"That's a guess until we get there. We'll stay below that line when you and One head north. We'll be ready for your call for a pickup. Estimate about five to ten away."
"Thanks, Knight Two."
A short time later, the crew chief came back. "You wanted to put MGs at the doors. Now would be a good time. We're about five from the new MLR."
"Let's hope it's a quiet passage," said Murdock.
"We just passed some fighting on the ground," the crew chief said. "New estimate of five minutes to the target."
"Let's get ready," Murdock told the SEALs. "When we touch down, one squad out each door: then we spread out and find out just where the hell we are and how we find the Veep. Sergeant Halverson will be with me."
Murdock looked out and saw the ground coming up fast. The bird made a turn, and he could see a tank below still burning. Several buildings had been smashed by the artillery barrage.
Their forward motion slowed as they settled to the ground. Sergeant Halverson hurried back from the cockpit. The crew chief stood at one access door and Jaybird at the other. Murdock felt the big bird touch down. His men had lined up at both doors.
"Go, go, go," Murdock bellowed, and the SEALs jumped off the Sea Knight into enemy-held territory, their weapons loaded and unlocked and fingers on the sensitive triggers.
5
Lieutenant Commander Blake Murdock charged out of the Sea Knight helicopter, hit the ground on the run, and rushed fifteen yards straight ahead to the edge of a burned-out building. He dove to the ground.
Gunfire.
Where did it come from? Sergeant Halverson skidded into the dirt beside him.
"We've got some shooters over to the left. That building used to be the HQ. Doesn't look much damaged. Figured we better take them out first."
Murdock touched his lip mike on the Motorola. "Fire from the left, the old HQ building. Ed, take your squad to the right see if you can get behind it. We'll work toward the front and put down some cover fire."
When Murdock looked beside him, he saw his seven Alpha Squad men strung out ten yards apart hugging whatever cover they could find. Horse Ronson had set up his H&K machine gun, and rattled off three five-round bursts at two windows on the building facing them. The glass had already been blown out.
The enemy fire from the building slowed.
"Assault fire," Murdock said into his mike. "Alpha Squad, let's move." He flipped his H&K submachine gun on three round bursts and ripped off a trio. It was the signal for the rest of the squad to open fire. Then Murdock lunged upward and ran toward the HQ building.
The eight SEALs put down a deadly hail of hot lead as they charged the small HQ structure. No return fire slowed them. Twenty yards later, they leaned against the wall of the building and flipped grenades through the windows.
"I've got a door in the rear,'' Ed DeWitt said on the radio.
"Go," Murdock said. "Alpha, hold fire."
They heard a door crash in and a half dozen rounds fired, then silence.
"All clear in the HQ building," DeWitt said on the net.
Murdock turned to Sergeant Halverson, who carried an H&K subgun. "Where to?"
The sergeant looked around for a minute and shook his head. "Seems a lot different now with half the buildings flattened. Let's go to the left, down that street about two blocks. This was as close as the chopper could get to the place."
"Ed, we're coming around," Murdock said. "Get your squad out of there. We're moving down the street just in back of your position. About two blocks. Let's all choggie."
They moved ahead like an infantry squad, charging from one bit of cover to the next. First they paused behind an Army sedan that had been tipped upside down and burned out. Next there was a burning building, then a tank that had surrendered with one tread trailing behind it.
Halfway to their goal they met a squad of infantry hidden behind a shattered building and another dead U.S. tank. The surprise fire brought a yelp of pain from one of the SEALs as they all scrambled to find cover. The roadblock was less than fifty yards ahead.
"Ed, we've got some trouble," Murdock said on the mike.
"Yeah, I see them. My squad is to your left slightly ahead. Let me try some forty-mikes on them."
"That's a roger, Ed." A minute later they heard the Colt M-4Al's firing as they lobbed the 40mm grenades from launchers under their barrels. Murdock lifted from behind a turned-over Humvee and saw two of the rounds hit short, but two more dropped in behind the tank and the building. The rifle fire from the enemy slowed.
"Two hits, Ed. Drop in some more, and some WP."
"On the way," Ed said.
This time eight rounds landed behind the tank and the building. Murdock saw two North Korean soldiers lift up and race to the rear. Bill Bradford with his sniper rifle put two 7.62 NATO rounds into one of the runners. He dropped and lay still.
Murdock motioned to the sergeant, Ken Ching, and Lampedusa, and they ran to the right toward an undamaged building. From there they rushed down its length and just around the far corner. From there they could see behind the dead tank.
Ching and Lampedusa used their Colts, dropped three of the defenders, and sent the other three surging away to the rear. Murdock heard Bradford's sniper rifle speak again, and one of the three runners would run no more.
"Move in," Murdock said, and both squads hit the spot the North Koreans had been defending. One of the Korean translators was with each squad. The one with Murdock ran up as they charged the position.
"I could question any of them still alive," the Korean said.
Murdock nodded. "If any of these are alive, we'll save one for the translators," Murdock said on the horn. Three of the defenders were dead, but a fourth was wounded. Just as the translator began talking with the man, he gave a scream and died.
Sergeant Halverson looked around the tank and stared ahead. "There used to be a small building about twenty yards down there. It was a top house for the entryway into the underground on this end. The officers' quarters were just to the left." He shrugged. "Now there's no fucking building."
"What about that pile of smashed-up lumber?" Murdock asked.
"Maybe, let's go take a look." Alpha Squad charged the wrecked shack while Bravo Squad was ready with protective fire. There was no gunfire from the direction the NK survivors had run.
At the splintered mass, Murdock found where boards had been thrown aside. Sergeant Halverson grinned. "Yeah, Commander this looks like the place. Just a little box to keep out the snow and rain. If we're lucky, your people should be down there."
They moved more of the boards; then Murdock took his penlight off his combat vest and shone it into the hole. Concrete steps led downward. Murdock brought up his subgun and moved down the dark steps slowly.
Without a sound, he made it to the bottom of ten steps. It was pitch black inside. He shone his light on concrete walls. Sergeant Halverson was right behind him.
"Should be a turn to the left, Commander."
There was. Murdock shone his light that way. Another corridor with concrete sides and top. Twenty feet down that way they came to a room. Murdock's flashlight beam didn't reach all the way to the far side. The sergeant snapped on a lighter and moved around.
"Been here and gone, Commander. Looks like they stayed a while, blankets on cots, even a civilian necktie."
"You sure they were here? Any real evidence?" They both searched. Murdock found it in the corner where it had been covered up by a jumble of blankets from a bed.
"A SATCOM," Murdock said. "Looks good as new. The Vice President's party had a SATCOM. They must have been here, and hid the radio. But then they got moved."