Cadence of Love (16 page)

The team had been on foreign soil for a little over a week and a half and had located an enemy compound out in the middle of nowhere. Clad in full battle rattle, they circled together discussing the operation order in a last minute once over. Dom had uncovered intelligence earlier revealing the location and a strong possibility of the main warlord being there. Now, here they stood against the hood of the five-ton truck ten miles out from their destination.

“Okay, boys and girl, here is the plan. Satellites show the compound is incased in a twelve-foot mud wall. There is a cave just under 1.6 clicks from the destination. A river runs through it, then goes underground, making it a straight portal to the well on the North East side. That would be our bus route. We will park the truck on the backside of the cave, where it will be camouflaged for concealment. Vice, I want you positioned at the top of the mountain on the South side, with your eye on the prize and ready to fire on command. It is your job to clear them out when they drop into your sights. Romeo, you and Kodiak will be stationed behind the tree line by the gate. Joker, I want you and Hulk low since you’re going to blow shit up. You two know the routine, detonation charges go on all vehicles and buildings. Let’s light it up like the fuckin' Fourth of July. Rock and Maverick, you two are with me. When the lights start to flash, we go in. Everyone is a target. When you find the bitch in charge, secure him for a little friendly conversation. This is a search and destroy, ladies, so be fast and accurate. Any questions?” Jeremy was in full soldier mode, living up to his nickname. He looked around, making eye contact with each of them. All anticipating the go ahead to make it happen. “Okay, let’s rock and roll! Load up!” A loud “Hooah” echoed from each of them as they jumped in the truck. It sped off, full of adrenaline pumped lethal gun toting men…and woman.

****

The new moon was low in the dark sky, providing them good cover. The truck had been stashed in a patch of trees behind the cave. Filing out of the vehicle, the group split off to their assigned positions. This was going to be balls to the walls, and they were locked, loaded, and ready to roll. Just like Jeremy said, the cave led straight toward the compound and narrowed into an underground river.

Dom, Maverick, Rock, Hulk, and Joker walked in the water until their heads disappeared, then swam the short jot under to rise in the mouth of the well. In a well-choreographed maneuver, they linked arms and walked up the side of the rock walls, stopping just inches from the top. Joker pulled a compact mirror out of the front pocket of his jacket, positioning it so he could peek over the edge, getting a clear view of their surroundings. Hot damn, they were in luck. The well was located at the very back corner in a dimly lit area with no guards in sight. Stepping with light feet they hopped over the edge undetected and crouched in the shadows. Joker and Hulk paused. They knew they hadn't made a sound but airing on the side of caution, they listened carefully. After no movement was spotted, they crept out into the open, moving toward their targets, which were anything they could place a charge on to cause the ultimate flash. They moved around, mounting the detonation charges on all the standing mud huts and the lot of crappy ass getaway cars. Just as they made their way around the last vehicle and only truck in the compound, their earpiece crackled.

"Joker, one to the left," Vice's voice came over loud and clear. Joker and Hulk stopped dead in their tracks, waiting.

As they were hunkered down beside the truck, they could see boots on the other side as they peered underneath. There was a faint sound of a zipper, then the familiar splatter of water hitting the sand. They waited.

"One taking a leak, hold," Vice warned, watching through her scope. She watched as the guard finished and zipped his pants, turning to head back to his post. "Clear," she whispered to inform Joker and Hulk they could move.

There were guards stationed as lookouts in each corner of the compound, and everyone they saw walking around was strapped to the hilt. Fuckers had grenades on their belts and Old Russian automatic rifles slung over their shoulders. Their plan needed to be executed flawlessly. There wasn’t a single millimeter room for error. Dom, Maverick, and Rock, the incognito trio, waited until word came over their earpieces that Hulk and Joker completed their part of the assignment and bunkered down near the front entrance.

“We have located the weapons cache. It is right in the center of this third world ghetto. There were only two voices we heard coming from the inside. Everything else is set and ready,” Hulk updated the team.

“Good job. Okay, let's shake and bake, boys!” Dom gave the call to Vice. “Vice, you’re up. Take out the guards on the count of five and wait for the light show. Drop anyone you can.”

“Roger, LT.” The faint clicking of Vice’s sniper rifle cocking was heard in their ears.
Damn, she was good at her job because they barely heard the click
.

The men watched as one by one the guards at the corners of the compound started to drop. Man, Vice was one of the best snipers around. One of the guards had turned in Vice's direction as his partner dropped beside him, but before he knew what hit, Vice nailed him dead center in the forehead. Since the guard wore only a thin cloth hat instead of a helmet, they couldn't see the blood splatter but watched a wad of something blow from the back of his head, knowing it had to be his skull.

“Hulk, smash.”

“Roger that.” With the simple press of the remote, explosion after explosion went off in a chain reaction as the whole place went up in a great ball of fire. Debris shot into the air, raining flaming chunks of metal, wood, and other demolished items over the area. The ground shook under their feet as the buildings were reduced into nothing more than a blazing junk heap. Cars went straight into the air only to crash back to the ground, leaving all of their vehicles destroyed. The only building left standing was the weapons cache. Before everything could land back on the ground, chaos exploded. Gunfire sounded like popcorn from every direction. “Move out!” Dom gave the signal and the three of them moved into the fight, fanning out and sweeping a path in every direction. Bullets hit the ground around them as they picked the guards apart. A bullet hit right at Maverick's boot just missing it. He felt the presence of someone and turned to his left just in time to see the man coming at him with a knife. Before he moved the man was upon him, hitting him right in the middle of Maverick's chest.
Can't believe I ever bitched about the heaviness of the chest plate,
he thought as the knife was stopped on impact. He grabbed the man's wrist and reached for his own survival knife. As he pulled it from it sheath, in one upward motion his knife entered right below the man’s ribs. Pulling the man to him with one hand, shoving and twisting the knife upward with the other, he dug in for ultimate damage. Once he felt the man go weak, he pulled the knife out, releasing the man to fall on the ground dead. One quick look around to check on his buddies, and he moved on without a second glance to the blood stained body on the ground. Romeo and Kodiak started eliminating bodies as they piled out of the gates. Just as accurate a shot as Vice was, it didn't take the men long to have a line of bodies left lying in their wake. When they looked around they still caught sight of Vice's handy work as men seemed to drop in the middle of running forward toward the mayhem.

Hulk and Joker were on the other side of the compound taking care of the few that were still standing. Which weren't many after the charges they had set exploded. Whoever came through to clean up the mess after they pulled out would never be able to identify some of the bodies unless they could find all the pieces. Not only had debris fallen from the sky, but flaming body parts were raining down from the heavens when the huts had exploded with men inside.

Between the team, and after what felt like hours, the entire compound was cleared of people in less than five minutes. Just as planned, the call came in over their earpiece. It was Joker.

“We have a special guest on the Price is Right tonight. Come on down and see what we have won!”

“Roger that. We are in route,” Dom answered.

Maverick snickered, shaking his head. “I think they found our man.”

“Let’s go have a chit-chat, shall we?” Rock walked with the others, taking down four stragglers along the way, dropping them, and never missing a beat as they moved onward. They searched and cleared every area as they made it to the hostage location. When they walked up, Leland laughed.

Tied to the building with his arms and legs spread like a star fish was a very pissed off looking haji. On his forehead in bright red sharpie was a dot in the middle and the words ‘Men Rule Girls Drool’ above it. He was a bit battered and bruised, but was still rambling threats in Arabic despite the ‘attitude adjustment’ the boys had just given.

“Hey, Vice, I think our friend has a little message for you,” Leland called over the mic. A few seconds later, a chip from the building came off and the shot had hit just below the man's balls, missing, but leaving a hole in the fabric of his pants. Their hostage yelled, thrashing against his restraints. The boys grinned at each other.

“Okay, now let’s get down to business. Hulk, would you care to do the honors?”

“It would be my pleasure, LT.” He walked over and unsheathed his survival knife, running his finger along the blade. He slowly walked over to stand in front of the man, staring silently. After an intimidating long silence, he asked the insurgent what his name was, translating in first Arabic, then Pashto and lastly Dari. Instead of answering, the man lodged a wad of spit at him. Thankfully it missed, landing on his boot. He looked down at the wet spot then back up to the source, he reared back and then brought his fist forward, landing a kidney punch hard enough there was no doubt if he was still alive, he would be pissing blood for a week.

“I don’t think he likes you.” Dom walked up and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hulk, leaving Leland and Brody to cover them on the small chance there were still survivors. “Let me try,” Dom asked the same question, only this time with the tip of Hulk’s knife poking into his throat. Still the douche bag didn’t answer. Hulk moved his knife down and dug the sharp edge into the skin of his arm, filleting it back like a slab of fish. It wasn’t until Hulk had skinned his arm like a deer in a four-inch section that he talked. He told them his name was Sartaj Bin Abdul. Their questioning continued, revealing he was not the king pin they had hoped for. He would clam up, then another tactic was used. Finally they got a lead after six busted out teeth, another shot that had to have nicked a nut because they watched a wet spot form on his pants, and a skinless Afghani arm. Ismal Omhar Azizi was the name given, and it rang a bell. Dom had uncovered transmitted messages from this man to an unknown source over the past few months. From what he gathered, this guy was their guest of honor’s boss. Now, for a location. “Where is he?” He didn’t speak…taking on another bout of blows and punches. After Dom shoved a fist against his ribs, snapping a few by the loud crack sound that echoed around them, he answered. Between coughs and spews of blood, he gave them a vague location. A few more words were said to the rebel before they readied to leave.

“I don’t think he is going to give us any more, Hulk. Let’s head out. The four men stepped away, then stopped dead in their tracks by chatty Cathy. Threats and slander slurred past his lips in an annoying yell.

“What the fuck? Now he wants to get social?” Brody turned and looked at him, instantly getting pissed at the blood-smeared grin the man had. “You all are going to die! America will be destroyed! Allah has declared Jihad, and you imbeciles will all pay,” he said in the foreign tongue.

Brody shook his head and caught up with the others. The man yelled louder, insistent on taunting them.
Yeah
,
you fucktard
, shit happens but you will never know if someone succeeds,
Brody thought, as he raised his hand in the air and held out a small remote, tapping the button without missing a step. The weapons cache exploded. All of the ammo and firearms inside it magnified the blast, radiating out in a huge circle. They didn’t even look back. The group kept walking, meeting up with Romeo and Kodiak at the gates on the way to get Vice. Everyone was quiet until they were safely loaded back on their truck. As they rode back, the radio cranked Queen’s “We are the Champions”, and everyone howled out the lyrics, laughing and pumping with adrenaline from their success, loving when a plan came together.

****

That evening when they got back to camp, their whole morale was soaring. Wesley cranked up the redneck rigged grill, slapping fresh steaks on that they had managed to get from one of the soldiers on the military base in Kandahar, only a few miles away. He propped his foot up on a cooler of cold beer the guy had managed to get sent from home. It was funny what all kinds of contraband the soldiers were able to get shipped from home. Alcohol was a major no-no, but was on the top of the list for wives and girlfriends to send over. All of their weapons had been cleaned and stored, and the truck unpacked. It was finally downtime, and gave them all a chance to unwind and recharge.

A line had formed on the far side of their tent, waiting on a chance to shower and get cleaned up. The makeshift contraption was the destination spot of the century. It had been a full week since they had been able to refill their water supply, leaving them on drinking rations only. A huge container, or water buffalo as it was called, had been hung with a spout attached and a tarp connected with rope that offered just enough privacy it wasn’t a primetime show. Brody pulled the rope, letting the sun warmed water soak him enough that soap would lather. The fresh clean scent was refreshing, revitalizing him from the inside as well as the out.

“Hurry the fuck up, Maverick. Save some water for the rest of us,” Alex complained.

“Oh stuff a cock in it, Vice. Don’t think you are getting extra to shave your legs and shit. Woman or not, you can suck it up until we get home. I will even be a gentleman and buy you a pair of dog clippers to get through those weaves under your arms.”

“Asshole.”