United Under Fire

Shoot, Move, Communicate

Jace surveyed the crowd, taking note of every attendant with a bag or wearing a jacket. Anyone could be packing an AK or a bomb, he felt like a farm animal meant for slaughter. He checked with the guys on the ground, and so far everything was clear. Julian checked on ISR, and an unknown vehicle circled the building several times. Drake signaled for the politicians to close the deal fast.

He checked with their local counterparts, but there was no answer.

"All callsigns, be advised that the Bahrainis are not answering their comms."

Jace saw a man leave a backpack near the entrance, notifying the team. Drake sent a DSS agent to check it out, but before he got there the bag detonated. The crowds scrambled for the exits, the team secured the delegation and ambassador to the EXFIL route. Julian maintained as he dismounted, a gunman with a CZ 75B ran after the detail but was shot down by Jace. He caught up with the others as they loaded into the convoy, again Jace and Drake road with the politicians.

They cleared out of the area in time to see the local police arrive on the scene, but the protective detail was nowhere in sight.

"TOC our local counterparts are gone," reported Drake. "We're EXFILing now."

The convoy was then hit by an RPG, followed by gunfire. Jace counted eight shooters, two of Ashkan's teammates on both sides. Jace returned fire as Drake called for reinforcements, GRS would be there in twelve minutes.

Julian took out three of the enemy combatants, he then saw four sharpshooters in the north. He quickly took action, taking out two as Reese and Miller took out the others.

GRS arrived, helping eliminate the remaining forces. The team regrouped and made their way back to base.

Once they returned Jace went to speak with his father and Bishop.

"Satellite footage and traffic cameras confirmed that three of the men killed were members of Ashkan's mercenary group," said the older sniper.

"That leaves three men, including Ashkan," added Bishop.

"They knew our route, what are the chances it was a lucky guess?"

"Unknown, but effective immediately the Ambo and delegates are on lockdown," said the RSO. "State Department's and SECDEF's orders."

"Finally!" exasperated Jace.

He left to secure his gear, afterward, Jace went to his bunk.

The next day, the politicians were throwing a fit about their new development. Complaining about how 'bureaucracy was going to kill their way of life' and that they 'needed to tend to the needs of a crime and war-torn country'.

Jace checked with Grey and Rider, the tribal leaders were already leaning toward the treaty.

Why do they need to speak with them again? Haven't they done enough?

Two of his teammates were being treated for injuries from the ambush, it was a miracle that no one was killed.

Rorke was on the phone with Dawson, their contingencies had gone out the window. The MEU suffered casualties in an ambush during a patrol, the CRF Company had been tasked with a TIC to support a CAG troop in a massive firefight, and the 82nd Airborne had been retasked elsewhere. The Ambassador and Delegates were adamant about staying in-country.

Jace just wanted this nightmare to be over, he wanted to kick those pompous bastards back to the States. The moment they all went home, Jace was going to greet his old friend, Whiskey.

As he cleaned out his rifle, Jace got radioed to the TOC. Apparently, word had gotten out that Waller and the Delegation were staying at the compound and a massive rally of protesters had set up shop at the gates. Julian and Reese set up overwatch on the roof, so far none of the protesters on the ground were armed. However, he saw two unsubs on the adjacent roof, unarmed but one had a radio and the other had binoculars.

A recon team.

"All stations, I have eyes on a spotter element across from my post."

All of a sudden a set of tires caught fire, an ISR and satellite countermeasure. Six technicals pulled up, the crowd disbursed when a passenger got out and fired an AK into the air. Jace and Dave took on fire from the rooftop from the west. Reese covered Jace as he lined up his sights, he saw a machine gunner and a spotter. He took out the former, then the latter when he tried to take control of the weapon.

They engaged the technicals and the militants around them. Jace saw one of the fighters speak on a radio, he shouted orders to the others. Everyone evacuated the scene.

Jace knew what this meant, he knew what they were doing.

They were assessing their countermeasures and security, engaging long enough to obtain target coordinates.

He and Dave dismounted, communicating to the others to take shelter. When the first shell hit, the force threw them onto the ground.

"Who the hell are these guys?!" asked Dave.

"A tribal militia maybe," replied Julian, getting back up. "Too well-armed and organized to be anti-American protesters."

Why didn't we hear about them sooner?!

When they got back to the TOC, the rest of the CIA personnel, DSS agents, and members of Echo Team had fully tacted up. The older Gibbs and Bishop were on the satellite phone and monitors.

"How long until we get a QRF here?" asked Jace.

"Unknown," replied Drake. "We're trying to get our contingencies back up, but it'll take time."

"DOD is scrambling the nearest assets in the region and stateside," said Bishop. "FBI HRT and DSS MSD are wheels up but they're going to have trouble getting to us."

They divided the compound into sectors, Jace and Reese took the main rooftop, the rest of Echo took the north, the DSS took the west, and the GRS took the east. Gibbs and Bishop maintained the TOC, while Rorke, Grey, and Rider took care of sensitive materials and watched after the delegates and ambo.

Jace primed his M110, keeping his HK416 on the side. He saw three militants take cover behind a car, one had a satchel, the other had an AK and the third had an SDV. He focused on the former as he reached into the bag. Jace took out the sniper and Reese handled the one with the AK.

Unfortunately, the remaining militant threw the bag over the wall, before running away. It exploded taking out their sedans.

They were stuck in the outpost with no way out.