| Subject: Re: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27 - continued |
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TxJAG_b
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Date Posted: 15:06:40 07/06/10 Tue
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 25d, part two - continued" on 16:25:09 01/08/09 Thu
…For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27
A/N 1: Thanks to my trio of editors [Mary Ann, Janlaw and Karen] for their usual fine job. Kudos also to AeroGirl, Mkim, Soleil, TZ, Janlaw for providing their help and technical expertise. Also thanks to Lisa Griffon [Yahoo Shipper Group] for her continuing support.
A/N2: Notice there isn't an 'f' after 27? That's because this is the last chapter. And, rather than confusing people with more parts - I'm just going to say 'continued' until I get all of this posted and guess what? When Chapter 27 ends, FMS will be complete. Oh yeah, there will be Epilogue to tie up loose ends…. :)
From Tuesday, April 27:
***************************
There was a pause. Dewert licked his chapped lips and tried again.
“Gatorforce One, come in; radio check…”
There was static for a moment. Then. “Sonva—that was close!” It was Lieutenant Jim Hawkins’ unsteady voice.
Sergeant Dewert smiled. “Are you okay, Gatorforce One?”
“Affirmative…affirmative; we’re all okay….”
“One this is Leader. How about your units?”
“Wait one Gatorforce Leader, I’m getting responses now…”
Andrew Baxter could hear the cacophony radio reports bombarding Lieutenant Hawkins and his radio operator. Miraculously, other than a few salty words, Gatorforce One reported no casualties.
Sergeant Dewert turned to Colonel Baxter. “Gatorforce Two reporting in…no casualties sir!”
Dewert’s good news seemed to open a fount of information from the FEBA. Two other radio operators chimed in.
“Colonel! Slugger Four and Chisel Two are okay! Warthog Four and Slugger Two say they can get tow lines attached and drag them to Major Kelly’s position!”
“Colonel Baxter! Captain Chidorz and Lieutenant Korczak are requesting permission to aid the recovery efforts!”
Andrew Baxter quickly assessed this positive turn in events and decided to take advantage of it. “Tell’em they have their permission. And tell Major Kelly to provide the Captain with infantry support until his men can dismount!”
“Aye, aye, sir!”
******************************
…For Meritorious Service, Chapter 27
Kayce and Mac, hands raised, coldly regarded Darcy, Jac and her three Recon Marines.
The Force Recon CO shook her head as if she were deeply disappointed. “I had such high hopes for you, Colonel. You were a perfect fit. And you Corporal, you showed such promise; too bad you have morals and a conscience; that’s an unfortunate combination in our line of work….”
“Okay ladies,” Jac said with false politeness as he motioned with his pistol, “Over here, please.”
Keeping their hands raised, the two moved over closer to Jac. The other three Recon Marines moved in and began to roughly frisk the women for hidden weapons.
Mac silently noted the names of the Marines. These were obviously soldiers who were either in Colonel Livingston’s pay or agreed with her philosophies.
“They’re clean, Colonel,” announced 2nd Lieutenant Ricketts, the most senior of the Recon Marines. His two cohorts, Sergeant Saunders and Corporal Owens, stood on either side of Kayce.
“Dahab!” Samir al-Sahood, flanked by two of his bodyguards joined the group.
“Sari was never with us, Samir.” Darcy explained coolly, “She was working for the infidels. She is a traitor to our cause.”
Samir looked at Mac for a moment and then slowly shook his head. “That is…unfortunate.” He said with deliberate slowness. The bodyguards roughly grabbed Mac and Kayce.
“Where are you taking us?” Mac asked. Maybe Darcy would be overconfident enough to tell them.
Darcy regarded her as if she were an insect as they headed back toward the village. “You’ll find out soon enough, MacKenzie.” She spoke to her curtly as if speaking to a boot.
*~*
The thump, thump, thump of the MH-53m Pavelow III’s rotors echoed off the arid landscape as the big Special Operations helo ‘Hatchet 07’ flew low to avoid detection.
“Are you sure they headed in this direction?” 1st Lieutenant Sal Jankovich asked the pilot.
Captain Don Casey nodded. “Affirmative; Chloe told me that Colonel Baxter had said they got a partial transmission from Shark Two in this general area….”
Sal thought about ribbing Don about his ‘relationship’ with the MEU radio operator. She was the only one who the Captain referred to by first name, but then he decided this wasn’t the time for that kind of thing.
“Mark, do you see anything?” Sal called out.
2nd Lieutenant Mark Feldman and Chief Warrant Officer Javier Guzman had the side doors of the huge chopper open to the air. Their binoculars were trained on the ground that was rushing past them. “Nothing yet Sal…” Feldman replied distractedly into his receiver.
Then he saw them.
“Wait one! Got a Russky jeep moving at top speed three o’clock low!”
“And a camouflaged Dodge pickup following it, Lieutenant!” CWO Guzman added.
“I see them,” Sal confirmed sharing a wary look with Don.
The Captain of Hatchet 07 nodded. “I’m dropping back and breaking left; we don’t want them to see us yet,” Don throttled the giant helo down to a lower speed and banked her to the left, letting the two trucks get further away from them.
*~*
Aboard the bucking Dodge pickup truck, one of Samir’s guards was looking off toward the horizon as they bounded over the rocky uneven road. The other guard, who had his gun trained on Mac and Kayce, looked over at his partner. Both women had been stripped of their overgarments revealing their Force Recon NOMEX flight suits underneath.
“What…you looking at?” The guard asked in broken English. When he didn’t get an immediate response, he switched to Arabic.
<> He said urgently while nudging his associate.
His partner turned and spoke in English. Apparently they were not supposed to use their native tongue around the Marine Lieutenant Colonel. Something about her being able to understand what they were saying, or some such nonsense.
He looked back at the horizon again, a puzzled look creasing his features. “I thought I heard something over that way…”
The other guard moved closer to the side of the truck bed. “I do not hear or see anything.” He said after a moment of listening to the rushing wind.
“Maybe the Colonel called for reinforcements…” Corporal Owens said, speaking up for the first time since they’d started this little trip. He nudged the JAG Corps Light Colonel with his assault rifle. “Is that what you did, Colonel? Call for back-up?”
Mac didn’t say anything to the renegade Marine. She regarded him silently without emotion.
“Huh, well, she ain’t talking.” He eyed a defiant looking Kayce and nudged her with his rifle. “What about you, Corporal? You got a signaling device in your shoe?”
Kayce flinched at the touch, but did not respond.
The two Arabs laughed nervously at his joke. Owens laughed too. “Nah, they ain’t got any signaling devices, they’re not that bright….”
*~*
“Maintain your distance,” Luisa Baranova warned the driver of the BRDM scout vehicle. “If we get too close to the American bandit, he’ll know we’re following him and open fire on us.”
The driver nodded and took his foot off the accelerator. They all knew what the gory consequences of that would be. While the AT-4b Factoria/Spigot missile they were carrying might even up the fight – it would still be a short lived one as the LAVs 25mm chaingun rounds shredded their armor and set off their fuel and ammo.
Sierzant Andre Lesinski leaned in close to the Polish Colonel. “Where are we following them to, Pulkownik?”
“Back to their rat’s nest, I hope.” Her eyes fixed firmly on her view of the distant Rover One.
*~*
Sergeant Damato swerved, causing everyone in the back to grab a hand hold to keep from tumbling to the floor of the Amtrac.
“Sorry!” called out Damato. “Didn’t want to hit that rut at this speed,” he explained.
“And that would have been different from what we’ve been experiencing up to now, how?” Tony growled as he steadied himself against the jitterbugging movements of the carrier.
Gibbs looked over at his senior Field Agent. “Well first, DiNozzo, this thing would have leaned violently to one side when it snapped its track on that rut.”
Tony blanched. He didn’t have to be told how his head, despite the Kevlar helmet protection, would have slammed against the aluminum wall of this thing--most likely knocking him unconscious. “Got it, Boss” he said quickly.
He waved at Damato. “Thank you Sergeant, good eye!” Then Tony gave him a thumbs-up. The rest of the MP squad either rolled their eyes or chuckled while shaking their heads.
Gibbs smiled at his antics. It reminded him something he might have done when he was younger.
*~*
SEAL Team ‘Rat Patrol’ followed discreetly behind Darcy’s two vehicle convoy, out of their line of sight. Sitting next to Commander Brad May was Master Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez.
“So how long have you known Mister Webb?” The Commander asked the Master Guns. Victor knew if the situation was less serious that question would have come with a big smile.
Victor cleared his throat. “Probably too long, sir.”
Brad chuckled wearily at the Marine’s response. “You’re lucky, ‘Master Guns’; Petty Officer Burke couldn’t decide if you and the Colonel were part of Darcy’s gang or not. If you hadn’t told him about Mister Webb, we probably wouldn’t have interfered.”
Victor nodded his agreement. And, if they hadn’t, he would most likely now be lying face down in that back alley where Samir’s men and Corporal Day had found him and Frank Witt and Ryan Burke (aka Corpsman Yader) as they tried to make it back to Staff Sergeant Dallas and the rest of Shark Two.
Two of the Commanders’ team members had interrupted Day’s informal interrogation session in which he let it slip that Darcy had known the whole time that Mac wasn’t with her and that he certainly wasn’t Hector ‘Cesar’ Bustamante. She knew that he was in prison in Charleston.
And to make things worse, Day and Witt had managed to slip through their fingers.
Now he hoped that they could rescue the Colonel and Corporal Danvers before Darcy and Samir killed them.
Victor made up his mind that once this operation was over with; he was getting out of the spy business and going back to Force Recon, permanently.
Petty Officer Vickers suddenly turned around in his seat. “Commander, Hatchet Seven has found Samir and Colonel Livingston; he’s shadowing them.”
*~*
Once the artillery barrage had lifted, Gatorforce One and Two moved forward across the farm fields and began assaulting the rear areas of the insurgent positions. Major Kelly and Lieutenant Hawkins’ Marines had no trouble breaching what was left of the insurgents’ shattered defenses. Any stray bomb laden OT-64 personnel carriers were quickly dispatched by Kapitan Chidorz’s missile toting personnel carriers or Lieutenant Borden’s tanks and engineering vehicles.
Hank Borden and his crew [who had refused to be towed out of the action] were feverishly working to get their tank back into the action. They were defended by Lieutenant Ron Felk’s combat engineer squads that had volunteered to serve as Borden’s and Mausert’s protection detail while they finished their repairs.
The caves and ‘mouse holes’ that dotted the landscape behind the insurgent’s positions looked daunting at first, but careful checking by Staff Sergeant Fuller’s recon teams and the scout teams of the Iraqi provisional army’s 203rd battalion, lead by Ra’is As’sam, soon discovered most of these positions were thankfully abandoned.
As they passed a smoldering ammunition dump, Khalil As’sam realized that the Fedayeen hadn’t fled the battlefield, they were falling back to their next prepared position. He remembered how Ra’id (Captain) Jalloud had told him that the Saddam Fedayeen were insane; they had told him that they were prepared to fight for a thousand years, if necessary – even if Saddam’s government was forced from power.
Khalil wondered just what awaited them at the next insurgent strongpoint. “Corporal Bauer, it appears the insurgents have pulled back.”
“I know, Khalil; I didn’t think they would give up this easily.” He clicked his radio. “Rover One Alpha to Rover Three; the Fedayeen have moved to their next blocking position. Suggest scout teams and engineers assess the situation. Over.”
Sergeant Sewett responded immediately. “Rover Three to One Alpha; affirmative. Pick your teams and find out what they have lined up for us next.”
*~*
“So now let’s hear you beg for your life,” taunted Owens as he hustled Lance Corporal Danvers out of the pickup truck bed.
“Get your hand off my butt or you’re the one who’s going to be begging--”snarled Kayce.
“Corporal! Don’t antagonize them,” Mac said sharply.
“Better listen to that milquetoast of a Colonel you’ve been following, Ms. Hotshot girly sniper,” Owens sneered as he shoved her towards Mac.
Samir’s two bodyguards kept their weapons trained on the two women.
Samir and Darcy were off to one side, away from the group, obviously conferring about the fate of the JAG Corps Lieutenant Colonel and the Force Recon sniper.
After a moment, Darcy turned back toward them with what could only be described as a most satanic smile on her face. Mac almost flinched at the sight.
“You’re right of course, my beloved. It would be stupid to kill them before we are sure…” She paused, waiting for Mac to respond to her verbal bait.
Her smile melted somewhat when Mac didn’t respond. “Very well; we’ll inject them now and send them back to Colonel Briggs as a gift.”
Samir’s bodyguards opened a small padded case they had been carrying. They pulled out what looked like corked vials and a couple of syringes. Corporal Owens grabbed each woman by the arm and dragged them toward the bodyguards.
Kayce’s eyes flared. Mac did her best to appear stoic, but the syringes-- like those battery cables that Sadik Fahd had planned to use on her in the Chaco Boreal—could lead to certain death; and this time, Harm wouldn’t be there to rescue her.
Darcy’s wicked grin grew wider. “Scared are you, Cher? Don’t worry, by the time the viral hemorrhagic fever kills you, you’ll be begging for death.”
Kayce stopped struggling and looked Colonel Livingston in the eye. “I’m not afraid, ma’am.”
Darcy shrugged indifference at her defiance. “Well no matter if you are or aren’t. Soon you’ll be forgiven for desertion by doing this favor for me and spreading this contagion throughout Brigg’s command post and aid station.”
“Viral hemorrhagic fever as in Marburg or Ebola?” Mac asked,
“Yes and no, Sari; it’s really quite a deadly strain, I might add.”
“You two traitors will serve a worthy cause,” Samir added clinically as if addressing a couple of pre-med students. “The virus we are injecting you with was improved in our Darunta lab. You should feel the first effects of it by this afternoon.”
Darcy looked over at Mac “And what brave thing are you going to say to me Sari? I’ll bet it’s something like ‘You’ll never get away with this,’ right?”
Mac stood silently regarding her foe.
Owens forced both women to sit on the ground and began to tie them up. Once he had finished with that, he grabbed their arms again and rolled up their sleeves, exposing their skin.
Darcy/Dahab chuckled. “Ashton, poor thing, will be in the middle of a fight for his life, so he’ll just shuttle you off to the aid station…not knowing that you two are a deadlier version of ‘Typhoid Mary’.”
“How do you know that we won’t warn them?” challenged Mac. “We’ll be
conscious--”
Darcy smiled again and shook her head. “Oh no, Sari, quite the opposite. After we administer the virus, you’ll be given a sedative. Enjoy the sleep while you can.”
“Is that all you’re going to do, Colonel?” Kayce challenged. “How about putting a Sect Rouge mojo in our mouths after we’re unconscious?”
Darcy merely smirked at her acid comment. “Oh Corporal, you are a funny one. You think just because I’m from New Orleans that I’m a Sect Rouge sorceress? That I believe in the, what the ignorant call, ‘voo-doo’? Cherie, you’ve been reading way too many urban legends and detective novels….”
Mac started to open her mouth. “Please don’t insult me, Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie; yes, we will succeed. Idiotic Ashton is leading the MEU into the trap right now and there isn’t a damn thing you or anyone else can do about it. Like lambs to a slaughter….”
Captain Lewis took the filled syringes and moved toward them. “Relax, ladies; this is only gonna hurt a lot.”
Darcy/Dahab smiled coldly as she and Samir turned to leave. Then she paused and turned back to them. “I would so enjoy watching both of you pass out, but I’m afraid I have other business to attend to. So as my Cajun friends would say; ‘laissez les bon temps rouller’.”
As she and Samir headed toward their jeep, the thump, thump, thump of rotors could be heard echoing around the countryside. Samir’s guards and Corporal Owens began worriedly searching the skies –but nothing could be seen. The haunting and unnerving thump, thump, thump continued.
Samir’s guards, looking nervous, fingered their rifles. Darcy and Samir exchanged confused looks. Even Jac was looking around, forgetting about sticking the needle into Mac’s exposed arm.
“What the hell!?”
“Geez!”
“<>”
The big sand colored MH-53 suddenly flashed over a low rise, startling everyone present. Before Corporal Owens or Jac Lewis could react, the gunship opened fire, instantly killing Samir’s two guards and wrecking the UAZ jeep they were standing next to.
Mac and Kayce rolled over, trying to present as small a target as possible. Corporal Owens threw down his rifle and raised his hands.
Jac, Darcy and Samir sprinted to the undamaged Dodge pickup barely avoiding a hail of bullets that followed them. Jac took the wheel and roared away from the helo induced sandstorm.
Instead of following them, the big helicopter dipped lower.
Kayce shielded her eyes as much as possible with her hands as she tried to catch a glimpse of their rescuer. “Who the hell is that?! Colonel, do you have a guardian angel??”
Mac looked up at the hovering Pave Low and smiled, “I guess I do.”
As they watched, two Marine Force Recon soldiers fast roped down out of the Pave Low helo and sprinted over to Mac and Kayce.
Staff Sergeant Dallas began loosening their bonds while Corporal Calapango put plastic wrist-cuffs on Corporal Owens.
“Ma’am! Are you all right?!” Dallas shouted above the thundering roar of the helicopter.
“We’re both fine, Staff Sergeant, thanks to you!” Mac replied.
“It wasn’t just me ma’am, Colonel Baxter suspected something was up when Corporal Danvers sent that aborted radio call, so he notified Captain Casey!”
Mac looked over and saw the Captain give her a nod as he settled the big bird to the ground. She gave him a warm smile and a nod of thanks in return.
She hoped in his rush to escape, Jac had left the vials and the syringes. Sure enough, the padded case containing the vials and the syringe he was going to use on Mac had been dropped on the ground.
“Secure that case and syringe, Staff Sergeant!” Mac said as she pointed to them. “And be careful! They both contain viral hemorrhagic fever.”
The Staff Sergeant nodded and then putting on his NOMEX gloves, carefully picked up the syringe and the padded case. Opening the case, he found the cap for the needle and then placed it back inside. Gingerly he closed the case and secured it with masking tape.
Calapango, dragging a now silent Owens in tow, headed toward the helo. Mark Dallas escorted Kayce and Mac to the MH-53M whose blades were still turning. All of them hurried up the ramp and settled into awaiting seats. As soon as they were strapped in, the Pave Low lifted off, headed in the direction of Darcy’s pickup.
“Good to see you, ma’am, Corporal!” said Arnie Bledsoe. The rest of Shark Two smiled and nodded to the two women. It was apparent they were among friends now.
*~*
The phone on the other end only rang once before it was picked up. “This is Colonel Ellis.”
Andrew hoped this went smoothly. There had been a lot of ruffled feathers today all the way up the chain of command as he explained what had happened to Ashton Briggs. “Colonel? This is acting MEU Commander Andrew Baxter. Colonel Briggs has been relieved of command. I am ordering all available aviation combat element assets into action. I am rescinding the grounding order for HMLA-975.”
“Rescinding the grounding order? What the hell happened to Colonel Briggs?”
(Damn.) He should have known the same confusion and dismay was going to greet him going down the chain as it had going up. “Colonel Briggs suffered a mental breakdown. I have assumed command as Acting CO of the 36th MEU per regulations and Brigadier General Thornton’s orders.” At times like these Baxter really hated the red tape and delays you had to worm your way through, even though Ellis’ questions were perfectly legitimate.
He decided to stress to Ellis just how important this ‘request’ was. “Colonel, we’re in a dire situation at the moment and I need every available combat aviation asset up here with us. Do you understand?”
ACE Commander sighed. “All right, Colonel, all right. I’ll get Captain Maxwell to get his birds airborne. What about Lukens and Buell? Are they still grounded?”
That was the wrong tack to take. Baxter closed his eyes and hissed out an irritated breath.
“Colonel, let me make this perfectly clear—I need all combat aviation assets up here with me. We need every plane and every helo we can muster to take out this insurgent defensive net. Up till now, we’ve had to rely on the generosity of our Coalition partners and their air assets to help us out. But they can only do so much. Do you understand? I need those helos, Colonel Ellis, all of them, ASAP! Do you read me?!”
Andrew Baxter could ‘see’ the Colonel sitting up in his chair. Maybe even standing. “Aye, aye, Colonel! I read you loud and clear! I’ll get HMLA-975 in the air and on the way to you ASAP!!”
“Good!!” The bang of the receiver hanging up was lost on Colonel Ellis as he got off the phone with 36th MEU CO and rang up his Executive Officer.
“Major Birdwell…”
“Major? Colonel Ellis; orders from Acting MEU CO, Andrew Baxter; all available air units have been ordered into action.”
“All available units sir?”
“Yes Major.” Frank Birdwell was usually pretty good about catching hints.
“Does that include Lieutenant Lukens and Chief Buell, sir?” But not this time.
In any other instance, that would have been a logical question. But, Lieutenant Colonel Ellis was still smarting from Colonel Baxter’s reprimand. And, as they say ‘stuff rolls downhill’. “You heard me, Major! All available units! HMLA-975 is no longer grounded! Tell Captain Maxwell to get his Cobras airborne! Right damn now!!”
“Aye sir!” It sounded like Birdwell’s feet fell off his desk. (Served him right!)
36th ACE Airfield, Camp Chesty Puller
Near Mirbullah, Iraq
In the temporary barracks at Mirbullah, the pilots and weapons officers of HMLA-975 were involved in a high stakes card game, since there was really nothing else to do at the moment. Their Cobra gunships had been serviced and inspected this morning. They had even had a morning briefing on Gatorforce assault and how they would support the attack if they were involved. They were for all intensive purposes ‘good to go’ though they weren’t going anywhere and until Colonel Briggs was satisfied, they wouldn’t be going anyplace for a while.
“I fold…” Mason ‘Rich’ Aubrey said tossing his cards on the table.
Wayne Towers and the other men around sighed and groaned, throwing down their cards as well.
Ian Skaggs looked around and then threw his cards on the table. “Geez, Mase; you always fold at the worst possible times--!”
Lieutenant Towers shook his head. “He folds when he sees an impossible situation, Ian; you’re the suicidal one--”
Captain Maxwell appeared at the door. There was urgency in his body language and the crews of HMLA-975 could sense it.
“Ian! Guys! Let’s go! Major Birdwell says we’re no longer grounded!!”
“What about us, sir?” Ben Lukens asked as he and Buell stood. He didn’t want to sound hopeful.
Captain Maxwell smiled at him for the first time in days. “That includes you too, Lukens! You and Buell get your bird in the air! Pronto!!”
“Aye sir!!” They both responded. Fred would have whooped if it hadn’t been the Captain they were speaking to. They both headed to their lockers to join the rest of Firefly squadron getting ready for their mission.
Steve Maxwell was about to head out to the flight line when he noticed that one man was still in the room.
“Captain, a moment?”
Steve cut a sigh short. “Look Anwar, we don’t have time--”
Lieutenant Anwar Hafez, a naturalized American, nodded his acquiescence to the Captain. “I understand sir; but I will keep my eye on them. Just because they were not court-martialed does not mean that they weren’t guilty.”
Steve this time let a sigh escape. He knew what Hafez was alluding to. He didn’t need this right now, but given all that had happened and what came out at the courts martial, he was within his rights. The Captain nodded. “Your prerogative, Lieutenant; now get your machine airborne!”
“Aye sir.” Lieutenant Hafez said as he saluted.
---TBC...
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