Episode 83

93rd Bomb Squadron, US Air Force Reserve (USAF-R)

Two Miles South of the DMZ, South Korea, Angels 40

“Something weird here sir.”

“Define weird.”

“ELINT is reporting a Link 11 handshake.”

“That isn’t weird.”

“Two miles past the DPRK side of the DMZ?”

“OK. That’s weird. Do you think it’s legit? Or has the DPRK hacked us?”

“Intel is saying they think it’s legit. The handshake is from an SF unit. One of the Green Beret ODA teams.”

“Ah, figures they’d be back there. Anything in the order book for them?”

“Nothing.”

Major Tinney sat back and considered. They didn’t have any specific tasking orders to support the Green Berets, but on the other hand, they wouldn’t necessarily know about any covert insertion either. Those things tended to be held close to the vest. Any leaks could be fatal to special forces operators. If the covert team had decided to risk giving away their position, that meant something serious was going on. He looked over at Williams. “Let’s plot a course back to a spot just on the South side of where they are. Those boys may need some help soon.”

“Roger that. Give me a sec… OK, let’s turn right to two seven zero.”

“Hatchet Flight, this is Bruiser you still with us?”

“Right with ya boss, just tanked ten minutes back. We are rotating back by pairs to keep the birds topped off. We should be good for the duration.”

“OK, we’re going to slide a bit over to the west and see if we can give some friendlies a hand.”

“I think we can keep up.”

“Right.”

ODA 1211, A Co, 2nd Btn, 1st Special Forces Group

“You have got to be shitting me!” Sparks jumped up from his console and gestured urgently to Captain Peters.

“What is it, Sparks?”

“Didn’t the intel brief say that Plan Bravo was the full scale frontal and plan Charlie was the narrow front?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, those dumb bastards have just started to execute on Bravo!”

Peters looked down, aghast at what was about to happen. “They’ll be chopped into hamburger.”

“Yeah.”

“Can you get division HQ on the horn?”

“I am having trouble getting anyone to listen to me.”

“Which brigade is closest to us?”

“Looks like 3rd Batallion, 67th Armor.”

“Isn’t that Hernandez’s outfit?”

“Dunno.”

“Hey Smith, get your ass in here! What unit was that dude Hernandez in who we did the oppfor against last year? You know, the guy with the killer Burbon in his desk?”

“Wasn’t it 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor?”

“Yeah.. Sparks, can you set up a direct to him? Uh, Lt. Colonel Luis Hernandez.”

“Jesus Christ cap, this ain’t no email system. I can’t just text him or whatever.”

“Yeah, but you can find his command freq, right? Get in there and hack some shit up.”

“That’s not the way you use that word.”

“Just fucking do it, Sparks.”

“I’m working. I’m working.” Sparks worked furiously behind the console. Finally pulling out a second radio and attaching it to a cable he pulled from the back of a DPRK radio. “OK. Got it. Callsign Knight.” He handed peters a handset.

“Knight. Knight. Knight Six, this is Ghostwalker Six.”

“Ghostwalker, this is Knight Six Romeo. Say again.”

“Knight Six Romeo, this is Ghostwalker Six.”

“Ident, Ghostwalker. Oscar Charlie Golf Romeo.”

“Lima Charlie Zulu Bravo.”

“Confirm your readback correct.”

“Knight Six Romeo, I need Knight Six Actual.”

“Wait one.” A new voice came over the radio. “Who the hell is this? What are you doing on my command frequency?”

“Colonel, I don’t have time to explain. This is Captain Peters. We met last year at Fort Irwin.”

“What? I’m about to go into combat, I don’t have time for this.”

“Colonel, please listen to me. If you recall, we shared a glass of that Bulleit Burbon you like. You must listen to me. Plan Bravo is a meat grinder. You must abort. Repeat, abort plan bravo. Immediate.”

“Peters, we have six brigades moving right now. It’s not so simple to just stop them.”

“Sir, please listen to me. We have extremely credible Intel here. We know that the DPRK has anti-tank mines planted a full two miles back from the DMZ.”

“Fuck! I told those REMF sons a bitches! The invasion is already started, I am not sure if we can disengage safely.”

“Sir, we have the command codes from a DPRK General. We can disarm mines in this entire sector, but you have to re-focus the attack here.”

“You’re asking a hellufa lot Soldier. I’ve only met you once and you want me to gamble thousands of lives here on a code that we don’t know will work.”

“I know you will get ground into sausage if you don’t.”

“Dammit, I only have your word on this.” There was a pause. “Well, they can only court-martial me if I’m alive. OK, get it done.”

“Smith! Get our buddy in here! I have a job for him!”