Jack Terral - Guerilla Warfare (2006)

"They weren't strong enough to wipe it out or force a surrender," Alfredo said. "But it's good information for an air strike. How about sending a carrier down here?"

"That will not happen," Joplin said. "Could you arrange for one of the South American air forces to do the job?"

"If we could do that, we wouldn't need the SEALs," Alfredo said. "At any rate, the Falangist force in this area, while small, will be reinforced substantially before too much more time goes by."

"Could you be a bit more specific?"

"Early in the new year, they should be strongly established here on the Gran Chaco," Alfredo said. "And there has been no concerted effort to defeat them except for the insertion of twenty-one SEALs into the OA. And one of them, an officer, has been wounded and medevaced. So there're twenty of them now. Next week they might be down by another. Or two. Or a half dozen. Who knows?"

"I agree we must increase the size of the detachment," Joplin said. "What about the armed forces of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina? Have their internal situations improved?"

"I've nothing but discouraging news in those quarters:' Alfredo said. "The lists of officers and noncommissioned officers going AWOL are growing on a daily basis. I realize some may be showing their support for the Falangists by staying away from their posts without actually joining in the fighting, but it is an indication of a problem that is becoming more threatening and complex."

"What are your chances of developing a mole in the Falangist movement?"

"You've heard of that proverbial snowball in hell, haven't you, Dr. Joplin?"

"I deal with it on an almost daily basis," Joplin said, smiling without humor. "In the meantime, what is the intrepid Wild Bill Brannigan planning on doing down there in the OA?"

"He's going into a hit-and-run fluid mode that depends heavily on resupply from Petroleo Colmo," Alfredo explained. "The SEALs are setting up caches around the area not only for normal resupply but to provide places to hunker down if they come under heavy attack."

"I hope we're not considering last stands."

"It could come to that if we leave them all by their lonesomes while their enemy grows stronger," Alfredo said glumly.

"Something must be done," Joplin said as much to himself as his companion.

"You mustn't forget that the loss of valuable people like a SEAL platoon would negatively affect morale within the special operations community," Alfredo said. "It wouldn't do a lot for confidence or trust in the State or Defense Departments:'

Joplin made no comment as he gazed down at the grasslands, deep in thought.

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HEAQUARTERS, GRUPO DE BATALLA CAMPAMENTO ASTRAY

1600 HOURS LOCAL

SARGENT Antonio Muller led his three men through the defensive perimeter around the garrison into its interior. They had just completed a daylong reconnaissance patrol and showed the fatigue brought on by physical exertion combined with high temperatures and humidity.

Their boots were caked with mud, and their camouflage uniforms were sweat-soaked, but they marched smartly into the cantonment area.

Muller brought the small column to a halt. Two of them were sargentos and the other a cabo who had been broken down from sargento-mayor for beating up an insubordinate soldier while serving in the Argentine Army. That was his basic motivation for deserting and joining the Falangist insurgency.

"Good job today," Muller told them. "Your physical conditioning is now tops. When the new recruits arrive you will be ready to give them hell. After you're dismissed you're free to clean up and get ready for mess call. Rompan filas!"

The men made about-faces, then broke ranks and ambled toward their barracks. Muller walked across the parade ground to headquarters, going in to report to the intelligence officer. This was Capita Diego Tippelskirch, who had served in the same parachute infantry battalion in the Chilean Army with the sargento. He had been sent TDY from his battalion to a posting in a supersecret organization during President Antonio Penechet's notorious reign. Like many such officers, the law was closing in on Tippelskirch, and this was the basic reason why he opted for the Falange. Generalisimo Castillo was glad to welcome him into the movement because of his many valuable contacts in the military and naval intelligence services of several South American countries.

"Reporting from patrol duty, mi capita," Sargento Muller said, saluting.

"How did it go, Muller?" Tippelskirch asked, looking up from his paperwork.

"Nothing special to inform you about, sir," Muller said. "But there was a lot of flying about by those red helicopters:'

Tippelskirch nodded. "Those are the ones belonging to that petroleum exploration firm. They've been in the Gran Chaco for quite some time:'

"Their activity seems to be increasing," Muller said. "I am used to seeing them from time to time, but I caught sight of them a total of four times today during our reconnaissance."

Tippelskirch was interested. "What were they doing?"

"Flying rapidly from place to place and landing," Muller said. "They would be out of sight over the far horizon for a short period of time, then suddenly take off and go to another location."

Tippelskirch shrugged. "Perhaps they've finally discovered oil. Since this area will soon be the DFF, the financial benefits will be most useful to our cause. At any rate, I will make a report about the activity at this evening's staff meeting. Anything else, Willer?"

"No, mi capitan."

The sargento saluted, made an about-face that would have done him credit on any parade ground, then marched smartly off to shower and change for mess call.

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SEAL CACHE LISA

OA, WESTERN SECTION 11 DECEMBER

0745 HOURS LOCAL

GARTH Redhawk used hand signals to direct the Dauphin helicopter to the proper place for landing. As soon as its wheels touched down, all five men of the Command Element rushed forward to grab the bundles being handed out by the aircraft's two-man crew.

The equipment, 5.56-millimeter ammo and MREs, was to be stashed in the nearby_cache dug the night before. This earthen storage area had been dubbed Lisa after Lieutenant Wild Bill Brannigan's wife. He had gotten the idea from studying the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, when the French made their last stand in their war in Vietnam. All the strongpoints in the fortified area had been nam honor of the wives of several of the French officers. Brannigan decided to name this one after his spouse, giving permission to the assault teams to name their own caches after wives and sweethearts also.

When the unloading chore was done, the chopper took off without further delay, heading to another location with more cargo. Now, laboring in the growing heat of the morning, the entire Command Element began stacking the goods in the excavation. Brannigan helped with the fetching and carrying, carefully putting ammo boxes and MRE cartons on the tarpaulins laid down for them. As soon as everything was ready, more canvas covering was put over the goods.

At that point everyone scrambled out to begin the muscle-cramping task of shoveling dirt into the hole. As soon as that was finished, the careful camouflaging and masking of the location would be taken care of.

Frank Gomez, dirty and sweating, worked his shovel like an automaton, throwing earth into the shallow chasm. He looked up at Chad Murchison, who labored like a coolie at the task.

Chad winked at Frank. "I wonder what the poor people are doing today?"

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OA, NORTHERN SECTION

0945 HOURS LOCAL

CHARLIE Fire Team--Milly Mills, Wes Ferguson and Pech Pecheur--moved cautiously across the savannah in a skirmish line as they approached a small village a hundred meters ahead. The bucolic community had been spotted during a flyover by the Dauphin chopper, and Senior Chief Buford Dawkins had detailed the Charlies to check the place out.