America Libre
Page 30
The last twenty-four hours, however, had changed the game.
Yesterday’s nationwide offensive had been a disaster for the Panchos. Thanks to a rebel informer, the Army had anticipated the insurgent attacks on U.S. military installations and decisively repulsed the assaults. But their mole had delivered an even bigger win. They had uncovered the rebel command center directing the nationwide attacks—an abandoned Holiday Inn near the center of Los Angeles Quarantine Zone B.
A twelve-trooper Delta Force team arriving in two choppers had wiped out the enemy personnel at the command center and hauled away all the rebel communications equipment the helos could hold before hurriedly pulling out. Deep in Pancho-held territory, the small Delta team risked being overrun if they’d tried to hold the position. Now the brass wanted a more thorough intelligence sweep of the Pancho command center.
The Pentagon had created Fuller’s ad hoc task force to ferry an intel team to the rebel command center. His orders were to let the G2 wonks snoop around and then escort them out. The mission was considered so important the generals had even assigned an air surveillance drone to Fuller’s task force—a first for a stateside unit.
From the touch screen on the Humvee’s dashboard, Fuller studied the drone’s-eye view of the road ahead. What he saw made the captain shiver under his flak vest despite the eighty-degree heat: a barricade of rubble and abandoned cars blocked all four lanes of Whittier Boulevard.
After nearly a year of duty in Southern California, Fuller had come to know the insurgents’ tactics well. No matter which detour he chose, he was certain the Panchos would have an ambush waiting.