Solar Storm: Homeward Bound

by Vincent Keith

  He pointed to a narrow rectangular building, a five-unit townhouse, not far from the schools.

  “Shortly after disposing of the bodies, three more women were dragged into this building. Master Sergeant Hernandez and Corporal Hoffman approached the building and verified it’s being used as a sex-slave brothel. It appears that each unit has two bedrooms with one women in each room.”

  Rachael gasped. A number of the Rangers cursed under their breath.

  “Between that, and the wide scale murder, the Captain has determined that we’re going tonight. It is imperative that no talk of that brothel leave this tent. Some of the refugees have family still in harm's way. If they think for a second they’ve got a wife, or a daughter caught up in this, it could blow our only opportunity to get those people out alive.”

  A general clamor of “Hooah!” came from every uniformed man in the tent.

  The Lieutenant sat and Brian took center stage again.

  “I want everyone to memorize this map. Target buildings are highlighted. There is a good chance that we missed a few so stay sharp. The buildings are: the high school, designation Hotel; middle school, destination Mike; commanders house, designation Golf; brothel, designation Echo; barracks, designation Zulu; Walmart, designation Whisky. I will be Bravo-Six for the operation. Sniper teams will use the Sierra designator.

  “Ranger teams Hotel, Mike, and Echo will enter and clear their buildings. Golf will infil via an upstairs window and secure the stairway before securing any hostages. Echo will be under-manned but if the pattern holds you will have at most two tangos and two hostages per unit, one in each room at the top of stairs. The PJ’s and Sheriff Jackson will join Echo to provide cover and medical aid once the hostages are secure. Ms. Madison and Dr. Podiger will wait nearby with transportation. Be as gentle with the hostages as you can, but don’t let them impede the mission. As soon as you have secured the buildings, we’ll send in the additional medical team.

  “We will attempt to do the hostage rescue as quietly as possible, but there is always a chance we’ll attract unwanted attention. Don’t assume we’ve identified all the buildings that contain hostiles. We haven’t had enough time to really nail things down but we can’t wait either.

  “Civilian involvement is critical to the success of this mission. There will be twelve civilian support teams and six sniper teams. Hotel-Charlie will be the civilian hostage security team for Hotel, and Mike-Charlie for team Mike. The perimeter teams are Charlie-Papa-1 though Charlie-Papa-8.

  “Civilian teams will be moved into position after we clear the roaming patrols. Eight support teams will cover the marked exit points from the city. Two larger teams, Charlie-Wiskey, and Charley-Zulu will man medium and light machine guns to prevent egress from Zulu and Whiskey.

  "Phase one. Get in and secure the three groups of hostages simultaneously and take out the command structure. Rangers will clear the buildings. Then we bring in a civilian team to sit on the hostages so we don’t have them wandering around.

  “Phase two. Team Hotel will move to location Golf and clear the lower portion of the building. Team Mike will proceed to Zulu and take up position waiting for Echo, Golf, and Hotel to complete phase two.

  “Phase three. We clear Zulu top to bottom.

  “Phase four. We proceed to Whiskey and then clear it, back to front.

  “Assume some elements will attempt to flee the area. The Sierra teams will have the job of chasing them down if they make it past the civilian blocking elements.”

  Brian laid out where each of the civilian teams would be posted on the map and where each of the Ranger teams would be. There were a lot of questions concerning the civilians.

  “If everything goes as planned, the civilians will only need to use their weapons at the Walmart. Keep in mind, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Assume something will go wrong and stay frosty.”

  According to their friends from the Air Force, they were looking at a solid week of light snow, or mixed snow and rain. Even the inclement weather was a weapon in the rescue mission. The meeting broke up as the Rangers went to prepare for battle. Eli, Brian, and Lieutenant Morgan gathered the civilians and briefed them on the plan.

  JACK HAD DUPLICATED his suppressor and threaded barrels on five 30-06 hunting rifles. He also did suppressors for five of the Garands out of curiosity. They worked well. Not as quiet as his suppressed bolt-action, but close enough. Unfortunately, a subsonic round was not capable of cycling the action. Still, he considered the experiment to be worthwhile. Jack was reviewing the map. He'd be with Brian the whole time, so it was just something to do to calm his nerves. Even Eli was tense. He kept playing with his rifle sling.

  “Simple plans are always better,” said Brian. “When you mix in untrained civilians, ‘Stupid Simple’ is the rule.”

  “I’m not too worried about the snipers, and in theory, everyone else should have cover at least until the Rangers have cleared the buildings,” said Eli.

  "True enough," Jack said, leaning against a chair to stretch his leg. "With luck, no one else but the Rangers and the sniper teams will pull a trigger. Except at the Walmart.”

  “Well, I’ve got to worry about all of it,” said Brian. “We will be moving fast, and there’s a chance we’ll miss someone. The buildings may not be entirely clear when we push forward. I'm not convinced we spotted all the places they've been using. And my guys will be doing a lot of room to room, and I hate that shit.”

  "I hate to say it, but, better you than us," said Jack. "You've got the armor, the training, and the equipment for it. Think how bad it would have sucked if you guys hadn't come?"

  Brian’s jaw worked like he wanted to protest but no words came out. After a moment he sighed and shrugged.

  “Yeah, that would be worse, it’s just…these are my guys.”

  Eli nodded. “Yeah, and I pray to God that they all come back unharmed. We don’t have a lot of choice in this, the longer we wait, the worse it’s going to be for everyone.”

  “Waiting’s over,” said Brian. “We move into town in a few hours. We’ll hit them hard and fast, they won’t have time to respond.

  “I hope you’re right,” said Eli.

  “Me too, otherwise we’re going to lose people.”

  Brian went over his notes one last time. Eli grabbed the pot and refilled everyone’s coffee.

  "I'm curious why he didn't just take over the prison?" asked Jack.

  Eli snorted. “Knowing Bernie? Comfort, convenience, and style for himself were the primary considerations. But I think that’s where he got most of his guys from.”

  “It is,” said Brian. “We checked out the prison. He took most of the hard cases, anyone there on drug charges got left in their cells. Anyone else got sent west. They’ve been picked up by the MP’s from the Hermiston Depot. Or at least the few survivors have.”

  “Oh, I’ll bet that was unpleasant,” said Jack.

  "It was a mess. Whatever gave barely armed inmates the idea they could take on the US Army is beyond me. They raped and pillaged their way between the prison and Hermiston. Once the Post Commander got word of what they were doing, the result was pretty much a forgone conclusion.”

  “Wait,” said Jack, “he left the rest of them in their cells?”

  “They’re still there. I assume they died of dehydration. That’s an ugly way to go.”

  Jack shivered in revulsion.

  “In any case, we’re looking at his people plus somewhere north of sixty inmates he recruited as muscle. It’s been tough getting an accurate count. Eli, are you confident that those men from Pendleton will hold their positions and not screw this up?”

  “Yep,” Eli nodded. “We’ve been over it time and time again with them. I can’t say they’re not going to shoot anyone they see, though. They’ve been through a lot, considering what’s been done to their families and friends. Honestly, I told my guys to not get in the way if that happens. If we were going to do anything other than shoot them, I mi
ght feel differently. We'll send riders out north and east which is where we think Bernie sent the rest of the residents he didn’t kill. We may be able to find them and let them know what’s going on.”

  “That wasn’t done earlier?”

  "No, we thought the men he sent our way were what Bernie considered trouble makers after the escape. We thought the rest were still in town, until your scouts reported."

  “Right. Well, it is what it is. Look, Jack, are you sure you want to take a sniper position? If you get a target, you’ll have to take him out.”

  Jack sighed, “Yeah. I’m not worried about taking the shot if I have to. It’s not like you can cut the entry teams down anymore.”

  “No, they’re smaller than I’d like already. All right, we’ll go as planned.”

  31

  THE BATTLE OF PENDLETON

  The teams moved out before midnight. The rain turned to mixed snow and rain. It was freezing cold and very unpleasant. Moving everyone into position would take the better part of two hours. The plan called to start the assault at 2:30 a.m. Brian would have gone later, but Sheriff Bernie Douglass knew that between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. was a hard time for watch standers, so he had set up the guard to change at 4 a.m. The replacement teams were getting up at 3 a.m., and Captain O’Neil wanted to hit them while they were at their least ready. Best guess put that between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. He needed everyone in place no later than 2:15 for a 2:30 a.m. kickoff.

  The Rangers and the civilian snipers would move in first to take out the roving patrols. Once each area was secured, the machine gun teams would move in and set up fields of fire to cover all possible exits from the motel and the Walmart. They were to hold fire until the hostages had been secured. If anyone came out wondering where the roving patrol was, the snipers were to deal with them. At least that was the hope.

  The Rangers dispatched the six groups of two-man patrols with their suppressed Mk 16 SCARs. One enemy patrol pulled a trigger before going down, and everyone froze, praying the single gunshot would not alert the enemy. Minutes ticked by when the call came in from the barracks teams that no one had even stirred.

  Eli split off with the four Air Force guys and Echo team, heading for the five-unit brothel. Each unit would be cleared by only a three-man team consisting of two Rangers, and a Pararescue operator. Eli would fill in on the fifth team taking the tail position. Team Mike was tasked with the middle school, Hotel with the high school, Golf with headquarters, and Echo with the brothel.

  The rain helped with the movement, dampening sounds and providing a white noise to cover the occasional scuffed foot, muffled cough, or heavy footfall. It also helped cover the racket of setting up the machine guns. Each machine gun had one gunner, one feeder, and two men with rifles to provide cover. They had enough distance to reduce the likelihood of discovery, and the fields of fire had been laid out with care to avoid any chance of firing on friendly positions.

  The two-man sniper teams included four Rangers and twelve civilians. Jack would be with Brian watching the Sheriff’s house. Each civilian was carrying either a spotting scope or a 30-06 hunting rifle with a newly attached suppressor, courtesy of Jack and the men at the machine shop.

  Brian checked his watch, which showed 2:20. He lifted the radio mic, paused for a breath and a silent prayer before spoke.

  “All teams this is Bravo--Six, 10 minutes. Sierra teams report.”

  Each of the sniper teams checked in, one after another. Brian waited while sniper team three adjusted position to get sights on their target, who had moved under cover to get out of the rain.

  “Bravo-Six to all entry teams, report.”

  The entry teams were ready as were the two support teams that would babysit the hostages.

  Brian checked on the last of the teams, the two groups keeping an eye on the motel and Walmart.

  “Right, well everyone is where they’re supposed to be.”

  “Are you going to go early?” asked Jack.

  “No, we still have to stack the entry teams, and I don’t want to surprise anyone. At least no one on our side.”

  Jack and Brian sat, watching. Jack's eyes on his primary target, Brian's on his watch.

  “All teams, Bravo-Six, 30 seconds. Entry teams stack up.”

  Seconds ticked by, “All Sierra Teams, Bravo-Six, 5 seconds… Sierra Go. Go. Go.”

  Through his riflescope, Jack watched the man sitting in a chair on the balcony, smoking a cigarette. He pressed on the trigger and watched the man jerk as the bullet impacted his head. It sounded loud, and Jack glanced at the muzzle thinking he'd forgotten to attach the suppressor, but no, it was in place. Then he heard the sound of suppressed subsonic 30-06 rounds from some of the other snipers. It sounded more like a very distant gunshot than someone only 200 yards away. The sound would certainly draw the attention of a man on edge. And Jack was most definitely on edge.

  During practice, the suppressed subsonic rounds seemed much quieter. Apparently they weren't loud enough to attract the attention of anyone indoors, and there was no reaction so far. Jack took a deep breath. The tension had him on edge and was making everything seem louder than it was.

  When the last of the Sniper teams had confirmed targets down, Brian activated the entry teams.

  “All Entry Teams, Bravo-Six, Entry teams Go. Go. Go.”

  The lights went out as the sound of the generator died. Jack heard the dull thumps of the breaching charges as they went off. An instant later the sounds of controlled bursts from the entry teams’ carbines were audible from Jack’s position only with the help of his amplified ear protectors. A man stepped through the balcony door wearing a white robe. He turned to see his guard slumped in his chair and then reached for the door. Jack wasn’t sure, but based on the intel, that person was Sheriff Bernie Douglass. Jack’s rifle coughed, the round penetrated the man’s chest only an inch above his heart and spun him counter-clockwise. As he slumped to the ground, Jack put one more round through his chest.

  “Target down.” His voice sounded unnaturally calm to his own ears given he’d just killed two men.

  The five Rangers comprising entry team Golf entered the building from windows on the second floor. There were still some of the sheriff’s men on the first floor. Not waiting for the second team was a risk, but the primary target was on the second floor. Two members of team Golf move into position to cover the top of the stair. Rather than move down the fatal funnel created by the stairway, team Golf would wait for reinforcements to handle the men on the first floor, unless those men were stupid enough to come up those same stairs.

  As soon as the men covering the stairs gave the signal, the rest of the team moved down the hall checking each room as they went. They rounded the corner and found two guards dozing in chairs just outside the door to the master bedroom. Lieutenant Morgan pulled his knife. First Sergeant Don Griffin nodded and pulled his own knife. The two Rangers crept up and with quick fluid motions silenced the guards forever. For the first time since they’d worked out the plan, Lieutenant Morgan thought maybe they’d get their hostage out alive. Guns ready, they entered the master bedroom just as gunfire erupted behind them.

  At the brothel, the five unlocked doors opened, and the three-man teams entered. They did a quick check of the first floor, not expecting to find anyone, but unwilling to risk leaving it uncleared. The first floor had a tiny kitchenette, a closet, and the living room to clear. It took only a few seconds. They crept up the stairs to the first bedroom. Eli waited nervously as the Rangers prepared to enter the bedrooms.

  There was some considerable discussion in the planning session and during training about how to accomplish this. Sending one man to clear a room was not ideal. But they had two rooms, two potential hostages and only three men to work with. There were only two options. What finally decided it was the likely reaction of the hostage.

  Being in bed with someone who’s just been shot would cause a severe emotional reaction, which would need to be dealt with. There was no
way the hostage wouldn’t wake up to see at least one armed man in full combat gear and not freak out. They’d agreed that it was unlikely there would be more than one target per room. Given the nature of the place, it was unlikely anyone would be in a condition to respond.

  Eli and the Pararescue Jumpers took up their positions watching the stairwell in case anyone unexpected showed up. The remaining members of each team dealt with the targets. When the Rangers entered the rooms, they found the girls tied to the beds and the men either in the act of rape or passed-out on top of the hostage.

  The response was immediate and violent. Targets were kicked onto the floor and shot, one burst to center mass, and a single shot to the head. With the targets eliminated, the Rangers reacted as if with a single mind. They got the women covered up, took off their headgear and then turned on flashlights so the women could see, all the while attempting to reassure them they were safe. As the bonds were cut, most of the women pulled the cover, whether it was a blanket or a sheet, close around them and curled into the fetal position. One girl tried to attack the Ranger. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped her in it. He held her close while she hammered on his chest plate. The standard procedure would have been to put them all in restraints before moving them, but it seemed too cruel having just released them. It took some doing, but they got the girls herded into a single apartment, and called for backup medical.

  Two PJs were detailed to provide medical attention and four Rangers for security. The two remaining PJs headed to the middle school to check on the hostages there. The remaining six Rangers headed to the motel for the next phase.

  A few of the girls allowed the PJs to treat the minor abrasions to their wrists and ankles, and they were given ice packs for facial bruising. A few of the women simply went into hysterics when approached, so they backed off and waited for Rachael and Sam.

  At the high school, entry team Hotel moved through the door to the gym in total darkness. Women and children were screaming, men with guns were yelling at each other, all disoriented from the concussion of the breaching charge. A few of the men were trying to figure out what was going on while others were trying to get the women to shut-up. The Rangers had no such problem, their night vision goggles providing plenty of light, if not the best field of view. A few seconds and the guards were down, and the back rooms checked and cleared. “Hotel-One, clear for Hostage team.”