Read Online TYRANT: The Rise by L. Douglas Hogan - Free Book Online
Authors: L. Douglas Hogan
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what I need from the two of you. I need to know how many vets and LEs we have out there, what the vets MOSes were, what the LEs area of expertise is, what our inventory on weapons and ammo is, and what health factors we need to concern ourselves with.”
“Roger that,” Denny said, and he turned and walked out the door, leaving Jess and Nathan alone. Jess looked at Nathan with her big brown eyes and smirked.
“What’s the plan, boss?”
“I want to go back to the prison and see what we can find out. I’m not saying I want to settle in it, I just want to know what it’s being used for. If it’s being used for a temporary housing facility, we need to take it and save the people.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, but as I was in there grabbing weapons, I heard the sounds of a crowd, so I checked into it. I saw several inmates clustered into the courtyard with a UN guard positioned in the tower overhead. I didn’t have time to think much of it, so I ran out.”
“I wonder if they were actually inmates or UN prisoners.”
“They could be both, but there’s no real way of knowing until we get in there again. That guard in the tower could have taken a pop at me, but he didn’t. He just stared at me.”
“That is a little weird,” Nathan said. “How do you feel about putting it to the test again?” he asked Jess.
“You mean, like, just stroll into the prison again and wave at the guard?”
“Maybe. I’m thinking that there’s a reason he didn’t shoot at you or jump on the radio. I’m suggesting we get in there and find out why,” Nathan said.
“Well, let’s do it. We can put a plan of action together on the way,” she said as Nathan pulled the door open and held it for her. She smiled at him and walked out the door, saying, “Chivalry might just save your life someday.”
CHAPTER XI
“Back blast area clear,” the Marines shouted out, one at a time, as each began launching their TOW missiles towards the UN tugs. Foreign languages were being yelled from the barges they had in tow. It could only be surmised that they were shouting “incoming” or “take cover” as they were being hit by the well-placed missiles. The Marines were landing shots beyond three thousand yards. There was one exception. TOW missiles contain quite a bit of technology. From time to time a missile will travel off course. The end result will be the same: destruction. In this case, there was severe collateral damage as the missile struck one of the shipping containers. The result was catastrophic. The fire plume was wide and knocked out more than one container and sent others off the barge and into the river.
“Stay on target,” Buchanan and Franks rang out as they yelled at the TOW gunners, even though they both knew it was not operator error. Their commands to “stay on target” were two-fold. It reconfirmed with the Marines that they should keep engaging the enemy and not to stop the assault. It’s easy to get caught up in mourning for the loss of the fallen, but that can wait until the mission task is complete.
“There will be time to mourn the loss of American life after we’ve sent those Blues to the deep,” Buchanan said.
The exchange of gunfire continued from behind and in between the shipping containers, as the UN troops were using the bulky steel boxes for cover. The gunfire slowed as the bow of the barges gave rise over the top of the sinking tugboats. The weight and velocity of the barges, even loaded with tons of steel and Americans, were no match for the mighty Mississippi River. Since the ships were headed north, they were moving slowly against the river’s current, but that was changing now that the decks of the tugboats were in direct opposition to the flow of the river. The barges were crashing against the half-sunk tugs and the bows of the barges were rising as they crashed into, and upon, the tugs. The UN troops were now either dropping their weapons to hold onto something stable, or
“Roger that,” Denny said, and he turned and walked out the door, leaving Jess and Nathan alone. Jess looked at Nathan with her big brown eyes and smirked.
“What’s the plan, boss?”
“I want to go back to the prison and see what we can find out. I’m not saying I want to settle in it, I just want to know what it’s being used for. If it’s being used for a temporary housing facility, we need to take it and save the people.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, but as I was in there grabbing weapons, I heard the sounds of a crowd, so I checked into it. I saw several inmates clustered into the courtyard with a UN guard positioned in the tower overhead. I didn’t have time to think much of it, so I ran out.”
“I wonder if they were actually inmates or UN prisoners.”
“They could be both, but there’s no real way of knowing until we get in there again. That guard in the tower could have taken a pop at me, but he didn’t. He just stared at me.”
“That is a little weird,” Nathan said. “How do you feel about putting it to the test again?” he asked Jess.
“You mean, like, just stroll into the prison again and wave at the guard?”
“Maybe. I’m thinking that there’s a reason he didn’t shoot at you or jump on the radio. I’m suggesting we get in there and find out why,” Nathan said.
“Well, let’s do it. We can put a plan of action together on the way,” she said as Nathan pulled the door open and held it for her. She smiled at him and walked out the door, saying, “Chivalry might just save your life someday.”
CHAPTER XI
“Back blast area clear,” the Marines shouted out, one at a time, as each began launching their TOW missiles towards the UN tugs. Foreign languages were being yelled from the barges they had in tow. It could only be surmised that they were shouting “incoming” or “take cover” as they were being hit by the well-placed missiles. The Marines were landing shots beyond three thousand yards. There was one exception. TOW missiles contain quite a bit of technology. From time to time a missile will travel off course. The end result will be the same: destruction. In this case, there was severe collateral damage as the missile struck one of the shipping containers. The result was catastrophic. The fire plume was wide and knocked out more than one container and sent others off the barge and into the river.
“Stay on target,” Buchanan and Franks rang out as they yelled at the TOW gunners, even though they both knew it was not operator error. Their commands to “stay on target” were two-fold. It reconfirmed with the Marines that they should keep engaging the enemy and not to stop the assault. It’s easy to get caught up in mourning for the loss of the fallen, but that can wait until the mission task is complete.
“There will be time to mourn the loss of American life after we’ve sent those Blues to the deep,” Buchanan said.
The exchange of gunfire continued from behind and in between the shipping containers, as the UN troops were using the bulky steel boxes for cover. The gunfire slowed as the bow of the barges gave rise over the top of the sinking tugboats. The weight and velocity of the barges, even loaded with tons of steel and Americans, were no match for the mighty Mississippi River. Since the ships were headed north, they were moving slowly against the river’s current, but that was changing now that the decks of the tugboats were in direct opposition to the flow of the river. The barges were crashing against the half-sunk tugs and the bows of the barges were rising as they crashed into, and upon, the tugs. The UN troops were now either dropping their weapons to hold onto something stable, or
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