Mission 17

"Dammit Chung, how the hell are they still tracking us. We got rid of all the dogs with Ling's balls of CS and itch powder. We haven't heard a bark since yesterday afternoon but they are still on our asses. We are about an hour ahead of them by my thoughts and we need a rest."

This whole fiasco started with a simple recon mission to check on two of the small roads in the Mekong that seemed to have picked up a lot of new traffic. We had been asked by the Seals out of Dong Tam to check the area and observe the traffic. They were in the middle of a rotation of personnel and all their people were tied up doing this. I knew the River Boats were still doing their patrols but the ground troops were all on base. The Captain had informed all the teams under his command last week so we all knew we would be picking up some of the slack during this period. We had been dropped in an old LZ and used the map coordinates to move to where they wanted watched. We had found a small rise that was dry where we could be far enough away to watch and still stay dry.

The first day was pretty quiet and other than a few small patrols the connecting roads below our position seemed quiet. That night we set up our usual perimeter and got a few hours of sleep, after wiping some of the sap from a native vine on our showing skin to keep from being eaten alive by the mosquito's that swarmed everywhere in the Delta. I finally got to sleep about 0200 and Chung's hand across my mouth woke me. When I looked at my watch it was 0430. He gestured to the roads below and I wiggled up for a look see. The false dawn allowed enough light for me to use my binoculars and what I was looking at took my breath away. Coming down from the upper road was a line of trucks pulling Artillery with four Tanks bringing up the rear. Looking further up I saw hundreds of men and equipment following behind them as far as I could see. I slid down pulling out my map looking at to try and figure out where the hell they were coming from. According to my map and Intel there was supposed to be nothing but swamp and quicksand in the area they were coming from. The trail that joined with the one they were on dead ended at the river so I knew they hadn't come that way.

I took a quick reading and just as I got my map and compass put away it was like someone tripped a switch. It became totally quiet with no sound coming from the road at all. I wiggled back up the small mound we were on looking at the road and as I watched I saw they were putting up camouflage netting to hide their presence. I looked through the binoculars again watching and saw that every man working had mud and their uniforms were soaking wet. Somehow they had brought all the equipment in front of me through the swamps where I knew there weren't any roads. As I watched I heard the sound that chilled the blood in my veins. DOGS!

"Chung, we gotta move and do it now! They will be scouting a mile out before they settle in, and they will pick up our scent as soon as they get up here. This is the only other dry spot and they will set up a listening post here."

"This not good Sarge, we in the middle of nothing but swamp. They be hard to lose for sure."

He quickly spread the word and we moved out diagonally to the left trying to go in a half circle through the water and mud to get to the road so we could make better time. If we could get ahead of them we could get away. I knew their usual tactics was to encircle and capture or kill if they couldn't and I wasn't about to be caught in that situation. There was too much water and swamp around us so it would be hard for them to do that unless they had boats and thinking that they had already come through nothing but swamp I figured they did. We busted our asses trying to put distance between them and us. The water mud and muck was anywhere from knee to waist deep. Making time was not easy but we had to try. I knew we were leaving a muddy but plain trail to mark our direction but there was no other alternative.

We finally came out of the water on the road far enough away from them to hopefully throw them off for awhile or at least till we could get to higher ground. We hit the road running full speed and kept up running until I stopped to pass more orders.

"Have Ling and Min take the rear. They will pick up our scent soon and we need them to use every trick they know to get those damned dogs off our asses. You take the point and I will give you a five minute lead. We will run full speed for ten minutes, trot for ten then go back to full speed and keep it up for as long as we can. Keep your eyes open my friend, they will be on the radio as soon as they get our trail. They will call in patrols ahead of our direction of travel to set up ambushes. Don't walk into one."

"Not worry Sarge, I no get caught but you watch for sign if I change direction. I mark by arrow in center of trail. I look for someplace we can hide but I know of nothing in this area."

"Do the best you can but find something. I have a feeling after what we saw they will know, and try every way they can to keep us from passing the information on. Our asses are on the line this time and I don't plan on being caught. NOW GO!"

I watched as he quickly conferred with Ling and started counting as he disappeared down the road ahead of us. I don't know how or why this was called a road as it was barely wider than a path, but that's what it was on the map. I could still hear the dogs in the distance but to me it didn't sound like they were on any trail just barking in excitement. When the five minutes were up I moved out and started running full speed again.

Within the first thirty minutes I could tell the dogs had our scent. They were baying hot and heavy in the distance. We kept up the pace for almost two hours before I had to stop and rest. Our packs were still heavy and even though I was in excellent shape running that long was sapping my strength. Not only from the heat but from the weight. Within a minute after stopping Ling came running up.

"We set two traps along trail with balls. It kill many VC and dogs, but it sound like they have many dogs Sarge, and we only have one bag of powder each."

"Save it until you have to use it Ling. Wait and see how many are left before you do though. If we can get rid of the dogs we might be able to hole up until they give up at dark. Either way Chung is looking for us a good place to fight from if it comes down to that. Don't take any chances."

"I think they bout twenty minutes behind us so we need to move again soon Sarge."

"Yea I know but I am trying to catch my breath before I do Ling. My ass is dragging and this heavy pack isn't helping me any."

"We tired too but know we have to run before they get too close. Not worry bout us Sarge we can keep up."

"Now why the hell would I worry about you? Most of you can run rings around me but let's move out."

I got a big grin from him and a; "Ok Sarge". I took off again but I knew I couldn't keep up the pace for too much longer. I had noticed that Ling wasn't even panting and once again I marveled at the toughness of these men I called my friends. An hour later with the dogs sounding closer I was wondering what happened to the traps Ling had set? I no sooner had that thought when I heard the explosion in the distance and the sound of the dogs died out. It was only a temporary reprieve though as I heard them start back up in a few minutes no doubt being urged on by their handlers. I did have one bit of good news at least to my own way of thinking, it sounded like there were a lot less of them. Within five minutes I heard the second explosion and this time when I heard the dogs I could clearly hear only three different dogs baying on the trail and to me they sounded a lot closer for some reason. I took off at full speed again and coming around a small curve almost ran over Chung who was squatting in the middle of the trail. Just as I swerved to miss him I heard the sound of the dogs die out.

"Sarge, see mound out there?

I looked in the direction he was pointing and could see a small hump in the middle of open water and looked back at him with a questioning look on my face waiting for his idea.

"We need get there before dark. Once we there we move for treeline behind it. Once we there we fight VC if they come after us. This not good place but only place there are trees we can fight from. You can send message from hump then we move to trees."

"Ok Chung lead out. It beats standing out here waiting for Charley to find us. Besides I don't think I can run much longer."

When we got to the hump I sent out the burst message immediately and we moved out to the trees I could clearly see in the distance. We finally made it and when Chung stopped he asked me to taste the water. I looked at him for a minute and got some in my hand and it was salty as hell. I spit it out thinking I was going to have an itching crotch when I started drying out.

"Sarge, these salt water marshes and we get high in trees tonight. There are big lizards here and they come out at night and attack anything that move in water. I see before and they are big as jeep on base. This not good place to be and only in tree are we safe."