“Here’s your pistol,” she said to Arielle as she reached for the BDU coat. However, rather than put it on, she tended to Colonel Marshall. The colonel had received an incredible beating over the past hour and a half but she remained defiant.
“Susan, you’ve got to have a broken nose. I heard something crack the last time he hit you. And, can you even see? The swelling looks terrible,” Johnson said her as she tried to gently wipe away the blood from her nose.
“Sure feels that way… ah, careful,” Marshall flinched as the Secretary tended to her. “Aw, jeez, that hurts! Yeah, I can see fine but my whole face feels like one massive bruise.”
“I can tend to her, ma’am,” Arielle said to Secretary Johnson.
“I’m fine…”
“Arielle. I’m here with Chaos… ah, Colonel Jackson, ma’am.”
“I’m fine, Arielle. My son’s a paramedic and he taught me a thing or two. I’m not really the snowflake many people take me for. Colonel Marshall reminded me earlier that most of this was going to be mental — not all, obviously, but much of it was — and she led the way. She’s a rock star. Once I recognized, and understood that, my whole mindset changed. However, if you don’t mind can you get these damned collars off of us? There’s supposed to be a small charge in the back. Shishani has the remote if you need that.”
“I got it, ma’am,” Arielle said to the Secretary as she removed their collars.
“Thanks, where’s that top at?” she asked as Arielle picked it up off the ground.
“Okay folks, mount up! We need to get out of here,” Stonewall ordered as they all jumped in the back of the truck.
“Just a second, Colonel,” Marshall interrupted Chaos. “Shishani’s launched some type of airstrike out of Batman airbase. I’m not sure of the target but I’m thinking it has to be somewhere in the region as they referred to it as Operation Mahdi.”
“What?!?” Arielle exclaimed in horror.
“All I know is they’re using Turkish F-16s and they have tanker support. Since they’ve called this ‘Operation Mahdi,’ I’d think the target would be Israel, Jerusalem or possibly something in the Peninsula/Persian Gulf region but most likely Israel.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“About the attack? Absolutely, but not at all about the target,” Marshall replied. “They never discussed the specifics in front of us but given the name of the operation, Mahdi, I’d be willing to bet that this is Shishani’s version of ‘Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war!’—an ode to usher in the twelfth imam.… Aw, jeez, my nose hurts.”
“Okay, good work, Colonel. Arielle do what you can for her.”
“On it.”
“Archangel, Chaos.”
“Chaos, Archangel Actual, go ahead,” Admiral Fisher replied.
“Archangel, we’ve rescued Secretary Johnson and Colonel Marshall. The rest of the hostages have already flown out. They received some ground fire on their way out but both helos made it out. Sir, we’ve got a bigger problem. It sounds like ISIS was able to get a raid launched from Batman airbase. I think we can assume they’ve got eight nukes on this raid, though we probably need someone up at both bases to check this out. Estimated target: Jerusalem.”
“Chaos, are you sure of the target? We saw the raiding party take off and tracked them for several hundred miles east bound until we lost them.”
“Understood. Be advised they reportedly have tanker support so they might be making kind of a wide ‘end-around,’ sir.”
“Okay, very good. We’ll check it out and pass this on to the Israelis. Now get outta there!”
“Roger that!”
“Desert Hawk Two-Six, Archangel. Any luck finding Raid One?”
“Archangel, negative. We’ve tried boosting our signal but no luck so far.”
“Desert Hawk, what’s your current position?”
“Archangel, we’re currently about one hundred miles east of Kirkuk.”
“Okay, I want you to change course to two-two-zero. I want you south, southwest of Baghdad just as fast as you can get there. We’ve received confirmation that ISIS launched a raid before we took out their bases. I want you watching our southern flank in case they’re trying a wide end-around.”
“Understood. Changing course to two-two-zero.”
“Viking Two-Six, how we looking? We’ve got the last two and are headed back your way.”
“Chaos, you might have a problem. It looks like the street’s been cut at that last intersection there, 23rd of February Street. From what I can tell, it looks to be about a platoon sized force and they’ve got a couple heavy machine guns in the middle of the intersection. As a guess, they’re probably about a quarter mile from you. As soon as you come around that bend in the street they’ll have you in their sights.”
“Roger that. Nightwatch, can Ghostrider clear that for us?”
“Already working on it, Chaos.”
“Ghostrider, Nightwatch. Fire mission. Thirty mike-mike. Intersection of Highway 6 and The 23rd of February Street. Be advised friendly forces are four hundred meters due south of this position on Highway 6.”
“Roger that, Nightwatch. Hit the intersection with thirty mike-mike. Friendlies are four hundred meters south. Fifteen seconds. Coming in from the south.”
“Chaos, Nightwatch. Ghostrider’s making a gun run in ten seconds. Get ready to move.”
“Got it. Okay, Monty, Ghostrider’s clearing the intersection up ahead. As soon as it’s clear let’s get outta here. Lead the way!”
No sooner than Stonewall ordered this than the sound resembling an extremely loud zipper erupted directly over them. The devastation just four hundred yards ahead was complete: the heavy machine guns had been completely destroyed and not so much as a whimper came from any of the men who had blocked the intersection, so complete was the carnage. However, the surrounding buildings had not even been touched.
“Let’s go!” Monty ordered his driver, as the LAV lead the two vehicle convoy.
“RPGs!!!” Montoya called out just as they approached the intersection. The 30mm fire mission Nightwatch ordered had completely cleared the intersection of ISIS fighters while leaving all sorts of debris in the street but several ISIS fighters occupied the apartment house ruins on both sides of the street — which is precisely from where the RPGs were fired. One RPG hit just above the left front wheel; the other ricocheted off the slant of the front armor and exploded against the turret. However, the damage was done: the driver and gunner of the LAV were killed outright; Montoya severely wounded.
“SHIT!!! Monty’s been hit,” Arielle hollered out.
“Viking Two-Six, we’ve got a problem,” Chaos radioed ahead as Falcon pulled the truck up just behind the disabled LAV while Arielle jumped out and climbed the LAV to tend to Monty. “Monty’s LAVs been hit and they’re blocking the intersection. We’re going to dismount and shelter in one of these buildings.”
“Roger that,” Chief Conti replied.
“Come on, Chief, we’re going to get you out of here,” Arielle encouraged Monty as automatic rounds pinged off the armor all around them.
“Sniper!” Monty warned as best he could through the pain as Arielle dragged him free of the commander’s perch in the LAV. Arielle heard the snap of the round as it sailed right past her head as she pulled him free of the turret.