OUTCAST Ops: Red Ice

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter flew two thousand feet above the dark California landscape. The military aircraft was not displaying lights and ran much quieter than most helicopters. Liam recognized it as one of the same model SEAL Team Six had used in Operation Neptune Spear, the op that had killed Osama bin Laden.

Besides five members of the OUTCAST team, the Blackhawk carried a pilot, co-pilot, and two door gunners, each gunner manning a GAU-19/B .50 Gatling gun. Conversation had been sparse since the Blackhawk lifted off from the farm ten minutes ago.

In addition to their normal weapons — MP5s, SOCOM H&K pistols and a selection of fighting knives — each member carried a mix of flash-bang and smoke grenades, buckshot, CS and HE rounds for the grenade launcher, extra magazines, night-vision goggles, and riot cuffs. Adding to the firepower, Liam carried a Knights SR-25 Mk.11 sniper rifle, and Dante brought the Franchi SPAS-15 with a mix of breaching rounds and double-ought magazines.

The army was moving into blocking position in the nearest woods to the ranch. The wide open ground, which made it impossible to approach the ranch house and the building on the hill unseen, also made it impossible for anyone to escape across the fields without being seen. While they moved into position, Tanner’s team, minus Danielle, would land a mile behind the building on the hill, locate the mine shaft and infiltrate the base to rescue Dr. Mori.

“Ramrod to OUTCAST.” Mulkerin’s tone was gruff. “Blocking forces nearly in place. Striker is standing by. No action from ICEHOUSE or HEDGEHOG.”

“Copy, Ramrod. We’re touching down now.”

The main objectives had been given codenames — the ranch house was HEDGEHOG, while the building on the hill was ICEHOUSE. The barn was named HAYBALE, and the mine was designated PYRITE. Task Force Sun was the combined force of federal and state agents. Supported by two Bradleys and the Cougar MRAPs, Sun would come down the road, turn into the driveway, and head straight for the houses. Overhead, the second Blackhawk, armed identically to the one the team was traveling in, would supply air support. The other four Bradleys were in position to supply extra firepower if Task Force Sun needed it.

“Prime to Six.”

“Six here.” Danielle remained with the Command staff, where she would control the team’s drones. She would be deploying both the team’s Black Cobras over ICEHOUSE and HEDGEHOG, leaving one of the two Black Wasps in reserve. The second Wasp drone rode with Tanner and the team. “Cobras are deploying now.”

Tanner smiled, though there was no warmth in the expression. “Copy, Six. ETA to drone insertion?”

“Five minutes.”

The Blackhawk descended in a clearing surrounded by trees. Tanner turned to look at his team. Four faces looked back at him and nodded their readiness.

The Nighthawk landed in an open area hidden from the suspected mine entrance location by a wooded ridge. In less than ten seconds, the team was on the ground and the helicopter was back in the air. The group sprinted up the ridge slope, not stopping until they were inside the tree line.

Tanner whispered into his radio. “OUTCAST Prime to Six, we’re on the ground.”

“Copy. Cobra Alpha is over HEDGEHOG. Beta is over ICEHOUSE. Sun is rolling now, ETA is ten minutes.”

“Understood, Six. Keep us informed on Sun’s progress. Prime out.”

While Tanner was speaking to Danielle, Liam and Dante were readying the team’s second Night Wasp for deployment. While Liam did system checks with the drone’s control tablet, Dante took the hexagonal micro-aircraft out into the clearing and positioned it on the ground. In ten seconds, the drone was in the air, invisible in the blackness of the night sky.

“All flight systems are green,” Liam said softly. “Wasp is two hundred feet up, one hundred feet south of us. Cameras are green.”

Tanner glanced in the direction Liam indicated and through his NVGs he saw the drone hovering. “Copy, Two. Start it forward.”

“Beginning recon.” The drone flew slowly in the direction of the house. Tanner glanced at his team and motioned for them to move. Liam handed the tablet off to Stephen and took point, followed by Tanner, Naomi, and Stephen, with Dante covering the rear.

They traveled for several minutes before Stephen radioed. “Prime, I’ve got something.”

The team dropped to a knee and scanned their surroundings. “What do you have?” Tanner demanded.

“I have an opening in the hill at the end of a gully, Eight hundred yards ahead left, about eleven-thirty. Dropping Wasp to get a better look at— Uh-oh.”

“What?”

“Looks like n camouflaged emplacement about 350 yards in front of us, near the hilltop, two hundred yards northwest of ICEHOUSE, fifty yards from the opening.”

“Is it manned?”

“Hold on.” Five seconds passed. “Affirmative. Two tangos, and what looks like a heavy machine gun on a tripod. It has a clear field of fire all the way up the gully.”

“Check for other emplacements.”

“Checking now.”

“Prime to all OUTCASTs. Let’s move out.”

They traveled another minute before Stephen said, “Got an identical gun emplacement on the other side of the gully.”

The trees thinned out and the team halted. Ahead, the land sloped up and became a mix of bushes, clumps of trees, rocks and grass. Tanner scrutinized the top of the hill until he found the machine gun nest in the middle of a tree grove. The emplacement consisted of sandbags stacked waist-high, a wooden frame with tin sheets to make a roof, covered by plants and camouflage netting. It overlooked the gully to the mine entrance. He saw two faces manning the turret.

“Leave them to me,” Liam said. “I’ll move southwest and hit them from behind.”

“Right. Three, go with him.”

“Copy Prime.”

Liam moved off, followed by Naomi. Tanner continued scanning for other emplacements.

Liam and Naomi headed west, staying inside the tree line. They moved a hundred and fifty yards, then turned southwest, stopping periodically to check their relative location to the emplacements.

Just short of the hill crest, Liam signaled to halt. They dropped to one knee, Liam observing the enemy posts while Naomi monitored the surroundings. After twenty seconds, Liam placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear, “Another thirty yards.” Naomi patted his hand twice to acknowledge his statement and they began moving again, this time southeast.

After a minute of travel, Liam signaled again to stop. He unslung the SR-25, opened the rifle’s bipod and took up a prone position on the ground. Naomi knelt next to him, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Liam lifted his night vision goggles onto his forehead, relying on the Zeiss Orion night vision scope mounted to the sniper rifle to make the shot.

He settled in and blanked out all other sights and sounds as he stared through the scope. Both emplacements — sand bags stacked waist-high in a semi-circle — were below Liam’s location. Liam could clearly see the two North Koreans in the closer machine gun emplacement. Both men wore long-sleeved shirts, jeans, and work boots, and sat on either side of a tripod-mounted DShK heavy machine gun. One stared through what had to be a pair of night vision binoculars, while the other sipped from a cup and held an AK-47 between his feet. Neither man looked especially alert, but the gunman would glance in the direction of the gunfire every so often.

Liam checked the other emplacement. It was a twin of the first one — two men in work clothes, sitting on each side of a second DShK. The only difference was Liam could only see them from the chest up, above the sand bag wall.

He spoke softly into his radio. “Two to Prime: I have eyes on all four Tangos. Designating the nearer two as Tango One and Two, the far ones are Tangos Three and Four.”

“Copy, Two. Take them out at your discretion.”

“Understood.”

Liam hadn’t been on the SEAL Teams as a sniper, but he had hung around snipers long enough to learn the basics. He had also taken lessons from a retired SEAL sniper when OUTCAST was formed. He was a competent sniper who usually handled any task requiring accurate long-distance shooting. He was also good at estimating distances, a necessary skill for a sniper.

After a few seconds’ thought, he started with the farther emplacement. He settled the scope’s crosshairs on Tango Three, who observed the darkness through night vision binoculars. The shot was about three hundred yards, which for a sniper was almost routine. He settled his sights on the target, inhaled, held it, then exhaled slowly as he smoothly stroked the trigger.

The suppressor muffled the rifle’s shot, but the sound was still audible in the still night air. The 7.62mm bullet slammed into the base of the target’s throat, dropping him. Liam shifted slightly, lining up Tango Four in his sights as the fighter jumped up in surprise. Liam repeated the aiming process and fired. The second Tango jerked as the bullet hit him in the chest and he disappeared from sight.

Again, Liam shifted targets. The two North Koreans in the nearer emplacement were now alert after hearing the shots, but they couldn’t pinpoint a location. Tango One reached for a radio while Two moved behind the DShK and grabbed the weapon’s handles. Liam aimed at One, adjusted his aim, and fired.

The bullet punched into the base of Tango One’s neck, and the North Korean went down in a spray of blood. Liam adjusted and fired at the machine gunner, the round slamming into him between the shoulder blades. The gunner collapsed against the machine gun and slid to the ground.

Liam scanned both emplacements for signs of life but saw none. “Two to Prime. Tangos neutralized.”

“Copy Two, we’re moving.”