The Worth of Souls Page 7
Bee seemed a bit distracted as Spoke relayed the possibility of human slaves. He then renewed his focus on Swede’s report.
Swede indicated that there was an almost positive assurance that the drugs were being stored in the metal portion of the storage shed. He relayed that there were three guards with SKS-type rifles and that they seemed to be attentive on keeping anyone from approaching the building. The fact that it sat in the middle of a wide-open field did not go unnoticed either. His assessment was that there was processed product in that building and it was due to be shipped soon. Swede also relayed the fact that the plywood-sided end of the building could very well be the production side with the warehousing in the corrugated steel end of the building.
Bee thanked him and then reported his group’s findings. There were usually three snipers located in the karst caves. Whether each man took an individual cave or all three were together he could not say. What was for certain was that the three had bolt-action sniper rifles with scopes that overlooked the production/storage site. He surmised that it was highly doubtful that any drugs were being stored there. It did seem odd that there probably were no more than six sharp shooters providing over-watch. Each group of three performed a 24-hour rotation; one day on, one day off. Each man chuckled when Spoke quietly retorted that it was hard to get good help these days.
All reports and possibilities reviewed, he asked for possible considerations for accomplishing their assigned task. These thoughts would be weighed and then he’d make the final judgment of how to complete the task. Since Spoke usually had some outside the box thoughts, he looked directly at him and asked what he thought would be the most effective.
Spoke could not think of much other than the concerns for completion of their assignment as well as the possibility of rescuing more slaves. He considered the ramifications of focusing on an action against the production/warehouse building with a side diversion to the slave holding hut. This was not setting well with him. He asked Bee if he could think about it for a moment.
Bee then looked at Xay and relayed the possibility of taking out the guards in the caves. Xay felt he could do that with possibly one other man and himself. Using a silent attack with knife and garrote they could effectively eliminate the over-watch. It could easily be blamed on a rival drug lord by using a few “dropped items” that implicated anyone else rather than who really did it. The logical person to accompany him was Feldmier. Feldmier was no doubt the best member of the team at silent killing. Xay likewise felt Feldmier should be the second person. After all, Xay knew the way up and he was no amateur at killing silently.
Bee thought for a moment and nodded his head. It was an idea that had merit. If they demonstrated stealth in killing the over-watch, making it appear as if another drug lord was responsible, the fact that none of the drugs were missing would provide an excellent cover for legitimacy to the idea. It would expedite the shipment of the marked finished bales. It also meant that a hurry-up approach allowed for fewer close looks at the rest of the shipment. He thought about that possibility and looked at Spoke for a spark of a plan.
Spoke responded with his patented smile and began formulating a plan to do everything they were assigned as well as check for a possible slave rescue as well. Bee sensed that Spoke was on track with an idea.
Swede also saw the spark of recognition in Spoke’s eyes. He smiled. This was going to be a great plan, he could tell already.
Spoke looked at Swede for a moment and asked how many men it would take to get into the drug warehouse. Swede thought and said that three could make the trip without disturbing too many people. It could easily be done with a diversion.
Spoke smiled. With ammo and weapons at an apparent minimum, or locked up due to the paranoia of the drug lord, a diversion might be a direct attack on the possible slave hut. Bee thought about it and slowly the plan began to bear fruit.
Bee caught the looks and head nod from both Swede and Spoke. As Commander, he provided the direction that would ensure success without compromising the assigned op.
“Xay, take Feldmier and neutralize the cave dwellers above. Use their rifles to create a diversion towards the camp buildings. Your signal will be when you see us fire on the village, you start firing at the village too.
“Swede, take two men, check and plant the transmitters. Xay will shoot towards the prisoner hut, but if necessary will shoot the guards at the processing/warehouse.
“I will take the remainder of the men and stage an attack against the bachelor bunk house and any guards that engage us. Xiong, you will accompany me.
“Senior Chief, you and Spoke will need to gain access to the prisoner hut and remove the prisoners.
“Alright gentlemen, any questions? Let’s get some shuteye until about 1900. We move out then. The attack will begin at 0200.”
Bee turned to Spoke. “Is that what I saw in your eyes?”
“Yes, sir. In spades! After all, it was almost exactly what you and I discussed yesterday.”
The next few hours meant some preparations, but mostly it was the excitement of getting back into the fight that motivated Spoke. While feeling the adrenaline building, it was more of a sense of accomplishing a positive act that filled his mind. He knew his MAC-10 was cleaned and ready as was his 45. He also knew his knife was sharp and ready to deploy if needed. They had the advantage of surprise and even if that was compromised, they also had their Starlight Scopes. The SEALS had their way to see in the dark.
Time seemed to stand still for the next four hours. The noises of the jungle gave an odd cacophony of sound that seemed somewhat comforting. At least it boded for normalcy. Interruptions to any of the natural sounds would have alerted the occupants of the camp to problems. No, all was ready.
The closeness of the jungle created little chance for them to appreciate the sunset. The twilight came quickly being so close to the equator. Day sounds of birds calling and other animals such as monkeys expressing their own place in the spectrum of life gave way to the subtle, if not eerie, sounds of the night; night birds with their mocking sounds of territorial issues mixed with the occasional distant roar of a tiger.
Spoke knew all too well of the existence of tigers in the jungle. He’d slid into a tiger’s toilet while on a scouting op about 6 months before. The tension of the events during that op over-rode his realization that he was covered in tiger poop. The humor of the situation was frequently mentioned by the other members of the team. Once the team members were lubed with a little alcohol, they kidded him mercilessly. He knew this was potential for changing his nickname, but appreciated the face-saving effort by calling him Spoke in mixed company. He could just see trying to explain TP, for tiger poop or other names associated with those initials.
Finally, 1900 arrived and the three groups of men went over the plan once more. Xay and Feldmier left, armed with their necessary tools. By 0200, they should have removed the potential threat of over-watch snipers from the karst caves. The guards’ replacements would not be around for over 4 more hours. The two men would then wait for the excitement in the village to start. At that point, they would cover any activity around the warehouse building. The idea was to provide cover fire if the transmitter crew was engaged by the three guards there.
Bee then motioned for the rest of the team, except for Swede and his two men, to saddle up and head for the village. Swede would wait for a 15-minute separation and then head for the jungle adjacent to the production building and warehouse. The whole idea was to NOT engage the guards, but to clandestinely enter the warehouse and plant 10-15 transmitters. That would be over half of the assigned transmitters. 12 of the little tools worked flawlessly. Three would need to be taken back to the village and re-tuned after this phase of the op.
Chapter 9
The Plan Comes Together
Inexorably slowly, Xay and Feldmier retraced their steps through the grassy undergrowth, banana palms and vines. Their stealth mode was extremely efficient but slow. It took almost an hour t
o cover the same ground they had covered in 40 minutes the day before. Gradually they made their way to the karst trail leading up to the occupied caves. At this point, boots were removed and replaced with sandals. The sandals left no easily identifiable prints and thus would not point to the real makers of the chaos about to happen.
They headed up the trail slowly, watching for surprises whether by humans or animals. The trail was easy to follow with the remaining moonlight. In fact, it was easy to follow even with the light of the stars which seemed so vast and majestic. Ease of movement also led to a bigger problem, boredom. Because it was so easy it could cause a lack of focus. That lack of focus spelled potential doom to them and the mission.
Suddenly a minute snap of a twig sounded like a thunder clap. Both men froze, dragged from their momentary lethargy to focus on a point 20 yards ahead. Not sure what it was, both men continued to freeze. All at once a small rat moved across the trail. It regarded the two frozen men with semi-disdain and scurried off before becoming dinner for a lucky kestrel or falcon. Both men chanced a look at each other. They once again headed back up the trail.
As they rounded the last bend in the trail before the first cave, the rancid smell of a burning Chinese cigarette assaulted their noses. Since neither Xay or Feldmier smoked they were especially sensitive to such smells. The guard had just finished relieving himself and was walking back toward his cave from the 6 foot ledge in front of the cave’s mouth. He didn’t have his rifle but instead sat down against the cave wall on the ground with his back to the trail. His scoped Mosin-Nagant rifle leaned up against the cave wall opposite him. True, it was close to him, but someone should have warned him that close only applied to hand grenades and horseshoes.
Xay motioned for Feldmier to hold position. Quietly he moved away from the protection of the trail’s vertical wall and stole around the corner to where both men saw the guard sit down. The sound of a throat-clearing cough was all that separated that guard from life and the here-after.
Feldmier moved quietly next to Xay and tapped him on the shoulder as if to say, “Nice work.”
It must have been a union rule, but the next sniper also had to relieve himself. He walked over to the edge and let fly. The sound of the urine stream hitting the leaves below on the vertical cliff covered the movement made by the two men. Each slipped behind the man into the inky blackness of the cave. Being careful not to disturb anything that might have been on the cave’s floor, each man waited. The sniper then reached inside his bloomer-like pants and withdrew a cigarette and matches. With his hand still a bit wet from the first activity, the paper match he struck fell apart. Muttering a low curse, he made the next match flare. The light from the flame temporarily blinded him and what came next was anything but the sensation in his throat of the smoke. A hand reached quickly around covering his mouth and nose while forcing him backward and lifted him off the ground. At the same time the SEAL’S stiletto rapidly and forcefully was driven upward into his heart through his diaphragm. Movement ceased almost instantly. The body was light by American standards and Feldmier lifted him back into the cave. Xay smiled at the deftness with which his companion handled the situation.
The sniper’s rifle and ammo was located and placed close to the cave mouth. This cave was a bit deeper than the first, but was lower in height. Feldmier had to stoop over so as not to catch his head on the low ceiling. Xay on the other hand could maneuver with ease. Smiles were again exchanged. Now the third man. Both men had been with Bee the day before and knew that there was a third man. Figuring where he was and what he was doing was the next problem.
Hugging the vertical wall of the trail they inched toward the last occupied cave. Expecting to find that particular sniper at the mouth of his cave, they wondered if he was following union rules too. What they saw was alarming. There was no guard. Where was he? Intently they listened. Concern hung in the air like a pinata waiting to explode its contents all over the place.
The only sound was the movement of air through the leaves and limbs below them. This was serious. Without knowing who or what they were up against, they could not perform their duties or initiate the plan. The entire plan depended on them neutralizing their assigned snipers, thus having control of the overlook primarily the poppy fields and village.
Suddenly the sounds of a small animal broke the semi-stillness. It was followed by a curse as the third sniper stepped on a sharp piece of glass-like karst. Muttering a foul Laotian curse, he limped over to the cave mouth. It appeared that he bent the union-rules by taking a longer pause of refreshment. As he sat, he moved his backside in a side to side motion that indicated the toilet paper must have been some slick leaves. He no doubt thought to himself how he hated these shifts.
Feldmier threw a pebble just over the ledge. The soft response of leaves and branches was all that was needed. The man got up from the rock he sat on and picked up his rifle. He looked carefully over the edge. With only the movement of disturbed air, the knife of Xay cut his jugular vein and carotid artery in a deft slice. Trying to scream, the sound in his chest seemed paralyzed. Feldmier moved quickly forward and took his rifle as the man slumped to the trail. The only sound was the sound of his binoculars striking the ground.
Each corpse was moved from their locations to the back of the middle cave. It was the longest cave and afforded the best view of the village and production plant below. The greatest problem would be if the plot was prematurely discovered. That would mean the bad guys would move to the edge of the fields below them and closest to the jungle. With no view of that part of the field, it would be extremely difficult to see combatants much less shoot them. No, the most important part was to avoid letting anyone get that close to the cliff.
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Swede gathered his two men and headed for the edge of the poppy fields where they were the day before. Arriving, they removed their boots and donned sandals. In spite of only a waning quarter moon, the light seemed like daylight in the field compared to the intense blackness of the jungle.
Deploying their two starlight scopes, they scanned the production building some 150 yards distant. This was the closest point to the jungle. As a result, there should have been a more concerned effort to watch the field here too. The shadow of the building did nothing to hide or camouflage the locked drug keep. The overhang from the broad roof no doubt protected the building and contents from the relentless rain during the monsoon season, but it also gave protection and offered shelter to anyone or anything approaching from that particular side. There was no movement noted for over a half hour.
Swede motioned his men to follow him as he started belly-crawling the distance. Time was of the essence. They had to be into position by the time the first shots were fired. Slowly they moved. In the event they were spotted they had to become the soil and surrounding plant life. Ever so slowly they worked forward. It took over 45 minutes to cover the distance.
Once in the shade of the building, they prepared to evaluate where the guards were. They each carried their M-16 rifles, four smoke grenades and four fragmenting anti-personnel grenades. In addition, Swede carried 20 transmitters.
The goal was to place at least 15 active transmitters into the bales of China White heroin. The tone on each transmitter was set to a specific frequency and corresponded to a key Swede checked off as he placed them into the bale. Wrapped in a burlap outer skin with the next layer of dried oilskin canvas followed by two layers of heavy gauge industrial plastic sheeting all tied together with several wrappings of 3/8-inch hemp rope made for a fairly heavy duty package. Inside each package were bags of raw, uncut heroin weighing exactly ½ kilo each. The bales were approximately 40 kilos depending on wrapping and rope.
It was extremely important to insert the transmitters into bales that were not located on the outside of the pile. This meant that the outer bales had to be moved to reach the target bales. The thinking was that if someone was discovered, the apparent bales would not reveal any possible damage.
Ideally, this operation would take 5-8 minutes to enter the building, find the bales, insert the 15 transmitters, make their way to the exit and be out of the building. If lucky, they could perhaps generate a diversion that might last as long as 10+ minutes, but the “luck meter” also had a reverse side. If the guards to the production building were not fooled, things could go very, very badly.
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Bee, Spoke, Senior Chief and Xiong led the other 4 SEALS toward the trail into the camp some 350 yards from the production building. Carefully, they placed men in locations that would cause the most panic and generate confusion. Three of the men and Xiong took the bachelor quarters. Bee and two of the men took the house of the drug lord. Spoke and Senior Chief moved toward the mysterious, guarded hut.
At 0400, Bee signaled his men to open fire on the three locations. The two at the drug lord’s house killed the three roving guards and began firing into the house. Planters and plaster figures were destroyed outright. No response was heard at first.
The bachelor quarters was likewise a turkey shoot to start with, however the response was rapid and decisive. As men poured from the hut in various states of disarray and confusion, it was apparent that they had no weapons at their quarters. If the drug lord continued in this line of work, he probably should take note that his men were sitting ducks to the withering fire from the dense jungle tree line.