The Green Lieutenant

Part 1

I sway with the truck's jumping on the pathway, as do my men, all quiet. They all sit there quietly, holding blank stares at each other and gripping their firearms. I look farther up behind us and see four more transport trucks trailing close by, each carrying about ten men. It was an already hot enough day, the tarps that cover the trucks' load only exacerbates the heat, but we pay no mind. Slight distant booming and popping sounds finally come into range over the clamorous grumbling of the engines. I look ahead through the driver's window, some columns of smoke dissipate into the clear blue.

The trucks whine to a halt, two knocks on our transport signals us out. Some groaning, sighing, and yawning arise from my men. It's been a long drive from the port. I will say, Tamaulipas looks quite alluring, if it wasn't for what our forces had laid waste on our way here, but it's minimal, I suppose. Hopping off the truck, I see it's a communal area. I am quickly greeted by the Lieutenant Colonel, the battalion's commander, she's had her years.

"Kahill!" she booms out, "Welcome to Ejido Benito Juarez. How's your boat ride, Junior Lieutenant?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, ma'am!" I click my heels to my superior. "I was rather confused why our transport was a cargo ship, alongside with the fact that the insides were retrofitted to house personnel, quite unconventional, even for me. Why not a regular cruise ship, Ma'am?" I ask the Lieutenant Colonel.

"That's called, 'Operating Covertly'. No one's going to suspect a few commercial ships heading to one country, will they?"

"I suppose you are right, ma'am. I still believe our navy is unusual."

"Hey, remember lieutenant, we only got so much to work with. It ain't all glory and, most definitely not glamorous." The LtCol. warns.

"Aye ma'am."

"Alright then, report into the FOB's HQ and we'll give you a sitrep and you're briefing." Commands the LtCol.

I salute off to her and begin walking through the site. The area is bustling, a group of soldiers running off here, a truck with supplies speeding off there, a jet does a low overpass, drowning everything out with its engines for a moment. The ambiance of the far-off fighting is still distinct.

Another transport truck passes by me, its load being the locals, all looking displeased by our presence and the ruckus we are causing. I would have thought they would have been more joyful at us liberating them from the oppressive, terrorising cartels and the uncaring corrupt officials.

A large tent finds itself in a field nearby, hiding the staff from the sun. On top of the tent flew a the flags of Mexico, Spain, the UK, France, Germany, and our own. A captain beckons me over and leads me to a bleacher that's in front of a large monitor screen. Those sitting in the bleacher are mainly commanders of our own forces, but as well as a few from the corresponding flags from outside. I sit alongside one of them and wait for the briefing.

The same Lieutenant Colonel from before puts the meeting in session, "Good afternoon officers. I would first like to thank the volunteer forces who have chosen to join in on our struggle of cleansing this land of corruption, and of course the efforts of the local forces in cooperating with us." She then turns on the monitor, showing a map of the city,

"Now, we currently have the city of Victoria surrounded and are fighting house to house, except west and southwest of here, where the foot of the mountains meets the city. Majority, if not all, of the locals have been evacuated in and thus collateral damage isn't much of a priority. Keep in mind, though, we are liberating this city. It's expected that the enemy will run off to the mountains once we flush 'em out of the city, we do not necessarily have the means or capabilities to cut their escape off, so we'll have to hit em hard and fast and then pursue them, remember that." The LtCol. takes a quick gulp of a bottle of water she has on hand. "The first order of business is for Captain Joseba. You, your Echelon, and a detachment of the Mexican National Guard are to secure the Northwestern section of the city and head south, see if you can stop whatever enemies are trying to flee into the mountain, as well as securing the highway Lib. Naciones Unidas.