Operation Bushwhack (Ghost Cavalry Battalion Book 2) by J.L. Salter & William Alan Webb

Author:J.L. Salter & William Alan Webb [Salter, J.L. & Webb, William Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dingbat Publishing
Published: 2024-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 35

Pavilion and clearing

Wednesday: 0150 hours

Honcho knew his three Spearpoint colleagues were discussing how to deal with the sniper. And he realized he had to be the one to draw the sniper’s fire. They had practiced this exercise — among many others — at Shakedown Ranch, but none of these individuals had worked together on it. That eleven-week period of training had been to winnow out the candidates who were not up to the caliber required by Smoke, Geist, Raven, and the three other section leaders. At that juncture Spearpoint team had been only a blank roster with lines for six names.

He took his Vietnam-era angle-head flashlight — a simpler version of this TL-122D style was also used in WW2 — from his belt. Bright white light might temporarily blind the sniper, but from such a distance it would not be worth the risk, so Honcho kept the red filter lens. He wouldn’t use the switch for steady light. Better to use intermittent, which could be controlled by a push button. “Just stick out the light and blink it twice,” he told himself. “Get the sniper’s attention and then yank it back in.” The sniper should see the flash only long enough to position his rifle and prepare to shoot. Then Honcho would reach out and quickly waggle the light, then yank his arm back in before the sniper fired. The timing was critical, of course.

He had been signaling back and forth with Rattler. With the cloud covering the moon at times, it was difficult to see every motion. Besides which, some of Rattler’s movements didn’t even make sense. So much for Shakedown’s training.

But now Rattler was indicating Hawkeye was ready. It was time for Honcho to hide as much of himself as he could behind the thick bushes of the collar and then flash his light in the direction of where the sniper seemed to be. He knew Rattler and Cheyenne would act as spotters.

Honcho blinked the light twice and yanked it back. No response from the sniper and nobody had expected one — he was lining up his shot and adjusting the focus on his telescopic sight.

A final hand signal from Rattler, then Honcho waggled the light and yanked it back in the same instant a sniper shot rang out.

And Hawkeye’s shot was almost instantaneous.

In case Hawkeye missed, Rattler and Cheyenne fired their pistols toward the sniper while Honcho made his crossing. Having stumbled only once on a stone or root, he arrived at the wall out of breath.

At the wall, Cheyenne helped Honcho get situated.

“Hawkeye, do you think you got him?” asked Honcho between heaving breaths.

“Well, I spotted his flash and sent my bullet right down his barrel. I’d say ninety per cent sure.”

Honcho straightened up and flattened against the thick stone partition. “Rattler, have you checked around the south edge of this wall?”

“Several times,” he replied. “Didn’t linger, but from a quick peek, I’m pretty sure nobody’s in there.”

“What about in the woods on the east side?” asked Cheyenne.

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