Captain, see what you can get out of this man. We caught him trying to escape over the back wall of the compound. Sounds like he’s trying to spill his guts, but

we don’t know the lingo coming out of him. We went room by room through that house in the compound. Our guys weren’t there, just a few Al-Qaeda holdouts that we took care of. They were left behind to deal with us when we showed up. The men think they were warned and pulled out, taking the SEALs with them. We think this dude here has the key to what went down before we arrived.” “If he knows anything, we’ll get it out of him, Lieutenant. I’ll hand him over to my men. They’ll go to work on him. As far as the Al-Qaeda being warned, that’s highly possible. There are a lot of sympathizers to their cause in Pakistan. There are many ears picking up what goes on here.” The Pakistanis, after questioning the man, turned their back long enough to see him escape. They made no effort to prevent it. The SEALs took notice and immediately brought it up to the captain. “Captain, your men just let that man go! What the hell was that all about? We’ll have Al-Qaeda crawling all over our ass.” “No danger of that, Lieutenant. That man just spilled his guts. His life isn’t worth much right about now. If he goes back to the Al-Qaeda, they’ll behead him for giving up the information we got out of him. That’s the way it works around here, Lieutenant.” “What did you learn, Captain? Did you find out where they took the SEALs?” “Like I said, lieutenant, the man spilled his guts. You were right about him being a Saudi. Right about now he’s probably heading that way. Your men are heading toward the Afghan border. That’s where they’re taking them. I have a truck on its way to pick us up to get you to the border. You’ll need my help to get there. There are roadblocks set up along the way, and they’re not all manned by Pakistani troops. This close to the border, the Taliban control much of the surrounding territory. We have what you would call a working relationship with them. We leave them alone. They leave us alone. It’s been that way long as I can . The Pashtun run this part of the world, Lieutenant. That’s just the way it is.” While the men talked, the truck they had been expecting pulled up. Following it were two other smaller vehicles with one of them carrying what looked to be a high-ranking Pakistani officer. When they pulled up, the Pakistani captain walked over and saluted the man. After talking for a minute or two, the captain

motioned to Lieutenant Brady to them. “Lieutenant, I would like you to meet my superior Major Jillani. He speaks very little English. He informs me that he has been instructed by higher-ups to make sure you reach the Afghan border without incident. Our intelligence reports indicate that the border crossing has become a beehive of activity. They want the crossing to go as smoothly as possible. It’s like I said before, Lieutenant. The Pakistanis spend a lot of their time and, like you Americans say, trying not to rock the boat. My orders are to get you out of Pakistan in one piece. My superiors are uneasy with your mission here, Lieutenant. In the major’s words, they want you out of here and long gone.” “It’s good to know where we stand, Captain. We can take a hint. We know when we’re not wanted. We’re ready to go. Get us the hell out of here.” With things said, the men loaded into two of the trucks for the journey to the Afghan border crossing. The Pakistani major stayed long enough to see the men load on to the trucks then beat a hasty retreat back in the direction he came. Lieutenant Brady, with three of his men, accompanied the captain in the smaller truck that now took the lead. They were now on their way to tackle whatever lay ahead. The men in the lead truck wondered about the route they were taking. “Chief, do you think this is the way out of here?” “Can’t rightly say. My granddad use to sum it up pretty good. Heard him say more than once that if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. It’s the only way out of here, Maseli. How the hell can we miss? We drew a hand. We’ll play it through.” “Like you say, Chief, we drew a hand. Let’s hope it’s not the dead man’s hand, aces and eights. Not that I’m superstitious, just like to know the odds when I get into a game.” After thirty minutes of traveling down a dirt road filled with potholes, they had their first mishap. The bigger of the two trucks blew a tire. They blew their horn and signaled the lead truck to stop. “LT, the other truck just blew their horn to get our attention. Something’s wrong back there. I think we better stop. I’ll go back and check it out.”

The chief made his way back to where the truck sat off to the side of the road. He saw right off what the problem was. They had blown one of the tires on the front of the truck. “What the hell did you guys do, hit every frig-in’ rock on that road? When you get that tire changed, maybe you should go back. I think you might have missed some of those potholes along the way.” “Tell it to the Pakistani driving this rig, Chief. We’re only along for the ride. If one of us had been driving this bucket of bolts, we would have hit them all. I think you might have something more than this truck to worry about, Chief. Check out the audience over your shoulder that’s watching our every move. Could be trouble.” When the SEAL turned to see what Denton was talking about, he caught on quickly to what he was getting at. Standing off to the side next to a mud hut was a group of well-armed men. They were eyeballing the goings-on and didn’t look to be an overly friendly group. As he stood looking them over, the Pakistani captain made his way to where he stood frozen in his tracks. He immediately took the situation to hand. “Back off slowly and head back to the truck. Those men watching you are trying to figure things out. If they put two and two together, it could mean trouble. Back off, I’ll defuse things here. My men will change the tire on the truck, and then we’ll head on out of here. Don’t make any sudden moves.” The chief backed off and returned to the lead truck where he found the lieutenant wanting to know what was going on. He filled him in using one short sentence. “A bunch of locals looking for trouble, sir.” “Does the captain have it handled? What does he want us to do?” “He said to back off and sit tight. Said he would take care of things. Those dudes are packing a lot of heat. They’re armed to the teeth.” “Okay, keep an eye on them just in case things blow up in our face. That bunch is loaded for bear. Things could get out of hand real fast like. Signal to the others to stay put.” The SEALs watched as the Pakistani captain approached the well-armed group

of men. After talking to them a few minutes, they watched two of them put down their weapons and follow the captain to the truck where the tire was being changed. They jumped right in to help finish the job. “Would you look at that? I wonder what the hell he said to them that got them to give him a hand. It looks like he spoke their lingo. With any luck, we’ll get back underway and get the hell out of here before we run up against a situation that puts our dick in the dirt.” The SEALs watched the men struggle to change the tire on the truck. After the task was completed, they watched as the men left to return to the others that never left the spot they held next to the mud hut. Once back, they picked up their weapons and stood watching the captain as he made his way back to where the lieutenant and the SEALs waited. Lieutenant Brady couldn’t wait to hear how the captain pulled it off. “How the hell did you swing that, Captain? For a while there, I would have bet that we were walking into a confrontation with that bunch. You shocked the hell out of me when you got them to help with that flat tire. How the hell did you pull that off? “It was easy, Lieutenant. that pack of smokes you gave me? That’s all it took. They saw the pack in my pocket and made me the offer. At the time, I thought it was a good groundbreaker. If they had something else in mind for us, the smokes moved them in a different direction. A pack of American cigarettes in this part of the world is worth its weight in gold, Lieutenant. The truck’s ready to roll. Let’s move out before those locals change their mind and decide that they should have asked for two packs.” The trucks were again on the move, heading down the rough gravel road toward their next encounter. It wasn’t long before it popped up. Twenty minutes out, they ran into their first roadblock. “LT, roadblock ahead. Better get the captain ready for it. Looks like it could be Pakistani military. We shouldn’t have any trouble getting through it.” “Okay, Captain, what do we do now? From here it looks like it might be part of your outfit. You don’t expect them to give us any trouble, do you?” “Tell your men to sit back and let me handle things when they stop us. Have

them stay covered with the robes. Everything should be okay. Let me do all the talking.” When they got closer to the checkpoint, they lined up behind a row of vehicles that were mostly cars filled with people trying to make their way to the Afghan border. The guards at the roadblock were taking their time checking each vehicle, making the occupants get out to be padded down. “What the hell is going on up there, Captain? They’re going through every one of those cars up ahead? Looks like a shakedown if I’ve ever seen one.” “You nailed that on the head, Lieutenant. The Pakistani army likes cigarettes too, and anything else they can glom. They hassle these people trying to get across the border and take anything of value from them. It’s a way of life here.” While they sat in line talking, one of the SEALs brought something he had seen to the lieutenant’s attention. Up ahead was an obstacle they would have to overcome. “LT, you might want to take a look at this. There’s a tank sitting behind those trucks at the roadblock. That dude that has his head stuck out of that turret isn’t wearing a Pakistani uniform. He’s not dressed like the men at the checkpoint. What do you make of it?” “Take a look, Captain. What are we up against? If he’s not one of your guys, who the hell is he?” “You’re not going to be happy with the answer, Lieutenant. The men at this roadblock are part of a rogue outfit. It’s pretty common in this area. This close to the border you can never tell what you might run into. These men are loyal to Pakistan only when it suits them. Let’s hope this is one of those times. When we make it to the front of the line, I’ll do all the talking.” The SEALs now had a new hurdle to by, a Pakistani military outfit that was there only to line their pockets. With them were the Taliban that the SEALs had come to do battle with. They knew if they had a chance to get through, it would hinge on the tank that stood in their way. They would need to come up with something fast to be able to make it through.

“Chief, any ideas? If they catch on. That tank will blow us to kingdom come. We need to come up with a way to take it out. Run something past me before it’s too late.” “LT, I think I have a way to get around it. With this garb we’re wearing, I think me and one of the men can skirt that roadblock and make it to that tank. Those dudes are busy shaking down those poor slobs in the vehicles. They’ll never notice us going around them. Keep an eye on our progress and be ready to beat it out of here when the shit hits… THE FAN.”

CHAPTER 11

SPOOK

The SEALs left the truck and headed toward the buildings that lined the road where they were stopped. They made their way around behind the first row of buildings and found themselves in an alley bordered by compound walls that blocked access except for a locked steel door behind each one. As they made their way down the alley, one of the access doors swung open, and out popped a man carrying an automatic weapon. He quickly eyeballed the SEALs and stood waiting for them to approach. “Looks like we have a player, Maseli. We need to take the son of a bitch out. Follow my lead.” The SEALs now had a problem to solve. Standing in their way was a threat they would have to overcome. They slowed their approach and thought hard about how they would get past the man that was blocking their way. As the SEALs closed the distance between them, the man began to talk to them. The chief, not knowing how to respond, waved and kept walking. The distance between the men soon became a mere few yards. The SEALs were now closing in on a confrontation that they still hadn’t figured out. Again the man challenged them, still waiting for a response. Still not knowing how to handle it, they kept walking straight at the threat that lay ahead. When the SEALs closed the distance, the man caught on to what was about to take place. Recognizing the threat, he raised his weapon to fire. Too slow to respond was his downfall. The chief, with knife in hand, quickly planted it between the man’s ribs. He fell to the ground, ending the threat to the SEALs’ movement. The men now had a body to dispose of but with no place to hide it. They dragged the man off to the side and continued down the alley. They were now adjacent to where the roadblock was set up and could clearly see down an ading alley

the men going over the vehicles. They crossed the open space and continued on their way. “Maseli, that tank is just up ahead. We need to take it out so that we can run this roadblock. It’s on the other side of these trucks. We’ve got one chance to pull this off. We need to make it count.” As they made their way around the trucks, they stopped to take a look at what they were loaded down with. All four trucks were loaded to the hilt with boxes covered with U.S. markings. “Chief, take a look at this. These trucks are loaded down with stuff that looks like it once belonged to our side. There’s enough explosives in them to wreak a lot of havoc. How do you suppose they came across all this?” “Probably scammed it on the black market. We give it to the Pakistanis, and they give or sell it to the terrorists that we are fighting. It’s a vicious circle. Forget about this shit for now. We have a date with that tank. Let’s see if we can knock it out before they grab our guys in the trucks.” When they byed the trucks, they came across the tank sitting just off the road. The man they had seen earlier perched behind the .50 on top of the tank was nowhere in sight. “Chief, where the hell do you suppose that rag head got to? Do you think he’s inside that tank?” “We’ll soon find out. Cover me. I’m going to crawl up there and have a look-see. If he’s in there, I’ll make short work of him.” The SEAL made his way to the tank and crawled up to peer into the tank turret. Before he could take a look, the man inside popped his head out. Quick to take advantage, he slit the man’s throat and let him fall back into the tank. He looked in to see another man getting ready to climb out. With his .45 in his other hand, he took out the man that was trapped inside. This got the attention of the men that were manning the roadblock and also the SEALs in the trucks. The chief now got behind the .50-caliber machine gun and opened up on the men manning the roadblock. They had nowhere to hide from the fire that was now being put down on them.

“LT, take a look-see. The chief made it to the tank and has opened up on the rags manning the roadblock. It’s our way out. We need to bust out of here.” All hell was breaking loose. The .50 on the tank, with the chief behind it, was tearing up the place. The lieutenant and the men in the trucks were now moving forward, bying the line of cars that were caught between a rock and a hard place. People were running in all directions, trying to escape the deadly fire that was tearing up the roadblock. “Lieutenant Haskell, give Ponchielli the high sign when we make it to that tank. We need to get the hell out of here while the getting is good. Tell him to blow that frig-in’ tank so the rags can’t use it to follow us.” The chief saw the trucks coming and let up on the fire. Without being told, he dropped a grenade inside the tank as he bailed off and hit the ground. The two SEALs now made tracks toward the trucks just as the tank went up. It wasn’t long before the live shells started to cook off. “Get going, Maseli. This place is going to get real hot real soon. If you don’t get moving, you better get ready to bend over and kiss your ass good-bye. Those shells in that tank are starting to cook off. Head to the trucks.” The two SEALs made their way to the trucks and jumped on as they headed away from the roadblock that was going sky-high. They had made it out after destroying what was there to contain them. They were now heading toward the Afghan border, and the friendlies that were there to meet them. “Nice job, Chief. That .50 you were on sure leveled the playing field. For a while there, I had my doubts if you would make it.” “It was a piece of cake, LT. There were two rags in that tank. Took them both out. Caught a glimpse of something you might be interested in. There are four trucks back there loaded to the hilt with enough high explosives to be able to do a lot of damage. Thought we would be able to take them out before we pulled out. Too bad we didn’t get the chance to make it happen.” “Well, that’s water under the bridge. Maybe we can the info along and still get it taken care of. It’s a sure bet those trucks are heading to the border to wind up in the hands of the Taliban.”

The two trucks loaded with the SEALs and the Pakistanis who were there to get them to the border were now barreling down the road, putting distance between themselves and the roadblock that had been left in shambles. They were getting close to the border and knew that once there, they would again have to face maybe what they had just left behind. “LT, we can’t be more than a half klick from the border. Do you suppose we’ll run into the same bullshit as we did back there?” “Captain Durane should be the one to answer that, Lieutenant. What do you say, Captain? What should we be expecting to run into?” “Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but one of your drones has been keeping an eye on us for the past twenty minutes. I’d say your forces know that you’re in the area and will show themselves when the time comes. The border crossing should be okay. Pakistani and Afghan troops will be manning it. We’ll be leaving you when we get there.” When they reached the border crossing, they again encountered the line of vehicles waiting to cross into Afghanistan. Trucks and cars were loaded down with everything but the kitchen sink and probably with contraband they were trying to smuggle in. This time around, there were no Taliban hassling the occupants in the vehicles. “Lieutenant, have your man drive around these trucks and get to the front of the line. I’ll do the talking when we get there. It should be okay, but be ready for anything.” The trucks carrying the SEALs made their way to the front of the line. Once there, the Pakistani guards approached the trucks. Captain Durane was there to meet them. “LT, do you think these Pakistani border guards are legit? They seem pretty jumpy. I hope it’s not another replay of what we just went through.” “The captain looks like he’s handling the situation. I think we’re okay. Chief, eyeball those dudes on the Afghan side of the line. Does anything look familiar?” “Do you mean the ones with the rag head gear? I see what you’re getting at. I

think they’re some of our boys.” While the SEALs watched the goings-on, the men they had been watching crossed over and approached the Pakistani border guards that were conferring with Captain Durane. They could see under the headgear and realized that the men were Caucasian. After a few minutes of deliberating with the Pakistanis, they approached the SEALs that sat quietly in the trucks. “Which one of you would be Lieutenant Brady?” The lieutenant stepped out of the truck. “Who’s asking?” “We’re company men, Lieutenant. We’ve been expecting you. I go by Hastings. This is my partner Tulley. We’ve been in with your outfit. We know what you’re doing here. Just as soon as we clear this side of the border, we’ll put you in touch with a Marine Recon unit that has been dispatched to guide you in. Stay cool. We’ll get you out of here. These border guards are trying to hold us up. We might have to promise them something before it’s over.” The two CIA agents left the SEALs and went to where the Pakistani captain was conferring with his counterparts. It looked as though he was starting to lose his cool. “LT, the captain looks like he has his hands full. Seems like those border guards are giving him a rough time. What the hell do you think the problem is?” “The same problem we always run into. You have to cross their palm with something to get whatever done. Those spooks know how to handle it. They’ll get things moving.” The two agents jumped into the powwow and got into the conversation. Minutes later, the Pakistani guards were lifting the gate that closed off the border. “LT, you called that one. Looks like we’re out of here. Those spooks got it handled. Wonder what it took to get it done? By the sounds of it, our guys have been on top of things. Do you think they have that missing SEAL team pinpointed?” Things taken care of, the Pakistani captain returned to wish the SEAL lieutenant and his men a safe journey. He said his good-byes and left the way they had

come in the trucks that had brought them there. The SEALs were now on foot and ready to cross into Afghanistan. “Okay, Lieutenant, we cleared things with the Pakistanis. Once we cross over the line and get with that marine unit, I’ll brief you on where you stand. Get your men, and let’s get the hell out of here while the getting is good. These people have a way of changing their mind when they think they can up the ante. Let’s not give them the chance to back up.” With things good to go, the SEAL team crossed the border following the two CIA agents. Once on the other side, they came across four Humvees loaded with marines. They were about to be greeted by a marine captain by the name of Fuller. He was a mustang that had come up through the ranks the hard way. The spook filled the lieutenant in on the man he was about to meet. “This captain is a mustang officer, Lieutenant. He earned the rank the hard way. He’s been in the Corps the better part of ten years and is on his third tour in Afghanistan. He knows his way around and has the respect of his men. He has two Purple Hearts and the wounds to show for it. He’ll get you in and out of here in one piece.” “Lieutenant, good to see you. Hear you have been having a rough time of it. Glad to see you finally made it out of there. Got your taste of the Taliban back there, I see. Our hands were tied, couldn’t cross the border to bail you out. Not that we haven’t done it on occasion. Whenever we cross the border, the Pakistanis get their skivvies in a knot, makes for bad blood. Not that we give a shit. One of our drones has been following your every move.” “You can say that again, Captain. It got a little hairy back there. If my men hadn’t taken that tank out back at that roadblock, we would have never gotten this far. Do you have any word on that missing SEAL team we were sent in to retrieve?” “Hastings will fill you in, Lieutenant. They have been tracking your SEAL team from as far back as their capture. Our eye in the sky has been keeping tabs on where your men have been taken. We’ll converge on that point when the time comes. Take over, Hastings.” “Lieutenant Brady, this whole mess is a lot bigger than you can envision. In case you don’t already know it, that SEAL team came in to run down and capture a

terrorist who we have been trailing halfway around the world. He’s known as the Scorpion. He has put together a network of terrorists that have been responsible for bombings all over the Middle East. We have reliable intelligence that he and his band are currently working on putting together suitcase nukes. I don’t need to tell you where they intend to deliver them. Once they have them in their hands, they’ll walk them in the back door back in the States and raise holy hell. If the Scorpion slips out of the noose we have to hang him, you can figure the outcome for yourself. It won’t be pretty, Lieutenant.” “Hastings, how does that SEAL team fit into all this? Are they being held by the Scorpion?” “Negative, Lieutenant. As far as we know, the terrorists that are working on the nukes have no idea how close we are to overrunning them. If we tip our hand and go in to get your men, we could stand a chance of losing the one man that is our greatest threat. We have been holding off waiting for the opportunity to see it all come together. We believe the Taliban are holding your men in hope of an exchange. We think they’re safe for the time being. We intend to stay one step behind them and wait till the time is ripe. Get your men in the trucks. We’re going to head out.” The SEALs were now embedded with the marines and the two CIA agents. They loaded into the Humvees and headed into the mountains, away from the border crossing. It would soon be dark, not the place to be when you’re in Indian country. “LT, these marines don’t bother me. It’s these two Spooks that give me the heebie-jeebies. I’ve heard too many stories about the shit these guys pull. How long do you think these two will hang with us?” “Hard to say, Chief. My guess is until we pull out of here. Those two are exmarines. They’re good at what they do. We might be glad they’re with us before this is over. We’re probably already up to our ass in rag heads. Let’s hope they know how to get around them. It’s not all that bad, Chief. Before you know it, they’ll start to grow on you. They can’t be all that bad.” “Just what we need, a friendly… SPOOK.”

CHAPTER 12

ACES AND EIGHTS

The Humvees loaded with the men headed deep into the Afghan mountains. The road they were on was narrow and rocky, more of a goat trail than a road. They were about twenty into it before the captain let the SEALs in on where they were headed. “Lieutenant, we’ll be stopping for the night soon. Just up ahead are some stone huts we’ve used before. They command a view of the valley below, with a place there where we can get the trucks out of site. We’ll get underway again at first light. From here on it will be on foot. We’ll stop here so my men can go in and clear it.” A team of marines left the trucks and disappeared in the direction of the place where they would spend the night. It wasn’t long before that the captain’s radio lit up with the okay to move in. The all-clear given, the trucks with the men continued on pulling up to the rock buildings that looked as though they had seen better days. Maseli was the first to comment on the digs. “Damn, would you look at that? This place looks like it has been bombed out. It sure and hell has seen better days. The frig-in’ place is missing most of its roof. Hope to hell it doesn’t rain tonight.” Waleski was quick to respond. “What the hell did you expect, Maseli, the Ritz? We’ve spent the night in worse places than this before. It’s not like we’re going to stake a claim on this piece of real estate.” The chief was even quicker on the draw. “Can it, you guys. Get your gear and grab a piece of that real estate.” It would soon be dark. The sun was disappearing behind the surrounding mountains, giving way to a full moon that was making its way on the scene to light up the night.

The trucks out of sight, the men prepared to chow down and ready themselves for whatever was out there to screw with them. The marines took up defensive positions and settled in for the long night that was ahead of them. “Lieutenant, if it’s all the same with you, I’ll have my sergeant station your men where they could do the most good if the rags decide to f-ck with us. The Taliban like to move at night, especially when they have a full moon to lighten up their travel routes. We’ll have a listening post set up out on that trail so we don’t catch a surprise. I expect movement this night. The rags might already know that we’re operating in their backyard.” “My men are at your disposal, Captain. We’ll bide our time until you see fit to lead us to where the SEAL team is being held. Let’s hope the Taliban don’t decide to do them in before we get a chance to spring them.” “I’ll keep you in the loop, Lieutenant. The CIA boys will know something before long. They’ll spring a trap soon for that terrorist they’ve been tracking, and then we’ll move in to get your SEALs back. Our drones have been keeping close tabs on everything that’s been moving on the ground. Only problem is they don’t see it all. The Taliban operate underground in a maze of tunnels that crisscross through these mountains. The rags can be pretty elusive, sometimes hard to locate. Some of these tunnels go on for miles. As soon as the intel gets to us, we’ll move on it. We’ll get those SEALs back in one piece, Lieutenant. You can bank on it.” The night was moving along slowly, up until the time the radio lit up with a report from the men out on the road manning the listening post. They had spotted movement heading down the trail in their direction. Coming down the trail silhouetted by the moon was a group of Taliban armed to their teeth. “Captain, we have company heading our way. Looks like a group of insurgents, maybe fifteen or twenty men. They’re loaded for bear. Looks like they’re carrying automatic weapons. Do we open up on them? “Negative, hold your fire. Let them . We’ll move out to back you up. Stay cool. Let them . Don’t give away your position. Sit tight. “Okay, Lieutenant, here’s where you and your men come in. The listening post out on the trail just reported in. We have company. I’ll need you and your men to follow us out to back up my boys. If we’re forced to show our hand, it could put

the kibosh on the mission. If we get into a firefight, this entire area will be alerted to our existence. Tell your men not to fire unless it’s our only way out. Everybody needs to keep their cool.” The captain and the men made it to the trail just in time to see the Taliban stop in their tracks to talk over their next move. The men that looked to be in charge were talking and motioning as if they were arguing about which way to go. One of the Afghans kept motioning and pointing in the direction of the rock huts. “Lieutenant, looks like our company is fixing to drop in on us. If they decide to head up this trail, we’re screwed. If they come this way, they’ll force our hand. Have your men sit tight. We’ll play this out.” The men watched anxiously waiting to see what would take place. After a few minutes, the threat went away when the Taliban decided to continue on in the direction that led them away from where the men sat waiting for things to explode. For the time being, they were home free. “That was a close one, Captain. For a while there, I would have bet anything that we were going to get in the middle of it. Let’s hope that group keeps going and don’t decide to revisit that pile of rocks where we’re staying. We need this mess to come together so we can get the SEAL team back. An encounter like we just missed could blow my mission.” “I’ll get with the spooks, Lieutenant, and see if anything has changed. With any luck by morning, we’ll get the high sign to get underway to hit those bomb makers. It’s a crap shoot, Lieutenant. Let’s hope we don’t roll snake eyes. Let’s make our way back to the rock pile. It’s going to be a long night.” With the threat long gone, the men settled in to grab some shut-eye. It was after midnight when the radio again lit up with the men at the listening post checking in. The quiet night was again being tested. “Captain, we have movement on the trail. Can’t make it out, but there’s someone out there. Whoever is there is heading back down the trail. As close as we can tell, it can’t be more than one or two bodies moving around. I’ll keep you posted.” A few minutes ed, and the men out on the trail eyeballing the movement were again on the radio. They had pinpointed the movement and were calling in to get the okay to deal with whatever was out there. “Captain, there’s only one joker out here, and he’s having trouble making his way. Right now he’s stopped

on the trail, seems to be having a rough go of it. Permission to take him out.” “Okay, but be quiet about it. No gunfire. Use your K-BAR. I’ll head on down to your position to back you up.” After getting the okay to proceed, the marine sergeant left the cover of the listening post and crawled toward the location where he last heard sounds coming from the man that was out there. When he was but a few yards away, he was able to make out the silhouette of a lone man kneeling. He lunged forward and knocked the man to the ground, letting out a yell as he hit him. “You’re dead, mother-fucker!” A voice in English responded, “I’m an American! Hold up!” “Say what? What the hell are you doing out here? I almost killed your ass. Who the hell are you anyhow?” “The name’s Lieutenant Driscol. I’m with a SEAL team on a mission. We got our ass captured a while back after our team was shot up. Al-Qaeda operatives have been holding us captive in a cave not far from here. About an hour ago, they turned their back on me, and I took advantage of the chance to beat it out of there. I think they’re on my tail. I’ve been trying to shake them since I busted out. I left three men back there. Now it’s my turn. Who the hell are you?” “Sergeant Trask, Marine Recon. My outfit is out here trying to pick up your trail. There’s a SEAL team embedded with us that is also looking for you. Latch on. I’ll hook you up with the SEAL lieutenant that’s going to be glad to see you.” The marine captain was now at the trail, taking in the goings-on. “Sergeant, who the hell are you talking to?” “Captain, found one of the SEALs we’ve been looking for, a Lieutenant Driscol. Tells me he just broke loose. Might have some Al-Qaeda hot on his trail trying to grab his ass. Better get ready to take them on if they show up.” “Okay, have one of the men take the lieutenant up to get with his buddies. If those rags show up, we’ll be ready for them. Spread out along the trail and take cover.” The marines down on the trail took cover and waited to see if they would get the

company that they expected. After twenty minutes of eyeballing the darkness, the Al-Qaeda pursuers popped up. “Captain, we have company. There are people moving on the trail heading this way. Looks like maybe three or four coming straight at us.” “I see them. We need to get this done quiet like. No need to wake up the neighborhood. We need to keep our presence as low key as possible. When they get right on top of us, we’ll hit them.” The Marine Recon team waited for the moment to strike. The men pursuing the escaped SEAL were walking straight into the ambush that was set to take them out. When the Al-Qaeda was almost on top of them, the marines hit them in force. The threat that confronted them was over in minutes. There were now three less Al-Qaeda to deal with. “Good job. Now drag their dead ass out of here and stash them out of sight. When they don’t return, others just might come looking for them. Sergeant Trask, keep two men with you and stay put. I’ll see that you’re relieved around midnight. Keep a sharp eye. We don’t need anything else to screw with us.” While this was playing out down on the trail, the SEAL lieutenant that had escaped was being debriefed by the SEALs that were there to locate and bring him back. Lieutenant Driscol had served with Brady and knew him well. “Driscol, we’re sure glad to see you. How the hell did you break loose? How many of your men are still back there?” “I left three men back there, Jay. Figured if I could get out of there, I might be able to figure a way to spring them. Except for some cuts and bruises, they’re in pretty decent shape. They’ve been working us over, but I think they’re saving us for maybe a switch down the road. Now that you’re here, we need to get in there and bust them loose.” “Driscol, meet Hastings and Tulley. They’re with the CIA. They’re on the trail of the same man you were sent in to capture.” The CIA agents took over the briefing and started questioning the escaped SEAL.

“About you’re mission, Lieutenant, did you catch up with the man you were sent in to capture? How close did you get to him?” “Close, but not close enough. We were one step behind him all the way. Never did get close enough to score. Can’t rightly say if the bunch we ran into were part of his group. Ran into the shit when we hit that compound back in Quetta, Pakistan. It was almost like they expected us. They were waiting. I think the Pakistanis set us up. Lost four of my men back there. It’s been all uphill ever since. Glad you guys were sent in to bail us out.” “Okay, when the captain gets back, we’ll put a plan in action to locate and spring your men. If that bomb maker is still in the vicinity, we need to get him before he slips away. Tulley and I have spent a lot of time chasing the bastard. We’ve got a lot invested in him. Lieutenant Brady, you can take over until the captain gets back. You probably have a lot of catching up to do.” “You can say that again. Haven’t seen the lieutenant for quite some time. We have some catching up to do. Driscol, how the hell did you draw this mission?” “Luck of the draw, I guess. We were the only SEAL team at the time that was in place to take it on. It wasn’t the first time I drew the short straw and probably won’t be the last time. Lieutenant, we need to get my men out of there and fast.” When the marine captain returned, the planning got underway. An hour or so before daybreak, the plan would be put in motion. They would hit the cave where the SEALs were being held and hopefully snag the bomb maker if they were lucky. The plan depended on luck more than anything. “Lieutenant Driscol, are you up to leading us to that cave where your men are being held? We need to be in place before the sun comes up to be able to pull this off. Hopefully we’ll have surprise on our side when we go in. How far would you say the cave is from here, and how many Al-Qaeda can we expect to go up against?” “I’m more than ready. I figure that cave is about two klicks from here, just off the trail that got me here. I can lead you there with my eyes closed, sir. You can expect stiff resistance. From what I saw, maybe a dozen or so armed to the teeth.” “Okay, we’re set to go. We’ll push off at 0400. That should give us enough time

to do what we have to do. We need to be in place to hit that cave before the sun comes up. Draw yourself a weapon, Lieutenant. You’re going to need it before this is over. Lieutenant Brady, have your men ready when I give the word. Hastings, you and your sidekick can fall in behind the SEALs.” The SEALs sat waiting, too keyed up to try and grab some much-needed shuteye. They knew what was out there would be another hurdle to get over. The AlQaeda would put up a fight to do whatever it took to hold the captive SEALs. The men wondered aloud about what they were about to go up against. “Chief, do you think those jokers are still sitting on our guys? What are the odds of us springing them? The rags will probably cut them down when we hit that place. Do you think those SEALs have a chance of getting out of there in one piece?” “It’s a crap shoot Maseli. I’d say the odds are about even, fifty-fifty. Let’s hope the rags are holding a dead man’s hand, aces and eights just like Wild Bill Hickok held back in that Deadwood saloon when Jack McCall put a slug in him. Just another gamble, Maseli.” “Didn’t know that was called a dead man’s hand … ACES AND EIGHTS.”

CHAPTER 13

ALL OVER AGAIN

The time to shove off arrived. The men gathered their gear and headed back toward the trail that would lead them to the cave and the men in it. In less than two hours, the attack would take place. The marine captain picked up his men still manning the listening post up on the road and got underway. “Okay, Lieutenant, show us the way. Get us to that cave where your men are being held so we can bust them out. Let’s hope they haven’t moved them.” The men moved down the dark trail, getting ever closer to the cave and the confrontation that would surely confront them. They knew the Al-Qaeda would fight to their death before giving up their hostages. The element of surprise would need to be on their side to pull off what lay ahead. “Captain Fuller, this is it. We’re here. Look off to your left. You can just make out the cave entrance. Take notice. There’s a guard stationed at the entrance. My men should still be in there.” “So far so good, Lieutenant. We’ll soon know if your men are still in there. How deep in that cave are they?” “They’re in about a hundred yards. The cave opens up. That’s where you’ll find them. I’ll take you there, Captain.” “You’ll need to hang back, Lieutenant. My men will take them out. That’s what we’re here for. You did your part. You got us here. Sit tight, Lieutenant. Sergeant Trask, take out that sentry.” It was now time to make their move. They had twenty minutes of cover left before the new day would move in to reveal their presence. The men watched as the marine sergeant moved up to take out the lone sentry that stood guard at the

cave entrance. He stood having a smoke, oblivious to what was about to overtake him. They didn’t have long to wait to see the sentry taken out. When the sergeant got close enough, he slipped up on the unsuspecting man and put his K-BAR between his ribs. As the man fell to the ground, the sergeant signaled the all-clear for the rest of the men to move up. “Let’s go! There’s the all clear. We need to get up there fast and kick some AlQaeda ass before they know what hit them. Lieutenant Brady, move up with your men.” The marine unit, with the SEALs close behind, entered the cave. They now had the way clear to move forward. A hundred yards to go then they would learn the fate of the SEALs that were being held captive. They stopped just short of where the men were thought to be. The marine captain and his sergeant surveyed the cave interior. Except for one man that seemed to be an early riser that was stoking the almost-out fire that was burning in the center of the cave, they could see men lying around that had not yet crawled out of their bedrolls. “Things are looking up, Sergeant. Looks like we caught the rags napping. They’re still bedded down. They won’t know what hit them. Looks like the SEALs are off to one side. Point them out so they don’t wind up in the line of fire. Signal the others to move up. We’ll hit them before they have a chance to roll out.” Quietly the men moved into place. In seconds, the man tending the fire was the first to go. The bullet that took him out started things off. The Al-Qaeda jumped to their feet and reached for their weapons, trying to return fire. Bullets were now flying in all directions with the Al-Qaeda up and running deeper into the cave. The three SEALs being held captive caught on to what was going down and hugged the cave floor. They stayed low and out of the line of fire until things subsided. “Sergeant, check those men out. Make sure they didn’t catch a bullet. Check the rags that went down. See to it that they bought it. Lieutenant Driscol, see to your men. Looks like they got through it but had a rough time getting there. Get the spooks up here to see if the rags left anything behind that we can use. Grab that pouch. Looks like it’s filled with papers.”

The marine captain was busy spitting out orders, getting things under control so they could continue on. They had roused the Al-Qaeda from their sleep, killing only five of them. They now had a decision to make, leave with the captive SEALs or continue on pursuing the Al-Qaeda that had escaped. “What’s the word, Captain?” Hastings asked when he caught up. “Do we stay and run those Al-Qaeda down, or do we call it a day and get the hell out of here? We’re right on their ass. Let’s clean them out.” “Cool it, Hastings. Those rags are long gone. Some of these caves go on for miles. We’d never catch up to them. We shot them up. They’re long gone. On top of it, we’d probably walk straight into an ambush before it was over. We got what we came for—we got the SEALs back in one piece. I’m going to call in choppers to get the SEALs out. They’re in rough shape.” “Maybe you got what you came for, Captain, but me and Tulley still have a few loose ends to tie down. , we’re on the trail of that bomb maker known as the Scorpion. That’s what that SEAL team was doing here before they got their ass in a sling. I’ll see to it that your orders come through to continue on.” “Do what you have to do, Hastings. I say it’s a waste of time. We haven’t seen anything that points in the direction of whoever you’re chasing. These Al-Qaeda were just what we run up against every time we go out, just another bunch of radicals hell bent on kicking us out of Afghanistan. If we’re ordered to stay and wet-nurse you, we’ll stay. We’re here for the duration anyhow. For now we’ll head back to the trucks and await orders. In the meantime, I’ll work on getting these SEALs choppered out of here.” That said, the captain turned and headed out of the cave. He would now lead the men back to where the trucks were parked and await further orders. The sun was now high in the sky, lighting the trail back out. “Damn, Lieutenant, that captain sure lit into those spooks. There’s no love lost there. What’s your take on it? Do you think we should have stayed on those rags?” “The captain knows what he’s doing, Chief. He’s been in country long enough to know how things work. He knows when he’s beating a dead horse, and he’s savvy enough to know when to back up. I’ll stand behind any decision he comes up with. Those SEALs we came in to find are in no shape to keep going. They

need to be pulled out.” When they got back to where they left the Humvees, they found them trashed and burned out. The Al-Qaeda located them and took them out. A grenade dropped in each one did a number on them. They were now without wheels. The CIA agents lost no time getting on top of things. “Captain, looks like you’ll be doing things my way. Without those Humvees, you and your men are going to wind up hoofing it out of here. I’ll see to it that we leave here taking the same route the Al-Qaeda took.” “Like I said, Hastings, I’m here for the duration. When the orders come down, I’ll follow them to the letter. Now get the hell off my back. Trask, any word on when we can expect those choppers?” “Choppers are inbound, sir. They’re on their way. HQ knows about the loss of the Humvees. They’re going to make a drop and send in ammo and supplies. They’ll be on the choppers.” “Lieutenant Brady, that takes care of things. Have your SEALs ready to move out when the birds get here. Looks like me and my boys will be back on the trail of those Al-Qaeda. I don’t have a problem with it. Just wish those spooks weren’t coming along. Sooner or later, they’re going to get some of us killed, worked with them before.” It wasn’t long before the choppers could be heard winging their way in. Smoke was popped to give their location. They dropped in offloading the supplies and took on the SEALs that were waiting to be flown out. In a few short minutes, the choppers were airborne and long gone. The SEALs sat quietly on the aircraft, all in deep thought reflecting on what they had left behind. “LT, didn’t feel right leaving those marines back there to deal with the Al-Qaeda. Do you think they’ll ever catch up with the one they call the Scorpion?” “Probably so. Those two CIA boys are dogged in their pursuit of that bomb maker. They won’t let up until they get the bastard. That marine captain will figure out how to deal with things. He’ll put it all together. We completed our mission. We found the SEALs we were sent in to find. Wish we could have brought them all back.”

As they flew along, a few of the men scoped out the landscape below, taking in what they saw. They found themselves flying over field after field of lush growth. It didn’t take them long to figure out what was growing in the fields down below. “Chief, do you see what I see? Aren’t they poppy fields down there? Sure as hell looks like it. Where the hell are we anyhow?” “You nailed it, Maseli. That’s what you’re looking at. We’re right in the middle of the dope trade. You’re looking at the number one crop here.” “Damn, that’s all I can see, poppy fields. How the hell do they get away with it? Does our side just look the other way? There’s enough shit growing down there that they must know what’s going on. There’s too much to hide—it’s all out in the open.” “They know. It’s common knowledge. We leave them alone. They leave us alone. It’s what they call give-and-take. We give. They take. Our side tries to placate the locals to try and keep them friendly. Sometimes it works but not that often. It’s usually one sided.” After ing over the poppy fields, they finally reached a touchdown point. The chopper pilot pointed to his headset and motioned to the lieutenant to put a set on. “Sir, we need to touch down and grab some fuel. We still have a ways to go. I radioed ahead. The officer in charge of this outpost has something to run by you. His name is Captain Maseli.” They flew into a valley that was surrounded by tall mountains on all sides. It looked to be lush farmland with a fast-moving body of water spilling down out of the nearby mountains. It was a far cry from the desolate territory they had left behind only hours ago. There too they saw poppy fields wherever they looked. The choppers flew in and landed in a field next to the outpost. It was manned by a platoon of marines who were there to monitor the local population. When they touched down, the captain in charge of the outpost was there to greet them. “Lieutenant Brady, Captain Maseli. Thanks for dropping in, we don’t get many visitors out here. Heard you were in need of some fuel. As long as you’re here, I

have something to run past you. I’m short of men and have a job that needs immediate attention. Maybe you can help me out.” “Maseli, one of my men has the same name. Could it be that you might be related?” “Yeah, could be. Most of my family is in the service. When I say the service, I mean the Corps. There is one renegade cousin, could be him.” “Maseli, get up here.” The SEAL made it to where the lieutenant waited and asked what he wanted. He was unaware that he was about to have a family reunion. “Well, I’ll be damned if it isn’t my little cousin. What the hell are you doing in Afghanistan? Last I’d heard, you were sailing around on some ship in the Pacific somewhere. What the hell are you doing here?” “Mack, you son of a gun. I see you made Captain. Is the Corps that hard up? Last I heard, you cashed out. Couldn’t stay away, huh?” The two men shook hands and continued talking, oblivious to the lieutenant and the others that stood watching. After a few moments of reminiscing, they realized they had cornered the conversation. “Sorry, Lieutenant, haven’t seen this turd in quite some time. Didn’t mean to let things get out of hand. What I was about to ask you before I started to visit was we could use your help on something that has come up.” “Fire away, Captain. We’re at your disposal.” “As you probably already know, Afghanistan is made up of many tribes. When they’re not fighting us, they’re fighting each other, mostly over the poppy fields you see all around us. We tried to get them to grow other crops, but it hasn’t worked out. They’ve been growing this stuff for centuries. That’s all they know. Being that we’re in this valley trying to get a foothold, we kind of look the other way and stay out of the locals’ shit. Just over that hill, it’s a different story. The Taliban are as thick as fleas on a hound dog’s back over there, and it gives us an excuse to go after them on occasion. This happens to be the occasion, and I’m short of troops to get it done. That’s where you and your men come in. We’re

going to hit them come morning. We could use you and your men to help get it done. What do you say?” “Like I said, Captain, we’re at your disposal. Hell, we don’t have anything better to do. You can count us in. We’re with you.” “Okay, Lieutenant, get your gear and have your men get inside the wire. We’re going to have hot chow tonight, picked up a goat from one of the locals. One of my men was a chef back in the world. He’ll make you think it’s a piece of beef you’re eating. He does wonders with just about everything we throw at him. He’s a Cajun boy from Louisiana, hell of a cook.” The men were behind the wire and soon watching the cook perform a miracle. He had the goat on a spit, turning it over a flame that was slowly cooking it to perfection. It had been a while sense the SEALs had sat down to a hot meal, even if it was goat. After devouring what they thought was the best meal they had tasted in weeks, they prepared themselves for the night ahead. The SEALs had heard the marines talk about what went on when nightfall closed in on them. The marine captain filled the SEAL lieutenant in on what to expect. “Lieutenant, when the sun goes down, we usually prepare ourselves for the nightly company that drops in on us. The Taliban are out there to remind us that we’re in their backyard. These locals are not all friendlies. There are a lot of Taliban right under our nose. Hell, I think the biggest part of this village is Taliban. They play the game during the day, trying to make us think they’re on our side, and then spend the night f-cking with us.” “My old man was in ’Nam, Captain. I heard him tell the same stories. The ’Cong used to mingle with them during the day and then try to take them out when the sun went down. They were behind the wire too waiting to catch the sappers that were always there. He used to call it same, same. That’s the same shit that goes on here. I guess he had it right, same, same. We think we have it rough, those boys back then were in the shit a lot deeper than us.” “You got that right, Lieutenant, but we have our share of the shit to make it through. The Al-Qaeda will try and give us a sleepless night. It’s their way of dishing it out. Have your men grab some shut-eye. They have a long day ahead of them.”

Like the captain had said, all through the night the men behind the wire could hear the Taliban probing their defenses, trying to slide in to give them grief. Only a few of the men slept through it. It was Vietnam… ALL OVER AGAIN.”

CHAPTER 14

CALL IT OFF

The night dragged on, with the men in the outpost jumpy and deprived of sleep that most would welcome with open arms. They sat in their positions listening to sounds that came out of the dark curtain that had been pulled down around them. This was nothing new to the marines that manned the outpost, just another night to get through before daylight would again appear to start things anew. The new day would erase all that took place the night before. Hours before dawn, the outpost came to life with movement. The marines were getting ready to assault the Taliban that held the next village just over the ring of hills that separated them from the marine outpost. A marine sergeant was sent to fetch the SEAL lieutenants. “Lieutenant, Captain Maseli wants you and Lieutenant Haskell to him in his digs. Follow me and I’ll take you there.”

“Good morning, gentlemen. I see Sergeant Hacker had no trouble finding you. Pull up something to sit down on, and I’ll brief you on what’s about to go down. Sergeant Hacker, see to it that the men are ready to shove off at dawn. Load the trucks with enough ammo to sustain an all-day firefight. We may need it. Get underway and get the trucks on the road. Lieutenant Brady, this operation should be tame compared to what you and your teams usually go up against. This will be the second time in as many weeks that we have gone in and hit the Taliban where we’re headed. They’ll more than likely be expecting us. The rags in this village will let them know that were loaded for bear and heading their way.” “Not much of a surprise, Captain. Sounds like there’s a chance we could walk straight into an ambush. Won’t the road in be covered with IEDs? How the hell are you going to get there without being torn up?”

“Got that all figured out, Lieutenant. The first time we went in, we got our ass shot up. This time, it will be different. Before daylight hits, we’ll be boarding choppers that are inbound. They’ll drop us in while the trucks and supplies head down that road, slowly picking their way along. A gunship will be there to give them cover. After the choppers make the drop, they’ll go to work on the Taliban that are set up and waiting for us.” “Sounds like a plan, Captain. Let’s do it. My men are itching for a fight. We’ll be ready when the time comes.” Like expected, the choppers were on time, ready to load and get underway. Except for a few men that were being left behind to guard the outpost, the rest boarded the choppers for the flight out. They were now heading into the unknown to kick some Taliban ass. “LT, never thought I’d be embedded with a U.S. Marine unit. These f-ckers are as gung ho as they come. I’ve got a feeling that we’re about to see some hot and heavy action this day. That marine captain is all fired up. Guess he’s looking for payback.” “You got that straight, Chief. The last time they hit that vill’, they got their ass shot up. The captain told me he lost a few good men in that fracas. They’re going in to extract Taliban blood. They will come away with payback.” It was a short trip; they made it to their drop and were on the ground in no time. After the choppers offloaded the men, they became airborne again and went on the hunt for Taliban targets. As expected, the Taliban were waiting and made themselves known. The landing zone now became a hot spot. Automatic fire was now being put down on the drop zone. The marine captain in charge was now directing the gunships to put down fire to take the pressure off the LZ. “Get these frig-in’ rags off our back. The mother-fuckers have us pinned down. Control your fire. Try not to hit my men.” As the choppers went to work on the Taliban gunners, gunfire could be heard coming from further out. There was a firefight underway that had taken place before they arrived. The Taliban were being kept busy on two fronts. The captain radioed the choppers to have them look into what was going down. “Captain, looks like friendlies have taken on the Taliban on the other side of the

village. Could they be part of your outfit?” “Negative, they’re not under my command. See if you can make radio . Find out who the hell they are. Maybe it’s an Afghan unit.” “Captain, made . They say they’re a U.S. Marine Corps Recon unit that trailed the Taliban they engaged to this locale. A Captain Fuller is in charge. Do you know him?” “Fuller, yeah, I know him. See if you can get the rags off his ass. Tell him to make his way to our position. We’re going to move forward and hit those buildings where the Taliban store their shit. They just brought in a crop. They should be loaded. Put down some fire and clear the way.” The assault force now had a target to hit. Buildings that were used to store their poppy crop were jammed to the hilt. The buildings were heavily fortified and would be no pushover to take out. The gunships went to work and machinegunned the Taliban emplacements that were there to guard them. After a short firefight, the defenders were overrun, and the way was now clear to destroy what the Taliban had protected. “Okay, Lieutenant, here’s where you and your men come in. I’ll need you to plant charges to destroy everything here. Nothing is to be left for the rags to be able to salvage. Scorched earth, that’s what we leave behind. After we leave, we’ll give them something to think about. They’ll need time to rebuild what we destroy.” “Sir, that unit that was under fire on the other side of the village just checked in. They broke loose and are on their way to hook up with us. What should I tell them?” “Tell them to meet us on the road just beyond the vill’. Our trucks should have made it there by now. We’re going to hit the Taliban and try to put a hurt on them after we take care of these storage buildings. Lieutenant, plant those charges. We need out of here. Get them ready to blow, then we’ll head to hook up with the rest of the outfit out on the road.” With the charges rigged to go, the men filtered out and headed in the direction of their next target. When they were a few hundred yards from the storage buildings, they looked back to see them go sky-high. The first part of their

mission was now complete. The next step would be to attack the Taliban forces and cut them down to size. When they reached the road where they found the trucks waiting, they also found the Marine Recon unit that had taken on the Taliban before they arrived. Captain Maseli greeted his counterpart that he hadn’t seen in months. “Fuller, what the hell are you doing out here? Never expected to see you pop up. Didn’t know you were in the neighborhood. You’re lucky you weren’t taken for Taliban. Those choppers could have f-cked up your day. Lay it on me. What’s the scoop?” “I’m embedded with two CIA agents. They’re chasing a terrorist bomb maker. Started out tracking down a SEAL team that got itself captured then wound up wet-nursing the two spooks. Found what was left of the SEAL team and turned them loose just yesterday. In fact, that’s the SEAL lieutenant heading this way. This is starting to look like some kind of a reunion.” “Captain Fuller, didn’t think we would see you again so soon. Are those two CIA boys still tagging along with you?” “Yeah, they’re back there somewhere. Maybe I’ll get lucky and loose them to the Taliban. We followed that bunch and this is where they lead us.” “That’s wishful thinking on your part, Captain. Those two will be hard to shake. Are they still on the trail of the bomb maker?” “They’re still on the trail. They swear he’s in this village. I have my doubts. I think he’s long gone. He’s too damn smart to be cornered in this part of the world. I think he doubled back and got lost in Pakistan. He’s long gone. I’ll bet on it. My turn—I thought you would have made it to Kabul by now. How are the SEALs we busted out doing?” “The SEALs are doing fine. They’re back at the outpost recuperating. We touched down there to pick up some fuel and wound up helping Captain Maseli pull this off. We’re on the clock, Captain. The pay scale stays the same. Looks like you’re in on it now.” “Fuller, this was good timing. We could sure use your help. We took out the storage buildings, and now we’re going to hit the Taliban in the village. We have them bottled up. All we have to do is go in and clean them out. We’ll be on our

own. The choppers will be pulling out. They’ve expended their fuel and ammo. They’ll be leaving shortly. But we have .50s on the trucks. We’re going to put them to work. I figure we’ll hit them from two sides and make our way in to hit them before they decide to bug out of here. Anything to add to what I just ran past you?” “Sounds A-OK, sir. Lead the way.” “Okay, that settles it. We’ll attack and push them toward the trucks and into the .50s. Sergeant Hacker, get on the horn and let the men in the trucks know what’s about to go down. With any luck, we’ll pull this off.” The push got underway. They attacked the village to dislodge the Taliban, making their way through the narrow alleys that bordered the rock huts. As soon as they entered the village, they ran up against a wall of automatic gun fire that brought the attack to a halt. The narrow alleys became a killing field. The first two men that entered took fire and went down. Captain Maseli was quick to respond. “Hold up! We’ve got two men down. Corpsman, get in there! We’ll give you cover fire. The rest of you men put fire down on that gun. Knock it out. Get a grenade in there!” The two men that had taken a bullet were dragged out of the line of fire. The marines now went to work on the machine gun that had taken them out. A wellplaced grenade did the trick and silenced the gun and the Taliban behind it. The men kept moving, running into fire at every turn. They kept pushing, trying to get the Taliban to spill out into the deadly field of fire that the .50s on the trucks would put down. Every rock wall and every open window now became a fortress. The marines were receiving gunfire from all directions, slowing down the push they had initiated. The going was slow, but the men were determined to move forward. “Sergeant Hacker, get on the radio and see why those .50s haven’t opened up. The rags should have been in their sights by now. See what the hell is going on. You men, keep moving! Don’t let up!” The dogged resistance by the Taliban started to taper off. They seemed to be starting to fade away. Still there was no gunfire emanating from the .50s that were out on the road waiting to go to work.

“Sergeant, something’s not kosher. Those .50s should have opened up by now. The Taliban are starting to withdraw. Where the hell are they going? They have to pop out some place. “Check out those huts. Make sure they’re empty.” The men moved building to building, coming up against little to no resistance. But for an occasional sniper, the incoming fire was all but over. The Taliban had slipped away carrying their dead and wounded. “Something’s not right. The rags slipped away like so many ghosts. We need to find out where they got to and fast. Fuller, take your men and skirt these hooches. See if you can find out where they got to. I’ll keep moving toward the trucks.” The attack force was now divided and moving in different directions. The men were hell bent on finding and resuming the attack on the Taliban. It wasn’t long before the Taliban were located. They had filtered out of the village and were escaping through a wooded section that once was an orchard. Captain Fuller was now on the horn filling Maseli in on what he had come across. “Maseli, we found the Taliban fighters. They made it out of the vill’ and are escaping west through an old orchard. They’re all but gone. Do you want us to pursue them?” “Negative, stand down. I know that wooded area. It’s a frig-in’ minefield. We got tangled up in there a while back and took a beating. Lost three men before we got free of it. Stay the hell out of there. Make your way to where the trucks are waiting. I know where the Taliban are heading. Sergeant Hacker, get on the horn and let the gunners on the trucks know that we’re heading their way. Tell them not to get trigger happy. We’re coming out.” Once they made it to the trucks, the two marine officers put their heads together. Captain Maseli had the Taliban figured out and knew where they were headed. He had them dead to rights. “Fuller, these jokers pulled this once before when we hit them. They have to be dumber than a box of rocks. They’re taking the same route they did the last time. I know right where they’re headed. They’re trying to make their way up into the mountains. If we can call in an air strike, we’ll catch them out in the open without any cover. If they make it to those caves, we’ll lose them for sure. Sergeant Hacker, get on the horn and call in an air strike on those mothers.”

The strike called in, the attack force assembled to return to the outpost. The casualties they had taken were being tended to and were waiting for a medevac dust-off to fly them out. The two CIA agents had finally made their way to the trucks and were starting to vent their displeasure with what had gone down. “Who the hell is in charge here? Why the hell did you call in an air strike? You should be on their ass right about now. You have the fire power. Why didn’t you keep the attack going? Our man could be up there. We were that close to grabbing him. You f-cked up, Captain.” “Stand down, Hastings, or whatever the hell your name is. It was my call and I made it. We’re out here to kill Taliban, not to play with them. You CIA boys have your job, and we have ours. Our job is to kill every insurgent we go up against. This is how we get it done.” “That’s bullshit, Captain, and you know it. Call off that frig-in’ air strike. I have too much invested in what I’m doing to have it screwed up by some jarhead.” Captain Fuller stepped in and separated the two men; he could see that the confrontation was close to escalating and wanted to bring it to a close. “Hastings, back down. You’re out of the loop on this one. Keep up the shit, and you might wind up behind the eight ball. This is a military operation. You have no say in it. Stand down.” “If you don’t call off the air strike, I’ll get you busted, Captain. I have more pull than you know. I’m not the guy to f-ck with… CALL IT OFF!”

CHAPTER 15

ANYBODY IN HERE

As the CIA agent pleaded his case, the radio on the Humvee came to life. A pilot on the two inbound jets broke the silence. “We’re five out and closing in on your position. Need target coordinates.” “Okay, Captain, call off your dogs, and I’ll forget what went down here. There’s still time to set things straight.” Captain Maseli gave the marine sergeant a nod, and the coordinates were given. If looks could kill, the captain would be KIA. The jets were now on their way in to drop their ordinance on the Taliban that was trying to escape into the nearby hills. The two Marine Corps jets came in hot and low, strafing the Taliban that tried to scatter. After making the first , they returned and came in to hit the Taliban that had survived the first strafing run. It was now all but over. The air strike had taken out most of the Taliban, with only a few making their escape good. It would now be up to the marines to mop up the stragglers. Captain Maseli gave the word to the men to move in to check out the damage from the strike. “Okay, Hastings, now’s your chance to see if we nailed your man. We’re moving in to clean up what the jets might have missed. We’ll make it fast and sweet, so if you’re going to tag along, do what you have to do before I give the order to withdraw. We need to get back to the outpost before dark.” The marines moved in and looked over the Taliban that were hit by the strafing runs. After checking things over, they came up with a body count. The strike had taken out twenty Taliban. After the count was taken, the order was given to return to the road and the trucks that would pull them out. The two CIA agents had again come up dry.

“Sergeant Hacker, get the men back out to the road and on the trucks. We need to vacate the area and get back to the outpost. Any of the Taliban that escaped the attack are long gone by now. Nothing more to be accomplished here. “Any luck, Hastings?” The agent had nothing to say. His man was not among the dead. The agents fell in behind the marines and headed for the trucks and the ride out. With the mission successfully completed, the force headed back to the outpost. “Lieutenant Brady, choppers will be waiting to fly your men back to Bagram in Kabul when we return to the outpost. Your men did an outstanding job on this mission. Extend my thanks.” The men made it back before darkness took over and boarded the choppers that were waiting to fly them out. They were now on their way to Kabul and another flight that would land them on the flight deck of the carrier that was off the coast of Afghanistan. They had covered a lot of ground completing the mission they had gone in on. After spending the night at the Bagram Air Base, the next morning they were again airborne, heading back to Pakistan and the choppers that would land them back on the waiting carrier. After returning to Pakistan, the two CIA agents disappeared. “LT, where do you suppose those two bloodhounds got to? Do you think they’re back on the trail of that bomber? Think we’ll ever see them again?” “You never know, Chief. I don’t think they’re up to throwing in the towel. Those two have a job to do, and they’ll stay with it until they get it done. Chances are we’ll run into them again somewhere down the line.” Back on the carrier, they headed straight to the debriefing that was waiting for them. They filled the brass in on what they had gone up against then headed for the showers and the clean bunks that were waiting for them. After a peaceful night, the two lieutenants were again called to the briefing room. They were about to be briefed on where they were headed.

“Gentlemen, as of this moment, intelligence reports are slow in coming. It may be a day or so before I can brief you on what will be next on your calendar. I can tell you that the mission the other SEAL team went in on is still ongoing and could be something that you will be involved in real soon. For the time being, this ship will be your station until further orders come down the pipe. Rest up and enjoy your downtime while you can. That’s all I have for you at the moment, gentlemen.” The SEAL lieutenants left the briefing and headed back to where the men waited, ready to be bombarded with the usual questions. They, along with the men, knew that loose ends would need to be tied down before their mission was completed. They also knew that the road ahead would be a difficult one, with some of them paying the ultimate price. “LT, what’s the word?” “Any yet on what we just came off?” “Are we going out again? Where are we headed?” “Slow down, one question at a time. No, there’s no , and yes, we’ll be going out again. Can’t tell you where we’re headed, but you can bet your ass it won’t be any place you ever thought of visiting. All I know is we might have a day or two to rest up before the shit hits the fan again. I’ll keep you in the loop and let you in on whatever comes down. Enjoy it while you can, guys.” With that taken care of, Lieutenants Brady and Haskell took off to hunt down a hot cup of coffee. For the next hour, they would sit and contemplate what was heading their way. “Brady, that briefing we just left didn’t let us in on much. I have a feeling this whole deal is about to become a giant shit sandwich that we’re going to take a big bite out of. Any idea where we could be headed?” “I’ve been keeping my ears open. Heard two of the crew talking. They seem to think we’re headed to Yemen. Makes sense, that’s a hotspot. That whole damn region is an armed camp, more terrorists there than you can shake a stick at. I think the hunt is still on for that Al-Qaeda bomber they’ve been trailing. That dude is spreading himself thin and leaving a wide trail to follow. Right now, I think he’s the number one reason for most of what’s about to come down. When

our orders to move out get here, he’ll be the prime reason behind them.” “Maybe the next time we go out, LT, we’ll get a chance to pull the Scorpion’s stinger and put things to rest. We’re losing too many people trying to catch up with him.” “They say the third time’s a charm, Lieutenant. Maybe we’ll catch up to him this trip. With any luck, maybe those CIA boys will catch the SOB. They’re probably two steps behind him as we speak.”

Two Days Later

The carrier group was still in the Arabian Sea just off the coast of Yemen. This part of the world was a tinder box, with Al-Qaeda operatives operating freely. Attacks on U.S. ships that pulled into port were an ongoing occurrence. At the start of this day, both of the SEAL lieutenants were again summoned. “Gentlemen, as you might already know we’ve been sitting on station just off the coast of Yemen for the past twelve hours. One of our ships that have made port has taken hostile fire from a number of small boats in the harbor. The ship has been damaged and unable to get underway at this time. A shore party that left the ship has been unable to return due to insurgents that have them bottled up in one of the buildings dockside. “Lieutenant Brady, I need you to take a SEAL team ashore too free the shore party that is unable to make it back to the ship.” “You got it, Captain. How do you propose we take it on?” “I suggest you go in under the cover of darkness. Aerial surveillance shows the dock covered by insurgent presence. They are blocking the route needed to be taken by the shore party. If you can hit them with the element of surprise on your side, I believe you can pull it off. Have your men ready to shove off thirty before nightfall takes over. A chopper will be ready to drop you in just offshore. You’ll have two rubber boats to get you the rest of the way in. We’ll go over any lastminute problems you might run into an hour before you leave the ship. Any

questions, Lieutenant?” “Sounds cut and dried, sir. I’ll get the team ready to go ashore. Let’s go, Lieutenant Haskell.” “Here we go again, LT. Sounds like it could be a real bitch getting in there. If the rags have the dock covered, we’ll need surprise on our side to be able to pull this off.” “Always better to expect things to be tough, Haskell. If it was a cake walk, they wouldn’t need us. You can expect to earn your pay on this one. Get the team ready, and make sure Doc is in on it. Have Ski bring the .50. I think it will come in handy on this one. Be ready for that final briefing when the time comes.” With the team now on alert, preparations were being made to ready things for what lay ahead. Waleski had the sniper rifle cleaned and ready with enough ammo to get the job done. The other SEALs had their gear together and ready for the order to shove off. All that was left was the wait for the word came down. “Chief, take over until we get back from the briefing. We should shove off within the hour. Have the men ready to go when we get back. “Let’s go, Lieutenant.” It was now time to check in to see if the mission was still a go. It would be dark soon, giving the SEAL team the cover they would need to make it in undetected. They made it to the briefing and found the brass there waiting. “Any last minute changes, sir? Is the mission still on? Is it still a go?” “Nothing has changed, Lieutenant, except for the two casualties that were taken by the men that went ashore. If you look on this map, I can show you where they are holed up. The fire onboard the ship has been brought under control, and they will be ready to move out when the men ashore are back onboard. You and your men will stay with the ship and come out with them. Your team will be taken in close enough for you to board the smaller rubber boats to hit the dock area. Good luck, Lieutenant.” It was a go; the mission would soon get underway. The men were ready and waiting for the word to come down. In the next thirty minutes, they would shove

off straight into the unknown. “Chief, get the men up and ready. The chopper that will get us in close is ready to take us aboard. The mission is a go. It’s on.” The SEALs were now on their way, heading toward the drop where they would head into shore on the two small rubber boats. Darkness now surrounded them, giving them cover they would need to make their way in. As they made their way in, they could see the U.S. ship anchored out in the bay. Beyond the ship, the dock area came into view. It was dimly lit and looked to be quiet. The SEALs could see no movement ashore. “LT, it looks damn quiet in there. How are we going to hit it? What’s the chance of us making radio with the men in there?” “We need to head toward that crane to the left of that building. We’ll go in on their left flank and hope that we can keep things from unraveling. It will give Ski a perch to climb up on to give us cover with that .50 of his. If we can get in there undetected, we’ll have a good chance of getting to those men before the rags know we’re here. With any luck, we’ll pull this off.” The two small rubber boats slipped quietly through the water and headed dockside. They pulled up to the crane that towered overhead and climbed out of the boats. Ski got the nod from the lieutenant and headed to his perch high up. The rest of the team broke off and took cover. “Haskell, take two of the men and spread out along the dock to give the rest of us cover. I’ll cross over and pick my way along the street with the rest of the boys to get to the building. Keep your eyes peeled for bad guys. They’re here some place.” Lieutenant Brady left the dock and headed toward the row of buildings. Thinking they were undetected, they moved forward. Before they knew it, shots rang out. They were starting to take fire from one of the rooftops. “Lieutenant Haskell, we’re taking fire! Can you see where it’s coming from?” “Think so, LT. Just saw a muzzle flash up ahead on that rooftop off to your right. I’ll put Waleski on it. God, this is bad karma. Have a target for you to take out.

There’s a sniper or two on that rooftop up ahead. Watch for the muzzle flash. Take the bastard out.” “Got you covered, Lieutenant. When he pops up, he’s mine. Stay put. I’ll take him out. Looks like there may be two targets up there.” Just like clockwork, Waleski high on his perch took out the sniper when he rose up to fire. A second man got off a round and crouched down behind the wall that was there to give him cover. “There’s a second bird up there, Lieutenant. He got off a round and took cover. Can’t make him out on star light. I’ll switch to thermal and see if I can pick him off. Give me a second.” Waleski switched to thermal and located the sniper that was crouched low behind the wall. He got off a well-aimed round that took part of the wall the man was hiding behind and took him out. The rooftop now became quiet. “Lieutenant, nothings moving up there. You’re clear. Took out the two rags that came down on you. I see movement coming your way. A small force is heading straight at you. I’ll try and f-ck up their day.” Waleski cut loose with the .50 and took out the first two insurgents, stopping the others in their tracks. The SEALs on the dock would now have to move ahead under fire. “Ski, give us cover fire. Keep their heads down with that .50 so we can move up. Maseli, get on that radio and see if you can reach that navy shore party. Tell them to make their presence known.” The street lit up with gunfire, and muzzle flashes could be seen coming from all directions. The insurgents were now there in force and laying down a field of fire to stop the SEAL team from reaching the trapped men. It was quickly becoming an uphill battle. “Chief, we need to get these rags off our ass. Do you think you can reach those men in that building if we give you cover fire? We can’t raise them on the radio. We need to know what shape they’re in.” “I’ll give it a shot, LT. Cover my ass. I’m going in. Keep those rags off my back.”

The chief took off like a cat shot in the ass, zigzagging as he ran for all he was worth. Bullets hit the ground all along the path he took, but it didn’t slow him down. In no time, he was at the doorway to where the trapped men were thought to be. He swung open the closed door and entered the dark interior. He was quick to yell out, “ . . . ANYBODY IN HERE?”

CHAPTER 16

THE MOG

“Hold your fire! We’re Americans! Are you men here to get us out?” “That’s right. What shape are you in?” “All but two of us took a bullet. I have four men down. One of them is hit real bad. Our radio went out. We didn’t know help was on the way. We’ve been here for hours holed up in here, trying to stay clear of the rags. Good thing you popped up. We’re almost out of ammo.” The chief was now on the radio, ready to fill the lieutenant in on what he had found. “LT, I’m in. Found the men we were looking for. Four of them wounded, one shot up pretty bad. You’ll need to clear that street so I can bring them out.” “Easier said than done, Chief. There’s bad guys all over this frig-in’ place. There’s more out here than we can handle. You’ll need to find another way out. Get with those guys in there and dope it out.” “Swabee, is there another way out of this shit hole? Can your men make it out on their own? Last I heard, only one of you had taken a bullet.” “Can do, Chief. They’ll make it out under their own steam. We’ll carry our man that’s hit bad. Before our radio took a shit and we lost , we only had one man down. The rest got hit when we tried to bail out of here. How in the hell are we going to get out into that street without being cut to ribbons?” “The lieutenant wants us to look for another way out of here. Is there a back door to this place?” “Yeah, there’s a back door, but I don’t know where it would take us. We’ve been keeping an eye on it, waiting to see the rags come through it. I guess it’s better to

go out that way than through the front into that hostile fire.” “Okay, let’s do it. We’re wasting time hanging around here. I’ll let my guys know what we’re doing. Get your men up and ready. “LT, there’s a back way out of here. We’re going to take it. I’ll get back to you when we clear this place. Okay, are you guys ready?” The door swung open with the men filing out behind the SEAL. Once outside, they found themselves in a narrow alley that ran between buildings on both sides. It was dark, with very little light to guide them. “Damn, it’s dark out here. Close it up. Don’t string out. We’ll try to work our way out of here. Keep an eye peeled for rags. LT, we left the building. We’re trying to head your way. I’ll give you a heads-up when I think we’re close.” The lieutenant and the men had their hands full dockside. They were under constant incoming fire from the insurgents that were trying to move in on them. They would need to fight hard to get the rags off their back. “Lieutenant Haskell, the chief’s on his way out with the shore party. He found a rear exit and is heading this way. He’s bringing four wounded with him. We need to back on out of here when he shows.” At the rear of the building in the dark alley, the chief moved along with the shotup shore party close behind. They made it only a short distance before they ran into a small group of men heading their way. A half dozen or so insurgents had entered the alley and were coming straight at them. “Heads up, we’ve got company! A small party just turned into the alley. Hug the buildings and stay in the shadows out of sight. When they get right on us, we’ll take them out.” It was easier said than done. When the insurgents were but a few yards away, the lead man caught sight of the men that were there lying in ambush. He let out a yell and opened up with his weapon. A burst from his AK-47 took out one of the wounded that tried to get out of the line of fire. The chief gave the order to back off and head toward the exit door they had just left. “Back out of here! Get back inside that building. Pick up that man that just

caught one. I’ll keep them busy while you get your men out of here.” The man that had caught the round was KIA. A burst of fire had stitched him across his chest, taking him out. One of the other wounded struggled to pull him back into the building they had just minutes earlier left. When they were out of the line of fire and inside, the chief made his move and ed them. “How bad was that man hit? Is he okay?” “Negative, Chief, he bought it. Looks like we’re screwed. How in the hell are we going to get out of here?” “Hang in there. I’ll get with my lieutenant and let him know what our situation is. Watch that door just in case those rags decide to burst in. “LT, just ran into a problem. We were hit when we left the building and had to work our way back in. We’re up shit creek, sir. Any ideas on how the hell we can get out of here?” “We’ve thinned the rags out maybe enough to be able to get you out of there. We’ll try and move up and clear you a path. If we make it, be ready to move fast.” “That might be a problem, sir. One of the wounded took another bullet and went down. He bought it. We’re going to bring him out with us, might need some help. This bunch is in bad shape, sir.” “Okay, do what you can. We’ll give you a hand when we make it up to your position. Lieutenant Haskell, give us some cover fire. We’re going to move up to spring the chief. Waleski, put that .50 to work. Raise some hell with those rags and get them off our back.” The effort was now made to reach the chief and the shot-up shore party. The SEALs started to pour fire down on the insurgents that were now taking enough fire to make them think about backing off. After a short hard-fought push, the insurgents dragged off their wounded and backed out of the killing zone. The way was now clear for the chief to bring out the men that were eager to hightail it out of there. “Doc, get in there and see if you can give the chief a hand with the wounded. One of you men go with him. Get them ready to move, Doc. The rest of you men, keep up the pressure. Keep those rags from moving in on us.”

The hostile fire slowed, giving them the break they needed to extract the wounded men. Time was running out. They would have to move fast. “Glad to see you, Doc. Give these boys the once-over so we can get them the hell out of here. I’ll booby-trap that back door just in case we get company on the way out. Get them on the move. I’ll back you up.” With Doc’s help, the men were again on the move. They were out the front door and headed toward the rubber boats that would take them back to the ship. Things looked to be going a little smoother than before. Lieutenant Brady was now on the radio, alerting the ship anchored out in the bay that they had the shore party in hand and would soon be on their way. The lieutenant was now curious about the whereabouts of the insurgents that had backed off, fading away. “Waleski, what’s it look like up there? Those rags got awful quiet. Can you see any movement from that perch you’re on?” “Looks like they backed off, LT. Can’t see any movement from here. I’ll keep you covered. Better get moving.” “Get ready to climb the hell down off that tower. We’ll move out as soon as we get the boats loaded. We’ll cover your ass when you start down. Get ready to move in five. Give us a heads-up if you see movement. Let’s go, guys, get those men down and in those boats!” The SEALs were almost home free. The incoming fire had let up, and there was no sign of the insurgents that had put pressure on them. They were at the boats and almost loaded when shots rang out. A sniper’s bullet had caught Waleski as he slid off his perch on the tower, dropping him to the ground below. “LT, Ski just caught a bullet! He took about a twenty-foot fall. I’ll go back and pull him out, keep an eye out for that sniper.” “Okay, Doc, take Maseli with you. Don’t take any chances. We can’t afford to lose you. Get Waleski and get the hell back here. We’ll keep an eye peeled for that sniper.” The two men made their way to where Waleski lay sprawled out. He had taken a round that caught him square in the chest. He was covered with blood and not

breathing. Doc checked him out and knew right off that he had bought it. “Ski is gone. If that bullet didn’t take him out, that fall off the tower sure as hell did. Grab a hold. Let’s get him the hell out of here.” As they attempted to move the dead SEAL, another shot rang out. The round was well placed but missed its target. “Doc, that sniper is trying to zero in on us. We need to get the hell out of here before he connects. Watch for a muzzle flash, and I’ll put some fire down on him.” The two men were now pinned down and unable to return to the boats. They eyeballed the nearby buildings, hoping to pick up the tell-tale sign that would give the shooter away. Two more shots rang out in succession. “Doc, if we don’t move soon, we’re screwed. Those shots are going to alert every rag in the neighborhood. They’ll be all over us before we know it.” “Maseli, I think I see our man. Check out that building dead ahead. Watch that window on the second floor. I think that’s where he’s holed up. Eyeball it and see if he pops up.” The two men held their cover and waited to see the sniper give away his hiding place. The wait seemed like an eternity. It was almost like the shooter knew he was being observed. A minute went by then two, and the dark night now fell silent. “Doc, it’s almost like that mother-fucker knows we’ve located his perch. That bird is too slick. Let’s move out and see if we draw his fire. I’ll put a few rounds in there to let him know we’re on to him. That should keep his head down.” Maseli let go with a burst of fire before they made their move. The men knew it was do or die. They would have to chance it. As they moved away, they waited to hear the sound of the bullet that might have their name on it. It was now quiet. The incoming fire had come to a halt. “Maseli, maybe you hit the bastard. Maybe you got off a lucky round. Let’s make tracks and get the hell out of here before we have rags crawling all over

us.” The two SEALs made it back to the boats that were loaded and waiting. They put the dead SEAL aboard and shoved off. They were now on their way heading toward the ship that was a short way off. “Chief, get on the horn and let the ship know that we’re on the way back. With any luck, we’ll be boarding her soon.” Little did the lieutenant know that their luck had almost ran out. Coming out of the darkness that covered the water was the sound of a boat motor heading in their direction. They now had another hurdle to cross. “Chief, sounds like trouble heading our way. Looks like our luck has finally ran out. Get ready to put up a fight. Better start praying.” Just as it looked as though all was lost, lights from the waiting ship came to life and lit up the water, picking up the boat that was bearing down on them. This was a wake-up call for the insurgents that now found themselves in the sights of the gunners aboard the U.S. ship. Friendly fire was now directed at the unfriendlies that had no place to go. They were caught out in the open with their pants down. The ship’s guns opened up and strafed the incoming boat, putting it out of commission. They had wandered into a killing field without firing a shot. “LT, that was a close one, I thought we were goners. When the ship’s guns opened up, it was an answer to a prayer. That was as close to death as I want to get. Let’s get on that ship before something else pops up to screw with us.” The group was now home free. A boat from the ship came out to meet them and guide them in. It was all but over. They would soon be on the ship and out of harm’s way. In no time, they were aboard and sitting down to a hot cup of coffee. They had completed their mission but had lost a good man in Waleski getting it done. They knew he would be hard to replace and even harder to forget. He was another SEAL that had cashed in. Things taken care of, the ship and its crew were set to get underway. Needed

repairs had been made, and it was time to leave the unfriendly area they had wandered into. They would soon be out into open water where they could maneuver and the flotilla that was heading out of the area. Lieutenant Brady would now wait for further orders. “Lieutenant, Captain Jiles wants to see you ASAP. He’s on the bridge, sir.” The lieutenant, eager to receive new orders, wasted no time getting to the bridge where he found the captain waiting. “Sir, Lieutenant Brady reporting.” “Lieutenant, you and your men did an outstanding job back there. I, along with the crew, want to extend our thanks. What happened back there could have wound up a lot messier than it did if it wasn’t for you and your team. I was sorry to hear you lost one of your men.” “Thank you, sir. Waleski was a good man. The team will miss him. He’ll be hard to replace. Have new orders come through for us, sir?” “Yes, Lieutenant, they have. You will be airlifted back to the carrier as soon as we rendezvous with the ships that are getting set to leave the area. Word has it that we will be on station off the coast of Africa. Somalia, I believe. Somalian pirates are raising hell with shipping in that area. Command wants to put a stop to it or at least slow it down. The days ahead should be interesting, Lieutenant. Have your men ready to depart at 14:00 hours. Thanks again, Lieutenant.” Back with his men, the lieutenant filled them in on their new orders. He gave them the lowdown on what to expect. “Listen up, men. Get your gear together. We’ll be shoving off at 14:00 hours. We’ll be back on the carrier and living the good life before you know it. Word has it we’ll be on station off the coast of Somalia. You where that is, don’t you? A lot of shit went down back there years ago. BlackHawk Down? Looks like the navy will be there to help keep the shipping lanes open and maybe take on the pirates that have been raising hell with the many ships that through there. Maybe after all these years, we can get some payback. “Doc, wasn’t your dad in on that fiasco?” “That’s right, LT. He damn near lost his ass in that one. He was wounded before

he got the hell out of there. Heard a lot of stories about the Mog when I was growing up. That’s what the old man called it, . . . . THE MOG.”

CHAPTER 17

GETTING SOFT

“Doc, you never mentioned that your dad spent time in Mogadishu. Are you holding out on us? You must have some kick-ass stories about what went down there. What outfit was he in?” “Delta Force, he held the rank of sergeant. He also was a medic. Didn’t often talk about what he went through, but when he did, I listened. Talked mostly after he tied one on. Had a lot of stories about other missions too. Our government was keen on saying there was no such outfit. They kept things hush-hush. Delta Force was a secretive counterterrorism and special-mission unit. My dad used to refer to it as the unit.” “So tell us, Doc. What really went down there? Was it anything like the book?” “Never read the book, but I went and saw the movie at least three times. Can’t say how realistic the flick was, but it kept my interest. My dad never would go see it. Said the Mog was someplace he tried to forget.” “You say he was wounded? What happened? Fill us in. We’ve got time to listen.” “Well, you probably already know that it started when the marines were sent in to restore order and peace from rival factions fighting for control of the city. After they restored order and fed the civilian population and pulled out, a warlord by the name of Mohamed Farrah Aidid took control of Mogadishu and tried to starve out anyone that wasn’t on his side. After the marines left, all hell broke out again. Aidid commanded Somali militia fighters along with armed civilians that all took orders from him. He was pretty much a bad ass.” “So what you are saying? We were there once and then had to go back in? Sounds f-cked up.”

“You got that right. It was f-cked up from the get-go. Operation Gothic Serpent was put in motion, and then it all came together. They sent in Army Rangers and the Delta Force to kick it off. The mission was to capture Aidid and take him out of control of the Mog, as the Rangers called it. They launched their assault on a building that Aidid was thought to be in, the Olympic Hotel. To their surprise, he wasn’t there. Turned out to be a meeting of a bunch that was there to plan a way of ousting him. The mission was supposed to last thirty minutes but went on for seventeen hours or so. After the two BlackHawk choppers went down, the mission went downhill fast. In no time, skinnies were swarming all over those downed birds. That’s when they captured one of the BlackHawk pilots and then dragged two of our guys that were killed by the mobs through the streets.” “Skinnies? Who the hell were they?” “That was a name they pinned on the Somali fighters. They swarmed over our guys by the hundreds all doped up. The warlords kept them high on some shit called khat, a kind of narcotic leaf they would chew on to get high. The Somalis were pretty hard to control when they got done chewing on that shit. Mogadishu is still a hotbed for all kinds of radicals. Those Somali pirates fit right into that bunch. If we get to screw with them, maybe we can avenge the deaths of the men that didn’t get out of that shit hole in one piece. There was a contingent of marines offshore on the ships that were in the area. They could have taken care of it but weren’t sent in. Politics I guess.” “Look at it this way, Doc. Maybe you and the rest of us will get a turn at it. Maybe fate planed it that way. Myself, I’m all for it.” “Let’s hope so, Chief.” The next few days were uneventful. The flotilla of ships made it to their station and readied for what would come next. Ships ing through the area seemed to be free of any hostile action by the pirates that were active previously in the area. Like any lull, it soon came to an end. A freighter miles off the coast ran into trouble and put out a Mayday. Somali pirates that had been shadowing the ship finally attempted to board her. A distress call was received, and a plan of action was initiated. An unarmed chopper was sent out to investigate. “Mayday, Mayday. This is the freighter Muru. Can anybody hear us? We are being attacked by two small Somali pirate gunboats that are attempting to board

us. We are taking small-arms fire. Can anybody hear us? Mayday, Mayday, we need help. We have two casualties on board.” “Freighter Maru, we read you loud and clear. This is a U.S. Navy warship Yankee Bravo. We will send a chopper to investigate. What is your location?” The chopper that was sent to investigate found the freighter in question and moved in to check it out. They could see the Somali attackers circling the ship and radioed down to the ship’s captain that they were there to assist. Word came back that their wounded were in dire need of medical attention. The chopper could see that the freighter was close to being boarded. The pilot radioed back for permission to go in to confront the two attacking boats and pick up the wounded from the ship. “Stand by. We have a gunship on the way.” “The ship and the men on it are in a world of shit, sir. Don’t think they can wait any longer. Permission to go in to remove their wounded.” Permission given, they immediately made with the pirates. The chopper pilot called down to them on the loudspeaker. “We are an unarmed U.S. Navy Helicopter from a U.S. warship. We are here to extract the wounded from the freighter. What are your intentions?” It immediately became evident what the pursuing pirates’ intentions were. They were going to board the freighter and were willing to take on anyone that was there to stop them from boarding the now-distressed ship. The chopper started to take fire from the closest pirate gunship. Rounds started to find their target, ripping through the hovering helicopter and causing it to spin out of control. Word went back to the warship that they were taking hostile fire and were hit and going down. “Yankee Bravo, this is Zero One. We are taking fire from the gunships. We’re hit and going in.” The downed helicopter wound up in the drink, with the crew scrambling to exit the now-sinking shot-up chopper. The crew found themselves in the water trying to survive. Back on the ship, things were put in motion to come to their aid.

“Sir, our bird is down. The Somali gunships took it out. The last had them in the drink. The gunship is on target and confirms that the chopper is down. Word has it that the crew made it out safely and are in the water. The Somalis have left one of their boats and have boarded the freighter.” The pirates, realizing that they had opened up a can of worms, made their move. One of their boats continued to circle the freighter while the other one attached themselves to the stalled ship and boarded her. The pirates were now onboard and in command of the freighter. The gunship radioed back for instructions on how to handle the situation. “Yankee Bravo, the pirates have boarded the ship. One of their boats is still manned and circling the freighter. Will await your orders.” A plan was quickly put into motion. The downed chopper crew would be plucked from the water before the pirates would be confronted. The pirates would now go up against the U.S. Navy. In no time, a plan of action was initiated and in full swing. “Put a boat in the water and pick up that chopper crew. Have the gunship stay to give them cover. Get that SEAL lieutenant up to the bridge ASAP.” With a plan of action put into motion, things were beginning to take shape. After the boat that was dispatched to pick up the downed crew completed their rescue mission, the Somali pirates would be dealt with. This is where the SEALs would come in. “Lieutenant Brady, looks like we have another job for you and your men. Somali pirates have taken over a freighter that put out a distress call and knocked down one of our choppers getting it done. They went in to answer the Mayday and were blown out of the sky. Somalis are now onboard and in command of the vessel. The crew, to our knowledge, is locked in the engine room and so far safe. Some of the crew that tried to fight them off have been wounded and are in a bad way. The rescue chopper was trying to get the wounded off the freighter when they were hit and taken out. I need you to take in a team to free up that ship.” “Not a problem, sir. I’ll put a team together and get right on it. How do you propose we go in?” “I have two choppers on the ready. They’ll get you to where you need to be.

They’ll drop you on the deck of that ship to take care of things. You need to take out those pirates any way you can. Use your own judgment. Do whatever it takes to get the job done. You need to get right on it before the Somalis get a foothold.” Lieutenant Brady, aware of what had to be done, picked his men and was ready to move on the pirates. In record time, the SEALs were on the helicopters and heading out. Two choppers, each loaded with eight-man teams ready to do battle. When the choppers approached the ship, they too started to take fire from the pirates that were in the boat still circling the freighter. The provocation gave the door gunners the leeway they needed to open fire. The .60s on the helos opened up and raked the pirate boat, stopping the fire that was coming from it. A wellplaced rocket found its mark and finished the job. The confrontation came to an end with the pirates and their boat slowly slipping beneath the surface of the now-calm waters. “Lieutenant Haskell. We’ll need to hit the ship from both ends. I’ll take the stern and move forward. You and your men rope down to the bow and close up the distance between us. I’ll work my way down to the engine room to check on the crew. Locate those Somalis and take them out. Word has it that there are six of them onboard.” With the pirate ship that had been circling the freighter taken care of, the assault on the ship got underway. Both teams roped down to the waiting deck below to get their mission underway. They were now in place to get things started. “LT, we’re on the freighter. We’re moving toward you. Will keep you informed and let you know when and if we make . We’re heading toward the bridge.” Both teams were looking to make with the pirates. They moved toward their objectives, ready to take out any target that popped up. “LT, no yet. Anything on your end? Where do you suppose those Somalis are hanging out?” “Lieutenant, check out the bridge as planned. Somebody has to be steering this frig-in’ bucket. Check in when you make it there.”

When Lieutenant Haskell and his men were almost to the bridge, they started to take hostile fire. Two of the Somali pirates were where they were thought to be and were trying to keep their position from being overrun by the SEALs. “LT, we’ve made . Looks like two of the bad guys are holed up in the bridge trying to keep us out of there. We’re going to move up and take them out. Anything on your end yet?” “Negative, so far it’s quiet. We’re one deck above the engine room. Should see some signs of them pretty quick. Take control of the bridge. I’ll keep in touch.” As Lieutenant Haskell and his men moved toward the Somalis that held the bridge, they ran into gunfire when they reached the stairs that led to the deck above. The narrow set of stairs that would lead them to the bridge now became a hurdle for the SEALs to overcome. They quickly backed off and looked for another way to reach their objective. “Chief, take two of the men and find another way up there. The pirates have those stairs covered. We’ll never make it up them to get to the bridge. Go to the other side of the ship and get the hell up there. We need to take control of the wheelhouse. You guys sit tight until that stair way is cleared.” “Maseli, Briggs, let’s go! We need to get topside and level out the playing field. Lieutenant, give me ten minutes to clear the way, then its balls to the wall.” The lieutenant sat back and waited while the chief and the other two SEALs made their way to the port side of the ship. Once there, they found another stairwell that was not being defended. They were quick to scale the steps that would get them to the deck above. “We’re in luck. This side of the ship is wide open. When we make it up the stairs, keep an eye out for the two bad guys that have the lieutenant down below cooling his heels.” The chief, with the two SEALs, moved along the side of the ship getting ever closer to the bridge where they would find the Somali pirates. As they moved forward, they could hear gunfire being directed toward the men that were waiting below. They kept going until they could see one of their targets in the wheelhouse.

“Maseli, after we take out that man on the bridge, rush the other one at the stairwell and clear it. Give the lieutenant the high sign when you get the job done.” Just like clockwork, the man at the wheel was taken out. To top it off, the rest came together when the Somali defending the stairwell caught a well-placed bullet. The event was over in minutes. The lieutenant, with his men, was now free to climb the stairs to the bridge. “Good job, Chief, “Haskell said. Leave Maseli and Briggs behind to man the bridge. We need to find the rest of the bad guys. We’ll move through the ship and clear it. I’ll get with the LT to see if they’ve located the crew. “LT, what’s shaking down there?” Down below decks it was another story. The Somali pirates they had been searching out were actively trying to get to the crew. They had planted a charge on the engine room hatch that was set to go off. The SEALs were in the ageway when the explosion vibrated through the ship. “Damn, what the hell was that?” Brady said. “The Somalis must have blown the hatch way to the engine room where the crew is holed up. Let’s get the hell down there before it’s too late.” The SEALs made their way through the smoke to the engine room and found three of the Somalis lying dead from the explosive charge they had set off. They had played with explosives that had gone off in their face. They were put out of commission by their own hand. “LT, take a look-see. The pirates saved us a bullet. They took themselves out. Looks like they went out with a real bang. I count only three. There’s one missing.” Up on deck, Maseli came face to face with the escaping pirate and froze. He watched as the lone survivor made his way over the side of the ship and down into the boat that had brought him there. The SEAL followed him down with a burst from his weapon and watched as he made off in the empty boat, heading toward shore. Briggs, watching the goings-on, picked up on what had just gone down and confronted Maseli. “What happened, Maseli? You let that mother go. You looked

him right in the eye and froze up. What’s up? Are you… GETTING SOFT?”

CHAPTER 18

FAST AND FURIOUS

Below decks, Lieutenant Brady and his men came across the crew that had been holed up behind the door to the engine room that had just been blown off its hinges. The explosion had them shook up and disoriented. When the SEALs made their way into the engine room, the crew immediately thought that they were being taken over by the Somali pirates. The first SEAL to make his way in set them straight. “U.S. Navy SEALs. We’re here to free up the ship. Stand down. We’re here to cut you lose.” Some of the crew, ready to defend themselves, stood their ground, prepared to take on the pirates that had boarded their vessel. They were stunned to see the SEALs, and not the Somalis that had been trying to get to them. A man that looked to be in charge stood holding a wrench and ready to swing it at the first man that confronted him. A sigh of relief crossed his face when he realized he and the others were out of danger. The heavy wrench slipped from his grip and fell to the floor. “Sir, we’re U.S. Navy SEALs here in response to your Mayday. Are you in charge?” “Yes, Lieutenant, I am the captain of the Maru. We had no idea the Mayday we put out was picked up. When that door was blown off, we thought we were goners. Have the pirates been dealt with?” “We’re working on it, Captain. There is a SEAL team topside dealing with them as we speak. I understand you have wounded amongst your crew. I have a corpsman with us that can check them out and get them ready to be taken off the ship if need be. What is their status?”

“Two of my men were wounded by small-arms fire early on. They were up on deck when the Somalis first came at us. The pirates sprayed the ship with gunfire to get our attention—that’s when they were hit. The crew has managed to stabilize and care for them. They have held their own. I would appreciate anything you can do for them.” “As soon as I hear that the pirates have been dealt with, I’ll have my men take your wounded topside to be evacuated.” Lieutenant Brady made the call and learned that everything was secure on the upper decks. He ed the word along and had the crew brought up from the engine room. The ship was now secure and out of danger. The rescue mission had been a success. He was filled in further when he made it topside. “LT, everything is shipshape. All but one of the pirates has been dealt with. He slipped over the side and beat it ashore in the empty boat they came in. He got away scot-free. The men topside were unable to prevent his escape.” “No problem, Lieutenant, it may wind up serving a purpose. When he gets back to where ever he’s heading, he’ll be able to let the rest of that pirate gang know that the U.S. is tired of dealing with them. Maybe he can put the fear of God in them, or at least the fear of having to deal with the U.S. Navy and the SEAL teams that are ready to take them on. Send word that the Somali pirates have been dealt with and that the freighter and its crew have been secured. Let them know that there are wounded that will need to be extracted to receive medical attention.” The problem taken care of, the SEAL teams boarded a boat that was sent to take them back to their ship. They had pulled off a mission without taking casualties that could easily have happened. They now had another successful mission to chalk up. “Lieutenant Haskell, the men performed superbly. We pulled this mission off without a hitch. It’s a good feeling to know that I will not have to look forward to writing a letter to the survivor of one of our SEALs. I wish all our missions could end the way this one has. Can’t tell you how relieved I am. the word on to the men. Well done.” Back on the ship the SEAL Lieutenants were called to the briefing room. The ship’s captain, Captain Jiles, was there to commend the SEALs for a job well

done and also to on a bit of news that would affect Lieutenant Brady. A long-standing promotion had come through for the Lieutenant. “Gentlemen, glad to see that the mission you and your men took on turned out to be a resounding success. It was good to hear that your men all came back in one piece, no casualties. To pull something off like that has to be a feather in your cap. Lieutenant Brady, a promotion has just come through for you. You will now be known as Captain Brady. The brass saw fit to elevate you. I’m sure it’s long overdue.” “Thank you, sir.” “I understand all the pirates were dealt with except one. He by now has alerted the rest of that ragtag outfit that we don’t intend to let them go unchecked. The brass have for some time been waiting to clean them out. I think they have sured all the red tape and political do-gooders and are ready to take them on. The millions of dollars the pirates have managed to obtain from the many ships they have held for ransom has been used to bolster the rebel government that has long held parts of Mogadishu. The rebel warlords that control parts of that city have used much of those ill-gotten hostage dollars to further their hold on the territory they have held for so long. Reports have it that Al-Shabaab militants have ed forces with another well-known group recently, Al-Qaeda. Our purpose for taking up this station off the coast of Somalia has been in the works for some time. The hurdles that were here have been crossed, and it’s a go for what is to take place. We’re about to go in to clean out that nest of cutthroat pirates and take on the warlords if they come at us. You and your men will be a large part of what’s to come, gentlemen.” “It’s been a topic of discussion amongst my men for some time, sir. We’ve been expecting something ever since we stopped in the area. When will this all take place, sir?” “Things are coming together, Lieutenant or, should I say, Captain. Sorry about that. A Delta Force along with a unit of Rangers will be moving into position very soon. Those two outfits have been given the chance to avenge a longstanding wait for payback. Something that has been long overdue. A flat top loaded with choppers is on the way and should arrive on station in the next fortyeight. We’re going in on this one in force. it on to your men and be ready to shove off when the time comes. Mogadishu is again in turmoil. Don’t expect a

cake walk. You will attend a briefing that is set for 14:00 hours. That will be all for now, gentlemen.” The SEALs left the briefing and headed back to their men. They knew things were about to explode and could see that they would be part of it. They also knew that the men were primed and ready to take on anything that was thrown at them. “Captain, wait till the men see that you have been promoted. You better get ready to take the usual ribbing. What’s your take on what’s about to go down? Think the men will be ready for it? It sure looks like the shit is about to hit the fan. What’s coming at us could wind up being a real bitch with a lot to handle.” “Do I think the men will be ready? Those mothers were born ready. Throw a fight in front of them and see what happens. You’ve been with these guys long enough to know that they live for this shit. They’ll be ready. You can count on it. Let’s let them in on what’s coming their way.” When they returned, they had an audience waiting for them to get back. The SEALs knew something was up and wanted in on it. The atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a knife. The men were so into getting the lowdown they didn’t pick up on their lieutenant’s new rank. “What’s up, LT? What’s going down? “Looks like we’re in on a mission that will take us into Mogadishu. Doc, this might be your chance to get the payback for your dad who never got the chance to go back in. Rangers along with a Delta Force are set to go in, and we’ll be part of the operation. We’ll know more after the briefing. Sit tight. We’re in on it.” Lieutenant Haskell couldn’t believe that none of the men picked up on the captain’s change of rank. He shook his head and blurted out, “What’s the matter with you guys? Haven’t you noticed the captain bars Brady is sporting?” Maseli was the first to speak up. “F-cking A, we knew all about it before you did. Captain Jiles’s aid let us in on it. We down in the lower ranks get to learn more than you think we do. We’re just busting your balls, Captain. Congratulations! Does this mean we have to start saluting you?”

“Damn straight. You turds will need to show me more respect than you have in the past. I’m not a lieutenant any more. Just kidding, guys. I’m still the same guy you’ve been with since day one. All this means to me is a bigger paycheck. If any of you guys salute me, I’ll kick your ass.” The men now had something to chew on. They were getting to go to Mogadishu, a place foreign to them, and with a reason to go. They lost no time jumping Doc with a host of questions. The SEALs cornered him and lined up to bombard him. Doc knew he was in for it and settled in for the questions that were headed his way. Captain Brady backed off and got the lieutenant’s attention. “Lieutenant, do you still want to know if I think the men will be ready to take on what’s heading down the pike? Look at these guys. They’re chomping at the bit. They’re fit and ready. They’ll be okay as usual. What you and I should be thinking about is getting them all back alive. They have their shit together. It’s us two that need to keep it together.” The SEALs went to work getting ready for what was to come. Equipment checks were made while the men talked about the mission. Morale was high with the SEALs itching to take on whatever was thrown at them. The time slipped by, and soon it was time for Brady and the lieutenant to leave to attend the briefing. They left the SEALs to the task they were performing and headed out. Captain Jiles and his aid were there waiting with two officers representing the Ranger and Delta Force outfits when they arrived. “Gentlemen, meet Major Capel with the Rangers and Captain Tilman with the Delta Force. Major Capel will be in charge of the operation. You will be under his command.” “Major, Captain.” “Major Capel, I’ll leave it to you to take over the briefing to lay out the operation.” “Thank you, Captain. Captain Brady, I understand you and your SEALs have had quite a hassle on your tour. The operation we’re undertaking should be a walk in the park compared to what you have been through. This operation that we are about to kick off will be known as Fast and Furious. It will be strictly a commando-type raid with no air cover or naval presence to back us up. World politics are still involved, and our government is still touchy about the idea of

going in. If anything goes wrong like it did a few years back, the boys at the top don’t want the embarrassment to be all theirs. Politics play a screwed-up role in this part of the world. You both are probably familiar with what went down in Mogadishu in ’93, aren’t you?” “Yes, sir, one of my men has a firsthand of that fiasco. His dad was in the Delta Force that went in. Has a wound to show for it.” “You’re right about it being a fiasco. Both of our outfits took a beating that was never forgotten. When they asked to go back in to get some payback, the big man in charge said no and pulled them out, politics in action. It’s been long in coming. We intend to avenge our brothers before us. We’ll get the payback they should have gotten back then.” “My men are more than ready, sir.” “We’re going to get in and out and kick as much ass as we can on the way in and on the way out. The U.S. and most of the world has had it up to their eyeballs with the Somali pirates. They’ll look away long enough for us to pull it off and throw us to the wolves if it goes belly up. We’ll only get one chance to get the job done, so we need to give it our all. We intend to eradicate all signs of there ever being a pirate presence. The pirates are our excuse for going in but not our main objective. A warlord has stepped up, and the top wants him taken down so that the entire area doesn’t explode again like before. He popped his head up a while back and has become quite a handful to contend with. He has been operating with total impunity in a lawless area. They worry that if they leave him alone, others will take his lead, and then all hell will erupt again. We intend to prod him enough to goad him into losing his cool. It shouldn’t be hard to do.” “Where do the SEALs come in, sir?” “I was getting to that, Captain. You and your teams will be dropped in under the cover of darkness to rescue three aid workers that were taken hostage two weeks ago. They’re being held in a pirate enclave just up the coast, about two klicks from the airstrip where my force will go in. Negotiations for their release have broken down due to the ransom demand. They’re being held in punishing conditions with little food or water. Your mission will be to rescue the aid workers, a Brit and two Americans, and destroy as much of the pirate stronghold as possible. After accomplishing that task, you will proceed to the airstrip with

the hostages where they will be flown out. You will have two hours to get the job done. We will time our arrival to coincide with your force reaching the airstrip, which should be at the crack of dawn. My force will be flown into the airstrip that is under friendly forces control. They are unaware of what our main mission is and will be left out of the loop.” “How do you intend to get the attention of the warlord and his fighters, sir?” “That’s where you and your men come in. When you hit that pirate enclave and raise hell, that should be all it will take to get them off their ass and in our shit. That warlord is financed by the ransom money the pirates come by. The pirates keep him in dollars, and he keeps them from being dealt with. They have a working relationship. If you make enough noise, that’s all it will take to get things off to a running start. It’s a surefire plan, Captain. It can’t fail.” “When do we shove off, sir?” “You will be dropped in at 02:00, Captain, one klick from the enclave so as not to alert them to your presence. You need to get in there with surprise on your side. That time of the morning they should be screwed up and out of it. When they’re not hijacking a ship, they party hard. They’re rolling in cash and have the best booze money can buy and all the women they can handle. That part of things they got right. Have your men ready to move out. This mission needs to get off on the right foot.” The briefing over, Captain Brady along with Lieutenant Haskell returned to fill the SEALs in on what was about to take place. They found the men eager to learn about the mission. “Listen up. I’ve got the lowdown on where we’re heading. We’re going in to Mogadishu, or at least in the immediate vicinity. We’re going to hit a small pirate enclave not far from there just down the coast. They’ll drop us in by parachute about a klick or so just north of the pirate stronghold. We’ll hoof it in and, with any luck, remain undetected. Part of our mission will be to rescue three aid workers that were taken hostage a while back. After we find them and bust them lose, we’ll get them back to an airstrip just outside of Mogadishu. Before we pull out of there, we’re going to destroy as much of that enclave as possible. With any luck, we’ll kick some ass and put a hurt on those cutthroats that are holding the aid workers captive. The incursion we’re taking on will be an excuse for the

commando force that will come in after us. A Ranger and Delta Force unit will fly in to back us up. The brass thinks that us being there will be enough to get the local warlord and his men riled up enough to come after us. That’s where the commando unit will come in. The boys at the top want that warlord out along with the pirates. The mission will be dubbed… FAST AND FURIOUS.”

CHAPTER 19

SEE THIS

The men were ready to go. They sat around ing the time reminiscing about missions that came before. About some that didn’t go as planned. They ed the good and the bad, mostly the ones where they lost buddies that never came back. The missions that didn’t come together were the ones that stayed fresh in their memory. “Doc, looks like you might get the chance to walk in your father’s footprints. You might have a few stories to tell him the next time you get together. Do you think this go-around will be anything like he experienced?” “You better hope to hell it isn’t, Maseli. His outfit was bloodied. He lost some buddies that were close. Eighteen of our warriors came out of that hell hole in a body bag. They had their share of wounded too. If we get caught in there with no way out, you’ll wish that we had stayed the hell out of there. At least back then, they had air cover and Humvees to take them in. The choppers that backed them up took a toll on the skinnies that were everywhere. The gunships they called Little Birds returned time and again armed to their teeth to strafe Aidid’s militia. They were a big part of how the men on the ground got the hell out of there. That could turn into one long ass walk trying to get out of there on foot. Could turn into another Mogadishu Mile scenario.” “Are you keeping something from us, Doc? What the hell was the Mogadishu Mile?” “It was everything but a cake walk. When our guys were bailing out of there, some had to leave on foot with the skinnies dogging them all the way. There weren’t enough trucks to bring them all out. The Pakistani peacekeepers that were there and brought in to help extricate the wounded weren’t the friendliest to deal with, especially the officer in charge. He was pissed that he wasn’t in on the operation from the get-go. The rag heads told our guys to jump on top of the

vehicles if they wanted a ride out. The men thought the vehicles were nothing but bullet magnets and declined the offer. Some of our guys had to hoof it out under constant fire. The last leg of that journey got dubbed the Mogadishu Mile. Let’s hope we don’t see that happen again.” “Doc, that outfit saw some action. Wish I knew a little more about what when on back then. What you just told us gave me something to think about. I can see why the force that’s going in to back us up is looking for payback.” “Well, think about it. That thirty-minute mission turned into an all-day battle. It turned sour when that first chopper went down. It went from bad to worse when the second bird bought it. Things just escalated when the two Delta Force men were taken out. They dragged them through the streets kicking and slicing their lifeless bodies to ribbons. If there was ever anybody that needed payback, it has to be those two men. They say payback is hell. That’s what they went through, hell.” “Doc, it doesn’t look like we’ll get much sleep tonight. The guys are pretty keyed up. Hell, it will be time to shove off before you know it. Why don’t you just give us the whole story? Lay it on us. It wouldn’t hurt to give us an idea of who and what we’re going up against.” “Well, here goes. My version comes from what my dad had to say and the BlackHawk Down movie I saw over and over. Before those choppers went down, the mission was thought to be nothing but a walk in the park. Everything changed when those two choppers were knocked out of the air. The Somalis had plenty of firepower to get it done. RPGs were pretty prevalent. There had to be a thousand or more skinnies that our guys had to go up against. They had the odds stacked against them.” “Where did your dad figure into all that went down, Doc? I think you told us he was a medic.” “That’s right. He was a medic. He went in with the Humvees. Those guys caught holy hell. When they made it into the city, all hell broke loose. The Somalis had been alerted that they were coming and were waiting. If the skinnies weren’t down in the street, they were on the rooftops firing down on our guys as they ed through the narrow byways. They had a hell of a time getting to the Bakara Market to pick up the Somalis they were sent in to bring back. They had

word that there was a meeting planned for that day, and they hoped that they would be able to pick up Aidid and some of his higher-ups if they showed. Turned out that the Somalis that had attended the meeting were there to talk about wresting power from Aidid and taking over. Delta Force made the grab and picked up the Somalis that were at the meeting. They had been dropped in by chopper and had everything under control when the Rangers arrived. The Somalis that were attending the meeting were rounded up and taken down to the street where they were loaded on to trucks that were sent in to ferry them out. That’s when all hell broke loose. The city now became an armed camp, with every skinny that had a weapon trying to use them. The U.S. force found themselves in the middle of a kill zone, outnumbered and outgunned. They now had to run the gauntlet of hostile fire to get back out of the city. That’s when the first chopper was hit and went down, and that’s when things started to go bad. Plans had to be changed. They now had to make their way to the crash site to rescue the chopper crew. As this began to take shape, the second chopper that went in to cover the downed copter took a hit from an RPG and went down. The situation was getting more intense as it progressed. They now had two choppers in the shitter.” “Sounds like those boys were up shit creek without a paddle, Doc.” “You can say that, Maseli. It was a bad turn of events. The convoy was now under heavy fire, taking hits from all directions as they turned to reach the crash sites. Every route they tried to take was blocked by debris that had been set on fire. Vehicles, tires, and anything they could get their hands on that would burn was set ablaze. The downed choppers were next to impossible to reach.” “Doc, how in the hell did the two Delta Force men get taken out?” “They were dropped in to cover the second copter that went down trying to cover the BlackHawk chopper that went in. Both men volunteered knowing that it would be some time before the Ranger chalks would make it to the crash site. Two brave men by all s. Somalis were converging on the crash site and about to take out the chopper pilot that had survived. When the two Delta Force men made it in, they dragged the pilot out and away from the chopper that was starting to take fire from the Somalis that were closing in. It wasn’t long before they were overrun. That’s when they bought it. Their bodies were stripped of clothing and dragged through the streets where they were abused. After that, the pilot was picked up and taken prisoner. The mission that was to take thirty

minutes was now heading into a night of hell with casualties starting to mount. One of the Ranger chalks that was badly shot up trying to reach the crash site returned to their base to regroup and ammo up to be able to go out again. The entire city had now become a war zone.” “When did the Pakistani peacekeepers finally get into the shit?” “Just getting to that, Maseli. When the Ranger and Delta Force regrouped and went back in, the Pakistanis followed with their armor.” “Hey, Doc, how come our guys didn’t have armor?” “Our brass in charge before they went in asked Washington for gunships and light armor. They were turned down cold. Same old shit, politics in action. The battle went on all night with the convoy finally reaching the crash sites. It was early morning before they finally made it out with the dead and wounded. That’s when the Mogadishu Mile took place. The men that refused to sit atop of the armor took it on their own to hoof it out. They figured their chances were better on foot. The armor was drawing fire from all directions and became bullet magnets.” “Okay, you guys, button it up. Grab some shut-eye. 02:00 will be here before you know it. Stow the gab.” The men quieted down when the chief put a lid on things. They had listened to Doc and what he had to say and came away a little smarter for it all. The SEALs would now wait for the order to shove off.

02:00 Hours

The hour had arrived; it would soon be time for the mission to kick off. The SEALs were ready, as ready as they would ever be. They wondered what lay out there ahead of them. “Chief, have the men ready to shove off when I get back from the final briefing. Get with the three new replacements. Make sure they’re ready and know what is

expected of them.” “You got it, Captain. We’ll be ready.” Captain Brady, along with Lieutenant Haskell, took off for the final briefing. Loose ends of the mission would now come together, laying out final details of what was to come. “Captain, Lieutenant, are you and your men ready to take on the mission?” “Aye, Aye, sir. As ready as we’ll ever be.” “Okay, that’s good to hear. Things are pretty much the same as they were when we last talked. As far as we know, the hostages are still being held in that seaside village. Nothing has changed. You’ll need to get in there and make the grab and destroy as much of that nest as possible. Blow the frig-in’ place off the map if possible. You have two hours to get it done and get the hell out of there. You need to have the hostages at the airstrip when the commando unit sets down. Timing is everything, gentlemen. Stay off the radio until you pull out and head for the airstrip. We are confident that the warlord will intervene when the shit hits the fan. It’s imperative that you make it back to the airstrip before the Somali fighters reach the village. If you’re caught out there on your way back, you’ll be on your own, and there’ll be no way in hell that we can pull you out of there in one piece. Timing, gentlemen, timing. Good luck.” The die was cast. The mission was a go. They would board the planes that would drop them into whatever was out there waiting. “Okay, Chief, get the men on board. It’s a go. We’re going in. did you bring the C-4 we’re going to need?” “Yes, sir. We’re toting enough of that stuff to be able to raise some hell. Two of the replacements are demolition experts. Came at a real good time, worked out just right.” The men boarded the plane and were soon airborne, headed for the drop just short of the pirate enclave. Captain Brady surveyed the men and watched as they sat quietly, waiting for the green light that would signal the drop. The captain had confidence in his men and knew that everything would go as planned. But for the three new men on the mission, he knew the others well. He had served

with them from the start and knew that there were no finer men then the ones that sat waiting to serve their unit. Time was counting down; the men would soon be brought to the task that was put to them. The red warning light lit up. There were only seconds left to when they would leave the plane. The SEALs moved to the rear of the plane as the rear door opened up to reveal the dark expanse that was there, ready to gobble them up. They checked one another’s equipment and jokingly quipped about what they saw. Maseli was first to lay it on. “Briggs, I hope you packed your own chute. Wouldn’t want to be the guy blamed for you catching a streamer on the way down.” “F-ck you, Maseli. I’ll be around to piss on your grave. You can count on it. You better hope yours opens, and you don’t beat me to the ground. I’d hate to be the one that had to scrape you up and put you in a bag.” “Touché, Briggs, touché. I guess I had it coming. Just f-cking with you. Don’t take me serious.” The green light popped on. It was time to jump into the darkness that greeted them. They were out of the plane and heading toward their drop zone. The group floated down and was soon on the ground. In minutes, they were wrapping their chutes and collecting their gear. “Chief, did everybody make it okay? Is everybody ed for? Pull them in so we can get underway. Times a-wasting.” All ed for, the team set out for their objective. They had two hours to accomplish their mission with no time to spare. After a short march, the lights of the pirate enclave came into view. “There it is, Lieutenant. Looks quiet, they should be asleep. Have the chief take a look-see for guards. Don’t want to walk into something. When we get the allclear, we’ll first find where the captives are being held before we hit them hard.” After a closer look, the SEALs determined that there were no guards watching over the Somali pirates as they slept. Their thing was to party, oblivious to what was about to fall on their doorstep. The pirates believed that they were in a safe

zone, protected by the warlord they gave tribute too. “Sir, can you believe it? There are no guards posted. Looks like the entire place is asleep. It shouldn’t be hard to find where those captives are being held. They’re probably right where our intelligence placed them. I’ll have the men set some charges to screw this place up while you find what we came for. We’ll meet you back here in twenty.” The team went about their assigned tasks and put things in motion. Charges were set while the search for the captives took place. It wasn’t long before the SEALs came across them. “Captain, the men found the three hostages. They were locked in a storeroom. That’s not the half of it. Wait till you hear the rest. Those three turned out to be Catholic nuns. They’re nuns, sir.” “All right, calm down. Are they okay? Can they make it under their own steam?” “Wait till you see them, sir. They’re as feisty as all get out. They almost clubbed Maseli when he walked in on them. They must have been a handful for the pirates to handle. That’s why they were locked in the storeroom with no windows to crawl out of. Here they come now, sir.” “Sisters, we were unaware that you were a religious group. Seems like intelligence neglected to make us privy of the fact. Are you fit to travel? I have a corpsman with me if you require medical assistance. My name is Captain Brady, Jay Brady, ma’am. I’m leading a U.S. Navy SEAL team that is here to get you out.” “Thank you, Captain. We were beginning to think rescue would never come. We had faith in the Lord and knew he would get us out of here one way or the other. We’re ready to leave, Captain, just point the way.” As Brady talked to the Catholic nuns, gunfire erupted in the compound. Up ahead, the SEALs that were planting the C-4 to destroy the buildings ran into Somalis that were moving from one building to another. They ran headlong into the SEALs that put fire down on them. “Chief, what the hell is going on? Sounds like we ran into something. Check out what is going down and get back to me. Lieutenant, take two men and head

toward the extraction site with the nuns. The rest of us will catch up after we blow this place. Stay on the radio, and I’ll inform you when we pull out of here. Get going, Lieutenant.” The captain followed the chief up to where they found the SEALs that were rigging the buildings ready to go up. They found the men in a small warehouse, looking over its contents. Maseli was there to greet them. “Captain, you GOTTA… SEE THIS.”

CHAPTER 20

HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE

The captain stuck his head in the door and was amazed to see that it was entirely filled with stacks of U.S. hundred-dollar bills. They were tightly wrapped in plastic on skids that were loaded four-foot high. “What do you think, sir? Ever seen anything like this? This place is loaded with Benjamins. There has to be millions in here. What the hell are we going to do with it?” “We’re going to blow it sky-high. That’s what we’re going to do with it. Get it rigged to go up with the rest of these buildings.” While the men talked, the gunfire from the Somali pirates intensified. The SEALs now found themselves in the middle of a hornet’s nest as the Somalis poured out of the surrounding buildings. They began taking fire from all directions. “Sir, I think we woke these dudes up. It’s almost like we kicked a hornet’s nest. If we don’t move and move fast, we’re going to wind up in a shit pot full of trouble.” “Okay, Chief, get the men ready to move out. Blow everything that’s set to go. We need to get out of here while the getting is good.” The pirate enclave was now fast becoming a hot zone. The SEALs had them riled and concerned about what had come down on them. They were moving in, trying to protect their stash of loot. Still in the small cash-filled storehouse, Maseli and Briggs prepared it to go up with the rest of the buildings that had been set to blow. They kept eyeballing the stacks of dollars as they prepared it to go sky-high.

“Briggs, this is some crazy shit. We’re in a room filled with millions of dollars getting ready to blow it to kingdom come. Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you would ever be in this position?” “I know where you’re coming from, Maseli. The same thoughts are going through my head. Do you think we can get away with glomming some of it?” “Why not? We’re going to blow it anyhow. In a few minutes, this place is going to turn into the most expensive bonfire you’ve ever been to. Let’s fill the knapsacks the C-4 came in and get the hell out of here with as much as we can carry. Let’s do it, Briggs.” The two men made the decision to load their bags with the crisp new bills and got underway stuffing them tightly in the bags. Busily going about the task, they became oblivious to the fact that the Somalis were closing in on them. When they were finished and ready to leave the building, all hell broke loose. As they exited the cash-laden room, they started to take fire. They were now trapped in the money pit that was ready to go sky-high. “Maseli, the Somalis have us pinned down. How and the hell are we going to get out of here?” “Calm your ass down, Briggs. There’s got to be another way out of here. Let’s find it before we go up with this place.” The two men were now between a rock and a hard place. Their lives were now on the line as they stood holding the two bags filled with cash. They quickly jumped up on the piles of bills and made their way to the rear of the warehouse, looking for a way out. It seemed as though they were destined to go skyward with the rest of the money when the building holding it went sky-high. “Maseli, looks like we’re screwed. How in the hell are we going to get out of here? Doesn’t look like there’s another way out. We’re going to go up with all this cash when this building blows. Any ideas?” “Yeah, just got a brain storm. Do you have any of that C-4 left?” “Just happened to save some. Something told me a while back that I might need it before we got out of this place. What are you going to do with it?”

“We’ll plant it on the side of this building and make a way out of here before it’s too late. Give it here.” With time running out and their lives on the line, Maseli planted the charge and yelled to Briggs to turn around and take cover from the blast that was on its way. They ducked down behind the pile of cash just in time to escape the debris that flew at them when the charge went off. The mountain of cash cushioned them from the blast that tore an opening to the outside and gave them an avenue of escape. They slid through the opening just as the Somalis entered the building. “That was close, Briggs! Those Somalis are right on our ass. Let’s hope that building goes up before they get a piece of it.” With the words just about out of Maseli’s mouth, the explosive charge went off, leveling the building and the Somali pirates that were in it. The men looked back to see the night air filled with the cash that floated down. The entire remnants of the building were now engulfed in the flames supplied by the ill-gotten loot that had been stored there. The two men stopped in their tracks and watched as the bills floated down and into the fire that was there to destroy them. “Mother-fucker, did you ever see anything like that in your life, Maseli? There has to be millions of bucks going up in flames. These goings-on will be hard to get out of my frig-in’ head. If I didn’t know any better, I’d sit here and cry.” “Forget it, Briggs. Get your ass in gear before you kiss it good-bye. Those Somalis are pissed. We f-cked up their night real good. I’ll bet they’re not happy watching their stash go up in flames. When they get over the shock of losing all that cash, they’ll be all over us like white on rice.” When the cash-filled building went skyward, the rest of the SEALs that were waiting to bug out stopped to take what they saw in. like Maseli and Briggs, they were mesmerized by the sight of it all. “Holy shit, Captain, did you see that? Maseli must have blew the pirate stash. Those Benjamins are raining down like some kind of a monsoon. What a frig-in’ waste.” “Chief, do you see Maseli and Briggs? Did they get out of there before that place went up? What the hell are those two up to?”

The SEALs watched as Maseli and Briggs caught up to the men that waited. They were out of breath and fell to their knees when they finally made it back. The chief was on them before they could get a word in edgewise. “Maseli, that was cutting it close, wasn’t it? What the hell were you two doing back there? Were you trying to get your ass shot off?” “We got trapped in that money pit, Chief. The Somalis had us blocked. We couldn’t get out of there. We had to use C-4 to blow a hole big enough to get our ass on the outside. Did you see all that cash that was flying around? I think we really pissed off those Somali pirates.” “How the hell could we have missed it? You must have put enough C-4 in there to blow up a building twice the size of the one that went up. What the hell were you guys thinking?” “Don’t know, Chief. Guess being around all that cash made us nervous. Hate to tell you, I think the Somalis are gearing up to come after us. Those mothers were real pissed the last time we laid eyes on them.” “Captain, all the men are ed for. Guess we can move out when you give the word. The Somalis will be on us as soon as they get their shit together. This place is going to get real hot real soon.” “Okay, Chief, let’s move out. Get the lieutenant on the horn. See how far out ahead of us he and his group are. We need to get to the extraction site before that commando unit comes in. Let’s hope that warlord doesn’t get antsy and send his fighters in this direction before our boys are on the ground.” After a few unsuccessful tries, the SEAL on the radio reported that he was unable to reach the lieutenant who didn’t answer his calls. He gave up and ed the word on to the chief. “Chief, haven’t been able to reach Lieutenant Haskell. He doesn’t respond.” “Keep trying. We need to know how far out ahead he is. Let me know if you raise him. Captain, no word on the lieutenant. Do you think he ran into something?” “Doesn’t sound good, Chief. If he and his group ran into Somali fighters, he could be in trouble. Have the man on the radio keep trying. We need to push

ahead so we can hook up with that commando unit when they come in. If everything goes like it supposedly should, that warlord will have Somali fighters on the way to the pirates we just screwed with. That commando force will want to tangle with them.” The SEALs kept moving, getting ever closer to the meet with the commando force that was on its way in. The man on the radio finally threw in the towel, unable to reach the lieutenant and his group that was out there somewhere up ahead. It would be light soon, opening up a visual field to show what might be coming at them. It wasn’t long before the airstrip came into view, revealing the UN force that occupied it. Their flag could be seen flying over the main building that housed their headquarters. The SEALs kept moving and soon caught sight of the choppers that were bringing in the commando force they were to meet. The two allotted hours were up, and the unit was about to land at the airstrip. “Chief, looks like we just about made it. The choppers with that commando unit are about to land. We better get our ass in there. Tell the men it’s double time from here on.” Things came together when the SEALs finally reached the airstrip. They made it in just as the choppers were touching down. The captain hurried over to where Major Capel stepped down from the bird that brought him in. “Captain Brady, see you made it. Did your mission come off without a hitch? Did you destroy that pirate nest?” “Not quite, sir. We lost with Lieutenant Haskell who was bringing out the captives that were being held at the pirate enclave. We ran into heavy resistance. He came out ahead of us to avoid having the hostages get mixed up in a firefight. He was making his way here when we lost with him. They could be just about anywhere. We destroyed most of the complex before the shit hit the fan. We ran into a hornet’s nest, sir. If it’s all the same with you, I’ll need to take my team and get on the trail to find them.” “In due time, Captain. Our immediate threat is on its way. Aerial surveillance picked up a force of Somali fighters that are heading toward the pirate enclave,

or what’s left of it. The force is made up of light pickup trucks with .50s and whatever else is mounted on them. When they put two and two together, they’ll be coming after us. We’ll need to set up an ambush to stop them. You’ll get your chance to look for your men after we take care of what will be heading at us. Get with Captain Tilman. He’ll station your men where they will be needed most.” “How do you intend stopping that bunch, sir? Sounds like they’re toting some heavy weapons. Could be a problem.” “We took every scenario into consideration, Captain. We weren’t going to get caught with our pants down again. , we’re here to extract payback for our units that never got the chance back in ’93. that run-in we had with that warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid? He was the bigwig that controlled Mogadishu back then. We’re ready to take on anything that is thrown at us this time. Get with Captain Tilman. He’ll fill you in.” Brady returned to his men and let them in on what was about to go down. They would finally get in on a fight that was long in coming, a fight that would avenge the downed warriors that came before—the Ranger and Delta Force who didn’t make it, the ones brought out in a body bag by their comrades back in ’93, the men who made the ultimate sacrifice in that still-ed place known as Mogadishu. “Chief, we need to locate Captain Tilman. We’re about to take on the Somalis that will be heading this way. The major is setting up an ambush to cut them down to size when they get here. The captain will give us the lowdown on how they’ll pull it off.” “I thought we were going to look for the lieutenant and the others, sir? When will we get around to that?” “As soon as we take care of the Somali fighters that are heading this way, we’ll cut loose and find out where they got to. They can’t be far. They shouldn’t be hard to find. Get with Captain Tilman and get the men positioned. We’ll take this up later on.” The force was in position. The Rangers had mined the road in with radiodetonating mines and were ready to put them to use. Hidden out of site were the others that had heavy machine guns and shoulder-fired rocket launchers. They were ready and waiting for anything that came down the road.

“Captain, looks like the major and his force have this all figured out. These boys are loaded for bear. Looks like they mean business. I pity the poor son of a bitch that walks into this one. These boys are looking for some serious payback. I’m glad I’m on their side. What’s going down after they get through this one?” “Mogadishu, that’s where they’re headed. After they put this convoy of Somalis down, they’ll be going after the warlord that sent them here. That’s when we’ll break away to go look for the lieutenant and the others. Let’s hope they didn’t run into something they couldn’t get out of. Settle in. We might have a long wait.” An hour ed with still no action. The sun was starting to reach higher in the sky to shine down on the men that lay in wait. They sat hidden, sweating beneath the merciless sun that poured the African heat down upon them. The heat was starting to take a toll on the men that couldn’t escape it. “Chief, what the hell is going on? Do you think the Somalis took a different route and byed us? Where the hell are they?” “Can it, Maseli. This heat is unbearable enough. Don’t need you climbing up my ass. Pipe down. They’ll get here soon enough, and we’ll have our hands full when they finally do.” The heat was working the men, getting to them as they waited for the Somali force to arrive. The heat of the day was just starting to get to the point of being unbearable. Sweat poured from the men who baked in the merciless heat. No sooner did the chief climb down off Maseli than the men heard the sound of vehicles heading their way. They were out of sight but heading straight toward them. When they would finally come into view, the shit would hit the fan. “Here they come, Captain! Those assholes don’t know what they’re walking into. These guys are about to light that convoy of trucks up. When they hit those mines, all… HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.”

CHAPTER 21

AS LONG AS IT TAKES

The convoy of small trucks with their heavy machine guns mounted atop them rolled into view, a hostile force looking to do battle. Little did they know that the battle would be soon over, decided by the ambush that was set up to annihilate them. There were ten or so vehicles loaded with Somalis, carrying them into a death trap that was ready to spring shut at any moment. They were being drawn into a kill zone they couldn’t escape from, drawn into a vacuum that would put an end to their existence. “Here come the skinnies, guys! Hold your fire until the Rangers let loose with the mines planted along that road. They’ll let them all hang themselves before they let loose.” “Chief, those trucks are loaded down with some heavy guns. They look like .50s. The Somalis that are along for the ride are healed to. There’s more artillery riding on those trucks than you can shake a stick at. I hope the hell this ambush takes care of the problem. The Somalis kept coming, moving along the road that would lead them into hell. The last vehicle in the line of trucks was about to enter the trap when the series of mines planted on the road started to go off. Like a Fourth of July celebration back in the States, the road and the vehicles on it erupted into a firestorm. As the mines started to exact a toll so did the men that raked the column with the machine gun and rocket fire. The Somali fighters, high on khat, the narcotic leaf they chewed to get a high, bailed off of the trucks only to run into the incoming fire that cut them down. The Somalis had wandered into a kill zone from which there was no escape. The commando force was on top of the attack and in no time brought the skirmish to an abrupt end. The road now became a junkyard of shot-up and

burned-out vehicles, some ablaze with the ammo onboard, cooking off. Except for the exploding Somali ammo, the scene became eerily quiet. The commandos surveyed the truck column, moving along it to check out what was left of it. “That column caught hell, Chief. There’s nothing moving down there except the men that are checking it out for any signs of life. Those bastards walked right into it with their eyes wide open. They didn’t even look for cover when they got hit.” “They were too screwed up on that narcotic leaf they chew. Most of those dudes were too f-cked up to know what they had gotten themselves into. That’s how that warlord pays them back for their services. Gets them doped up and stupid. I’m going to check with the captain to see what’s next.” The chief found Captain Brady in a discussion with the major, walking in on the tail end of the conversation. He lay back until they had finished. He made himself known to the captain after he left the major’s side. “Sir, what’s next? Are we going to get on the trail of the lieutenant and the others?” “Not until nightfall, Chief. The major thinks it will be suicide to move out without the cover of darkness to shroud our movement. He figures the Somalis will have been alerted and would be waiting for the attack to get underway. I gave him that much. I think he’s right. When this column doesn’t return, they’ll put two and two together and turn Mogadishu into a meat grinder. The major’s not about to let that happen a second time. He’s hoping to still have an element of surprise still going for the mission. The force will move out and head for Mogadishu after nightfall works its way in. Their main objective is to draw that warlord into a shit-kicking confrontation to take him out. We’re going to fall back to the airstrip and wait till we get the word to move out. That’s when we’ll get serious about looking for the lieutenant and the others.” “I’ll let the men in on it, Captain. I’m sure they will be disappointed when I lay it on them. Consensus is the longer we leave them out there, the chances of their survival diminish. I hope to hell they’re holed up and waiting for a chance to make it in.” The hours dragged on with the men using the downtime to hydrate. They were coming back from the long wait under the sun that took its toll. The unbearable African heat was their worst enemy. The unit would regain its strength and be

ready to continue the mission when the cover of darkness would finally slide in, bringing with it some modicum of relief. While the SEALs waited, they received word about the whereabouts of their missing men. A Ranger brought the news that raised their hopes. “Captain Brady, the major would like to see you ASAP. Word just came in over the radio. We’ve located your missing group. You’ll find him over in that communication tent set up near the runway.” “Best news I’ve heard all day. Chief, hold down the fort until I get back. This might be the break we’ve been waiting for.” With enthusiasm running high, the captain set out to learn more about the radio message that had been received concerning his men. He soon found that they were okay and holed up in Mogadishu, of all places. Major Capel was there waiting to fill him in. “Captain, just got word on your missing men. Our in Mogadishu just reported in. Seems as though your men were picked up by some friendlies and taken to a safe house somewhere in the city. They were cut off from the airstrip by a Somali force and had to detour to avoid capture. The friendlies knew of the captives and took them to safety. Sounds like they lucked out, Captain. Looks like you and your team will be going in with the unit when we set out to initiate the attack on the warlord.” “Sounds A-OK, sir. It’s a relief to know that the team is safe along with the captives. Guess you better let me in on your plans since my team is now part of the ongoing mission.” “We’ll kick things off after darkness moves in. Not following up our initial attack will give the Somalis time to figure out that maybe they read us wrong, and the attack they’ve been waiting for will not take place after all. By this time, they must know that we have no vehicles at our disposal and no choppers to deliver us like before. That should take them out of the defensive mode and lower their guard. With any luck, we should be in place to hit them some time around midnight. If all goes well, we’ll be in and out of there before the Somalis know what’s happening. Have your men ready to move out when I give the word. The call sign will be Irene. The men thought that would be a good touch for what is about to go down.”

With a direction now to move in, Captain Brady had something concrete to on to the team. The lieutenant and his group were in a safe zone and were now close to being rescued. That information would raise the spirits of the men. “Listen up. Got some news on the lieutenant. They were picked up by some friendlies when they got cut off by a group of Somali fighters on their way here. They were taken into Mogadishu and are okay for the time being in a safe house somewhere in the city. Seems that those Catholic nuns have some friends in important places. They had enough pull to make things happen. We’ll be going in with the attack force just after nightfall. Be ready to shove off when the word comes down. The call sign will be… Irene.” “Hey, Doc, wasn’t that the call sign they used back in ’93 when your dad went in to Mogadishu?” “That’s right, Maseli. Those boys never forget. They’re going to play this for all its worth. They say payback is hell. The Somalis will find that out before this is over. They’ll extract payback or die trying.” The wait now became easy. The SEALs had things laid out for them, and they were ready to grab the bull by the horns. They had a clear mission in front of them and were ready to take on whatever was out there to try and stop them. The time to shove off rolled around, and the men were ready and eager to hear the call to move out. The call finally came and it was a go—Irene. “That’s it, Chief. Get the men on the move. We’re out of here. With any luck, we’ll find the lieutenant before this night is over.” The attack force now had the cover they had waited for. Darkness rolled in with the help of a partial moon that lit the way for the men who welcomed it. The force moved out in two columns that each had a specific task to perform. The SEALs accompanied Captain Tilman and his men. The captain got with Brady to fill him in. “Captain Brady, glad to see that you and your men got in on this mission. The group you are in will be heading to that safe house where your men and the three captives you sprung are waiting for us to spring them. Thought you would be glad to hear that bit of info. They are in a place called the Bakara Market. They’re right under the nose of the warlord we’re after. That marketplace is where the shit went down the last time our two units were in Mogadishu. Some coincidence, wouldn’t you say? We might just have karma

working for us on our side. What do you think, Captain?” “Sounds like it could be. What about that warlord? What plans does the major have for him?” “We have both buildings pinpointed. The major’s team will hit the building where they will hopefully find the warlord while we make the grab for your men and the three nuns. I hear you and your men were taken back when you found out that the captives you went in for turned out to be Catholic nuns. That had to be one hell of a surprise. Why the hell do you think the brass didn’t let you in on that bit of info?” “We have given it some thought. Still can’t come up with an answer. You’re right. It was one hell of a shock. They turned out to be a feisty bunch, probably a handful for those pirates to hold. When my men located them back there, they almost clobbered one of them over the head when he stuck his head inside the door where they were being held. I wonder just how in the hell they wound up out there.” “I can answer that, Captain. Word has it they were there trying to put an orphanage together. They ran afoul with the Somali pirates when they stopped at the enclave to ask for assistance. It was like that kids’ story Little Red Riding Hood, you know where the wolf tried to grab her. I’ll bet before it was over, the pirates didn’t know what part they were supposed to be playing. Those Somalis were no match for those old gals.” “Just a few words of advice, Captain Tilman. When you get to meet them, I wouldn’t be so bold as to refer to them as old gals. They might take it wrong and retaliate.” “I’ll keep that in mind, Captain.” As the two columns advanced on Mogadishu, the lights from the city came into view. The city stood out like a beacon in the darkness. Fires could be seen complementing the skyline, fires that were burning throughout parts of the city. “Chief, take a look at what’s up ahead. Looks like fires burning in the streets. What the hell do you suppose is going on? Do you think they know we are heading that way?”

“Maseli, you can bet your ass they do. They didn’t light those fires to keep warm. Did you ever hear of the jungle telegraph? I’ll bet you anything they knew from the get-go that we were heading their way. I can’t see any surprise coming out of this.” “Jungle telegraph, hell, I’ll bet those boys were alerted by cell phone. We’re probably being watched every step of the way. I sure hope the captain leading this column is aware of what’s going down. Chief, maybe you should put a bug in Brady’s ear just in case Captain Tilman hasn’t caught on. Maybe the two of them can figure out what’s out ahead of us. Do it, Chief.” The chief, thinking he had to get with Captain Brady, approached him. Just as he started to get Brady’s attention, the captain shut him down. “Hold it, Chief. I know what your concerns are. Captain Tilman and I are well aware of what’s happening. We’ve known for the past hour or so that the Somalis have been keeping tabs on us. The major surmised from the start that there was a good chance that we would be detected. The major and his men have laid back to stay out of sight to avoid detection, anticipating how it would play out. At the moment, the Somalis know only what they see, this column that they have been keeping tabs on. The plan is to draw their attention away from the major’s unit so that they can slip in and take the Somalis by surprise. We’ve become a decoy that will keep the skinnies amused and away from the main objective. We’re going to break away and lead them off and away from the Bakara Market. That will give the major the open field he will need to pull off the mission.” “Damn good plan, sir, sounds like it could work. If it comes off without a hitch, me and the guys won’t feel bad about being a damned decoy.” “ one thing, Chief, they can kill us, but they can’t eat us. You boys are so tough they would never be able to get a fork in any of you.” With the turn of events and the new plan being put into action, the men followed the new orders. They broke left and skirted the outskirts of the mostly dark buildings. The area they headed for seemed to be quieter and void of the fires that had been set elsewhere in the city. The area they were about to enter seemed like the populace had moved. As they entered the dimly lit streets, shadows bounced off the two-story

buildings and danced eerily on the walls that were there to give them a stage to work from. The empty streets were void of people who had left them earlier. The men could feel a ghostly presence that was there to greet them. “Chief, this place is like a graveyard. I hope it doesn’t turn out to be ours. This place is starting to give me the creeps. I just had a cold chill run down my back. That’s not good. The last time I felt anything like it, I almost took a live one in the gut. How long are we going to stay in this frig-in’ place?” “Pipe down, Maseli. Keep it up, and you’ll get the team spooked. We’ll stick here until we get word from Major Capel that he pulled off the mission successfully. We’ll be here… AS LONG AS IT TAKES.”

CHAPTER 22

HELL HOLE

The men entered the city and quietly made their way along one of the narrow streets. When they reached the row of two-story buildings, they split up and made their way into one on each side of the street. “Captain Brady, you and your men check out that building on the right and stay put. I’ll take the one across the street. Stay close to the radio. I’ll keep you informed on what’s going down.” Captain Brady and the SEALs moved in to occupy the empty building. Once inside, he gave orders to sweep it just to make sure they were the only occupants. “Chief, take two men and check out the upper floor. We don’t need uninvited guests popping in on us. Station two men up there to watch for any unfriendly movement. The rest of you keep an eye on that street. Those Somalis are out there somewhere. Doc, stay close to that radio. Let me know if it lights up.” The men sat waiting and wondering what would come next. The street outside gave no clue to what could be out there just waiting for the right time to open up with a torrent of automatic fire. It became dead quiet, even the shadows that had danced before them on their way in became unavailable. The SEALs watched, hoping to see anything that moved, ready to take on the Somalis that had shadowed them for the past couple of hours. “Maseli, where the hell do you suppose those Somalis got to? I thought they would be all over our ass by this time. What the hell is going on?” “They’re f-cking with us Briggs. They’re playing a cat-and-mouse game, waiting for just the right moment to strike. It’s not going to be pretty when they come at

us. There’s no telling how many are out there. I wonder how that major is doing right about now? Do you think the other team hit the Somalis at the Bakara Market?”

The Bakara Market

Major Capel and his Rangers were now on the outskirts of the city. They could see a fair amount of movement that was given away by the many fires that burned in the streets. They moved toward the marketplace and jockeyed for position. “Sergeant Billings, get ready to move in. Have the men stay close to the buildings and move down both sides of the street.” “Major, looks like most of the Somalis have given up for the day. There’s next to no movement up ahead. The fires that were lit earlier are all but out.” “All the better, Sergeant. It should make the job of getting in there a breeze. Get on the radio and alert the SEALs that we are closing in on their position. Don’t need any friendly fire taking us out.” Making their way through the shadows and closely hugging the buildings, the Rangers moved forward heading toward the target buildings. The street they continued on was void of any life, giving way to their ability to move undetected. After a short time, they were in position to eyeball what they had come for. “There it is, sir, still looks quiet. I can see maybe two or three sentries, shouldn’t be hard to get past them. Just heard from the SEALs that are in that building. They’re ready to come out when you give the word. How do you want to do it, sir?” “Sergeant, take a team and take care of those sentries. When you give us the allclear, I’ll move in with the others and hit the building where that warlord is supposed to be. We need to do this without firing a shot if possible. We don’t need this city down on top of us. Have the SEALs sit tight until we make the

grab. We need to wrap things up as quickly as possible so we can beat it the hell out of here. Corporal, get on the horn and let Captain Tilman and his Delta Force know that we are making our move. Let’s get it done.” The Rangers put their plan into action, moving on the building where the warlord was supposed to be holed up. When the sentries were disposed of, the Rangers made their way into the building and fanned out through it. They came across a few Somalis that were mostly drunk or drugged, but not the man they had come for. “Sir, doesn’t look like the man we came for is here. Looks like we missed him.” “That figures, Sergeant. He’s known to move around pretty frequent. Add that to the piss-poor intelligence, and this is what you come up with, nothing. Get the men the hell out of here and signal the SEALs to come out of hiding. There is nothing more we can do here.” The major along with the Rangers made their way back out to the street. Once there, they found the SEALs waiting. “Lieutenant Haskell, I see you’re ready to move out. How in the hell did you stay hidden right under their noses?” “Wasn’t easy, sir. The Somalis that got us in here were the ones that had balls. They hid us in a small covered truck and brought us in when it got dark. It was pretty hairy there for a while, didn’t know where the hell they were taking us until we got here. At the time, the Somalis were unaware that the warlord was in the neighborhood. He left soon after we arrived. Lit out with most of his henchmen, going somewhere in a hurry. The nuns had all the faith in the Somalis that brought us here. We were just along for the ride. Sir, I would like you to meet Sister Margarett.” “Sister, have been looking forward to meeting the three of you. Seems like you have been having a bit of bad luck along the way. Is there anything I can do for any of you?” “Thank you, Major, I think at the moment the three of us are okay with it all. Lieutenant Haskell and his SEALs have been doing a superb job of protecting us. I think if you can get us to where we can shower and clean up, that would be an accomplishment. How far are we from achieving that, Major?”

“Can’t rightly say, Sister, but we’ll work on it.” “Sir, have Captain Tilman on the horn. Says he needs to talk with you. He and his force have come under heavy attack. Doesn’t sound good, sir.” “Captain Tilman, what’s your situation?” “The Somali fighters just came out of the woodwork, sir. We’re under cover, but they’re all around us. They came out of nowhere, sir.” “Can you estimate the size of the force that hit you, Captain?” “Negative, sir, it’s dark as all hell out there. All we can see are the muzzle flashes from the fire that’s being put down on us. They hit us with RPGs. I have two men that are down. We’ll need all the help we can get to be able to get the hell out from under what hit us. Are you in a position to lend us a hand?” “Hang on, Captain. I’ll figure something out.”

Tilman’s Situation

“Captain, are the Rangers on the way? Will they be able to give us some relief?” “As of right now I can’t say, Brady. Hold your position. I’ll get back to you.” Captain Tilman and the SEAL team were up against it. They were between a rock and a hard place. They were fighting an overwhelming force that was mostly invisible and standing their ground. At the moment, they had no idea of the size of the Somali force and if they had inflicted any casualties on it. “Captain Brady, still no word from Major Capel. If he can’t give us relief, we may have to bust out of here on our own. Are you up to it?” “Try me. Me and the boys don’t intend to stay here and have those Somalis shoot the hell out of us. When and if the time comes, we’ll be ready to bug out of here. Count on it.

“Chief, things aren’t looking very good. Just had the captain ask if we were up to busting out of here when the time comes.” “How about those Rangers, sir, can’t they reach us?” “Tilman’s working on it. Let’s hope he makes some headway. If we leave our cover and head out, we’ll take more casualties than I want to see. Let’s see what he comes up with.” “Sir, Captain Tilman’s on the horn. Doesn’t sound good.” “Brady, the major’s trying to work his way here. He’s running into light resistance but says he’ll make it. Can you hold on?” “We’ll hold, Captain. Let’s hope the major can make it in time. Be ready with an exit plan if it comes to that.” The firefight continued, with the Somalis starting to move in to finish it. They were becoming bold, high on drugs that propelled them to run headlong into the fire that cut them down. “Maseli, what the hell do you think about all this? We have skinnies trying to kill us and Sammies throwing rocks. The f-ckers are trying to kick our ass.” “Doesn’t matter what the hell I think Briggs. When the first bullet goes by your head, politics and everything else goes right out the window. I’m here to kick some ass and kill skinnies. Nothing more, nothing less.” The confrontation continued, with Somali fighters trying to overrun the men that held them back. They now filled the street, getting ever so bolder, their sporadic actions bringing them closer to achieving their goal. The Somali dead were starting to stack up in front of the buildings where the men took refuge. “Chief, those skinnies are taking a beating. They’re starting to stack up out there. The dumb f-ckers just keep coming, seemingly oblivious to what is about to befall them. That narcotic leaf they chew on must be some potent shit.” “As long as they keep coming, keep stacking them up. Sooner or later, they’re bound to run out of assholes to send at us. Get Captain Tilman on the radio. This place is starting to get too hot. Captain, any news on if and when we can expect

to see Major Capel and his Rangers us?” “Captain Brady, just got off the horn with the major. He and his men are about two blocks east of us. They’re starting to come up against heavy resistance, has to be the same bunch we made with. He says they ran up against a stone wall and are pinned down at the moment. They’re starting to take casualties. This is starting to look like it did back in ’93. Mogadishu all over again.” “What do we do, Tilman? Make a break for it?” “Negative, sit tight. The major has something up his sleeve. He’s getting right back to me.” Captain Brady and his SEALs kept fighting, holding the position the Somalis couldn’t knock them out of. Things were no better than they were when they started, and the situation was starting to look as though it might just get worse. “Maseli, do you think we have a chance of getting the hell out of this in one piece?” “Can’t say, Briggs, at the moment things aren’t looking to good. Look at it this way. Our lives are defined by moments, especially like the ones we don’t see coming at us. Anything could happen, and it probably will.” “That tells me a lot, Maseli. You’re getting to be quite a philosopher. How the hell do you come up with all this shit?” “It isn’t easy, Briggs, takes a lot of thinking on my part. You better pay attention to those skinnies before you wind up in a pot on their dinner menu. They’ve been known to eat people like you.” “Stow it, Maseli. I’ve had all I can take of your bullshit. Chief, send Maseli out to count how many skinnies we knocked off. He’s starting to get under my skin.” With the bull session about over, the men got back to what they were doing. They listened as the radio crackled with Captain Tilman’s voice. “Captain Brady, have some news good and bad. Which do you want first?” “Give me the bad news first.”

“Major Capel is pinned down and taking heavy casualties. He has five men shot up pretty bad and three KIA. He can’t make it any further. Says to stay put. Something’s up and in the works.” “What’s he mean in the works? What the hell could be up? There’s nobody out there to pull our nuts out of the fire.” “Hang in there, Captain. The Major has something up his sleeve. He wouldn’t give us false hope. I know the man.” Things were starting to quiet down. The Somalis out in the street had stopped their attack and were starting to drag off their wounded. It was a lull in the fighting the men welcomed. They wondered if it was over. “Chief, take a look. The Somalis look like they’ve had it. They’ve stopped firing and are spending their time dragging off their wounded. Do you think they’ve had enough?” “Don’t count on it, Maseli. They’re probably just regrouping for another run at us. They’ve been fighting too hard to just give up and throw in the towel. We’ll find out soon enough.” A short time ed, and then it started up again. The street that had quieted down came back to life with a renewed attack by the Somalis. They came back with a vengeance, hurling themselves into the gunfire that had taken so many of them out previously. “Damn, Chief! Do you think those skinnies know something we don’t know? They seem intent on kicking our ass and getting this over with. I hope whatever the major has up his sleeve takes place soon. It can’t happen soon enough for me.” “Keep firing your weapon, Maseli, before you become just another statistic on a chart some place back in the States. Regardless of what you think, the brass won’t let us hang out here. You can bank on it. They’re on top of things, and they’ll make something happen. You can bet your ass some of them were in on the first go-around back in ’93, the last time we stepped foot in this… HELL HOLE.”

CHAPTER 23

HERE THEY COME

When things looked like they couldn’t get any worse than they already were, they did. The Somali fighters gained the ground they were trying to take all along and made it to the rooftop of where the SEALs had taken refuge. They crossed over from an ading building and got a foothold that threatened the SEALs’ existence. “Captain, we’ve got skinnies on the roof! The men on the second floor can hear them trying to bust through. It won’t be long before they get access to the floor above us. What should I do about the two men that are up there?” “Bring them down, Chief. Get them the hell out of there. Get me Captain Tilman on the horn. Tilman, we have a situation over here. Skinnies got on the roof of this building somehow. They’re trying to bust through as we speak. When they bust through to the top floor, we’ll be in deep shit. We’re going to make a break for it and head your way. Tell your men to keep an eye out for us when we make our move.” With the situation now becoming graver by the moment and more than it had been all night, the decision was made to vacate the position they had held from the start. It would be no time before the Somalis would gain access to the top floor and be able to raise hell with the men below. It was time to move before the chance of escape would be taken away. Captain Brady gave the order to leave something behind to slow them down. “Chief, have the men leave a few surprises for the Somalis when they bust through and gain access to the upper floor. We’ll need to slow them down long enough to get the hell out of here.” “Got you covered, Captain, already have that taken care of. The boys upstairs had that all figured out ten minutes ago. They’ve got the top floor wired and

ready to blow when we decide to give it to them. What they’ll leave behind for the Somalis to walk into should take the top floor clean off.” “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s get the hell out of here. Give Captain Tilman a heads-up and let him know we’re headed his way.” It was a go. The SEALs were ready to vacate their position and give it to the Somali fighters. Little did the Somalis know that it wasn’t a good move on their part. The SEALs filed out into the dark street and headed for the building that was occupied by Captain Tilman and his Delta Force. The Somalis on the roof of the vacated building were intent on breaking through and missed the exodus of the SEALs that were leaving it behind. In minutes, the switch was complete with the SEALs now taking up residence in the building that held the Delta Force. “Chief, is everyone ed for? Are we clear of that death trap? The Somalis must be still on the roof, or we would have heard that top floor going up.” “Negative, sir, Something must have gone wrong. I can see them poking their heads out of the top floor windows. I think they still think we’re down below them. Couldn’t have seen us bug out of there. When they get wise and catch on, they’ll head down those stairs that are wired. Those tripwires should stop them in their tracks.” The Somali fighters now turned their interest in a different direction. From their rooftop vantage they now had the ability to be able to put fire down on the building that was giving refuge to both the Delta Force and the SEALs that had minutes before taken up residence there. The situation was turning in the favor of the Somalis who were grabbing more of the initiative. “Captain Tilman, looks like our move brought more heat down on your position. Once those skinnies realize that we’re no longer in that building, they’ll be down in the street heading this way. My men wired the top floor to go up before we left, but it didn’t work out that way. Let’s hope they hit the tripwires we set when they decide to make it down to look for us. Any word from the major? What’s the latest on his situation?” With the words barely out of Brady’s mouth, the radio lit up with the major’s voice on the other end. The long-awaited way out of their predicament was ready to surface. The major was about to on what was going down.

“Captain Tilman, relief is on the way. The brass saw fit to bail us out. They know our situation and have ed it up through the chain of command. Consensus is that they do not want a repeat of what happened back in ’93. They’re sending in gunships to get the Somalis off our backs. That’s the best I can give you, Captain. I’m in no position to continue on. At this time, half of my force has been shot up. I’ll hold here until you can reach my position. Can you hang on until the gunships arrive?” Hope of getting out in one piece now moved through the ranks, the men now knew they had a chance of getting out from under what they had walked into. Things were beginning to look up. A defining moment like Maseli had talked about was about to happened. Not far off, the sounds of M60 machine guns could be heard. “Captain Tilman, listen up. Do you hear what I think I hear? I’d know that distinct sound anywhere. That’s the sound of gunships heading this way. Sounds like the .60s on those birds are handing out some grief.” “It will be light soon, Brady. We’ll probably catch hell when we try and get out of here. We’ll need to be ready for anything that’s handed to us. See if you can raise the major, Sergeant. We’ll need to know what’s happening out there.” “Captain, have Major Capel on the line.” “Sir, have the gunships arrived? Sounds like you have them working in your area. When they relieve us here, we’ll take off and head for your position.” “Sounds like a plan, Captain. Fill me in when you’re ready to pull out of there. The gunships are taking the heat off us. The Somalis are starting to disperse. Things are starting to look up, Captain.” The men listened for the sound of the choppers they were expecting. As they fought, they kept an eye skyward, hoping to see the relief that was on the way. Fifteen minutes went by before the gunships finally arrived. Once there, one of the pilots radioed down looking for directions that would define their targets. “You boys on the ground, can’t make out your position. There are skinnies crawling all over the place. From up here, it looks like a Chinese gang bang going on down there. You’ll need to mark or define your position so that we don’t direct fire down on you. There’s a lot of hurt up here ready to rain down.”

“Where in the building on the west side of the street. We’ll mark it with a strobe light. Everything outside of this building and around us is fair game. The people on the roof next to us are the bad guys. Have at it.” “All right, Captain, I can see your strobe. Keep your heads down. When we get done tearing up this place, it won’t be pretty. These .60s are ready to raise hell. We’re coming in.” With their targets marked, the gunships moved in and cut down everything that moved. The Gatling guns on the choppers went to work, leaving nothing still moving when they let up. The ships were taking their toll, leveling the playing field. After a furious ten minutes or so of shit kicking, the chopper pilot radioed down that he was about to pull off. “Okay, Captain, you’re on your own for the next twenty or so. We’ve expended our ammo, and we’re low on fuel. From up here, it looks like we’ve broke the backs of the skinnies that were crawling all over you. Looks like you could be home free. We’ll be back to follow you out and give you any cover you need to get the hell out of here. It will be light when we return. That should be a factor on our side. If I were in your boots, I’d sit tight until we return.” The men now had a decision to make, sit tight and wait for daylight and the cover of the gunships or leave now while the getting was good. It would be daylight soon, making things maybe harder to contend with. “Captain Brady, we need to talk. We need to put our heads together and come up with a way out of here. It will be twenty minutes or maybe even longer before those gunships return. A lot can happen in that time. The way I look at it, we have two ways to go. We can bug out now while the Somalis are screwed up and trying to get back on their feet, or we can wait for daylight and the return of the gunships to escort us out of here. I realize neither way is cut and dried. We can catch hell whatever way we choose to go. We need to weigh our options. What’s your take on it?” “I say we go now, Captain. The Somalis took a beating. It will take them some time to get back on their feet. It could be the break we’ve been waiting for. If we hang around here too long, we could be g our own death warrant. I say we go while the opportunity presents itself. We need to get out while the getting is

good.” “My thoughts also, Brady. Come daylight, we could wind up in a shooting gallery with every skinny out there using us for target practice. At least moving out while we still have the cover of darkness on our side and the Somalis screwed up like they are could be a plus. I think we’ll have the chance of taking fewer casualties now than when daylight arrives. With any luck, we could make it in one piece and hook up with the major in no time. I say let’s do it now while the opportunity still presents itself. Okay, it’s settled, get the wounded ready to travel. We need to make tracks fast. My Delta boys will lead off. I’ll need you and your SEALs to cover our rear. I’ll have my man on the radio to alert the major on our decision to move out.” After two tries, the major was on the other end asking why they weren’t staying put. Captain Tilman went over their decision to leave without the cover the gunships would afford. “It’s your call, Captain. I’ll stand by your decision. If you’re going to do it, you better get underway. I’ll alert command and let them know what’s up. Good luck, Captain.” The powwow over, the decision was made to pull out while they still had the cover of darkness on their side. The men, surmising what was about to take place, were ready to go. The order was given, and in no time, they were on their way. Captain Tilman and his Delta Force men took the lead. They filed out into the darkness, heading in the direction of where the Rangers were thought to be. They picked their way through the darkness, sometimes stumbling over the Somali dead that littered their path. The SEALs brought up the rear, losing no time cutting away from the cover they left behind. “Maseli, our ass is hanging out now. Why the hell didn’t we wait for the choppers to return? I’d feel a lot better if we had them flying overhead.” “Can it, Briggs. The captain knows what the hell he’s doing. The longer we hang around here, the worse the odds are of us getting out in one piece. As soon as that sun comes up, we’ll be at the mercy of every Somali that is toting a gun.” “Yeah, well, I don’t see it that way. Those gunships got the Somalis off our ass

and got us this far. If it wasn’t for them intervening, we’d be dog shit right about now.” “You’re right about one thing. They did pull our nuts out of the fire. But what would you think would happen if they didn’t get back before the Somalis started to climb up our backside again? The skinnies want a piece of our ass real bad. We killed quite a few of them back there. That warlord has lost a lot of face. Right about now, he doesn’t have anything to lose. Losing all those Somali fighters probably don’t bother him. He can replace them whenever he sees fit. Losing face is another thing. Come daybreak, those skinnies will be crawling all over that place all f-cked up on khat.” “I guess you’re right, Maseli. What the hell do I know about anything? All I want is for us to get out of here in one piece. I want the unit to walk out of here with their head held high and leave this place as far behind us as possible. This frig-in place is a hell hole.” The force moved along the darkened street and headed out of the city. They had made good time due to the absence of opposition that was nowhere to be found. They would soon have to deal with daybreak when it moved on to the scene. Captain Tilman radioed back to Brady to see how they were making out back in the rear. “So far so good, Captain. We’ve seen movement coming up behind us, but so far, they have left us alone. We think the Somalis have regrouped and are shadowing us. If they hit us, I hope those gunships aren’t far away when they do. As soon as it gets light, I think that’s when the shit will hit the fan. We’re right behind you. We’ll keep up.” The sun was starting to climb into the sky, hell bent on overcoming the darkness that ruled before it made its way back to start another miserable day. The road out was now lit up with daylight that was about to take over. It would shine through the shooting gallery if it came to . “Maseli, if we’re walking into that shooting gallery we talked about, now’s the time it will happen. The Somalis that are shadowing us back there are starting to catch up. I think we’re in for it. We’re out in the open just asking for it. If they catch us out here with our pants down, we’re going to catch holy hell.” Just like it was choreographed, the shit hit the fan. The Somalis came up from

behind, firing on the SEALs that were caught out in the open. They had bided their time and waited for the right moment to attack. The yell went out, . . . “HERE THEY COME!”

CHAPTER 24

SUITCASE NUKES

The Somalis regrouped and were again on the attack. They came at the SEALs with renewed vigor, trying to overrun them once again. Captain Brady shouted to his radioman to raise Captain Tilman up at the front of the column. “Captain, I’ve got skinnies all over me back here. They’re starting to crawl up my backside. Where the hell are those gunships?” “Hang in there, Brady. They’re about ten out. Can you hold?” “We’ll hold, Captain. We didn’t get this far just to have a band of rabble hand us our heads. We’ll hold or die trying.” The Somalis came at the SEALs like they did before, doped up on their favorite narcotic, khat, and screaming like they were mad at the world. They ran firing their weapons headlong into the fire that was being put down on them by the SEALs. “Maseli, look at those crazy bastards. They’re running into our fire. This is starting to look like a mass suicide. That shit they chew on to get high must be some potent stuff. We’ve killed hundreds of them, and still there’s more to kill. Where the hell are they all coming from?” “That warlord has an endless supply of recruits. The Somalis he picks up have nothing better to do. Take notice, some of them are just young kids. This is the asshole end of the world. These people don’t have a chance to pull themselves up out of the depths of poverty. They’re born into it, and they die under it. What the hell do they have to lose?” Minutes later, the sound of the incoming gunships could be heard over the sound of the ongoing firefight. They came in hovering over the battle scene, trying to

pick their targets. “Okay, Navy, hit the deck and stay down. We’re coming in with a full load of kick ass. We’re going to lay down some hurt on those skinnies that are climbing all over you. How the hell did you get into that predicament anyhow? The last time we left you, we leveled everything around you.” “Cut out the comedy act and get it done, I’m getting tired of these assholes breathing down the back of my neck. Get them off us.” The gunships went to work; their guns tore up the real estate below them, leveling everything that moved. It took only minutes to level the playing field. “Okay, Navy, how did we do? We took out everything that’s been giving you any grief. Anything more we can do for you? You’re only a klick away from Major Capel’s position. We’ll stay with you until you make it.” The way now clear, the SEALs climbed down from their defensive position and struck out to cover the last mile they had to go to hook up with the rest of the unit that was waiting for their arrival. Daylight was firmly upon them with the hot African sun now high in the sky. The new day had the makings of another miserable stab at trying to beat the unrelenting African heat. The mile they had to cover would be a piece of cake for the men who were anxious to see Lieutenant Haskell and the other SEALs whom they had been out of touch with for so long. They kept moving to cover the ground that lay between them. “Chief, keep the men moving. With any luck, we’ll hook up with the rest of the team before we run into anything else that is out here to try and stop us. Those gunships put some hurt down on the Somalis that were hell bent on kicking our ass. They may have broken the back of that warlord’s ability to try and stop us. I should think that sooner or later, he’ll give up and get off our ass. By this time, he has had to have lost most of his fighters and a lot of his power that has kept him relevant in the area. Let’s hope I know what the hell I’m talking about.” The mile or so that kept them from hooking up was soon covered when they reached Major Capel’s Ranger position. The fight to get there was mostly over. Captain Brady and his team finally made , looking forward to once again ing up with the SEALs that had been missing. The captain found his lieutenant and the other SEALs waiting to reunite.

“Lieutenant Haskell, you’re a sight for sore eyes. For a while back there, I thought we would never hook up. It’s been a long hard road getting here.” “You can say that again, Captain. Mogadishu has once again taken its toll. Major Capel’s unit caught hell. They’ve been shot up pretty bad. Came across something that might interest you. a while back when we were mixed up with that Al-Qaeda outfit in Pakistan that was screwing around with putting together those suitcase nukes? I think we ran across them again. Seems like they’ve been operating in this warlord’s backyard. I guess he’s been giving them the assistance they need to get it done. The friendlies that brought us into Mogadishu made us aware of it. I ed it on to command. You might want to follow it up before we get the hell out of here.” “Interesting, Lieutenant, those boys get around. This find just might keep us here for a while. If the brass have a say in it, they’ll want to put an end to it and take them out.” It looked as though the SEALs had a new iron in the fire; they had ran across an Al-Qaeda cell that they had tried to take out before with not much success. The SEALs knew that the Al-Qaeda would have to be stopped before they pulled off something back in the States that they all feared. A suitcase nuke or a series of them could put the U.S. in the shitter and down on its knees. The Al-Qaeda terrorist would have to be stopped before they could achieve what many saw coming. The SEALs would be once again called on to form a rearguard on their way back to the airstrip. Major Capel would give the order to move out. With the gunships still overhead, the combined force moved out. The two klicks they had to cover would be the easiest ground they had to maneuver across since the mission started. With the sun still high in the African sky, the force covered the distance and soon made their way back to where planes waited to ferry them out. Once there, the SEAL captain was met by two navy intelligence officers that were there to lay out what was ahead for him and his men. “Captain Brady, from here it looks like you and the others have had a rough go of it. Looks like ’93 all over again. Lieutenant Foster and I are with navy intelligence. My name is Captain Sawyer. We understand that your lieutenant reported a find that has command concerned. Further intelligence has brought to

light the Al-Qaeda activity that has us worried. A terrorist known as the Scorpion has surfaced once again. He was the Al-Qaeda agent you were up against when you and your team went into Pakistan. Since that time, we have learned that he is a Saudi with backing from that country. So much for friends and allies. The Israelis have been on his trail and have confirmed his presence in Mogadishu.” “Interesting, Captain, where do I come into it?” “You and your men, Captain, are the unit that will be given the task to finally catch up with the Scorpion. You will need to take him and his cell out once and for all. This job falls on your shoulders because you and your men are the only SEAL team that is available to get things done at the present time. I don’t have to tell you how important this mission is, Captain. It needs to be taken care of and quickly.” “How will we get it off the ground? What’s the chance that they’ve been spooked and flew the coop?” “There’s only one way we can find out for sure, Captain. We need to go back in to check it out. Consensus is that they won’t be expecting us to go back in so soon after the turmoil that has taken place. We need to hit them ASAP. We have a chopper standing by to take you in. Two gunships will be there to back you up. We’ve pinpointed their location. It’s also near Bakara Market. Get your men ready, Captain. We need to get underway.” Captain Brady had his orders; he would take his team in to hit the Al-Qaeda terrorist operation. He realized the mission’s importance and knew he and his team would need to pull it off successfully. Brady knew the consequences if the Al-Qaeda got into the U.S. with a bomb or maybe even two or more. He knew that when he put the mission before the men, they would be raring to go. He returned to the SEAL team to clue them in. “Lieutenant, we’re going back in. We’ll need an eight-man team put together. We’ve been given the job of disposing of the Al-Qaeda cell that has been detected. It’s the same bunch we went up against a while back in Pakistan. You that episode, don’t you? They’re the Al-Qaeda terrorists that have been screwing around with those… SUITCASE NUKES.”

CHAPTER 25

BLACKHAWK DOWN

The SEALs were now on their way back in, back in to a bad scene they had left behind only hours before. They were going back in to find and flush out an AlQaeda terrorist cell that had been discovered operating in Mogadishu, a terrorist cell they had come up against some time back. “Chief, do you think the Al-Qaeda operatives will still be in there? Don’t you think they’ll be tipped off to the notion that they have been found out? Those bastards are too cagey. They’re probably long gone by now.” “Maybe so, Maseli, but we have to check it out just to be sure. If they’re still in there, we need to hit them and take them out. We need to get our hands on one of those suitcase nukes they’ve been working on. Our side needs to know how close they are to making them.” The team was on their way, and the BlackHawk chopper that was their ride was whisking them toward their encounter with whatever was there to greet them. They were heading toward the infamous Bakara Market. Captain Brady was on top of things, advising the team about the drop. “Okay, men, listen up. All of you must know how important this mission is. If we can find that Al-Qaeda cell that has been involved in making the suitcase nukes, we’ll have accomplished something. If they succeed and get them into the U.S., our country will wind up behind the eight ball in deep shit. This will be the most important mission you or I will ever be part of. Let’s hope the bastards are still there. Let’s give it our all, guys.” After the captain finished the short briefing, he took notice of the men that sat quietly in the chopper. Each man had a concerned look that gave away his thoughts, some praying and some going over last-minute equipment checks in their head. Brady knew that his men realized what was at stake, and he knew that

he could count on each and every man there to do his best at what they were about to undertake. The SEALs were eager to get back into action, and their actions showed just that. He sat back deep in the thoughts that were crisscrossing his mind. The captain, along with the others on board, was jolted back to reality when the chopper pilot made them aware of the drop that was coming up. “Two minutes.” The SEALs would soon be on the ground to take on whatever was there to stop them. It was still daylight with the sun high overhead. Below them, Mogadishu could be seen, just hours ago a hornet’s nest they had left behind. Once a picturesque African city, it was now mostly in ruins with the buildings still standing pockmarked with the many signs of bullet scars. The SEALs were going in without the cover of darkness to shield their attack. Consensus was that if the mission was put off until after the sun went down, it would give the Al-Qaeda the time they needed to melt into the woodwork. As the BlackHawk chopper hovered so the SEALs could fast-rope down to the street below, the men noticed that the streets were mostly empty of locals or Somali fighters. They looked for trouble and could see none. The few people on the ground scattered as the chopper blades threw up dust and debris, with the swirling dust there to blind the men when they roped down toward the target building. Just as the men started to leave the chopper and rope down, they got their first surprise. Out of nowhere came an incoming RPG round that hit the chopper. The captain, in his haste to leave the wounded bird, dropped his goggles; the swirling dust took over and chafed his eyes as he struggled to leave the copter that was now in trouble. They had just gotten underway, and already things were starting to turn into shit. The two gunships that were there to give the SEALs cover looked for a target to level off on. The pilot gave the order to leave the BlackHawk as it started to spin out of control. “Get out! Get out of this frig-in’ bird! We’re going down!” The gunship pilots watched as the chopper spun out of control. The SEALs thoughts as they spun in now turned to prayer. “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

“Mother-fucker, did anybody see where that RPG round came from? That BlackHawk spun in! It’s on the ground. How many of those SEALs got out of it before it went in? Make the call. Let command know that we have a… BLACKHAWK DOWN.” With the excitement now turning into an overwhelming experience, the call was made. The word went out. “We have a BlackHawk down. We have a BlackHawk down. We have a bird on the ground.” Back at the airstrip, Major Capel who was about to leave with his men got the call. “Major, sir, we have a problem with the SEALs that went back into Mogadishu. An RPG took out the BlackHawk that took them in. They’re on the ground with casualties.” Major Capel knew what all this meant; he would need to put together a team to bail them out. The thought of a repeat of what happened back in ’93 crossed his mind. He immediately got with his radioman to raise Captain Tilman who was about to leave the area with his men. “Captain, something just came up. Captain Brady just ran into a brick wall back in Mogadishu. The chopper that was delivering him and his SEAL team was hit and went in. Some of his men never left the chopper. I’m going to need you and some of your Delta Force to go back in with me. Put two teams together and meet me at the chopper pads.” It was 1993 all over again; they had a BlackHawk down and casualties on the ground. The men were living a repeat of a scenario that had happened long before they arrived on the scene. Captain Tilman was fast to respond. “Major, what the hell happened? How many casualties did Brady take? Looks like the shit is happening all over again.” “Can’t say, Captain. The gunships that are there have no with the SEALs on the ground. They may have lost their radio. As of now, they’re not taking any hostile fire, but they’re vulnerable. If the Somalis hit them, we’ll have a lot of body bags to fill. We have to get in there, Captain, and fast. Get your men ready to move out.”

The Bakara Market Place

Back at the crash site, things were hectic. The BlackHawk went down with its crew and four of the SEALs still on board. When the dust settled, Captain Brady looked back to survey the scene and watched as one of the SEALs that went in with the chopper staggered from the wreckage and fell to the ground. He looked around to see who had made it out safely and saw the chief and two others. “Chief, who made it out? Who was it that just hit the deck?” “Couldn’t tell, Captain. Didn’t get a good look. Looks like only Maseli and Doc made it out. We need to get back to the chopper and have a look-see.” The captain and the three surviving SEALs turned and headed in the direction of the crash site. Once there, their fears were realized. The pilot and two of his crew along with two of the SEALs were KIA. The surviving wounded were banged up and out of action. “Doc, see what you can do for the wounded. Chief, take Maseli and set up a defense around the chopper. I’ll see if one of these radios is still working. We need to make with the gunships and let them know what went down. We’ll need cover if the Somalis decide to try and finish us off.” With the wounded stabilized, the SEALs took up defensive positions around the downed chopper. The SEALs were vigilant and kept an eye toward their front, still trying to see where the RPG round came from that knocked them out of the sky. “Chief, looks like we’re screwed. From where I sit, we’re up shit creek without a paddle. Looks like this might be the end of the line. I’m starting to feel like Audie Murphy, that G-I in World War II. Feel like I’ve gone to hell and back.” “Look at it this way, Maseli, whatever doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger. Like I told you once before, they can kill us but, they can’t eat us. Put that shit out of your head and spend your time looking for skinnies.” The captain busied himself with trying to get the only radio that was still working to be able to call to the hovering gunships. After a few tries, he finally

connected with the pilots that were trying to reach him. “What’s happening on the ground? What the hell is going on down there?” “Captain Brady here. Our chopper took an RPG round. We have five KIA and three wounded on the ground. Can you give us cover fire if we come under attack?” “Can do, Captain. Did you see where that round came from? From up here, we can see no hostile movement at the present time. We’ll hang here and give you cover for as long as we can. Choppers are inbound with Major Capel and a force to get you out of there. Hang in there, Captain. Help is on the way.” With that said, the captain ed the word on to the others. They would stick close to the crash site and wait for whatever was to come. Listen up, men. Help is on the way. Major Capel and a force are inbound. Keep a sharp eye out for any movement heading this way. If we get hit, the two gunships will be here to back us up. Doc, when those choppers get here, have the casualties ready to be pulled out. We’ll need to get them back to the airstrip where they can be flown out to receive medical attention. How are they holding up?” “I have them stabilized, Captain. They’ll make it just as long as we can get them out of here soon. Briggs is literally urgent. We need to extract him if he’s going to have a chance of making it.” The SEALs sat waiting, eyeballing the street where drifting sands turned rustorange in the late afternoon sun. The day was plenty hot with the swirling dust sticking to their sweaty bodies and getting into their eyes and up their noses as they tried to breath. The men sat talking trying to the time that seemed to drag on. It looked on the surface as though all had been lost. They had stumbled into something that looked like it could take them down, putting an end to the mission they had undertaken. Things would need to happen and fast. If nightfall came down on them, it could put them in a corner they might not be able to get out of. The thoughts of being trapped in the city another night crossed their minds. The wait and the thought of being trapped again brought concern. “Hey, Chief, do you think we’ll get out of here in one piece? This day has turned into a real cluster f-ck. Never thought I’d hear the call go out… .

BLACKHAWK DOWN.”

CHAPTER 26

MOGADISHU

It wasn’t long before their radio lit up with the major on the other end; he was inbound with an attack force and ten out. He let the captain and the men on the ground know that they would be there to help them complete their mission. “Captain Brady, we’re ten out. When we arrive our, choppers will land to be able to take out your casualties. Will we be coming into a hot LZ?” “Can’t say, sir. That RPG round has been the only incoming fire we have received. As of right now, it’s pretty quiet down here. Can’t say if it will stay that way. Only movement we have come across has been at the buildings to our front. If we receive hostile fire, it will probably come from the hotel or the building next to it. Have your force concentrate on that area.” “Okay, Captain, say a Hail Mary then hang on. We’ll come in hot just in case the Somalis are planning anything for us. Sit tight. We’re coming in.” The sound of the incoming choppers could now be heard. Four choppers took turns setting down to disburse the men that were brought back in—Rangers and Delta Force men bristling with grenades and ammo eager to do battle again with the Somali fighters. It was Mogadishu 1993 all over again. Flashbang grenades were used to announce their arrival, covering them as they took up defensive positions around the crash site and against the stone walls that lined both sides of the street. They gave cover to the men that quickly loaded the choppers with the dead and wounded that would be returned to the airstrip to be flown out. As soon as the major stepped down from his chopper, he sought out Captain Brady. “Captain, looks like you walked straight into the shit. An hour ago, I thought I had seen the last of this hell hole. What’s the situation as you see it?”

“As close as I can tell, sir, the only Somalis that are in the area are in the twostory building to our front or the building to the right of it with the small courtyard enclosed by that high stone wall. If they’re in there, they’re sitting tight. We saw movement earlier, a few Somalis making their way up to the second floor. I think the fighting has taken a toll on their numbers. If we hit those two buildings in force, I think that’s where we’ll find them.” “All right, Captain, we’ll hit both buildings at the same time. We’ll soon find out if they’re in there. It’s your mission. Lead the way. Let’s clean out this pit of vipers once and for all. I’m starting to get tired of having to deal with these assholes.” With a plan of action in the works, the SEALs led the attack force that headed toward the two buildings in question. They made their way to within ten yards of entering the buildings when all hell broke loose. The top floors of both buildings now became a fortress, bristling with weapons that opened up on the force that was moving in. Captain Brady gave the high sign, disbursing the men that looked for cover. They now had a battle on their hands and a hurdle to cross. The major was quick to grab the bull by the horns. He gave the order to fall back. “Captain Brady, get your men the hell out of there and fall back to that stone wall down by the road. We’ll let those gunships soften those buildings up before we try to hit them again. Get the hell out of there.” The major’s orders were easier said than done. Captain Brady and his three men were cut off from the others and took up cover they found up against the stone wall that encircled the courtyard of the closest target building. They were pinned down by fire coming from the top floors. “No can do, sir. The skinnies have us pinned down. We can’t move. If we try to bug out, we’ll be shot to shit. We’ll hang here for the time being.” The major, realizing the captain’s, position agreed to his decision to stay put. He now had a decision to make of his own. “Okay, Captain, stay put. I’ll call in the gunships. Keep your heads down. Those birds are about to release a fury of hell down on the Somalis.” The call was made, and the two gunships took turns unleashing their firepower

on the targets that lay in front of them. They hovered, training their guns on the two dirty white buildings that sat under the hot African sun. Bullets tore into the rough exterior that had been shot up many times before, adding to it more destruction that seemed to tear it down piece by piece. Rockets hit the building while bullets ricocheted off the rough exterior, showering debris down on the SEALs below. The gunships were unleashing their hell on their targets and soon put a stop to the fire that had been coming out of them. The major was again ready to push forward. “Captain Brady, get ready to make your move. The gunships leveled the playing field. We’re going in.” The force hit the target buildings and was soon entering the lower floors. They found them void of Somalis then made their way up the narrow stairwells that led to the upper floors. Once there, they ran into the fighters that had survived the assault by the gunships. After a short but fierce firefight, they were overcome and put out of action. It wasn’t long before the SEALs found what they were looking for. Evidence of the bomb maker’s existence was soon discovered. “Captain Brady, you might want to take a look at this. There’s shit lying all over the place that looks like it could be used in bomb making.” After having a look at the find, the SEALs knew that they were in the right place. All that was needed now was to find the Al-Qaeda terrorists that were putting them together. After a closer look at the dead, it was determined that only Somalis were left on the scene. “Captain, I think we missed those Al-Qaeda operatives. They must have lit out of here long before we arrived. There’s no telling how far they have advanced on completing those suitcase nukes.” “They’ve been on it for quite a while Chief. According to the Israelis, they’re close to getting it done. My guess is they’ve finished and are ready to deploy them. If they make it the rest of the way and get them into the U.S., we’re screwed. Our borders, thanks to the do-gooders in our country, are porous as all hell. They can walk them in from just about any direction. The way it looks from here, we could be standing in deep shit. Let’s hope to hell I’m wrong.” The outcome of the mission was now looking bleak. They had failed to stop the Al-Qaeda bomb makers and strip them of their intention on delivering to the U.S. What could happen in the days ahead would tell the story.

“Major Capel, looks like the terrorist have once again slipped through our fingers. Everything points to their being here, but that doesn’t get it. If they get out of Africa with what I think they have in their possession, our country could be in for it.” “We’ve known their intentions for quite some time, Captain. We’ve turned things upside down all over the world trying to bring things to a halt. You and your men have done your best to stop them in their tracks. As luck would have it, they’ve been one step ahead of us. Our last line of defense is our own border back in the States. We’ll have one more chance at trying to stop them. The CIA believes they will bring them in the back door through Mexico. Things are already in the works to stop them. We still have a fifty-fifty chance of turning things around. I believe the odds are somewhat in our favor, Captain.” “I have my doubts, but I hope you’re right, Major. Those Al-Qaeda that we’ve been trying to catch up to have been pretty slippery. We’ve been one step behind them all the way, but it hasn’t worked out in our favor. I have a gut feeling that they’ll get the nukes into the U.S. one way or the other.” “It will all come out in the wash, Captain. For now, we’ll play to the hand that’s been dealt to us. For the time being, I think we have broken the back of the warlord and his ability to function. It will take him some time to recuperate and build his strength back to what it was just days ago. Choppers are inbound to pull us out, and I hope it’s for good this time. My Rangers are in the process of loading these buildings up with enough explosives to level them. Anything that might have been overlooked and left here by the Al-Qaeda will need to be destroyed. I intend to level this place and leave it so that it can never be used again.” The job finished, the men left the buildings behind and made their way down to the road to be picked up by the choppers that were on their way in to extract them. They took up residence behind the stone walls at the road and waited to see the target buildings go sky-high. It wasn’t long before they saw it unravel; the buildings came down like an avalanche on a mountainside, leaving only a pile of ruble where they once stood. “Damn, did you see that, Chief? Those buildings came down like right now. Didn’t take much to wipe them off the map. They won’t be much use to any of the skinnies that we left behind, if we left any behind.”

As the men waited for the choppers to extract them, they got another surprise. Coming toward them down Hawlwadig Road where they stood waiting was a group of Somalis noisily moving along and closing the distance between themselves and the attack force. The crowd, some brandishing weapons, immediately got the attention of Major Capel. He shot a glance over to Captain Tilman and motioned to him to take notice. “Captain, looks like trouble heading our way. Get your men down behind that stone wall and take cover. Some in that mob are carrying weapons. Let’s see what their intentions are.” The Somalis kept coming, closing the distance between them and the men that wondered what was coming next. The Somalis, waving their arms in the air and yelling in their lingo, looked as though they were trying to get the attention of the major and his men. “Captain, fire a few shots in the air and get their attention. We don’t need that mob any closer than they already are.” A burst of fire skyward got the Somalis’ attention, stopping them in their tracks. They now produced a somewhat dirty white flag and waved it as if to say they wanted to talk. “Captain Tilman, looks like the skinnies want a powwow. Hold your fire. Let’s see what’s on their mind. Wave that dude in that’s waving that flag.” Both sides stood firm in their tracks, looking one another over. Tension was starting to build as the captain waved to the Somali with the flag to come on in. He cut from the crowd and moved forward. “Captain, keep an eye on that man with the flag. He’s walking in with a weapon in his other hand. Motion to him to put it down.” The captain motioned to the man that moved forward to put his weapon down. He kept coming, seemingly ignoring the request. The major, showing concern, shouted an order to the Captain. “Captain, get that man’s attention! Fire a round over his head. Don’t let him come any closer.” The captain followed orders and fired a short burst of fire over the man’s head. It got his attention, and he stopped in his tracks. The captain again motioned to the

man to lay his weapon down on the ground and got results. He put the weapon down and continued in the captain’s direction, speaking in perfect English as he moved forward. “Don’t fire, soldier. We need to talk. Are you the man in charge? We have something for you.” “That would be Major Capel. He’s the head honcho. Follow me. “Major, this man asked to see you. Says he has something for us. The dude speaks perfect English. I checked him out. No weapons, he’s clean.” “Major, we have something that might interest you. Over in that crowd, we are holding the man you were sent here to capture. He’s the warlord that has had up to now a firm grip on Mogadishu. He’s yours if you are willing to make a trade.” “What do you have in mind?” “A small request that shouldn’t be hard for you to fill. The warlord we are holding has kept these people under his thumb for quite some time, depriving them of food and a right to a way of life of their choosing. This band has stood up to him and decided to make their move after you decimated his followers. They ask little of you. They will trade that piece of dirt for a truckload of food, a small request I believe. Do we have a deal?” “I think we can manage it. Give me some time to run it past my superiors. I think they’ll go for it. Sit tight. I’ll be right back.” A deal was about to be struck for the capture of the warlord that had eluded them. The man was being handed to them on a silver platter. For the want of a truckload of food, he would be delivered into their hands. It took only ten minutes for the answer to the request to come back. The major returned to where the Somali waited. “Okay, you got a deal. My superiors agree to your . A truckload of rice and flour is on the way here as we speak. If you make your way to the airstrip, you can take possession of it when it arrives. Now I have a request for you. Where the hell did you learn your English?” “A few years back in London, England. Spent two years there in schools then came back to help my people. The warlord that we are about to hand over to you has had them in his grip for quite some time. They have refused to do his

bidding and have been on the outside looking in. When you defeated his fighters, it gave them the chance they have been looking for. Handing him over will be their greatest hour.” The deal made, the Somali friendlies handed over the man the force had hoped to capture all along. The mission was now a success, with their prize in their possession ready to be flown out. “Captain Brady, this must be the highlight of your tour. With the warlord now in our possession, it should shed light on the Al-Qaeda cell you have been trying to catch up with. When he spills his guts, we’ll know more about their whereabouts. I think we might have just hit a home run, Captain.” Things had finally come close to being full circle. The capture of the warlord would bring it toward an end. All that was left to complete things would be to learn if the Al-Qaeda had been successful in their task of putting suitcase nukes together and to be able to learn where and when they would smuggle them into the U.S. Their next step would be to get their captive back to where intelligence could work on him to get the info they needed to wrap things up. They had finally made the headway they had looked forward to for so long; they boarded the incoming choppers and headed out. The chief looked for answers on the way back. “Captain, sir, do you think intelligence will get what they need out of the warlord we corralled? Looks like maybe now we can put that hell hole back there behind us. Can’t say I’ll miss that place, . . . MOGADISHU.”

CHAPTER 27

ONE WE’LL NEVER FORGET

Things were starting to look up for Captain Brady and his SEALs. They had left Mogadishu and were back on the ship that was taking them back to the States. They were close to completing their tour and would soon be on liberty, enjoying their family and the time off that went along with it. They spent the next few days wondering if the Al-Qaeda were somewhere out in front of them and if they would be stopped before they entered the U.S. The thought of what would happen if they were left unchecked crossed all of their minds. “Captain, there hasn’t been any on those Al-Qaeda and the suitcase nukes. Where the hell do you suppose they got to? Do you think they made it into the States?” “Been wondering about that Chief. Can’t believe intelligence hasn’t picked up on them. It’s been three days sense we left the Mog. They should have come across them by now. I think I’ll check in and see what I can find out.” As fate would have it, what he was about to go look for found him. “Captain Brady, the captain needs to see you ASAP. He’s on the bridge. Bad news, I think.” “Well, there’s your answer, Chief. I was about to go look for it, and it found me. What the hell do you suppose I’m walking into now? Find Lieutenant Haskell and have him here when I get back with whatever news I’ll be carrying. Wish me luck, Chief.” As Brady hurried to the bridge, he wondered about the news that was waiting for him. Had the Al-Qaeda surfaced? Had they been found out and picked up? The thought of the answer started to weigh heavily on him. He knew the outcome of

whatever had gone down would be monumental. “Captain, you sent for me? Good news, I hope.” “Not quite, just got a radio message I thought you should be in on. The Mexican government has just confirmed that the Al-Qaeda operatives have entered Mexico with the help of the drug cartels. They are thought to have already crossed into the U.S. with help from the drug runners. Our fears have been realized. But they captured one of the terrorists on the U.S. border with a suitcase nuke in his possession. The U.S. Border Patrol interdicted and picked him up about a klick inside our border. What they have been able to get out of him wasn’t good news. What they did learn was there were as many as twenty that got past us. The terrorist have recruited Al-Qaeda from every corner of this good earth. Law enforcement won’t be just looking for Middle Eastern types. It doesn’t look good, Captain. We could be up shit creek without a paddle.” “What’s the chance that the terrorist they captured was the only one that made it that far? He could just be blowing smoke up their ass to make things look bigger than they really are.” “That possibility crossed the minds of the powers that be, but it was shot down by the Mexican government that has been on top of the situation from the get-go. They have reliable intelligence to back up what they have given us. Seems like some of the drug cartels have a conscience. Think about it, Brady. Most of those drug runners have kin in our country. A lot of them looked past the dollars that were to be made and figured they would be sentencing their relatives to a death sentence. Hopefully, the FBI and local law enforcement will put a stop to it before all hell breaks loose.” “Captain, if the Mexican government got things right, and there were as many as twenty nukes being carried into our country, we’ll never be able to stop them all from doing what they set out to do. How is Washington going to handle something this out of control?” “Can’t say, it’s becoming mind boggling. Myself along with everybody in the U.S. has never had to deal with anything on this scale.” “What about Homeland Security, sir, don’t you think they can get a handle on it? That’s their job, isn’t it?”

“You’re right. It’s their job, but I think it got away from them. They’ve been lax on just about everything that’s been coming into our country. Our ports and borders are porous as all git-out. The do-gooders back home sit behind their rose colored glasses, thinking that the world is just a wonderful place with the people in it all top-notch. If the Mexicans are right and those nukes have already entered the country, I think things are all ready too far gone to stop. Most of those nukes probably already reached their destinations. They’ve had plenty of time to position them. Putting it bluntly, Captain, I think we’re f-cked.” As the two men talked, a radio message was delivered to the ship’s captain. It was the bad news that they would receive sooner or later. “It’s started, Captain Brady. It’s even worse than we thought. They pulled a tanker carrying a nuke into New York Harbor and detonated it. I think Manhattan has been wiped off the map. Another report just in, authorities think they’re up against another such scenario on the West Coast. They think LA is next. Those bastards are turning the U.S. into a nuclear graveyard.” As the captain read off the reports, more started coming in. All across the U.S., smaller nukes were being detonated, the suitcase nukes that had been carried in by the Al-Qaeda terrorists. The U.S. was being torn apart by a weapon that they had feared for many years. “Looks like the intel we received from the Mexican government had it nailed down, Captain Brady. The Al-Qaeda had it all planed out to a tee. They knew just when and where to hit us. Reports still coming in are grim. They hit DC with two nukes. They made sure they took it all out. The White House, the Pentagon, it’s all gone. As far as we know, we have no functioning government back home. They’ve hit just about every major city in the U.S. It’s hard to say right now who or what survived. They’re old-school jihadi. They just want to kill Americans.” “As the shit was starting to hit the fan, the brass gave orders for all ships at sea to stay out here until further notice. Problem is we can’t raise the brass that gave us that order. For all we know, they too are gone. Hawaii seems to have escaped it all so far. Maybe the Al-Qaeda just overlooked it. If we don’t receive orders soon, I intend to head for Pearl and take all ships under my command with me.” “Captain, where does that leave us with the rest of the world? Aren’t we now vulnerable enough for our enemies to hit us? There are quite a few out there who

have been waiting for just such a moment to strike. Russia, Iran, and most of the Arab countries, not to mention the biggest of all, China. Hell, China has been looking forward to kicking our ass for quite some time. Haven’t they told us more times than not? How about our allies, sir, any word from them?” “Not a peep out of any of them. Guess they’re going to sit this one out. There are threats everywhere, and the world is draped in camouflage. So much for friends and allies, wouldn’t you say? All that is left for us at the moment is our faith in God and country. I’ll get on the PA system and let the crew know what’s going down. I’m sure they already are aware of the goings-on. I’ll brief you when I learn how bad we’ve been hit.” With the turn of events all bad, Captain Brady returned to his men to fill them in. He knew by now word had more than likely spread through the ship, and they would have already been privy to what was taking place. When he returned to his men, he could see on their faces that they knew what was up. He dreaded what was coming next. “Captain, what the hell is going on? Word that’s going around the ship is that we just got hit back home. What the hell happened? how bad is it?” “Don’t know all the details, but what I do know isn’t good. Whoever is behind it is raising holy hell. They brought a ship into New York Harbor and detonated a nuke. That city is probably history. The same scenario is starting to unwind on the West Coast. L.A. is next, and it’s probably already gone. Those suitcase nukes we’ve been trying to catch up with are also being detonated all over the country. They hit DC. The White House and the Pentagon has been taken out. It looks like they planned to take out every big city in the U.S. As far as anybody knows, we no longer have a functioning government back home. Reports are still coming in. We’ll know the full extent of the attack before long. I know you, like myself, are wondering if our families made it through. I’ll stay on top of it and fill you in just as soon as I know what the situation is. Hang tight, guys.” The situation looked bleak, dark from where they all stood. They all had someone back home to worry about. Only time would unleash the good and the bad news. The men settled in, hoping that some good would come their way. “Chief, hang here with the men. I’ll take Lieutenant Haskell and return to the bridge where I can stay close to the reports coming in. Anything comes up, I’ll

send the lieutenant back with the news. See if you can cheer this bunch up.” Brady, along with the lieutenant, headed back to the bridge, hoping against hope that the U.S. wasn’t hit as bad as they thought it had been. They knew it was wishful thinking, but it was all they had in their corner at the present time. Hope and prayers were the theme of the day. “Damn, Captain, this is going to be rough on the guys. Hell, most of them have relatives scattered all over the U.S. If those bastards covered us with nukes like I think they did, the country and everybody in it is going to be in bad shape. Who the hell do you think is behind it all?” “Have been giving it some thought, Lieutenant. My guess is it has to be our old adversaries. You know, Russia for one. We’ve been butting heads with the Russkies ever sense World War II ended. The U.S. should have turned Patton loose on them when he came up with the idea back then. He knew what they were. He could have taken care of things and kicked their ass up around their fur hats. Back then was when we started not listening to our generals. That’s when things all started going downhill. It’s a little-known fact that Russian nuclear subs have been operating off the U.S. coast for quite some time. Our subs have been picking up their presence and keeping tabs on them. Not long ago, the navy came across a pair of silent-running Russian nuclear attack subs armed with long-range cruise missiles that had been operating in the Gulf of Mexico undetected for the better part of a month. They didn’t come across them until they were on their way out of the gulf. They had been there operating undetected, able to do whatever they were sent there to do. This was all taking place at the same time Russian strategic bombers were detected flying over restricted U.S. airspace near Alaska and California. Incursions happened more than once. That should have alerted us back then that Moscow was setting us up for something down the road. I think the Chinese are in on it too. They’ve been building up their military for years, just waiting for the day we would be knocked down on our knees and vulnerable. They’ve told us time and again that some day they would come at us and kick our ass. Hell, it wasn’t long ago when a Chinese sub made it past our screening ships and surfaced next to one of our carriers just to let us know their capabilities. The powers that be in Washington weren’t smart enough to take them at their word. Those Chinks are behind this. I’d bet anything on it.” “I think you’re right, Captain. Only problem is you left out the Arab world.”

“I was getting to that, Lieutenant. They’re some of the biggest rebel ros in the world. They’ve been starting shit since the start of time. Sorry, part of it all, our government has been going along with everything they’ve pulled off. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” The two men made it to the bridge where they found the ship’s captain and his officers poring over reports that were still coming in. Brady could see from the look on each man’s face that things had gotten even worse since he had last talked to the captain. “Captain, what’s the latest on the nuke attacks? How bad is it out there?” “It’s a giant shit sandwich out there, Captain Brady, and the United States just took a big bite out of it. The terrorists have hit every major city in the U.S. They’ve knocked out our power grid across the entire country. It will take some time to assess the damage that has been caused by everything they have dumped on us. As you already know, they took out New York City on the East Coast, and I just got word that L.A. just took it in the shorts. Reports are coming in piecemeal on how the rest of the country made out. Right now, the people that survived it all are experiencing a nuclear winter. It’s a frig-in’ mess, Captain. As of now as far as we know, there are no ports open back home for us to pull into. If I don’t make in the next twenty-four, the ships in this carrier group will head toward Pearl. It’s still untouched and open.” “Sir, any word out of San Diego. Is Coronado still there? Do you think whoever is responsible will move on us? Our guard is down—we have to be wide open. Has any country taken credit for the attack?” “Sooner or later whoever is out there waiting to finish us off will surface. You can bet your ass on that, Captain Brady.” As the men spoke, another report was handed to the ship’s captain. After a few agonizing moments of waiting to hear what was coming, he spoke, “More bad news, gentlemen, Israel was just hit by multiple nuclear warheads. The little intelligence we have reports that Iran delivered the deathblow. You Iran? They said all along they had no nukes. Israel got a few of their own nukes off, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Iranians who surprised them. Right now both of those countries are locked in battle, trying to knock each other out. If we

lose Israel, we’ll have lost the only friend we have in that part of the world. The situation is growing graver by the hour. Can’t wait to hear what’s coming next. We’ll know soon enough who we’ll be up against. You probably all have that figured out by now. It’s a black day, gentlemen, . . . . ONE WE’LL NEVER FORGET.”

CHAPTER 28

NOT THE END, JUST THE BEGINNING

The day had become nothing but doom and gloom. The U.S. had been attacked and brought to its knees. The men sitting on the ships out to sea waiting for something to happen knew they were maybe the only still intact fighting force left to deal with it all. The fear of not knowing who had survived the holocaust back home weighed heavily on them all. “Captain Brady, how the hell is this all going to wind up? How do you think we’ll come out on all of this? Doesn’t look like we have much of a chance. The men haven’t got much to look forward to. Most have probably lost all the family they ever had.” “Stow it, Lieutenant. These men are top-notch. They’ll make it through. They all have warrior’s blood coursing through their veins. We’ve lost lots of good men on this deployment. We can’t let those down that didn’t make it. Right now, the men feel alone and out to sea with no shore in sight. It’s the shoreline that guides us all toward home. Trust me, Lieutenant. We’re all trying to get home. We need to live our lives so that the fear of death can never enter our hearts when the time comes to die. If and when the time comes to sing our death song, we’ll all die like heroes. Don’t cut these men short, Lieutenant. They’ll suck it up and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They’ll do whatever it takes when the time comes.” The two SEALs stayed put on the bridge, listening to every report that came in. Each bit of news that came in from the outside was as bad as the previous report. As they listened closely, they finally heard a radio message that was coming in from San Diego. Something had just come in from their home base on Coronado Island. “Captain Brady, sounds like something that you’ve been waiting for. A report’s coming in from your home base. San Diego took a hit along with the entire West

Coast. The report says there’s not much left and very little to salvage. Looks like you and your SEALs will be accompanying these ships that are about to head for Pearl. I’ll keep you in the loop and fill you in if we learn anything further.” The die was cast. Their base destroyed, the SEALs were now adrift in a pool of naval survivors. Remnants of the once-powerful U.S. Navy would converge on Pearl to regroup and put together a fighting force strong enough to be able to return to the States when the time was right. “Brady, looks like we’re not going home. What’s the chance of it ever happening? It’s going to be tough laying this on the men. I’m glad that you’re the one that will have to break the bad news to them. The way things are looking, maybe we’ll never set foot in the States again.” “Well, we can only hope that we will some day. After things level off and calm down, we might just get the word to head downrange and return home to pick up the pieces. We’re still a fighting force, Lieutenant, and we’ll always be one. Sooner or later, our turn to right the wrongs will pop up, and then we’ll look for payback. If we’re lucky, some of us might still hook up with relatives that got through it all. We still have a little something going for us, Lieutenant. It’s called hope.” “Captain, in all the time we’ve been together you have never once talked about family. What’s up with that?” “I was orphaned at a young age, just ten years old. Lost my parents in an auto accident one summer back in Idaho. It’s just me and my brother. He’s a year older than me. His name is Eli. He’s the only kin I’ve got. An old couple took us in and raised us. They never had kids of their own. They died some years back. They’re all gone. At seventeen, Eli left home and ed the SEALs. A year later, I followed. Last I talked to him, he was back in those Idaho hills, living on the old homestead. I hope to hell he made it.” “If your brother is anything like you, Captain, he made it. It would probably take a lot to Flat Line him.”

In this author’s next book, you will meet him. The title of this book will be Eli.

Charles F. David

CHARLES F. DAVID Other Books of the Author includes

Bootprints across Afghanistan Death and Glory (IRAQ) Second Tour Afghanistan (Sequel to Bootprints across Afghanistan) Blood Trail (Vietnam) to Die (Vietnam) Return to Hell (Vietnam) Fire Base X-ray (Vietnam) Faded Glory: The Forgotten War (Korea) Frozen Chosin: The March Out (Korea)

COMING SOON: Eli Bad Karma The Girl in the Mirror

Please turn this page for a preview of the coming book of the AUTHOR

ELI

INTRODUCTION

Time line, a time possibly not far off in the foreseeable future. The United States has been attacked and brought to its knees. The long awaited scenarios that were predicted by some have happened and come full circle and taken place. The world has exploded with old enemies at each other’s throats, with the Allies we once thought were in our corner shying away and cutting all ties while they watched us wither on the vine. The scenario starts off with cyber-attacks that are aimed at bringing down the country’s monetary system to create turmoil and uncertainty. The electricity grid across the entire country is taken out bringing most everything to a standstill, plunging its citizens into complete chaos. While this is all taking place the nightmare continues. Suit case Nukes that were carried into the country by way of Mexico go off simultaneously all across the U.S. Cities are taken out along with military installations. As if this wouldn’t be enough to handle, the East and West coast are hit the hardest. A foreign tanker is pulled into New York harbor loaded with a nuke and detonated. The same scenario is repeated on the West coast in Los Angelis where it to does the unthinkable, leveling everything in its path leaving the West coast wide open. U.S. Navy ships still out to sea have only one port to pull into, pearl Harbor. Washington DC is taken out and it’s unclear if there is a functioning government still existing. The Pentagon also takes a hit; our military what’s left of it could be leaderless. The U.S. is in dire straits and on the brink of annihilation. The Navy seals on the war ships that are heading toward Pearl were the men that were instrumental in pursuing the terrorist that delivered the suit case nukes. They pursued them across the globe with the terrorist one step ahead of them from the git-go. These events were led up to in this Authors book—————— —FLAT LINE-End of time.

CHAPTER 1

FIRST DAY

On a hillside deep in the mountains of Idaho a lone figure steps from the door way of a cabin and takes up a vigil that surveys the far off turmoil not knowing what had just taken place. The man’s name is ELI. He is an x-Navy Seal that returned to the isolation of his beloved Idaho mountains to escape the goings on he had witnessed while serving his tour of duty with the Navy’s Seals. Once there he found that he was not alone, scattered through the hills there were many just like himself, men who had left the service to return to the hills that gave them the solitude they had looked for. His train of thought is shaken as he shoots a glance down the road that leads up to his cabin and observes an old rust covered truck making its way up the hill. As he watches the old truck get ever closer he notices the urgency of its driver that seems to waste no time in getting to his destination. The truck and its driver finally reach’s the cabin and the man inside excitedly swings open the truck door to depart. “Eli, are you up on what the hell is going on? Just received some info over my two way radio, the shit just hit the fan. The whole damn country just took a hit, we’ve been Nuked. Our missile silos that with stood the attack just retaliated. Our nukes are airborne and headed out to God knows where. The electric grid has been taken out across the entire country, its lights out for just about everybody.” “Sounds like we’re up shit creek without a paddle Josh. Did you hear where are nukes were headed? If they retaliated they must know who hit us. Two to one it’s the Chinese or the Russians, they’ve both been chomping at the bit to take us on. Any word on how bad the west coast was hit? How about San Diego, any news on how they came out of it? Last I heard my brother was headed in that direction, I need to know if he’s alright. Guess it’s time I sat down and listened

to my short wave. Come on in, I think we both need a drink. The men after pouring themselves a stiff drink sat down to hear what they hoped would enlighten them on the ongoing situation that was unfolding. Eli turned on his radio and tried to make with whoever was out there. “Hello, is anybody out there?” After a hard twenty minutes of trying to raise a voice on the other end he sat back and looked at his friend Josh. “Josh, I think we’re beating a dead horse. If there’s anybody out there alive they sure and hell are keeping it a secret.” “ELI, see if you can get on a Military channel, I’ll get back to my digs and keep trying to raise some signs of life out there. There has to be somebody out there that survived and wants to talk about it. Keep in touch, if you get any news lay it on me. I’ll see if I can get back on the channel I listened to before I dropped it and headed this way. Let’s hope there’s still somebody out there to talk to.” Eli stood in the cabin door looking out on the world wondering how much of it was still intact. After a few minutes of being deep in thought; he broke away and poured himself another drink before again sitting down to the radio he hoped would light up with someone on the other end. After hours of trying to raise the outside world he slumped back in the chair where he sat and dozed off. Darkness had now spread over the quite hills giving way to the day that had come and gone. The dark skies now revealed the hell that was unfolding in the night skies. Far off fires burned their surroundings putting on a show of horror to any eyes that had survived to take them in. Eli sat slumped in his chair exhausted and asleep, oblivious to what the night skies had turned into. He jumped to his feet startled as Josh in the old rattle trap of a pickup truck pulled up once again to the open door of the blacked out cabin. Josh was out of the truck and heading toward the open doorway. “Eli, are you in there?” “What’s up Josh? Any news on what the hell is going on? Were you able to raise anybody on the radio?” “Nothing Eli, couldn’t pick up a damn thing. That radio is as dead as everything out there probably is. Take a look at that sky; it’s lit up blood red. Looks like

everything in every direction caught holy hell. How the hell do you suppose we were spared?” “Guess you can chalk it up to luck, being in the right place at the wrong time. If we weren’t here we’d be like everybody out there with our pants down kissing our ass goodbye. You can bet all our missile silos were hit, they were zeroed in early on. Whoever hit us knew what the hell they were doing.” “What the hell are we going to do ELI? We just can’t sit here wondering what’s left down there, we need to do something.” “Josh, all we can do at the moment is take the time to put a plan of action together. Right now down there is not the place to be, we need to wait until the smoke clears. Down there it probably looks like the sun has exploded, fallout is more than likely raining down turning things into a nuclear winter. We need time to think things out. We can start by heading up to the north ridge and looking up Ferguson, he’s X air force and spent time at those missile sites in the Dakotas. He maybe will be able to shine a light on what to expect. Let’s get in that truck of yours and head that way.” With a direction now in sight the two men headed to look up their friend Ferguson, hoping he would be able to fill them in on what to expect. As they made their way deeper into the mountains they came across two men walking along the road toward them and stopped to great them, they were two brothers Chris and Holt who lived with their families not far from Eli’s cabin. The two men were X army that had been out of the service for a year or so. “Eli, just heading your way to put a few things together to tie up some loose ends. What the hell is happening?” “Can’t say, as close as we can tell we’ve been hit with a nuclear attack. Still trying to figure out who did it. My guess is it has to be either the Chinese or the Russian’s; they’re the two likely candidates to initiate something like that. Where were you two headed?” “We were on our way over to see you. We were listening to the radio to get some news when it blacked out, doesn’t look good. Where are you guys headed?” “Hop in the back, we’re headed over to see Ferguson hoping he can fill in the blanks. You guys know about as much as we do. With his background he might

just shed some light on what went down.” Under way again they headed to their meet with Ferguson. Another fifteen minutes into it they pulled up to his digs and found him waiting. “ELI, was wondering when you would show up. I suppose you want to know all about that nasty business that just took place? You boys probably know as much as I do about what went down. What I can say for sure is we got nuked. How and by who it’s anybody’s guess. I’d say it’s the Frig-in Chinese.” “Ferguson, you spent some time around those missile silos of ours, what kind of shit did we employ? We must have had something devastating to throw back at them.” “Atomic weapons, they’re all designed to create the desired devastation. We had some nukes in those silos that were designed to put whoever and whatever back into the Stone Age, I’m sure the other side had something to rival what we had to throw back at them. My guess is they hit us with a Neutron bomb or an electromagnetic devise. Thing is whatever they hit us with had to be all bad; with the little I know we had to have been hit hard. Before my radio went south I got some news from a buddy of mine back in the Dakotas. He said it all started when Iran hit Israel, that’s when the shit hit the fan. That part of the world has probably been turned into glass by now. The Middle East has been a hot spot; it had to happen sooner or later. He didn’t know who had pulled the trigger on us but thinks like I do that it probably was the Chinese or maybe the Russians. Either way we’re in for a good fight. Whoever it was that threw the first punch had to have had received as much as they handed out. The side that will win this confrontation will be the side that sustains the least amount of damage and comes through with enough troops on the ground to invade the other side.” “Neutron bomb, isn’t that the one that just kills off living things and leaves infrastructure mostly intact?” “That’s the one; it gives whoever delivers it the ability to move in with troops 48 hours after it’s detonated to utilize anything that’s left standing without fear of radiation. The bomb is designed to produce a massive explosion to eradicate an area with Neutron radiation killing all living things while leaving most infrastructures relatively intact. That’s a bomb they would have used. If they hit us with an electromagnetic devise and detonated it at a high altitude it would

have shut down anything that had to do with electricity, that could explain how the electric grid across the country was taken out. It’s known as EMP effects, Electric Magnetic Pulse. When a large Nuclear device is airburst at a high altitude a lot of electrical disruption can be created, principally with radios, communication systems, computers, cars and transistors to name a few. Sounds like whatever happened we’re screwed. ELI, what do you have in mind?” “Well you enlightened us with what they could have hit us with. What’s left to do now is find out just how bad it is out there. If foreign troops wind up on U.S. soil we need to know how we’re going to handle things. I guess the way to proceed will be to head out and see what shape the country is in. I’ll take Chris and his brother Holt and head toward Helena to see if it’s still on the map. Josh, while we’re gone you need to put a militia group together to take on whatever is thrown at us. There are enough men up in these hills to be able to put a good size force together. Ferguson, you need to stay on that radio of yours to get as much info as possible. We’ll give it two days to calm down then we’re out of here. We’ll take enough provisions for a week, that should hold us until we get back. Chris, that should give you and your brother time enough to get your families settled in. If they need any kind of help while we’re gone Josh and the others will be there to assist them in their needs. We’ll travel on horseback, that way we’ll attract less attention by staying off the roads. No telling what could be out there when we through, no sense in taking any chances until we know what we’re up against. We need to get past the—FIRST DAY.