Уильям Дитц - Battle Hymn

“No,” Roupe replied. “Carbone thought of that. You can’t see them in the photo, but steel wires crisscross the central courtyard at roof level.”

“That sucks.”

“Yes,” Roupe agreed. “It does.”

As the briefing continued, it soon became clear that Roupe had done his homework. He knew about the roads in and out of Ascensión, where the nearest army unit was located, and more. Roupe even had a full-on mission plan ready to go. All of it was contained in the thick packet that he handed to Mac.

After promising to read the material, Mac asked Deeds to show her around. She could have chosen Roupe. But Mac wanted to assess how Deeds interacted with the troops and signal the noncom’s importance.

There were a number of stops on the tour, along with opportunities to chat. And, for the most part, Mac liked what she saw. She could tell that although Deeds was popular, he kept the right amount of distance between himself and the troops and was quick to identify discrepancies. As for the rank-and-file troops, morale was high. In fact, most of the soldiers were champing at the bit. They wanted to free the POWs and do it yesterday.

Once the tour was over, Mac thanked Deeds and went to her tent. Her duffel bag, TAC vest, and helmet were waiting there—along with the M4. It was midafternoon, and Mac was in need of a nap. She closed the tent flap, lay down, and pulled a blanket up around her body. Sleep came quickly, and it was nearly 1730 by the time she woke up hungry. There was no chow hall. So Mac went looking for an MRE and wound up having dinner with three of the Stryker crews. All of them were aware of Mac’s Marauders and peppered her with questions. The most common was, “How can I get a transfer?”

Then the conversation turned into a full-on bullshit session and storytelling fest, complete with a lot of anecdotes. Some were true, and some weren’t, but all of them were funny.

It was dark by the time Mac thanked her hosts, borrowed a flashlight, and took an unannounced stroll around the perimeter. It consisted of a cyclone fence, well-sited machine-gun emplacements, and a central mortar pit that could provide 360-degree fire support if the base came under attack. The sentries were pleased to see her, and Mac knew why. Sentry duty was boring as hell… And it was nice to see that the CO cared.

After the walkabout, it was back to the tent for a cup of instant hot chocolate and her homework. All of the shelters had power thanks to the portable generator that ran twenty-four/seven, so a reading light sat on Mac’s folding table.

After eyeballing a variety of maps and photos, Mac settled in to read Roupe’s plan. She was impressed by the fact that her XO had the initiative required to write one. But the good feelings ended there. The way Roupe saw it, the task force would depart at 0500, enter Mexico via the border-patrol checkpoint in Antelope Wells at 0530, and follow Highway 2 to the town of Ascensión.

Then, after what Roupe assumed would be a brief fight, Carbone would surrender. All of which was hopelessly naïve because Mac figured the Angel of Death would hear about the gringo column five minutes after it left the United States. Or what had been the United States. That would give the bitch plenty of time to get ready, and rather than surrender, she’d fight like hell.

Roupe’s exit plan wasn’t any better. Having won the battle in Ascensión, Roupe planned to put the POWs aboard a fleet of trucks and ambulances. Then, with Strykers acting as escorts, the column would return to Camp Freedom. The whole thing was laughable. But why ?

Mac was pretty sure that she knew the answer, and that was a straightforward lack of talent. Mac knew officers who were very good at implementing plans but not all that good at coming up with them, and it seemed as though Roupe fit the second description. So her task would be to make the plan better without eroding her XO’s self-confidence.

The process began the next morning when Mac requested that Deeds, Roupe, and his platoon leaders join her in the trailer. McKinney was present as well. Mac stood next to the improvised bulletin board. “First, I’d like to compliment the entire group regarding your efforts to get this unit ready for combat. Thanks to the fact that the company is well organized, and our morale is high, we’ll be able to launch this mission quickly. And that’s important because our POWs are suffering, as Captain Roupe can attest. I read the preliminary mission plan last night and, as all of you know, any document submitted to the commanding officer will be changed. That’s what COs do when they aren’t playing golf.”

Most of them laughed. Roupe was the single exception. Uh-oh, Mac thought. He’s pissed. I’m off to a bad start.

“For starters,” Mac continued, “the mission will take place at night. There are a number of reasons for the change. First, our soldiers have night-vision equipment and, as far as we know, Carbone’s people don’t. Second, our Strykers are equipped with thermal-imaging gear. So while the enemy pickup trucks have headlights, that’s the extent of their night-fighting capabilities.” Most of them chuckled, but Roupe frowned.

“Third,” Mac said, “is the matter of the Confederates. They have the capability to see us at night, but will they be looking? And if they are looking, and they see heat signatures on the move, how quickly will word of that reach Carbone? There’s no way to know for sure, but I think there could be some lag. If so, that will be helpful.

“Finally, in order to take full advantage of our capabilities, we’re going to sleep during the day and train at night.”

Roupe cleared his throat. “Can I ask a question?”

“Of course,” Mac replied. “Shoot.”

“What about security? Who will guard the camp during the day?”

It was a sensible question even if Mac wasn’t entirely certain of Roupe’s motive in asking it. “I asked Colonel McKinney to request a platoon of MPs,” Mac replied. “They’re scheduled to arrive by 0600 tomorrow. Once they set up, they’ll assume responsibility for security. And, if we return with civilian prisoners, the MPs will be here to receive them.”

Roupe’s plan made no mention of Mexican prisoners or how to handle them. And Mac could see the look of consternation on his face. She scanned the crowd. “Maneuvers will begin at 1800 tomorrow night. The goal will be to strengthen teamwork, hone our night navigation skills, and give our platoon leaders an opportunity to shine. And that’s important because there’s no way to anticipate what we’ll encounter in Ascensión. If things go poorly, it could be necessary for each platoon to fight independently. Are there any questions?” The lieutenants looked solemn and shook their heads.

“Good,” Mac said. “Here’s what I have in mind. On the first night, Command Sergeant Major Deeds will organize a game of capture the flag. Platoon leaders will be in charge of the opposing teams. Colonel McKinney will serve as referee. The victors will win a cold, wet prize, which I predict will be to their liking.” The announcement drew cheers and some enthusiastic hooahs.

“During the second night, the Command Sergeant Major will host two or three games of hide-and-seek. One platoon will hide, and the others will try to find them. As before, prizes will be awarded to those who are deserving.” That set off a second round of applause.

“And on the third night,” Mac said, “we are going to bring our brothers and sisters home.”

That announcement produced the biggest celebration yet. Mac grinned. “Tell your people what I told you. Keep them in the loop. That will be all. Colonel McKinney… Could you join me for a moment?”