The trail was steep and any time he came in view of the valley he took fire so he had to hurry. By the time he got up to the area of the defile, he was puffing and blowing hard.
“Adams…” Mike gasped. “You see me?”
“Got you in view, man,” Adams replied evenly. “Come on through.”
Mike looked up the hillside from the defile as he ran through but even knowing there was an ambush up there, it was hard for him to spot the positions. Adams had apparently spent the night carefully laying in the ambush and the Keldara positions were fully covered and bunkered. The most noticeable thing was that much of the vegetation on the uphill side of the defile was gone. But even the places where there had been scrub had been filled in with fallen leaves so it looked nearly natural; the fact that they were firelanes was almost impossible to spot. A few lumps at the base of trees were probably claymores covered by fallen leaves but Mike couldn’t spot so much as one bit of wiring or detcord. It was unlikely the Chechens would spot the ambush until it was triggered.
“When you get to the next switchback, Otar will guide you into your hide,” Adams said.
“Where are the bad guys?” Mike asked, slowing down. The high rock wall gave him all the cover he needed.
“There are three groups,” Adams said. “The group that was to the west that was chasing you is moving over to the main group. That’s split with one group headed for the trail and another heading straight up the hill. I don’t see any sign of the mortars.”
“Russell, you there?” Mike asked.
“Here, boss,” the Ranger replied.
“Can you see what’s going on?”
“Negative, we’re on the back side of the hill to lead Vil in.”
“Send Vanim on a sneak over to the other side of the hill,” Mike said after a moment. “Tell him to see if he can spot the mortars. If they open up, definitely try to spot them. We don’t want them engaging Vil’s group, especially. You two may have to take them out.”
“Will do,” Russell replied.
Mike trotted through the rest of the defile, reaching the switchback in a couple of minutes.
“Kildar,” Lasko said, rising out of the bushes as he reached the bend.
“Good to see you,” Mike said. “Where’s Otar?”
“He is in the hide,” the Keldara replied, turning up the trail. “With Sergeant Praz.”
Mike followed the Keldara up the trail until he paused and turned down the hill. They slid down a steep portion which stopped at a level spot. As Mike hit the level spot, he realized it was hollow. The bunker was so well camouflaged, he hadn’t realized it was there until he was standing on it.
“Nice,” he said as a spider hatch opened in the back.
“Come on in,” Praz said, grinning. “All the comforts of home. These Keldara can dig like motherfuckers.”
The bunker was deep and wide, with a central firing area and two basementlike wings. It was a sizeable construction to be completed overnight. The top was covered with tree trunks and the firing holes were small; Mike wasn’t sure even a mortar could do much to it other than from a direct hit on delay. Maybe not even then.
Despite its size it was crowded with Praz, Lasko, Killjoy, Otar, the two Keldara who had apparently constructed it and Mike. The Keldara were loaded down with ammo vests, body armor and helmets, ready for a solid fight. They didn’t look scared, however, just eager.
“Good to see you,” Mike said to the Keldara in the bunker. “Nice place you’ve got here,” he added, shaking their hands.
“It is much like the shelters we make when out tending the sheep in summer pasture,” Lasko said, looking around. “Stronger, but much the same.”
“All it took was a little digging,” one of the Keldara said, shrugging. “We worked in teams with one team cutting trees and bringing them down to the bunkers and the other team doing the digging.”
“Adams,” Mike said, peering out of the bunker and seeing nothing but the end of the trail and trees, “I’m blind up here. What you got?”
“Main body is on the trail,” Adams replied. “The second group is moving up the hill. They’re not moving very fast. They shot up the woodline before they got there and have been crawling up ever since. I think the main body will get to the defile before they do at this rate.”
“I should have brought up the mortars,” Mike said over the radio.
“Nielson thought of that,” Adams said, somewhat smugly. “They’re up on the ridgeline with the heavy instructors, a team of females to handle them and a security team of instructors.”
“Glory be,” Mike said. “Russell, you hear that?”
“Heard it, boss,” the Ranger replied. “When’s Vil going to move?”
“Not until we spring the ambush,” Mike said. “What’s the status with Vanim?”
“I am on the far side of the hill, Kildar,” the Keldara answered, quietly. “One of the mortars is set up in a clearing near the end of the trail. I do not know how to say it better than that.”
“Peters, you on this circuit?” Mike asked.
“Roger, Kildar,” the heavy-weapons NCO answered.
“Talk Vanim over to another channel,” Mike said. “Then use him to adjust the mortars. Can do?”
“Can do,” Peters replied.
Mike ignored the conversation as the NCO carefully explained how to change frequencies. He was blind as a bat and that bothered him. All he could see was the end of the defile.
“Kildar,” Adams said. “The main body has reached the defile. The second group is heading up the hill but they’re about a hundred meters below it and the slope is steepening out. You’re actually one of the security positions and I’m a little worried about that group. Don’t let them sweep around you.”
“Got it,” Mike said. “Have Vil’s group start moving. By the time they’re in view, we should have the main body’s full and undivided attention.”
“Vil’s moving,” Nielson said over the circuit.
“Guys,” Mike said to the two Keldara who were looking out their firing ports nervously. “Is there any way we can dig out a couple more shooting points? It seems a shame to have six guns in here and only two able to shoot.”
“Yes, Kildar,” one of the Keldara said, setting his rifle against the side of the hole. “Right away.”
“Main body is fully in the defile and moving to the ambush point,” Adams said a couple of minutes later. The Keldara had found points they could dig through and Vanim and Killjoy had spots to shoot from at least. Mike put them on the points since their SPRs, a highly accurate M-16 variant, would be better in a firefight than the sniper rifles. “All positions, stand to. Initiating.”
There was a thunderous roar from the defile as the claymores detonated, followed by screams from humans and mules. This was followed by a growing roar of fire from the hillside as the Keldara poured fire into the defile.
There was a crack from one of the Keldara rifles and then another as the Keldara cursed.
“He is hiding behind a tree,” the man muttered, angrily. “Coward.”
“There’s another,” Vanim said, firing. “Got him.”
“I’ll just sit here and twiddle my fingers,” Mike said, doing just that. “Keep an eye to the right, guys. We’re expecting company that way.”
There was an explosion to the left of their position, a mortar round Mike was pretty sure. Then he, faintly, heard the rumble of shells overhead.
“Peters just counterbatteried their mortar,” Adams said. “It’s out. I’m shifting him to your control. Go to channel three.”
“Peters?” Mike said on that channel. He peered past Lasko, looking for the men working their way up the slope.