by Robert Boren
“Everybody still on the meeting?” he asked.
“I’m on,” Jeb said.
“Me too,” Malcolm said. “I think we’re good. We’re almost to the kickoff spot.”
“You guys hear that?” Jake said. “Sounds like one of those choppers set down.
“I see it,” Gabe said. “Look, your cameras are still up.”
Several of the men gathered around and watched as two Islamic fighters leapt out of one of the larger choppers. Everybody in the basement jerked as their short range apps buzzed them.
“Cretins!” Gabe shouted.
“Okay, we need to go out and take them on,” Charlie said. “Otherwise they’re liable to pour a bunch of gasoline down here and light it up. Hurry, before they find the trap doors.”
Chapter 8 – Fire in the Canyons
“Princess!” Dobie said. She came to attention. “Let’s go!” She looked at the three other dogs, and they followed him towards the trap door in the kitchen. He checked his pistols on the way. Charlie followed with his rifle, and Gabe with his shotgun. They hurried up the steps. Dobie slowly pushed the trap door open. The dogs went out first, then Dobie, his handgun in a two handed combat grip as he walked. They could hear the chopper, still on the ground, blades idling, the wind throwing debris around. Charlie and Gabe got up out of the trap door and quietly closed it, then walked forward in a crouch with their weapons ready.
Dobie was at the entrance of the clubhouse when Princess growled and pointed. Simon and Peabody did too, so Dobie peered out around the corner. There they were. They saw him at the same time he saw them, but Dobie was ready, firing off a shot to the head of each. They fell, and then the chopper blades went faster. Gabe ran out and let loose with the shotgun, peppering the windshield while Charlie got down on one knee and aimed his rifle. He shot, hitting the pilot, who fell over the controls. The chopper spun, coming slightly off the ground and then slamming down again. The co-pilot was trying to get unstrapped, but Gabe ran up and hit the window with several blasts of the shotgun, hitting him in the face, splattering blood around the cabin. The chopper’s blades slowed as it sat on the ground.
“Jake, anybody else get out of any choppers?” asked Charlie through the blue tooth headset.
“They were the only ones that I saw. Those other choppers are around somewhere, so watch out.”
“I still hear them, but they don’t sound close,” Gabe said. “Where’s Dobie?”
“Looking around for others,” Dobie said into his headset. “Crap, here comes the other two choppers. We’d better take cover.”
Suddenly there was a bright flash, and one chopper exploded in mid-air, about three hundred yards out. There was the sound of a fighter jet as it shot past them, banking, turning around.
“Yes!” Gabe cried. “The other chopper is trying to split, but here comes that fighter again!”
They felt the rumble as the fighter passed back over them, and then the last chopper blew up.
“That got them,” Dobie shouted, watching pieces of the choppers fluttering to earth.
“How’s the damage out there?” Charlie asked.
“The clubhouse is a little shot up, not terrible,” Gabe said. “Nothing we can’t fix. Your Chinook is toast, though, General. Sorry. Doesn’t look like any rigs got hit badly.”
“Why don’t you guys get your butts back in here?” Hilda said.
“Yeah, I agree,” the General said. “Those fighters are going to hang around the area for a while, and more are coming. The enemy won’t be getting anything else into the air.”
“I think we should leave the dogs out here to patrol,” Dobie said. “We can keep track with the cameras. Remember those icons we saw up north? They haven’t shown back up yet.”
“That’s a good idea, if you don’t mind,” Gabe said.
“It’s what they’re trained to do,” Dobie said.
They met back in the kitchen and went below.
“Nice shooting, Dobie,” the General said as he walked up to greet them. “Saw the whole thing. You’re fast.”
“Thanks,” Dobie said, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Hey, the team is at the kick-off point right now,” Frank said, sitting in front of the PC.
Everybody except Dobie gathered around the PCs, watching silently. Dobie sat in front of the monitor showing the video camera output. He reloaded the magazine of his pistol as he watched.
***
“We’re here,” Jeb said, pulling the Jeep up against the side of a pile of rocks. The other four vehicles stopped too, and the men got out, checking weapons.
“The first ring of sentries should be right over this next hill,” Jeb whispered. Kurt and Malcolm came closer to him, and they got their bows set up.
“How come the short range app hasn’t started up yet?” Kurt asked.
“They might not be quite close enough yet,” Frank said. “I’m not seeing any sentries out as far as they were. You’ll need to walk in a ways.”
“Yeah, men,” General Hogan said. “And watch for video cameras and trip wires.”
“Look, that little pass would be an easy way to get on the ridge,” Malcolm said.
“Okay, let’s go,” Jeb said. “Backup team, ready?”
Terry, Jackson, and Earl came over, along with Privates Jennings and Peterson, nodding at them. They walked up the pass, but had to climb rocks before too long. The moon lit the red rocks and sand in an eerie way.
“Looks like frigging Mars,” Jeb whispered.
“There’s the top of the ridge,” Kurt whispered, his breath coming faster now. “Wish I was in better shape.”
“Yeah, me too,” Malcolm whispered.
They got to the top of the ridge, and looked around, seeing the backup team behind them.
“Let’s walk the ridge over in that direction,” Jeb said. “Looks like it might be productive.”
Productive?” Malcolm asked.
“Yeah, as in hunting,” Jeb said. “You get a sense after a while.” They walked along in a crouch, towards a set of rock structures.
George and Heidi were picking up the M107 and the OICW, and also had hunting rifles on shoulder slings.
“We’re a little weighted down,” Heidi said.
“Yeah,” he said. “We’ll make it, though. Just take it slow. We want to find a good vantage point to set up the M107. Our main job might end up being clean-up. Take out enemy fighters trying to escape.”
“How about that spot?” Heidi asked, pointing up towards a high, flat rock formation.
“You’ve got a good eye,” George said, chuckling. “Nasty climb, though. We’d better get going. It’ll take us a little while.” They headed in that direction, and then both of them jolted as their phones buzzed.
“Short range app,” George whispered. “Enemy close by. Be quiet, and keep your eyes open.”
“George, I see the icons that are buzzing you,” Frank said over the headset. I can see you guys too, in the satellite feed. You going to that tall flat topped rock formation?”
“Yeah,” George whispered.
“Okay, the bad guys are on the next ridge over, hunkered down, looking. It’s about two hundred yards away. They’re going to be hard to see, and they might see you before you see them. Keep your heads down.”
“Hey, I just got buzzed,” Jeb said.
“Yeah, me too,” Kurt said.
“You guys see that flat top rock pile we’re talking about?” George whispered.
“Yeah, I see it,” Jeb said. “We’re on our way to the next ridge over, the one Frank’s talking about. We’ll come along that ridge from the east side, and nail them before they know we’re there.”
“Tell me when you’re close,” George said. “Maybe I’ll do something to let them see me.”
“Yeah, when they’re looking at you, we’ll stop their clocks,” Malcolm said.
“Here comes the bad part of the climb,” Heidi whispered. “Why don’t you climb up there, and then
I’ll hand stuff up to you.”
“Good idea,” George whispered back. “I can manage the OICW and the hunting rifle, if you can hand me the M107 when I’m up.”
“I can do it. Go ahead.”
George climbed up the side. Some small rocks rolled down the hill as he climbed, causing him to freeze. “Shit.”
“They didn’t move,” Frank said. “Keep going.”
George got to the top and set things down, staying in a crouch. He turned back nodded to Heidi. She pushed the M107 up to him, and he reached down and grabbed the barrel. Heidi followed it up the cliff. When she made it up, she saw George setting up the tripod and loading the first magazine.
“You see them?” she whispered.
“Yeah,” George said. “Look over there. Idiots are wearing white.”
“Oh, I see them. Looks like four. You going to take them out?”
“No, I think we’d better let the bow team take them, or everybody here will know something’s up. This M107 is loud. Just relax for now and watch.”
“I want to check that app,” Heidi said.
“Don’t expose any light up here from your phone,” George said. “They’ll see it.”
“Gotcha,” she said, slipping back down behind the rocks, out of sight. “This is great,” she whispered. “I see the four, but also several more just a little further. Better warn Malcolm and the other bow hunters. They can’t be walking on the top of the ridge.”
“I heard you, sugar plum,” Malcolm said. “We’re below the crest now. We’ll stay that way until we take out the four. I can already see the first one. Wish we had four bows. We’re liable to get some shouting.”
“I can reload pretty fast,” Jeb said.
“Yeah, me too,” Kurt said. “You take the first shot, Jeb, then me, and by that time you’ll be ready for round two. Malcolm should hold off for anybody who might get further away. He’s got more speed and range.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Malcolm said. Jeb nodded, and they continued to sneak closer.
“Hell, I can see all four of them now,” Jeb whispered, drawing back his bow, getting a bead. “You guys ready?”
Kurt and Malcolm took aim.
“Go for it,” Kurt said. Jeb let an arrow go, followed split second later by Kurt. Both arrows were in the air at the same time, hitting their targets one after another, both dead men rolling down the hill as the other two looked on in horror. Jeb reloaded and got the third man as he was starting to climb away in a panic. The fourth one started to get up and run, and Malcolm fired his crossbow, hitting him square in the back.
“Why didn’t any of them yell?” Jeb asked.
“We didn’t give them enough time,” Malcolm said. “Let’s go take over their position. Maybe we can get the next group from there.”
“Hey, guys,” Private Brown said. “I can see the big outcropping, and I’ve got the designator ready to fire up, but it might be too late. There’s a stream of folks leaving out the rear of the park. Saladin’s icon among them.”
“I knew it,” George said.
“They’re going to flee,” General Hogan said, “but they won’t get away from us. Light up the ground they’re on, and the hideout too, just in case. Frank still sees a bunch of icons moving around in there.”
“Roger that,” Private Brown said.
We need to get further down this ridge to the east,” George said. “We need a view of the back of the park. I think we can get up and walk now since our boys took out those first four guys.”
Heidi nodded, and the two picked up their stuff and moved as quickly as possible.
“Perfect,” Private Brown said. “They’re clumping up into a group in front of the big outcropping now, talking. They have no idea we’re on top of them.”
“They can’t see the laser beam, I hope,” Jeb said.
“Nah, they won’t notice it,” Private Brown said. “I’ll walk it over in the dirt so I don’t hit any of them in the eye.”
“Go ahead, son,” General Hogan said.
“Okay, it’s on them,” he said. “I’ll follow them if they start to move.”
“Listen,” George said, as he and Heidi rushed along the ridge.
“I hear it,” Heidi said. “Missile.”
“Following our laser target designator right down the chute!” George said.
The sky lit up in front of the outcropping, a loud whoosh noise coming at them with the heat and light.
“Wow,” Jeb said. “The whole canyon is on fire. There’s those sentries. Let’s nail them.”
Jeb pulled back his bow, aimed, and let go, the arrow flying through the bright sky, hitting one of the fleeing sentries in the back.
“Nice shooting,” Malcolm said. “I’m going to try that guy on the side of the hill.”
“That’s pretty far,” Kurt said, as the crossbow let go with a dull twang.
“Wow,” Jeb said as the arrow found its mark. The sentry fell and slid down the side of the mountain. Then there was the crack of a rifle, chipping the rocks below their feet.
“Get down, boys,” Jeb yelled. They dropped and got their rifles ready.
“See them?” Kurt asked.
“Need a little more light,” Jeb said. Just at that moment the sky lit up again, as the second missile flew into the mouth of the outcropping, filling it with fire.
“There they are,” Malcolm said, aiming his rifle and firing off a round.
“Yeah, I see them,” Kurt said. “Damn, looks like about thirty of them.” They fired quickly as the enemy returned fire, and then there were some really loud shots, coming from the east.
“George,” Malcolm said, laughing, watching rock chips rain over their targets.
“Watch the east,” General Hogan said. “More of them trying to escape, a little further out.”
“Should I paint them with the designator?” Private Brown asked.
“Yeah, but you won’t get all of them. They’re not bunched up anymore.”
“We can see them,” Terry said. “Almost in good position to fire at them.”
“Who’s with you?” General Hogan asked.
“Earl, Jackson, Jennings, and Peterson. This is like a shooting gallery. I’d hit them with another missile just to give us more light.”
“Gotcha,” General Hogan said. “Light them up, son.”
“It’s on them now,” Private Brown said. In another few seconds, there was the sound of a missile approaching, and then the bright flash, and the heat rushing at them. Terry’s team opened up, hitting as many fleeing fighters as they could while the air was on fire around them.
“Damn, this is fun,” Jackson shouted, shooting as fast as he could. They took fire and crouched lower. “Where’s that coming from?”
“Up yonder,” Earl shouted, pointing.
“I see them,” Heidi said. She fired her rifle as George got the M107 pointed in that direction. He fired the M107 like a mad man, moving quickly from one target to the next, eye glued to the scope.
“I see Saladin’s icon,” Jeb said. “He’s out in front of the fleeing group, furthest east. I’m going after him.”
“I’m with you,” Malcolm said. “Kurt, stay here and catch stragglers.”
“Okay,” Kurt said, looking up at them for a second from his rifle scope. Then he went on firing as Jeb and Malcolm ran forward in a crouch, trying to close the distance.
“I’m going to move this sucker a little further east,” George said. “I want to get even with that last group.”
“How many icons left?” Terry asked as they were finishing off the group that was firing on them.
“A whole lot that aren’t moving now,” General Hogan said. “There are a lot less, all of a sudden.”
“It’s the fire,” Frank said. “The chips can only take so much heat. Any of them getting a direct hit with one of those firebombs will drop off our display. There’s a fairly large group of them here, though,” he said, pointing to the screen.
; “Some high ranking people,” Jane said.
“Look, there’s movement up by the front gate,” Jasmine said. “A group trying to flee that way. Mid-level folks.”
“We aren’t going to be able to get there,” George said. “We still got that roadblock up?”
“Yeah,” General Hogan said. “In fact, they’re closing in. I just talked to the commander down there.”
“Good,” George said. “I’m almost to the position I want to be in. Shit!”
“What?” Frank asked.
“Somebody’s shooting at us,” George said. “We got down in time. I’ll set up.”
Jeb and Malcolm were moving quickly along the ridge, heading for the lead group trying to flee. “You see them yet?” Jeb asked, sounding out of breath.
“They ducked behind that small ridge over there,” Malcolm said.
A shot rang out, chipping rocks below them. “Get down, they see us,” Jeb shouted.
Both men hit the dirt.
“Choppers,” Kurt yelled. “Hear them coming?”
“Yeah,” Heidi said. “I see them, flying fast and low. Ours?”
“No,” General Hogan said. “The jets are close by, and they see them.”
“Where did they come from?” Private Brown asked.
“We don’t know,” he replied.
“Malcolm and I are pinned down,” Jeb said. “They’re firing at us from behind that rock outcropping, to the northeast.”
“Yeah, I see where you’re talking about,” George said. “I’m in a good spot. Keep your heads down while I get out my toy.”
“OICW,” Malcolm said, laughing. “Let them have it, George.”
“Want me to man the M107?” Heidi asked.
“Yeah, hit that outcropping as close to the west side as you can. Hit the far east side too. We want them bunched up.”
Heidi went to work, firing away, rocks and dust flying into the air in both spots. Then George aimed the OICW and pulled the trigger. There was a sizzling noise as the projectile raced towards the ridge, and then a loud bang.