Attack From Within by James Bultema

Author:James Bultema [Bultema, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: P.D. Publishing
Published: 2024-06-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Near Al-Tanf Garrison

Southeastern Syria

As the sun rose over the arid landscape of southeastern Syria, a twelve-man American patrol made their way off-road, cautiously, to avoid any possible IEDs. It was dusty and bumpy, but they had the right vehicle to accomplish their task. Driving along in an M-ATV with its sixteen-inch ground clearance, passing over ruts like they weren’t there, the soldiers were on a strategic reconnaissance mission from the elite Operational Detachment Alpha, 5th Special Forces Group—the Green Berets. They were heads-up searching for IRGC gun runners. The terrorist group was known to be smuggling guns into Iran through the cover of war-ravaged Syria using their east-west land corridor stretching from Syria to Iran to Lebanon. But habitually, the terrorists always made a wide arch around the US base of Al-Tanf. The twelve specially trained soldiers knew this and were making the same arc, hoping they would spot the enemy before their location was given away by the vehicle-induced dust clouds that could rise hundreds of feet into the air.

Captain Roger Ashburger was sitting on a blast seat on the commander’s side of the fully armored M-ATV, stroking his long dirty beard, contemplating what route the enemy might take through this shit hole of a country. He tried his best to block out the chatter from the other four soldiers in the vehicle. Two M1288 GMV Special Forces tactical vehicles modified as Flyer 72s followed in his dust.

“Sherwood,” said Ashburger, “let’s take that hill just ahead and have a look-see.”

“Got it, sir.”

“Stargazer to Moonshadow One and Two, stand by at the base of this hill. We are going to glass the area from up top.”

It wasn’t much of a hill, by Ashburger’s terms, because he grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. But out here in the desert, you take what you can get.

Stopping short of the top, Ashburger and his comms specialist, Sergeant Andy Boykin, dismounted, making sure not to silhouette themselves against the skyline. They pulled out their M22 binoculars and began scanning the area. They were looking for telltale signs like a dust trail, metal reflections, anything. It didn’t take long.

“Target, your 10,” exclaimed Ashburger.

“Got it. Looks like three pickups heading west, 1800 meters out. All have covered cargo. Estimated speed, 30 kilometers per hour.”

“Get on the line and see if we have eyes on this area,” said Ashburger. “I want to get ahead of them and set up an ambush.”

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