John Ringo: Kildar

“I should have brought up the mortars,” Mike said over the radio.

“Nielson thought of that,” Adams said, somewhat smugly. “They’re up on the ridgeline with the heavy instructors, a team of females to handle them and a security team of instructors.”

“Glory be,” Mike said. “Russell, you hear that?”

“Heard it, boss,” the Ranger replied. “When’s Vil going to move?”

“Not until we spring the ambush,” Mike said. “What’s the status with Vanim?”

“I am on the far side of the hill, Kildar,” the Keldara answered, quietly. “One of the mortars is set up in a clearing near the end of the trail. I do not know how to say it better than that.”

“Peters, you on this circuit?” Mike asked.

“Roger, Kildar,” the heavy-weapons NCO answered.

“Talk Vanim over to another channel,” Mike said. “Then use him to adjust the mortars. Can do?”

“Can do,” Peters replied.

Mike ignored the conversation as the NCO carefully explained how to change frequencies. He was blind as a bat and that bothered him. All he could see was the end of the defile.

“Kildar,” Adams said. “The main body has reached the defile. The second group is heading up the hill but they’re about a hundred meters below it and the slope is steepening out. You’re actually one of the security positions and I’m a little worried about that group. Don’t let them sweep around you.”

“Got it,” Mike said. “Have Vil’s group start moving. By the time they’re in view, we should have the main body’s full and undivided attention.”

“Vil’s moving,” Nielson said over the circuit.

“Guys,” Mike said to the two Keldara who were looking out their firing ports nervously. “Is there any way we can dig out a couple more shooting points? It seems a shame to have six guns in here and only two able to shoot.”

“Yes, Kildar,” one of the Keldara said, setting his rifle against the side of the hole. “Right away.”

“Main body is fully in the defile and moving to the ambush point,” Adams said a couple of minutes later. The Keldara had found points they could dig through and Vanim and Killjoy had spots to shoot from at least. Mike put them on the points since their SPRs, a highly accurate M-16 variant, would be better in a firefight than the sniper rifles. “All positions, stand to. Initiating.”

There was a thunderous roar from the defile as the claymores detonated, followed by screams from humans and mules. This was followed by a growing roar of fire from the hillside as the Keldara poured fire into the defile.

There was a crack from one of the Keldara rifles and then another as the Keldara cursed.

“He is hiding behind a tree,” the man muttered, angrily. “Coward.”

“There’s another,” Vanim said, firing. “Got him.”

“I’ll just sit here and twiddle my fingers,” Mike said, doing just that. “Keep an eye to the right, guys. We’re expecting company that way.”

There was an explosion to the left of their position, a mortar round Mike was pretty sure. Then he, faintly, heard the rumble of shells overhead.

“Peters just counterbatteried their mortar,” Adams said. “It’s out. I’m shifting him to your control. Go to channel three.”

“Peters?” Mike said on that channel. He peered past Lasko, looking for the men working their way up the slope.

“Go, Kildar,” the mortar NCO replied.

“I don’t have anything here, yet,” Mike said then paused. “Stand by. Right, from my position, two hundred meters, azimuth…” He checked the compass in his binoculars. “One eight three.”

“Shot over,” Peters said no more than five seconds later. “We had that laid in already.”

“Shot out,” Mike replied. He could see the group of Chechens struggling up the steep hill. The granite that created the defile made the hill nearly vertical along its length.

“Splash over,” Peters said a few second later.

“Splash out,” Mike replied. There was a tremendous explosion in the trees between his position and the struggling Chechens.

“Polar,” Mike said. “Azimuth One Eight Three. Drop fifty, fire for effect. Troops in open in woodland. Mix delay and quick.”

“Roger,” Peters said. “Incoming.”

In a few moments rounds started to drop among the Chechens of the second group, some of them exploding in the trees to rain shrapnel down on the exposed fighters while others penetrated on delay to explode on or near the ground. Otar and one of the original Keldara had engaged the group of Chechens and before long Mike could see the survivors turning and skidding down the hill on their butts.

“Cease fire,” Mike said over the circuit. “Switching to command freq.”

“Padrek, on your right!” “I got him, I got him!” “Father of All, where did he come from? Yakov, to your right there, behind the oak, I can’t get him…” “CUT THE CHATTER!” “Where did that last one go?”

The main freq was jammed with the excited Keldara passing word back and forth and Adams trying to settle them down.

“CEASE FIRE!” Adams shouted over the net, getting stepped on twice. Mike could hear him blowing a whistle at the same time. Finally, the fire died down and the Keldara cleared the command net.

“Team Oleg,” Oleg said, as soon as he could be heard. “By odd numbers, up out of your positions and take over watch for evens.”

“That is us,” one of the Keldara said.

“Stay here,” Mike replied. “The rest of us will get out. You guys keep this door closed.”

Mike, Lasko and Praz crawled out of the bunker and looked towards the defile. The ground was hazy with propellant and the remnants of the dust from the claymores, but he could see the trail was littered with bodies.

He’d expected the Keldara to be whooping it up, as a group of muj probably would in similar circumstances. But they weren’t. Teams were up out of their bunkers and prone, pointing their weapons into the defile.

“Even numbers, out of your bunkers,” Oleg said, grunting as he apparently was climbing out of his. “Prepare to sweep across the objective.”

“Team Vil is in position,” Vil’s voice said on the circuit. “There are Chechens filtering out of the woods.”

“Shag ass,” Adams growled over the radio. “Push the rest out of the woods before the others get to the other side of the valley. When you’re firing into the valley, aim low . Don’t hit your buddies on the other side.”

Mike spotted the chief sliding down the hill to his left and angled that way, sliding towards the defile himself. The Keldara were moving forward in pairs, with one covering the top of the defile as the other headed down.

When the first group reached the defile, they ignored the few wounded Chechens, moving in pairs to lift one another up to the top. When most of the group was on top, they continued down the hill.

Mike caught up to Adams in the defile and shook his head.

“Was this training or what?” Mike asked.

“We rehearsed twice,” Adams said. “After we had the bunkers in but before we camouflaged. Training, I guess. And some natural talent. You were right; these guys are good .”

“I’ll give you a leg up,” Mike said, making a stirrup of his hands.

He and the chief made it up and over the wall, following the Keldara down the hill. The Keldara were moving fast but carefully, occasionally trading shots with some of the Chechens on the hill. But the Chechens were mostly just trying to run away.

When Mike got to the base of the hill he could see the Chechens reversing his earlier course across the fields, running for all they were worth. One group was nearly at the far tree line, with the main group of survivors, no more than fifty of them, halfway across.