Marcus wiggled his eyebrows at his wife and replied, "And what a surprise it is!"
"Lech!" giggled Teresa. Then her fingers began to unbutton his tunic.
"I'm a lech?" Marcus asked. "I'm not unbuttoning your clothes, my dear!"
Teresa sighed, continuing to unbutton and remove her husband's clothing. "That's because I'm not wearing any, darling. Now come here and make love to me!"
***
July 3rd
ASGuard HQ
Phoenix, AZ
The next four days passed quickly and quietly all across the Grand Canyon State. There were no terror attacks in any of the states in the USA. or PSSA. ASGuard and CBII personnel carefully examined the radioactive corpse, the radioactive watch, the sample of radioactive liquid, the crate label, and other data and evidence gathered thus far in the case. Marcus hoped they would release their findings before the big attack occurred and with sufficient time to allow the ASGuard to intervene!
Early that afternoon Marcus and Teresa were called to a meeting with General Roman, CBII Special Agents Halsted and Caldwell, and other senior ASGuard officers and NCOs. The CBII agents had just received the report on the remains, radioactive sample, and watch. CBII Special Agent Kenneth Halsted used the briefing room's projection system to display the findings of the CBII labs.
"The sample of the material gathered by MSG Mokri checks out as a highly radioactive liquid waste given off during the refining process to achieve purer forms of certain radioactive isotopes," Halsted said. "Intelligence circles around the globe have been watching for this stuff to pop up on radar ever since North Korea and Iran began their nuclear programs years ago. With their connections to various terrorist groups, it was only a matter of time before someone figured out how to use crop dusters, dirty bombs, or other dispersal methods to spread the chemicals over a populated or agricultural area. The question becomes...where do these guys plan to use it and when?"
Marcus looked at the projected display then picked up a digital tablet and pulled up the Internet. "I think I may have an answer as to when," he began. "Tomorrow! The 4th of July! And where? Well, what have we Americans been saying for years? 'We're not going to let terrorists scare us or interfere with our lives!' Right? And after their last attacks, they've been exceedingly quiet, haven't they?" Others around the room began to nod their heads.
"How the hell did we fail to think of this until now?" asked General Roman. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "No, we'll tackle that later in the post incident analysis. We 'know' the when let's figure out the where and the how?"
To Marcus' frustration, it was Phillip Caldwell who answered, "Parades! Every large city across the country...to include Arizona...is planning on having a 4th of July parade. Hell, a lot of the small towns, too! Even the Piss Ants are planning big events for the 4th."
"How in the world do they expect to get their planes that close to these events?" asked one of the ASGuard officers present.
Marcus put it together first. Looking at Caldwell, he said, "Some of them will be towing banners...probably ones that read, 'Happy 4th of July!' or some such! Those poles and crates Caldwell checked out at the airstrip. The crates held the banners. The tow cables for each will be strung between the tops of two of the poles. The banners will be stretched out on the ground and when an aircraft drops low enough, it'll snag the tow cable with the hook under the aircraft's tail. The banners will add some drag but it would be easy to carry additional fuel for each plane."
Halsted hammered the table with a clenched fist and said, "Shit, if it's happening here in Arizona, it could be going down in other states, too! Titus, give me a moment, please?" He picked up his secure comm unit, rose from his chair, and stepped over to one corner of the briefing room. The others watched as he launched into a conversation with someone else over the comm unit.
Halsted returned to the table rather flustered and said, "Well...apparently the CBII has been aware of the threat for some time and has been working with agencies in other states. Damn it! The reason we consolidated the FBI and CIA into one department was to share intelligence not just to save money. And the CBII's resources are spread pretty thin in those states without Ranger or State Guard components. Titus, I've been given authority over all CBII resources in Arizona and I place them at your disposal for the duration of this emergency!"
"Thanks, Ken! Then let's get to it! We need to move on Omega's compound before they can deploy their aircraft!" General Roman said. "Marcus' Legion is already advance deployed to Seligman and we can shift other ASGuard units from Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City. Ken, start moving your people to Seligman, Bullhead, and Lake Havasu. We need to envelope the area around the Omega Mine Compound on the ground and in the air ASAP!" The general pulled out his own secure comm unit and pressed one button on its face.
Across Phoenix, the Governor's comm unit began to shrill. "Yes, Titus, what have you learned?" the governor asked. General Roman spelled out what they had discovered and their basic strategy to take on Omega. "Very good, General. Keep me apprised of the situation. I'll be prepared to cancel events if, as, or when you say. Thank you! Godspeed!"
While Titus Roman spoke with the Governor of the State of Arizona, Marcus had used his comm unit to contact Captains Hills and Mingus and to order them to prepare for an immediate launch. Then he contacted Major Thompson in Seligman and asked to speak with her, Dillon and Hebert simultaneously. Fortunately, the three were already in Marcus' command vehicle.
"Guys, I'll rendezvous with you in a couple of hours. I want the Legion to roll out before then and we'll meet up en route. Be cocked, locked, and ready to fight! Centurion, out!" Marcus stepped over to where his father stood talking with Ken Halsted near a projection of the area around the Omega Mining Compound.
General Roman turned to address his son. "Marcus, I'm going to depend on you and the Legion to cover this area here," he said pointing to a semi-circle that covered the area to the north and east of the Omega compound. "Caldwell will lead a squad of CBII personnel who are on their way here now. They'll travel with you in your bird and be under your command."
Marcus examined the map carefully. His region had no paved roads leading toward the compound other than I-40 from Seligman to Hunter Ranch. From there, their Strykers would need to go off-road following the same route Marcus and his team had taken by ATVs to scout out the compound. Most of his unit would be brought in by helicopter. Fortunately, they had plenty of CH-47 Chinooks and UH-60 Black Hawks for troop transports. The unit's AH-64 Apache Longbow attack helicopters, along with the armed UH-60 Black Hawks would be useful in suppressing enemy ground fire and taking out the crop dusters in the air, if need be.
General Roman continued, "Your copters will need to be prepared to intercept any aircraft Omega may launch. Ideally, we could get them all while they're still on the ground, but I won't bet on that. Any aircraft that gets airborne needs to be forced down before it gets over a populated or agricultural area. Their nearest targets would be Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City, Prescott, and Flagstaff. More distant targets would include Yuma, Phoenix, Page, and Tucson. We need to get as many units within striking distance of the compound as possible by 0400 hours tomorrow morning and try to hit them before sunrise. We'll deploy a number of our aerial resources along common routes from the compound to the targets as a last resort. Any questions, son?"
Marcus looked at his father then at Teresa and shook his head. He had his orders and he knew his duty, as did his wife and his father. "Roman's Legion will do the deed, sir!" Marcus said as he saluted his father. General Roman returned the salute then placed a hand on Marcus' shoulder and one on Teresa's.
"You two be extra careful out there. My grandson needs both his parents," he said softly then turned back to talk with Special Agent Halsted. Dismissed, Marcus and Teresa made their way to Marcus' office to gather their battle gear. After donning their equipment, they raced over to the helipad.
Frodo and Lu had their newly requ
isitioned Chinook cranked up and rotating as Marcus and Teresa jogged up. The Romans ran up the rear ramp and moved to the front of the aircraft. As he took his customary seat behind and between the two pilots, Marcus donned a headset and asked, "Frodo, is everyone on board?"
Captain Fred "Frodo" Hills replied, "Yes sir, Caldwell and his team just arrived. Everyone's aboard and we're ready to rotate."
"Up ramp and up ship, then!" said Marcus. The CH-47 sprang upward and upon reaching altitude turned northerly and flew off. Marcus used the helicopters communications system to contact Major Thompson with the main body of Roman's Legion.
"Tommi, we're airborne and heading your way. Keep Frodo and Lu posted on your location so we can link up," he ordered.
"Copy that, Centurion! I'll give them our transponder settings. Legion is on the road heading towards Hunter Ranch," reported Major Thompson.
"Excellent, Tommi! See you soon," Marcus said then cut the communication. A half hour later, he received a radio call from General Roman back at ASGuard HQ. The general quickly briefed him on the latest intel and available resources then signed off. Marcus stood up, stretched then took some time to move about the cabin speaking with each of the ASGuard and CBII troopers for a moment then returned to his seat next to Teresa. The two held hands silently as the helicopter flew on to its rendezvous with the rest of Roman's Legion.
***
July 3rd
Omega Mining Compound
Northwestern, AZ
Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Zahrani sat in his office as Mustafa Muhammad Al-Fakeeh briefed him. "Amir, we have finished re-fueling all of the aircraft! Another group of men have set up the first four banner cables and laid out the banners. We shall begin filling the agent tanks next, sir."
"Very good, Mustafa, very good! We are on schedule and we shall remain so," replied Al Zahrani. "Rouse the pilots at 0300. Before dawn, we shall pray to Allah for His Divine Guidance that we may smite the infidels on their filthy day of rejoicing." Mustafa bowed and left his leader's presence.
Al Zahrani smiled. The infidels will die slowly, painfully, but die they would...in the thousands! he thought.
Chapter 14
July 3rd
Off I-40
East of Kingman, AZ
The long Arizona dusk had begun by the time LTC Roman's Chinook landed just south of I-40 near the Hunter Ranch. Once the side hatches opened and the ramp dropped, two dozen ASGuard troops and Combined Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation agents swiftly exited the helicopter.
Marcus, Teresa, and Templeton walked quickly over to the Legion ACV. Major Tommi Thompson stepped through the vehicle's rear hatch, hopped to the ground, and saluted her commander. "Good to see you, sir!"
"Same to you, Tommi! Hey Matt...Alex!" Marcus said to his company officers while returning their salutes. "Let's get the officers, NCOs, and the senior CBII agents together and hash out an operations plan. We haven't a lot of time, so let's get to it!" Tommi Thompson pulled out her comm unit and sent out an all-call for the unit's officers and NCOs and the CBII agents to converge on the command Stryker.
Thompson pulled a 4-foot long tube and a tablet computer from a compartment inside the vehicle. She opened one end of the tube and drew out a rolled up flexible, touch screen. With some help from a couple of young noncommissioned officers, they unrolled the screen, stretched it taut, and clipped it to the side of the Stryker. Using the tablet, Thompson accessed the command vehicle's computer system, pulled up a local map, and displayed it on the screen.
Marcus stepped over to the screen and used his hands and fingers to manipulate the map, centering the mining compound's location in the middle of the screen then enlarging the image. By the time he was set, everyone was assembled.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Marcus said to open the planning session. "We've been handed one hell of a problem to solve in a very short period of time. And it won't be just us on this mission. You saw the CBII agents who flew in with us. There'll be other ASGuard, CBII, sheriffs, and highway patrol units handling various parts of the op." Thompson handed Roman a laser pointer which the lieutenant colonel turned on and pointed at the map.
"This is the Omega Mining Company's mining compound. It's located south of I-40 here and east of U.S. Route 93 here a little over 13 miles southwest of our current position. We have reliable intel that OMC is a front for a jihadist group planning to use crop dusting aircraft to spray highly radioactive liquid waste upon Arizona citizens during tomorrow's 4th of July parades.
"Arizona Highway Patrol and the Mohave and Yavapai County Sheriff's Offices will block off I-40 and U.S. 93, here, here, here, and here. ASGuard 2nd Brigade units along with CBII agents will converge from the south, west and north here, here, and here. Our mission is to come in much the same way our recon team did along this route. There are a couple of passable dirt roads the Strykers should be able to handle but it'd be a good idea to rig a couple of the vehicles with plow blades...just in case." The unit's transportation officer used his comm unit to text message a subordinate to have their personnel rig the plow blades on four of the Strykers.
"Half of us will go in by Stryker, half by helo. Strykers will take this dirt road here. At this point, the road splits. Half the Strykers will move westward, spreading out along this line. The other half will take this southwesterly route and spread out along this route. You'll be driving dark using night vision equipment. It'll slow you down some in this terrain but all ground units will need to be in place by 0400 hours. Helos, we'll be in the air ready to move in at 0400.
"Frodo, you're flight leader for hauling us ground pounders. Harpy, you're lead for air attack." Major Melissa "Harpy" Henley nodded. "Harpy, you're people will need to suppress any ground-to-air fire from the compound and strafe this area here between the main part of the compound and the airstrip. We want to keep the pilots from getting to their aircraft and keep those planes on the ground. We need to avoid striking the aircraft, if at all possible. The liquids involved appear to be highly radioactive and we don't need to contaminate Arizona, if we can avoid it."
Master Sergeant Tobias Cowen raised his hand. "Sir, what if a plane, or planes, do get airborne. What are our rules of engagement involving them?"
"Good question, Tobias," LTC Roman responded. "The ROEs are simple. We need to stop those aircraft before they reach a heavily populated or agricultural area. We'll capture or kill the pilots on the ground, if possible. If they get airborne, helo pilots try to use your aircraft to force them down...without firing upon them. Be creative there, folks! Start thinking of ways to force a pilot to land one of those things without crashing it! As a last resort, we may have to shoot them down. If that does happen, it will require significant clean up at the crash site and anywhere the wind or water may carry any residue."
Marcus took a moment to look over the faces of his top troopers in the glow of the screen and let what he said sink it. "Folks, there's no other way to say this...we're all that stands between the terrorists and a slow, lingering death for thousands of our citizens, untold ecological damage, and a major hit on our economy. They spray that stuff on Phoenix or Tucson or Flagstaff and we'll have people dying of radiation poisoning and cancers for decades. We'll have buildings that will be contaminated for years to come. We either take 'em out on the ground or in the air, but they do NOT reach our towns and cities. Understood?" A chorus of "Yessir" and "Roger that" filled the air.
"Okay, ground troops. Alex, you're team will tackle the northeast corner of the compound. You job will be to secure the two mine entrances. Don't let any hostiles in, don't let anyone blow it up. Matt, your unit will take these buildings over here. We think this one is a dormitory; this one could be a chow hall; and this one is OMC's offices. High value targets and intel should be in those offices. I want it all, Matt."
"We'll get 'em for you, colonel," replied Major Matthew Dillon with certainty. Marcus knew that Dillon would try for capture over kill, recovery over destruction.
; Major Thompson passed a bottle of water over to her commander. Marcus nodded his thanks and took a quick drink before continuing. "Folks, these guys are jihadists, they'll fight back. They'll kill themselves if it means taking some of us with them. Everybody wears body armor, helmets, elbow and knee pads, safety glasses. I don't want anyone picking up any bullet or knife wounds and I definitely don't want to lose anyone! Got it!" They all nodded quietly.
Marcus took another sip of water. "Finally, airborne ground pounders...Legion HQ Company, Caldwell's CBII tean, and MSGs Mokri and Cowen will take the airstrip. There will be rolling fuel tanks along both sides of the strip. Some will contain varying levels of AVGAS...others I suspect will hold residual amounts of the radioactive liquids. The best thing we can do is to avoid shooting at or throwing grenades at these tanks. Bad guys, ground vehicles, yada yada...are fair game. If you do shoot at the planes, shoot at the tires or the engine cowlings...leave the fuselages alone. You read me?" Again, everyone acknowledged him.
"Okay, we have about twenty minutes before we need to jump off," said Marcus. "Thoughts, critiques, moans, groans, gripes, or complaints? Speak now or forever hold 'em."
Major Hebert made a suggestion on the deployment of his forces and Marcus and his officers discussed the recommendation for a few minutes before agreeing to the change. Hebert's suggestion brought several others and the modifications to the ops plan continued until the group felt the plan was tight.
As Thompson and her techs began to take down the screen, LTC Marcus Roman faced his officers and NCOs one more time. "Okay everybody...time to gear up, put on our war faces, and check our gear one more time. Stryker units move out in 15 mikes. Good luck, everybody!" The senior ASGuard officers and NCOs and the senior agents went to brief their subordinates and prepare to move out.
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy Page 32