Viper Team Seven (The Viper Team Seven Series Book 1)

by Lewis, Rykar

  Parks had less than an hour before he had to meet his team at the White House parking lot. He was at his house, making last-minute preparations, and he was beginning to feel sick. He had given his men the heads-up that they were shipping out and now everyone was furiously preparing for the operation. The National Security Advisor had said the CIA agents would be waiting for the Viper Team Seven at Andrews Air Force Base with everything ready to go. Smith had told Parks to brief his team aboard BIG BIRD, and then strangely, he had given Parks a satellite phone with which to keep in contact with the White House.

  Parks made sure he had everything in order. He had his will written out to his parents, a personal letter briefly explaining what had happened, should he die, and he had all of his top secret work belongings and information stuffed in a box that would be given to the National Security Advisor if Parks didn’t come out alive. Parks was trying to be as optimistic as he could, even though he knew the odds, but he still had to prepare for the worst.

  Parks glanced at his family’s picture on his nightstand and everything came flooding back to him. He could remember all of the wrong things he’d done in his life, the things he regretted, and the things that he was proud of. He recalled all the important figures in his life that had an impact on him. His parents, his brother, Colonel Johnson, the Marine Corps Commandant, Solomon, and now his thoughts turned to Renee. She was very important to him even though he hardly knew her. He liked everything about her, and he wished he could have been able to know her better.

  Parks didn’t stop himself from thinking of his life memories, as he sometimes did. He let them come and he knew that on this mission they were all he had to remember of his life. Parks still had a lot of things he wanted to do in life. But time was gone and nothing could be done to get it back. Though there was one thing he could leave behind for his family, for his country, for his Corps, and for his personal honor. He could go down a hero, for the United States of America.

  55

  Sunday, April 20th – 1730 hours

  BIG BIRD

  Parks and his expanded team were aboard the C-17, flying at over 450 m.p.h. Their flight had just begun and several hours of waiting, planning, waiting, and planning, were ahead of them. Parks had already briefed his team on their mission, and the reason they were here. But now he had to make sure every man knew exactly what to do and when to do it. That was usually the hardest part, but the most important. Without teamwork, nothing could be achieved on this operation.

  “All right here’s how we’ll break this up,” Parks began. “We’ll split off into three teams of five. Solomon, Marler, and myself, will be team leaders. I want Corley and Lee to go with Solomon, Norse to go with Marler, and I’ll take Samuels.” Parks then shifted the CIA agents around to fit everyone’s needs. “When we’re doing this operation, one guy will be painting the target with a laser target designator, one will be acting as a backup painter, two will be guarding the painters, and the leader will oversee everything. It’s the job of the team leader to radio in to me with all questions, concerns, and problems. We have to work this in completely perfect timing or everything could be wrecked.” Parks scanned the faces of his team. “Let’s start from the beginning. My team will HALO jump into Beirut, Solomon’s into Damascus, and Marler’s into Homs. From there the CIA will coordinate it to where an agent from their station will give each team a nondescript van with which to drive to the bunker. I gave each team leader the exact location of their bunkers, and there’s no way you won’t be able to find them. Anyway, you’ll need to kill some time while around the bunkers until it’s time to move. You’ll have to play things by ear with that, and use your own judgment. A few minutes before 1700 the teams will move in and paint the bunkers’ entrances. The Air Force will drop the bunker busters at 1700, so we won’t have to paint for long. When the bombs pick up our laser trail and follow it into the bunker, we need to make sure we evacuate our teams as quickly as we can. Evidently there will be a transport helicopter with escort gunships waiting to pick us up and take us to safety. But they won’t come down until after the bunker buster bomb explodes, and the TLAMs make contact with the warheads. We could have ourselves a fight during the ninety seconds after the bunker buster explosion. The President signed an executive order authorizing us to retaliate to all and any hostile fire. The main goal is, don’t get bogged down somewhere. You have to get to a place where the helicopter can evacuate your team. That’s the number one priority.”

  Parks stopped for a breath and then went on. “My Commander’s Intent is, make sure the enemy nuclear warheads are taken out. At all costs. Use whatever force and means necessary. Any questions?”

  “What happens if the Syrian air force keeps the helicopters from coming or leaving?” Marler asked.

  Parks took a while in answering. “Well, all I can say is I hope the attacks come as such a surprise, the enemy won’t have time to respond.”

  Solomon and Parks glanced at each other and hoped that the mole wouldn’t spoil those hopes. He could make things very hard, and very deadly.

  * * *

  The National Security Council was in session. The President wanted to go over plans of what to do next after the warheads were taken out. He personally thought that the Iranian treatment would do nicely for this two-nation alliance, but he wanted to hear everyone’s take on the situation.

  “Well let’s get started,” Winnfield said. “I think–” He stopped short. “Hey, where’s the D/CIA?”

  “He needed to speak with someone,” the National Security Advisor explained. “He said he’ll be late but he will be back.”

  “Where’d he go?”

  “Langley, sir. He’ll be here soon,” Smith assured him.

  The President began to think. The Director had not been out of the White House since this ordeal had begun, which meant he wouldn’t have been able to contact his superiors about the details of when and where Parks would be coming in to take out the warheads. Now the D/CIA was free, and he could contact whomever he wanted. Cummins was being followed, his email account was being monitored, his phone calls were being tracked, but what if he was using a different phone to contact the enemy, which was very likely? Then it would be hard to flush him out because there’d be no proof that he was the mole. But then again, would the Director have given all this information if he was the mole? Maybe he was doing this because he couldn’t hide the information and just wanted to cover his tracks. Or possibly he was just doing his job and wasn’t the mole. Winnfield wasn’t sure. But one thing he knew: the mole would be flushed out sooner or later. Surely he wouldn’t stay in the country that would be the target of his superiors’ nuclear weapons, unless Israel was the target, which was a sketchy assumption. There was a good chance that the mole would run soon. But could he be caught before he escaped?

  * * *

  Parks walked over to Solomon and sat down next to him. For a long time neither man spoke. They just sat silently, staring at the floor and doing nothing. Then Parks began to speak.

  “Hey Solomon.”

  “Hmmm?” Solomon asked quietly.

  “You know this morning – boy it doesn’t feel like this morning, feels like a long time ago.” Parks stopped speaking for just a brief second. “Well, remember in church when you went forward? What did you do?”

  Solomon remained silent for a moment as he pondered what to say. “KP, I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. I guess that’s a fancy way of saying I asked Jesus to take me to Heaven when I die.”

  “Why’d you do that?”

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that Jesus died on the cross for me. I never knew anything about Jesus; I didn’t even really believe He existed, I suppose.”

  “And you believe all that now?” Parks wondered.

  “Yup.”

  “How can you? I mean how do you know it’s just not all some tale made up by someone?”

  “I just believe that it’s real. Somehow I know in my heart that Jesus really did
do all those things.”

  Parks was confused. “Solomon, I respect you a lot. I respect your opinions and your decisions. And I do respect that you made this decision. I just don’t understand some things.”

  “I can’t help you much on the Bible aspect of things. That was the first time I’ve ever held a Bible,” Solomon confessed. “All I can do is tell you what I did.”

  “All right that’s fine,” Parks declared as he adjusted in his seat. “So are you afraid to die? I mean, if you’re going to Heaven and all, why should you be?”

  Solomon smiled weakly. “Oh I’m afraid. I’m petrified. I know where I’m going after I die, and that should make me unafraid but it doesn’t. It’s the passing from life to death that worries me.”

  “Yeah I know what you mean.” Parks looked at the floor and said, “I know there is a God. All you have to do is look around to know that. I believe in Heaven and hell, but I don’t know how to go to Heaven. I know what that pastor said, but I’m not sure that’s right. I want to find out though.”

  “I hate to say this...” Solomon trailed off.

  “I know, I know, I don’t have much time left,” Parks finished for him. “But hey, if I’m supposed to find out then I guess I’ll stay alive. Maybe.”

  Solomon nudged Parks’ arm. “If I were you, I wouldn’t wait any longer. I’d do what I did.”

  “What did happen when you accepted Jesus?”

  “Nothing really that I can explain. I just felt relieved. I felt free and like a new man. And in my heart, I know I’m saved.” Solomon shrugged. “That’s the best I can do, KP.”

  That was good enough for Parks. “I guess you’re right, Solomon. In my heart I know that stuff’s real, even though I haven’t wanted to admit it. I just wanted to make extra sure. But I’m sure enough right now, and if it worked for you it’ll work for me.”

  Solomon stared at Parks. “You mean you want to be saved?”

  Parks nodded somewhat self-consciously. “Like they say, there are no atheists in a fighting hole. Not that I ever was an atheist or anything.”

  “Sure, I know what you mean. Well here’s what you need to do,” Solomon started. “I don’t know the Bible verses that the pastor showed me but I can tell you what I did. Anyway, I realized that the bad things I’ve done in my life kept me from getting into God’s perfect Heaven. Do you understand that?”

  “Yeah sure.”

  “Okay. Then the pastor told me my payment for my sin was death in hell for eternity,” Solomon told him. “But Jesus’ gift is eternal life in Heaven if we accept Him.”

  “All right I understand that,” Parks assured him.

  “Great. Next the pastor told me that if you ask Jesus to come into your heart and take you to Heaven when you die, He will.”

  “How many times do you have to do that?”

  “Once and only once. You can never lose your salvation. No matter what you do,” Solomon confirmed. “And once you do it, you’re in God the Father’s hands, or something like that.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Yeah it does.” Solomon waited before going on. “So do you want to ask Jesus into your heart?”

  Parks felt very strange. Half of him was screaming at him to do it and the other half was adamantly saying not to. “I’ll do it,” he said with confidence.

  Solomon was very pleased. “Good for you. Now all you have to do is pray with me and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Just repeat after me.”

  Parks and Solomon bowed their heads and closed their eyes.

  “Dear Jesus...” Solomon led.

  “Dear Jesus...” Parks repeated.

  “I know I am a sinner...”

  “I know I am a sinner...”

  “I understand that I cannot merit Heaven on my own...”

  “I understand that I cannot merit Heaven on my own...”

  “I believe that accepting Jesus into my heart is the only way to Heaven...”

  “I believe that accepting Jesus into my heart is the only way to Heaven...”

  “So please come into my heart and take me to Heaven when I die...”

  “So please come into my heart and take me to Heaven when I die...”

  “Thank You for saving me...”

  “Thank You for saving me...”

  “In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

  “In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

  Parks opened his eyes, raised his head, and was vigorously congratulated by Solomon. Parks knew he had done the right thing. He knew he was saved.

  * * *

  Parks’ satellite phone rang and he answered it cautiously. “Major Parks.”

  “Major Parks, this is National Security Advisor Smith.”

  “Yes sir?”

  “We’ve got a problem on our hands. Evidently the warheads aren’t where we thought they were.”

  “What? How sir?”

  “I can tell you how but that’s for later. The big deal is that they’re no longer in three different places. They are all in Lebanon now. All three of them,” Smith informed him. “They’re in Tripoli, Lebanon, in the same bunker – the war command center deal. The Mossad contacted the CIA and said that the warheads in Beirut, Damascus, and Homs were merely decoys to distract our attention.”

  “Oh no, sir.”

  “Yeah, whoever’s running this show is playing it smart. They may think someone’s on to them and they’re trying to play wise guy. It won’t work.”

  “Yes sir,” Parks agreed.

  The National Security Advisor gave Parks the precise coordinates and gave him a few more simple orders.

  “Carry out the operation just like normal,” Smith ordered. “The only difference is you’ll have three times the number of men around. Which could prove to be a useful thing if the Lebanese aren’t happy that you destroyed their once-in-a-lifetime weapons.”

  “Yes sir. Oh, sir, was the warhead ever really moved from the Tripoli bunker?”

  “Yeah, we think it was moved just a little bit to a very nearby location where it was mounted on an ICBM. It was moved back to the more secure bunker though.”

  “All right sir, we’ll make the adjustments,” Parks concluded.

  “Good. Major, thanks a lot for doing this.”

  Parks was quiet. He didn’t know how to respond. “Yes sir,” he finally managed to say, and that didn’t feel quite appropriate.

  “We’ll keep in touch,” the National Security Advisor promised. “Bye.”

  Parks’ mind then went wild. What if Smith was the mole? What if he was on the run and was giving Parks this bum advice so his team would get slaughtered? What if the whole satellite phone “keep in touch” deal was a hoax, just so Smith could maneuver Parks around? How could that be proven?

  Parks’ gut was telling him that the National Security Advisor was not the mole but sometimes his gut wasn’t right. He hoped it would be this time though, because that’s all he had to go on. There was no way to double-check the story, and it was too late to turn back now.

  My team will be butchered if the mole has alerted the Lebanese about our operation, Parks thought. They’ll be waiting for us and they will know exactly what we’ll do.

  Parks knew that President Winnfield had talked with him personally before he had left for Andrews Air Force Base. The President had explained how he thought the mole would leave for Lebanon soon, since he was probably expecting the annihilation of the United States. Winnfield had told Parks that he would try and stop the mole at all costs, but just in case, he ordered Parks to be ready to go in and take him out if any intel was picked up on his whereabouts. Parks knew that his team would possibly be battered after they took out the warheads and doubted that they’d be in any condition to go into another operation. But he said “Yes sir” and went along with what the President was planning.

  Solomon approached Parks and asked what was wrong.

  “I’ll brief the entire team on what’s going on in a minute,” Parks replied. “As you might gue
ss, it’s not good news.”

  * * *

  BIG BIRD was almost in Lebanese airspace. Another fifteen minutes or so and Parks and his team would be HALO jumping into the utter darkness. Everyone was prepared for the modified operation, and Parks was beginning to think that things would go better with more men concentrated in one place. If the Lebanese were going to be waiting for them, the least they could do was fight back.

  “All right, we’re almost there,” he told his team. “Let’s get ready. Get your M4s, night-vision, lasers, radios, put on your parachutes, and line up.”

  The next few minutes were somewhat chaotic. People were putting on parachute backpacks, passing out rifles and ammunition, and the few who were already ready were double-checking their equipment.

  Parks put on plastic jump goggles, pulled on light gloves, and set up all the necessary HALO jump equipment. He then grabbed an M4, took an over abundance of bullets, shoved his satellite phone in his pocket, and received a radio. Then he called his team to order.

  “Let’s go over this once more,” he commanded. “The three teams are now assigned as follows. Mine are the painters and backup painters – I stole a man from Marler’s team – Solomon’s are the guards, and Marler’s are the surveillance guys. My team will paint the bunker in three different spots, just to ensure it’ll be blasted completely. Everything will go just as it would have otherwise. The bunker busters will drop, the TLAMs will be launched, and our helicopters will be close by, ready to extract us out of there.” Parks left out the part about the mole. If it really came down to that then he’d break the news to his team.

  “Keep in good contact with me,” Parks ordered. “Report anything suspicious. Don’t shoot unless shot at. And use your heads all the time. Things may get chaotic, and I want no one to be left behind. Got that?”

  All the men nodded.

  Parks said a silent prayer and felt a sense of confidence. He was afraid too, but also had some peace. He felt sure that his operation would be a success. Parks wasn’t so sure if any of his team would be coming back. But that was the risk they had to take.