The Alpha and Charlie DPVs were camouflaged in a special way. Conventional nets would only work if the vehicles were dug in. That was something Brannigan definitely did not want to do. It was of utmost importance that they be above-ground and ready to roll into action in split seconds. Since they were on flat desert terrain, throwing a net across them for concealment wasn't any better than having them out in the open uncovered. A special canvas and frame covering was thrown over the DPVs to give them the look of boulders. Outcrops of rocks were commonplace that close to the mountains, and this camouflage would appear natural to the environment.
THE day's mission had been sprung on Brannigan's Brigands two days before on 18 April. It started when an approaching C-130 advised Shelor Field of its arrival less than an hour before touchdown. The aircraft carried Commander Tom Carey and Lieutenant Commander Ernest Berringer, along with the armor-piercing tracer ammo for the M-2 and M-60 machine guns. The other handy contribution to the de-tachment's munitions was extra missiles for the Javelins. The cargo also consisted of the special camouflage coverings, 5.56-millimeter rounds, and M-67 fragmentation hand grenades. The latter were necessary since the HK-416 carbines, unlike M-16 rifles, would be unable to use M-203 grenade launchers.
When the two staff officers unassed the aircraft, they hurried to the SEALs' hangar. Brannigan and Cruiser were waiting for them in the office. Carey didn't bother with the formalities of a greeting. Get your guys in here, he snapped. We've got some big shit going down.
Cruiser went to the office door and yelled over at the SEALs, who were once again doing PM on the DPVs because of the exposure to desert sand and grit. Senior Chief! Secure and take the detachment over to the far corner of the building.
Aye, sir! Dawkins turned to the men yelling, You heard the Lieutenant! Move it!
Everyone gathered in the indicated part of the hangar, where Carey and Berringer quickly set up map boards. As the SEALs either stood or knelt in a semicircle around them, Carey took the floor. Nice to see you again, he said. And I have an answer to a question that's probably been bothering you. From the AAR sent in by Lieutenant Brannigan, it was obvious you were not sure how those armored cars got to you at the UNREO camp. He turned and pointed to the enlarged satellite photograph mounted on one of the boards. See that gray narrow rectangle there? It is a road, gentlemen, that's built straight across the salt marshes on the Iranian border. It leads from the garrison shown here he used his laser pointer to put a red dot on the exact location of Chehaar Garrison into Afghanistan here. On the day of that memorable battle, they entered your OA in that manner, going between your OPs and straight to where your main group was. The result was a surprise attack that was even a surprise to the attackers.
Bruno Puglisi was outraged. What're them motherfuckers doing in Iran?
We don't have that full story down at our level, Berringer, the N-2, interjected. And frankly, I don't think all the facts are known even at the Pentagon.
Brannigan was more than just a little pissed off himself. What about that fucking Limey or whatever he was? The UN doctor was positive about that.
This information was passed on to my counterpart at British Army intelligence, Berringer replied, and he seems to think they can get to the bottom of that. There's a chance one of their guys deserted or was kidnapped, then defected. For reasons my guy didn't explain, they seem to be thinking that he is an AWOL. Evidently, the guy was a fuckup. They're still looking into it.
By the way, Carey said. The Brits said if you could capture the guy, they'd like to talk to him.
If we capture him? Joe Miskoski snorted. How the hell are they gonna talk to a guy that's been bent over double and had his head shoved up his ass? Because that's what'll happen to him if we get our hands on him.
Now hear this, Carey said sternly. If you capture that Brit, you keep him healthy and able to respond to questioning. He'll be a walking, talking wealth of intelligence on the Islamic insurgency scene involving Iran. And we don't want to have to wait six months while he heals up from what you fuckers do to him.
Aye, sir, Miskoski said insincerely.
Jim Cruiser was puzzled. As I recall, Dr. Bouchier of the UN said the people in the armored cars were definitely Arab and he heard them speaking Arabic among themselves. Iranians speak Farsi. So what's with the Arabs operating out of Iran?
Another puzzle, Berringer said. And it's yet one more we can't solve at our level. But we have gotten the word that this group is calling itself Jihad Abadi. That's Arabic for Eternal Holy War. In Farsi, the words for holy war are jange maghaddas. That's a big difference, so these guys are definitely not Iranians.
Could it be rogue Iranian Army officers pulling some shit on their own? Brannigan asked.
We do not know, Berringer said candidly.
Okay, Brannigan said. Let's stop wondering about things and get back to the briefing.
Good idea, Carey agreed. What we want you guys to do is catch the bad guys coming into Afghanistan from that road. Get EPWs, if possible, but if you end up annihilating that armored car company, then so be it. It will send a strong message to Iran or whoever is back of this operation.
Sir, do you have any idea when they'll be rolling back into Afghanistan? Senior Chief Buford Dawkins asked.
Negative, Carey said. You'll have to go out there and plan on staying up to a week or a bit more waiting for them to appear. Take enough rations to last no less than ten days, and enough ammo to fight a sustained battle.
Alright, Brannigan said. I take it you want me to work out the OPORD. When should we start?
Yesterday, Carey responded.
NOW everyone was in position, biding their time in the barren environment of the desert. Off to the north, they could see the Gharawdara Highlands as a long smudge on the horizon. The view on the other three sides was more of the empty terrain without a tree or even a small knoll breaking the monotony of the Afghan vista.
The situation mirrored the old military saying of Hurry up and wait!
.
0645 HOURS
BRAVO TEAM
PETTY Officer Pete Dawson held the binoculars to his eyes with the same intensity he would have used if standing watch aboard a ship. He had been on duty for forty-five minutes since relieving Pech Pecheur at 0600 hours, and his vigil had not relaxed an iota. However, the image in the viewing device showed nothing more than the blending of the brown terrain to the east with the dirty white of the salt marshes on the west.
This place sucks, Pete murmured to himself, thinking how great it would be if insurgencies broke out in places like the French Riviera or Tahiti. And, of course, there were also the beautiful Italian beaches on the Adriatic Sea. His mind snapped back to the job at hand when a slight purring sound reached his ears. It was very faint at first, but grew louder until he recognized it was motors. Wake up, sleepyheads, he whispered in the LASH. We got visitors coming in from the west.
Everybody into position, Jim Cruiser ordered.
Gutsy Olson's voice came over the commo system. Bravo Two ready.
Ten minutes later, a column of armored cars some fifty meters away could be seen moving from west to east, heading straight to where the Skipper had set up the Alpha and Charlie vehicles. Alpha One, Cruiser transmitted, this is Bravo One. The bad guys are moving toward you. I count five . . . eight...twelve...seventeen, and now twenty. That's all. Total of twenty. Over.
This is Alpha One, Brannigan replied. Let 'em pass well through your position before you head for your vehicles. We don't want 'em to spot you. And remember to hang back while you're following them. It's going to be up to you to stop 'em if they turn and run. Over.