| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 26f, part two - continued |
Author:
TxJAG_b
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 09:28:45 12/24/09 Thu
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 25d, part two - continued" on 16:25:09 01/08/09 Thu
Holiday Greetings - here is the last part of 26...next month; the final chapter of FMS...when we last left our heroes, bad guy Jay Raden was cussing the help provided by Colonel Baranova's gunships to GATORFORCE. We pick up from there...
*~*
JAVELIN 01 and 02 streaked downward toward the protective cover of the underbrush and Date palms firing their rockets at a target pointed out by the Polish Hind Commander.
The ground around the slit trench (and yet another previously undiscovered concrete bunker with an insurgent gun crew which had been firing a Kyle Sewett and Jay Raden’s LAVs) erupted in a shower of explosions.
As the smoke from the rocket attack began to clear, both Harriers streaked overhead, pulling out of their dives and heading for the early morning sun. Four elongated cases dropped loose from the planes as they soared back into clouds dotting the area. The cases wobbled and tumbled until they hit their targets. Upon impact they split open, spilling their contents – the result was a massive fireball which set the bunker and slit trench aflame. It only took moments for the superheated bunker to explode into shattered fragments. That explosion was matched by the detonation of a previously hidden OT-64 APC.
Evasive maneuvers! Tomaz Wawrzyniak snapped to his pilot as their Hind gunship skittered to the right, narrowly avoiding a chattering ZPU-4 anti-aircraft machine gun.
*~*
Smashing his way through the underbrush, engineering tank of Gunnery Sergeant Andrew Dyess, better known as Bulldog Three, approached Staff Sergeant Fuller’s position. He could see that Fuller’s LAVs and the Iraqi cohorts were being squeezed by the insurgents. Clearly these guys had well prepared positions. He was glad his CO, Hank Borden, had agreed to let him talk to the 4th Infantry divisional engineers. They were definitely going to need these ‘borrowed’ combat engineering vehicles.
2nd Lieutenant Hank Borden, riding in Slugger Four immediately behind Bulldog Three, looked up through a break on the canopy to watch as the Hind wheeled around and headed back toward the ZPU, Gatling guns blazing. He could also see the second Hind firing at another hidden target.
With the Poles providing Fuller’s LAVs with some much needed air support, Hank gambled that the insurgents would be too distracted to anticipate the Marines’ next move.
“Gunny!” Hank said barking into his CVC mike. “Time to show these guys what else we’ve got up our sleeves!!”
“You got it, Lieutenant!” Andrew switched his radio to the local vehicle net. “C’mon Al, let’s mow some grass!!”
*~*
Zack Fuller, NCOIC of Rover platoon, kept his vehicle’s FN 7.92mm machine gun rattling away, trying to keep the insurgents from launching another volley of Sagger missiles.
His crew was trying to clear a jam in the autocannon’s carousel gun carriage; otherwise the LAV would still be sending rounds into the identified trench line. Seeing that Fuller was in trouble, an Iraqi BRDM pulled up alongside and added its firepower. Zack was glad for the help.
“We’ve cleared the jam!” reported the LAV’s loader.
“Gunner! HE on the trench line! Don’t give’em a chance to raise their heads!!”
“Aye, aye, Staff Sergeant! On the way!!”
As Rover Four and Rover Two’s 25mm autocannons raked the trench line and fortifications in front of them, Zack could hear the thumping and crashing of falling vegetation to his rear. Not wanting to take his eyes off the enemy to his front, he ignored the commotion, hoping that the Iraqis would respond if it really was a threat.
If Zack had looked behind him, he would have seen a date palm sag to the right as a U.S. Army M-728 combat engineering vehicle bulldozed its way toward their current position. A little further down the way, an M-1A1 Abrams fitted with a plough-like device was knocking trees and underbrush aside.
The first indicator to Rover Four that the balance of power on this battlefield had changed was the throaty boom of the M-728’s 165mm demolition cannon followed by a responding concussive blast as Zack’s target disappeared in roiling cloud of smoke and fire.
Corporal Vandegrift in Rover Two was all smiles as the M-1A1 with its attached mineplow first fired on and then plowed the ground in front of it. This action was rewarded with an audible WHUMPF, as a hidden position known as a spider hole burst into flame.
One insurgent who tried to jump out the burning hole and attack this new American threat was swiftly cut down. Vandegrift could see it was combat engineer Gunny Daniel LeBlanc manning the fifty caliber machine gun on the mineplow tank. Not wasting a moment, LeBlanc directed his tank’s main gun toward the second fortification. The tank cannon’s roar was met with an equally loud bang as the fortification blew apart.
Despite these losses, the insurgents were not about to give up. Mortar fire began to pepper the ground around the M-728 and M-1A1 mineplow.
“Bulldog Three this is Warthog Three,” LeBlanc yelled over the exploding mortar rounds, “I can’t get a fix on where those mortars are coming from!”
Then another voice entered their radio net. “Warthog Three, Bulldog Three; this is Hind two. Your target is a house just left of the trench line. Most likely it’s hiding a blockhouse inside.”
Gunnery Sergeant Dyess ‘Bulldog Three’ looked to the left of the trench line and sure enough, he could see flashes emanating from the house’s ‘windows’. Then he looked up the Hind gunship as it passed overhead and keyed his radio. “Much obliged Hind Two, it sure is, thanks for the assist!”
Andrew Dyess yelled down to his gunner. “Rick! Target! Fortified house! Demolition round!”
The response was almost instantaneous. “On the way, Gunny!”
The house disintegrated as the 165mm round from the M-728 Engineering vehicle tore through the wooden framework then punched through the concrete reinforced blockhouse hidden inside the building. The explosion of the fortified house was joined by mortar rounds exploding all over the insurgent’s positions. Another OT-64 APC that had been moving toward the Marines’ position blew apart as several of the mortar rounds penetrated its thin top armor.
Lieutenant Dye’s mortars had finally arrived at the FEBA.
Cheers went up from the Iraqis and the Marine LAV soldiers.
Shark Two
The sound of the various truck engines filled the air around Mac’s group. “Safeties Off!” Master Guns Galindez barked to the remaining members of Shark Two.
The Light Colonel flipped her M-16 to semi-automatic. A pistol, even if it was a nine millimeter, would be useless in this kind of fight.
Mac got the surprise of her life as she watched a BRDM mounting a rack of Konkurs or Spandrel anti-tank missiles come up the road. It was flanked by two other BRDM’s – these were mounting two box-like structures on a pedestal above the body of the vehicles.
“Holy mother!” Yader’s hushed voice still betrayed his astonishment, “They’ve got a Spandrel anti-tank vehicle and two Gaskin anti-aircraft vehicles!”
“Steady Corpsman,” Master Guns Galindez said in a less than convincing voice. “They haven’t fired at us yet….”
“That’s because we’re supposed to be their friends!” Yader shot back sarcastically. Victor cut his eyes toward the young Corpsman, but didn’t respond.
Let’s show them how wrong they are, Corpsman!” the Light Colonel motioned to Recon Marines around her. “Concentrated fire! Master Guns! Plunging fire on those vehicles!!”
As one, the Marines opened fire on the unsuspecting approaching vehicles.
The BRDM mounting anti-tank missiles bucked to a stop as M-136 SMAW rocket drilled into the driver’s compartment and automatic fire bounced off its steel hide. A line of tracer rounds from the .50 caliber machine gun stitched up the side of truck until one of its armor piercing rounds found the exposed missiles.
As a throaty explosion enveloped that BRDM, the Gaskin truck to the left of it also coughed debris and flames as the Marines’ 60mm mortar rounds impacted on the box structures and roof of the armored truck.
The second Gaskin hastily reversed, barely escaping another SMAW round. Gunning its GAZ-41 V-8 engine, the Gaskin clawed its way up the hill, shaking off the small arms fire.
*~*
“Kayce! Get ready!” Barked Dallas.
Kayce Danvers had already steadied her breathing and slowly exhaled as the Gaskin armored truck rose into view.
As the vehicle filled her digital scope, she squeezed the trigger and felt the buck of her .50 caliber weapon.
The armor piercing round knocked a hole in the driver’s side of the vehicle, which began to swerve erratically. Not waiting for Corbin or Dallas to say anything else, she lined up the exposed side of the vehicle and fired again.
This time her round generated the same concussive blast that had obliterated the
BTR-70. In other words, the insurgents’ stored suicide vests and explosives had been hit.
As debris from the destroyed Gaskin rained down around them, Arnold Bledsoe gave voice to what everyone else was thinking. “Just what the hell are they carrying on these trucks!!?”
*~*
Jac Lewis watched with dark amusement as the second Gaskin blew apart. Darcy had told Samir that some sacrifices might have to be made to obtain the larger goal. He was pretty sure the al-Qaeda operative had not expected to lose two of his precious anti-aircraft vehicles.
But that was all part of the larger plan…intel for this operation had indicated the insurgents had a few vehicles, not a whole platoon. If a whole intact platoon of Gaskins were found by Briggs’ forces, then the whole picture about Iraq’s insurgents would change. The full weight of the United States armed forces would probably be brought down on this area and Samir al-Sahood could kiss any chance of forcing the U.S. out of Iraq good-bye.
Captain Lewis had already selected another Gaskin that wouldn’t make it to the FEBA. He lined the sights of his sniper rifle on the driver who was slow in reacting to the sound of the exploding trucks to his front.
(He shouldn’t have left that hatch open…) Jac squeezed the trigger and watched as the man slumped forward in his seat. Driverless, the Gaskin skidded off the road and overturned. Again, the stored explosives aboard did the rest.
When the noise from the explosions died away, Jac spoke into his radio. “Osprey One eliminated according to plan.”
*~*
“Acknowledged,” Darcy smiled; it was all going so well. Before the day was done America was going to be handed her worst defeat. She switched her radio to another frequency. “Viper, strike now.”
*~*
Flames were still shooting from the wrecked vehicles. Mac and Victor could scarcely believe the level of destruction. These vehicles shouldn’t have been obliterated unless they were acting as ammo carriers or were rigged with explosives.
“Sound off!” Mac yelled as smoke from the wrecked vehicles swirled around them.
One by one, the Force Recon soldiers reported in. No casualties.
Sergeant Harry Armstrong hopped into the bed of Corporal Willet’s truck. “Here Tim, I’ll take over.”
Corporal Bullard smiled as he turned over the M-2HB machine gun to Harry. “It’s all yours, man”
As Corporal Bullard got down out of the truck bed; he palmed the card device again that he had pocketed when the firefight began. He looked at Armstrong, (Too bad Harry is a security risk…) he thought abstractly (I’m gonna miss him….)
The unit’s wagon defensive pose was breaking up as they began to take a closer look at the fiercely burning insurgent vehicles. Eddie Willet moved his Dodge M-1008 pickup truck closer to the smoldering remains.
Mac motioned to Yader as he started toward the wrecks. “Corpsman, make sure--”
Her words were lost as Eddie Willet’s pickup truck blew apart, puffing flames and debris. Eddie, Lead Forward Observer 2nd Lieutenant Oscar Flemming, and Sean O’Grady who were the closest were knocked to the ground. Mercifully, Harry Armstrong was wrapped in flames and smoke aboard the wreck.
Instinctively everyone else took cover. Everyone, that is, except for Corporal Bullard and Staff Sergeant Reynolds who were quickly headed away from the stunned group. As Leonard passed a prone Sergeant Frank Witt, he nodded to him.
“You and Master Guns, take care of the rest, Frank.”
Frank simply nodded since he was supposed to be numbed by the blast – which he wasn’t. The two Force Recon soldiers disappeared in the smoke that had by now enveloped the battlefield.
*~*
Kayce and the others on the hill ducked at the sound of the explosion from below. Nate Peters and Jim Stallings flopped down next to each other. Phase one of Viper strike was complete, too bad Corporal Willet had to be eliminated. They had really liked him. Now all they had to do was coordinate with Harry and finish off Szymas and the others that stood in their way….
FEBA
Nigerian volunteer Yakubu Ingawli’s squad ignored the impressive Marine assault.
As they stealthily moved through their slit trench toward their objective, Ingawli’s sniper, a young Yemeni named, Ahmad al-Baz, opened fire on an exposed Marine. His two man RPG team was armed with a thermobaric version of the regular 66mm rocket grenade. They were looking for the LAV scouts. If they could kill them and possibly one of their armored cars, then the tide of the battle might swing back in their favor.
Ingawli watched his three four-man fire teams that were also quietly making their way toward the Americans and their Iraqi lackeys. Each fire team, armed with an RPO-A Shmel flame weapon purchased from their Chechen brethren, would make quick work of the Marine counter-attack.
*~*
Khalil saw the movement to their right first.
“Infiltrators!” he barked as he swung his AK-74 toward them, letting off a rippling burst.
Rick Bauer, who had been sitting next to Khalil as the Corpsman dressed the Corporal’s wounds, grabbed his M-16 assault rifle and rattled off a burst as well.
“They’ll be trying to flank us,” Ra’is (Sergeant) As’sam reported. Rick nodded in agreement. Then his eyes spotted movement.
“Simmons! Port side! Infiltrators!!”
Al Simmons fired his M-249 Squad Automatic Rifle at the approaching men. As they fell, he saw the distinct outline of yet another OT-64 breaking through the underbrush. The driver seemed undeterred by shellfire from Dye’s mortar units.
“Got another APC headed toward us, Corp!” Al yelled above the dueling mortar barrages. “Tell Raden to take him out before he smears us!!”
South of Mirbullah, Holding Area Montana
Harm could see an Air Force KC-10, military version of DC-10, loitering in the airspace designated as their holding area.
“Hey, what’s an Air Force tanker bird doing parked in our Holding Area, Hammer?” radioed Nicole.
Harm had the same question. “I was just about to find out, Supergirl. Eagle 21 to Pie Tin, Eagle 21 to Pie Tin we have Air Force tanker in our Holding Area. Where is our tanker? Over.”
“Eagle 21 this is Pie Tin; the Air Force tanker has been designated as refueling platform for all aircraft involved in Operation King Cobra. Their call sign is Texaco Seven. Over.”
A KC-10 held a lot of aviation fuel. No doubt this tanker was tapped for the Alpha Strike elements like Eagle Squadron as well as the bombers coming from Diego Garcia.
Harm stared for a moment at the three engine plane as it made another slow turn. “Eagle 21, Roger.” He switched his radio back to the squadron net.
“Hammer to Eagle squadron; the Air Force tanker is our gas station,” Harm said in response to Nicole’s unanswered question. “Line up to top off your tanks. I’ll go first.”
Harm’s squadron slowly lined up behind the lumbering aircraft which began to trail it’s fuel drogue. Relatively speaking, this was a short hop from the Henry, but if they entered combat they would burn up a lot more fuel.
“Hammer, I’m glad this is a KC-10 and not a KC-135,” Pete quipped.
“You said it, Pete; I’m not up for dueling with the iron maiden…”
The KC-10 had both the fuel boom and the hose and drogue fuel systems. Since naval aircraft could only handle drogue refueling with their fuel probes, it was a relief that they were facing the soft version and not the ‘iron maiden’ steel drogue used by KC-135 tankers. Harm didn’t want to have to contend with a metal refueling basket that could possibly disable his plane if they ran into turbulence.
Still, he wanted to be careful and not snap off his fuel probe in the drogue. If that happened, the ‘flying gas station’ would forced to leave and the aviator/lawyer would have to explain how had broken the Air Force’s most versatile tanker.
“Texaco Seven, this is Eagle 21, ready to begin fueling.”
Slowly he eased his ‘Cat into position. As he did, the tanker slowly released its hose and drogue.
“Eagle 21 Roger, we’re ready for you.”
Harm carefully nudged his Tomcat’s speed and altitude until the drogue connected with his fuel probe. “Texaco Seven, I have the drogue.”
“Eagle 21, standby. You’re connected. Beginning fueling.”
Harm hated being tethered to the lumbering tri-jet. Though the insurgents didn’t have any SAMs in this area, he still wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible.
Harm looked down at his fuel indicator which read full. “Eagle 21 you are good to go.”
The drogue operator reported.
Harm nodded. “Roger Texaco Seven, this is Eagle 21 breaking off.”
Harm slowed his airspeed and watched the drogue drift away from his probe. Once it was a safe distance away, he slowed his airspeed and dropped down and away from the tanker. Supergirl moved in to take his place.
NCIS Headquarters
Washington Navy Yard
When dealing with a tough case, the Goth Forensic Specialist had been known to sleep in her Lab.
This was one of those times. She was curled up on the floor in her skull and crossbones decorated black sleeping bag, using ‘Bert the farting hippo’ as her pillow. As she moved her head in her sleep, Bert would respond with a bodily report.
Above her head, her computers continued to run various computations and analyze the data sent by her various lab machines. Abby Sciuto was the poster child for multi-tasking.
As she turned over and forced a particularly loud report from Bert, her office phone began ringing.
Despite not having downed a Caf-Pow in the last few hours, Abby quickly fumbled her way out of her sleeping bag and ran over to the phone.
“Lab, Abby Sciuto speaking.” she replied yawning
“Ms. Sciuto, this is Special Agent Fornell, FBI--”
Abby’s eyes popped wide open.
“Yes sir, Mr. Special Agent Fornell of the FBI, sir, what can I do for you, sir?” she replied in typical Abby-speak.
The voice at the other end sighed like he was really not up to this. “There are some hair and blood samples as well as other evidence on their way to your lab and there is a body on its way to Dr. Mallard. Would you let him know that, please? I tried his office and he wasn’t there….”
Abby hated to be brought in on the middle of a conversation. Any conversation. Especially one that dealt with bodies and evidence about which she knew nothing. “Evidence? Evidence for what?” she asked rather pointedly. She was not sure how she felt about Special Agent Tobias Fornell but she knew she didn’t like him dropping bodies and evidence off in her lab at this hour as if NCIS was a dry cleaning service with a thru window.
There was another labored sigh from the other end. “Ms. Scuito at the risk of being brusque and investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility, I’m doing this as favor to Special Agent Gibbs. We found the body of one Beauregard Livingston--”
“Beauregard Livingston?! As in Darcy’s husband?!” Abby interrupted.
“Yes Ms. Sciuto, Beauregard Livingston. His body and the evidence we collected at the crime scene should be there in a few hours…”
Shark Two
Members of Shark Two looked on in stunned disbelief at the fiercely burning wreck of Corporal Eddie Willet’s pickup truck.
Eddie, Lieutenant Flemming and Corporal O’Grady slowly got to their feet, their eyes locked on the burning truck.
Mac knew that Sergeant Armstrong was dead. There wasn’t any reason to try and rescue him, and it was obvious that the rest of the Force Recon soldiers knew that as well.
Victor, taking advantage of the chaos, strode over to Sergeant Witt and grabbed him roughly.
“Have you lost your ever lovin’ mind?” he growled to the Forward Observer. Victor Galindez knew that Harry Armstrong had been one of the suspected Darcy allies in this unit, but now he wasn’t so sure. If Harry was a part of Darcy’s cabal, why kill him?
Frank Witt looked genuinely scared. “It’s wasn’t my idea, Master Guns, it was Reynold’s--”
“Leonard isn’t bright enough to think this one through, Frank,” Victor replied harshly cutting him off while shoving him back. “Try again.”
Frank Witt stumbled back but did not fall. He put his hands up in self defense. “Okay, okay; it was Darcy. She said to make sure Willet and the others couldn’t tell about us.”
Now Victor really wanted to punch the idiot. “But Willet didn’t buy it, you numbskull, Harry did--”
Now the fear had left Witt, swiftly replaced by disgust. “That was Bullard’s brilliant idea. Harry had been making noises about we weren’t getting paid enough….”
Victor didn’t listen to the rest. (So Darcy decided to eliminate the potential problem by proxy and send a message to the others at the same time.)
“Is there a problem, Master Guns?” Victor and Frank turned to see Mac standing there, obviously puzzled by their body language and demeanor.
FEBA
Lieutenant Borden motioned the lumbering engineering personnel carriers forward. Now that they had repelled the insurgents’ initial assault, it was time to hit them before they mounted another attack. His attention was drawn back to his front by the staccato rattle of yet another machine gun.
“Gunner! Target! Fortification! Armored piercing!!”
“On the way!” barked his gunner.
The 120mm armored piercing shell, designed to take out Soviet main battle tanks, punched a hole in the stone fort’s massive wall. Gunfire from the fortification suddenly stopped. At the same time Warthog Two scored a direct hit on another spider hole, the explosion of the booby-trapped tunnel rumbled ominously like an undersea volcano.
As Slugger Four’s CO watched, combat engineers swarmed past his tank and the tank with the mineplow attachment. Teams armed with M-202 four barreled rocket launchers fired on the silent fort and the trench line next to it, while other teams armed with explosives dropped them down the still smoking tunnel entrances already encountered.
Just as it looked like they might be gaining the upper hand, Borden watched as a hailstorm of fire enveloped his ‘wingman’ Corporal Vandergrift in Slugger Two and Bulldog Two. He scanned the smoke for signs of movement. He feared both had been disabled. Disabled armored vehicles were like honey to infantrymen, especially these fanatical insurgents.
“Slugger Four to Slugger Two, are you in one piece?” he radioed to his wingman.
The response was salvo from each vehicle which eliminated their harassers. “Never better, Lieutenant.” came back Keith Vandergrift’s cocky response. “But those insurgents are going to have a hell of a headache.”
Hank looked over at the smoking debris that used to be a farmhouse. He could clearly one could see the twisted remains of several machine guns and what was probably a recoilless rifle.
*~*
Jay Raden watched with growing apprehension as the tide of the battle seemed to slowly but surely turn in the Marines’ favor. Darcy would most likely blame him for this debacle, not these idiot fanatics who couldn’t seem to understand how to anticipate what GATORFORCE was going to do next. After all, he couldn’t very well be expected to cold-bloodedly turn his guns on his own fellow Marines. That would draw attention. And Darcy abhorred undue attention. (So what am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch Zack and Hank make mincemeat out of al-Sahood’s fanatical followers?)
No; he had to get to Darcy, and fast. Explain what happened. If Corporal Raden had been thinking clearly and hadn’t been in a panic-driven sweat he would have realized how stupid this move was.
But Jay wasn’t thinking clearly. He was only thinking about saving his skin. He switched his radio to the internal net.
“John, back us up, get us the hell outta here, now!” he said tersely.
John Pogue, his driver couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Have you lost your freakin’ mind, Jay? We drive away right now; they’re gonna to know something’s up!”
The panic was growing within Jay by the moment. As each Marine shell connected, his urgency to get out of here grew correspondingly.
“Dammit! Don’t argue with me, Lance Corporal, we’re leaving! Right damn now!!”
“Your funeral, jerk off,” John said disgustedly as put the armored truck into gear.
With the frenetic pace of the battle, Rick Bauer would not have noticed Jay Raden’s LAV backing away from them, except that this was their home on wheels. Rick grabbed his hand radio and pushed the button to talk.
“Rover One! Where the hell are you going?!”
Jay’s LAV didn’t stop. It kept reversing until it backed into out of the underbrush and into the daylight on the other side of the grove. Then it slammed to stop, shifted gears and roared away from GATORFORCE ONE at top speed.
Khalil As’sam looked quizzically at Rick Bauer. “Where is your armored car going?” he asked innocently.
“Damned if I know!” Snapped Rick. Something wasn’t right.
---TBC…
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 