Elham was satisfied with the response. /
“I have heard of this man Kara,” Elham continued. “He would be a river to his people. Perhaps he seeks additional help from the Zionists and their bought dogs.”
“Yes, perhaps. We had a man inside his office for a short time. He was well paid but produced little useful information. He has not reported lately.”
Esmaili sought to maintain his standing in the group. “If Kara is supporting Druze causes, is it not logical to assume that he will be interested in whatever happens around Hasbaya?”
Azizi rubbed his close-cropped beard. “Yes, it is. But so far there has been no indication. Our agents report most of what happens in the Druze settlements in this area.”
Elham stood, indicating that the meeting was over. “It does not matter. Events will take the course that God selects. We only serve Him and follow His path.”
Azizi also rose. “His will, Imam.”
“His will,” intoned Ahmad Esmaili.
“When we left Arlington, I told you that I would keep you informed at every step,” Frank Leopole began. “Well, this will be your final briefing before we go to Lebanon.” Leopole was the type of commanding officer who walked the walk. When it came to looking out for the troops, almost everyone in the room had served under men who merely talked the talk.
“Major Ayash and I met with Mr. Kara in Beirut and confirmed that our clients will be prepared for us. The Druze are eager to receive updated training, and I am confident that we’ll find the militias receptive students. But as always, there are cultural concerns, and we’re going to rely heavily upon our IDF liaison officers.”
Leopole walked to an easel supporting a large-scale map of Lebanon with border areas of Israel and Syria. “We will fly into Beirut with our Israeli colleagues and spend a couple of days getting oriented. Then we’ll proceed to the area around Hasbaya, about forty miles south-southeast. That’s where the Israelis and the militias are concerned about growing Hezbollah activity. As you will recall from Mr. Baram’s briefings, the Izzies… er, Israelis… took some heavy casualties operating against Hezbollah. So keep that in mind, gentlemen. If IDF spec-ops teams are having a tough time, we can expect the same.”
In the second row, Leopole saw Breezy lean over to Bosco and mutter something behind a cupped hand. The hoarse whisper was faintly audible. “Ah, Mr. Brezyinski, would you care to give us the benefit of your wisdom?”
Breezy straightened up, looking much like a seventh-grader caught passing notes in class. “Oh, nosir. I mean, no thank you.”
Leopole caught the titters in the audience. He was less miffed about whatever the ex-paratrooper may have said than interrupting the briefing. He placed his hands behind his back and paced forward, looking over the heads of those in the front row. “Oh, come now, Mr. Brezyinski. You’re far too reticent. I’m sure that you would not interrupt the important facts I’m trying so poorly to communicate to everyone unless it were worthy of universal distribution.” He gave a Clint Eastwood stare, complete with narrowed eyes and tic of facial muscles.
Bosco leaned back, hands comfortably clasped on his lap, trying hard not to smile.
Seeking succor and finding none, Breezy plunged ahead. “Well, if you put it like that, Colonel…” He almost said,
Frank Leopole blinked once. Then twice. He thought:
Then he said, “Mr. B, you surprise me.
Breezy slumped in his chair. “Uh, yessir. I sort of thought the point could stand to be made again. Sir.”
“And what does your esteemed Ranger colleague make of his own expendability?” Leopole switched his reptilian gaze to Jason Boscombe.
Bosco rose to the challenge. “Hoo-ah on the ‘very well paid,’ sir!”
Now the group’s laughter was open and genuine. Even Frank Leopole, former lieutenant colonel of Marines, joined in. “Very well. As long as we have
The operations officer returned to the map. “As you can see, our op area lies about ten to fifteen miles north of the Israeli border. We will receive covert logistic support from the IDF brigade in that region, but it’s unrealistic to think we can get away with it indefinitely. There’s just too much Hezbollah activity and supporters in the region. That means we’ll stash a goodly supply of food and ammo on the initial runs in case air and ground transport is denied us. We could probably get by for a while on our own, but I do not want to impose upon our clients. Reportedly some outlying villages have had problems in the past.”
Chris Nissen, who would lead one of the training teams, had a question. “Colonel, I understand the benefit of taking our own gear with us, especially radios. But if we get an Alamo situation in one of these villes, will there be enough Russian guns and ammo for us?”
“Good question, Sergeant. And the answer is yes. Mr. Kara is, ah, very well connected and well supplied. In fact, we may detail a couple of men to stay in Beirut and coordinate with him. That’s one of the things Major Ayash and I discussed with him. So rest easy. If we use up our own stash, there will be AKs and LMGs and probably RPGs aplenty. Even mortars.”
“Any chance of fighter or gunship support?”
“That’s possible, more likely helos than fast movers. I’ll know more before we leave.”
Josh Wallender raised a hand. “Colonel, I’d like to know more about the covert nature of this mission. It seems that since we’re doing weapons and tactics training, there’s going to be a lot of shooting. That’s gonna get the Hezzies’ attention for sure.”
Leopole nodded. “Undoubtedly it will. But remember, we’re going to Lebanon. Things are different there. People shoot AKs in the air just to let off steam or to celebrate birthdays or weddings. So we’ll blend in more than if we were operating elsewhere.
“Which reminds me. I know most of you brought your favorite cammies or BDUs or whatever. When we get to Beirut, Mr. Kara will provide us with several sets of local clothes, which can be anything from blue jeans to burkas.” He shot Breezy a quick grin. “And Brezyinski, I’d love to see you in a burka that’s a lovely shade of blue.
“But a lot of shooters in Lebanon wear paramilitary clothes, sometimes a mixture of camo patterns. We’ll try to blend in as much as possible, depending on what the locals are wearing.” He looked around. “Anything else?”
Silence met the question so Leopole said, “Get your gear ready, gentlemen. We’ll gear up in twenty-four hours.”
Part 3
LEBANON
16
“Hey, lookit!”
In his aisle seat, Bosco craned his head to look past Brezyinski. “What?”
Next to the window, Breezy pointed aft. “We’re popping flares, man!” He turned back to his partner, eyes
