Wicked Awake

by Merrill David

  Each MEU consists of a Command Element, a Ground Combat Element; separated into a Battalion Landing Team that includes three rifle companies, a weapons company, and a battery of artillery and platoons of the following: combat engineers, light armored reconnaissance, tanks, Force Reconnaissance and amphibious assault vehicles), an Aviation Combat Element; built around squadrons of 25 to 30 Marines per CH-53E heavy lift helicopters, light attack helicopters and Harrier attack jets.

  There was also a Logistics Combat Element, who supplied additional support for the MEU. Jake was one of the 1,200 Marines assigned to the Ground Combat Element- specializing primarily in the operation of amphibious assault vehicles.

  MEUs deploy aboard an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), composed of three naval ships specifically designed to provide the Marines with a mobile base of operations. MEUs spend at least six months training for a variety of amphibious operations before they are deployed. Then, for six months at a time, Marine Expeditionary Units embark upon United States Navy warships and prepare to launch a range of missions—from humanitarian and peacekeeping missions to fullscale combat engagements, on extremely short notice.

  The 11th MEU was one of three units that maintained a presence in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Due to the nature of their expeditionary mission, they were able to deploy anywhere in the world.

  In the early months of Jake’s fourth year of enlistment, the three Marine Expeditionary Units were summoned to Afghanistan to begin training for an operation which would later be termed the “ Operation Everlasting Freedom.”

  They eventually would play a large part in dismantling the Taliban and wiping the slate clean of al-Qaeda in the entire region.

  Although Jake’s unit saw much wartime battle action in that operation, Marine 1st Lieutenant Jake Hathaway had become heavily involved in another, much more classified project. A group of Five Star Generals had assembled to form a committee to address the issue regarding a recent trend of Marine recruits who washed out of the boot camp training regimen due to being too mentally and /or physically weak.

  Also, some who successfully completed training had to be discharged soon afterwards when they were deployed in third world countries and thrown into battle only to subsequently fold under the pressure.

  All the branches of the armed forces were seeing the same characteristics in this new wave of recruits. These “millennials” were coming into training camp with the initial appearance of being ambitious, achievement-oriented, and seeking out new challenges.

  However, this group also appreciated being kept in the loop, were not afraid to question authority, and craved attention in the forms of feedback, praise and guidance. These traits were contrary to the timeless American military tradition of discipline, chain of command, and doing what you are told without question, and without questioning why. So much for the old school, hardcore military drill sergeant’s cadence of, “yours is not to question why; yours is but to do or die!”

  This new committee was formed with the objective of developing a plan to turn the new generation of soldiers into modern day ‘Berserkers’. Icelandic and Scandinavian historians alike wrote of their description of Berserkers as soldiers who were as strong as bears or wild oxen, and as mad as dogs or wolves, and feared nothing and no one.

  They rushed forward suddenly into battle in a demoniacal frenzy and without armor. Neither edged weapons nor fire could deter them. They furiously bit at and devoured the edges of their shields, eager and anxious at the chance to slay and destroy.

  They would rush through the perils of crackling fires; gulping down fiery coals by snatching live embers in their mouths and letting them pass down into their innards. And when they had ravaged through every sort of madness, they turned their swords with rage against the hearts of their enemies.

  So now the wise men of this US Marine Corps panel decided to appoint someone to head a project with the goal of turning modern day Marines into medieval times ‘Berserkers’, under the guise of forming a ‘Strength and Conditioning, Health and Nutritional Wellness Plan.’

  Considering his personal commitment to physical fitness and weight training, Hathaway seemed like the obvious choice for the person to head up this new Marine venture. He was given a team of scientists and physicians to assist him in his testing and planning, as well as three volunteers who signed waivers, relinquishing them of any opportunities of filing liability claims in the future should the experiments go awry.

  The volunteers, or perhaps a more accurate depiction for them would be the ‘volunTOLDs,’ were highly encouraged to accept these assignments or find themselves in even fewer desirable positions in the very near future.

  These were quite possibly the three guys in the unit who were nothing more than the most expendable of the group. The thought being that if these soldiers ended up damaged somehow or for some reason, there really wasn’t much of a loss. These were already considered to be the least dependable and/or talented soldiers they had.

  But if somehow these treatments did transform these men into ‘Invulnerable Warriors,’ then it would be a win-win all around.

  This trio of selected soldiers would include men with just about the most opposite upbringing possible: Barrett Blackhoof was birthed by a single mother and into the Shawnee Tribe of Native Americans in eastern Oklahoma. The Shawnees are a federally recognized tribe, once considered part of the Cherokee Nation.

  After his father walked out on the family, and then his young mother died of a drug overdose about six months later, the ten-year-old Barrett had no family to turn to and nowhere to land.

  He was eventually scooped up by a state-run Child Protective Services agency that placed Barrett in a Caucasian foster home outside of Shawnee territory. He was often bullied and chastised for celebrating his family heritage, making him want nothing more than to someday be able to rub it all back in their faces, make his name become a household word. A name that people would never forget.

  Levi Fiedler grew up in a small town of roughly 5,700 people, in Chadron, Nebraska. He was a goofy-looking, tall, slender and freckle covered Caucasian kid with large ears who had never really had any friends growing up.

  He joined ROTC while in high school and then upon graduation, he immediately met with a recruiter to sign enlist in any branch of the military that would show interest in him first. Fiedler could have cared less about defending his country and the freedoms that it promises. He was hoping to become a part of something, anything, much larger than himself. He desperately wanted to belong to someone or something, and to be a part of a cause.

  The third volunteer was an interesting character named Daniel Camacho, one who would become very influential in the actions and lives of the previously mentioned soldiers. As a collaborative effort and after much thought, the team dubbed this new endeavor the “Zeus Project.” This moniker was inspired by the Greeks, who considered Zeus the King of the Gods; who supervised the universe, to include the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice. The name seemed fitting as the goal was to turn some loser GI’s into Immortal, “Invincible Warrior” GODS.

  As a result of his hard work and dedication in this new assignment, Hathaway was promoted to Captain on July 15th in only his fourth year of service in the Corps.

  It was an unprecedented leap in rank in what was the beginning of what could have been a great military career, had it not been for an unpredictable turn of events that would follow. The arrival of November marked the start of Operation Everlasting Freedom, and Jake and Camacho, as part of the 11th MEU, were deployed to Afghanistan, where their unit played a prominent role.

  The combined forces encompassing the U.S. military and its allied forces established their first ground base in Afghanistan, known as FOB Rhino, to the south west of Kandahar. These troops went on to further destroy the Taliban and suspected al-Qaeda in that region.

  In early March of the following year, the 11th MEU, as part of the United States military, joined with all
ied Afghan military forces. They conducted a large operation in efforts to destroy al-Qaeda in an operation code-named Operation Anaconda.

  It would be during this deployment that Captain Hathaway would find himself in a scenario that would eventually change his and many other lives forever….

  Chapter Four - Mutiny Within

  Earle Cabell Federal Building and U.S. District Court, Downtown Dallas (Present Day) Prosecutor Ferron took a deep breath, then stood up from his perch before taking a prolonged stroll which ended adjacent to the jury box. There he paused momentarily before resuming his closing arguments.

  “You heard from our witness, Holly and Rich’s next-door neighbor named Gladys Torrence. Thank God for people like Gladys Torrence. “She was a close friend of the victims. She testified that she remembered when Rich and Holly moved into their modest three-bedroom red brick ranch house next door. Soon afterwards Holly gave birth to baby Carson. Gladys even babysat little Carson occasionally. But soon after that, Mrs. Torrence noticed the couple appeared to be having some marital problems. Several times she heard yelling and screaming coming from the couple’s house - their bedroom was at the end of their house closest to Torrence’s residence.

  “Shortly after Carson was born, Rich and Holly separated, and Rich moved out. Gladys doesn’t know where Rich moved to, but she saw him return usually on weekends to visit. Rich appeared different, though. She alleged that maybe he was drinking alcohol or taking drugs. And I propose to you jury members that Rich was using these drugs to escape the fact that he knew his brother Jake was havingan affair with his wife, Holly.”

  The large group of trial observers gasped as one, and Jake began to hemorrhage with a wrath unequaled. It was bad enough he was being framed for two murders, but now he was being painted as an adulterer as well. And with his sister-in-law, nonetheless!

  He turned his head to stare directly into the moist eyes of his girlfriend and soul mate, and he shook his head side to side to refute the cheating allegation and to let her know it was a sham. Tears rolled down Amanda’s cheeks. She placed her face down toward her lap and in the palms of her hands.

  The prosecutor continued to spew his lies and falsities. “Of course, Rich’s drinking and drug use cannot be confirmed - but nevertheless, Gladys affirmed there was a change in Rich’s posture. His overall manner and appearance had deteriorated, as well as his hygiene.

  “Gladys also noticed on several occasions that there was a different vehicle going in and out of Holly’s garage, which was attached to the house. This car was white and large - looked like a police car. It definitely was not Rich’s tiny little blue Mazda Miata with the soft-top convertible.

  “And remember what she saw on that afternoon of February Eighth? Gladys recalled at about 12:35 p.m., she was in her vegetable garden on the west side of her house. She was just fifty yards from Holly’s yard. A large white and blue police SUV pulled in front of Holly’s house. A white cop and his police dog walked into Holly’s driveway, then walked up to the front door.

  Ferron continued. “The cop didn’t knock, didn’t yell ‘search warrant’ or nothing. He just kicked the door in with one kick of his boot. Gladys was terrified for the safety of her neighbor, Holly. She even feared for her own safety. Gladys ran into her own house and grabbed binoculars. She investigatedHolly’s home through a variety of open windows. She could not believe what she saw next.”

  “The cop and his police dog were inside the front of the residence. Meanwhile in the back - kitchen area, Holly was trying to feed baby Carson some birthday cake. Suddenly, the vicious dog just started jumping up on Holly. The dog was biting, clawing, tearing, and shredding the flesh on Holly’s arms and upper torso. Then the cop started shooting her!”

  “Yes, you heard that right! A young mother simply attempting to have a nice birthday party for her baby gets gunned down in her own kitchen! My god…”

  Ferron took a dramatic pause, shook his head side to side and sighed before proceeding. “Holly toppled onto the floor – dead. She dropped the baby. The cop picked the baby up and used only his right hand to hold Carson by his foot, dangling the baby upside down. The bad white cop then walked back outside with his killer k9. He put the baby in the front passenger seat of the police truck andwalked back toward Holly’s house.

  “Gladys continued to watch as Rich appeared in the front yard and tried to rescue his baby boy. He soon found himself under attack. The defendant then commanded his vicious K9 police partner to attack Rich. I believe Gladys described the dog as a ‘hellhound’. The dog was viciously tearing away at Rich’s body with his huge fangs. Here we have a so- called lawman using his trained killer police dog as a weapon! But it gets worse.

  “ Gladys then watched in horror as Jake used his taser to shoot Rich in the face, filling Rich’s noggin with 50,000 volts of electricity. Then he drew his Glock automatic .40-caliber pistol and shot Rich five times in the chest. But that wasn’t even enough for Jake. He didn’t even stop there. The defendant was so filled with anger, hatred, and jealousy that he was not satisfied with just murdering his victims. He wanted overkill!

  “He removed his large Marine issue K -Bar fighting knife with the seven-inch carbon steel blade from the sheath on his left ankle. He then viciously stabbed the blade into Rich’s forehead, nearly taking off the top half of Rich’s head!

  “Rich would not take another breath of air after this. He would never live to see his baby son Carson blow out the candles on a birthday cake ever again. This murder happened right in the front yard - in front of an eyewitness – Gladys. Thank God the crazed defendant did not see Gladys watching. Who knows what he would have done to her!!!”

  A dramatic cessation followed, as Prosecutor Ferron acted all choked up. He took a swig from the tall glass of ice water on the table in front of him. He swallowed the water and then set the glass back down on the table before continuing.

  “After the murders, Jake and his deputized hellhound kidnapped baby Carson and drove away. They offered no medical attention to their victims. Jake left them there to rot where they lie.”

  At no point in Ferron’s statement about Witness Torrence did he mention that she was no longer alive. That detail and the story behind it were just a couple more facts that failed to see the light of day during this presentation by the prosecution team.

  Ferron continued: “Now, you also remember the testimony given by FBI Agent Danny Camacho, don’t you?” “Danny Camacho.” Just hearing that name again infuriated Jake, causing his blood to boil and pop within his veins. His heart began to pound rapidly, and his breathing became deeper. Jake found himself taking oxygen into his body through flared nostrils and between clenched teeth.

  Danny and Jake shared some history together years earlier in the Marine Corps. But these two would never sit down together amiably and drink beer together – that’s for sure. Young Daniel Camacho was the oldest of three siblings born to Hector and Maria Camacho. This young couple, just five years before Daniel’s birth, had been filled with the ambition to someday find full-time, well-paying jobs for each of them. Like many other couples, they had hopes of being able to afford the cost of raising a family. For this reason, they knew they had to flee the poverty and insecurity of Mexico. So, they illegally crossed into the United States in pursuit of their dreams.

  The family settled in the Compton area of southern Los Angeles. It was a rough neighborhood, to say the least. One had to be physically and mentally tough in order to survive this urban jungle. Young Danny struggled to endure life in this difficult setting. And to make matters worse, at the young age of just seven, he lost the only real male role model in his life. Danny’s father was killed in an automobile collision, leaving Maria and the children fending for survival on their own.

  In June the year following Jake’s enlistment , Danny Camacho entered the Marine Corps and reported to the Recruit Depot in San Diego. Like most new Marines, he was full of piss and vinegar and eager to get boot camp past him. Camacho coul
d not wait for the opportunity to be deployed and see some real combat time.

  Danny was what some would des cribe as a ‘gym rat’. He had spent most of his time growing up bench pressing and lifting weights in the backyard of his mother’s modest Compton residence. The yard was enclosed by a six-foot chain-link fence and was protected from within by two aggressively trained pitbulls named Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno.

  As a result of his backyard benching, Danny’s six -foot two-inch frame was muscle packed and ripped. Although his last name was of Hispanic origin and he had a brown complexion, Camacho spoke little Spanish. The extent of his Espanol was “Nachos Bell Grande and Burrito Supreme.”

  After completing boot camp, Camacho was sent to Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California. There he spent several more weeks in the School of Infantry, followed by several more strenuous weeks of learning amphibious assault techniques.

  At the conclusion of this training, Corporal Camacho found himself assigned to the West Coast 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU), as was Jake Hathaway. They were two of the 1200 Marines in the Ground Combat Element that specializes in light armored reconnaissance.

  Jake and Camacho often trained together in teams. Camacho quickly gained a reputation of being cocky. He seemed to be a self-centered prick who cared much more about his individual fame and glory than about the unit or the Corps or defending his country.

  But as large as the unit was, Jake was able to avoid Camacho as much as possible when it came to ‘down time’ away from the base. And when it was time to resume training and get back to the grind of Corps life, Jake was able to maintain a professional working relationship with Danny. This was possible, although Jake considered Camacho to be nothing more than a pompous, obnoxious, douchebag.

  Later that same year in the summertime, some of the drill sergeants from the base got together and planned a boxing tournament. The motivation behind the fights was in an attempt to create some competition, team building, and pride in all the troops.