| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27 - continued |
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TxJAG_b
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Date Posted: 16:02:35 07/10/10 Sat
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27 - continued" on 10:56:42 07/07/10 Wed
PREVIOUSLY:
“Secure the LAV crew, Tony!”
“Right Boss!”
While the NCIS agent secured Rover One’s occupants, Mac and Shark Two stormed the farm house, looking for Sergeant Witt.
************************
...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27
Mac went in high and Gunny went in low as they broke open the bullet riddled door.
“Clear!” Gunny called out to the rest of the team.
Kayce and Ryan Burke moved into the interior of the house. Even in the gloom of the unlit interior they could see how much damage it suffered.
“Clear!” Burke yelled back to Mac and Gunny.
Kayce motioned with her hand that she was going to the back room.
Ryan nodded his head and aimed his rifle to cover her entrance into the room.
She cautiously moved past the open door and into the back room.
It took her a moment to adjust to the shafts of light filtering into the gloom. As her eyes became accustomed, she could see Sergeant Frank Witt’s body sprawled on the floor. Witt had a faint look of surprise on his face, probably because of what he saw just before the bullet that made that ugly hole in his forehead.
Kayce’s eyes searched what she could now see was a bullet scarred room. Like the rest of the house, it was in shambles. However, Witt’s radio was surprisingly intact.
(Sergeant Saunders and Corporal Day obviously forgot the radio equipment when they tried to bug out--) She was pulled away from her assessment by the sound of Mac and Gunny entering the house.
“Colonel! In here!!”
Kayce pointed to the secure radio set as the JAG Light Colonel entered the room. Mac winced when she saw Witt’s body.
“Eagle 21 to Eagle squadron; one minute to target…”
Mac’s heart leapt when she heard Harm’s faint voice coming from the radio’s headset. She quickly walked over and picked up the radio mike and pressed the push-to-talk button.
The voices on the headset continued as she put them on…
“Tally Ho! I’ve got a SCUD TEL ready to launch – 11 o’clock low!!”
All the pent up fear and worry that had been with Mac since this ordeal began boiled out of her.
“Eagle squadron! This is Sierra Six Mike actual! Abort! Abort!! Those SCUDS are armed with hydrogen cyanide!!”
The voices on the other end didn’t seem bothered by her dire report.
“In your back pocket, Hammer…”
“Eagle 21 is in…”
Mac didn’t understand. She had depressed the push-to-talk button and spoke into the receiver. She checked the mike was plugged into the unit – it was. She tried again. She had to get through!
“Eagle 21! This is Sierra Six Mike actual! The SCUDs are carrying hydrogen cyanide!! Abort!! Abort!!”
Operation King Cobra D-Day+? hours
Approaching Objective India
Harm watched as Objective India grew larger in his sights. The recon photographs from the LATIRN flights and diagrams didn’t do the fortification justice. He remembered from the briefing that the squat triangular battalion defensive position was supposed to be part of a larger divisional position for defending the al Nasiriyah area during the war with Iran. However after the Iranian invasion of Basra failed, resources were diverted elsewhere and a single battalion defensive area was the only part that had been built.
The aviator/lawyer could see two MAZ-543P 9M117M1 mobile missile launchers parked in horseshoe shaped positions and just behind them were two armed ZIL-135L4 rocket trucks parked in similar armored vehicle revetments. They were the center of the cobbled together juggernaut consisting of OT-64 armored personnel carriers and TR-77 tanks that were positioned at the three points of the defensive area.
While it wasn’t a battalion’s worth of vehicles, al-Sahood had marshaled a sizeable force; and with the added punch from the missile and rocket launchers, this was now a formidable force. Captain Ingles had been right. They had been busy little beavers.
“Supergirl cover my six!”
“Got’cha covered Hammer!!”
*~*
Another voice came over Mac’s headset. “Tally Ho, I’ve got a second SCUD TEL ready to launch at one o’clock low!”
Harm’s voice came back on again. “Engaging now…weapons free!!
Over Objective India
As Eagle 21 zeroed in on the SCUD launcher, he flipped the pickle switch on his cockpit instrument panel, releasing the bombs from their mounts. The laser guided 1,000 and 2,000 pound bombs sailed free of their mounts and controlled by Harm’s Radar Intercept Officer, headed toward their target.
One 2,000 pound bomb fell short, ripping the right tread off a TR-77 tank sitting in the forward triangular company position. The concussive force from the bomb and its shrapnel did the rest, knocking the tank out of action before it even had a chance to participate in the battle.
Harm’s two other bombs found their target.
Mulazim [1st Lieutenant] Ahmed watched in terrified disbelief as the two laser guided American bombs headed straight towards him (Where are our anti-aircraft guns and missiles?) was his last coherent thought as the bombs ripped into his MAZ truck and it’s tactical missile. The resulting explosion obliterated Faruk Ahmed and his vehicle.
Supergirl in Eagle 22 toggled her pickle switch and four more Mark 84s headed to their target – the second eight wheeled MAZ truck which was now trying to get its stalled engine restarted. Before the crew could flee, four laser guided bombs immolated the truck and its missile.
Next ‘Rhino’ in Eagle 31 walked a line of 20 millimeter shells into two rebuilt engineering vehicles that had been parked next to the tank that Harm had just destroyed. Mulazim Aly leapt from his turret hatch as 20mm cannon shells ripped into the T-55 BTU bulldozer tank and then tore into the rebuilt front armor of the T-62 KMT-6 mine clearing tank that was just behind him. Rhino kept his finger on the trigger as he sailed past the two exploding SCUDs, ripping jagged lines across an OT-64 infantry carrier that was trying to escape the carnage and tearing a GAZ jeep to pieces.
Flying Cloud in Eagle 32 dropped three CBU [cluster bombs] over his target, the first FROG-7 rocket launcher. The three canisters seemed to open simultaneously, showering the eight wheel ZIL-135L4 all terrain truck with bomblets. The mobile rocket launcher and its crew disappeared in a cloud of smoke and flame.
Diana ‘Sweet Cheeks’ Schaffer in Eagle 33 and Ben ‘Wolfie’ Walsh in Eagle 34 fired their remaining 5.00mm rockets at the second ZIL truck. As it detonated, the ZIL truck with the crane assembly and three extra Luna R-75 rockets, caught fire and exploded because of its close proximity to Sweet Cheek’s and Wolfie’s target.
With the main targets destroyed, the rest of the ‘Raptors’ pounced on the remains of Sahood’s assembled assault force.
Safe in his reinforced bunker, Ra’id [Captain] al Bazz bowed his head as the concussive explosions continued. He hoped Faruk would be rewarded in paradise for his sacrifice [even if it was misguided] and he would make sure that those responsible paid for his death.
*~*
Mac had to use every bit of her self control to keep from picking up the radio and smashing it to bits against the wall – she wanted to scream; she wanted to hit something. There was nothing she could do to stop the gas cloud that would soon envelop Harm and the others and they would all be dead.
“Eagle 43 pulling out…”
“Good hit Eagle 44…”
In a brief moment of clarity, she realized the rest of VF-218 was making their run without incident. (What had happened to the gas cloud?)
Kayce, knowing that the Colonel was extremely worried about Commander Rabb, was not sure what to do next. The JAG Corps Officer couldn’t get through to the Commander no matter how hard she tried. She could see that Mac had a death grip on the microphone – she glanced at Burke and he nodded his agreement—maybe they could find the problem. Without looking at Mac, she began examining the radio with Burke. After a few moments Kayce found the source of radio’s malfunction.
“They can’t hear you, ma’am,” she replied as gently as she could given Mac’s agitated state as she eased the radio mike from her hand, “because Sergeant Saunders and Corporal Day sabotaged the radio…”
Mac nodded when she heard that. The fact that the trucks Harm and his squadron had destroyed were not armed with HCN was a tiny bit of good news, but it also meant that Sahood’s missiles were still somewhere out there even if he didn’t have launchers for them. Now added to that knowledge was that her only connection with Harm was useless. She couldn’t take much more of this.
“Corporal Day would like to help fix that, Colonel…”
Mac gathered herself, turned and saw a thoroughly defeated Bruce Day being hustled into the room by Corporals Logan and Calapango.
“He had this in his breast pocket ma’am.” Luke Calapango stated.
Logan handed the circuit card to Mac.
“I can put that back in, ma’am,” Burke volunteered. He had only known the Colonel for short time, but he wanted to help in any way he could.
Victor moved closer to Mac…he was the only one in the room who really knew her and could tell just how drained the Light Colonel really was. He wanted to tell her it would be okay, but he knew things were far from okay right now. “Get to it, Petty Officer” he ordered.
“Aye, aye, Gunny,”
Burke took the circuit board and began working to open an access panel on the front of the unit. In the meantime the radio reports from pilots of VF-218 continued.
“Eagle 54 to Eagle 21 – the strikes look good…”
“Tell the Colonel what you told us…” Luke Calapango said in a threatening tone to Day. Logan moved into Corporal Day’s personal space.
Bruce Day, though, wasn’t about to tell this lady JAG anything. Despite the screw-ups, everything was going according to plan just like Darcy said it would.
“If he won’t tell you what you need to know, I’m sure these two will, Colonel…”
Everyone in the room turned to see the smiling uniformed NCIS Agent, Tony DiNozzo, hustling Corporal Jay Raden and Lance Corporal John Pogue into the room.
“C’mon guys; now tell the Colonel here what you told me…” he said in sing song voice to the two handcuffed men.
When they didn’t respond, Tony twisted their handcuffed arms, causing both men to wince.
“C’mon…tell her…” he prodded in that same sing song tone.
“E-Eagle squadron hit dummy launchers, Colonel…” Jay blurted out. He avoided looking at Corporal Day, who could have burned holes in his shirt with his angry glare.
“Decoys, ma’am they hit decoys…” Pogue added quickly. He was glad to tell Colonel MacKenzie this info. Maybe she could stop this madness. “The real missiles—that is, the live ones—and their trucks are still underground…”
“Underground?” Victor demanded before Mac could say anything. “What do you mean, Corporal?”
Jay spoke up before John could finish. “They have them stored in underground bunkers—underneath the battalion defensive position—Objective India, Colonel.”
If Day had a gun at that moment in time, he would have killed everyone in the room. But he was handcuffed and the two Recon troopers holding him each had him tight by the arms. No, the only thing he was going to do was endure a trip to Charleston or worse, Gitmo.
“I got it Colonel!” Ryan Burke announced triumphantly to everyone assembled in the room. Day felt sick to his stomach. Jay kept his head down, not wanting to look at anyone. John Pogue was relieved.
Mac took the mike away from Kayce.
“Eagle 21, this is Sierra Six Mike actual, do you read?”
“Sierra—Sierra Six Mike actual, this is Eagle 21…go ahead….” Harm sounded startled to hear her voice. Maybe it was because he hadn’t expected to hear from her.
“Eagle, you have hit dummy targets, repeat; you have hit dummy targets! Harm, your real objective – the real SCUDs- are still in their underground garages! They are carrying hydrogen cyanide which has to be neutralized first!!”
“What are you saying, Mac?” Harm and Mac had just broken combat radio protocol and probably a dozen other regulations with their communication, but it showed just how astounded Harm was by her revelation and how relieved she was that she was able to warn him. She could imagine that the rest of the Raptors were just as bewildered by her announcement. Soon though, they would come to the same conclusion. There weren’t any refueling vehicles at Objective India or any radar trucks present – only a few command vehicles, the launchers and one truck with extra rockets. The Raptors had just helped Samir al-Sahood get rid of some excess baggage in a very public way.
The Light Colonel knew that her next words would most likely send his knight in shining armor gene into overdrive. “I’m saying we’ll neutralize the weapons, and then you can take out the launchers….”
“What about you, Mac?” If these violations continued, he could arrest himself when he landed on the Patrick Henry. It was dumb of him to break protocol like that, but then if he hadn’t she probably would have. Still, for a wonder, he didn’t tell her not to do it. But they both knew why. It was because of what was at stake.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get clear…” she reassured him. It was a weak thin promise that probably would dry up and blow away if stared at too hard. But it was all she had to give him.
“Read you loud and clear Sierra Six Mike actual,” Harm said stoically, “Wait one…”
Harm hurriedly switched frequencies. Pete wanted to ask about what just took place but decided he could ask later.
“Talil Air Base, Talil Air Base; this is Eagle 21—we need to rearm to complete our attack on Objective India! Can you comply? Over.”
There was a pregnant pause followed by a slightly sarcastic voice. “Talil Air Base to Eagle 21; we need more information on why you need to re-arm –you are the vanguard of an Alpha Strike which should be able to eliminate the target….”
Despite the tone, it was a logical request and the aviator/lawyer had a perfectly logical reason for his request.
“Talil Air Base; Marine and Navy recon has discovered the SCUD launchers we hit were decoys…the real launchers will be brought out soon, carrying missiles loaded with hydrogen cyanide. Recon can neutralize the cyanide, but we need to hit those launchers again before they can be reloaded….” Then Harm made an educated guess. “Recon says that the SCUD launchers won’t come out of hiding until after the Alpha Strike, over.”
Harm could hear voices conferring in the background [most likely about the arrival time for the other members of the Alpha Strike and the arrival times for the B-1s and B-52s from Diego Gracia]. This was followed by a few choice expletives traded back and forth by the controllers and their senior officers over the open mike.
It was evident that the news of this nasty surprise had caught them off guard.
After a moment, the flight controller came back “Talil Air Base to Eagle 21; we read you loud and clear and will have your ordnance ready and waiting; come and get it!”
Harm smirked and shook his head at what took place. “Eagle 21 to Talill Air Base; our thanks and roger wilco, we’re on our way. Eagle out.”
“Roger Eagle; Talil Air Base out.”
Harm switched back to Mac’s frequency.
“Sierra Six Mike actual; we’re headed to Talil Air Base to refuel and rearm; you’ve got that much time to take out those missiles--”
Don Burges stuck his head in the door. “Tell the Colonel Hatchet 07 has arrived…”
Mac checked her internal clock. That would give them just enough time to fly in, neutralize the HCN and then fly out again. “Understood Eagle 21, Sierra Six Mike --”
Harm wasn’t about to let his Marine go that easily. “Mac…please be careful--!”
Mac closed her eyes and smiled. He knew he couldn’t stop her, but he just had to say that. In the past she would have said ‘I’m a Marine, Harm’ but she knew what he meant this time. They couldn’t exchange ‘I love yous’ at the moment.
“Always Harm; you too…Sierra Six Mike actual, out.”
Mac and the others headed out of the farm house out into the open. Hatchet 07 was kicking up quite a sandstorm. She noticed that the Cobras were maintaining a presence high aloft.
“Gunny!” She barked over the thumping of the MH-53’s rotors. “You, Commander May and the others find Captain Lewis and Colonel Livingston! We’ll join you as soon as we finish at Objective India!!”
Gunny was torn. She could see he wanted to go with her. “There’s a good chance they’ll kill you, ma’am!”
She understood what he was telling her, but she also knew they had few options left at this point. “We have to stop al-Sahood, Gunny! I need you and Commander May to get Colonel Livingston!!”
“Understood ma’am!” He turned to the Shark 2/3. “Recon Marines! You heard the Colonel, let’s mount up and find Livingston!!”
While Gunny conferred with Commander May, Hatchet 07’s Crew Chief, Mark Feldman, dropped a length of rope with loops better known as Special procedure infiltration-extraction system (SPIES). Mac turned to Don.
“We figured that this was the fastest way to get you into that defensive position, Colonel!” Don explained.
Sergeant Williams nodded to her. She nodded back, acknowledging his help. “Thanks Corporal!” She said to Don.
“Go get’em, ma’am!”
As the rope hit the ground, Mac turned to Kayce and the other who were exiting the farm house. “Dallas! Bradenton! Danvers! Bledsoe! Burke! Form up on me and get hooked in! We’re going to have to stop those missiles ourselves!!”
Arnold Bledsoe verbalized what they all felt. “Lead the way, ma’am!”
As Mac and the others got themselves strapped in, Gunny ran over and made sure she was hooked in tight. “Good luck, ma’am; your fruit salads’ gonna become mighty colorful after this scrap!!”
Mac gave him a bright smile. “And you may earn those Master Guns stripes yet, Gunny!!”
He nodded. “Give ‘em hell, Colonel! Semper Fi ma’am!!”
“Semper Fi, Gunny!!” She yelled up to Feldman and CWO Guzman. “Okay! Let’s go!!”
Hatchet 07 lifted into the sky carrying Mac’s team and headed northeast.
*~*
Faith could see why so many women who met Andrew Baxter were impressed with him…on more than one level. It was similar to the same kind of effect that Special Agent Gibbs had on women as well – herself included--she reluctantly admitted.
Under the Lieutenant Colonel’s leadership, GATORFORC E had plowed its way through two insurgent positions with minimal casualties. The malaise that had gripped the 36th MEU was gone. They were an effective fighting unit again.
And secretly, she had been rooting for Harmon Rabb, jr. as well. To the outside world she had to present that cool lawyer façade, but inside, she cheered when the Commander had his squadron rake those insurgent positions before heading on to Objective India.
She wanted so badly to contact Major McBurney and gloat about how well her client was doing and what an asset he was to the Navy and that she certainly was thankful that the Major hadn’t won in court. Not that he ever would have.
She didn’t know why she wanted to needle him. After all, he had been a big help back at NCIS Headquarters working with that Goth Forensic Specialist Sciuto. She wondered if he had asked Ms. Sciuto out – he had certainly told her that he was going to do it. And she still didn’t understand why that bothered her.
“Commander Coleman?” Sergeant Dewert stuck his head outside of Baxter’s AMTRAC.
“Yes Sergeant?” She turned away from the mop-up operations that were just about completed.
“Captain Seranovitch from Oriskany Expeditionary Strike Group would like to speak with you, ma’am.”
“Thank you Sergeant,”
Dewert lead her inside the AMTRAC and gave her the radio mike which she refrained from wiping off with a towelette, but it took all of her self control not to do so. She definitely preferred working stateside.
“This is Commander Coleman….”
Faith could hear the whine of the helicopter’s engine in the background as the Oriskany SJA talked. “Commander, this is Captain Seranovitch; I’ve been tasked with coordination between your JAG/NCIS team on the ground and the Senior SJA in Iraq, Colonel Cresswell.”
If Gibbs were here, he would correct her by saying ‘that’s NCIS/JAG team’ she thought, smirking to herself. The Captain’s news meant that there was fundamental shift in the way Central Command was handling the situation with Colonel Livingston.
“I thought you were in charge of rules of engagement for the Marine air support,”
“I wear many hats Commander,” Faith could swear she heard the wryness in her voice. “Where is Special Agent Gibbs?”
“Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo are tracking Corporal Jay Raden, a mole for Colonel Livingston.”
“Isn’t Raden part of Staff Sergeant Fuller’s LAV platoon?” The Captain was obviously confused by her comment.
Faith sighed. “He was, until he and his LAV crew went UA and tried to kill a CAAT team.” The JAG Corps officer replied dryly.
“Geez; just how much of 36th has been compromised by her, Commander?”
“That’s unknown at this point. Colonel MacKenzie is undercover in Livingston’s unit trying to find out….”
“Any word from her?” The Captain’s tone was almost demanding. Faith Coleman decided to let it slide – this time.
“None, other than official radio traffic with Colonel Baxter.” The JAG – NCIS liaison knew this wouldn’t sit well with the Captain either….
“So she’s deep cover…” Seranovitch said more to herself than to Faith.
“At this moment, yes.”
“Geez…”
Her comment was not lost on Faith. “Yes, that would pretty accurately sum up the situation at this moment, Captain…”
*~*
As soon as they left Gibbs, Gunny and the others behind, Captain Casey began flying Hatchet 07 as low as he dared go with Mac and her squad on the SPIES rope.
It was not the easiest way to fly, but it was the fastest. Mac looked down; Staff Sergeant Dallas was on the loop below hers and Kayce was below Dallas, followed by Bradenton, Burke, and Bledsoe.
From her position talking, or even shouting, was futile. But she could tap Dallas with her foot and give him hand signals that he could they relay to the others.
On board the PaveLow, Captain Casey was getting an update from his contact. “Chloe talk to me; did Eagle squadron give a strike damage assessment on Objective India?”
“Affirmative ‘Jack’,” replied the 36th MEU radio officer “BDA(Battle Damage Assessment) indicates Objective India’s AA assets are temporarily disrupted, you’ve probably got a window of 10 to 15 minutes before they get them back into action….”
They had come up with the code name when the helo was assigned to the 36th MEU. Both were avid fans of ‘24’ when they got to see it and Don bore a striking resemblance to Keifer Sutherland.
Don traded glances with co-pilot. “Chloe says we have a window of 10 to 15 minutes to drop the Colonel and her squad on near Objective India, Sal”
Sal shook his head. He didn’t like this one bit. “That’s cutting it pretty close, Don…”
Don nodded while he adjusted the height of the big Special Ops bird. “I know; but we don’t have much choice and neither does the Colonel and her troops, Sal.”
The MH-53M co-pilot sighed and then toggled his radio switch “Jankovitch to gun crews; approaching Objective India, get ready to go hot…”
Operation King Cobra D-Day + ? hours
Talil Air Base
Near al Nasiriyah, Iraq
The last of the Raptors touched down at the former Iraqi Air Force Base. Harm watched as ground crews in pickup trucks, tanker trucks, HMMWVs and other assorted vehicles rushed out to the taxiing Navy fighter bombers.
“Stay in your cockpits, Eagles; we’re only here long enough to get fueled and re-armed,” Harm reminded his squadron.
“Hey Hammer, we’ve got an audience…” Pete reported.
Harm looked over to his right. At the edge of the runway he could see both Australian and Romanian enlisted personnel gawking at the Tomcats and maelstrom of air force swirling around the aircraft. When officers and senior NCOs came over to berate them, Harm idly wondered if Brumby was among those watching….
*~*
Mac’s last glimpse of Objective India had been through her binoculars just before Darcy had captured her and Kayce. What she saw now looked totally different – fires were burning in various parts of the defensive position; burnt and twisted metal that used to be tanks and other armored vehicles were still smoldering, sending up clouds of dark oily smoke.
Men were running back and forth between damaged vehicles and the underground bunkers, and many more of Sahood’s men were strewn throughout the fortification – dead. (Could they have been caught this badly unprepared?) she wondered.
Hatchet 07 slowed and lowered Mac’s team on the back side of a large hillock near a gaping hole in the battalion defensive position. Each member of her team unhooked themselves and took up positions adjacent to the seemingly badly battered fortress.
When the looped SPIES rope had been pulled back into the big MH-53 helo, it turned around headed at top speed to the southeast, leaving Mac and her team alone.
“Man, they plastered it good…” Arnie Bledsoe said looking up at the heavy smoke that was billowing up and over the top of the dirt and rock berm.
Sergeant Bradenton nodded. “It sure looks that way, Bledsoe; Colonel?”
Mac was also scanning the berm and the hole that had been torn in it. “We’ll find out more when we get inside. Cover your faces so they can’t tell who we are. In all this confusion we might get lucky and they’ll think we’re on their side….”
The Light Colonel turned to the SEAL. “How much time before the next wave of fighter bombers, Burke?”
“They should be inbound now, ma’am…” Ryan Burke replied, “This will be the second strike force from Patrick Henry which will then be followed by strikes by Reprisal and SeaHawk.”
The JAG Corps Colonel and the Staff Sergeant shared a look. Mark Dallas started to get up. “Then we don’t have a lot of time--Burke, Danvers; stay with the Colonel! Bledsoe, Bradenton, come with me!”
Staff Sergeant Dallas lead Al Bradenton and Arnie Bledsoe to the base of the fortification. They made their way to the yawning gap in the fortification’s walls made by the Raptors’ bombs. After carefully checking for anyone watching them, Dallas motioned for Mac, Kayce and Burke to join them.
Mac looked up at the crumbling sides of the fortification when she and the others joined Dallas, Bradenton and Bledsoe. The bombs had ripped a large gash which could collapse in on itself at any moment in the fortification’s side.
“The first bunker is right over there, ma’am” Mark said, trying not to let his voice carry.
“Okay, bounding overwatch by twos to the bunker entrance; don’t make it too obvious…they might be on the lookout for infiltrators…”
---TBC...
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