Spontaneous

by DiMirra

  "Hey, Keny, where did you get that General's uniform, from Idi Amin? The Lion wrap completes it – you look on the top of your game, man."

  "Johnny, I wish you were here. What a team you gave me. The Lion of Africa does not sleep tonight."

  "We have 1600 men in the field as I speak to you. We have taken out the poaching networks in Kenya, Nigeria, CAR, DRC, Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola. We have 12 dead and 40 injured. The networks have lost close to 1,500 dead and once again that many wounded, with little collateral damage, say less than 50.

  "The heads of the leaders were piked in town squares with our Rhino symbol burned into their foreheads. We are in the process of airlifting our men out of combat zones. We're regrouping for tomorrow night's mission, which includes Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Uganda and Zimbabwe. We have lost the element of surprise so we are tracking the runners and we will catch them."

  "Keny, what news of Sheng Fui?" I asked.

  "He has fled by motorcade toward Uganda. Relax Johnny, this was planned. We have tracking devices on several of his vehicles. We are following by drone. We know his exact position. Better still, we turned his captain of the guard who is with him at all times. This will cost us a cool million, a very small price.

  He has contacted General Turyjusa, his cohort from Uganda, to meet him at Lake Victoria with a force to extract him, in about four hours, right after daybreak. We have set up the mother of all ambushes. The Specter gunship will be on location and an Apache. I am hoping to bag them all. They will come ashore. Then we'll destroy their boats and they will face Claymore alley to the left and right. We'll be in front and on top of them with your Flying Claymores. The General will most likely come in his Russian chopper, an older Hind. That's why we have the Apache. You, my brother, will be the first to know."

  "Ok, Keny, what is the status of Voting Machine?" I asked.

  "As of this moment, we have removed the leader in Zimbabwe, that old bastard. Also we cleaned out Somalia, DRC, Mozambique, Sudan and Nigeria. The leaflets are circulating now. From what I hear, the people are jubilant.

  "No losses on our side and it is too early for any reliable BDA. We have assassinated three guerilla leaders and have eight teams in the bush closing in on the others. I tell you Johnny, I really like these Guardians from China. They are truly the ultimate warriors. I wrestled Shuarson five times and could not beat him. These men are magnificent."

  "All right Keny, please keep us apprised of the Sheng Fui operation."

  "Roger, wilco, Johnny."

  "Ali, please get me Helene's husband on his sat phone. While I speak with him, please call Helene and tell her what we're doing. Then ask her to shut down her link."

  It was now 04:30 on a very cold morning as the desert can be that time of year. The sun was not yet on the horizon but its lacy fingers of red and gold were apparent. It would be a fine day. I was starving so I ordered pancakes and sausages, with warm maple syrup, and fresh squeezed orange juice, for the whole crew -- along with a number of espressos.

  I must have dozed off for a moment when I felt Ali's hand awakening me.

  "Father it's a message from Mehdi, saying they captured two of the mercs landing at the commercial airports in Fez and Casablanca."

  I shouted for a double espresso and lit a cigarette as the fogginess began to evaporate from my head.

  "He has them in custody at immigration"

  "Ali, please advise Mehdi that I will send the Citation to pick them up within the hour so we can interrogate them properly here."

  "Ok Father, I'll call him back now. I'm receiving the video from the Defender on the sinking of the tanker. The message was four strikes from the Harpoon missiles and she went down in under five minutes with no secondary explosion. They have marked the coordinates. We can retrieve the atomic device at your leisure."

  "Perfect. Send some video to the Mossad and a smaller version to the NSA.

  "Shouldn't we getting some video on the Johnson strike in Libya?"

  "We're ready for a streaming feed from the Reaper. The strike is set for 06:20, five minutes from now."

  Then I asked, "What news from South America?"

  "The governments of Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia have fallen. The military in each country are attempting to take control but standing aside for the moment. They are judiciously waiting for the violence to subside from exhaustion so they can wade in and take real control with fewer casualties.

  "As predicted, Colombia and Chile are riding this out nicely due to better preparation, better management of resources and a much more educated populace. In a matter of months, if not weeks, most countries will be back to normal under military juntas awaiting new elections.

  "The real key to South America is the benign climate and food and water that are abundant and inexpensive. As we well know, Father, these countries will lean toward the right and become prosperous for a generation, then the cycle will repeat itself."

  "Miche would say, 'That is the human condition and it's unavoidable.' So far history has proven him right."

  "The live feed should be starting now, Father," Ali concluded.

  Chapter 15

  Tripoli, Libya: 06:20, January 19th

  Directly west of the Tripoli airport, just off the Sawani Road, Colonel Johnson's troops were making their way to the mess hall for breakfast. It was a light company, about 150 outcasts. Years of wars and covert operations had turned them into something sub-human. You could spot them a mile away. Closely cropped hair, the thousand-yard stare, deep suntan, and lots of scars, both inside and out.

  It was a day like any other day, in a life filled with boredom punctuated with moments panic and fast action. The base was quiet. Temperature was moderate in the middle of winter. Flying on a whisper of wind at 12,000 feet the Reaper was on location, painting multiple targets for the Dolphin class Israeli submarine.

  The submarine, some 60 miles north northwestward, skimmed along just under the Mediterranean surface. The crew felt the boat shudder as the first Popeye missile left its bay. Then another, and yet another ejected, until six were in the air for their 10-minute flight.

  Each missile, armed with 750 pounds of blast and fragmentation, was targeted to separate buildings in the compound. The senior officer knew satellite surveillance imagery would pick up the launches. He ordered an immediate deep dive. Exactly 12 minutes after launch, the sub slipped silently away, headed for its normal patrol route off Lebanon, at flank speed.

  All eyes were glued to a 60-inch monitor as the first Popeye slammed into the Office and Mess Hall complex. The building seemed to simply evaporate into thin air as a cloud of debris continued to grow. Just as the detritus started to settle, another building exploded and then filled the screen with an enormous fireball with thousands of smaller explosions seen within the forming mushroom cloud. The main arsenal had been destroyed, taking with it the entire compound.

  The rest of the missiles would do little damage as there was nothing left standing on the hundred-acre facility. Just as the Reaper was leaving, it released two 500-pound bombs armed with cluster munitions to blanket the area, making it impassable for weeks.

  Keny had a small fleet of Raven drones recording the events at Lake Victoria and a dozen armed for anti-personnel. The locals had already fled, sensing something was about to happen. Villagers have developed a sixth sense about these things after 50 years of sporadic warfare.

  Sheng Fui had nearly reached the shore with our forces closing swiftly behind him. Sheng's fast patrol boats were arriving with the Hind flying air cover for them. A Russian Hind, even an old one, is a formidable enemy. It carries heavy armor, 20MM canon and a rocket load. From their elevated position, they had spotted our pursuit. We could see a change in the helicopter's attitude as it moved to engage our forces.

  Approximately one thousand yards north, in a ravine with a small clear stream that led to the Lake, our Apache hovered, out of sight. The Apache was already rising out o
f the canopy as the Hind moved forward and opened up with its canon. The Hind pilot was focused on the opposing force. He realized too late there were two Hellfire missiles locked on to him by laser homing.

  Hellfire missiles are small, but armor piercing, with a shaped fragmentation charge. They travel at one thousand feet per second. They had barely launched when the Hind exploded in midair, sending debris and a General raining down on our convoy.

  With loss of their air cover, the seven patrol boats, began reversing out of the cove to make a run for it. The Apache lingered on-site to assess the situation. The lead salvo from the Hind had disabled the first convoy vehicle, a Toyota pickup, in Keny's fleet. It killed the driver and all six passengers. The diver of the second vehicle, one of Keny's brothers, was gravely wounded with a 20MM round in the shoulder and would not make it off the battlefield alive.

  With the Lake in front and the opposing force behind them, Sheng's men abandoned their vehicles. Sheng, with his captain of the guard and two mercs, ducked under their armored Chevy Suburban. Half his force went to the right and some to the left, attempting a difficult flanking maneuver.

  Keny's force held their position and waited for detonation of the flying Claymores. At the back of Keny's convoy, a command truck held young men with joysticks directing a dozen Ravens into position. They all fired together, spewing 10,000 projectiles at 4,000 feet per second. The sound and visual melded together. The rear convoy cars became burning, shredded hunks of metal. The bodies of the men seemed to dissolve until there was nothing left. A mist of sinew, blood and flesh obscured the area. As it descended, a hush fell over the entire area, creating a surrealistic scene.

  The silence was shattered when the Specter gunship opened up on the retreating patrol boats that were still loaded with soldiers. This was an older model AC 130H -- still the undisputed champion of close air support on a battlefield -- with twin 20MM M61 Vulcan auto-cannons, one 40 MM Bofors auto-cannon and a 105MM cannon.

  It took under 90 seconds to turn the boats and men into flotsam. The fish and the crocs ate well that afternoon because one of the most notorious poaching armies in Africa had been eradicated. If they had witnessed it, the elephants and rhinos would be cheering.

  We could see Keny striding toward Sheng Fui's ruined convoy with the authority that comes to one born to the throne. He pulled abruptly at the hulk that was once a Suburban and we could see the shattered legs of the bodyguards who could not get completely under the vehicle. He ordered his men to pull them out and set them aside to bleed out. There was no mercy for this bunch.

  He ordered Sheng Fui and his captain out from under the car. We couldn't hear him but I knew his deep, booming voice was in play. As they started to emerge his men grabbed them roughly by the arms and jerked them to attention.

  Keny grabbed the hand of the Captain, thanked him, and sent him to the back of the convoy for medical attention. Sheng was dazed and confused, having lost all of his arrogance and pretension. Keny towered over him. He grabbed Sheng by the scruff of his neck. Then he tilted his head skyward, for the drone's camera, and with a beaming grin of triumph he winked at me. Hyenas chuckled in the distance. The air smelled bitter. By morning the local fauna would erase the remains of men who died there that day.

  Our forces mounted up and headed for the Park with jubilance. The Specter and the Apache flew air cover for the trip back. We would debrief later.

  Chapter 16

  Taroudant, Morocco: 08:40, January19th

  It was just after midnight in Colombia when I received a call from Uwishun on Ana's sat phone.

  "Hey, Johnny, it appears as though you guys are having all of the fun."

  "No worries, Brother, you'll get your share tonight."

  "Good news and great news."

  "Do tell."

  "A C-37A out of Andrews AFB just landed at the Eldorado in Bogota and taxied to the US Embassy hanger. Six tough looking assholes with gear deplaned. About 15 minutes later, Colonel Johnson, in the flesh, also emerged. They're in the Tequendama Hotel at the moment."

  "Only six?" We're on a roll, Uwishun. I know you have them covered 24/7, so let me know how this starts to play out. I want Johnson alive."

  "They've just ordered hookers and coke from La Piscina in the Santa Fe district, so they must be old hands here."

  "What a gift. Call Guzman. He bankrolls the place. Have his girls drug as many of the contractors as possible. Put it in the coke. These are obviously his best men, so we will need speed and strength to pull this off.

  "Put a team together, including some Guardians, dressed like the Ninjas they are, with faces covered. I don't want anyone to see them. Call Juan Carlos and have him contact security at the hotel. His family owns it. Have him give your team free reign for as long as it takes. You have a Military hospital nearby. Make arrangements to use the helipad and have exit transportation waiting. If you encounter any issues, ask Guzman or Juan Carlos to run interference."

  "One more thing -- I don't believe Johnson will participate with the hookers, not his style. I think you should take along enough Halothane to fill all of rooms, including his, before you enter."

  "Sounds like a plan, Johnny. It will probably take me three hours to get the assets in position. That would make the takedown around 04:30. I'll keep Ali advised on our progress."

  I said, "Be careful Brother. Ciao."

  I took an incoming call from Mehdi.

  "Johnny, we have been unable to locate the third man so far. I just put the other two on the Citation and they're headed your direction.

  "I have some disturbing news about the other team. They entered through a small checkpoint in the Oasis region near Tafilet. It's a lightly manned border station. A firefight occurred that left one of their team dead on the scene. All five of the border guards were slain. So that puts them less than 8 hours from your position."

  "Mehdi, what time did this occur?"

  "They tell me about 2 hours ago, so just before 07:00."

  "Well, Mehdi, that's a beautiful part of the country. A great place to go hunting. We'll take it from here and let you know how it turns out. Then you should come down for the day and we will drink some good wine and smoke some Cubans. By the way, are you enjoying the Russian ladies I left in Rabat?

  "What a question. You already know the answer."

  "I will be needing the jet tomorrow so let the pilots know and get it catered for me please."

  "Inshalla (If God wills it.)"

  It was time for me to enter the fray. I asked Ali to get the Huey ready for flight and give me a team of crack troops, Berbers and Recces, three of each. This was Africa, after all.

  "Etsa, let's go for a ride. Do you remember how to operate the mini-guns on the Huey?"

  "Once you fired a mini-gun, nothing else will do, Father."

  "Pull the Land Rover under cover and let's head down to the chopper hanger.

  "Ali, please put the surveillance Reaper up. Start at Tafilet and come west. They will be moving fast and that road does not have a lot a fast traffic. Alert the boys and find these guys for me. On everything else, call 'em like you see 'em.

  "Ali, one last thing -- please alert our people in the valley to be on the lookout for any Ghareeb (stranger from the West.) There aren't many here. They must alert us at once to collect the reward."

  "Be safe, Father. I would hate to be running this place by myself," Ali replied.

  It was one of those beautiful high mountain desert days, where you could see forever, and then some. We were in the air by 09:30, traveling at our top speed of 135 mph, headed east to cover the most likely route.

  Thirty minutes later we stopped in Quarzazate to visit with the local Sheik, who was well respected and a long time friend and ally. We offered a huge reward and I knew he would spread the word far and wide. As a token of my respect, I gave him one of Don Francisco's five- karat polished emeralds as an apology for such a short visit. I'm pretty sure Grandfather saw me pilfer a few of them in Lugano.


  "Johnny," he said, "Such a jewel belongs to a Sheik. I love you like a son. We will find these men for you."

  We were back in the air by 10:30 hours. Traffic was picking up. We investigated a number of dust trails to no avail. We decided to land on a small mountaintop near Aguz to conserve fuel. That location overlooked a strategic pass that would save a traveler who was in a hurry several hours. The mountains were dotted with yellow flowers and Queen Anne's lace. In the midst of the madness all around us, there was a certain peace about this place.

  Chapter 17

  Dulles, Virginia: 04:00 January 19th

  Robert, the husband of my sister Helene, sat in the private aviation area at Dulles airport. He had received my phone call to tell him Helene was critically injured in an accident. Robert was a second-term US senator from Wyoming. He was waiting for a chartered Gulfstream to be refueled and catered. He would arrive in Bogota about 10:00. My wife, Cristina, would be there to greet him with the Immigration authorities in tow. Then they would be off to the Castle for much needed explanations.

  If you know your subject, torture works, contrary to the hubris spewed by talking heads on opinion TV shows. Rare is the man who will not break under threat of torture or the act itself. I personally find it abhorrent but I have also saved countless lives with the judicious and timely use of certain types of torment. I take no pleasure in the act and know that my soul has paid a steep price for it. Under exigent circumstances, with very bad people, I am willing to pay the price.

  Keny and his band of Berbers had already started on Sheng Fui. He explained the process of complete dismemberment in detail. First, the digits on hands and feet. Then the nose, ears, and lips. Then the penis, arms and legs, and finally, the remainder of the skin.

  Keny let him know there was medical care nearby because he planned to make a career out of this process. He assured Sheng the only way to prevent his further suffering would be to divulge everything. The network, the government people involved, the banking relationships, stockpiles, smuggling routes, spies among the game preserve corps, and his personal fortune.