Vigilante (Book 2): Into the Fray
Page 4
The reinforcements from Defiance and Fort Pickett totaling two hundred and fifty men arrived at the Princeville Elementary School bivouac site at 1700 hours. Beasley St. proved sufficient to handle the trucks and equipment.
Kate arrived with Troop A, and quickly got out of the truck and ran to Levi to give him a huge hug around his waist.
She asked, “Well, Pops, how’d I do?”
Levi laughed and replied, “You did great sweetie, but what’s up with the Pops thing?”
Kate laughed and said, “Oh, just something that ‘popped’ out,” and she laughed so hard she almost peed herself…almost.
After a few seconds of laughing and hugs, Levi said, “Seriously, kiddo, you did very well, and I am truly proud of you. How did riding with that stranger thing go?”
“I have to admit that I was scared, at first, but then since I knew I was helping you, well, I just dealt with it; besides, I figured that if he tried anything I could whip his ass…oops, sorry, butt.”
“Good catch, oh, look, B Troop is coming in. Yep, no question, it’s gonna’ really suck to be Bloods tomorrow.”
They turned to watch as Troop B, (mounted) arrived with horse trailers in tow.
Levi called for a meeting in the school multi-purpose room for all Officers and NCOs. The troops would eat once the bivouac site was set up and secured.
Levi welcomed everyone and briefed them on the situation; “Gentlemen my concept of this operation is as follows:
Secure all roads exiting Tarboro from the north, east and west.
Establish a loose perimeter surrounding Tarboro These guys are way out of their comfort zone with no concept of defense
They will not likely retreat via the piney woods so main effort should be on the exit road
Identify all LP, OP, and Defensive positions along the Tar River
Identify Command and Control Centers
Execute auto-grenade bombardment of positions along the Tar.
We’ll run them out of town and finish them up at the exit points.
Commanders, I expect a brief on your plan to accomplish my objectives at 0800 on 7 September. Prepare for the attack to begin 0500 hours on 8 September.
Are there any questions?”
Levi added, “Men, food is exhausted in the cities, and that’s why the rats are branching out. On 8 September we begin the campaign to clean out every gang member within the outlying borders of America. Colonel Eldridge, please see me after the meeting.
Dismissed.”
Lt. Colonel Scott Eldridge, a Buck Sergeant on March 29th, now commanded the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry walked to Levi and said, “Well, Boss, it is certainly time that these gangs stopped running and decided to shoot it out.”
“Oh yes,” said Levi, “About time indeed.
Scott, your men look very good. In fact, I’d say they are ready to take out the trash.”
“Oh yes, sir. They are indeed. Concerning your Commander’s Guidance, we could even brief tonight around 2000 hours if you’d prefer. I’ve been studying the map and pretty much anticipated your guidance. We can flesh it out in a couple of hours.”
“No, Scott, 0800 is fine, I want you and your boys well rested. We have much to do on the morrow.”
“Yes sir, if there is nothing else, how about joining Major Smith and myself for some fine MRE cuisine?”
Levi laughed and said, “Well, how could I possibly refuse such an invitation to sup at Chez MRE.”
Both then laughed and went outside to find Major Ben Smith and a picnic table in the school yard.
Follow a meal of MREs, Levi took Ben and the Troop Commanders on a tour of the positions along the Tar. Toby also warned them to maintain a low profile, who knew when one of those M-13 jokers might get in a lucky shot.
*
September 7th, 0800
Principal’s Conference Room
Princeville Elementary School
During the night hours, a sand table replica of the battle site was put together to ensure clarification of the mission parameters. Forested areas painted in green, and buildings in red.
The senior staff was seated and prepared for the 0800 briefing when Colonel Levins walked in at precisely 0759.
“Good morning, everyone,” said Colonel Levins, as he looked admiringly at the sand table layout. I like it. “Please, everyone, let’s form up around the table Colonel Eldridge has so courteously prepared for us. Please begin.
”Thank you, sir; Captain Pickett will begin this brief. Captain?”
“Good morning Colonel Levins,” and using dowel rod he pointed and said, “Our Troop B plan will be to utilize two teams departing via horseback. Team One will move to the east away from Tarboro to the beach complex and ford the river here. We will then proceed to secure the escape route at MLK just east of Wooten Street, Daniel and Baker Sts., E. Northern Blvd., and Heard Way.
Team Two will ford the Tar at the water Treatment plant, making their way to W. James St. and Alt. 64, W. Wilson and Western Blvd., W. Baker St., and E. Baker St., and each corner north and east from that point. The remaining sixty troopers will, at 0200 begin making our way to surround the Walmart Complex, providing security and acting as a Reaction Force for any of our blocking sites. Once the attack commences, we will begin the secondary mission of supporting Troop A.
Sir, this completes my portion of this briefing.”
Levi said, “Thank you, Captain; I’ll save my questions until I have heard the complete plan.
Captain Dennis Campbell stood and taking the dowel rod pointer from Captain Pickett said, “Sir, the plan for Troop A is to man positions along the Tar until hostilities begin and we have eliminated the enemy defensive positions with an initial auto-grenade bombardment of those positions on the north side of the Tar River. Once those positions are clear, Troop A will ford the river and initiate a three-pronged pincer attack consisting of three teams.
Team B will advance through the center,” and pointed along the route of attack to the rear of the Walmart building. “The rear door will be breached, and twenty men will enter to begin the protocol of clearing the building. The remaining forty members of Team B will split into two twenty man groups joining Teams A and C at the junction of the building’s corner and parking lot.
Team A will advance to the west side of the enemy position in the Walmart, advancing along the axis of the left flank approaching the parking lot. They will eliminate all threats from the unloading side entrances. Group A will then merge with Team A and eliminate enemy resistance.
Team C will advance along the east axis on the right flank approaching the parking lot. They will merge with Group B and eliminate enemy resistance.
To reduce the possibility of Blue on Blue casualties, Groups A and B will wait at the corner of the building and the parking lot to merge when Groups A and B arrive on their parking lot flanks.
Once the pincer has closed any remaining hostiles will be ordered to cease fire and surrender. Failing this an additional forty men will be sent to the rear entrance and will join those forces already engaged in clearing operations.
Each Mari…excuse me, sir, make that Trooper will have a night vision monocle (NVG), and infra-red (IR) sights on their silenced M-4A1s. All weapons are to be set to Semi-auto firing mode.
This operation is anticipated to take approximately one hour to close the pincer and eliminate any external resistance.
Should the hostile force fail to surrender, the clearing operation could go for another approximate two to three hours to root them out.
Sir this completes my portion of this briefing.”
Levi was pleased but had a couple of questions. “Thank you, Captain, excellent plan; alas I do have a couple of questions.
How many fire team leaders have combat experience?
I did not hear any plan for medical support.
Colonel Eldridge, would you enlighten me on these two issues?”
Colonel E stood and smiled at his Commander said, “Yes sir,
of course. Each Fire Team Leader has seen combat in similar operations in Berzerkistan. They are especially adept at breaching doors and clearing buildings. All NCOs in the Troop have been tested and evaluated to ensure they are still up to speed. I have full confidence in each and every one of them.
Medical support will consist of an Aid Station here in the multi-purpose room, manned by Doctors Tom and Faith Monroe. Four Nurses are also on site, and the Aid Station will begin preparation at 0900 hours this day.
On a final note, the remaining uncommitted forces are held in a Rapid Deployment formation.
Do you have any other questions, sir?”
“Major Smith, are you comfortable with the supply side of this mission?”
Major Ben Smith stood and assured Levi that he had, indeed, approved of all the supply side issues.
“Then, I wholeheartedly approve this excellent plan. Well done. Let’s just make sure that the troops get plenty of rest today, then after Mess, let’s go over the plan until every man, to the lowest Private knows exactly what his job is. So unless anyone else has questions or comments, let’s get to it.
From 0900 – 1000 hours the troops were taken through the job of each Fire Team. At 1000 hours the troops on the line were relieved, and they too were taken through the hoops of what to do. Squad Leaders would test each trooper periodically throughout the day.
Following the Mission classes, Troop B tended to their horses and gear, getting them rigged for quiet ops.
The rest of the day, until 2400 was spent in repose, some read, others slept, but most just hurried up and waited.
***
Chapter 6
Battle for Tarboro
September 8th, 0150
Troop B, 1st Cav, LOD
Princeville
Levi, Ben, and Scott walked among the Cavalrymen of B Troop wishing them well and offering encouragement.
The Troopers were confident and anxious to win this battle to be a part of creating a safer world.
They came upon Captain Pickett, and his 1st Sgt having last minute discussions with their NCOs on situational awareness, noise discipline, and make those poor dumb bastards die for, well, nothing, just make ‘em die.
They listened from a short distance and heard him say, “I’m going to leave you with this memory of my first combat with the 1st Cav. I was a Staff Sergeant when, then Captain Levins said, “I don’t believe I asked you if I thought you were ready for this.”
That wasn’t bad enough because 1st Sergeant Cobb jumped right in, and added, “Sergeant, you are ready for this, so just shut your pie hole and get it done.
Yep, he really did. So, now I’m telling you that I know you are each ready to get it done, so if you wonder if you are ready, well, my response is you are ready, so shut your pie and get it done.”
The NCOs shouted ooh-rah and ran to their horses. Troop B crossed their LOD on time at 0200 headed east and west of Tarboro.
As the mounted Troopers crossed their LOD, the men of Troop A were checking equipment and discussing the upcoming battle. If they were fearful, it certainly didn’t show.
*
September 8th, 0400
Troop A
Positions along the Tar River
Princeville
Sergeant Tim Carter led a four-man Fire Team consisting of three riflemen and one Squad Machine Gunner.
Their mission was to wade across the Tar River, make their way through the wooded area to the rear of the Walmart on the north side of the Tar. Once at the rear door the mission was to join four other Fire Teams in breaching the door and clearing Walmart of all hostile forces.
Whumpf, whumpf sounds filled the cool morning air as the Auto Grenadiers opened fire on the Bloods positions along the tree line on the north side of the Tar.
Within seconds the enemy positions were destroyed as the forty mm grenades tore into the hostiles.
All along the front, Troop A fired into the tree line. With no return fire, the Troopers began wading across the Tar initiating the assault. Spring rains had deepened the Tar to roughly three and a half feet creating the four foot per second current which did not prove to be a serious factor in the crossing.
Two rounds were fired at the Troopers as they made their way through the waters of the Tar. Four Grenadiers fired their forty mm grenades onto the enemy positions which immediately silenced them.
Quickly reaching the north bank of the Tar, Troopers formed a loose line and began working their way to the tree line. As they passed the enemy dead, Sergeant Tim Carter was amazed at the lack of any effort to seriously construct any defensive positions. They simply sat behind a pine tree. Their remains were not pretty.
No further resistance was offered in the short forested area, and the Troop emerged at the rear of the Walmart store.
Sergeant Carter’s Fire Team along with four other teams made their way to the rear door while the remaining Troopers split into their groups and made their way to the east and west side of the building where they would join Teams A and B.
At the door, Sergeant Carter directed one of his riflemen to check to see if the door was locked. With everyone positioned to the left and right of the door, the Grunt found the door to be locked. In anticipation of this, a one-ounce block of C-4 explosive had been prepared to blow off the handle and locking mechanism, thereby removing the obstruction.
As the door was pushed open from the hinge side, rifle fire erupted from within the building. Carter tossed in a flash-bang grenade and followed his Team into the store shooting the defenders where they lay writhing on the floor unable to function from the blast of the flash-bang. This portion of the operation took ten seconds.
The twenty men entered the store and fanned out into their designated positions and began systematically engaging the hostiles in their path. One Trooper suffered a nine mm wound to his left leg and was immediately taken to the Aid Station by two members of his Team. With no qualified Medics on hand, this action was prudent to get wounded personnel to the Aid Station as quickly as possible.
Resistance, though heavy in the first moments following the breach rapidly diminished as the inept enemy defense devolved into a slaughter. Within thirty minutes the enemy had suffered sixty-three killed, twenty-six wounded and eight uninjured prisoners, including the CommanderDemarcus Hussein Jones and his XO,Demetrius Kareem Brown, both surrendering with no resistance, but demanding lawyers.
The remaining fortyBloodsgangsters fled the scene and were shot at the ambush sites of Troop B while trying to escape.
At 0700 hours the mission was complete with only one casualty and no fatalities.
The assault and ambushes went precisely as planned. No hostiles were known to have escaped the attack, though a few inevitably must have.
An Excavator was brought in to dig a mass grave for the enemy dead. The prisoners were hanged at the roads leading to Greenville and Rocky Mount.
*
The signs hanging from their neck’s read:
Warning:
We were Murderers,
Pimps, Drug Dealers and worse.
We urge all of our brothers to stand and fight.
ATTENTION:
These criminals were hanged for crimes against humanity.
Know that it is a crime to belong to any criminal gang.
The penalty is death.
Anyone caught wearing gang tattoos,
Will be hanged by the neck until they are dead.
This is a public service announcement brought to you by the
1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment of the Republic of America
Colonel Levi Levins
Commanding
The battle of Tarboro was over.
The gangs of Greenville and Rocky Mount were furious.
*
September 8th, 0900
Walmart Parking Lot
Tarboro
Levi met with Lt. Colonel Eldridge, Major Smith, and newly promoted Resistance Leader Captain Toby Settle in the parkin
g lot of Walmart as Troop B began the upload process to return to Fort Pickett.
Troop A was busy securing the Walmart and beginning the inventory. Levi had earlier made it clear that upon the liberation of Tarboro, the Walmart would be open to families with children under the age of fifteen for available supplies, one trolley per person.
The supplies in the Walmart would also be made available to Troop A for four weeks until Troop C could be activated to relieve Troop A, who would remain to provide security around the perimeter of Tarboro
Troop A would also make a sweep of the town searching for gang members who did not have the sense to run away.
Toby would have to find out if anyone besides him was in charge and perform a census for Tarboro and the surrounding area. After his headcount, should Tarboro wish to become a member of the ROA simply contact Major Smith who would coordinate a diplomatic team to visit Tarboro and decide if the area was ready for membership?
***
Chapter 7
That Ain’t Gonna’ Happen
September 8th, 1800
Walmart,
Tarboro
Sergeant Major Cobb ran up to Levi and said, “Colonel, this just came in by courier,” as he handed the envelope to Levi.
Levi opened the manila envelope and found a note from President Ralph Bassett, which he began reading aloud, “Levi, this could be bad. Adan Reyes just got a radio up and running, and he received a loop recording from someone calling himself President Clanton of the United States of America.