Report #3270, Transcript Section #44
(Operation SANDMAN)
©1998-1999 Shane Ivey

KEEPER: The team was at the little rural airport, having just received a shipment of weaponry.

KEEPER: Dep. Marshal Walter Brenneman, a Friendly, has joined you.

CABOT: Just rehash the assignments, me and Keen are fire support, but who's going in as Danforth's security?

KEEPER: Kelley.

CABOT: And the rest are going to comprise some type of ready-reaction force?

KEEPER: With Rogers and Lundquist waiting in a car not far away, I believe.

KEEPER: Rogers, L, and Brenneman.

CABOT: And the PI's babysitting the safe house?

KEEPER: Right

CABOT: How far are we from the objective?

CABOT: And it's late afternoon already, correct?

KEEPER: The airport is about 30 miles south of the farm.

KEEPER: Correct.

KEEPER: (Late afternoon)

CABOT: Shall we move out to a closer location and issue equipment, gentlemen?

KEEPER: The others nod.

CABOT: Let's go. (we have two vehicles with us, right? Or three?)

KEEPER: I believe you had two recently rented cars.

CABOT: That's right. If everyone's in agreement, let's move to a location about 15 minutes out from the objective.

CABOT: "Let's go."

CABOT: I get into a car, and when it's full of passengers, take off towards the farm.

KEEPER: The drive is quick, mostly along a state highway before a turn-off onto the rural route approaching the farm itself.

CABOT: Are there any good pull-off points in an out-of-the way area?

KEEPER: The country is flat, all farmland with occasional wide stands of oak.

KEEPER: You enter thicker woodland on the rural route, approaching the target. When you estimate another 15 minutes' drive, you're in a wooded area with plenty of cover.

CABOT: Okay, I pull the vehicle off the road and park it.

CABOT: According to our surveillance photos, does this road terminate at the farm or bypass it?

KEEPER: The other car pulls off, as well. Men pile out, some of them shrugging off tension.

KEEPER: The road passes the farm. The farm has a long dirt road approach--it's not directly visible from the main road.

CABOT: I begin to issue weapons and give the spiel on the OICWs.

CABOT: I also issue Kelley a dart-pistol and several darts of Versid, explaining the properties of the drug.

CABOT: "If you need to take out a sentry, use this. He'll drop for about a half hour and never remember a thing."

CABOT: "He also won't remember anything you happen to discuss with him during that time."

LUNDQUIST: I familiarize myself with the controls on my new OICW.

CABOT: "Just watch out for body armor. The darts can be manually deployed as well. The effect is nearly instantaneous, 1-10 seconds.

KEEPER: Kelley listens and nods, checking the dart pistol.

CABOT: JT, Lund, you guys better keep a dart gun ready just in case, too."

ROGERS: "OK"

CABOT: I then issue the night-vision equipment to each man.

CABOT: "Everyody familiar with these?"

LUNDQUIST: "I've used them, but not for a couple of years."

CABOT: I give the spiel on the AN/PVS to everyone.

KEEPER: Everyone else is familiar with them, some more than others.

KEEPER: Danforth needs the most instruction, but he's a very quick learner.

CABOT: "Okay, the plan is infilitration without engagement if at all possible, correct?"

KEEPER: Kelley says, "That's what I'd recommend. Stage one, intelligence-gathering and recon."

LUNDQUIST: "I concur."

KEEPER: "So we need to get the electronics experts in close enough to plant cameras that we can monitor remotely. How many are we looking to install?"

CABOT: "We can use one vehicle to drop Keen and I off near the entry road, we can move in on foot from there and establish a position that protects the road for egress, should that become a necessity. The other vehicle can insert the surveillance team."

CABOT: "If we move now and sit tight, we can observe the place in daylight and then you can move in after nightfall."

CABOT: "That'll better suit your egress if things go to shit."

CABOT: "The rest are to serve as the cavalry if we come under heavy opposition, then?"

KEEPER: Kelley nods. "Sounds good." He takes a breath and looks around, studying the landscape. "All right. Connor, let's check you out..." He takes Danforth aside and goes through the old ritual, adding and removing gear, giving a low, impromptu lesson in the art of sneaking.

LUNDQUIST: Heh heh.

CABOT: I dress Keen in a Ghillie suit and don one myself, check my sidearm, shouder the broke-down Barret and carry the 24 as my primary. I also make sure Keen's got his binoculars, night vision, and a weapon.

CABOT: "You ready?"

CABOT: "Remember, when I have my eyes to the sight, my world consists of about a 10' diameter circle, it's up to you to make sure someone doesn't walk up on us."

CABOT: "All our commo online?"

KEEPER: Kelley finishes his talk, and Danforth tests everything. "Sounds good."

CABOT: I look to Kelley and Connor, "If things deteriorate, make a break for the road and the escape vehicles. We'll do our best to incapacitate any pursuit."

CABOT: "JT, Lundquist?"

LUNDQUIST: "Yeah?"

ROGERS: "Check"

CABOT: "You might want to have one vehicle set back a ways in case we lose one. Wouldn't want to have to hitchhike out of here."

CABOT: "Plus, the one you come in on, God forbid, might not be road-worthy when it's time to leave."

ROGERS: "Make sure its the 4x4 so we can go crosscountry if we have to"

LUNDQUIST: "Right."

CABOT: "If we can get in and get settled without a hitch, the dirt road will be our killing field. If any of your "black helicopters" show up, I've got some ordinance that can handle them, so stay clear of them."

KEEPER: Keen and Kelley listen and nod agreement. Brenneman pays very close attention.

KEEPER: Kelley says, "So, we ready to move?"

CABOT: "Let's go." I pile into the back of the vehicle.

KEEPER: Kelley and Danforth follow. "No worries," Kelley says to Danforth with a grin. "Sneaking techies in and out is what I do for a living. Just pay attention to me, and you'll be fine."

CABOT: When our vehicle passes near the dirt road, I gesture for the driver to slow down and Keen and I peel out and lay low in the woodline.

KEEPER: The car slows enough for you to pile out, then it drives on. The other vehicle passes on for a similar job, placing Danforth and Kelley off the road well away from the dirt driveway before it moves away to wait.

KEEPER: Cabot, as you and Keen begin to move in your bulky ghillie suits you can tell that he's not quite used to this environment. He knows how to move slow and keep quiet, but he doesn't have Kelly's instincts for it or your training, and the suit is alien to him.

CABOT: We move slowly, stopping and getting low about every three minutes to listen and observe our surroundings.

CABOT: We also remain within sight of the dirt road at all times.

CABOT: I scan the trees and floor of the area for trip wires and surveillance devices.

KEEPER: And he's clumsy with the rifle. It looks like he may never have been in the field with one.

CABOT: Well, he'll learn or die trying.

KEEPER: That's the bad news. The good news is, he's good at blending--as long as you're not moving, he can settle in and hide just fine.

CABOT: Any sign of surveillance or the like?

KEEPER: Still early in your infiltration, you don't spy anything like that in the trees or along the road.

CABOT: We proceed at the same clip, walk about ten yards, sit for five minutes and watch.

CABOT: We use this technique until we reach the woodline near the farm adjacent to the road, if no interruptions occur.

KEEPER: Obviously, it's slow going, as always. The woods grow gradually darker as you go. As you start hiking again, though, you do spot something ahead, through the trees. It looks like something mounted on a tree near the dirt driveway.

CABOT: We stay low, and I sight it in my rifle scope.

KEEPER: It looks like a small, thick antenna array mounted on a box, all painted wood-tones.

CABOT: No lenses visible?

KEEPER: Keen looks at you to see what you're sighting, but keeps his eyes on the surroundings.

KEEPER: No lenses.

CABOT: I gesture with two fingers to my eyes and point to the object, signaling him to take a look with his binoculars.

KEEPER: He silently lifts his binoculars and stares at the thing. "Motion sensor," he breathes.

CABOT: (whispered) "360 degrees or just covering the road?"

KEEPER: "360. Look around for others... "

CABOT: I do so, and key my mike, whispering "Motion detectors in the woodline."

KEEPER: Kelley responds, "Roger."

LUNDQUIST: I key my mike twice for "affirmative": Click click.

KEEPER: Keen scans the woods slowly with his binoculars.

CABOT: (whispered) "Ground-vibration sensitive, you think?"

KEEPER: "I don't think so... no wires running to earth, looks like. Just EM."

KEEPER: He continues scanning, turning slowly for a full circuit.

CABOT: "They'd go off left and right if they were hypersensitive, with the birds and animals and shit. We remove the antennae, they stop transmitting to whoever's monitoring, right?"

KEEPER: "Yeah... maybe they're tuned for a threshold reading to weed out the smaller critters." He pauses in his circuit, staring through the binoculars. "Another there... thirty yards, east."

CABOT: Which is closest?

KEEPER: "Course, if we kill it, they'll probably notice the signal's stopped."

KEEPER: The one to the east is closer.

CABOT: "Not if we just remove the antennas."

CABOT: "They operate, just don't send their data, right?"

KEEPER: "Yeah... I think so."

CABOT: (keying mike) "Any ideas other than pulling the antennas for circumventing these fuckers?"

LUNDQUIST: "A .308 oughta do it..."

CABOT: (whispered) "Heh, no shit. How bout some tech support? Over."

KEEPER: Kelley: "That's all that comes to mind without getting close."

KEEPER: Kelley: "Just fire something quiet."

CABOT: "Hang on."

KEEPER: Danforth: "If we had more tools we could fuck with their electronics... Or maybe set up decoys, raise ambient levels around them? If they work on a differential...."

CABOT: I carefully remove the two rifles and take out my leatherman tool. I then begin to creep, extrememly slowly toward the nearest sensor. About a foot per 30 seconds. How far apart are the sensors?

KEEPER: (What's a leatherman tool?)

CABOT: Combination pliers, screwdriver, etc. So about a 30 yard effective range assuming some overlap?

CABOT: Make that about five feet per thirty seconds (don't want to take an hour to get to it).

KEEPER: Keen whispers over the com: "Closer you get, the more likely it'll pick you up."

CABOT: My goal is to manually incapacitate the two sensors nearest the road to open a clean avenue for us to operate in.

CABOT: Once I get one down, I'll signal Keen forward into that "clean" area and move on to the other by the road.

CABOT: I calculate the pace to take me 15 minutes to creep up on the nearest one.

KEEPER: Okay... you creep along, pacing yourself as best you can, coming closer to the device.

CABOT: Once I reach it, I make a better assessment of the device.

KEEPER: As you creep, Kelley signals: (whispered) "What about just sniping them?"

CABOT: "I'm afraid that'll set em off for sure. At least if I fuck this up, there's a chance they'll think it's just an animal."

KEEPER: You creep along... eventually, you come up close to the device. It's set into a tree, about five feet high.

CABOT: "I'm not so sure the concussion of the rifle won't be sufficient to alarm it."

CABOT: I move to the opposite side of the tree from it, SLOWLY.

CABOT: Then I look around to see if there's another device covering the backside of the tree.

KEEPER: From the outside, it's a simple metal box with a thick, rugged antenna sticking out of it.

KEEPER: There's only the one.

CABOT: Well, hopefully it's like most other antennas and screwable (no pun intended). I inch my hand around to attempt to remove it, thinking to myself "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey."

CABOT: If it unscrews, I turn it VERY slowly until it comes out.

KEEPER: It doesn't budge.

CABOT: Does the box have a panel that opens?

KEEPER: Yes. Looks like standard screws holding it in place.

CABOT: Whip out the leatherman and, attempting to stay under its field of 'vision', unscrew the door.

CABOT: Using my bomb-defusing care.

LUNDQUIST: Get ready for the alarm claxons...

KEEPER: You get the panel off. Inside you see a tight mesh of wiring, copper wrapped in rubber, around a few core components. One is obviously a battery pack, another a transponder. You see a typical pair of tiny lights, one red and one green. The red is lit.

CABOT: I look for wiring running fom the antenna root.

KEEPER: You spot it easily.

CABOT: Snip it.

CABOT: I quickly replace the panel and screws and back off towards Keen, remaining mindful of the other sensors estimated range.

KEEPER: Cabot, you get the panel back in place. As you're moving, you hear Keen whisper urgently: "Got three men in the woods coming this way. One hundred yards, keeping low, jogging. Looks like they got AK's."

CABOT: I move back to my former position with Keen and take up the M24. "Let's see if they think it's nothing. Lay low."

KEEPER: He nods quickly and hunkers down behind his rifle.

KEEPER: Cabot, you spot the men as Keen points them out. They have split up, now, staying about fifteen yards apart, moving in a ragged line toward the inoperative transmitter.

CABOT: I set my sight on them and track their movements.

KEEPER: They're dressed in plain clothing, jeans and dark shirts. They look Middle-Eastern.

CABOT: Stay low, stay quiet.

CABOT: (keying mike) "Three ragheads checking the cut transmitter."

KEEPER: Kelley whispers: "Another group of three in sight. Not heading for us. Looks like they want to flank your position. Estimate two hundred yards from you."

LUNDQUIST: Click click.

CABOT: Click click.

CABOT: I signal Keen to keep his eyes on the flank and ensure we're completely covered by our Ghillie suits.

CABOT: "Team 2, prepare for a diversion if we're made here."

CABOT: "Take advantage of all the movement out here and get in if you can."

KEEPER: The first group reaches the transmitter. Two of them kneel and keep watch, looking around carefully. The other moves up to the transmitter, keeping low and watching the ground and trees around him.

KEEPER: Kelley clicks twice.

CABOT: Intermittently, I scan with my non-sight eye and refocus with my sight-eye on a target. No movement.

KEEPER: The man at the transmitter opens it up, looks inside, and goes to work with a tool from his pocket.

CABOT: (fuck)

KEEPER: After a moment, while the man at the transmitter is still working, the other two, at the same time, look through the woods in the same direction. After a second, one of them returns to scanning the surroundings.

CABOT: We stay put.

KEEPER: A long few minutes pass. Finally, the man at the transmitter closes the panel again and screws it in place. His hands appear to be shaking slightly. After the last screw is in, he sticks his tools in a coat pocket, quickly kneels, and wipes his hands on his pants.

CABOT: How dark is it getting?

KEEPER: Approaching dusk, but not there yet. In the woods, of course, it's darker... twilight.

CABOT: bueno

KEEPER: One of the men lifts a hand to his ear and concentrates.

CABOT: We hold our position.

KEEPER: He turns and says something softly to the others. One of them nods. The one at the tree looks in your direction. The first one catches the movement and hisses something angrily.

CABOT: You lost me there, what movement?

KEEPER: The movement of the guy at the tree looking in your direction.

CABOT: Oh, he re-alarmed the damn thing. Hah!

KEEPER: The man at the tree grimaces and looks away, breathing quickly, clenching his fingers nervously.

KEEPER: Kelley keys the mic: "Camera's in place at the edge of the woodline."

KEEPER: The group in sight returns to scanning the treeline. One of them scans past your direction. His eyes linger for an extra second, before moving on.

CABOT: Stay on target. . .stay on target.

KEEPER: Kelley: "We're moving back... staying on their tracks."

CABOT: OK, they're trying to bait us/divert us from the flankers. Any sign of them?

KEEPER: None.

CABOT: These guys in front are 30 yards out, correct?

KEEPER: Correct.

KEEPER: Then: a burst of gunfire erupts from the direction of the house.

CABOT: We hold our position, I return sights on one of them and gauge their reaction.

KEEPER: The men in front of you look in that direction. Their eyes widen. Two of them hit the dirt immediately. The other, the one at the tree, scrambles clumsily to get to the other side of it.

CABOT: Are all three armed?

KEEPER: Each carries an AK=74.

CABOT: Roger that.

KEEPER: Another burst of gunfire from the house, then another, longer: light machine gun fire.

CABOT: Take my full round to range and sight bad-guy #1 (one on the ground).

KEEPER: Kelley triggers the mike: "We're bugging out fast, watch your backs. They had our position."

KEEPER: His voice is tense, controlled, breathing quick. The tempo sounds like he's running.

CABOT: "Got a sit-rep on the flankers?"

KEEPER: You see the men on the ground in front of you look at each other and talk quickly, back and forth. One of them gestures vaguely.

KEEPER: Kelley: "Negative... I'm heading to snake them out. Connor's moving straight for the road once we split up."

CABOT: "Roger that. Taking out my targets now." I fire on the target #1.

CABOT: Then immediately return to a still position so as not to give away my position.

CABOT: "Escape team, start moving in. Connor's on his way out."

KEEPER: BOOM! It's an easy shot: his head snaps back in bloody mist and he collapses.

LUNDQUIST: "E-team is mobile."

CABOT: Acquire target #2 (also on the ground).

KEEPER: The other man near him shouts in alarm and brings his rifle to bear toward you, opening fire.

CABOT: Just lay low and hope he aims high.

KEEPER: He aims low but to the side, not targeting your or Keen directly.

CABOT: Once sufficient time has elapsed to sight him, I fire on him.

KEEPER: You hear another cluster of gunfire closer, in the woods, maybe fifty yards away, two rifles firing.

CABOT: (into mike) "Splash one bad guy."

KEEPER: You fire: on-target, and the man's gone.

CABOT: (to Keen) "Watch for friendlies, but blow away anyone that get's near us that ain't."

CABOT: "Splash two bad guys." Aquire target #3, what'

CABOT: what's he doing now?"

KEEPER: Then you hear an explosion, like a grenade, the direction of the two rifles firing.

KEEPER: The third man in front of you is hiding behind the tree, out of sight.

CABOT: I sight the edge of the tree, when the motherfucker peeks, I fire.

CABOT: How big's the tree?

KEEPER: You hear more rifle fire, a furious, long burst and a three-round burst, then another.

CABOT: If he doesn't poke his head out, I take out the sensor.

KEEPER: The tree's about four feet thick.

KEEPER: You hear another long burst, then silence for a moment.

KEEPER: Then another burst, and pistol fire.

CABOT: Is the sensor hit?

KEEPER: You nail the sensor.

KEEPER: Then another explosion, same distance and direction.

CABOT: "Keep your eye on the guy behind the tree. I begin assembling the .50.

KEEPER: The gunfire goes silent.

KEEPER: Kelley: "Splash three. Man down. Get that car in place unless we're taking the fight inside."

CABOT: "Team 2, say again. You're moving IN?"

LUNDQUIST: "We're on our way."

CABOT: "I say again, do you want to press in?"

KEEPER: Kelley: "Not on my own. CD is DOWN, needs evac." He grunts. It sounds like he's running with a heavy load. "But our intel is blown."

CABOT: "Do or die, Lund. Make the call. It may be now or never."

LUNDQUIST: "Me? Shee-yit. I'm for going in but being extra-ready to call it off if it looks too hard."

KEEPER: Kelley, still breathing hard: "They got shit for special ops out here. Just mercs with good hardware."

CABOT: "Fuck it! Kelley move toward our position. We'll cover."

CABOT: Is the .50 assembled?

KEEPER: "Roger."

KEEPER: It is.

KEEPER: Lundquist, you and Rogers drive in. Are you going on the dirt driveway?

CABOT: I put a uranium-depleted armor piercing round through the tree at about waist height.

LUNDQUIST: Yeah, but I look for tire tracks in my headlights before I race down it. A mine would ruin my day.

LUNDQUIST: "Two, where are you? We're at the driveway."

KEEPER: BOOM! The tree splinters about waist-height, and you see the dirt on the other side of it scatter as someone bodily flinches.

CABOT: Is he down?

KEEPER: Kelley: "Drive straight in thirty yards."

LUNDQUIST: "On our way." We floor it. To Rogers & Brenneman: "Look sharp, guys!"

KEEPER: You do see tracks on the driveway, Lundquist.

LUNDQUIST: I try to follow the tracks.

CABOT: I chamber another round then in the .50 and switch back to the M24, sighting the sensor near the road.

KEEPER: Cabot, you see more movement on the other side of the tree, then a foot pokes out into sight as the mn tries to lie flat.

CABOT: Fire on the sensor.

KEEPER: You nail it squarely.

KEEPER: Lundquist, you drive in and quickly reach the point Kelley mentioned.

LUNDQUIST: I kill my lights.

KEEPER: A moment later, you see movement in the trees: Kelley carrying Danforth in a fireman's carry, over one shoulder, and jogging toward you.

LUNDQUIST: We assist in getting Danforth into the back seat.

KEEPER: (Isn't it just you in the car? Rogers and Brenneman in the other car?)

LUNDQUIST: (Yeah, that's right... My bad)

CABOT: "Dump three, road sensor incapacitated." I pull my 9mm and move to the tree to finish the guy, picking up an AK on the way.

LUNDQUIST: (Make that the royal "we")

KEEPER: In any event... Kelley's covered in Danforth's blood as you help push him into the car. He has a belt tied around his upper right arm in a clumsy tourniquet.

LUNDQUIST: I check him out, is there anything else I can do for him here?

KEEPER: He's been shot in the side, too... any bandaging looks like it would help.

CABOT: Is BG#3 dead, or not?

LUNDQUIST: Christ... I set to work. "Hold on, buddy, yer gonna be all right..."

KEEPER: Sorry, Cabot... you get around the tree and find the man on the ground, clutching his rifle, looking around in panic.

KEEPER: You put bullets into him with the pistol, killing him.

CABOT: I look up through the woods, anyone else coming?

KEEPER: Kelley moves out of the way and wipes his hands off, then starts working on his rifle.

KEEPER: You don't see anything, Cabot.

KEEPER: Keen says, "Looks clear."

CABOT: "You wanna do this now boys? We ain't gonna get another chance and we already dumped at least six of em'."

KEEPER: Danforth's out cold as you go to work, Lundquist. He's pale, in shock, a lot of blood lost.

KEEPER: Kelley says, "Bring Rogers and Brenneman in here. They have some men in the house. Machinegun nest in the silo. They can track us with the sensors, but the trees make cover."

CABOT: I grab the Barret and the M24 and nod for Keen to follow me to the edge of the woodline, taking up a position behind some trees. I set about aquiring the machine gun nest as my next target.

CABOT: I hand Keen the M24 so I can bring the AK as well. "I'll take care of the gunner in the silo."

KEEPER: Keen follows you. Kelley keys the microphone. "Rogers and Brenneman, get in here with me. We need to get in position to move in close."

KEEPER: He removes the shoulder-stock from his rifle.

KEEPER: Lundquist, you get some bandages on Danforth, but he needs a hospital. He's not dead, but he might get there soon without care, and his arm won't survive a tourniquet for long.

CABOT: Let me know what I have in my sights when I target the silo.

KEEPER: Cabot, you and Keen move in closer, to the edge of the woodline. You see the farmhouse and silo and the garages.

LUNDQUIST: "CD is in a bad way. He needs evac right now."

CABOT: I scan the weapon over the silo, looking for the MG nest.

LUNDQUIST: Keeper, where is the nearest hospital?

KEEPER: Magnified through the night vision goggles, you see a man at the top of the silo, looking down toward you with goggles of his own.

CABOT: Fire with the .50.

KEEPER: You don't know, off-hand, Lundquist. You'd have to check a map.

LUNDQUIST: Then I do so.

KEEPER: Your shot clips the top of the man's head, Cabot. He goes down.

CABOT: "Splash machine gunner."

CABOT: I scan the garages, any movement or vehicles?

KEEPER: Then gunfire erupts from two windows in the house. Bullets explode in the leaves and tree-trunks near you, several of them close misses.

CABOT: "Spread out and return fire on the windows, give me some time to get a shot off!"

KEEPER: Kelley: "We're on the way."

CABOT: I take cover behind the tree and chamber another round in the Barrett.

CABOT: "Keen, get over behind the next tree and range range those motherfuckers for me."

KEEPER: Lundquist, you find the nearest hospital on the Pennsylvania road map. It's about twenty-five miles south.

KEEPER: Keen crawls to the next tree over. Another burst of gunfire hits the dirt near you, Cabot.

LUNDQUIST: "We need to evac our wounded now. We have a long drive to get help. Someone should drive so I can assist."

KEEPER: Kelley: "Brenneman's coming back your way."

LUNDQUIST: Keeper, what about a contry doctor or a vet or soem BS like that. Would that help? Or does he need a real hospital?

CABOT: "We're not going to get another chance at this!"

KEEPER: He needs surgery.

CABOT: "Goddam it, return some fire on those windows!"

LUNDQUIST: "Can you spare me and Brenneman?"

LUNDQUIST: And I don't suppose I'm feeling up to that with my leatherman and some duct tape?

KEEPER: Keen brings the rifle up and fires a grenade at one window with a "whoomph" from the launcher. The grenade explodes against the wall beneath the window, opening a hole in the wood and plaster.

CABOT: As soon as suppressive fire is underway, I move several trees over to alter my position.

KEEPER: Uh, no, Lundquist. Your Medicine skill's not THAT good.

CABOT: I attempt to acquire a target from my new position.

KEEPER: Keen fires another grenade at the house, and this one sails straight in the window and explodes inside with a flash.

CABOT: "Niiice shot, Keeno."

LUNDQUIST: Where's the other car? Are Brenneman and Rogers here yet?

KEEPER: Cabot, you don't see anyone immediately in sight. You see a shadow move, a silhouette of somebody running fast past a window.

CABOT: "Hold on and let's see if anyone inside still wants to play now."

KEEPER: Brenneman reaches you on foot, Lundquist. Rogers is still moving in with Kelley toward the house.

CABOT: "We still got a live one inside. Watch you're asses."

KEEPER: Kelley says, "We're moving in! Cover those windows!"

CABOT: I continue scanning the windows for silhouettes.

LUNDQUIST: Keeper, what are Danforth's chances if we wait five minutes? I'd hate to hit the road for the hospital and then have someone else get zapped...

KEEPER: Lundquist, Brenneman looks Danforth over with a grimace as he opens the car door. "Point the way," he says as he turns the keys.

LUNDQUIST: "Get out to the main road and head south. But hold on a second."

KEEPER: It's hard to guess, Lundquist. If he's borderline, with internal injuries, five minutes could do him in.

KEEPER: If the bullet in his side didn't hit anything vital... who knows.

LUNDQUIST: Then we go. "Hit it, Brenneman. Drive like hell, every fuckin second counts."

KEEPER: He drives out, fast.

LUNDQUIST: I continue with first aid/medical/whatever as best I can.

CABOT: Which direction was the silhouette moving? Away from or toward Kelley and JT's point of entry?

KEEPER: Away. Cabot, you see Kelley and the taller Rogers sprint out of the treeline toward the house, with one of the garages between them and the house at first.

KEEPER: Keen watches the house through his rifle's camera. "I don't see em."

CABOT: "The live one's moving away from you, Kelley. Heads-up for a regroup or ambush."

KEEPER: Kelley and Rogers reach the edge of the garage. Rogers leans out, aiming around the corner as Kelley darts out toward the house.

LUNDQUIST: "E-car is departing at this time... Call me on the phone if you need us, we'll be out of radio range shortly."

CABOT: (to Keen) "Stay sharp."

CABOT: "Use those binoculars."

KEEPER: Keen lowers the rifle and peers through binoculars, scanning the house's windows.

CABOT: "Scratch that, use your nightvision." I scan the area with my scope, looking for heat signatures.

CABOT: "Roger, E-Car."

KEEPER: Kelley reaches the house and jumps onto the porch near a side door. Rogers comes around the corner and runs to catch up.

CABOT: I scan the nearby windows for signatures.

KEEPER: Kelley kicks the door, hard, smashing it open.

KEEPER: You don't see any.

CABOT: "Windows clear off the porch."

KEEPER: He ducks away from the open door for a second, then goes inside, low. Rogers follows him. They're inside the house.

CABOT: "Give me sit-reps Kelley, I don't want to fire on you guys on accident."

KEEPER: Kelley: "We're in... central hallway, runs to the main wing. Bedrooms, either side... clear. We're advancing."

KEEPER: You see them pass your line of sight inside, through the crater-opening caused by Keen's grenade.

CABOT: Are there any LP tanks or the like in sight around the compound?

KEEPER: Not in sight. Might be in one of the open garages, though.

CABOT: What about vehicles?

KEEPER: Kelley: "No sign... wait... Door's open to some stairs to the basement."

KEEPER: There are a couple of vans in one garage.

CABOT: "Greeaaat. You want us to come in to augment entry?"

KEEPER: "Need somebody out there to watch for a getaway."

CABOT: "I've got vans in the garage. Can incapacitate them from here. Acknowledge."

KEEPER: "Roger that, but it'll be hard to track if somebody gets out to the trees and we don't spot 'em."

CABOT: "Agreed. Taking out vans and holding position. (to Keen) Watch for BGs sneaking up on us."

CABOT: "Is there any exit in the hallway besides the hole in the wall and the stairs moving down below?"

KEEPER: "Yes, it connects to the main hallway--" His voice is cut off by sudden deafening fire.

CABOT: Target van #1, aiming for the front wheel. (Don't want to risk a fire by shooting through the engine block).

KEEPER: "Splash one--basement stairs. Shit, do you see outside cellar doors?"

CABOT: Do I?

KEEPER: No.

KEEPER: You nail the front wheel of the van.

CABOT: "That's a negative, unless they're on the other side of the house." Fire on the van.

CABOT: Acquire any additional vehicles in like manner.

CABOT: "Suggest pull-back outside and secure exterior before proceeding. We have no idea if there are alternate egresses on the other side."

CABOT: "One van down."

KEEPER: You hear a vague shout from the other side of the house.

CABOT: Sweep to pick up it's source in the scope.

CABOT: "I've got sound from the other side of the building."

KEEPER: Then a short burst of fire. Kelley: "Splash another, outside. I'm checking the cellar door."

CABOT: "Roger that." Return to firing on the vans.

KEEPER: You take out the other van's tire.

CABOT: "Van two, out of commission. No additional movement from out here."

KEEPER: You hear another blast of gunfire in the house.

CABOT: (nodding head to Keen) "Damn, they're like fucking ants."

KEEPER: Then another... then two more, muffled, close together. Then it's quiet.

CABOT: "Sit-rep, over."

KEEPER: Rogers: "Got one up here.. another downstairs."

KEEPER: Kelley: "He's gone. Basement's secure."

CABOT: The second floor is still unsecured?

CABOT: "Recommend taking one of any that might be left alive, over."

CABOT: "All OPFOR ragheads?"

KEEPER: K: "Affirmative."

CABOT: "Is the second floor secure?"

CABOT: I scan the chicken houses for heat signatures.

KEEPER: K: "Got communications downstairs, here. Lot of electronics to check. Monitors... hey, here's you two in the treeline. Nobody else out there. Internal cameras... second floor looks secure. Need to sweep it."

CABOT: I flip him the bird.

CABOT: "No other movement in the cameras in the other structures?"

KEEPER: "Negative. I think this site is clear."

CABOT: "Roger that, we're moving in."

KEEPER: You reach the house, and Kelley and Rogers check the upper floor. As he said, there's no other opposition.

CABOT: I rise and move to the porch, staggered about 15' from Keen.

CABOT: "We're at the door. Let's get what we can and get out of here."

KEEPER: "Come on in."

KEEPER: All told, you count twelve targets down. One of them is still alive, unconscious, KO'd by Keen's grenade.

CABOT: I leave the sniper rifles in the hall near the door and move out with the AK, picking up extra clips as I find them. I also lose the Ghillie suit near the rifles.

CABOT: I secure the unconscious one. "Kelley, give me one of those darts. We might be able to streamline this search a little."

KEEPER: He brings you the dart.

KEEPER: Lundquist, you get a call a few minutes down the road.

CABOT: I inject the guy with it, then slap him around to bring him to a more lucid state. I wave the others to move from his direct view.

KEEPER: They do so. You bring the man to consciousness, though he's still dazed, with a mild concussion and some hearing loss. He's bleeding from fragments in his shoulder, but it's not heavy bleeding.

CABOT: "We got here as soon as we could, what happened?"

KEEPER: He looks very confused and alarmed. He babbles something unintellible that sounds vaguely Arabic.

CABOT: "Do you speak English, pal? Hurry, they might have reinforcements coming and we need to clean this place up fast before the cops get here."

CABOT: I nod for Kelley to listen in.

LUNDQUIST: (Just a sitrep I assume?)

KEEPER: He tries to crane his head around and winces. "Ahh... Who are you?"

KEEPER: Right, L... it's Rogers.

KEEPER: Brenneman is still driving hard for the hospital.

CABOT: "Volkner's people. We where in the area on another job when we got diverted here. We have orders to clean the place of any incriminating evidence before the cops or feds get here. Where's Amr?"

CABOT: "Then we can get you some medical care, but we don't have much time. What needs to go or be destroyed?"

KEEPER: He narrows his eyes suspiciously. "Ah... You did this! You left us like--ahh, like bait!" He struggles angrily, weakly, to rise.

CABOT: "Look, I don't know anything about that. I just lost a man rescuing your asses, now come on, what do we have to do to get out of this mess cleanly?" I push him back down to a sitting position.

CABOT: "Is Amr dead?"

KEEPER: He grunts and falls again. "I don't know... get me out of here! These are no police out there! These are soldiers."

CABOT: "The soldiers are dead pal, we saw to that. But the fight might bring the local sheriff running. So quit fucking around. You need medical help and we have to move." FAST TALK

CABOT: To the others: "Better get to work guys, sounds like our Arab friend would rather lay around and bleed to death or get arrested than get out of this place."

KEEPER: "Yes... yes, so let's go! " He grimaces and holds his head in pain. "I said, get me out of here."

CABOT: "Where's Amr?"

KEEPER: "Downstairs! If he's alive..."

CABOT: "Where downstairs?"

KEEPER: "The--the cellar..." he points vaguely toward the basement door.

CABOT: I look at Kelley with "oops" written all over my face.

CABOT: "What needs to be cleaned up here? This isn't our normal area of operation. We're not even sure what we're supposed to be cleaning."

KEEPER: He groans. "They took everything... took it already... just left the electronics. Clear that up... Ah... I need a doctor."

CABOT: "Alright, rest now." I break his neck.

KEEPER: "Gakk!" [crack]

CABOT: "Fuck! They were tipped off. They knew we had Mahmoud and they were tipped off!"

CABOT: "We gotta get the fuck out of here, now. This is a set-up!"

CABOT: "Kelley!"

KEEPER: He's right there. He stands up and nods. "The car's out on the main road."

KEEPER: Lundquist, Brenneman reports you're getting closer to the hospital. Should only be a few minutes.

CABOT: "See if we can't at least scrounge a few makes and serial numbers off some of the electronics equipment downstairs before we destroy it. We might be on tape."

CABOT: "Keen, get on that."

KEEPER: Keen runs to it.

LUNDQUIST: How's Danforth doin?

KEEPER: Rogers goes to help him.

CABOT: "Better tell him this is a bust."

KEEPER: Danforth's pulse is weak, but steady.

LUNDQUIST: "Hang in there, Danno..." Hmm, what cover story this time? Hunting accident? Hmmm...

CABOT: Let's do a quick sweep of the remaining buildings.

KEEPER: Kelley follows you outside. As you get out, you notice something strange.

CABOT: Yeah?

KEEPER: The clouds--it's overcast, and was earlier. But above you, the sky is clear, in one small patch. It makes a ragged circle, like a hole punched in the cloud cover.

LUNDQUIST: !!!!

LUNDQUIST: Give THAT the bird... :-)

LUNDQUIST: (and cover your face)

CABOT: "Well, that registers pretty high on the weird shitometer."

LUNDQUIST: See if you can make out the KH-14 on the other end of it with the Barret's scope...

KEEPER: Cabot, you feel a sense of vertigo. Then, things seem strange... most of all, you feel fear. You nearly jump at the noise of Kelley collapsing behind you.

CABOT: "Everyone! Out of the house!" I make for the treeline, sniper rifles in hand.

CABOT: I shoulder the weapons and begin dragging Kelley to the treeline.

CABOT: I bite my wrist to try to jar my senses back into perspective.

KEEPER: It doesn't work: the physical pain only blends into the miasma of twisting sensory-emotional input, all of it blending terrifyingly in your range of perception.

CABOT: Am I able to move Kelley?

KEEPER: You hear a noise... Rogers' voice, hushed: "The clouds! Is... Keen? Keen? Kelley?"

KEEPER: Yes, you can move Kelley.

CABOT: "Over. . . here!"

CABOT: I keep moving with him, trying to move as swiftly as I can on wobbly knees into the treeline.

KEEPER: You gut out the effort, pushing past the raw, physical fear that pervades your system. Kelley's totally insensate.

KEEPER: "Eh? Who? WHO?" Rogers' voice takes on awed panic.

CABOT: (into mike) "Rogers. . . Keen. . . are. . .you. . .out. . .house?"

KEEPER: Then, with a short click, your radio earpiece goes dead.

KEEPER: You hear a distant, lingering shout, moving away from you.

CABOT: I keep trying to put ground between us and the house.

CABOT: Nix that, I stop and raise the Barret, aiming for the hole in the clouds. As soon as my jittery hands allow me to get off a half-assed shot, I fire.

KEEPER: The rifle fires deafeningly into the empty sky.

KEEPER: Lundquist, Brenneman pulls into the parking lot of a small medical center.

LUNDQUIST: I hurry out and summon some orderlies with a gurney.

CABOT: I grab Kelley and continue moving to the car.

KEEPER: Cabot, the pressure on your psyche fades, slowly. You find yourself able to discern sensations a little better. Adrenaline still pumps panic through your brain.

CABOT: I keep moving till I feel that it's fully subsided.

CABOT: (into mike) "Keen, Rogers, come in!"

KEEPER: You keep moving into the woods. You hear the wind pick up slightly overhead--the stirring of branches is the only noise past the rustling of your feet through the underbrush.

KEEPER: The mike's dead.

CABOT: I rip it off my head and check Kelley. Is there a pulse?

KEEPER: His pulse seems fine.

CABOT: I try to revive him.

CABOT: And draw out my cell phone. Is it dead, too?

KEEPER: Cabot, you feel a sudden incapacitating jolt. Your muscles spasm and fail for several seconds, dropping you face first into the dirt.

CABOT: "Oww. . . .shit!"

CABOT: Was this when I activated the cell phone?

KEEPER: You feel drool on your chin when you try to talk. The phone is on the ground nearby.

CABOT: Can I correlate the jolt with the phone or is it from another source. I draw the 9mm.

KEEPER: You feel another jolt, and your still-shaky muscles seize and fail again. It's rougher, this time. It seems like minutes pass before you can make your muscles move again--but it's probably only seconds.

CABOT: Is there anyone in my field of vision besides Kelley?

KEEPER: You feel a breath of wind, cold against your wet mouth, and you see a brief flash of dim light overhead.

KEEPER: No one.

CABOT: I roll and fire up, squeezing off as many rounds as I can.

KEEPER: As you roll, you squeeze one wild shot off into the darkness overhead before another jolt seizes you. You feel your teeth grind as your arms flop to the ground. But still, you're conscious.

CABOT: I exhale deeply as I fade into oblivion.

KEEPER: You remain conscious for another few seconds... again your muscles fail and vertigo seizes you... then, suddenly and completely, unconsciousness.