The Arizona State Guard Trilogy

by Jeffrey M. Fortney

  "Good shooting, Honey! Do you want that one's head on the wall in our study?" Titus asked Marion. His wife stuck her tongue out at her husband then smiled and winked at him. Titus smiled back, "That's my gal!"

  As quick as the attack had begun, it was over! A task force composed of two ASGuard units dispersed in the scrub brush and washes nearby had closed in on the attackers and captured or killed some thirty attackers. With the attackers under their control, the task force commander contacted General Roman. With General Roman's approval, the task force brought the surviving attackers forward.

  General Titus Roman stepped in front of the survivors and asked "Who is your leader?"

  No one spoke, but several of them turned to look one of the taller men in the front of the group. General Roman stepped in front of that man and asked, "Who sent you?"

  The man simply stared at the general, refusing to answer.

  General Roman stood his ground clenching and opening his fists. "Am I going to have to put up with this macho bullshit from every one of your type I meet? This crap is growing old...fast. Really...fucking...fast!" His right arm shot forward and his clenched fist struck the man in the center of the stomach. The man doubled over forward only to meet the general's right knee as it struck his chin. The man collapsed, gasping for breath.

  From the ground, leader of the attackers glared at the general. "We're going to kill you some day, old man. You and your family!"

  Teresa stepped forward. "NOT this family, jackass!" she said and brought a roundhouse kick to the side of the man's head knocking him out. "Shooting at my family and friends! Ruin my wedding day! Ruin my wedding dress! You fucked up, buddy!" She glared at the remaining attackers who had never seen a woman as pissed off, or as potentially deadly, as Teresa.

  General Roman looked at the captives and asked, "Who's next?"

  As the captives began talking to their captives, Marcus stepped over to Teresa. He glanced at her torn dress and bandaged gluteus maximus. "You okay, Babe?"

  "At the moment, I'm more angry than hurt," she replied. "But that's gonna start hurting in a little bit...and I'd planned to rock your world tonight, Mister Roman!"

  Marcus smiled and kissed his bride. "That's okay, Sweetheart! We've all the time in the world." He held her tight and hoped he could keep that promise.

  **********

  The Romans were back on duty at ASGuard Headquarters the following Monday although Teresa wasn't able to sit down comfortably. Titus was reviewing the early interrogation reports on the men who had attacked the wedding. "There is definitely a price out on our heads...and the heads of all our key officers and noncoms. But that is NOT going to stop the ASGuard. Our units start moving to their assigned positions along the border first thing tomorrow."

  Marcus was looking at a map displayed on a large monitor mounted on one wall. The completed sections of the Border Wall, few that they were, were marked in green. The new ASGuard Borden Stations were marked in blue to show they, too, were under construction but able to provide minimal protection to their assigned units. Those lights would turn green once each station's facilities were complete and personnel were in place.

  Titus looked at Marcus and said, "I've tried to convince your Mother to come to Phoenix for the time being."

  Marcus turned to look at his Father, "And she said, 'No!' Right?"

  Titus nodded. "Yes. She refused to leave her home. Hank and the hands have set up a rotation to stand guard on the ranch house. And I've contacted a major security agency out of Tucson to provide a revolving guard...on the family dime, of course. Wouldn't want the governor to have to fund it."

  Marcus knew that the ASGuard unit in that sector would be extra vigilant, whether the Romans asked for it or not.

  "You ready to move out in the morning?" Titus asked.

  Marcus snapped to attention before his father's desk. "Sir, yes sir! Roman's Legion is ready to roll once more!"

  Titus smiled, rose from his chair, and came around his desk. "At ease, before you sprain something, Boy! Marcus...you be careful out there. You read me?"

  Marcus relaxed before answering. "Will do, sir! My team is locked, cocked, and ready to rock. No one is going to get past us!" Father and son shook hands and Marcus took his leave.

  Chapter 7

  Major Marcus Roman's ASG Unit Four (call sign Roman's Legion) pulled into their new, unfinished compound on the north side of Sasabe, Arizona, late the following afternoon. Double wide mobile homes were set up within the thick walls of the compound to serve as temporary quarters for the unit's members. Other modules were set up as offices, an armory, and for numerous other functions.

  Construction crews were busy working on the permanent facilities. The offices and quarters were built underground to provide additional protection to the ASGuard personnel. Hardened guard shacks were located at the main entrance to the compound and guard towers were located at each corner of the compound walls. Above ground offices, equipment repair facilities, and other buildings were also hardened against attack.

  Marcus met with the construction foreman, Persephone Ruiz, who told him the compound would be finished within two weeks. Marcus asked her to tell the workers thank you for their hard work and set about getting his personnel organized. By nightfall, the U.S. and Arizona flags had been raised over the compound, a guard duty roster was posted, and temporary billeting assignments made.

  The following morning, Marcus sent out ten 6-person teams in armored vehicles to begin to patrol their sector. He contacted the Border Patrol and Arizona National Guard units in the area to let them know his teams were joining the border enforcement mission. Then Marcus contacted ASGuard HQ to report the unit's operational status.

  Later that morning, SFC Templeton approached Marcus with an idea. "Sir, some of the troopers and I were talking. The contractors are doing a great job but...if we all pitched in and helped, we think we could shave some time off of the compound's construction schedule. That'd get us to full operational status all that much sooner!"

  "Temp, that sounds like a great idea. We have 300 highly trained folks, not all of which are on duty," said Marcus. "C'mon, we'll go talk to the construction foreman. If she agrees, we'll see who can help with what!"

  They found the construction foreman at an outdoor table discussing several tasks with the team leaders assigned to each. She welcomed Marcus and Templeton and introduced them to her team leaders. After the introductions were complete, Marcus brought his team's suggestion to her attention. Ruiz thought about it for a minute then looked to her personnel. Each knew the importance of getting each of the ASGuard border compounds completed and thoughts of receiving early completion bonuses did enter their minds. They quickly agreed and Marcus dispatched Templeton to find suitable workers amongst the ASGuard troops.

  Marcus soon learned that his ASGuard unit was filled with people trained in a variety of construction disciplines. There were carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters, and even some heating, ventilation, and air conditioning workers in the group. Ruiz sent the ASGuard troops to their respective construction team leaders and got back to supervising the job.

  The professionalism among the ASGuard and the construction crews was clearly evident. They got along famously and the work sped up. As fast as a structure's walls and roof were completed, plumbing, wiring, HVAC, and insulation were installed and inspected. Drywallers installed sheetrock and mudded the joints. Once the walls were dry, painters came in and painted the walls and ceiling. Before the paint dried, other teams came in to lay floor tiles, install light fixtures, outlet and switch covers, and the other myriad tasks necessary for completing a structure. Finally, a team assembled and organized the structure's furniture.

  The Sasabe ASGuard Compound was completed a full week ahead of schedule thanks to the cooperative efforts of the contractors and the ASGuard troops. When the unit's command building was finalized, Marcus' communications personnel installed the unit's radio, telephone, and computer equipment. Major Genera
l Titus Roman received Marcus' call and was surprised to learn it came from Unit Four's finished command center. "Well done, Major! Please extend my congratulations and thanks to your personnel. I'll pass this idea along to the other units and see if they can mimic what you've accomplished."

  Later that same afternoon, Major Roman held a meeting with all personnel, ASGuard and contract. Those out in the field or on other assignments within the compound were able to participate throw the unit's secured Intranet. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "thanks to you and our friendly contractors, Sasabe Compound is fully operational...a week ahead of schedule. Major General Roman sends you his thanks and his heartfelt congratulations on a job very well done! Our chefs have worked up a special dinner for this evening to thank our contractor friends. For those of you on-duty, don't worry! We'll rotate crews to make sure everyone gets a chance at the dinner. Thank you all!"

  **********

  Major Marcus Roman was extremely busy during the first week his unit occupied their new compound. First, he met with the senior officers of the Border Patrol and National Guard units in Unit 4's sector. Together, they worked out a cooperative agreement to assist one another. Then Marcus paid a visit to Luis Guiterrez, mayor of Sasabe, the town council, and the local sheriff's deputies. He assured them that he and his personnel were there to assist the Border Patrol and National Guard to secure the border and protect the citizens of Sasabe. He also drove to Tucson to meet with Pima County's Board of Supervisors, the County Sheriff, and the county office of the Arizona Highway Patrol.

  The members of Roman's Legion quickly learned their sector and the communities within it and developed a solid rapport with the citizens of the area. ASGuard HQ and Major Roman had carefully briefed them on their duties and responsibilities...to include what kind of behavior was expected of each of them, on- and off-duty.

  Over the next couple of weeks, Marcus and Templeton spent time with each team as they went out on patrol along the border. This served two purposes. First, it helped them learn the terrain within their sector. Second, it allowed the unit commander and top soldier to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team and develop training programs to bring all of their personnel to the highest level of training and proficiency.

  Five weeks after arriving at Sasabe, Major Roman was called to the command post on an urgent manner. Marcus and Templeton stepped into the radio room and the duty officer reported to them that they had received a radio call from American civilians in danger south of the border. Marcus stepped over to the radio console and picked up a headset. He asked the duty officer for their call sign and was told "Dental One".

  Marcus keyed the microphone and said, "Dental One, this is ASGuard Base Sasabe! Do you copy? Repeating, Dental One, this is ASGuard Base Sasabe! Do you read me?"

  He was answered a moment later by a woman's voice, "ASGuard this is Dental One! We're Americans returning from a dental mission to the villages between El Sasabe and Caborca! We are under attack...about nine miles south of the border!"

  "Dental One, this is Major Marcus Roman! Copy your transmission. How many hostiles and how are they armed?"

  There was a pause and then a male voice came over the speaker. "Major, looks like about 20 to 25. They're in trucks and using rifles and handguns. We're approaching Aduana del Sásabe. There's some tight streets and turns that'll slow us down. Hope they don't have folks in there helpin' 'em! We're packed in one vehicle and hightailing it to the border!"

  "Dental One, stand by!" Marcus turned to the duty officer and radio operator and said, "Get the General on the landline ASAP! Then have Teams One through Five converge at the border crossing station. Contact BP and NG units!" The duty officer and radio operator leaped into action. Templeton stepped from the room, only to return momentarily with their helmets, battle harnesses, and weapons. Marcus quickly nodded his thanks.

  Seconds later, the duty officer gave him a thumbs up having notified the other border agencies. Then the radio operator handed him a phone receiver and said, "The General!"

  "General, this is Sasabe Base! We have a number of American citizens, dental missionaries, under fire just south of the border at Sasabe! Pulling in units to mount a defense. Request permission for a reconnaissance in force into Aduana del Sásabe to protect them and escort them across the border," said Marcus to his father.

  "Negative, Sasabe Base! Do NOT, repeat...do NOT cross the border. Current relations with the Mexican Government will not allow. Repeat, will not allow!" Major General Titus Roman replied, knowing this gravely endangered the fleeing Americans. "Be prepared to meet them at the border! Confirm copy!"

  Marcus quickly replied, "Sasabe Base copies! Border crossing not allowed...meet and defend at border!" He handed the phone receiver back and keyed his radio headset, "Dental One, this is ASGuard Base Sasabe! We cannot cross the border! We will be standing by at the border crossing." He dropped the headset and, taking his combat gear from Templeton, left the room at a dead run. Templeton had ordered their personal teams to be standing by with vehicles running. Marcus and Templeton jumped into their vehicles and raced off.

  Scant minutes later, they reached a long string of road construction k-rails that marked the border. Other ASGuard, BP, and NG vehicles and personnel soon arrived and set up in position on either side of the Arizona Route 286 and the border crossing station. A moment later, someone pointed across the border and called out, "Here they come!"

  Marcus looked south and saw a Chevy Suburban racing towards them, weaving from side to side. The Suburban was being chased by several pickups and SUVs. Rifle barrels and pistols extended outward from the windows of the chasing vehicles and were firing at the Suburban. The people in the Suburban were armed as well and returning fire toward their attackers. Marcus yelled, "Our Americans are in the Suburban! Concentrate your fire on the blue truck behind the Suburban. Fire short, don't overshoot! There are civilians beyond those vehicles. Fire! Fire! Fire!"

  The blue truck all but exploded under the concentrated fire of the ASGuard, BP, and NG personnel. The other vehicles chasing the Suburban veered left and right to dodge behind cover. They halted behind fences and rock walls and men leaped from them to seek cover. Roman shouted, "Hold fire unless fired upon!" The Suburban raced past the Border Station and turned onto the first perpendicular street to seek cover behind some buildings.

  Other than the sound of numerous vehicle engines and the crackling of the burning pickup, a strange quiet descended upon Sasabe and Aduana del Sásabe. Staying low behind a k-rail, Major Roman duck walked over to his command vehicle. Reaching up into the cab he signaled for the microphone and for the vehicle's public address system to be turned on. "Attention, south of the border! Stand down! We will not fire unless you do!" he said. Then he repeated it in Spanish. He waited a minute, then repeated the message in English and Spanish.

  One by one, the men south of the border lowered their weapons and moved towards their vehicles. Finally convinced they would not be fired upon, the leapt into their trucks and SUVs and raced back into Aduana del Sásabe. As the last vehicle disappeared from sight, Marcus ordered the border units to stand down then went to see if anyone had been wounded. Satisfied that his personnel and the other border protection personnel were safe, he went in search of the Suburban and its occupants.

  Rounding the corner of a building, he found the Suburban parked there. The rear window had been shot out. The windshield and some of the side windows were damaged as well. Bullet holes were stitched across the right side of the tailgate. The rear tires were flat and partially shredded. Upon close examination, there was blood splattered in and around the front and rear seats on the passenger side.

  Medics were examining several people. An aluminum thermal blanket fully covered a body on the ground next to the Suburban. Marcus approached the senior medic and asked for a report. "Sir," the medic began, "we have one dead and three injured but not serious. The survivors are in various stages of shock."

  Marcus nodded and
turned to the former occupants of the Suburban. "I'm Major Marcus Roman, commander, ASGuard Base Sasabe. Who's in charge of your group?" he asked them.

  A tall, slender man with sandy colored hair stood up and walked over to Marcus. He held out his hand and took Marcus' before speaking. "That would be me, major. I'm Dr. Carl Spelling. These are my dental assistants, Laura, Kam, Mitzi, and Lenia." Pointing to the figure under the sheet, he said, "That was my dental partner, Miles Drent. He was hit about twenty miles back. They must have hit an artery; he bled to death before we could get here."

  Marcus nodded to the assistants then turned back to Dr. Spelling. "Doctor, I'm sorry we couldn't intercept your attackers sooner. Our rules of engagement will not allow us to cross the border. You and your team certainly did your best to defend yourselves."

  It was Spelling's turn to nod. "I've served in the military, major, and understand how restrictive ROEs can be. We're just grateful to be back on U.S. soil. We've spent the last couple of weeks treating the dental problems of the poor people of northern Mexico. We generally move from village to village, otherwise we'd be swamped. Normally, the gangs leave us alone but this morning, as we were packing up to head for home, they hit our camp. They destroyed our mobile dentistry vehicle and our RVs. We barely got into this vehicle here and got out ahead of them."

  "Doctor, we'll transport you and your team to our compound and have our medical staff check you over carefully. You'll be able to use our comms to contact your family members back home. And, we'll need to debrief all of you, as well," said Marcus.