“General, Roman’s Legion is on its way! Centurion out!”
Before the connection broke, Marcus heard his father’s voice say, “Be careful, son!” Marcus made his way back to Benton’s office and briefed the sheriff and security chief on his conversation with the general regarding the prisoners. Next, Marcus contacted Sergeant Major Cowen and told him to pick a detail to guard the prisoners. Then he told Cowen to get all Legion helos, vehicles, and personnel over to the parking lot where his Chinook had landed. With that done, Marcus contacted the senior officers on the scene and gave orders for half to return to Castle Cove and the other half to load up in the Chinooks. Finally, he spoke with his helicopter pilots and told them to prepare for the flight to Hoover Dam.
Marcus said farewell to Knox and Benton then he and Cowen quickly exited the building and made for the nearest Stryker. Once inside the vehicle, Marcus ordered the driver to head for the parking lot where Marcus’ CH-47 awaited.
A couple of minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot and Marcus and the other troopers in the Stryker got out. Marcus had Cowen round up the troops. When everyone was assembled, Marcus climbed up and stood on top of one of the parked Stryker vehicles where everyone could see and hear him.
“Well done, Legion! I just got off the comm with the general and he extends his congratulations on a job well done,” Marcus began. “But…we’ve had another hot mission handed to us. And it’s gonna be a bitch!” He paused to let that sink in.
“Anything’s better than sittin’ around staring across the Colorado River, sir!” Sergeant Juan Garcia-Lopez called out cheerfully. A wave of laughter spread through the ASGuard troops, to include Marcus.
“You’re could be right about that, Juan!” answered Marcus. He finished chuckling before continuing with his briefing. “Folks, the general has passed along intel of an imminent attack on Hoover Dam. There’s a large IGC force smashing its way through southern Nevada and converging on the dam. Nevada’s Border Guard and other forces are being pushed back. Our Kingman ASGuard units are moving into position as we speak. We’re going in to support them.” Cowen handed Marcus a bottle of water and he paused to take a drink from it.
“Now, this IGC force is under the command of Mustafa Al-Fakeeh, Abdul Aziz Al Zahrani’s top lieutenant, the two bastards behind the airplane attacks of a couple of years ago. And, here’s the cherry on top of the cake, Phil Caldwell is working with Al Zahrani, Al-Fakeeh, and the PSSA on this attack. He worked on a security review of the dam awhile back, so he’s very familiar with its layout, its strengths, and its weaknesses.” Marcus took another swig of water then continued.
“Folks, I’m going to be upfront with you. They intend to blow the dam…and they’re plan to use a nuke to do it!” The troopers gasped in surprise and shocked looks spread among the crowd. Marcus continued, “But we’re not going to let them…ARE WE?”
A cheer went up from the troopers! Marcus knew they were with him, regardless of the level of potential danger involved. “Okay, everybody! Here’s what we’re going to do. First, I want you to get some chow and water in you! Then double check your weapons and ammo stores. Double check your gas masks. Top off your canteens. Put fresh batteries in your comm units. We load up and move out in 25 minutes. Let’s go, people!”
Another cheer went up from the ASGuard troopers then they dispersed, each going to their helo or Stryker to grab some water and a MRE meal package. Most of them ate their meal while they checked their equipment. Within 15 minutes, Marcus’ headquarters unit was ready to go!
Marcus and Cowen had spent their time preparing an impromptu ops briefing for the troops. They had a large flexible monitor attached to the side of Marcus’ Chinook where everyone could see it. Once everyone had settled down, Marcus pulled up an overhead view of the Hoover Dam site. He pointed out the path of the inbound jihadi force and their approximate location. Then he identified potential landing zones for the ASGuard helicopters. “Apaches, your job is going to be to help repel the bulk of the IGC forces on the west side of the dam along this area here.” The Apache pilots quickly acknowledged their orders.
The image changed to a wire-diagram of the dam and its interior layout and pointed to an inspection corridor deep inside the dam. “If they can get their nuke down to this point in the dam, they have a good chance of being able to damage it sufficiently for a collapse to occur. That will release the waters of Lake Mead and send a flood racing down the Colorado and wipe out our border defenses. I think we have two advantages…neither Al-Fakeeh or Caldwell is really the suicidal type. I don’t think they’ll let that bomb go off as long as they’re in the vicinity. That might buy us a little extra time to stop them or to capture the weapon.”
“If we do capture the nuke, it’s our job to get it as far away from the dam and any nearby populated areas as possible. There are some isolated, deep canyons about 15 miles due north of the dam, here and here,” Marcus said as a map appeared on the flexible monitor. He used his laser pointer to identify the canyons he spoke of. “While the ground troops intercept the jihadis and try to capture the nuke, I want the Chinooks warmed up and ready to move in for a pick up. We don’t know how large this bomb is, so it may be difficult to move. I want us to be able to get it aboard a Chinook and away from the dam ASAP!” The Chinook pilots nodded their understanding of their mission and the risk it entailed.
The ops briefing lasted only a couple of more minutes. As Cowen removed the flexible monitor from the side of the Chinook, Marcus asked if there were any questions. There were none. “Alright, load up! Strykers, hit the road and move out! Best time to the dam. Everyone else in the helos! Let’s go, go, go!” With that the ASGuard troopers broke up into small groups and raced to their vehicles. The Strykers rolled out of the parking lot and headed towards I-40 to the west. The rotors of the Chinooks and Apaches began to turn and minutes later they were airborne!
Marcus checked his watch and looked toward the sun just beginning to set along the western horizon. We’re going to get there in the dark and we’re going to have to fight them in the dark! Well, we don’t always get to pick the time we fight! But we sure as hell get to pick how we fight! Marcus thought.
**********
The People's Palace, 8:32 p.m. (EST)
The District (formerly Washington, D.C.)
Al Zahrani and Carrington were sitting in the Situation Room deep beneath the People’s Palace. They were monitoring the progress of the IGC jihadi force hammering its way through southern Nevada and moving toward Hoover Dam. Their latest reports had the defending forces falling back to regroup and protect the valuable city of Las Vegas…just as Al Zahrani had predicted they would. The plan had been daring and Al Zahrani had had to convince Carrington of the need for the attack.
“My dear,” he had begun, to distract her from thinking objectively, “this attack will show the arrogant reactionaries that we are willing to expend personnel to reach an objective. The brutality of the attack will send chills through their population. The damage to their defenses along the Colorado River will make breaching their southwestern borders much easier even if we must use alternate means to cross the flooded areas. We will be diverting their forces and weakening their defenses simultaneously. They will lose personnel fighting us, reducing the number of combatants available to fight us during our larger operations!”
Carrington admitted Al Zahrani’s points were compelling. She glanced at the board showing the approximate location of their forces in relation to its objective. She leaned closer to Al Zahrani, ignoring her staff and officers in the room, and placed her hand on the Arab’s knee.
“Abdul, let’s retire to the Residence and ‘rest’ so that we’ll be more alert when the attack begins,” she suggested quietly in what passed for her as a seductive voice. Al Zahrani smiled indulgently at Carrington, knowing that rest was the last thing on this sex addicts mind. Soon, you cow, I will not have to tolerate you and your incessant libido, Al Zahrani thought. Still, he rose from
his chair and told the personnel in the room that he and President Carrington were returning to the Oval Office to plan the next step in the overall operation. The looks in the eyes of many present showed that they didn’t believe such an obvious lie.
Carrington and Al Zahrani entered the elevator and before the doors had closed, Al Zahrani found Carrington wrapping her arms around his neck and raising her lips to his. Al Zahrani bowed to the inevitable and returned her kiss.
**********
1st Tactical Battalion ACV, 1915 hours (MST)
Hoover Dam Complex, Arizona
The helicopters of the 1st Tactical Battalion’s Headquarters Company arrived safely at the Hoover Dam Complex. Darkness had fallen while they were airborne and the helicopters had to be guided to secure landing zones by members of the ASGuard’s 2nd Border Defense Brigade (Western Region) who were already in position near the dam. Once his CH-47 was down, Marcus led his team from the helo onto the ground. Marcus was pleased to see Colonel Steve Dixon, commander of the 2nd Battalion, walk up to greet him and his troopers. The two officers did not exchange salutes but gave each other a quick handshake and a bear hug.
“Hiya, Marcus!” Dixon said breaking the clinch. “How are Teresa and the youngster?”
“Hi Dix! They both great! Julian is with my Mom in Sedona and Teresa should be here in just a second. Her chopper landed over that way,” answered Marcus pointing eastward. He looked up at his old friend and asked softly, “Dix, how’s Aggie?”
Dixon’s face grew sad. Several months earlier, his wife, Agathe, had been diagnosed with a particularly nasty form of cancer. She had been through numerous treatments, radiation, chemo, and so on. “Not well, Marcus; not well. It’s not just the cancer but the treatments are wearing her down as well.”
Marcus gripped his friend’s upper arm and squeezed, as if lending Dixon some of his own strength. “I’m sorry to hear that, Dix. But, shouldn’t you be there with Aggie?”
Dixon shook his head before answering. “Hell Marcus, you know she was every bit as gung ho about the military and our responsibilities in it as I am…and now with the Arizona State Guard! I mentioned to her the other day that I was going to ask the ‘Old Man’ for a leave of absence and you shoulda heard her chew my ass for even mentioning it. She told me to stop feeling sorry for her and do my damn job! She said she’d be fine until we’re done! What a gal, Marcus!” Dixon smiled as he thought of his beloved wife, back home alone and terribly ill, but still putting her country’s safety ahead of her own!
Marcus nodded his understanding. He and Teresa had had similar conversations in the past…and reached the same conclusions.
“Well, Dix, how about you brief me on the latest intel reports then we’ll figure out where the Legion will best fit into this op?” suggested Marcus. Dixon nodded and waved Marcus and his entourage over to his armored command vehicle. A flexible monitor had been mounted to the vehicle’s eastern side and an infra-red satellite image was displayed on it.
“This bunch of jihadis is large, heavily armed and armored, and has some air support!” Dixon pointed out on the display. “They’re current moving along this highway here and are flanking out along both sides of it. The Nevada Guard and other military units have drawn back to here to protect Vegas. They’ve thrown up a pretty good barrier that the jihadis seem to be pecking at just enough to keep the defense necessary.”
Dixon scrolled in to one segment of the satellite image showing an area to the southwest of the dam complex. “We think this is where they intend to make their move on the dam. Intelligence now thinks there are three possible scenarios the IGC may try. First, if they can access one of the elevators on the dam, they’ll try to take the bomb deep into the dam’s structure. Second, they’ll try to sink it on the Lake Mead side and let the concussive and hydraulic forces damage the dam. Plus, plenty of radioactive steam and muck should get flung up into the atmosphere. Third, and least likely, they may try to sling it down face of the dam on the downstream side.” Dixon had changed the image to show a detailed computer generated image of the dam itself.
Marcus looked at the image closely then grunted. “So we need to keep them from getting that device onto the center of the dam; or if they do, take it away from them and dispose of it quickly.”
Dixon grunted as well. “Yeah, a suicide mission for them and a potential suicide mission for us. How would you like to play this, Marcus?”
Marcus looked at the image again. “Dix, this may wind up a total shit storm no matter what we do!”
“Well, do you have a plan?” Dixon asked.
“I’ve got a plan. We’re going to have to call in a lot of markers…and prayer wouldn’t be a bad idea! But yeah, I’ve got a plan,” Marcus replied, a measure of doubt regarding its wisdom was evident in his voice. Damn! I’m starting to think Teresa and I should have taken Colonel Dennings up on that assignment, he thought.
Chapter 12
January 1st, 0034 hours (MST)
1st Tactical Battalion
Hoover Dam Complex, Arizona
The members of the 1st Tactical Battalion were dispersed along both sides of the roadway across the top of Hoover Dam. Sandbags had been filled and stacked in a number of places to provide cover and concealment for ASGuard troopers, Arizona Highway Patrolmen, Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies, Arizona National Guard personnel, and even a number of armed civilians. Abandoned cars and trucks had been positioned on the roadway in strategic positions and then their tires had been shot out; some vehicles had even been rolled onto their sides.
The lights along the top of the dam had been shut off; casting that area into darkness. The night was cold, calm, and overcast. The members of Roman’s Legion had found themselves locations that gave them the best view along the curve of the dam’s roadway to the west. What might otherwise have been a night of celebration and fireworks along the dam was quiet and dark.
“Okay, everybody,” the voice of Colonel Marcus Roman came over the comm frequency being shared by the defenders. He was inside his armored command vehicle tied in via secure communications to those units defending Hoover Dam, ASGuard HQ in the Verde Valley, and Ken Halsted of the CBII. Halsted was using the latest CBII satellite data to track the progress of the jihadi attack force and relay that data to Marcus. “Everyone stay frosty! We want to draw them in as much as possible before springing the trap. Then we are going to take their little toy away from them…and we want them to practically hand it over before we let them know we are here!”
No one responded from the 1st or 2nd Battalions. They were stealthed and silent. Marcus just hoped that the calls he and Dixon had made to some associates in Nevada would pay off. It’s a long shot, but that’s what happens when you gamble in…or with…Las Vegas, Marcus thought with a silent chuckle. He checked his displays and the chronometer on one screen. “Get ready!” he transmitted. “They’re about 3 kilometers out. Eyes in the sky are showing a concentrated force moving with light vehicles, mostly trucks, HUMVEES, and armored personnel carriers. They’re moving slowly, watching for any possible ambushes. Do NOT fire until I tell you to! Remember, we’re sucking them into our trap.”
Marcus’ eyes traveled over to two monitors and he switched his comms over to open channels. Those screens and frequencies displayed the units and personnel that made up a little show that the ASGuard were going to put on for the jihadis. Because the IGC lacked satellite surveillance capability, they had to rely on forward observers, eyes on the ground, who would be spying on activities of the Arizona defenders.
“Okay, it’s showtime! Time for Act One. Group One, fall back now. Make it look good!” Marcus said into his microphone. Out on far western edge of the dam, several defenders rose from concealment, fired a couple of rounds, then turned and raced back across the dam towards Arizona. Sporadic small arms fire came from the Nevada side but none found its mark. The fleeing defenders raced past other defensive positions but continued in their flight.
“Keep going Group
One! Group Two…NOW!” Several more defenders rose and fired, stood their ground when they received incoming fire, then fell back quickly making it look like they were retreating in panic. “Looking good, One and Two! Head for the vehicles…” Marcus could make out the shapes appearing on the western end of the dam. Some of the jihadis foot soldiers were now on the dam’s roadway. Good, good! he thought. Keep on coming. There! The lights of some of their vehicles are coming into sight.
Marcus smiled then said, “Okay, Group Three, you’re up. Group Four, start warming up! Now Three! Go, go!” Marcus watched the monitors. Group Three put on a good show. The enemy was buying it! Marcus gave Group Four the go ahead to join the rout! “Okay, everyone let’s give ‘em a show and make ‘em think that we’re going to make a stand on this side of the dam. When they really open up on us, we’ll make it look like we’re bugging out!”
The ASGuard troopers did indeed make a show of it. The four groups that had been on the dam were now spread out along the Arizona-side of the canyon walls. They fired sporadically at the attackers who continued to move steadily forward across the top of the dam. The plan seemed to be working.
First one jihadi vehicle moved onto the dam and a moment later it was joined by another. The jihadis continued their advance and more of their vehicles drove onto the dam. “Okay, folks, let’s give ‘em the razzle dazzle.” The lead elements of the jihadi force reached the Arizona-edge of the dam, firing upon the defenders as they moved. Suddenly, a heavy volley of small arms fire was unleashed on them by the ASGuard defenders. The jihadis responded in kind.
“NOW!” Marcus practically yelled into his microphone. Three of every ten ASGuard troopers jumped up and raced to their vehicles. Once aboard, some rolled out the other side, dropped to the ground, and scuttled back around to appear to be another routed coward climbing into the vehicle. Then one by one the vehicles started up and raced away; each actually carrying only one occupant! The others had exited unseen and were even now returning to prepared fighting positions overlooking the dam.
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy Page 50