Read Online Black Storm by David Poyer - Free Book Online Page B

deep into hostile territory without support or heavy weapons, they avoided contact with enemy forces. Stealth and silence saved you violence. To be detected, to have to fight, meant they’d failed. They’d just have to plan as thoroughly as they could, practice as much as they had time for, then go out and do it. This was war. Some things didn’t take a lot of thought.
    But deep down he was worried. Usually you got a geographic objective, a specific place or at least an area to scout. The intel officer had given them no guidance on location. He didn’t like the idea of only two days to prepare. He also didn’t like going in with a mixed team. He knew Zeitner and Vertierra, Nichols less well, but he didn’t know this Blaisell at all, except that he’d been with the LAVs during the battle around OP-4. A recon team trained together, deployed together, knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. You could accept risk, because you knew you could trust the guys around you. He wouldn’t have that on this mission. Nor was he happy about having non-marine attachments. They could be a royal pain in the ass. Worse, they could be mission killers. Weak people who held the team back. Careless people who gave away their position. Untrained people who just plain fucked up.
    He was thinking about all this. But he didn’t say anything. Not yet.
    The door banged open and a stocky lieutenant colonel came in. The captain shouted, “Attention on deck,” and the men leaped to their feet. Gault recognized Paulik then. He’d seen him around the head shed in Quantico, asa major. Paulik told them to stand at ease. He asked Kohler, “Done the basic mission brief?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œTell them about our source?”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    To the room he said, “Welcome to ‘Ar‘ar. My name’s Paulik. I’m the ops chief for Special Reconnaissance Group.
    â€œOur source says this thing’s in Baghdad. But we shook the imagery shop and nothing fell out. So we suspect it might be beneath Baghdad. Baghdad’s an old city. We’re not sure exactly what’s down there. They say you can go from one side of Rome to the other underground, in the sewers and tunnels. Maybe we can do that here. Maybe not. Anyway, that’s why we’re reconstituting the UAT. Specifically for the urban combat, underground navigation expertise.
    â€œWe have an agent in place. He’s a member of the Shiite resistance run by the Syrian intelligence service. That is, an Iraqi who’s a Syrian intelligence asset. The Syrians are Ba’athists, but they hate the Iraqis even though they’re Ba’athists too. What can I say, this is the Middle East. He’s agreed to meet up with the team, if you can make it in without detection, and guide you to the objective.
    â€œAll right, are we all tracking, before we get deeper into the brief?”
    Gault stood up again. “Two questions, sir. First off—this asset, the guy who’s supposed to take us in. Any chance he could be leading us into a setup? And does he really know where this thing is?”
    â€œI’m not sure I can give you an answer that’ll satisfy you, Gunny. He’s not ours and we don’t have a straight pipeline to him,” Paulik said. “So basically it’ll be up to you to evaluate him on the ground, decide what level of credibility you want to give him.”
    â€œI’ve had some experience with the Syrians, sir. They like to play both sides.”
    â€œI hear you, but we don’t have a choice. What’s your second question?”
    â€œBaghdad’s five hundred miles inside Iraq, sir. If they detect us—will there be an emergency extract package? Or will we have to E and E on our own?”
    â€œYou tell me. We’ll back you up. You team oriented, Gunnery Sergeant?”
    â€œYes, sir, I am.”
    â€œThey handed us the ball. Deep