Tim saw Ben look at his watch.
“How are we doing on time?” he asked.
“It’s getting much brighter.
It must be close to nine by now.”
“Just coming up on eight,” responded Ben.
“I’m getting a bit worried that we haven’t heard anything from Dane.
I’m hoping no news is good news, although if they were captured we would never know it.”
“They are all right,” said Tim with authority.
“Those guys are amazing.
It’s us I worry about.”
Ben snickered.
“I know what you mean.
I know why we are here but at the same time I wonder why
we
are here.”
Fifteen minutes had passed since Tecal and his men disappeared into the jungle to hunt down the patrols in the area.
As Ben and Tim sat patiently under the bushes, they imagined they heard someone several times.
Each time they sat quietly, their weapons at ready, waiting for action if need be.
Still no one came.
Thirty seconds later Tecal and two of his men appeared out of the bush beside them.
Tecal squatted and began to tell Ben about the patrols they saw.
He was just finishing his report when one of Tecal’s men stopped suddenly as his chest exploded.
Blood flew everywhere.
He fell like a sack of potatoes.
They never heard the gunshot.
“Down!” screamed Ben as he pulled Tim and Tecal down to the ground, one in each hand.
Tim rolled over and raised his weapon scanning the jungle where they thought the shot originated.
A second shot smacked into Tim’s canteen strapped to his hip.
The force rolled him over.
“Shit,” cried Tim.
“This guy has our range.
We gotta move!”
Tecal looked over at his man.
He had died instantaneously, the shot piercing his heart and tearing through his chest.
Tecal placed a hand on him seeming to both say goodbye and bless his body to their god.
He picked up his weapon and shot into the jungle.
Tecal was mad as hell and someone was going to pay.
Ben and Tim crawled over to the right behind a large tree.
“You get a sight on him?” asked Tim.
“He’s over there somewhere; he’s using a silencer!
He’s a good ways out and closing,” answered Ben.
“Tecal went after him.
Let’s stay here and try to pick up on the shooter.”
Tim raised his head slightly and looked in the direction of where the shot came.
After a minute, his eagle-eye caught movement about fifteen yards out moving through the bushes.
Tim raised his weapon and took aim and glanced at Ben.
“You see him?” Ben asked whispering.
“Yep, I think so,” answered Tim quietly, trying to get a good shot.
A second later Tim watched as Tecal and his remaining man sprung upon the shooter and stabbed him repeatedly.
Tim blew out his breath, stood down and turned to Ben.
“They got him.”
“Great,” said Ben.
“We know there are more out there so keep sharp.”
There was a noise to their right and both turned swinging their weapons and taking aim.
Tecal and his last man popped out of the bush and took a knee.
Tim noted that Tecal’s man had the shooter’s ears tied around his waist.
“Is that…” asked Tim, pointing to something bloody hanging from Tecal’s man’s waist.
Ben placed his hand on Tim’s shoulder and interjected.
“He has the man’s ears to take back to the family of the man killed.
Here in the jungle when someone kills someone part of the payback is to bring the family the ears of the man who killed their loved one.”
Tim nodded wide-eyed.
He understood but it was still mighty weird.
“Let’s move over to the bunker by the hatch.
We will take the bunker so we can have some cover and watch the hatch,” said Ben, getting up to one knee.
“But keep sharp.
We can’t afford to lose anyone else.
The ruthless guys are out there.
We know that.
We have to get them before they get us.”
Monday, July 18, 2011
Fortress Alpha, Security Operations;
6:30 a.m.
“Bingo Alpha.”
A message came in over the listening post’s speakers.
The technicians leaped into action.
Recorders were checked to ensure the messages were being properly recorded for further review.
“Bravo, go.” Another transmission came almost immediately.
The security technicians were monitoring several frequencies and their scanning equipment was excellent.
“Sir, we have a contact!” one of the technicians cried.
The security supervisor stepped over briskly.
“Report,” he said.
“We picked up two transmissions within the last minute.
Both were transmitted in the open.
Here is the transmission.”
“Bingo, Alpha.”
“Bravo, go.”
“Where did the messages come from?” asked the supervisor.
“Hard to say, sir,” replied one of the senior technicians.
“Both messages were too fast to get a hard contact location, but they appeared to be close.”
The supervisor checked the written report offered by the technician.
With a quick scan he concluded there was a transmission of some kind and it was from close range.
Both messages were transmitted on a very low frequency but strong signal strength suggested the intruders are close.
The supervisor knew this was a problem since the fortress was miles from other radio sources.
“I want you to stay on this,” he told the technicians collected around him.
“I have to assume we have intruders very close to us.
And they are talking to each other.
Using Alpha and Bravo, I believe we have two groups.
What their intentions are, I do not know.
That is not my call.
I will report this contact immediately.”
He turned and began to walk away.
“Very good work,” he said encouragingly.
The supervisor stepped over to his desk and picked up the phone.
“Security, this is Communications.
We have intercepted two distinct radio transmissions.
Confidence is very high this is not an aberration.
We believe the transmission was very close.”
A voice over the phone acknowledged and took the oral report and asked for a written confirmation report immediately.
The supervisor acknowledged and hung up the phone.
“Get me a written report now!” he bellowed.
Almost before he was able to finish his sentence the senior technician handed him the written report.
“I have it here,” the senior tech said.
“Perfect,” replied the supervisor.
“Keep on top of this.
I want to know immediately if we pick up anything else.
I’m going to Security with this report.”
The supervisor spun around and walked out of the door and down the hall.
The supervisor walked briskly toward the main Security Center.
He was convinced they were under attack.
But he knew that around here many times the messenger was punished rather than the instigator.
He thought through what he would say.
He decided to merely report the messages and not divulge his personal hypothesis.
He turned the corner and walked into the Security office.
“I have a detected messages report,” he said matter-of-factly.
He laid the report on the security officer’s desk.
The officer snatched the report up.
He was not amused.
“What the hell is this?” he demanded.
“What do you mean messages?
Who are you listening to?”
The supervisor straightened up.
This was not going well already, he thought.
“Sir, we monitor all radio transmissions around the area per direct orders from Captain Maas, sir.
A few minutes ago we detected these brief messages.”
The supervisor was not impressed with this young officer.
Against his earlier thoughts, he decided to go out on a limb.
“We have intercepted radio transmissions from two distinct groups closing in on us.”
The security officer sat back and stared at the supervisor.
He picked up the report again and scanned it.
“I don’t see that here.
Besides, we make the determination whether there is a threat based on these reports.
You say there were only two?” he asked the fidgeting supervisor.
“Yes, sir,” he answered.
“And I see they lasted for only a few seconds?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, don’t you think if someone was storming our position there would be a bit more conversation between the two forces?” asked the officer pointedly.
The supervisor hesitated.
He did not want to argue with this officer or any officer for that matter.
“Yes, sir.”
He bit his lip to fight back the urge to say more.
“Well, I will pass this on but I seriously doubt there is anything to it,” said the officer, acting as if the supervisor had already left.
He placed the report in an out tray and began working on other documents.
The supervisor just stood there.
He wanted to say more but wouldn’t dare.
The officer looked up again.
“You may go,” he said, dismissing him.
The supervisor saluted and spun around and left the office.
What a damned idiot, thought the supervisor.
Anyway, I did my job and reported the messages.
Let him take the blame when the shit hits the fan.
Twenty minutes later the security officer reported the messages to his superior.
“When did you get this?” demanded his superior, bolting out of his chair.
“About twenty minutes ago,” said the officer.
“It looks like some idle chatter out there somewhere.”
“You damned fool!” his superior screamed.
“Your orders were to report all message interceptions immediately.
Why the hell did you wait twenty minutes?”
“Well, I…” the officer said meekly.
“Shut up!” his superior screamed.
“I’ll deal with you later.
I have to report this right now!”
The officer’s superior ran over to the telephone and dialed.
“I have an emergency message for Captain Maas,” he said loudly.
“Maas needs this information now.
Where is he?”
The answer was Maas was not there but somewhere in the Fortress.
“Find him!” the superior officer yelled.
“Find him now and tell him we have messages from two groups attacking the Fortress.”
Monday, July 18, 2011
Deep within Fortress Alpha;
7:00 a.m.