| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 26c, part three - conclusion |
Author:
TxJAG_b
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 09:02:38 07/02/09 Thu
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 25d, part two - continued" on 16:25:09 01/08/09 Thu
And now the conclusion of 26c:
*~*
PO2 Jack Naldone click his talk button. “SPOTREP Commander! Spectre gunship heading toward Shark Two’s position! Should I wave him off?”
May clicked his talk button. “Negative Naldone. Let’s see what happens….”
*~*
The navigator of the Spectre gunship watched as his coordinates matched up with the ones given by the Force Recon team. “Keep her steady, Skip; standby Fire Control…”
Both Lea and Aimee were looking through their night vision devices. “Scanning for tango…got her!” Sang out Lea. “11 o’clock low! Illum operator, sparkle target…”
“Roger Cap’n; sparkling target now!”
*~*
Mac and the others watched as the Spectre gunship bathed the OT-64 in a bright white light.
*~*
Commander May barked into his radio. “He’s spotted the insurgents and he’s getting ready to open fire! Everyone hit the deck!!”
*~*
“Target identified! Fire Control and Navigator; confirm target…”
“Target confirmed, Skipper! Setting Master Arm to live!”
“Dust Devil One to Shark Two; we have target in sight…engaging now….”
*~*
The Force Recon Marines of Shark Two watched as the big AC-130 began its slow circular pattern over the armored vehicle. The roar of the plane’s Gatling guns punctuated by the boom of its 105 millimeter cannon filled the early morning air. Palm fronds sifted down from the date trees shattered canopy as the Spectres’ armament tore away at the protective covering of the trees and perforated the armored skin of the eight-wheeled vehicle. The ground around the armored personnel carrier seemed to come alive, leaping into the air in great gouts of sand and loose soil as the gunship continued its assault.
Its armor holed and reinforced tires flattened, sparks flashed as bullets and large caliber projectiles ricocheted off the hapless truck. As Dust Devil One swung around to complete its airborne circle, gasoline from the OT-64’s shattered fuel lines combined with hot leaking oil from the riddled engine.
Small flames, ignited by sparks coming from reflected rounds mixing with the two volatile liquids spurting from the ruined vehicle, began to grow. They rapidly began to eat away at the shattered engine compartment.
The mortally wounded truck crew and its complement of dead and dying Fedayeen could only watch helplessly as the flames reached the carrier’s crew served weapon, it’s stored ammunition and the Fedayeen’s mixed assortment of weapons, including packets of Semtex and C4 they had brought with them.
*~*
“Man look at that b1rd tear that tango apart!” Murmured Kayce as if in a hypnotic trance.
Mac had to admit the Spectre’s attack on the APC held a horrifying fascination.
*~*
The members of ‘Rat Patrol’ hunkered down in their hastily made positions as the Spectre wheeled around for another pass at its target.
*~*
Captain Brown looked through her HUD display in time to see a bright glow. The Weapons Officer at the same time watched on his infrared scope as a bright spot expanded from behind the conical weapons station on board the carrier until the spot engulfed the entire vehicle.
The explosion itself was lost in the roar of concentrated fire from the Spectre.
Lea held her hand up near her eyes to shield them from the glow. “Cease fire, cease fire, target destroyed…..”
*~*
As the huge gunship turned to complete its run, a flash was seen off its right wing.
“MANPAD! MANPAD!!” Sang out her co-pilot. “Got a launch off to my right, Skipper!”
Lea switched her radio back to Shark Two’s frequency. “Dust Devil One to Shark Mike Six Actual! We’re taking enemy anti-air!” “Fire off countermeasures!” she barked to her co-pilot.
“Firing off countermeasures!” Joshua yelled back.
A spreading trail of flares arced from the left and right sides of the gunship as she continued firing. The shoulder-fired SAM spiraled into one of the flares and detonated a safe distance from the gunship.
*~*
“Get out of there, Dust Devil One!” Mac shouted over the continuing roar of the exploding APC. “ Return to your station!”
Captain Brown and her crew were only too happy to comply. “Roger that, Shark Six Mike Actual, we’re outta here….!”
Mac, Kayce and the others watched as the Spectre gunship soared off into the night, chased by rifle and machinegun fire.
“There goes our close air support,” muttered Kayce.
“And there’s the reason why,” Mac said pointing at a Fedayeen soldier who had hopped out of a shallow depression where he had taken cover. “Some of the carrier’s crew must’ve gotten out before she was hit….”
The young Fedayeen soldier now was standing up to get a better shot at the receding AC-130.
Sean coolly aimed for the center of the man’s mass and fired. The Fedayeen soldier seemed to stumble, and in the process, dropped his missile launcher. He had obviously not had time to trigger it.
“That’ll teach him to hop out of his hole and shoot at our ground busting zoomie,” Kayce growled.
*~*
Carly Clemons had been in the Naval Historical Center when she received the call from Commander Mattoni to report to the Navy Yard.
As she walked up to the duty officer’s desk at the brig and showed her ID, she idly wondered why she had been called down here. The various bars around town were just getting wound up. It was still too early for this to be the result of any barroom brawl.
Her eyes flew open wide when she saw Admiral Chegwidden conferring with Commander Mattoni. Whatever it was, it was important enough for the Admiral to be here.
Carly marched right up to the two officers and gave her best salute. “Major Clemons reporting as ordered, Commander.”
The Navy/Marine JAG turned to her. “Stand at ease, Major.”
“Aye sir.” She took a parade rest stance.
“Major, a little under an hour ago, Petty Officers Coates, Tiner and Sergeant Givers discovered two off duty Corporals prowling around in Lieutenant Porter’s office.”
“Petty theft sir?” She ventured. It was not unheard of that enlisted men had been found prowling around in ruins of JAG Corps Headquarters looking for things they could sell on the black market or EBay.
The Admiral quickly dispelled that thought. “Espionage Major; they were trying use the Lieutenant’s computer to break into JAG Headquarters’ central files.”
Carly couldn’t keep the astonishment from showing through her professional exterior. “Y-Yes Sir.” But an even bigger shock was waiting for her.
The Navy/Marine JAG gave her a steely look. “You and Lieutenant Commander Burford are going prosecute and I’m going to defend them.”
0455 Local
Somewhere north of Mirbullah, southeast of Shark Two’s Current Position
Rover platoon and its dismounted patrol teams cautiously made their way through the tangled underbrush. They were followed closely behind by soldiers from the Iraqi Army’s 403rd Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade.
1st Lt. Ralph Pope, leader of Rover Four’s squad, led them through the tall grass and shrubs. On his right, 2nd Lt. Owen Chapps lead his patrol team from Combined Anti-Armor Team 1. On his left were Na’ib Ali and his dismounted team staying close to their BRDM-2 armored car. To the right of Chapps, Rais Sadoon’s squad had just dismounted from their Soviet made MT-LB personnel carrier.
Both the American Marines and the Provisional Iraqi Army troops moved closer to the edge of the wooded area, looking for any signs of a possible ambush. The plowed fields ahead of them were silent.
Pope wiped the sweat out of his eyes. “Rover 4 alpha to Rover 4,”
“Rover 4, go.”
“Objective Iowa is quiet. Sending my teams deep.”
“Roger, Rover 4 alpha, out.”
Na’ib Omar Ali made a signal to Pope and Chapps. He been on the other side, with the Saddam Fedayeen and Iraqi Army regulars, waiting for the advancing Americans just a few short months ago, so he knew the Fedayeen were dug in and waiting for them. All they had to do was make one slip-up and Saddam’s Own would let them know they were here.
Ali motioned for his driver to stop. On their far side Rais Sadoon did the same. This was now a game of inches. Whoever revealed themselves first would instigate this coming battle.
“Rover two alpha to Rover four alpha,”
“Four alpha, go.”
Ralph examined where they were standing.
“We’re at the tree-line,” reported Corporal Falls, patrol leader for Rover 2. “There’s crop field at 12 o’clock. Zero bandits.”
“Roger two alpha; same here. We’re setting up house now. Out.”
Ralph Pope motioned to his men to get as close to the edge of the clearing as possible. Omar Ali urged his men to the do the same.
Suddenly there were a string of rifle reports followed by the tale-tale whoosh of an anti-tank guided missile being launched. As Lieutenant Pope and his men flattened to avoid being hit, the Marine Lieutenant saw the target the Fedayeen were trying to knock out--Sadoon’s APC had somehow been spotted. Nasir Sadoon had no choice but to fire back at his attackers with his vehicle’s heavy machine gun; hopefully he could suppress the missile launcher before the missile actually hit his carrier.
“Contact!” Sang out one of Pope’s Corporals who was acting as a spotter. “I’ve got three APCs armed with missiles 2000 meters out, hull down!”
(APC’s?!) Thought Pope. (Where the hell did these guys get personnel carriers armed with missiles?)
There was no more time to pontificate about who might have supplied these guys with armored vehicles; they had to knock them out now. If they didn’t these insurgents could hold up the whole outfit.
“Sergeant! Suppressive fire on APCs before they let loose with a volley of those missiles!”
“Aye, aye Lieutenant!”
Pope could see that Owen Chapps’ and Sadoon’s men must have come to the same conclusion because they were also returning fire.
*~*
Mac could hear the droning of several multiengine aircraft. She clicked her push to talk button. “Stallings! Are you in position?!”
“Aye ma’am!” he replied. “We’re good to go!”
As most eyes were turned to the dark sky, no one saw Tim Bullard as he shimmied underneath Willet’s pickup truck.
*~*
“Approaching the DZ, Cap’n,” called out Gill Basilone’s navigator.
Gill turned his KC-130, ‘Pelican 3’, toward the drop zone. “Carl, get ready to flip the lights to let the Chief and our guests know it’s time to leave.”
His co-pilot smiled and gave him a wink. “Aye, aye, Skipper.”
Gill’s co-pilot had always referred to him as ‘Skipper’ even though Gill was not even close to being ready to go before the promotion board. Guess being called ‘Skipper’ or ‘Captain’ came with being pilot. Gill hoped that the Sergeant got that note to Special Agent Gibbs. They were getting very close to the drop zone and he had a feeling that this time, he wasn’t going to make it back.
He looked over at the oil pressure gauge. He and Carl had been taking turns watching it since they took off. Pelican 3 had always been a little twitchy when it came to oil pressure. Now Gill could see the gauge was doing just what he expected. It was climbing into the red zone. Good. It gave him the excuse he needed.
“Flipping the switch.” Carl reported.
He had hoped against hope that he wouldn’t have to resort to this, but he knew Darcy and her cronies didn’t like loose ends and Gill felt like a loose end.
*~*
Mac heard the first two Hercules transport planes high overhead while the third swooped low on a LAPES run and deposited three large palletized containers. She looked through her binoculars to see parachutes blossoming in the night sky.
“Here they come,” Victor said as the parachuting Force Recon Marines floated toward the earth.
*~*
“Ah dammit…! Gill swore softly but loud enough for his co-pilot to hear.
Carl leaned over and looked Gill’s gauges. “What is it Skipper?”
“This oil light again….”
Carl tried to get a better look. “Is it bad?”
Gill tapped the gauge to indicate he was checking to see if it was faulty. It wasn’t. “Creeping into the red zone…”
“Are we going to make it back?”
“Can’t tell you right now; just make sure all of the Colonel’s men get clear!”
“Aye, aye, Skipper” Carl said tersely.
*~*
Brad May watched as one of the high altitude KC-130s began to decrease its height.
Master Chief Coskill could see the plane was obviously dipping lower. “What’s he doing?”
“I’m not sure….” Replied the SEAL CO honestly.
*~*
Rais Nasir Sadoon only had seconds to make his decision. Whichever way he bailed out, he was probably going to be badly injured. Saying a quick prayer to Allah, Sadoon then leapt out his commander’s hatch and into the dense underbrush on right side of his carrier.
The Malyuka, or Sagger, missile, thrown off course by Sadoon’s machinegun fire, dived into a brace of trees directly in front of the MT-LB carrier. The resulting explosion obliterated the trees and bushes directly in front of the APC, but they did not prevent the shock wave and vegetation debris from breaking the carrier’s tracks’ by shearing off their link pins. The carrier chassis itself heaved up and down like a boat riding a wave. As it crashed back down to the ground, the fuel lines in the carrier snapped and errant sparks set the jumbled interior aflame.
“Green One took a hit!” Yelped Chapps over his radio. Ralph could see the MT-LB was already smoking. A tongue of flame appeared in the empty commander’s hatch.
The insurgent gunfire increased in intensity.
“Where’s Nasir?!” Rover 4’s patrol leader snapped.
“Got him, sir!” Called out the Corpsman, “He bailed out just before the missile hit!”
*~*
Pelican 3 continued its shallow dive over the drop zone.
Mac and the others watched transfixed as the plane’s altitude sank.
“What is he doing?” Kayce said, vocalizing what everyone else was thinking.
“He’s in trouble,” Mac said tersely as three more parachutes billowed out from behind the plane.
*~*
Gill had just succeeded in getting Carl and the others to bail out, and just in time. The warning buzzer came on. Gill knew that ‘Pelican 3’ was a big fat target now for any insurgent brave enough to take a shot. He could imagine Darcy smiling at this turn of events. If he was really lucky, he could pancake this old girl onto the desert floor and walk away. But he knew Darcy would never allow that.
Gill Basilone could do little with Pelican 3 now, he just had to hope the insurgents didn’t get a lucky shot and if they did, that it would be over with quickly.
He never saw the SA-7 Grail missile headed for the body of his aircraft.
*~*
Sean fired at the second insurgent who had popped up with a portable surface to air missile launcher, but it was too late. The missile had been fired and it seemed to only take seconds for it to slam into Pelican 3. The resulting explosion opened the side of the floundering KC-130.
Trailing smoke, flame and debris, Pelican 3 roared low over the drop zone then slammed into a slight rise in a hellish explosion. A fireball rose into the early morning sky, marking the passing of Marine 1st Lieutenant Gill Basilone and the KC-130 aircraft known as Pelican 3.
Mac and other members of Shark Two stood dumbfounded in the nightmarish light caused by the burning aircraft.
“Holy Mother--”
“Son of a---”
Mac couldn’t concentrate on what the other Force Recon Marines were saying. Her eyes blurred with tears. Darcy D’Acerville Livingston had just claimed another life. The Marine JAG Corps attorney had to make sure that, this was the last. She barked into her radio on an open channel.
“Shark Mike Six Actual to Pelicans! Get out of here! Now!! We’ll help Shark One and Shark Three!”
The Light Colonel didn’t wait to hear their responses. She switched her radio back to the local net.
“Shark Mike Six Actual to Shark Two elements! Recover surviving personnel from Shark One and Shark Three!!”
She looked at Kayce. No further words needed to be said. Shark Two’s Recon Marines began fanning out to assist the men Shark One and Shark Three as they began to land.
*~*
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” was all Master Chief Coskill could say. SEAL Commander Brad May was stunned too at first, but as the fireball rose higher into the sky, he swung into action.
“May to Rat Patrol, recover all air crew from Pelican 3! Do not let them fall into Colonel Livingston’s hands!”
Members of SEAL TEAM ‘Rat Patrol’ moved out of their positions to recover the KC-130 crewmen that were landing all around them.
*~*
Darcy had watched the KC-130 pancake into the low rise. She was glad that insurgent had taken care of Gill for her. She would have so hated to have to send Jac to tidy up another mess. Seeing the plane explode gave her a rush like she hadn’t felt since Carlson Ebbits was killed. Usually, she didn’t feel anything but there was something about Gill’s death that was…satisfying and relief…she felt relief.
She wondered how long it would take before forensic teams discovered there were other bodies on board Pelican 3 with ole Gill. Sergeant Gonsalves had killed members of Shark One who knew too much and were unreliable. Everyone else who parachuted out of the plane was either ignorant of their plans or ready do as she said. It was a shame that what was left of Gill’s crew had been able to bail out. If only Gonsalves could have killed them like he did the KC-130’s crew chief. Oh well, not to worry, the Saddam Fedayeen on the ground would get them.
Now she had to psych herself up to play the shocked leader. Oh these poor men, their horrible deaths, it was awful, but they were Force Recon Marines, and they would do their duty. All she had to do now was make sure MacKenzie was still on her side, she’d hate to have to kill her….
*~*
Jac carefully covered PFC Alton’s body. Shark Three’s forward observer had not realized that his parachute had been ‘damaged’ before he left the plane. Alton had fooled Gonsalves into thinking he was dead, but not him. Captain Lewis had taken the precaution of sabotaging Alton’s parachute before they had taken off. Luckily Alton had not discovered the tears until it was too late.
“Is that Alton?” Jacques turned to see 1st Lieutenant Bart Skinner, CO of Shark Three, standing there. He had obviously witnessed the Captain burying PFC Alton. That was okay, though, because if Jac hadn’t killed him, Skinner was supposed to.
Jac put the finishing touches on the grave. It was deeper than Rathum’s had been. This time there wouldn’t be any discoveries made. Jac gave Bart a sly smile. “It *was* Alton. Looks like I’m your new Forward Observer, Lieutenant.”
*~*
“Say again Pelican 2,” Andrew Baxter listened intently to the report as it came in. Faith Coleman and Bud Roberts studied the 36th MEU XO’s solemn facial expression. The two JAG Corps attorneys shared a look. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good news.
“Understood 2, get back to base, Gatorforce Leader, out.” Andrew handed radio mike back to the vehicle commander and turned toward the two attorneys. “That was the XO for the drop plane section. It’s leader was shot down by an insurgent armed with a SAM--”
The vehicle commander, Sergeant Dewert tapped the Executive Officer of the BLT on the shoulder. “Uh, Colonel, sorry to interrupt, sir, but it’s Staff Sergeant Fuller. He needs to speak with you.”
“Excuse me a moment,” he said to the JAG attorneys and then took the radio-telephone mike. “This is Gatorforce Leader, go….”
Bud could hear a strained voice and guessed it was Rover Leader. “Hang tight Leader,” Baxter said tersely, “the Sluggers should be there shortly. Out.”
“Sluggers sir?” Faith asked. She knew it had to be some sort of code.
Baxter politely held up a finger. “Just a minute, Commander…Gatorforce Leader to Slugger Leader, Slugger Leader, do you copy?”
Again a tinny voice could be heard over Baxter’s muffled receiver. “Rovers need big brother; pull out all stops, Over.” Colonel Baxter’s voice was tight.
“The recon unit must’ve run into something,” Bud murmured to Faith.
“Don’t have they have the firepower to handle an insurgent roadblock?” Faith Coleman asked innocently. She had no idea if they did or not. But it seemed to her that typical LAV unit should be able to easily handle this kind of obstacle.
Bud looked at her as if she had asked a final exam question. “Well, uh, usually, yes ma’am, they do--”
“But not in this case, Commander,” Baxter had turned the radio back over to Dewert. “The insurgents are entrenched on a farm just northwest of here. They appear to have anti-tank missiles--”
“They have anti-tank missiles?!” Faith blurted out then reigned in her next comment. “Begging your pardon, Colonel, but these don’t sound like some rag-tag, run of the mill insurgents.”
“You’re right, Commander,” Andrew said in a somewhat surly reply. “That’s why Lieutenant Borden’s tanks are getting involved.”
“I apologize Colonel,” Faith said in a complete change from her usual demeanor. Baxter nodded in acceptance. “With your permission, I need to inform Special Agent Gibbs about the situation.”
Baxter nodded and motioned for Dewert to hand her the radio mike, which he did somewhat reluctantly.
“Juliet 4 to November 1....”
*~*
Sergeant Lee Damato bent down into AMTRAC’s interior again. “Special Agent Gibbs? It’s for you.”
Gibbs, still holding onto Lieutenant Basilone’s statement, traded places with Tony and took the radio mike. “Go ahead Juliet 4….”
“Gibbs…there’s been another death.”
The silver haired NCIS Agent felt his throat tighten. “Who Commander?”
“A Gill Basilone,” Faith reported in her usual clinical manner. “1st Lieutenant; he was flying one of the transports carrying one of Colonel Livingston’s squads when he was shot down by a SAM.”
Gibbs looked down at Gill Basilone’s statement. (He knew she was onto him….) The Head of the Washington MCRT felt bile rising in his throat. Darcy Livingston had erased yet another life. This time, however, he had something, albeit thin, to tie her to his death.
“Gibbs? Are you still there?” He hadn’t realized Faith was still on the radio. Her voice had a tinge of concern in it.
“Find out all you can, Commander; and get to that wreckage as soon as it’s secured. Gibbs out.” He handed the mike back to the Sergeant.
Tony noticed the change in his Boss’s face. He also noticed Gibbs had a tighter grip on those papers he had been reading.
“What is it, Boss? What did she say?”
(I should have arrested her the first time we were here. It’s my fault she’s killed as many as she has…Sedrick was supposed to keep an eye on her….)
“Boss? Are you all right?”
Tony swore lightning flashed in Gibbs’ eyes as he looked at him. “I want these dirtbags, DiNozzo! I don’t care how many rules we break or how many people we tick off, I…*want*…*these*…*dirtbags*!!”
---TBC…
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 