SpecOps Snippet 5

Okay, Getting there with the cover.

Here is the latest snippet:

Rangers Lead the Way

Dead Drop

=@=

Captain Aldo Grape smiled ever so slightly as Lieutenant Jorge Nameth entered his command center and came to attention briefly.

“At ease. Jorge, we've got a mission for the Rangers,” the blue ape stated.

“Yes, sir. The mountain one?”

“Yes,” the ape replied, passing on a memory chip. The human took it and then palmed it to read the contents into his implant memory.

“What is our target?”

“Greektown. Start there and set up a base of operations. Get to know the locals. Standard ROE applies. Go door-to-door for weapons and combatants. Once we free up some manpower, we'll send it in to hold your firebase and free up your platoon to do roving patrols in the area.”

“Roger that.”

“You'll be on your own for a while, Jorge; don't make any enemies. We need to get these people on our side so things can settle down and we can finish the job here,” the ape warned.

Jorge nodded. “So the usual security and helpful balance applies?”

The ape studied him but nodded slightly. “Use your best judgment but yes.”

“ETA on support and relief?”

“I'll have support lined up for you within three days. At least construction gear to build a firebase. Lend it out at your discretion afterward if you think it will help cement local support. Intel believes the militias have fled into the mountains in that area. It is riddled with caves and hollers. By taking the towns and valley, you'll cut them off from easy access to the outside world. They'll have to take the mountain trails to get out.”

The lieutenant nodded. It meant that things would settle down outside the area and thus free up troops to come in and secure the firebase while his troops were sent into the caves to root out the enemy.

In other words, the same job they had done for the past six months.

“Any surprises?”

“At the moment, no. No sign of radar or power sources. No signs of SAM units or heavy weapons. But you know the drill there.”

“Don't take the lack of intel for granted. Otherwise, you get bit in the ass by seeing what the enemy wants you to see,” Jorge replied with a nod and grimace.

“Bingo. So, watch your ass. Now get moving. Night drop. Tonight.”

“I'll brief the troops then. We've been getting prepped in anticipation of this.”

“Good. Dismissed.”

=@=

Lieutenant Nameth nodded to the platoon as they settled in to the MPR. It was tight but they managed to fit all one hundred of his platoon into the room. He would have preferred to hold the briefing in the hangar, but the mechanics said they needed it to work on the birds. He didn't want his people seeing a teardown in progress just before a jump.

He stood at the head of the platoon with a map board of the drop zone, AO, and other details. Each soldier had access to the information in their briefing documents in their implants, but he wanted to be sure they were all on the same page.

Hence the traditional briefing before a drop.

“Okay, our target is Greektown. It was settled by people from …”

“Let me guess, Greece?” a whit in the back asked.

“And people from Greektown in the USA. Hold your questions until the end, Igor,” the lieutenant said.

“How'd he know it was me?” Specialist Igor Bordeski stage whispered as he elbowed his neighbor.

“Because, Igor, there are no stupid questions, but there are inquisitive idiots. Do you want to know which one you are?” Staff Sergeant Edith “Yippee!” Ripee said from her place near the front of the group. That generated a laugh from the platoon.

The lieutenant snorted softly but didn't say anything. A little levity was good. It broke up the tension, and it made them feel more like a unit. Not that they needed anything like that.

The 2-3-2-2, Second Division, Third Bat, Second Company, Second Ranger Platoon, was the second Ranger platoon of the entire army. Each division currently only had one. He had cut his teeth in First Platoon before he'd been promoted to Second Platoon.

He glanced at the “old lady,” the platoon sergeant Edith Ripee. Edith was also an old hand from First Platoon. She was from Nuevo like a lot of army grunts these days. She had been a smoke jumper and active duty in the army until her husband had been killed by the worms. She'd moved to the reserves to raise their family alone. She had lost their only son to the worms several years ago and had opted for a fresh start on Agnosta and the full anti-geriatric package in order to help her move on.

“Settle down,” the woman growled. The group settled down instantly.

“Greektown has a high percentage of goats and sheep. Don't get any ideas, Igor,” the lieutenant growled, looking directly at the joker in the deck.

Igor closed his mouth with a loud clop and then shook his head.

“Yeah, that's what I thought. And don't get too friendly with any of them either,” the lieutenant said.

The specialist's eyes went wide as the group whistled and cat called. He ducked his head and put his hands up in token surrender. That earned more chuckles.

“Great, now that we've got that out of our system, the locals are fairly remote with a series of mountain ranges nearby. We're going to drop in and secure the town and bridges connecting them to the neighboring communities. Command believes there are partisans hiding in the mountains and surrounding area. By taking the town, we will be forcing them to use the mountain trails to get around and will be cutting them off from easy supplies from the town.”

A few of the sergeants nodded.

“We have no enemy activity according to the latest drone and satellite passes. No sign of SAM or heavy weapons. No signs of large troops. They have most likely gotten smart; they don't want a rock dropped on their head so they've dispersed.”

“That just makes our job a little harder,” Edith murmured. “We'll get it done anyway.”

The lieutenant nodded. “Standard ROE when engaging with civilians applies. Don't get trigger happy, but don't get killed either. You'll piss me off, and you know how much I hate paperwork.”

There was a general chuckle from the group again.

“We will be in country for several weeks so pack accordingly. “We may be there for a month, Command isn't sure at the moment.” He turned to Edith.

She nodded. “Weather is clear, clear viz and no storm fronts or thermals. Stay clear of the hills. Winds south by southwest. This is a night drop, people; we're landing in farmland not on the airstrip …

=@=