“Does he live with you?” Marie was suddenly interested. Finally, they had found a subject that she was very interested in: children. “How old is he?”
“My son is in the Israeli military, and before you ask, yes, I’m very proud of him.” He paused for a moment and his smile faded as his thoughts focused on his estranged son. He missed him very much. Then he broke out of his reverie to look at Marie. “He stays with me from time to time, but our mutual responsibilities seem to be constantly separating us.”
Logan’s military assignments made him naturally suspicious of strangers who questioned him, but Marie was different. She possessed a natural innocence and goodness of being. For the first time in years, he found himself enjoying talking about himself.
“My wife was a beautiful woman. I met her in Washington, and we married a year later. She was never able to adjust to my job, though. Maybe it wasn’t her. Maybe it was me.” Logan paused to contemplate his past. “Maybe I wasn’t able to adjust to marriage.”
Marie looked back toward the vehicle following them and smiled as she saw Rob though the windshield looking at a map. “I couldn’t imagine ever leaving my husband.”
“No.” Logan followed her gaze toward Rob. “And I’ll bet he feels the same way.”
They covered about twenty-five miles before pulling under a small cove of dense trees and brush to check the maps they found in the hummers and discuss a strategy. Taylor was looking over the weapons inventory Rock had made for him. “Most of the weapons we have, short of the machine guns and assault rifles, are pretty outdated. We have virtually no protection from air attacks, and the seventy-three millimeter recoilless rifle can afford us only limited defensive capability against Iraqi tanks. Our best method of operation would be hide and seek: We hide and avoid the enemy using speed, camouflage, and stealth to our advantage.”
Rob nodded. “It sounds good to me, Captain. Use whatever resources that are at our disposal to see that this convoy is adequately camouflaged. I suppose that your suggestion of using stealth means the method of movement we employ?”
“Yes. We need to carefully examine our route to take advantage of every valley, cove, and wooded terrain, moving from one to the next. But speed is essential. We need to put as much distance between us and the compound as possible. Every mile we travel in any direction exponentially increases the territory they must search to find us.”
Taylor looked from face to face of the small group that was gathered. “On the other hand, something doesn’t appear right. We have not seen any search aircraft or vehicles trying to find us. Either we are just plain lucky, or we are not a high priority for them. There is always the remote possibility that no one knows we’ve escaped yet.”
“Now you’re beginning to sound like me, Captain,” Rob laughed. “Just how could that be possible?”
“Well, it is possible. It’s possible that your captivity was never condoned by the main military command. As a result, our existence may only be known by a select few. That, of course, is a remote possibility. Another more like possibility is that our forces south are causing more of a strain on the Iraqi military than they would have anybody believe, hence we are given a low priority. I know that these explanations seem pretty unlikely, but something has to explain the lack of pursuit.”
“You’re forgetting one other option.”
“What’s that?”
“That we may have taken them by complete surprise and eliminated the guards before they had time to radio for help. In fact, I vaguely remember blowing up some radio equipment while we were breaking out.”
Taylor seemed interested in that option. ”If that’s the situation, then we should forget the camouflage and move with all haste.”
“Why don’t we compromise? We’ll use camouflage, but we’ll forget stealth.”
Taylor started to reply but was interrupted by a voice shouting from the top of the nearby hill. “Watch reports seeing several light aircraft approaching from the west.”
“What kind are they?” Taylor shouted back.
“They appear to be AV’s, sir.”
“What’s that?” Rob asked.
“They’re propeller-driven light aircraft.”
“Well, I guess that puts to rest our theory that Iraq doesn’t know about us.”
“I guess so.”
“What do we have to use against them?”
“I’m afraid nothing, sir.”
“What? How are they armed?”
“They each carry four twenty-millimeter cannons. They can carve us up in a hurry, and our light assault rifles don’t have the range to even reach them.”
“And we have nothing at all that could be used against them?”
“Nothing that can match their range. Even if we waited until they got close, our seven-millimeter rounds couldn’t penetrate their armor. And the quad fifty calibers on the truck would have to be moved from this cove out in the open terrain to get a shot at them. If we did that, we’d be giving our position away, and they’d simply sit out of range and cut the truck into pieces.”
Rob looked west toward the approaching aircraft and then back to Taylor. “Think, Captain! We must have something we can improvise! What could we use?”
“I’m telling you, Colonel! We have nothing! The only thing we possess that could challenge their armor plating is either the recoilless rifle or the Russian rocket launcher. It’s somewhat antique... simple optical sights, shoulder mount, limited range. I’m afraid the only way to hit something with it would be if the target were within a hundred yards and sitting still!”
Rob thought for a moment and looked back toward the approaching aircraft again. “Well, I guess we’ve no choice, then.”
“What do you have in mind, Colonel?”
“What is the maximum range of the rocket launcher?”
“Why?”
“The maximum range is about nine hundred yards,” Rock interrupted. “But at that range you’d be shooting at a forty-five degree angle over the top of it.”
“You’re sure we have nothing else?”
“Quite sure.”
“What about the cannon on the back of that truck?” Rob motioned in the direction of the truck mounted recoilless rifle.
“It’s not a cannon. To use it, we’d have to set it out in the open, in clear sight of those planes.”
Rob nodded, and, followed closely by Taylor and Rock, moved quickly up the hill to lay down next to the spotter. “Where are they, Sergeant?”
“Over there, slightly north of our position. They appear to be flying in a search pattern. At their present speed and movement, they’ll be over our position in about five minutes.”
“Captain, what is the drop of a rocket launcher round at nine hundred yards?”
“I don’t know. Maybe two hundred yards. Colonel, I must point out that at that range you really couldn’t aim. You’d just have to point it and fire. Also, the plane will have traveled two hundred yards closer to you by the time the rocket launcher round gets to him.”
Rob listened patiently, then gave his orders. “Get me the rocket launcher and all the rounds we have.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I’ll get it for you.” Rock headed down the hill.
Rob looked sternly at Taylor. “If we’re attacked, and we have no other means of defending ourselves, then I see no other alternative then to use the rocket launcher.”
“We could split up and make a run for it.”
Rob looked shocked. “To where? Where could we run and hide from these planes in this God-forsaken country? Where?” His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear his frustration.
“All I’m saying is that if we all scatter in different directions, they won’t be able to track us all! Some of us could survive!”
“That would be okay as long as you’re not a woman or a child who can’t run as fast! Or is that what you’re counting on? Are you hoping that if the planes are busy blasting the women and childre
n, you’ll have time to escape?”
Taylor’s face turned red. “You know that’s not what I meant!”
Rob paused for a moment, realizing that with each second wasted on argument the planes drew closer. He took a deep breath, then spoke slowly and calmly. “Let me set you straight on something right now, Captain. In this convoy, it’s all or none. We don’t make sacrifices or take gambles that we don’t all pay for. Clear?”
Taylor paused and looked around him at all the quiet faces listening to the conversation. “Crystal, sir.” He also took a deep breath. “Okay, who do you expect to make these lucky shots? That weapon is obsolete, and none of these men have ever trained with one.”
Showing the slightest hint of surprise, Rob cocked his head to the side and looked as if he were about to speak. Then he regained his composure. “Well, then, I guess I can’t be any worse than anyone else. Whatever happens, then I’m to blame.”
Rob knew that only military discipline was keeping Taylor from continuing as he turned to leave. He wasn’t sure where Taylor was heading, nor did he really care. He had had enough of that officer. He knew now why Dempsey had not allowed Taylor to take command. For all his knowledge in strategy, he lacked passion for the people under his command.
The planes continued to zigzag across the sky, slowly approaching from the west. A Marine somewhat familiar with the rocket launcher sat close to Rob explaining to him, as best he could, how to use it. “...So when I pat you on the head, it means that the weapon is loaded and ready to fire.”
Rob just sat quietly, watching the aircraft. It would only be moments now before they would be in sight of the planes. Finally, the inevitable happened. The lead aircraft broke its search pattern and headed directly for them. Rob stood up on top of the hill and pointed the rocket launcher in the direction of the aircraft.
“They’re about five hundred feet off the ground and traveling at about two hundred miles an hour, Colonel.”
“Tell me when the lead aircraft is at a thousand yards.”
The Marine hesitated. “I can only make a guess, sir.”
“That’ll be good enough.” Then he added under his breath, “It has to be.” With that, he lifted the tube onto his shoulder and began to adjust the sight.
The Marine shifted nervously, studying the planes through his binoculars. “The lead aircraft is at twelve hundred yards... Eleven hundred yards...”
Suddenly, white puffs of smoke appeared under the lead aircraft followed by small explosions in the camp. They were under fire! Obviously, these aircraft were under search and destroy orders. There would be no capturing this time.
“One thousand yards.” The Marine did his best to stay focused. Rob pulled the trigger and there was a flash followed by black smoke shooting out the back of the rocket launcher. The plane fired again, and this time the ground around him erupted. He stood calmly to reload the rocket launcher ignoring the deadly rounds that were impacting around him. The Marine helping him dove for the hill and headed for cover. Rob lifted the rocket launcher and fired again. The aircraft was about four hundred yards away when it exploded.
The second aircraft was now coming around and beginning to bear down. Once again, Rob found himself loading the rocket launcher alone. “I need ranging!” Though he could not take the time to look behind him for help, he knew they were there.
Marie knelt down behind a truck, clutching her children together in her arms. She was staring up the hill at a lone figure who looked as if he were challenging God. Rob seemed to possess unwavering confidence as he dared the planes to attack him. It’s like watching Moses stand on the bank of the Red Sea and face down the armies of Egypt, she thought to herself. She watched in desperation as he prepared to fire again.
She couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood up and shouted at the Marines who were also huddled behind the trucks. “Someone help him!” When no one moved, she turned and ran toward Rob. She had only covered a few yards when Logan grabbed her and dragged her back to the children. “Let me go!” she screamed as she hit him. “Someone needs to help him!”
“No, Marie!” Logan turned her panicked face to look directly at him. “You can’t go up there now! You’ll only distract him!” She struggled to break his grip but he held her even tighter. “Marie! You must trust him! He can do it! He will do it! But you have to let him!”
She wondered from where his confidence in Rob had come. Maybe it was because of the shot he made when he shot the guards in the guard towers. Maybe it was just because they had no alternatives. Whatever it was, she knew Rob just had to make these shots!
As Rob raised the rocket launcher and prepared to fire, he became aware of another man standing beside him, a big man. “Twelve hundred yards, Colonel...” The voice was Rock’s.
What was left of the lead aircraft impacted the ground in a fiery explosion only two hundred yards from where they stood. Rob concentrated on the approaching aircraft and pulled the trigger.
“Eleven hundred yards...”
Again, a flash and black smoke shot from the rear of the rocket launcher. There were white puffs of smoke coming from the aircraft, and the ground around Rob and Rock began to erupt. This time, Rob was not standing alone.
“One thousand yards, sir.” Rock refused to budge from the place where he stood. His place was by his colonel and not even the earth itself could budge him. He had lost one commander and was not about to let another one die alone. Deep down, he knew he should have been at Colonel Dempsey’s side. Perhaps if he’d been there, he could have prevented his death.
Rob was loading the next round when he heard Rock. “Nine hundred yards...”
Then, suddenly, there was a flash, and the entire aircraft disappeared in a ball of flames.
Behind the farthest truck, Taylor knelt and watched in disbelief. What he was watching he knew could not be possible! Who was this man? Could it be that Colonel Dempsey knew this man possessed these skills? Someone was watching out for him, that’s for sure!
The last aircraft was now coming around. This one, trying to avoid the same fate as the first two, began to drop down low to the horizon. Then, flying just above the trees, it began its attack.
“Twelve hundred yards!”
Down below, Marie couldn’t stand it. She was shielded from the plane by the hill, but she could still hear the whine of its engine as it approached. She was in tears, but she knew Logan was right. All she could do for him now was pray. Her voice quivered. “Please, God, don’t let him die!”
Rob was entirely focused on the problem at hand. The plane continued to turn and twist as it approached. This would not be an easy shot. He looked around to see how many rounds he had left. There were none! That meant that this round had to count. He dared not miss! But each time he felt that he had the plane lined up, it diverted its course.
Smiling, he glanced over toward Rock. He wanted to say something to the quiet man who had befriended him. He wanted to say thanks for everything. It wasn’t so bad when he knew he could simply shoot again if he missed the first time. In the fateful moments that followed, he looked at the old rocket round he was loading into the tube, wondering about the man on the production line who assembled that round at least thirty years ago. What would he think if he’d known that one day so many lives would rest on the success of this one round?
“Eight hundred yards!”
“I can’t get him, Rock!” Rob was desperate. “He’s all over the place!”
“Sir, that’s fine with me. We can die right here, but I don’t think you want to bury your children here.”
Rob knew Rock was pretending not to notice him turn and look at him. It was a low blow but just what he needed to get back down to business. He lowered the rocket launcher slightly and turned until he could see Marie. She had the children in a circle around her, trying to shield them. He turned back toward the plane with new determination.
“Four hundred yards, Colonel!”
“You’re not going to bury my family
here,” Rob vowed under his breath.
Rock heard him but continued to concentrate on ranging. Then, just as he was about to speak again, Rob fired the final shot. This was it. Nothing else mattered anymore. If the round missed the plane, there would be no defense against it. So both men just stood there. It was as good a place to die as any.
Rob turned from the aircraft to face Marie. She looked up into the eyes of a giant of a man just as an explosion sounded from behind the hill. Fire, smoke, and bits of metal flew over the top of his head. He did not flinch or blink. He just stood there smiling. It was as if he had no doubt or concern. He just stood there.
Marie lowered her head to the sand, crying in gratitude and relief. Her husband, her hero, the man of her life, had once again placed his life against the impossible odds and lived to love her again.
Ron Schwartz - The Griffins Heart.txt Page 16