Jack Terral - Battleline (2007)

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0105 HOURS

REDHAWK and Matsuno had the same deadly task as in the first HALO assault, but this time it would be in a different place. The original attack outflanked the southern enemy positions and worked its way down the Zaheya MLR. This time the two point guys would be taking out a guard or guards at the camouflaged entrance to the fortress interior. In fact, the Brigands would literally be going in through the back door.

It took twenty minutes of careful maneuvering to get into position to sight the ingress within the heavy thorn vegetation and boulders. The two SEALs' NVGs showed only one guard on duty, and he didn't seem to be too attentive to or concerned about the assignment. The ragheads obviously considered the place secure, and had posted a sentry simply because it was SOP to have someone at each entrance and exit. Redhawk and Matsuno had agreed that it was the Japanese-American's turn to tend to this latest unpleasant silent killing, and he pulled his K-Bar knife from its scabbard.

Matsuno moved softly through the darkness, working around a stand of tangled brush, then easing between a camouflage net and the mountainside. The dozing guard squatted at the entrance, facing forward with his back against a rocky outcrop. Matsuno moved in, bent down, and drove the sharp blade into the guy's throat, then pushed the blade sideways, slicing around to the jugular vein. The gurgling and gagging were muffled by the SEAL's hand and did not last long.

Matsuno spoke into his LASH. "The entrance is cleared."

Brannigan replied, "We're moving up. Go ahead, First Section."

Jim Cruiser and his men appeared at the entrance a couple of minutes later. Rick Morales, the grenadier of Alpha Fire Team, led the way in, a concussion grenade in his hand. Gutsy Olson and Pete Dawson were on his heels, with Cruiser behind them. The Bravo Fire Team followed the section commander.

The Sneaky Petes left the entrance area and made their way back down the column until joining with Brannigan and Connie Concord. Then they assumed a fire team formation and trailed closely behind the senior chief's section. The column had now penetrated 100 percent into the interior of the fortress.

When the last man entered, Chief Matt Gunnarson kept his men outside, arranging them in a defensive perimeter, with the SAWs around the ingress site. At the same time, Doc Bradley and Frank Gomez found a good place within a stand of rocks to set up their combination commo and medical center. The dead guard still lay slumped over, the last of his life's blood now pumped out of him through the large, jagged wound inflicted by Matty Matsuno.

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0115 HOURS

THE going was slow, since sound discipline was vital at this stage of the assault. There were a couple of places where the tunnel either narrowed perceptibly or made sharp turns. The tight spots required extra care to avoid bumping weapons or equipment against the stone sides. Any noise created in such incidents would be intensified in the tubular environment. The tunnel was also leading upward at a ten-degree angle, meaning that it required extra sound discipline because of the tougher walking conditions.

A light glowed dimly ahead, getting steadily brighter as they moved toward it. Suddenly Morales sighted the entrance to a bunker. "We're ready to make the big move."

"Do it," Brannigan said.

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THE BATTLE

MORALES looked into the bunker, noting that the men inside were sleeping. A glance to the right showed the egress to the trench in front. He looked back to get the combined attention of Gutsy Olson and Pete Dawson, then pointed to it. They nodded to indicate they were ready.

Morales pulled the pin on the concussion grenade and tossed it into the interior. The explosive device clattered across the rock floor, then detonated. Morales leaped in, his M-16 spurting three-round automatic bursts into the sleeping men. Gutsy Olson and Pete Dawson covered the exit to the trenches, and a moment later a Zaheya man stepped inside, totally bewildered by what had just happened. His arms flew up and he staggered back into the trench, to collapse under the impact of the combined volley cut loose by the two SEALs. Olson led the way outside to the trench, with Dawson half a step behind. They rushed across the narrow, open area to a sandbagged parapet, then turned their weapons down the Zaheya defensive line, squeezing out more bursts at ragheads rushing their way. The impromptu enemy attack broke off as they took casualties. The survivors sought shelter in bunkers and ramparts.

Now Monty Sturgis and Andy Malachenko of Bravo Fire Team joined Morales as he pulled another concussion grenade from his pouch. He went to the entrance of the next bunker and tossed the explosive inside. As soon as it exploded he jumped in, but before he could fire, he caught a four-round volley straight in his chest. He died immediately, and both Sturgis and Malachenko leaped over him, chopping down his killers. They cleared the place with a few more fusillades, then turned their fire on the two enemy soldiers in the trench outside. At the same time, Olson and Dawson advanced up the line to the next redoubt in the defensive line. Lieutenant Jim Cruiser led Malachenko and Sturgis outside to join them. Now the Brigands' attack was a double-pronged operation, moving through the fortress, through the bunkers, and down the trench.

This was when Ensign Orlando Taylor brought his Second Assault Section up to take over the advance position of the attack.

BRIGADIER Shahruz Khohollah was having a hell of a time figuring out what was going on. All discipline among the Zaheya units had fallen apart, and the babbling over the LASH commo sets had merged into a steady, unintelligible noise of combined Arabic and Farsi.

Sikes Pasha had hurriedly dressed and grabbed four bandoliers of ammo for his FA-MAS rifle. His first reaction was that the Americans were storming the trenches, but he quickly determined that if they were, it was a pretty weak assault. He made some quick inquiries of nearby Zaheya soldiers, learning that a couple of the fighting sites had fallen, but that was all. A full five minutes went by before he was able to figure out that the attack was actually inside and outsid e the fortress. He rushed toward the fighting through the complex until brought to a stop when he encountered Warrant Officer Shafaqat Hashiri desperately directing the defense inside a bunker now under fire. Hashiri was glad to see his commanding officer.

"Sikes Pasha! Two of our bunkers have fallen, and they are pressing the attack against this one," Hashiri reported breathlessly. "The enemy is outside in the trenches, and we cannot engage them without sustaining many casualties. I fear they have complete control of the battle."

"Right then," Sikes said, quickly realizing what had to be done. "Pull out o' this one, hey? And we'll set up in the next one back. There's some cover in there you can use. Kawam! Hurry it up!"

Hashiri issued the orders, and the bunker was quickly abandoned, leaving three dead Arabs sprawled on the floor.

UZI Melech, the grenadier for Charlie Fire Team, quickly surmised that the bunker ahead of them had been abandoned. But instead of rushing in, he wisely threw his concussion grenade across it and into the next one. Then he and Pech Pecheur charged in firing, with Ensign Taylor behind them.

The trio ran through the empty bunker to the next entrance, with Delta Fire Team deployed as backup. Suddenly a lone Arab leaped into view and cut loose with his bullpup rifle. Melech caught it in the belly, and he crumpled just as Pecheur blew the Arab away. But other Zaheya soldiers inside had taken cover behind a stack of surplus sandbags that had been filled as replacements for any damaged in future battles. The Arabs popped up and quickly shot off an uncoordinated but effective fusillade that cut down Tony Valenzuela and George Fotopoulos.