Mission 16

Move! Move! Move! Get under cover now! We had just been dropped at what at first seemed a quiet LZ, and as soon as the choppers had disappeared all hell broke loose. We were under fire from the tree line and from what I could tell it was at least three shooters. We were running for the nearest cover when I saw Ling go down and ran to his side immediately.

"You hit?"

"No, just trip like fool. Damn VC!"

He was up and running before I could say anything more. I stopped a minute and caught my two forward scout's attention and motioned for them to circle the shooters position. When I finished, I ran like hell for cover where Chung was already laying down a heavy cover fire for us. I slid face first into the dirt next to him, twisting around on the fly and shooting on full auto to give my men time to get under cover. Before I could empty a clip, the shooting quit and there was silence which scared me more than the shooting. I waited a second for my ears to quit ringing before I started trying to see where the enemy was in case they were trying to circle. I didn't see any movement and within a few minutes my scout came out motioning for us to come. I hand signaled for my team to stay close to the trees as we moved to where the scout was stooped on his haunches waiting for us.

"Sarge, they no VC. Look like they from village over hill. They take off when they see us enter tree and run like hell."

"Ok spread out and check and see if there are any other surprises waiting for us in the trees."

"Chung, why would the villagers fire on us? It sounded to me like they were using 16's instead of AK's, something stinks about all of this and I don't like the connotations. We came to see if they needed supplies and medical help."

"Not know Sarge, but you bet they say when I get to village. I no like being shot at by own people."

"I know what you mean, Chung, I want you and Ling to go in first and see what the hell is going on. This was supposed to be a safe LZ and the village is on our side. If that's changed I want to know before we have the medics and rice landed. I'll keep the men spread out and cover the LZ in case we have problems. With all the shooting I have a feeling its going to draw a VC patrol to check it out, and I want to be ready for them. You and Ling don't take any chances. We are close enough to the camp to move there on foot if need be."

"Ok, I send Min to other side to watch trail coming in. He give you plenty warning if VC come."

I got the men set up in our usual triangle and waited to see what Chung and Ling found in the village. We weren't even supposed to be here but due to the severe shortage of teams in this sector, we got loaned out to the firebase to do a check of the villages in the area to make sure they were being fed, and that they're medical needs were being taken care of. If the villagers had fired on us this was a danger that we needed to know about immediately. It could mean the VC were exerting enough pressure on them to make them move taking away our much needed manpower in constructing the new firebase. It could also signal the VC were already building up to attack the new firebase. They were short on everything and had only been working on their defenses for a couple of weeks. Hell from what the Captain had told me they were still trying to get manpower assigned to the base. There was only a skeleton crew there and Charley could easily overrun it if they got wind or knowledge there were only a few men there. The Marines building the base hadn't even had time to make a place for the two small yard villages that were supposed to move inside the base yet. The village we were at now was the main one they were depending on to provide the manpower to do the patrols, as well as setting up the base defenses. If this village had turned on them they were gonna be in deep shit and quick. The whistle warning from Min surprised me because I wasn't expecting a patrol this fast.

I quickly signaled the men to hide and wait for my signal to fire if the patrol headed for the village. I had spent the last four days off teaching all my men the hand signals we would now be using. Because of an ambush led by a turncoat yard, the VC had learned a lot of our bird whistles and what they meant. The ambushers had all died leaving the turncoat wounded, and I had let Chung do the questioning. He learned a lot more a lot faster by doing it his way than I ever could. I know this sounds cruel to those not knowing about yards, but they to a man hated a traitor. If I had interfered in any way I would have lost the respect of my whole team. Besides I didn't have a medic with me, and I wasn't about to waste valuable medical supplies on someone the men would refuse to take back for HQ to question. What few supplies we carried were for us, not some turncoat who went to work for the VC. In the bush I had learned the hard way that prisoners were a bad liability, and could get you killed faster than an ambush or spring traps the VC loved to set on the trails. If it was one of our own we would risk our lives to help, but the enemy just didn't rate that kind of respect.

My whole attitude as well as my teams had changed after we rescued some prisoners, and what I saw there took any pity I had for the enemy right out of my head. My whole outlook on ethical treatment of wounded prisoners went right out the door with what I had seen in that camp. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't mistreat nor torture the enemy, but I just outright refused to treat any of them or leave any live ones behind me when I was in the bush. If they attacked us then they suffered the consequences the same as I would have if I came out on the losing end of the battle. I knew damned well they would either kill all my men, or torture them for fun. Me, they would either capture me for torture, or if I was badly wounded they would chop off my head for the bounty that was offered for all team leaders of the white persuasion. Out here that was just a fact of life doing patrols in the bush.

The six men who came out to look at the clearing we were in, didn't seemed alarmed or even wary, as they stood at the head of the small trail looking around. Hell only one of them even had his weapon ready to fire, the rest had them slung. They were not adhering to any noise restrictions either because I could hear them clear across the LZ laughing and talking. The only one who had his rifle unslung went to the side and took a leak and walked back, and I saw him wave back down behind them. In a couple of minutes an officer joined them and he was younger than any of the other men. They stood around talking and pointing and abruptly went back into the bush. When Min popped up looking over where I was I signaled him to follow them and showed my fist to open hand three times signaling to him to follow them for fifteen minutes. He acknowledged my signal and disappeared into the bush behind them. I signaled the man closest to where the trail was to move up and observe and watched as he smartly did so. Man I thought they had really picked up the hand signals quick in just the four days we had practiced. A soft whistle drew my attention to my left and the man watching the trail to the village signaled that Chung and Ling were coming back. Since I was looking at him I just nodded my head letting him know I understood.

When Chung and Ling came to my side I could tell from Chung's face he was mad as hell.

"Sarge, I talk to head man and he say he sorry they shoot at us. Him say chopper land yesterday and man come to village and say they no get food or rice from us. Him tell them they have to move village to mountain by tomorrow, or he come back and shoot all men him also say he take women to his camp and let men have them. I talk to him long time and he say man come was Major Jin, but they say he meet with big VC patrol here in clearing before he come to village."

"How do they know he met with the VC first?"

"Him say they hear chopper and come to clearing thinking it was rice they were promised. When they see meeting they run back to village to warn people. They very afraid and want to move village to camp now, not want to wait."

"Jin huh, I know about that sorry bastard. I heard several times he was feeding information to the VC but it never was proven. He is supposed to have a lot of political clout in Saigon with the Government there. Well this time I am going to catch his ass in the act and I guarantee you he won't be returning to his base. Ok Chung here is what we are going to do."

I spent the next half hour laying out a plan I thought would work and by the time I was done Chung and Ling both were silently laughing. Me, I didn't think it was funny and said so.

"Sarge, me forget to tell you deal me and Ling make with head man."

"Ok, what the hell did you two get me into now, and this better be good or I am gonna fire both your asses."

"Sarge, the only way we could keep them from moving village, was to tell head man you marry his older daughter. She good looking woman and only have three kids for you to feed."

"WHAT!"

"Shhh, VC hear you!"

I gave him a dirty look and changed the magazine in my rifle, put on my pack and started across the clearing madder than hell.

"Sarge, where you go?"

"I am going back to camp, and if either of you show your faces to me I am gonna shoot both of you. I suggest you join this village because I don't ever want to see either of you again!"

I didn't get three steps before I heard Chung start laughing and Ling tell him; "See, I tell you he get mad as hell, if you think I get shot because of joke you crazier than monkey in tree."

I whirled around to see Ling staring daggers at Chung and he was rolling on the ground laughing like hell. I didn't say a word, just slung my 16, pulled my knife and started toward where he was.

"What you do Sarge?"

"Let me put it this way you sawed off little shit, I am going to make sure you never have any more little Chung's."

Before I got the words out of my mouth, he was up and running to get away from me. That's when Ling broke down laughing and I just changed direction heading for him. He was up and passed Chung before I got back in the treeline. I stopped and watched them both disappear into the bush heading for the village. Both of them had left their packs and rifles laying on the ground. I signaled the closest man to come to me.

"Find me two snakes, the bigger the better, and make it fast and keep your mouth shut about it."

"Will do Sarge, this be fun, Chung go too far with joke this time. I fix so they sleep for long time, then wake up and wrap around neck. Chung have fit he scared of snake. Ling it no bother too much, but he no like little joke you do."

"Good they both deserve it."

He came back in just a few minutes and when I looked at him as he walked up he had a grin from ear to ear. He held out both hands and I had to look twice at what he was holding before it registered in my mind what he had. In each hand were two of the ugliest, hairiest spiders I ever saw in my life.