Chapter 13A: Saturday 06 October

Afghanistan — Saturday Day Thirty-six

Thank God, there were no more attacks and we reached the base at Jalalabad without further incident. As we drove up to the base I could tell it had gone through some hell of its own. They were still cleaning up a mess of dead bodies and destroyed suicide vehicle bombs. Damn! This had to be some sort of organized offensive - the type that hadn't been seen before. Some of the buildings had been hit with rockets and the remains were still smoldering. Now I understood why it took so long to get help last night.

When we pulled into the motor pool, LCpl. Brown parked the truck and jumped out. "Shit! What a fucked up mess. I can't believe they attacked this base."

I climbed down off the gunner's station and looked around, "This is different than I've ever seen.

It looks like they destroyed about a fourth of the base. Their rockets are more accurate than I can remember."

Jens and Liz walked around front. As they had their first good look at the base, their mouths dropped open, "This place is tore to hell! It looks like they had a worse time than we did." Jens remarked.

"Liz, before you and the crew start taping we need to check in with the BCO and make sure he authorizes it. LCpl. Brown, you're responsible for all our gear."

Jens and I grabbed our rifles, slung them over our shoulders, signaled to Liz and walked towards the BCO's office. We hadn't gone very far when we ran into the BCO's second, we shook hands and he said, "I'm Cpt. Kast. You must be SM Blaine and Sgt. Donaldson. The BCO sent me over to meet you two. The FOB where you were headed was overrun last night, so you two are assigned here."

"Yes Sir! If you would tell us where our barracks are we'll start moving our gear."

He looked at Liz and the crew, "Is this the crew from the Truth Network?"

Liz walked up, "Yes Sir we are. We would like to start videoing if we could and would like to request interviews with the BCO and other Marines when it can be arranged."

"Right now we're ass deep in alligators, but I think interviews can be arranged in a few days. Feel free to tape what you want but we need to approve anything before it's shown or sent out. SM Blaine, you, your spotter and the news crew were assigned to the general barracks. However, a request has been made that you have separate barracks. We have an old concrete bunker that has never been used for anything and is dirty as hell inside. If you want to clean it out and run power to it, then it's yours. Mention it to your driver and he'll know what I'm talking about. The BCO also requested that you two be ready for a mission in two days, so I'd suggest you move your ass."

We shook hands and he left, Jens looked at me, "Sounds like we have our own little house. Remind me to really thank Daddy when we get back."

"Well, let's head back to the truck and get LCpl. Brown to drive us to our new house." I replied.

LCpl. Brown laughed when we told him about it, "That old bunker is nasty and dirty inside and I'm not sure they did you guys a favor."

Jens answered, "Anything is better than the barracks. I'm sure we can whip it into shape."

We climbed back in the truck and LCpl. Brown drove us to the bunker. I jumped out the back, opened the steel door and almost closed it again - it smelled worse than ass! LCpl. Brown came up beside me, "I told you it was nasty, that's why no one ever wanted to live in it. Tell you what, let me go grab some chow and then I'll come back here and give you two a hand."

Liz, the crew and Jens walked up. They over heard LCpl. Brown. "Thank you LCpl. Brown, from the looks of this we can use all the help we can get," Liz said with a smile.

"Good, I'll be right back. Would you like to come with me Liz?"

"That would be wonderful! Would anyone else like some food?" Liz asked.

"None for me right now, I'd probably lose it from the smell and my upset stomach." Jens answered.

"I'll grab some later." I replied. LCpl. Brown and Liz took off I looked at Jens, "So what's going on with your stomach? Are you still having problems?"

"I don't know, I think I ate something bad and it has to work its way out of my system." Jens replied.

Something didn't feel right to me, but I wasn't sure what it was and I didn't want to ask right now. Next time I get her alone I'm going to see what's really going on. "Well, it's time for the brawn of this group to start earning his keep," I said and jumped into the bunker. The smell was stifling but I started cleaning it out despite being light headed.

"SM Blaine, please come here a minute." Jens asked. I came back out of the bunker and Jens handed me a bandana, "Put this over your face and mouth, it will help."

I tied it over my face and it reeked of the musky smell of Jens, I looked at her and she was grinning at me. I walked close to her and whispered in her ear, "This smells just like you."

She leaned in close and replied, "I thought you might like that and it might motivate you. The quicker you finish the sooner we can cuddle. Why don't you get busy cleaning up and I'll go find us some furniture."

"I was going to ask you where this bandana has been, but I'm not sure I want to know," I commented.

"It's better if I just leave it to your perverted imagination," she said as she took off.

The bandana was a great improvement - the smell and what Jens said had my imagination going wild! I spent so much time trying to figure out if she had really had it there that I lost track of the time spent cleaning.

I'm not sure what they'd been using this place for, but it must have been a trash dump. I was finding all sorts of crap: Broken office chairs and bunks, old rotten mattresses, empty crates and boxes, and someone's stash of porno magazines. I finally figured out what smelled so bad - someone had been using the bunker for a crapper! I had just improvised a shovel out of some junk when LCpl. Brown showed up, "Looks like I'm just in time, I brought a shovel and some other things."

"Thanks, I can really use that." I took the shovel and started filling up a couple abandoned trashcans.

"I'm going to run and get you a dumpster," Brown said as he took off.

A few minutes later, he was back and we started throwing stuff into the dumpster. We worked hard for three hours and all the crap (some actual) was out of the bunker. It smelled much better and I was proud as I stood inside and looked around. This was going to make us a nice and very safe place to stay. Even if a rocket hit here we'd be safe inside. I grabbed a flashlight from my gear and started inspecting the bunker. It was already wired so I just needed to tie it into base electricity and we'd have all the comforts of home.

"LCpl. Brown, do you think you can find me a mop, bucket and sanitizer?" I asked.

"I'll be right back. I'll see if I can find some wire and we can work on getting lights in here."

I used the shovel and scraped the rest of the floor - the place was looking really good! Brown came back with the mop and a bucket, "Here you go Sir - now to get this place wired." He took off again and I had to chuckle. He was a big help in the acquisition department, but sure wasn't doing much manual labor. I got a wild hair up my butt and decided to wash the ceiling and the walls before I started on the floor. I went out and got the cleanest rag I could find and a beat up chair to stand on. I finished the ceiling and the walls but needed more water and sanitizer. This place was nasty and the water in the bucket was an ugly black.

Jens and Liz came strolling back and walked in the bunker. "Holy Shit!" Jens remarked, "you must have really listened to me as this place is looking much better."

"Good job hero. It's good to see that you aren't afraid of a little soap and elbow grease. When you get done with the bunker, how about washing my car for me," Liz teased.

"I tell you what, I need a couple more buckets of water and sanitizer and then I'll be done. How about you two do a step and fetch and get them for me." I asked.

Jens looked around and noticed we were the only ones here, "I love and live to serve you! Liz and I will be right back with the buckets."

They took off and LCpl. Brown showed up with a couple of guys. "Sir, these are my friends Cpl. Newton and LCpl. Benyak. They've come to hook up the electricity for you."

I shook their hands, "It's great to meet both of you. While you're hooking up the electricity, I think that Sgt. Donaldson has an antenna she needs installed on the roof. She'll be back in a few minutes."

Cpl. Newton, "Sir, it's an honor to meet you. We just saw the video of the convoy and how you took out the mortar placement and rescued the pilot."

"Yes Sir. I'm glad we can help. I was on the same base as you during your last deployment and saw some of the missions you went on," LCpl. Benyak added. "You should have power in about an hour. Digging the trench to bury the cable will take more time than anything else."

They all took off and I took a short breather waiting for Jens and Liz. I must have been tired and they must have taken longer than expected because the next thing I knew Jens was waking me up. "SM Blaine, you're tired and stinky. Why don't you grab a shower and some chow and let us finish the mopping."

"That sounds like a great idea to me. Make sure you teach Liz which end of the mop goes on the floor." I teased.

"If you're not careful I'll show you where I can put the other end of the mop." She shot back.

I gave her an evil look, "You have more places to put that than I do."

Liz blushed and Jens said, "Hey you need to save that nasty talk for me, or did you forget I'm your fiancée. Now get out of here, let us work and don't come back for two hours."

I knew better than to disobey a direct order from Jens so I grabbed a change of clothes, my shower gear, my Barrett, my M4 and took off. The shower felt great and I spent so much time in there that I looked like a prune when I stepped out. I left the shower and headed to the mess hall to grab some chow. I'd forgotten how hungry I was as all I had to eat in the past day was the Hudson Bay bread.

I was just finishing dessert when an old friend walked up, "Son-of-a-bitch, they let any sorry-assed-bastard eat in this mess hall. Now I'm going to need to find someplace else to eat."

I saw the wrinkled smiling face of Gunny Horton standing in front of me - one of the best Marines I'd ever met! No one knew how old he was or how many tours of duty he completed. Rumor had it his family was killed right after he became a Marine and he never went home again. He just went from one tour of duty to the next and then to the next. I stood up and shook hands, "It's good as hell to see you Gunny Horton. What's it been, three years and a couple thousand miles?"

"Try four years and at least a million miles. You're looking good, shit really good. I guess civilized and engaged life is treating you well. So what's a fucking hero like you doing here with a bunch of lowlifes like us. I thought you'd be home drinking champagne and eating caviar." He grinned at me.

"Shit! I'm still a jarhead and always will be, I didn't do anything that any other Marine wouldn't have done. And if you weren't so old and feeble I'd have you drop and give me fifty."

"Yeah, I heard about the extra stripes. So how in the hell did you talk them into letting a Sergeant Major get his hands dirty with real fighting?" Gunny asked.

"They wanted me back and I wanted the stripes. I told them the only way I'd take them is if I could keep doing real work." I laughed.

"At least they didn't take any away this time," he laughed. "So what's this shit I hear about your spotter and fiancée being the Old Man's daughter. Word is all over the base about her, is she as beautiful as the rumors?"

I grinned, "No! She's more beautiful, and you and all the other horny old reprobates on this base had better steer clear of her. I'd hate to have to gut one of you."

He stopped laughing, "You're fucking that serious about her - aren't you?"

I looked him square in the eyes and nodded my head.

"I'll put the word out to everyone else, don't worry no Marine would every try to snake another Marine's woman."

"Thanks Gunny, I owe you one." I motioned to him and we moved to a table in the far back away from everyone else, "So Gunny, tell me what the fuck is going on over here."

He leaned in close to me, "The brass is confused as hell about what's going on, but I have some ideas."

"Shit! When isn't the brass confused. So are you going to spill the beans or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

He laughed, "You know if I was a little younger, I'd kick your ass for saying that. Just remember, I may be old, but I'm devious as hell and I don't fight fair." He leaned in even closer, "These rat bastards aren't like any towel heads I've ever seen. First off, they're not a bunch of rag tag shit heads, they're organized as hell. Someone has been training these bastards."

"You must have some idea who's doing it?" I questioned.

He leaned in closer, "You never heard me say it but I think it's a two word country that the last word rhymes with labia."

I sat straight up, "You're shitting me!"

He motioned me back in, "If I'm lying, I'm dying. I had a chance to spend a little quality time with one of the bastards before he had an accident and that is what he told me. I went to the brass and told them my suspicions, but they dismissed them because that fucking cunt-ry is our 'friend'."

I leaned back and rubbed my chin, I needed to wrap my mind around what Gunny had just told me. I thought back to my previous tours and compared them to the battle last night. The bastards last night were well trained, well armed, and fought like drug-crazed fanatics. I leaned forward, "I think you're right, but only partially. There has to be others involved."

"You might be right, but I couldn't say who." Gunny replied.

I started thinking: It could be one of many countries that would like nothing better than to see America disgraced by failure. I decided to file this away for later thought and ask Jens what she thought about it.

"So how in the hell are they moving the troops and supplies without us seeing them?" I asked.

"That's the big fucking mystery that no one can figure out. When they attacked the base we didn't have any warning, one minute things were calm and the next rockets were falling all over hell. I'm not supposed to know this, but we recovered one rocket that didn't go off and it had some sort of rudimentary guidance device. Plus they must have spotters because the longer the rockets were falling the more accurate they were getting. A few minutes after the rockets started the fucking suicide car bombers arrived. And right after them the crazy idiots sent in foot soldiers."

I thought about our trip into the base and I remembered all the abandoned building about a klick away. Gunny looked at me and said, "I know what you're thinking, it has to be the buildings. I told the fuckers when they put the base here that they needed to raze those building but no one listened to me."

I leaned back and became very thankful for the bunker that we'd been given.

He grinned, "I can still read your emotions like I'm reading a book. You can thank me for getting you guys the bunker. I told the brass that they wouldn't want that Morgan woman or the Old Man's daughter in the barracks. For once they listened to me."

I reached across the table and shook his hand, "Gunny, once again I owe you a big one."

"Shit, I've been keeping your ass out of trouble for so long you've become sort of a son to me. You take care of yourself and that fiancée of yours; I hear she's a real hellcat when she gets angry."

I laughed and rubbed my head, "That would be putting it mildly."

He looked at me and laughed, "Don't tell me she beat some sense into that hard head of yours, I've been trying to do that for years. I'm going to have to thank the hell out of her when I meet her."

"That she did Gunny. It's been good as hell seeing you again but I think I need to check out the rest of the base. When we get the bunker all done well have you over for 'dinner' some night. Jens makes a mean MRE." I said.

He laughed, "Anyone that can make a MRE taste good is worth keeping. Watch your ass as much as everyone's watching hers."

We both stood up shook hands and walked away in different directions.

I had killed about an hour and needed to waste another hour before I could go back. Shit! I might even make it an hour and a half just to be ornery. I thought I'd walk around and check things out. I walked into the barracks and ran into a bunch of Marines I knew. They were sitting around shooting the shit.

"Oh my god look what the cat drug in. It can't be Mister Hero himself!"

"Looks like someone that's been roped and hogtied to me!"

I didn't laugh, I didn't even smile, they got worried and shut up. "Hey don't get your panties in a bunch, we were just funnin' you."

I walked over and stood in front of the last guy and glared at him, "In the first place, I don't wear panties like you do. In the second place, I asked her, she didn't ask me and in the third place I didn't do anything that any of you wouldn't have done. All of you, ten-hut!" They snapped to attention. "Now that I have your attention fall out and tell me how the hell you all are doing."

We all started laughing. They sat back down and I joined them, "Gee SM you had us worried, we thought that you'd become all serious on us." Sgt. Grim said.

"Yeah, we thought you were going to bust our asses for that." Cpl. Cooper added.

"Well I seem to remember a certain MSgt. Pulling some of the same shit on me once." I looked over at MSgt. Donnelly. "Payback's a bitch that's biting at your butts boys. I should make you all drop and give me a hundred but I'd probably laugh myself to death watching the spectacle."

"You're still letting your mouth overload your ass I see." MSgt. Donnelly teased.

"At least my ass hasn't gotten so big that I need to wear a wide load sign on my back." I quipped.

"Shit, his ass has gotten so big they make him wear a beeper for when he walks backwards, you know sort of like a garbage truck." Sgt. Grim added.

The laughter and banter of my friends was sweet music to my ears.

"So where's Gilroy?" That question killed all the laughter. "He bought it on a mission about six months ago. Damn IED blew his Humvee to hell." Sgt. Grim answered.

"Shit! Sorry, I didn't know. He was a hell of a Marine and a great warrior," I answered.

"That's not the half of it. He left a wife and a young baby at home. We've been sending her some money each month because you know how shitty the survivor benefits are." Cpl. Cooper said.

I looked down at the floor; he'd been a good friend and a hell of a fighter. "Make sure I get her name and address, I'd like to send her a little something."

Sgt. Grim changed the subject, "So SM all joking aside is all the shit we're seeing on TV true?"

I grinned, "Don't tell me that you three bozos have started believing the crap they show on TV."

"Well we do when it's on the Truth Network. I tell you what, I used to hate that Morgan bitch and wanted to kill her sorry ass. But since she's started working for that new network she's changed," Cpl. Cooper answered.

"You do know she's here on the base." I said.

"No way! I'd love for her to give me a horizontal interview." MSgt. Donnelly said.

"Shit! You're so ugly you'd have to put a litter bag over your head and sneak up on her to even get a kiss." I teased.

"He's so fucking ugly that when he was born the doctor got confused and slapped his face instead of his butt." Cpl. Cooper added.

"No you're both wrong, he's so incredibly fucking ugly that when he was born the doctor slapped his mother." Sgt. Grim finished.

The three of us were laughing our asses off - Sgt. Grim always had the best come-backs. MSgt. Donnelly looked at the three of us, "What a fucking pack of laughing hyenas I've found. I guess you three are too busy laughing to drink a beer."

I looked at him, "Shit! You have beer here."

"You bet but it's only for my friends, and I'm not sure you three are my friends." He teased.

I looked at Grim, he smiled and said, "Then I guess you're going to be drinking it alone; because if we're not your friends then no one else is."

"With friends like you three I don't need enemies." He replied.

Sgt. Grim added, "I've heard it said you keep your friends close and your enemies even closer, so you'd better give us a damn beer."

He opened a cooler and threw us each a beer. We popped the tops and I said, "To Gilroy!"

The other three replied in unison, "To Gilroy!"

We had a great time shooting the shit and I lost track of time until I heard the fricken evening call to prayer from the mosque. At the end of the call a new rocket barrage started and I booked it back towards the bunker. Damn! They were correcting their shots too well and had to have a spotter somewhere. I started past the motor pool when I was called, "SM Blaine, get your ass over here we need you." It was Cpt. Kast. "There has to be a spotter around here somewhere, we're sending a group to find him and you're going too. You'll be working with Pvt. Jones and you two need to get up on the highest building that you can and provide support." We jumped in a Humvee and took off.

The Humvees headed out the gate with the rockets still coming in. We stopped at the tallest building next to the base and the Cpt. threw me a radio, "Get your ass on the roof and let me know what you see." The roof gunner started firing, we bailed out and beat feet to the building with bullets whizzing past us. I pulled my M4, breeched the door and ran into the building. There were a couple mother fuckers with AK's, we beat them to the draw and sent them to hell.

We found the staircase and started quickly but carefully working our way up it. "Jones, since we don't have time to clear the rooms, you watch our backs." We hit one floor and heard some firing, I motioned for Jones to follow, we slipped up to the door and I kicked it open while Jones fired. When the dust cleared the bastards were dead.

We ran back to the stairway and started up. We were almost at the top when some bastard above us started shooting at us. He had us pinned down until Jones fragged him. As the dust cleared we jumped up and made it to the roof door. I motioned for Jones to hold position and we both did a tactical reload. On three Jones opened the door and all hell broke loose, Jones barely made it behind the wall as AK rounds came streaming into the doorway. "Shit Sir! There must be twenty of them on the roof."

"Do you have any smoke?" I asked.

"Yes Sir," he replied. I smiled, slid the M4 to my back, pulled out the Barrett and fired up the IR part of the scope while cranking the BORS system to 100 meters - I'd have to aim low.

"Pop smoke and then give me some cover fire." On three he popped smoke and started firing, I squatted and slipped the muzzle of the Barrett out the door. I could see the bastards through the IR scope and started firing. The fucking towel heads were so close that they were exploding when the .338 Lapua rounds hit them. They were firing wildly where they thought the door was. Every once and awhile they would get lucky and a round would come through the door.

I'd taken out five but the smoke was dissipating so more rounds were coming through the door. I ducked back inside and nodded to Jones, "This is my last smoke Sir."

I needed to improvise, so I pulled the M4 and put it against the side of the Barrett. I was going to use the IR scope on the Barrett to target the towel heads and the M4 to take them out. I nodded again and he popped smoke. I waited for the fire to slow and fell through the doorway lying on the roof. Using the IR scope on the Barrett worked great and I was ripping the hell out of the rat bastards. Jones was getting lucky and took out a few. I emptied the M4 mag, flipped it and kept going. A gust of wind came up and blew the smoke away. Jones jumped out and shot one and I shot the other rat bastards left on the roof.

We slammed the door and wedged a grenade in the handle. If anyone opened the door, they'd get a hell of a surprise and we'd know they were there. I called the Cpt. on the radio, "Alpha Tango, this is Bravo Juliet, there was fierce resistance but we have finally achieved our objective. Expect a sitrep soon."

Jones started on one side of the roof and I took the other. We checked the other building that had line of sight on the base. "Sir, I see something over here." I ran over to his side and I saw a bastard on the roof of the next building with binoculars. I pulled up the Barrett, ranged him and dialed in the BORS. I estimated the windage, did a mildot hold for it and fired - he crumpled.

We started looking for more when the grenade went off at the door. I dropped and pulled the M4 around and started waiting. Jones was on the other side so we'd have them in a cross fire. One stuck his head around the corner and we both took him out. I motioned to Jones to frag the doorway while I covered him. He ran close enough and chucked a grenade into the doorway. It went off as we both charged the doorway and found five more dead rat bastards.

The door was now blown to hell. "Jones, give me a frag and get your ass back out on the roof and see if you can find anyone else." He took off and I dragged two of the dead towel heads halfway down the stairs and positioned them so they'd have to be moved if someone was going to come up the stairs. I pulled the pin on the frag and slipped it under one of the bodies and then booked it back up to the roof.

"Sir, I have a target on the other roof." Jones announced. I ran over and saw another spotter. Shit how many did they have. I brought the Barrett around, did the range and windage calculations and sent him to hell.

We didn't see any more spotters, "Jones, see if you can get eyes on the site they're launching the rockets from."

He ran to the other side of the roof and the grenade went off on the stairs. I pulled the M4 and ran towards the doorway. I wanted to keep the bastards from getting on the roof. I edged to the wall where I could look down the stairway and waited for the dust to clear. When I could see, I started firing. Jones ran up and said, "I only have one more frag."

"Save it for later and cover the door for me."

I grabbed the radio, "Alpha Tango this is Bravo Juliet, we have control of the roof of this building and the two adjacent buildings. There were spotters on all three buildings."

"Roger, Bravo Juliet. Charlie Mike¹ until further orders."

¹ Continue Mission

Jones was controlling the doorway and I was checking the adjacent buildings for spotters. Every time one would show up, I'd take them out. Finally, they got wise to the situation and started spotting from inside the other buildings where I couldn't fire at them.

"Alpha Tango, Bravo Juliet reporting that the spotters are no longer coming on the roof - they're using the upper floor windows and I cannot neutralize them."

"Roger Bravo Juliet. The buildings are being targeted, you're ordered to bug out and call again when you're out of the building."

"Roger, Alpha Tango." I jumped up and headed to the doorway. "Jones, they've targeted the building and we need to bug out."

We both did a tactical reload; he pulled his last frag and dumped it through the doorway. After it went off we both jumped through the doorway and started firing. We alternated, covering each other as we leapfrogged down the stairway. There were a shitload of terrorists and I wasn't sure what would happen when we got to the ground floor. We were halfway down the last flight of stairs and there was a huge battle going on. The fucking terrorists were busy shooting at Marines outside the building and didn't even know we were there. We both jacked in new mags and started firing. We had them in a crossfire! Some of the towel heads got so confused they ran out of the building to be taken by the Marines outside. The others died where they were.

Finally, there was no one was left to kill and things became amazingly quiet. I yelled out the password of the day received the response as we ran out of the building. There was Jens with a squad of Marines. I wanted to run up to her and give her a hell of a hug and kiss, but that would have to wait for later. I called in on the radio, "Alpha Tango, Bravo Juliet has exited the building."

"Roger, good job! Take command of the squad and get your asses back to the base."

We skirted the buildings and started leapfrogging our way back to the base. Our trip was interrupted as the airstrike took out the three buildings and all other buildings that were on the perimeter of the base. It was a beautiful sight seeing the buildings crumble and belch dust. As quickly as the battle started it ended and the streets were mostly quiet with just an occasional burst of gunfire. We still followed procedure and worked our way back to the gate. It had been another major attack, with rockets, foot soldiers and suicide car bombers. There was carnage everywhere. We ran into a few small pockets of resistance and kicked their asses.