Nick’s pronouncement needed no further discussion. Lucas and Casey went to work. Both sides in the conflict surprised each other. They didn’t expect us to have snipers and our asses covered on the perimeters. We didn’t know this was a trap. If Nick hadn’t noticed something inside, it would have been a pitched battle at close range. Because of his warning, coupled with our snipers’ work on the guards at all levels outside the house and front grounds, our skirmish line was prepared. Lucas and Casey scrambled down from their nests on the approaching enemy’s side of the woods to join our Monster Squad. Al-Kadi’s small army of men moved on us from the wooded area across Plum Drive.
The moment we began to take fire from woods across the way, our armored vehicle drivers streaked in from their positions to give us spaced cover. They left the vehicles and joined us with weapons and ammo, including XM25 airburst 25mm grenade launchers. Gus brought along Nick’s XM307 they used to blow the Mexican fighter jet out of the air. Issac and Tommy split at my direction with combat experienced Jess and Dev to hold our line. I helped Gus with the XM307, while Clint, Lynn, and Claude spread out to provide cover fire with Chuck and Sal on our M2 .50 caliber machine gun. We barely had enough time to finish our skirmish line when I saw the rocket streak from the woods. It blew our middle armored vehicle onto its side.
“Fire!” My one word caused ecological damage across the road for I would guess a couple years. Between the airburst grenades and M2 machine gun fire, I doubted the likelihood of survivors. “Cease fire!”
A few screams and other sounds of wounded men could be heard above the eerie din of silence falling over a battlefield after the weapons fire ceases. “Hold the line. Put out our armor car fire. Clint, Tonto, Johnny, and Lynn come with me. We’re on the hunt. Laredo! We need you with the heat vision in the air over the woods. Denny! I need whatever satellite shots you can give me. Lucas and Casey gather Achmed to hold the house perimeter until we can help Muerto.
Tonto the werewolf led our hunting party. We fired into every body as Tonto worked point. We worked tediously but carefully with our night-vision equipment. The task needed to be done in quadrants with our werewolf guide. I had no intention of sending Tonto on a seek and find in the woodland unless I received Laredo reports on hot imaging, or Denny came through with updated satellite images Samira could relay to us. Laredo flew the Stealth UH-60M over the hunting zone, also by quadrants, relaying clear areas to us.
“How many accounted for, DL,” Denny asked.
“Twenty-two in the woods. Never mind the dead. Are you getting any satellite feed yet?”
“We’re repositioning as quickly as it can be done from Langley. I-”
“Hostiles at your two o’clock, DL. Six lying in wait, only slightly spread. Five more at eleven o’clock. They think we can’t see them. Oh baby… let me have them, big guy. I want the ‘Ride’!”
“Toast ‘em, Laredo. We have Werewolf with us.”
“Back off and do the long approach, Laredo,” Lynn added. “Make sure you have the front cams on!”
“Oh yeah!”
We waited in the darkness, spreading slightly with Agent Tonto slightly in front on guard duty. Johnny knelt next to him. “I wish I was in the Stealth with Laredo.”
Lynn sighed. “I hear you, Kabong. So do we all.”
A minute later, from far off, the ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ grew in volume, mind, and body as Laredo flew the Stealth down onto our enemies. By the time he passed over, the entire earth shook with sound. The M75 grenade launcher disintegrated the ambushing squads before they even knew what was happening. Laredo did flybys all across both sides of the road with the music blaring from every speaker. It was a good time to be a Monster. Our Werewolf, Agent Tonto, crept about the devastated region left by the M75 firings. He walked back to us calmly, snorting with reassuring Tonto promptings for pets and hugs. It was time to check on our interior agent provocateur: Muerto.
*
Nick patted Fernando’s back. “Easy, Fernando, we’re okay. I could tell you didn’t notice Senta’s connection with the guard. The ‘Mistress of the Unimaginable’ will know you acted on her behalf in a good manner. Stay quiet. Your part is done. You can sit next to the wall with me. I will have to work the rest of our in house extermination on my own. You’ll be fine if you don’t interfere in any way. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Muerto… I will stay quiet and not interfere with your operation. I have only death or the Mistress in my future. I…I am yours to command. I know your people will win. We have been lied to from the very beginning. Your people are not soft for the taking. If I can get into a prison cell, it will be better than death or the Mistress’s displeasure.”
Nick recognized Lynn owned Fernando. It didn’t matter what his fortunes were before or in the future. He would act in accordance with whatever he felt Lynn would want him to do. “You’re doing fine. Stay quiet while I interact with your former cohorts.”