Patriots by Rawles James Wesley

Author:Rawles James Wesley [James Wesley, Rawles]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-05-01T05:59:18+00:00

CHAPTER 15

The Raid

“You have never lived,

’till you have almost died.

And for those who fight for it,

life has a flavor that the protected will never know.”

—Anonymous quote penned on a sign

at a command post at Khe Sanh, RVN

After prayers and yet another briefing, the militia conducted their final inspections and rehearsals. With their web gear and camouflage face paint on, the militia looked fearsome. Mike, Lisa, Todd, T.K., and Rose wore bulletproof vests and helmets. Mike walked up and down the line of raiders, shooting questions. “What is the running password? What would a red star cluster flare or six short whistle blasts indicate? What is your en route panic azimuth? On which CB channel will we coordinate with the Templars? What is the alternate channel? What is our call sign? What is their call sign? Can you list the chain of command?”

Next he had each member of the patrol jump up and down to check for items that might be excessively noisy. The last item of business was a final check of each patrol member’s personal camouflage. Finally satisfied, Mike ordered, “Aw-right pilgrims, let’s saddle up. Lock and load.”With a few hoots and hollers, they filed out the door to two waiting pickups.

Margie, Mary, Shona, and baby Jacob were left to “hold the fort.” As they watched the two trucks drive away, both women started to cry.

The drive north was relatively quiet. They parked the trucks on a logging road three miles south of Princeton. From there, they traveled on foot in

“Ranger file.” The raiders were in position three hundred yards outside town by 3:30 a.m. There, they lay in the chill darkness, waiting. Radio silence was broken only once, at 4 a.m. Dan Fong, who was using an earphone with his CB heard the call, “Ready Freddie, over.” He whispered the reply, “Ready Mikey, out.” He rolled over to tap Mike on the shoulder, gestured to the earphone, and gave an “okay” signal. Mike nodded and patted Dan on the back.

199

PATRIOTS

At 5:20 a.m., Mike walked up and down the line of prone raiders, kicking them in the boots. Not surprisingly, a few of them had fallen asleep. After the adrenaline rush of their initial movement, lying down for two hours was enough to lull some of them into slumber. Mike whispered to each of them,

“Quietly and slowly, stretch out and if need be, relieve yourself.”

At 5:30, standing in a skirmish line, Mike gave the arm signal for “forward.”

Spread out at ten-yard intervals, the patrol moved forward toward the dim outline of the buildings in the half-light of dawn.

The raiders were already within the confines of the town before anyone was spotted. It was Kevin who was first seen by the bikers’ roving guard. Two quick shots from Lendel’s riotgun dropped the guard before he even had a chance to unsling his carbine. Immediately after he saw that the man was no longer a threat, Kevin quickly refilled his gun’s tubular magazine from the elastic nylon shell holder mounted on the gun’s stock.

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