again having a difficult time keeping the laughter inside. “Any questions so far?” I ask close to not being able to contain myself.
The stunned silence continues. “Yeah, um, I have one,” Lynn says finally. “Are you out of your fucking mind? I swear, Jack. If I didn’t know you better, I’d swear you carried around a paper bag full of paint fumes. Does this just come naturally to you or do inner voices speak to you? Did they really used to let you out to play during the day? Please tell me you are kidding!?”
“Yes, I’m kidding. I’m just letting off some tension,” I reply and see other shoulders sag in relief with my answer.
“You do know you aren’t funny right? So what are the steaks really for and what’s the real plan?” Lynn asks.
“I am going to leave early and drop them off in the trees on the other side of the compound in an attempt to draw the night runners off,” I answer. “Okay, for real, the plan is the same up to the point of getting to the trees, clearing the gym, and then the classrooms. The women will be escorted into the gym by Echo Team with Black Team maintaining a defensive line between the gym and barracks close to the first classroom building. Echo provides escort. We’ll bring them through the pool entrance so they won’t become exposed to the guards by the outside lights. Clear so far?”
Nods indicate they are still with me. I continue, “Okay, once we get everyone in the gym we’ll move onto phase two which will be the tower guards. At this point, we’ll start taking out all of the perimeter guards. We’ll be packing the 110’s. Black and Echo team, along with Henderson and Denton, will start taking out the tower guards. Work out amongst yourselves exactly which towers you will take, two guards to a tower so two guns per tower. Move quickly onto the next towers. That will leave the perimeter unguarded so Henderson and Denton, head to the gym as soon as the towers are clear. McCafferty and I will be conducting phase three which consists of the guards sleeping it off in the barracks. We’ll place the claymores with the fuse pencils in the guard rooms and meet you in the gym. Once we’re all in the gym, we lock it down with the chains, C-clamps, and 550 cord on the main gym interior doors and wait til morning.”
“That’s much better, Jack,” Lynn says.
“Yeah, I have to say that’s a much better plan than your, um, first one,” Greg says.
“So, I won’t be taking any meat with me?” Henderson asks.
“No, you won’t be packing around steaks,” I answer chuckling. “Questions so far before we move on to contingencies?”
“How are we going to keep the ‘guests’ quiet? They’re not exactly going to react well to fancily clad people strolling into their rooms in the middle of the night shooting,” Greg asks.
“That’s up to each team pair to do. Quiet them down immediately and let them know you are there to help but they have to be quiet,” I answer. “Ask for help from the older women if there are any young girls, or anyone else, who can’t control themselves.”
“Anything else up to this point?” Shaking heads answer. “Okay, contingencies. We’ll be formed up in a box in the woods during the initial penetration. If night runners appear while we’re still outside, we’ll fold up to the highway in a box pattern. Once on the highway, we’ll make our way to the overpass. That way we’ll only have two approaches to cover. The gig will be up and we’ll figure something else out afterwards. Let’s make sure to carry plenty of ammo.” I look around and see everyone nodding.
“Any roving guards are to be left alone for the time being. Let them pass. If discovery is imminent, then they are to be taken down as quietly as possible and the body or bodies hidden. If we get involved in a firefight, we’ll gauge our options at that time. We’re greatly outnumbered with shooters on high ground all around us. Henderson and Denton will start taking out the tower guards if that happens. Again, the gig will be up and we’ll weigh our options if we’re discovered; whether to press on or engage in a fighting withdrawal. If we’re discovered rescuing the women, we’ll hustle them into the gym. At that point, we’re committed. We’ll need to help Henderson and Denton out as their asses will be flapping in the breeze. Echo, that’s your job. Greg, get the captives in the gym and then you’re out with your team clearing the towers,” I say.
“Gotcha,” he says.
“One last thing, if it looks like the tower to the south will be a problem upon our entry, then we’ll take it out the same manner but with Henderson eventually manning that one and Denton in tower five,” I add.
“Thus the second ladder,” Lynn says.
“Yep, thus the second ladder,” I say nodding.
“My jaw aches from so much talking so it’s your turn,” I say addressing the group as a whole.
“I don’t really have anything to add,” Lynn says.
“Me either,” Greg comments with the rest shaking their heads.
“Let’s rest up, keep our watches, and brief your teams when they come in. Oh, and keep my fine work of art clear to use for your briefings or if you need another look or two,” I say.
The rest of the afternoon floats by lazily yet with a prevalent tension knowing action is coming up. We have another night and day until we go in but there is always a certain amount of anxiety present when a known operation is on the horizon. Part of it is the ‘let’s get on with it’ aspect. The waiting game is a hard one. I sit for most of the time staring down at the diagram looking for something I’ve overlooked or missed. Lynn sits quietly with me; our hands clasped. We chat, share a laugh or two, or talk seriously about a variety of subjects but my mind is never far from my kids or the plan.
The evening and night passes in much the same manner as the one prior. It’s hard to sleep on the hard floor of the Humvee even with the cushion of a sleeping bag nestled below. Couple that with the aroma of a few people who haven’t been introduced to a shower in a couple of days and it makes it a very interesting place indeed to try to rest. The morning dawns with a few yawns and a scramble to get out of the Humvee. Apparently, several others share my thoughts on the locker room smell and are in need of some fresh air.
We head off in a couple of vehicles to sight in the 110’s leaving a skeleton crew behind to monitor the camp. We head slowly down the access road and up the side road for several miles finding an old rock quarry. The sun beams brightly as we shoulder our M-110’s and begin sighting in. A line of clouds paint the sky to the west indicating a front coming in. I monitor them and notice they aren’t advancing quickly so we should have a clear night. I’m anxious to be done here and get started toward the compound. It’s going to take me some time to maneuver around the camp and place the steaks.
We finally finish and make our way back to camp. The going is slow so as not to raise a dust cloud and to also erase our tracks. We pull up with the heat of the day climbing. There is a palpable increase in humidity and I glance again at the clouds on the horizon. They haven’t moved. We clean our weapons and I begin to gather my gear. I’ll be meeting the rest of the teams in the woods close to the camp after I finish. I think about taking Lynn or McCafferty as more eyes are better, especially seeing I’ll have to transit outlying residential areas to the north of the high school. I’ll have to swing very wide of the compound and come down from the north so I’m not seen from the towers and then exit in the same manner. The one aspect about heading through residential areas is that no one is likely to be around. Our lookouts monitoring the camp will be able to let us know if someone heads in our direction.
I talk to Lynn about taking someone with me. After she recovers from her shock and actually reaches up to my forehead to see if I’m alright, she mentions she’d like to go. As she so delicately put it, “I’ll be there to be the ‘anti-stupid move or decision’ person,” she said with a big smile. We kid each other a lot but never really mean it. Our skins are thick enough to handle a little fun sarcasm.
“Are you saying I don’t make good decisions?” I ask giving my fake shocked look.
“Jack, you attract all sorts of odd situations,” she says.
“Huh! Name one,” I reply.
“One!? Why don’t you make it a little more difficult? Okay, how about everyone needing to urinate when you’re in a hallway,” she says and is on the verge of listing more. I’m sure she has quite the list stored up.
“Okay, point taken,” I say leaning over quickly to kiss her on the forehead.
“Are we ready?” She asks patting her vest and checking her mags.
“Just about,” I say reaching in and cutting a couple long strips of cardboard from the boxes we brought supplies in.
Lynn watches with her head tilted to the side wondering what is in store. I have a theory that she only stays with me to see what ridiculous idea I’ll come up with next. It’s like I have an entertainment value for her. I call
