by Leo Nix
“Alpha in position, ten combatants inside, four are awake, playing cards… flash-bangs at the ready. Non-combatants are not in the line of fire - this is a go,” came the whispered voice of Fortune.
“Bravo team in place,” it was Pipeline. They could now see the images from Pipeline's helmet camera appearing on the big board. “Dormitory is full, twenty combatants asleep. We're ready.”
Obi-Wan whispered, “Charlie team ready.” Sue-Ellen was certain that his ribs were causing him pain, it was the tight strain in his voice that gave it away.
Murphy then announced, “Delta ready, dormitory has thirty plus combatants, asleep…” The staff in the big board room were tense, silent, no-one moved or spoke.
“Teams,” announced Fortune, “check your weapons, flash-bangs on three, good luck fellas.” He counted them in and the big board erupted as a series of flash-bangs was followed by shouting and screams.
“Video live,” announced Emily, and there it was, live video on the big board.
They witnessed Fortune's team scramble through the windows and via the rear door of the warehouse. The rapid movements of the head cams made it almost impossible to watch. The Board was split into multiple screens, each team leader had a camera strapped to their helmet: Obi-Wan; Fortune; Murphy and Pipeline. Those in the big board room now saw one video stream settle long enough to witness the shooting of the four card players. They saw Jake, but for only a second or two, run across to the prisoners yelling at them to stay down. Other images showed the remaining enemy rounded up and cuffed.
Just at that moment three of the enemy leapt at Hooky knocking him to the ground, one pulled a pistol and fired. Fortune's camera was knocked off-line leaving the scene blank except for the audio.
Pipeline's Bravo team had taken out the dormitory with zero casualties on either side. The viewers could see Pipeline's other operative, Maine, cuffing the prisoners and pushing them down onto the floor. All of a sudden four of the men broke for the door, the Pine Gap screen showed Pipeline's automatic M4 come into view as he cut them down.
Fortune's Alpha team had lost its video feed but they still had the audio. The audience heard the sounds of people grunting, shouting - it sounded like wrestling or hand-to-hand fighting.
“Hooky! Get out of the way!” cried Fortune, the sound of his M4 firing was loud in the big room.
Then more sounds of gunfire erupted - screams and grunts as bullets found their mark.
Fortune's voice cried out, “Down! Get down on the floor! You, get down! Drop it! NOW!”
There came another eruption of gunfire and screams.
“Someone see to Hooky! Patrick! Come here!” There were unintelligible yelled orders from someone near Fortune.
“Bannerman! Hold this position, anyone who blinks, shoot to kill.” It was loud enough for all in the warehouse to hear. Fortune didn't want any more unpleasantness.
“What? What did you say?” Silence. “Patrick, get Hooky outside, I'll take a look at him when we've cuffed everyone.”
By now Danielle had frozen, her heart beating like the sounds of automatic fire on the big screen. Her dark skin was cold and clammy. When Emily heard Hooky's name she leapt from her chair and ran to be with her friend. No-one else in the room had moved from the moment the assault started.
Suddenly there was more gunfire and screams. Someone called loudly, “Patrick's down!” This was followed by the sounds of a rifle on full automatic, several pistol shots, then silence.
“I can't stand it!” cried Danielle. She was sobbing, almost hysterical. Sue-Ellen quickly came over to sit with her. The three girls huddled together listening to the story created by the audio feed.
“Fortune, what's happening?” It was Obi-Wan.
“All good, one man wounded, Patrick. Hooky's gone and dislocated his shoulder again,” came Fortune's terse reply.
The other video displayed Obi-Wan's entry into the warlord's cottage. From Jake's description and their satellite surveillance there would be up to six male combatants plus up to four women, non-combatants, in the three bedroom cottage.
Obi-Wan was paired with Constable Neil Conner, a hard-bitten AFP constable based at Pine Gap. He was a specialist in unarmed combat, third dan in the Japanese martial art of jujitsu. Neil and Obi-Wan often worked on their martial arts forms together, he knew how good Neil was. He had also seen Neil settle a few disputes between the residents at Pine Gap and was satisfied he would be ideal as his off-sider in this operation.
Obi-Wan and Neil entered the back door together before Fortune gave the order to start the assault. The drawings Jake provided were clear in their minds-eye. They had the task of securing the cottage where Spiro, his girlfriend, and his henchmen would be.
The two special ops had already completed a circuit of the house. Satisfied, Obi-Wan entered the first bedroom while Neil covered the hallway.
Obi-Wan switched his weapon-mounted flashlight on right at the moment the flash-bangs exploded in the warehouse and dormitories. Immediately the short, barrel-chested Spiro awoke and leapt from his bed. His pistol was in his hand as he landed on his feet. Obi-Wan thought the little man did it well, then he fired and Spiro dropped to the floor. The naked girl in the bed screamed, Obi-Wan cuffed, then ignored her as he cleared the room.
Neil was similarly armed, he too wore an armour-plated vest and weapon-mounted flashlight. His silenced automatic cut into the two disorientated men who staggered into the hallway from the second bedroom. They dropped to the floor. Neil remained still as he shifted his weapon to cover the bedroom door. They could now hear voices, male and female.
Obi-Wan spoke as he tapped Neil on the shoulder. “Flash-bang the bedroom where these two came from and clear it?” His breathing was heavy and Neil recognised his commander was in considerable pain.
“Sure, I've got it.” Neil pulled a flash-bang from his pocket and threw it into the second bedroom. There came an eruption of light and sound. Neil ran in and cleared the room, it was empty.
“Clear! Coming out!” he yelled.
Obi-Wan could hear that the third bedroom held non-combatants as well as the males he could hear arguing. When Neil was in position he nodded to his leader - ready.
Neil threw a flash-bang into the third bedroom. There came mixed screams of men and women.
“Police! Come out with your hands up or we shall fire,” Neil yelled.
Two naked women ran out into the hallway straight to the two men. They were crying and shaking, they appeared to be half asleep and struggled to even walk.
“They've been drugged,” said Obi-Wan. To the girls, he asked, “Is there anyone else in that room?”
One of the girls nodded, her eyes couldn't focus so she closed them.
“There are two men, kill them,” she groaned then slowly leaned against the wall, her legs were shaking. As she spoke there came the sound of gunfire from inside the room.
“Neil, another flash-bang. If they don't come out, grenade them.”
Again Neil pulled a flash-bang from his pocket and threw it into the room. It exploded and the men inside continued to yell abuse and fired several times through the wall.
Neil looked at Obi-Wan who nodded. He pulled a grenade from his webbing pouch and primed it. Obi-Wan helped the two girls down the hallway to the end of the house. When they were safely gone Neil pulled the pin and threw it into the room. The yells of shock were cut off by the explosion.
Neil raced into the room and cleared it.
“Fortune, coordinate the teams,” called Obi-Wan in a tight voice. “Charlie is clear, no prisoners, 3 noncombatant females. We're coming outside.”
Murphy's Delta team had responsibility for securing the primary dormitory. It was the stockmen's quarters where the majority of the enemy were sleeping. The big board displayed his live video feed.
It was dark, at first the viewers could only hear the sounds of flash-bangs followed by screamed orders to stay still and not move. The thirty-plus enemy stirred then cam
e the shouts and orders of their own leaders. All of a sudden the listeners heard sounds of gunfire, a mixture of AK47 and M4 automatics.
The video steam showed gunfire flashes and people moving around the dormitory, some tried to escape out through the back door but were cut down; some tried the windows but they never made it. It was a bloodbath that only took five to ten seconds before the firing stopped, leaving behind smoke and muffled groans and cries from the wounded.
They watched Murphy's video showing one of his team walk through the dormitory cuffing the survivors and checking the wounded and dead. It was gruesome and bloody but it was quick.
“Murphy, what's the status of your objective?” called Fortune.
“Delta has now cleared the primary dorm, no casualties,” Murphy replied. “Twelve dead, same wounded. We are now moving prisoners out into the open.”
Murphy spoke again, “Fortune, I've sent our medic, Andy, over to your position, he should be with you by now.” There were sounds of muffled conversations.
Andy's voice came across clearly. “Fortune, I've had a quick look at Patrick outside, he has serious internal wounds. Blood pressure is dropping, he's not good.”
“Line the prisoners up and get them outside. Anyone who moves, kill them,” was Fortune's simple orders as he went to check on Patrick.
Danielle was still crying but now there were smiles, “his bloody shoulder again, I told him he shouldn't go,” she said, laughing and crying through her tears. “I can't lose another one. That's it, he's grounded from now on.”
Even Sue-Ellen smiled at that, she nodded in agreement.
There were three buses on the property, Jake commandeered one to load the surviving members of the warlord's prisoners. Obi-Wan spoke to the survivors and in conversation with Sue-Ellen they agreed that the gang members should be loaded in one of the buses and dumped somewhere - “a long way away”. No one wanted to execute them, not even Jake or the survivors.
The last thing Sue-Ellen wanted was to be invaded by useless, corrupted prisoners. 'There aren't enough men to guard them and not enough food to feed them.' Her executive decision was to leave them to the elements, an old-fashioned banishment to the wilderness.
Major Samuels and his Black Hawk raced the survivors in poor health and the two wounded back to base. Obi-Wan and the rest stayed behind to collect information on their links to the Revelationists and biker gangs.
They found an abundance of food and water so they decided to turn it into a bolt-hole, a place where anyone could escape to in times of unrest. Times were changing fast, a safe-house in the middle of the desert was as good a place as any in a time of need.
Epilogue – Sundown's Apocalypse
“Commander Cullen!” called Tammy, one of the big board operators, as her commander walked into the room for her morning debrief.
“Yes?” Sue-Ellen replied, head down as she examined the list of briefs on her work desk.
“We have neighbours, just down the road. They've caused quite a stir with the local Revelationist battalion too,” said the operator staring at Sue-Ellen, trying to get a response.
“Yes, General Hughes and his toy soldiers, they keep knocking on our front door and we keep sending them away.” Commander Sue-Ellen Cullen sounded bored, she didn't even bother to look up.
“This is another mob, in Marree. They knocked out the Leigh Creek battalion in the morning, then defeated the Deaths Heads in the afternoon,” announced Tammy. This time she said it a little louder and with a little more animation. “We've received recorded conversations and data the battalion have been sending back to Adelaide. These locals know how to fight, Commander.”
Now Sue-Ellen looked up. “What? Someone else is out there? Let me see what you've got.” She briskly walked over and leafed through Tammy's material. “Well, well, well, at last someone we might be interested in sharing our load with.”
Looking at the big board Sue-Ellen called across the desks to the board operator, Craig. “Hey, Craig, can you swing that satellite around and bring us in on the Marree township, South Australia?”
“Sure, we've been thinking you might be interested in having a look around Marree. Just give me a minute and I'll have it ready for you.” Craig sipped at his morning mug of coffee and munched on his breakfast of oatmeal porridge.
The base's kitchen was manned by volunteers as well as the original kitchen staff. The base kitchen catered for everyone, including the staff and their family's who had been living in Alice Springs when the apocalypse hit. Sue-Ellen allowed anyone who wanted, to leave, but very few did. They all saw what was happening around the world on the big board. Sue-Ellen had kept it running twenty-four-seven through the first days of the apocalypse. Everyone on base was informed and could make their decisions based on accurate information rather than sentiment.
The kitchen was one place Craig liked to frequent. Not just because his partner, Linda, worked there, but because he loved to cook and help out. Sometimes he made special meals for Linda and himself. He could get lost in his cooking and forget the world outside. But this morning's breakfast was a snatch-and-grab because he wanted to have the big board up and ready for Sue-Ellen when she arrived.
The staff at the big board enjoyed her company. It wasn't just because she was the commander of the facility but because she showed her appreciation for a job well done. She actually took the time to understand the big board operators work and praised them when they deserved it.
Craig worked exclusively with the base communications and especially with the satellites. When he worked under Major Binks he did his job and that was it. He had his suspicions but could never find any actual evidence. Craig did speak about it to his supervisor but they both agreed they needed hard data before bothering Sue-Ellen.
Craig was once heard to say, “Binks is so crooked that if he swallowed a nail he'd shit a corkscrew.”
They never found evidence but weren't surprised when they were informed that Binks was their spy. He had been passing top secret information to the church for years and he was the one who had cut satellite communications during the vital rescue at Shark Bay. It was Major Binks who was responsible for the loss of the Taipan helicopter.
Sue-Ellen never kept the truth from her staff and Binks' execution was news she wanted everyone to hear. Binks was not a popular officer. His masked, sleazy nature wasn't lost on his staff. They quietly celebrated when he failed to return from his rendezvous with death.
By now Bluey was a regular with the Pine Gap communications and big board staff. Sue-Ellen and Obi-Wan made sure that he felt accepted and part of their team. He didn't want to join any organisations, he'd done his bit and it sent him crazy, but with the end of the world in full view he decided to re-enter the spook business and was even beginning to open up. It helped that, for a short time, he had the world in his hands – and he loved it.
Today was another opportunity for celebration as the room filled to capacity. The view showed the damaged, historic Marree Hotel and the bodies strewn on the ground. This was much like what the Pine Gap staff had witnessed throughout those first days of the apocalypse. Although generally unmoved by its horror, they were encouraged to know that they were not fighting the war alone.
“This is from Bluey's archives, he filmed it a while ago but only gave us access to it this morning. I think he'd forgot all about it with all the action he's had to cover. I'm sorry we have no footage of the actual fight, Commander.” Craig explained as he shifted the satellite view. “The place was attacked by the Revelationist Church from Adelaide, Alpha Army's Major Lunney, Deaths Head Battalion. If you want you can listen to his running tirade against some sergeant. He blamed him for sacrificing the entire battalion. He's nuts.
“They arrived in company strength, about one hundred and fifty soldiers, and left with about fifty. We don't have accurate numbers. Lunney's superiors were right pissed-off at him for losing their first class battalion… here it is everyone.” Craig zoomed in on the damaged hotel
itself. “Bluey has done a great job so you can see the destruction of the building… hey, look, there are two people, armed…” he zoomed right in to the two lone figures wandering the battlefield.
Roo and Bongo were large on the screen, these were two of Sundown's Commando scouts. The walked slowly among the dead bodies examining the scene, trying to understand what had happened. Viewers saw one of them bend to pick something up from the ground then walk into the damaged hotel itself. It was just on dawn, the light was poor but the satellite image was crystal clear.
“Look, Commander, these close-ups show one is carrying a sniper rifle, that looks like an AK47… and that bloke has a Bren-gun. Blimey, that's a World War Two light machine gun. I wonder where he got that from?” Craig kept up his commentary as they all watched, mesmerised.
Commander Sue-Ellen Cullen leapt straight into action mode.
“Right everyone, listen-up. Tammy, I need information on who these people are, their strength and where they're based. They can't have stayed at Marree, the terrorists arenow based there and they'll be wanting revenge.” Sue-Ellen's voice was fast, vibrant and animated, it showed just how excited she was. “Craig, check out the rest of the township and surrounds, see if they've got a base nearby.”
Sue-Ellen paused as she became aware of the crowded room, she suddenly realised she hadn't done her hair. 'Oh dear, I must look terrible. They'll all think I never wash,' she thought to herself. Smoothing down her birds-nest hair she decided to just get on with it, she can wash and brighten up later – this was important.
“That place doesn't look all that habitable anyway. Craig, I want to know where those two men are based. They look like new arrivals, they're walking around like they've never seen the place before. Stay on the project and keep me updated. Tammy, I want to know everything about them and what the Adelaide Alpha army has to say about their contacts. Get onto Bluey and see what else he has on them… and see if they're part of General Hughes' army in Alice Springs.”