The Cavalry arrived.
Just as it seemed like we needed to vacate once more and possibly leave someone behind, they arrived. Never thought I’d be in a situation like that again…. And I hope never to be so again.
Captain Fisk managed to get Battalion to shake loose the rest of the company to come to us and for that I am glad to see. When our Run and Gun managed to get here, the plan had been to eventually send out a platoon- Likely Roach with 1st– to us and help either hold or come back east. But developments changed that idea. Namely who we caught and the enhanced follow-on forces.
That we seem to have caught Mobely was one thing. Him or someone of import (and I hadn’t truly talked to either suit yet) gave us a leg on ending the DCP as a pseudo entity… or putting a knife in it with more to follow. A counterattack was still possible, of course, but would be damn messy. If we based ourselves around this airfield, holding here had potential.
A full company with gun systems and heavier mortars… We were here to stay unless T-72’s all of a sudden appeared. Which would be damn insane but with everything that has happened so far, I would not be surprised. Pissed… but not shocked.
As the cavalry rode in and took up station in spots at the airfield and began rounding up surrendering DCP troops, Fisk’s command vehicle rolled up to our house. “Ganic,” He said as he opened his door. “Where are they?”
I motioned him to enter the house that was now our CP. “Right this way…” I said as I led him into the house. “Gunny has been tasking troops to perform 360 and I have members of Weaps sitting on the pilot and our two Suit Types. Haven’t tried questioning them yet- been a bit busy. But they are separated and under guard. Pilot has been very cooperative. The other two…” I shook my head.
Fisk nodded. “Well, not unexpected.” He produced a sheet of paper with faces on it along with names. “Here’s pictures of Mobely and those we know who were close to him last year. Any ring a bell?”
Looking at the pictures, I scanned them and mentally compared to the faces of the two we had. “Well…” I said as I indicated three faces, of which two were near enough to one of our boys. “This one is the guy who tried to kill Josias. The other two, kinda look like the other guy.” The two pictures I indicated, one was of Mobely and the other was a name I had no clue. Body double maybe?
Fisk grunted. “Well, we will see. Show me.”
I led the captain to the closet where I stuffed the wanna-be escapee. Motioning the door guards aside, I drew my sidearm and opened the door just as he was attempting to crawl up into the ceiling. “Fucker! Oh no you don’t…” Reaching out with my good hand, I grabbed a leg and hung on. Fisk darted forward and grabbed another leg. Between the both of us, we yanked his ass down and he managed to faceplant into the floor.
Dropping his legs, I took a step back and fired once into the wall next to him. This was a big No No… Warning shots were frowned upon and especially against unarmed opponents… but I was through fucking around with this guy. Bad enough he snapped the ziptie, which was gonna happen sooner or later. But he WAS caught trying to escape. A second time, really…
I probably should have shot him. I’d have gotten in less trouble for it later….
Fisk was surprised by the gunshot, but it didn’t phase him, as he pulled his own pistol out. “Just where did you think you were going, buddy?” He said. “Roll over and show your hands…. NOW!” The Captain was pissed.
The guy rolled over and put his hands up. As I studied his face, Fisk gave him the hard look. “I think you have the right guy, Senior Chief….” He said as several troops slung rifles and prepared to snatch the prisoner.
“Glad to hear,” I said. “REED!”
From a room over. “SENIOR?’
“Get people to check on BoBo 2 please. One tried to climb into the ceiling…”
“On It.”
I looked at Fisk who gave a nod. “Jensen, Kinney… snatch him.” I directed the two grunts to the side to grab Mobely. “Take him out to the living room and sit his ass on a couch after you secure him again. He tries to run, break his knee…” I was through fooling around…
“Senior, you know they can’t break his knee,” Fisk commented as the two troops stepped forward to snatch up dude.
“Sir, its what I got right now; if I was still doing black ops, I’d have drugged his ass…” I retorted, letting my mouth run a bit. “I don’t like traitors and have less patience for ones like this guy who sell everyone out… and think they are going to get away with it.” The two troops had dude on his feet as I holstered my pistol. “I look forward to the firing squad that awaits him… if we still do that.”
Fisk watched him be dragged away. “If… McCallister might re-institute it but that not for us to decide.” The Captain was being reasonable- and he’s right. Can’t help but hope, at least… “Now then…” He was interrupted by Reed.
“Senior, Bobo Two is secure. Tried to pop Bobbi in the mouth and get past her.” PFC Bobbi Grace was a skinny black chick from South West Philly who was also an accomplished martial artist in Aikido. “Got tossed into a wall for his efforts. Otherwise no problems.”
“That was his mistake, Reed. Tell Grace I want the story later.”
“Ayeaye” Reed left to go back to her troops.
Fisk looked at me. “Ganic… did I give you all the special cases?”
I looked back at him. “Seems that way sir.”
The next forty five minutes was spent securing the area with the reinforcements and preparing fighting positions. Wounded were removed from buildings and treated (Specialist Jones was extracted and Doc said he’ll live- still wants him and Clarke evac’d out as soon as possible) with those able to man a fighting position doing so. Whenever possible, an effort was made to keep the badly wounded comfortable. Right now, it was two and a half dozen walking wounded. Only a fool thinks that was going to last.
If we really did have That Guy, there was going to be a dedicated effort to get him back when it was realized. Unless there was another shitbag waiting in the wings. There always was…
But until that was known, we prepare for nonsense. Or Big Army to toss us a curveball…. Because, well… Big Army.
What we got… was a little bit of Nonsense, Good News/Bad News and a curve ball.
The Good News/Bad News…. Was that we DID have Mobely (which was pretty killer) but we didn’t have a means to extract him. Yet. Which was the Bad News. We had to hold on to him and our badly wounded until the morning, when Medivac was possible.
Command said it was too dangerous to send choppers and road extraction was deemed too dangerous at this time because the DCP had gotten its head from its Fourth Point of Contact now. All efforts would be made though, and Fisk was told as soon as something was able to come get them, it would be sent.
What the fuck, over? I had visions of ODA 574’s pain and fate here… and immediately shook it from my mind. Very different situation, very different enemy and help was a lot closer for us than for them. But still… As good as it was, I probably never should have read that book. But I digress…
To be honest (and when mentioned this thought to Fisk, he agreed), I don’t think anyone thought we’d catch anyone important or meet any real opposition…. And were unprepared when we did both. Go figure…
As a result, we were kinda stuck here, babysitting both a HVT and POWs. Which was the Nonsense and the Curveball wrapped up in one. We can hold in place- what we are trained to do. But the rest? To include the two dozen or so DCP Prisoners? Come on…
Not long after the entire area around the Airport (to include the house on the north side), were secured and Strykers moved to positions to screen them (like into hangars), the prisoners were moved into a totally empty hangar then told to have a seat. Tossing them all at least an MRE, some water was provided and the doors secured. Bordering hangars were manned with a few riflemen each in case they tried to bust through a wall.
Sitting on this many DCP POW’s was a recipe for disaster… but at least we could mitigate a chunk of it.
Walking into Fisk’s scratch TOC just after midnight, I waited alongside Roach and McKay for other Orders. Fisk himself was busy on the Battalion net getting updated information on a host of things… which judging from his facial expressions, might not be good still.
And it wasn’t.
Fisk got off the net and looked at us three platoon leaders. “Gentlemen… we got problems…” He began and motioned over to the map of the general area he had hanging up. “Real fast then you need to get to your troops and be ready. Battalion just informed me the Other Side is aware we have their man.
They managed to get some SIGINT that the DCP is prepping a push to come get him… Within the hour…. And we are still supposed to hold here. Colonel said we are the thorn right now… and they are working on getting more across the river at those two crossing points,” He paused. “Johnson thinks if we hold and let them beat themselves against our guns, they won’t be able to stop a push to come to us. Intel thinks there is only a few hundred combatives in the area…”
Roach snorted. “That’s crap.”
Fisk looked directly at the former Bee. “No shit… But even if true, not an easy trip. TF York is stalled over by New Cumberland- seems DLA had stowed some Armor there as a favor to another agency. MRAPs mostly.”
I groaned. “For Fucks Sake… really?”
A nod from the Kingpin. “Tell me about it… which means the MGS guys will have work. They expect some of them to make their way here.”
McKay asked the next item which everyone was thinking on. “What do we do with the POW’s?”
“What we been doing… sit on them until relieved.”
The rest of the briefing was short after that. Bn hoped to be to us by sunrise… but WE needed to hold until then. If the DCP was going to make a push, we had limited time…. Three platoons of Styker Infantry and a MGS platoon was potent as hell… but the MRAP was capable of shrugging off all we had but the couple few AT4 and the 105’s of the MGS.
Sunrise was in roughly five to six hours…. And that attack was likely here within the hour- which meant more defenses needed doing up.
Shit.
Musings of a Gamer 