With the return of silence to the interior, Lynn retrieves her ready pack from her bunk and they head back to the front of the building with more dog tags added to the ones gathered in her almost full pocket. Shouldering their weapons, Horace and Turnbull pick up the body of Private Manning and they step out into the heat and light. The transition from the cooler and darker interior causes them to blink and an immediate sheen of sweat coats their skin. They set Manning’s body into the rear of the Humvee and, after replacing their depleted magazines from the ammo in the Humvee, they make their way to Horace’s barracks and then to Manning’s, encountering none of the creatures within either of them. Finished with gathering their ready packs, they return to the TOC.
They are the last detail back and meet up with the rest of the group. Each detail quickly shares their very similar stories. In all, they lost three soldiers and have two additional wounded counting the loss of Manning and Turnbull’s injury. However, they found six other very frightened and exhausted soldiers within the various barracks. Mounting the vehicles once again, the group heads over to the Intel shop gathering up and destroying the sensitive documents within. While there, they also try contacting other units within and outside of the camp with no success. Finishing, they then head across the camp to the small airstrip and control tower.
Driving out from between buildings lining the ramp serving the airstrip, they see the control tower off to one side adjacent to the ramp. The light gray concrete ramp is empty of aircraft but several ground carts and fuel trucks are parked neatly in front of one of the buildings. Several other Humvees are parked in various locations in front of other buildings. Bringing the small convoy to a halt on the ramp, Lynn gets out of her vehicle and studies the control tower.
It is a small portable tower; a cross between a smaller control tower and a glass enclosed RV hybrid. There is an outside metal walkway encircling it and it bristles with antennae pointing skyward from on top. It is mounted on top of five concrete-filled cargo containers with metal stairs running up the side to the top and the entrance. The stairs are similar to external fire escapes with the bottom portion able to be raised about ten feet off the ground. The entire structure is enclosed by a chain link fence in close approximation to the tower with razor wire encircling the top.
Lynn salutes Major Bannerman as he steps up. With the heat rising in waves off the concrete ramp, he returns her salute and looks toward the tower with her. “I think this will make an ideal defensible structure, sir,” she says. “We can hold out here for a number of days if needed and will make a logical destination for any arriving force. We’ll need to clear it first though.”
“Take whomever you need and clear it, Sergeant.”
Given the small nature of the tower, Lynn selects Horace and Turnbull as part of her team having already been in action with them and knowing their reliability under fire. She also selects Sergeant Drescoll to go with her. She details another group to provide security around the structure outside of the fenced area and the remaining soldiers to remain in place at their current location as a reaction team. With instructions in place, her team and the security detail load onto vehicles and drive slowly over to the tower line abreast. Stopping just outside the fence enclosing the tower, Lynn and the rest dismount. The security detail takes station around the fence and Lynn, along with her team, approach the gate leading inside.
The chain link gate is unlocked so she pushes the gate open and proceeds to the stairs which are currently in their down position making the upward entrance easier.
“I’ll lead up with Private Turnbull behind me. Sergeant Drescoll and Corporal Horace, follow behind. Once at the top, we’ll break into two groups. I’ll go left on the walkway, Drescoll, take Corporal Horace and go right. We’ll recon the inside from the windows meeting up on the backside. If it’s clear, we’ll head through the door and clear it from the inside. Anyone have any questions?” She asks completing her instructions.
They all shake their heads and, with their barrels aimed upward covering their ascent, head up the stairs. Each flight of stairs rise upward to a point level with the top of each container to a small landing at which the next flight begins. On the first landing, a small winch housing a cable is attached to the first flight leading to it allowing it to be raised and lowered. The sound of their steps on the metal stairs is drowned out by the sound of a generator on the ground behind the tower.
Leaving the stairs in their lowered position, Lynn and her team proceed upward. With the heat index now rising above 110 degrees, they are bathed in sweat by the time they reach the top. The low humidity and high heat work with each other to claim the moisture from their bodies; the heat making them sweat and the low humidity wicking it away almost as soon as it appears leaving them feeling dry and parched.
At the top of the stairs, the metal grating and barred railings of the outside walkway leads off the left and right around the tower. The windows of the tower angle outward and are tinted making it difficult to see directly in from their position. They break into their respective groups and proceed up to and around the tower. Lynn peeks in the windows to her immediate front, cupping one hand to allow better vision within. The front interior facing the runway is filled with consoles running around the front and sides of the main tower room. To the rear, a small hallway opens off from the main room and seems to lead to the back of the tower. Doors open up to the outside walkway on both sides of the control room close to the rear of the room. There is no movement or signs of anyone inside other than Drescoll peering in the window opposite her. Continuing around the tower, windows open up into two rooms at the rear of the facility; one is an office and the other sleeping quarters housing two bunks.
“I don’t see anyone inside,” she says meeting up with Drescoll at the rear of the small tower.
“Me either,” he says in return.
“Let’s head in both doors and do a quick check down the hallway.”
Drescoll nods and they both retrace their steps to the entrance doors. Peeking in the small window set in the door and with one hand on the handle, she checks the door assuring herself that it is unlocked before looking over at Drescoll peering in the door on the other side. Giving him a nod, they both open their doors and quickly step into the coolness of the room. The light from the outside illuminates the entire room but in a dimmed fashion due to the tinted windows. The control panels are lit with both steady and flashing lights and a panel against the rear wall houses a radar scope, its lighter green line rotating around the scope. The fact that the radar and lights are working gives the indication that the generator outside provides power to the tower. The closing of the outside doors shuts off the sound of the generator running outside.
They step into the hallway leading to the back. The hallway extends all of the way to the rear of the tower with four doors leading off it; two to each side. They check each door and find a small latrine behind the first door to the right. The first one on the left leads to a small storage area with the two at the rear leading to the office and sleeping quarters. Back in the main control room, Lynn sees a pull-down ladder leading to a trap door set in the ceiling. She pulls the steps down and proceeds up them to the trap door. Turning the handle on the trap door, she opens it and hot sunlight pours through the opening. She climbs out onto the roof.