Chapter 12: Swamp Patrol

I spent an hour each day visiting Anh and Cam in their tea shop. It was hard to believe so many wives or girlfriends came here. It was not only women either, I always saw officers or sergeant majors drinking coffee. I knew their coffee was good and they always had a new spice or tea for me.

Anh was getting bigger and I made sure she was seeing a doctor and taking vitamins and supplements with Cam. Two weeks after our mission in the west the Troop held award ceremonies. I received another Military Cross and my men received the medals I recommended. We got a few men to replace those we lost and staff sergeant McBee exchanged their weapons.

Captain Paul was looking at getting the prototype Tomahawks to issue to one man in each team. We had lost one lieutenant and first platoon was being run by their platoon sergeant. The other lieutenants acted different or tried to take advantage. I ignored his rank and treated him like the other platoon leaders.

It was only two weeks before we got a company mission to the north. The front lines were always blurred. An area on the west side of the Tain river which was the same one that went past the base was nothing but swamp. The company was going to move to the edge and begin platoon patrols into the swamp.

We were searching for where the enemy had a base they were using to send combat patrols out of. The patrols were raiding villages and killing men and older boys. Sometimes they would rape a woman or girl. The swamp was nothing like the jungle, it was worse and had a lot more dangers and that was before you found the enemy.

I looked at McBee when he walked in grinning and two civilians followed him. I leaned back and he turned, "this is Mr Darken and Mr Amberjack. Mr Darken is the president of Protection Armor Company. Mr Amberjack is the president of Kenter Arms Unlimited."

I snorted, "so you idiots are the ones responsible for countless deaths of our soldiers."

They puffed up and McBee laughed, "his majesty has directed them to accompany us for one mission."

Mr Amberjack growled, "a bunch of nonsense. There is nothing wrong with my weapons."

Mr Darken was nodding and I stood, "I am glad you think so. We leave for a mission in the morning and you will be carrying issue weapons and wearing the standard issue body armor."

I looked at McBee, "get with the squad leaders. Make sure everyone has their waterproof bags. Get with supply for repellant and head nets. Also see if we can get those arm covers and add a few cases of ration heaters."

He nodded and gestured to the two men, "come with me gentlemen."

I looked after them and called out, "Darken goes to first squad and Amberjack to third!"

I checked the company radio and the backup which was set to the Troop command net before doing the same for my platoon radios. I left and caught a ride to the river and hunted the fishermen for one that knew the swamp. I listened and asked questions and took notes before returning to the company.

I went to supply and the sergeant snorted when I asked if he had any training poppers. They were half the size of an egg and had a three second fuze. They simulated a grenade using a smaller less lethal explosion. I called and had a man from each squad come down and carry cases back to the platoon area.

Next I checked with the armorer about the ammo getting wet or being submerged in the swamp. He grinned when he told me it would not effect the rounds. I checked equipment and men before I went to see the captain for a last briefing, finally I went home to the girls. I was back and ready to move when the men woke.

First was our extra packs and duffles filled with supplies and the poppers. An hour and the Chargers were in the air headed north. They flew right above the surface of the river and very fast. They tilted and turned and went back and forth as they sped north. They dropped to the ground at the southern edge of the swamp beside a large village.

Once the Chargers lifted we moved into and through the village. In an area on the other side we set up a company perimeter and camp. The captain had met with the village elders and gave them gold. I had my men pound sharpened poles into the ground and set up hammocks with a gauze screen tent over each.

We wore the arm covers that were soaked in herbs. The head nets went over our jungle hats and down around our head and necks. They to had been soaked in herbs but the constant buzz of mosquitoes was annoying. I issued shoulder bags filled with poppers to each team leader.

The squad leaders frowned and I smiled, "drop one in the water and the shock will chase the serpents and dragon lizards away."

They grinned and I looked at staff sergeant McBee, "alright listen up. We have a lot of things to watch for. Dragon Lizards can grow to seven meters. There will be tiny to regular vipers and huge serpents large enough to kill and swallow you. There are three types of poison plants that can make you sick or kill you."

I handed each sergeant a drawing, "plus there are a half dozen types of poisonous spiders and a few scorpions. I know the men do not like wearing the head nets but the mosquitoes carry a few types of sickness that can kill them. Keep pants bloused in the boots and shirts tucked in. Arms covered and sleeves down and gloves on."

They sighed and I smiled, "the village elders told the captain about leaches so if you have any exposed flesh they will find it. Last is areas around the edges of the swamp that have large predators that can and will attack a man alone."

I gestured, "brief your men."

The next morning we were up before the sun and ate cold cereal. Each platoon had a patrol route and an area to scout. We were headed into the swamp twenty kilometers before I was going to send the squads out in a wide fan. First squad led and the point man hesitated at the edge of the water and glanced back, "serpent."

I snorted, "throw a popper."

The squad leader chuckled as he armed and threw one. There was a thump when it went off under the surface and the serpent fled. So did three others they had not even seen. We waded into the water and kept our weapons up. I had moved my pistol and over and under so I could reach over my shoulders to pull them.

A minute and the water was waist deep. The teams moved in a wedge and every hundred meters someone would throw a popper. We found small islands barely above the swamp water where we took breaks. We saw dragon lizards and serpents and insects everywhere. It was noon when we reached an island and set up a temporary perimeter.

I gave each squad a direction and I went with fourth while staff sergeant McBee went with first. We moved a little slower and were headed more towards the northwest and saw larger dragon lizards. One even swam beside us and it had to be over seven meters. Then we saw the huge serpents in the trees or on the surface of the water.

The poppers sent both away from us which made everyone happy. We went out ten kilometers before we heard a boat motor. I gestured and everyone moved to trees and a moment later the boat sped past to the north of us going to the west. I watched until it was gone, "Third did you see the boat?"

The signal was weak but sergeant Hawks answered, "yes sir. It came from the east and went towards you."

I used the company radio, "Simon two sierra this is Simon two. Did you see the enemy patrol boat?"

"We have more than that sir. Second has the base, it is on barges."

The captain came on, "Simon two this is Simon. Set up a perimeter a few kilometers to the south of the enemy and send me the location. All Simon units move to Simon two's primary rally point. Richard Six shift your batteries to TRP(target reference point) twelve and prepare for a fire mission tonight."

I gestured to sergeant Baker, "back two kilometers and then head east. Third move back two kilometers and move east to link with second. Try to reach second and have them move back and find someplace dry. Have them contact first and have first link up with them."

It was a couple of hours before we saw the low island and the other squads. We walked out of the water and into the perimeter as it shifted. I pulled all the squad leaders in with McBee and looked at sergeant Gilbert, "report."

He grinned, "they have hundreds of small barges. The base is at least five hundred meters long and maybe fifty to seventy wide. We saw dozens of the small patrol boats docked along the southern side. To the east was deeper water and they have floating docks for larger river boats. We saw mortars in one area and fixed machinegun positions on every other barge."

He pulled his map, "the length goes east to west and there are small huts and tents on most of the inner barges. A rough count would be a battalion plus of irregular combat soldiers. Close to the east end is an area we saw a lot of officers in."

He touched the spot on the map and looked at me, "they have a lot of the tri barrel miniguns sir."

I nodded as I looked at his map and where he had marked the enemy base. I glanced at McBee, "have the men eat and drink. Everyone stays down and quiet. Once the company gets here the captain can make an operation order."

I called in our position and what we had on the enemy base location. I started plotting TRPs for a fire mission and spun when I heard a struggle. I ran to a man in forth squad who was struggling to hold the huge head of a serpent. It had to be almost eight meters long and was wrapping around him.

I shoved one of the men to the side and growled, "hold your fire."

I pulled my fighting knife and moved closer and caught the body of the serpent below the man's hands. I shoved the blade of the knife into it at the base of the head. It jerked and thrashed as I twisted and cut and pulled the head away and down. Staff sergeant McBee appeared and helped as I struggled and cut the head off.

I wiped my knife and looked at the man as he was pried free of the coils, "you okay?"

He nodded, "bruised but not in its stomach."

I grinned as I gave his shoulder a slap, "change your shorts and get back to work."

He grinned as I looked at the huge serpent and moved back to my map. It was evening before the company arrived and crowded onto the island. The captain and lieutenants joined me and I showed them the map and my preploted TRPs. The captain accepted them and started laying out the operation order.

First platoon was going in on the east flank, we were next and then third and fourth would be on the west flank. He would be with third platoon and give the order to attack and call in the artillery. The company spread out on line before we started moving north. That was when the sun vanished and we started moving slower.

Like I had learned, plans never survive the first shot. We were a hundred meters away when the enemy saw or heard us. Flares went off and then machineguns and the tri barrel miniguns. Mortars impacted into the water around third and forth platoon as they seemed to take the major brunt of the enemy fire.

I yelled as I tried to moved forward faster in the waist deep water, "first and fourth squad cover! Second and third move!"