3.
The
jungle can be unkind when you are not prepared for it. The training does help
but every time, you trek in, it will still intimidate you. Gunner Master Stark
was in the middle of the seven men dressed in the army fatigue and lugging the
duffle bag in addition to his standard complement of the M4 Carbine and the
holster was 1911 which was his own. He had on the bush hat and kept his pace
with the Colombian squad under Lieutenant Diego. The squad carried M4 Carbine attached
to the M203 grenade launcher with the Beretta 92.
“Master
Gunner, my squad will be your protection unit. You make sure you hit the sniper
and then we will withdraw. It’s a recce task for us.” Lieutenant Diego was a
short guy with wide shoulders in the crew-cut hairstyle.
“Get
me there and leave me to the task,” Stark replied. That was before they were
taken by the riverboat upriver on a ride that took an hour and from there they
took the trek into the jungle for over two hours before the Lieutenant called
for the rest. It was another spot where the trees loomed above you, and the
canopies of leaves hid the sunlight.
“Lieutenant,
who gave you the intel?” Stark asked.
“I
don’t ask. I just do as told.” Diego gave him the standard reply.
“Well,
if you were to take cover. We are to be
hit soon.” Stark then leaned back on the tree trunk to hid his frame.
“Refugiarse!
(Take cover.)” Diego called out and the shots rang out. The squad sought cover
at the trees but two went down at the start of the firefight. Diego had found
his cover behind the tree trunk while he returned fire with his rifle.
“We
are pinned down,” Stark called out. He peeked from his spot to check the
shooters. He had seen them a few clicks away and knew these were not the
everyday bandits but trained army personnel turned mercenaries. The ones that
ambushed him were the better of the lots.
“Diego,
I got two on my six o’clock. You have one on your two o’clock and the last one
is at three o’clock.” Stark called out and then fired the grenade at his rear.
He needed the distraction to move from the six o’clock duo’s sight. He rolled
to the left side with the M4 lined up. He did the three shots bursts at the
ones on the left. He got the one at three o’clock and ran out to the next
cover. His run was to distract the other shooter which was at two o’clock which
Diego shot with the continuous burst of the carbine.
Master
Gunner had then taken three short bursts at the remainder two mercenaries and
was backed by the Lieutenant and his remaining men. They did not last long.
“We
are busted.” Master Gunner said. “They had us soon after we landed.”
“I
will radio the Camp.” The Lieutenant replied. “They need…”
“You
not do that. The Camp may be compromised. You will move to the rendezvous
point. That should be one click away. Stay there and be ready for the evacuation.”
“I
don’t understand. You ..” The Lieutenant was cut off.
“I
have the coordinates in my communication unit. You will move there and give me
six hours. If I am not thereby then call in the chopper. Go back and bring the
heavy firepower. Call in the drones or the choppers then.”
“You
are in my jungle. I will go with you.” The Lieutenant called on the other men
to take the wounded back. “We will signal you. We shall be there in an hour.”
“Okay,
I could do with a spotter.” Master Gunner reached into his duffle bag. He drew
out the laser sight scope. “You know how to use that?”
“I
was taught the Slight High zero method and the wind speed on the trajectory
deflection.” Diego smiled. “I was in the Sniping Team before.”
“Why
did you leave?”
“They
told me I was hopeless at it.” Diego smiled. “The truth was I fragging the
Instructor’s ex-wife. I got my scores toward perfection.”
“Fuck
you. Get your gear. We are moving ahead.” Master Gunner then moved to check the
dead. He had to know who they were. He was not surprised by the identities of
the dead. And their rifles.
“My
own which had left to work for money.” Master Gunner had heard of the many
nationalities who had offered their services. These were known to him; once
trained by him to serve in the Army. They did not make the grade but they had
the basic training.
“Mexican
and that one are American. I knew them from the training some years back. Their
rifles had my insignia on the butt.”
“It
does not matter to me. Those three are from my Division. They are trained to be
snipers on our side. They had gone AWOL some time back.”
“There
are always bad ones. It’s that we have to be more than bad compared to them.”
Master Gunner then looked at the jungle. “Let us move.”
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