'Recon report, sir:' Mike said. He quickly gave an oral presentation detailing the results of the scouting trip, telling about the Falangist patrol and its friendly reception at Novida.
'We'd pretty much figured the enemy had made friends with the locals,' Brannigan said. 'Not much surprise there. But I'd like to find out where those Falangists call home. And what sort of camp or garrison they might have.'
'I volunteer the Second Assault Team for the mission, sir:' the senior chief said.
'Accepted,' Brannigan said. 'I think you also better take another look at that village to see if there's any unusual activity there. The place could be an auxiliary headquarters of some kind.' He looked at the Odd Couple and started to speak.
'We know, sir,' Dave interrupted. 'We'll be on point.' Brannigan smiled. 'You'll leave at oh-five-hundred hours tomorrow.'
.
THE LOZANO GRASSLANDS
VICINITY OF NOVIDA
4 DECEMBER
1030 HOURS LOCAL
THE Second Assault Section was sprawled in the thick grass, arranged in a defensive circle that offered protection from all sides. Senior Chief Petty Officer Buford Dawkins and his SAW gunner Petty Officer Second Class Joe Miskoski were in the middle of the formation. Joe lay on his back, snoozing through a light nap, while Dawkins sat cross-legged, glancing off in the direction of the small cattle-raising settlement.
The plucky, hardworking Odd Couple had been gone for close to an hour. Their mission was to run a recon of the village to check out the activity, keeping a special lookout for any Falangist units that might be in the vicinity. The senior chief reached over and roughly shook Joe awake at almost the same instant a whisper came over the LASH net from Lamar Taylor. 'The recon team is coming in.'
Buford raised himself just enough to see Mike Assad and Dave Leibowitz approaching the perimeter. Three minutes later the scouts joined him, sinking wearily into sitting positions at his side.
'The village is clear,' Mike said. 'Only the locals are there.'
'But there's some cowboy types out with the cattle to the west,' Dave added. 'We can reach that track in the grass left by the Falangists if we go north, then turn back toward the southwest. From that point on, we can go straight to wherever it is they came from.'
'It's a no-sweater,' Mike assured the senior chief.
'Right,' Dawkins said. He spoke into the LASH micro-phone. 'Team leaders, get your guys up. We're moving out.'
The section began a circuitous march, easing north to avoid the village and its cattle. The going was easy, but need for intense alertness and continuous observation slowed the speed of the trek down to only a little faster than a crawl. The Falangists could be anywhere in the area, and they had already shown a disturbing propensity for sending out patrols. An hour and a half passed before the SEALs came across the trails left by the enemy. At that point, the distance between each man was increased, and the Odd Couple moved out on the point some twenty-five meters from the column.
.
OUTSIDE THE FALANGIST GARRISON
1400 HOURS LOCAL
MIKE Assad lay against the creek bank that sank a meter and a half into the terrain. He used the grass along the sides of the waterway for cover as he surveyed the enemy camp with his binoculars. Dave Leibowitz was on lookout on the other side of the creek, squatting down with his CAR-15 at the ready.
'Man!' Mike whispered as he watched the activity in the garrison. 'Those guys are really chickenshit. I haven't seen so much saluting and drilling since we were up at Camp Pendleton last month.'
'They've got a strong European tradition,' Dave reminded him. 'Remember what Alfredo said back in isolation.' He looked behind to check out the area to the rear, then turned back toward the front. 'How many guys do they have?'
'I'd say forty or so,' Mike said. 'That means they outnumber us about two to one.'
'That's just this camp,' Dave said. 'They might have another.'
'Hell!' Mike said. 'They might have a dozen more. Who knows? Alfredo wasn't even sure.' He put away his binoculars and crossed the creek, climbing up to join Dave.
'Mission accomplished! Let's get back to the senior chief and the section. We need to report to the Skipper before dark.'
The two scouts moved in crouching positions as they hurried across the savannah toward the spot where Dawkins and the Second Assault Section waited for them.
Chapter 5
SEAL BIVOUAC
BIG CREEK
4 DECEMBER
1500 HOURS LOCAL
EVERYONE'S BDUs were sweat-soaked and grass-stained from days of wear. The high afternoon temperature was compounded by the heavy humidity, and while the SEALs perspired heavily, it did little to cool them since it couldn't evaporate in the steamy atmosphere. Some of the sweating might have come from nerves; this was a combat mission briefing. Apprehension is an emotional characteristic that affects both the mind and body even among the military elite.
The Odd Couple along with the section commanders, SAW gunners, and team leaders were sprawled on the grass in front of Lieutenant Wild Bill Brannigan. Chad Murchison, standing CP watch, stood off to one side listening. The rest of the detachment was out on security, enduring the discomfort of a bright, burning sun in the treeless and consequently shadeless terrain. Everyone was wishing for rain, even though it would offer no more than temporary relief before adding to the steamy discomfort.
Over at his briefing, the Skipper tipped his boonie hat onto the back of his head as he surveyed his subordinate leaders. He took a deep breath as if to make an important announcement, and the words he uttered, while not earth-shattering, were profound: 'We came here to fight.'
The SEALs looked at each other, shrugging as if to say, 'So what else is new?'
'The situation we're in fits an old Chinese proverb I once heard,' Brannigan continued. 'The best way to test a tiger's courage and strength is to let him out of his cage.' He grinned. 'But in this case, the situation we have here today dictates that we go into the cage to get a rise out of the son of a bitch.'
Connie Concord, leader of Bravo Fire Team, took the blade of grass he was chewing out of his mouth. 'I hope we ain't gonna lock that cage door behind us once we're in there, sir.'
'Oh, no,' Brannigan assured him. 'We'll have a way out in case those fangs and claws are stronger than we anticipated. This mission is to launch a sneak attack in the dark, shoot up the place, then make a quick withdrawal back into the cover of night.'
Gutsy Olson, honcho of Delta Fire Team, looked up. 'What if we start kicking their asses?'
'Then we'll continue the fight,' Brannigan said. 'If we inflict enough casualties, we'll break the back of this revolution. If that happens, we could easily be home by Christmas.'
'There is one historical aspect of war that cannot be denied,' Chad Murchison said. 'There has never been one that ended in time for the troops to be home by Christmas.' He glanced around. 'I'm awfully sorry to be so pessimistic, fellows.'
Bruno Puglisi chuckled. 'Perfectly all right, old chum. Perhaps we'll be back in time for the polo season, hey, what?'
Chad's face reddened at the loud laughter of the others. He had tried to keep his privileged background a secret, but the longer a man serves in a unit, the more his buddies learn about him. They met his sweetheart, Penny Brubaker, when the unit was in Afghanistan. She was a UN relief worker, and it was obvious to the SEALs that the couple came from moneyed families.
'Oh, dear!' Joe Miskoski said. 'I do miss driving about in my Rolls-Royce, chaps.'
'Shut up!' Senior Chief Buford Dawkins bellowed. 'This is a mission briefing not a bullshit session.'
