Chapter 3

Monday 15 February 1999

I didn’t even get two weeks convalescent leave, it was ten days, well nine nights and two days of travel home and back. The cover story was I had fallen off a trail into a ravine onto a tree. Not likely but kind of believable since I did run cross-country a lot. None of the injuries were serious let alone life threatening, just very painful. The sexual attack was more upsetting for me than the physical injuries. All the girls were there for me and the guys were ready to chew train track and spit razor blades. I really think they were more upset than I was. Truth be known, it was only two more guys than I did at a frat party in college I’m sad to say. Of course one guy did have Gonorrhea; so I got a shot of ceftriaxone and a Z-pac and the NO SEX for one week lecture.

So do to the rescue a major cartel leader was no more. This was causing some major outbreaks between the other cartel leaders. They were fighting over the area and control of the pipeline that was left by the former leader’s demise.

The mission we were being briefed on was intel saying that the Taliban leader Abdul Zihar and Abdul Hadilas and Abu Amazz two confirmed ISIS officers were still there looking for someone willing to help them get people into America, and they were willing to pay a lot to make that happen. The alphabet guys were thinking something big was going to go down and it was time critical.

Our cover was that we were ransomed by Eastern Block people. So we had no idea what it was all about, only that foreigners {Eastern Block}Took Escobar. Several of the SF guys that were in on the rescue were fluently screaming in several Eastern Block languages, making sure to threaten as many locals as they could.

There were only two players strong enough to push all the others away. Alejandro Jimenez aka: AJ 47 year old who was young, wild and dangerous. Santiago Sanchez aka: San San 60 years old being older meant wiser and more experienced. We were pushing for AJ and one part of our briefing was the team to take San San out of the running, permanently was only a last resort.

This time our entire team along with an entire SF team would be working this. I was tasked as the team leader. Debra would be my XO, LeAnn would be the Team SGT, Joan would take care of OPS, Kylee and Zoe covered WPNs, Tina and Xim had ENG, Susan and Renee had Medical of course, Carol and Quinn would handle comms.

The Alpha team was: CPT Adam Haringer, CDR; WO2 Jerry French, XO; MSG Matt Winter, TM SGT; SFC Emilio Deningham, OPS SGT; SFC Don Montoya, WPN SGT; SSG Fernado Benson, WPN SGT; SFC Gary Conners, ENG; SSG Hank Gordon, ENG; SFC Charlie Silver, Medic; SSG Ken Tennorio, Medic; SFC Benito Rodrigez, Commo; SSG Lenny Kantham, Medic.

Our original team minus Ben due to injuries, would return to the area after having been ransomed back by the college. New to the area was a tour group consisting of Jerry, Emilio, Fernado, Ken, Kylee, Renee, Carol and Quinn. They would be able to get pictures and video without anyone thinking anything about it, there just tourists.

Everyone else was QRF and C&C ready with drones and backup there would be NO rescue needed this time! Everyone had a weapon on them or within reach at all times! It took three days to track down the three A’s Abdul Z. Abdul H. and Abu A. unfortunately they were meeting with San San in a cantina, and San San only brought six body guards. The rest were in two trucks about 15 minutes away all twenty of them.

Zoe quickly had Adam write in Eastern European “Sheni Momdevno translated YOUR NEXT” then told him to slap her as hard as he could. Not knowing what she was thinking or doing, he did then said sorry. Zoe took off and ran to the cantina taking an indirect route coming in the side door. She walked straight to San San and said “A big white man told me to bring this to you.” Two of San San’s guards were too slow to stop her but were on both sides of her as she handed over the note. Without waiting for any response, question or action Zoe turned and ran the way she came.

Adam slow at first picked up on what Zoe was trying to do and grabbed a rifle and went up to the roof. Once Zoe was clear, Adam put one silent bullet into the middle of the table and was off the roof before the bullet hit. Everyone pulled pistols and backed away from each other.

Gary was faster on the up take and walked back into the C&C right behind Zoe. Adam asked where he had gone. He said to put icing on the cake and he pressed a button. It was a very small explosion but it did pick San San’ SUV up off the ground about four feet breaking all the glass and blowing all the tires. It did allow the three A’s to leave without any further problems. San San and his guards ran to meet the two trucks as they sped into town. Intel informed us that San San was out of the country before dark to Baja USA where he had a mini fortress.

This gave the alphabet guys the resolve to order a snatch and grab of the three A’s during the meet with AJ, stressing a lot of collateral damage!

Two days later we were surrounding AJ’s Hacienda and quietly eliminating outer guards. Alpha would go in and do the snatch & grab. We would provide cordon and QRF if needed. Puff the magic dragon would be circling high above us just in case Murphy showed his face. And two Chinooks with four Apaches were in bound to pick everyone up and vanish.