"Sir," Cruiser interjected. "We won't have to walk. We discovered a van and a motor-rickshaw in working order in the vehicle park. There's plenty of fuel available too."
"Don't forget them motorbikes, sir," Joe said. "Me and Kevin can build a couple of good ones out of the four in about two hours."
Brannigan grinned. "Get on the project. Why walk when we can ride?"
.
VILLAGE OF HERANDBE
1700 HOURS LOCAL
THE van was the first vehicle into the village square, followed quickly by the motor-rickshaw and the two motorbikes carrying Mike Assad and Dave Leibowitz. They brought up the rear of the group, acting as rear guard for a change rather than the point. The fact they were on the bikes created a bone of contention between the Odd Couple and the amateur mechanics Joe Miskoski and Kevin Albee. Since they had done the work of creating the two operative bikes, they felt the ownership was theirs by right. However, Lieutenant Bill Brannigan wanted his recon team mounted on them, and that pretty much settled that hassle.
The old farmers who always sat at the well were in their usual spot when the small convoy made its unexpected appearance. They already knew what had happened to the warlord and his people. Two families of surviving mujahideen had arrived the night before seeking hiding places with relatives in the village. When the elderly men noted the armed SEALs spilling out of the back of the van and the motor-rickshaw, they struggled to their feet with intentions of fleeing the scene as fast as their ancient legs could carry them. Any attempts to get away were blocked when Mike and Dave zoomed in and braked to sudden stops as they flanked the oldsters. All the SEALs fanned out to form a tight security perimeter around the immediate area. They faced outward, weapons at the ready, keeping their eyes on the surrounding huts.
Ibrahim and Hajji were the last to get out of the van. They walked up to the oldsters speaking in Pashto. Brannigan was not pleased with that. "Hey! You two don't say anything--not a single fucking word--unless I tell you to. Understand?"
Both the ex-hostages immediately shut up. Hajji turned to the SEAL commander. "We are sorry, sir. But our bodyguards were murdered here while these old men are looking at it without a warning to us."
"I understand your anger," Brannigan said. "I want you to tell the old guys that we have no intention of harming them if everyone in the village does as we say."
"Yes, sir," Ibrahim said. He turned and spoke sternly to the elderly men, translating Brannigan's words.
"I want everyone to come out of their huts and gather around the well," Brannigan ordered. "Now!"
One of the oldsters spoke hesitantly, and Ibrahim translated. "The old man he is saying that there are men working in the fields. Only old people and the women and the children are being here."
Brannigan raised his voice in anger. "Then get 'em out here! And tell him we're going to search the houses, and if we find anybody hiding, there's going to be big trouble."
Again Ibrahim, enjoying the villagers' discomfiture, translated. The old men hurried away, and began going from domicile to domicile banging on doors and yelling loudly. People looked from their doorways at the SEALs, hesitating to leave the safety of their homes. But the old men kept yelling at them, and within ten minutes all the villagers were crowded together in front of the Skipper. The women instinctively drew their veils tighter around their faces since they were being observed by infidel males. Senior Chief Buford Dawkins noticed a couple of young men among the group. He pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed the youths, dragging them out.
An exchange of words between Ibrahim and the elders began until Brannigan grew tired of the chattering. "What the hell's going on?"
Ibrahim explained, "The villagers are frightened about these men who do not live here. They are saying they came from the warlord's fort yesterday and stayed with kin."
"Take 'em as prisoners, Senior Chief," Brannigan said. "Second Squad! Start going through the huts! And be careful. If anything looks suspicious, shoot first and we'll sort it out later."
Lieutenant Jim Cruiser led his men into the village and they began kicking doors open. They discovered no people, but immediately found weapons, tossing them out of the huts. It took half an hour to complete the process that revealed more than a hundred firearms. Most were modern AK-47s, but a few pistols and even a half dozen ancient muzzle-loading rifle muskets were among the arms the SEALs discovered.
While the little community was brought under control, Frank Gomez set up his radio and informed SOCOM that the area was occupied. After an exchange with the commo center, he closed the transmission and reported to Brannigan. "Sir, we're gonna get some visitors from Kabul tomorrow morning. Official types to take a look at things."
"I expected that:' Brannigan said. "Did they say anything about us being relieved?"
"No, sir."
Brannigan sighed. "I expected that too."
.
21 AUGUST
1000 HOURS LOCAL
THE night before had been uneasy for everyone. The villagers had returned to their huts right after the initial introduction to the platoon, and the men who had been working in the field were met by Charlie Fire Team who ordered them into their huts with warnings not to come out. However, these were farmers not mujahideen and they hadn't the slightest intention of making trouble.
Wild Bill Brannigan put his men on 50 percent alert, keeping both stationary and mobile sentry posts in operation throughout the hours of darkness. By dawn he had changed the guard to a squad at a time standing around the outskirts of the village at vantage points in case someone tried to leave.
THE approaching helicopter could be heard long before it came into sight over the distant mountain ridges. When it arrived, the MH-6K Blackhawk came in with a dust-scattering roar, setting down lightly just outside the entrance to the village. When the engine was cut, two figures came out of the troop compartment and hurried over to where Brannigan and Jim Cruiser waited. Ibrahim and Hajji stood respectfully to the rear of the officers, happy at this event that would get them closer to returning to their homes in Kabul.
One of the arrivees was a civilian in casual clothing that included field boots and a wide-brimmed boonie hat. The other was a U. S. Army lieutenant colonel wearing desert tan BDUs. He returned the salutes rendered him by the two SEAL officers.
"How are you, gentlemen?" he said with a wide smile. "I'm Colonel Latrelle from the military mission in Kabul. Allow me to present the honorable Zaid Aburrani. He is a special envoy of the Afghanistan government."
"This is my Two-I-C Lieutenant Cruiser," Brannigan replied after identifying himself. He gestured to the ex-hostages "These are the government agents we freed." .
Ibrahim and Hajji salaamed respectfully. Aburrani took the behavior as his due, but he gave them a friendly smile. "I am pleased you are safe:'
"Shukhriya," they replied, expressing their gratitude in the Urdu language.
Brannigan continued. "I've set up a CP in the first but over there. We can discuss things better inside."
Ibrahim and Hajji went to the well to wait while the other four men walked over to the impromptu command post. Inside, the little mud building was void of furniture except for a thick carpet. Neither Latrelle nor Aburrani seemed fazed by this lack of modern conveniences, and they settled down on the rug, crossing their legs.
"I don't have any refreshments," Brannigan said. "I could get some MREs, but somehow that doesn't seem appropriate."
Latrelle chuckled. "Don't bother, Lieutenant. I'm strictly a staff officer from Civil Affairs, and I came here with a full stomach after a good breakfast that followed a full night's sleep."
Brannigan had noted the lack of either a parachutist badge or combat infantryman's badge sewn above the man's left breast pocket. He knew that in the Army, that meant Latrelle would never wear general's stars on his collar or epaulets. However, later on he could well be one of those retired colonels who appeared as military pundits on TV news shows.