Chapter 8: Reaction Force Delta

The housing sergeant major got us a flight to and back so the girls and I could go see Shane, Clark and Morse in the hospital. The intel major had gone to see them for their debriefing. From what they told me he ignored everything they told him. He kept trying to get them to say I had been hiding and only came out after they had been wounded.

It had pissed Shane off and he had called the strike force sergeant major who had made a few calls to the corp sergeant major. From what Shane told me the major was being given a letter of reprimand. A negative review letter had also been placed in his official record. Since he had never served in combat or in a direct command position he would never be promoted.

A week later we had a regiment formation and I was called out. The prince had come over with several nobles and the army Field Marshal. They read an action report describing what happened in the city under the cliff. When they finished I was awarded a second King's Cross. Only three men had ever earned two and they were dead.

The prince also had me kneel and went through a ceremony promoting me from knight commander to knight general. That was also a first since only five men had ever earned that rank and none in combat. The girls were delighted and after the ceremony they whispered and I invited the prince and Field Marshal to dinner.

The girls did everything themselves from decorating to cooking. The tiny jade figurines were in six glass displays in the dining and common area. Plus there were all the gold statues they dusted on the shelves. Dinner was good and both men seemed to like it. After they were gone I helped clean up and got pulled to bed.

The strike force was filling and was redesignated as a reaction force. It meant we were on call for any response to attacks on a firebase. I also got three volunteers to fill the recon team. All three were private first class, Grimes, Kincade and Baker. They had been in country between four to six months on a firebase so they had been in combat and the jungle.

For two weeks we trained and did day missions to practice. We were attached to Bravo company first platoon for any response. They were an enlarged company with two extra platoons. They were also the first in company for the reaction force. It was our job to get there fast and strike into the enemy and hold until the rest of the reaction force arrived.

I met with colonel Philips at least once a day but so far the other long range recon patrols were still out and he did not have a mission. We had been on the range and I was cleaning my rifle when the call came in. I grabbed the combat vest for the cut down rifle. I shoved the magnum pistol into the holster and the magazines into place.

I pulled out the rifle after lifting my pack and ran out the door. The housing sergeant major had a hover car I could use if I got called and I did. I sped across the base and jumped out by the assembly area. Grimes, Kincade and Baker were just arriving and I checked them before the rest of the platoons came out.

Lift birds were coming in and all six platoons were running to board them. We got the mission brief with the platoon while on the way. Enemy soldiers were attacking firebase Arrow. We were landing two kilometers to the south and striking across and through the village and into the rear of the enemy.

Lieutenant Roberts wanted us with first squad. Their sergeant looked at us closely before nodding. The bird dropped fast and everyone came to their feet. As the ramp dropped and we rushed out we could hear firing and explosions. For me it was like I was back in the firebase when it was being overrun.

We went to the right side of the bird and moved online with first squad. Everyone chambered rounds as we started moving. The enemy had struck through the village beside the base to try to get in. The villagers had managed to escape and get into the firebase and warn them. We could see the village across the fields as we moved towards it.

Smoke and dust from explosions filled the air. To our left flank was a finger of woods with a stream going through it and the village. I watched it as we approached the village and the bridge. The company started to come together to cross but I gestured and went down the bank. I saw the stacked explosives and yelled as first platoon started onto the bridge, "it is mined!"

They froze and then turned to back off and I dove as it exploded. Half of first platoon died as the bridge vanished and then the enemy attacked out of the finger of woods. I shifted to face them, "Grimes use the grenade launcher! Kincade start looking for cover! Baker look for their officers!"

I started firing, "first platoon get to cover!"

The lieutenant was dead and so was the platoon sergeant. Only the fourth squad leader was still alive. It was a few moments before he took charge. The other five platoons were in a ditch on the other side of the road firing at the enemy. Sergeant Johnson led the two squads into the stream bed.

I had gone through two magazines and he yelled, "Thorne cover! Third bound forward! Fourth cover!"

We continued to fire as the enemy poured out and Grimes yelled, "I am out of grenades!"

I kept firing into any enemy I saw, "come grab my pack, I have two belts!"

Third squad only went ten meters and then started firing as fourth squad started rushes. That was when the mortars shifted from the firebase to us. Fifth and sixth platoons had moved back and started rushes to hit the enemy from the flank. I glanced towards the firebase to see the enemy that had been attacking them returning to strike us, "RIGHT FLANK!"

Sergeant Johnson shifted and cursed, "fourth squad cross the stream and lay down fire!"

Second platoon shifted and started engaging them while fifth and sixth platoons pulled back. I continued to pick targets and fire and started looking around behind us. To the rear of the company or our six o'clock I saw enemy pouring onto the fields, "ENEMY AT SIX O'CLOCK!"

We were trapped with enemy on three sides. This was not an attack on the firebase, it was an ambush for us! I had gone through four magazines and knew we had to break out. All I could think of was upstream and through the company attacking from there. Grimes had reached me and yanked open my pack to get the grenades.

I looked around once more and shook my head as I removed my pack, "time to take it to them recon."

Kincade and Baker looked at me as I sized up the enemy, "one shot one kill. Fire and switch to the next man. I am going to start rushes while you cover and kill the bastards. Do not miss and screw up."

I fired into a man and then another and leaped to my feet. I counted as I rushed, one thousand, two thousand ... I dropped and lifted my rifle. I had plenty of enemy soldiers and picked one and shot him in the chest and shifted to shoot another. I killed five before I leaped up again and rushed.

More than my team were firing as I kept moving and I emptied the magazine in my rifle and shoved in my last one. I fired and leaped up and kept going, I had over a hundred meters to reach the trees. By the time I did my rifle was empty and I yanked it off and left it. I pulled my pistol as I leaped up and ran into the trees.

I shot each of the four enemy soldiers that stood up in the chest. I kept walking and extended my arm to the right to shoot two more. The powerful magnum round exploded through each man in a spray of blood, bone and gore. I brought my arm back and across to fire into the body of a soldier charging towards me.

My left hand pulled a spare magazine from under my left arm. As I dumped the empty one in the pistol my left hand shoved the new one in and my thumb released the slide. I was still striding into and through the trees and shot another soldier on the left and brought the pistol to the right and shot three quickly.

Two ran towards me from ahead and I extended my arm and fired into each as they fired rifles. I had another spare magazine ready as I dumped the one in the pistol. I reloaded and fired into three soldiers on the right as huge earth shaking explosions behind and to my right went off. Men were yelling and I turned to kill three more running in the direction I was going.