Ken Halsted stepped forward. "The red icons are the locations of major cartel leaders and their command and control sites in Arizona. The orange are lower ranking members and the yellow are the outliers." He paused to let this sink in. As he started to talk again, a green targeting icon appeared on the screen.
"This is our prime target...a cartel compound on the north edge of Talkalai Lake, north of San Carlos. We have eyes-on-target confirmation that Captain Roman is on-site. At this point, we are 99 and nine-9s certain the cartels are unaware that we are aware of this. But, they could move her soon. We need to move before they do!"
Titus took over the briefing. "We have ASGuard personnel moving into position around all targets. Mission assignments are going out now to all units in the field. Those commanders here will depart the minute this meeting is over to link up with your troops. Your helos are standing by on their pads. Strike Force Talkalai will be composed of Major Dillon's Marshalls, Captain Hebert's Headhunters, and Lieutenant Colonel Roman's Legion. Dillon, your mission is to secure the perimeter and act as a reserve force, if needed. Hebert, it'll be your team's job to breach the compound walls and engage enemy. Marcus, you and your Legion will rescue and egress Captain Roman. Strike Force Talkalai hits first, hard and fast. All other units then attack your assigned targets across the state. Folks, tonight we're sending two decisive messages to the cartels...one, they are finished here in Arizona!" He paused just long enough that someone actually asked, "What's the second message, sir?"
Titus' smile resembled that of a king cobra about to strike. "The second message is that no one fucks with the Arizona State Guard!" The room burst into applause and cheers. Titus waved them to quiet down. "Good luck and good hunting! Dismissed!" Those commanders whose units were already in the field raced from the room. Titus and Halsted waved Hebert, Dillon, and Marcus forward for a closer examination of the intel. The four men and a woman went over the plan carefully, fine tuning it to include many potential contingencies. Finally, it was time to execute the plan.
Twenty CH-47 Chinook helicopters were sitting on the airfield, waiting for their troopers to board. Ten AH-60 Black Hawks were spooling up to fly combat cover for the transport aircraft. Three UH-60 Dustoff helos were preparing to follow.
Marcus walked briskly up to his team...Roman's Legion. As they gathered around him, he outlined the plan and assigned personnel key tasks to be accomplished. Before sending them to their aircraft, he looked at them and said, "Thank you...thank you all!"
Strike Team Talkalai flew into the darkness! As the flight of 33 helicopters passed over the small city of Globe, half of them turned northeast to be able to circle around the northern side of Talkalai Lake. The other half angled southeast to approach from the target site from the south. Within an hour, all 33 aircraft were on the ground with engines shut down. Thus far they had avoided detection. Hebert's Headhunters and Dillon's began were making the difficult night march from the north while the members of Roman's Legion awaited the initial attack upon the compound to make their drop into the compound.
Shortly after 3:00 a.m., Hebert and Dillon signaled that their personnel were in position. Roman's helos and the medivac helos spooled up. When they were prepared, Marcus signaled all teams to commence Operation Desert Rescue. Dillon's Marshalls popped flares and began laying down a base of fire while Hebert's Headhunters breached the compound walls, infiltrated the compound, and began taking out any cartel personnel they could find. Taking prisoners was secondary to locating and rescuing their captured colleague.
Less than a minute later, Roman's Legion fast-roped onto the top of the compound's main building. As soon as each team of two touched the roof, they released their connections to their ropes and proceeded into the structure. The soft whispers of silenced weapons firing could be heard as cartel members were quickly being taken down in ones and twos. In a minute, the top floor was cleared and Roman's Legion moved down the stairs to the next lower level. Marcus kept up with his troops despite still being in some pain from his injuries at the hands of the cartel's enforcers.
One by one, the men and women of Roman's Legion cleared the floor until only one room remained. As an ASGuard trooper stepped up to over the door, a shotgun blast tore through it, striking the woman in the chest. Fortunately, her body armor and helmet faceshield blocked the majority of the pellets and splinters. The force of the blast did knock her from her feet and two of her fellow ASGuard quickly pulled her to one side to check her injuries.
Captain Hebert radioed Marcus that the compound itself was secure. Marcus ordered two of his Legion to take their wounded friend out of the building and prepare her for evacuation. Sergeant Major Templeton stepped forward with a halligan-bar. Normally a tool used by firefighters, a halligan-bar is very useful in prying open doors. Templeton inserted the split blade of the tool between the door frame and door just above the top hinge and pried. The top of the door came loose. With Templeton on one side and another trooper on the other, they forced the door down and open. Another shotgun blast shattered the room's quiet darkness but didn't hit anyone this time. They heard a grunting sound, then the sound of a rifle or shotgun falling upon the floor.
Templeton and the other trooper leaped through the doorway, followed closely by Marcus. In one corner, they could see Teresa being held by a tall man who was standing behind her and holding a long, sharp knife to her throat. Marcus felt his heart rise up into this throat...here was the woman he loved, so close, yet still in mortal danger.
"Stay back, Roman, or I'll cut her throat," threatened the knife wielder. Marcus recognized the man's voice. He was the leader of the cartel thugs who had kidnapped Teresa from the ranch house. Marcus holstered his weapon and signaled Templeton and the other troops to combat sling their weapons...seemingly disarming them yet able to swing back into operation.
"You're going to let me take your woman and leave, Roman," the man said while trying to move towards the doorway. Marcus and his troops held their ground.
"No, we're not," Marcus said in a matter of fact manner. "We're going to capture or kill you before you can harm my wife. If we capture you, we'll find out everything you know about your cartel and the others. Then we're going to dismantle them...permanently! If we kill you, we're still going to destroy the cartels."
"Big words from a man whose wife could die any minute," the thug said nervously, his eyes darting from Marcus to Templeton then the other ASGuards troopers. Templeton noticed the one direction the hostage taker couldn't see was the corner behind him. "Colonel, I think we may need to let him go," Templeton said to Roman. Marcus looked at Templeton then realized the old NCO had an idea that might shorten this standoff.
Looking back at the cartel thug, Marcus said, "Okay, okay...give us a moment to get a helicopter into the compound for you. Sergeant Major, you go take care of that." Templeton stepped from the room as if to do so. Templeton, once clear of the room, doubled around to the outer side of the corner the man was standing in.
I hope there's some insulation in this wall, he thought. It should deaden the sound. He could barely hear Marcus talking to the man on the other side of the wall. Templeton drew his combat knife which he had honed to a razor-sharp edge and point. He slowly very cautiously drew the sharpened tip across the dry wall. He repeated this until the blade had cut through the drywall. After completing a horizontal incision, he made two verticals, then another horizontal. Using his knife, he carefully pried the piece out of the way and set it aside. There was indeed some fiberglass insulation in the airspace between the sheets of drywall.
Templeton quietly pulled handfuls of the material out of the airspace and pitched it aside. His knife cut the paper backing away exposing the backside of the next sheet of drywall. Again, working slowly and as silently as possible, Templeton used his knife to cut into the drywall to weaken it. He signaled an ASGuard trooper over and whispered instructions to the young woman. She nodded and hurried to the doorway. Looking in, she could see the cartel member still i
n the same spot as earlier. "Colonel, Sergeant Major says things are ready on your GO signal, sir!" When Roman acknowledged, she turned and moved to where Templeton could see her and gave the old NCO a thumbs-up.
Marcus sighed then said, "Look, amigo, we've got a helicopter ready for you but you've got to let my wife go. Otherwise it's a no go."
The knife wielding cartel member grew angry. "You are not listening to me, hombre. And you are not fooling me. I let her go, you'll kill me. She goes with me...now move aside!"
Marcus held his ground. He looked directly into Teresa's eyes and she recognized his look of determination and that he dropping his gaze. Her eyes widened as she got the clue. Marcus looked at the cartel member, his voice rose as he responded to the man. "Then it seems we're at an impasse. What else would you expect me to do...NOW!"
Marcus yelled the last word. As he did so, two powerful hands and arms burst through the drywall behind the thug, grabbed the man by the head, and yanked him backwards. Surprised, the cartel thug's grasp on Teresa slipped and she dropped away from the man. Marcus dove over her and slammed into the kidnapper's torso, his hand catching the man's wrists. Two ASGuard troopers raced into the room, scooped Teresa from the floor, and carried her away.
With his wife clear of the imminent danger, Marcus yelled to Templeton to release the man. As soon as he did so, the thug got his knife had free and tried to swing the knife at Marcus' abdomen. Marcus was able to dodge the swing and get another grip on the man's wrist and apply leverage. The man dropped the knife when Marcus snapped the man's forearm. As the criminal tried to use his opposite hand to support his injured arm, Marcus drove his elbows downward onto the man's collar bones, breaking one of them and forcing the man to his knees. Marcus grabbed the man by his hair on his head. As Marcus brought his right knee up forcefully, he drove the man's head forward and downward equally forcefully. He did this three times before the man went limp and slid to the floor. Marcus stepped forward and, turning slightly, brought the heel of his combat boot down forcibly on the man's groin. The bastard's manhood was crushed beyond repair.
Templeton was waiting for Marcus at the doorway. "See if the bastard is still alive, Temp," said Marcus as he passed his top NCO. "If he is, put him in handcuffs!"
In the hallway, Marcus looked for Teresa. One of his ASGuard troopers directed him to a side room. Looking in, Marcus saw two ASGuard medics carefully examining Teresa. Seeing her husband, she held out her arms to him and he stepped to her and knelt down taking her in his arms.
"It's okay, Honey," he said over and over. "You're safe! We're taking you home!" Running on adrenaline, he lifted his wife in his arms and let the medics guide them from the building. Outside, ASGuard personnel were busy directing the three Dustoff helos into the landing zone. The first helo landed and Colonel Fasnacht, the ASGuard chief medical officer, and two medics leaped out. Marcus carried Teresa to the CMO and his team then set her upon a litter.
"Take good care of my best girl, Doc!" Marcus said then turned back to meet up with Major Dillon and Captain Hebert.
Dillon reported that nine ASGuard personnel were injured and two had been killed in the operation. Twelve cartel members were in custody while thirty-one had been killed in the assault. Teresa's captor was amongst the living! Marcus thanked them and asked that they pass along his thanks to their personnel. He then walked over to his radio operator.
"ASGuard HQ, this is Centurion," said Marcus using his old call sign. "Repeating, ASGuard HQ, this is Centurion, come in."
"ASGuard HQ, ASGuard Actual speaking," came the voice of Major General Titus A. Roman. "Status, Centurion?"
Marcus smiled as he keyed the mike. He could hear the eagerness in his father's voice. "Mission successful, sir! Ballbuster is safe! Repeating, Ballbuster is safe!"
"Out-freaking standing, Centurion!" responded the general. "Well done, all. Anything else!"
"Yessir!" Marcus responded. He reported the capture of the compound, the number of captives, injuries, and casualties. He ended his report with, "Dillon's Marshalls will stay behind to complete securing and documenting evidence. Hebert's Headhunters will deliver the captives to ASGuard HQ for interrogation. Legion will return to HQ with Ballbuster, sir!"
"Very good, colonel! Bring our girl home! ASGuard Actual, out!"
Marcus passed along final orders to Dillon and Hebert before gathering his Legion. As they boarded Chinooks, Marcus checked to see if he could ride back to headquarters with Teresa. The doctor pulled him into the helo then gave the pilot the go-ahead to lift off.
Medical teams were standing by on the helipad as the Dustoffs came in. Teresa and the other wounded were transferred to gurneys and rushed into the hospital wing. As Teresa was wheeled into the emergency ward, Marcus kissed her softly on the lips and let the doctors and nurses take her. Marcus turned as he heard his father and mother approach.
"How is she?" Marion Roman asked, worry written upon her face.
"She's alive, injured but not gravely so. Doc thinks she'll recover," Marcus said solemnly. He embraced his parents as they added their thoughts and prayers to his.
**********
An hour later, Colonel Fasnacht stepped into the waiting room and approached the Romans. He sat down across from them and took a sip of coffee before speaking.
"Her physical injuries were relatively minor and easy to treat. No sign of rape or other sexual assault. She's dehydrated and mildly malnourished," he reported. "Marcus, I'm sure she would rather tell you this herself but I've already given her a sedative so she can rest. Marcus, Teresa was pregnant...but had a miscarriage while in captivity. The trauma of the attack upon you two at the ranch triggered the miscarriage. I am very sorry for your loss, son." He stood, gripped Marcus' shoulder for a moment, then left the Romans to deal with their loss.
A short time later, Marcus walked into Teresa's room, pulled a chair up next to her bed, and sat down. He reached out and took his wife's hand in his and pressed his lips to her hand. Teresa's eyelids flickered and through the haze of the sedative, she recognized her husband. "Hi, Honey! Did the doctor tell you the bad news?"
Marcus stood up and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes," he replied, his voice choking.
"I was going to tell you the next morning that I was pregnant," Teresa said softly. "Bastards ruined the surprise..." Teresa began to cry. Marcus leaned down to hold her gently and kiss her.
"We'll try again, my love," he reassured her. "We'll try again."
Teresa drifted back to sleep. Marcus sat next to her and wept for their lost child.
Chapter 13
Six months passed. The ASGuard raids that occurred across Arizona the night Captain Teresa Roman was rescued broke the back of the cartels in that state. Drug smuggling, violent crimes, and other cartel criminal operations were down dramatically.
Four months after Teresa's rescue, Marcus and Templeton were sent on a very special mission...to deport the leader of the cartel's kidnap team, who had been captured during Captain Teresa Roman's rescue. A message was to be sent to the cartels still operating south of the border and the man about to be released would deliver it. Marcus and Templeton watched as the jumpmaster double checked the man's parachute harness before moving him to the open doorway and connecting the chute's static line. The man shivered, the cold air near the doorway striking his naked body. Clearly visible in indelible ink on the man's chest and back were the words: STAY OUT OF ARIZONA!
As the ASGuard C-130 passed over the main cartel compound at 3,000 feet, the jumpmaster shoved the man out the door. The static line to the man's parachute yanked the chute from the backpack. It unfurled and the sudden shock of it opening must have been extremely painful to Teresa's kidnapper as the harness' groin straps dug into the former location of his manhood. Two Arizona flags attached to the parachute risers flapped in the breeze!
As the chute opened, four flash-bang grenades were released from the man's harness and fell toward the cartel compound below. One after another, the flash
-bangs detonated. The cartel members on the ground assumed they were under attack from the air and opened fire with their weapons. The kidnapper's body jerked back and forth as numerous bullets struck it. By the time it reached the ground, the kidnapper was dead.
"Sergeant Major Templeton," said Marcus, "I think that's poetic justice, don't you?"
"Yessir!" Templeton replied. "Or maybe a little irony, even? You know, killed by his own people. Tsk tsk." The two warriors shared a smile and laugh. Another enemy dead and they lived on to fight another day.
Marcus keyed his intercom microphone, calling for the pilot. When the pilot answered, Marcus said, "We're done here, Fred! Let's head for the bar."
**********
With the cartel operations badly damaged, at least for the time being, the Romans took a well-deserved vacation at the Roman Ranch. It helped the Romans to relax knowing that the area was heavily patrolled by ASGuard, Sheriff's Department, and Highway Patrol personnel.
One afternoon, the Romans hosted another old fashion barbecue with the help of Hank and the ranch hands. Ernesto and Isabel Cortez had been driven down from Sedona to enjoy the festivities and spend some time with the in-laws. Governor Alvarez, Ken Halsted, Aaron Templeton, and Liam W. Evanston were also in attendance. Evanston held court to one side of the large patio with his two Huskies lying at his feet. Marion Roman kept shooing Titus, Ernesto, Templeton, and Ken away from the author. "Mr. Evanston is a guest, you guys! Stop hovering over the poor fellow like a bunch of overage fanboys!" she pleaded.
Evanston and his stalwart fans chuckled. "Mrs. Roman, the adulation of fans is manna from heaven to an author!" Evanston told Marion then turned back to discuss another book with his readers.
Across the patio, Teresa and Marcus sat chatting with Governor Alvarez. She was only a few years older than Marcus and the young couple found they shared many common interests with their state's chief executive.
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy Page 16
