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"Miscowsky reports 'DYANAMO.' That translates as 'heavily engaged.' "
"Other teams?"
"Much the same. Heard from Katz finally. His report prior to acknowledging
Jericho was 'JESUS
CHRIST!' Now reports, 'Heavily engaged, am hurting enemy.' "
"Good." The SAS teams are doing their job, but I don't like this. Ace doesn't
either. "Bring them home.
Send out escort patrols to assist."
"Suggestion," Captain Lahr said.
"Spill it."
"This is all by the book," Lahr said. "They'll set up ambushes for the
escorts, sure as hell."
"Gotcha. Yeah, send an SAS Thoth controller along with each escort team. With
luck they'll find some targets going in while the teams kick ass coming out."
"Roger that."
"Now get me Collins again."
"Can't guarantee security."
"Understood."
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"Coming up," Andy Lahr said.
There was a pause. "Kicker Six here."
"Jericho."
"Understood."
"Captain, I need an estimate of how far that mine obstacle stretches. . . ."
"About five hundred meters to my left, sir; three hundred to the right, and
it's anchored in a ravine.
About fifty to a hundred meters thick. We estimate a minimum of three hours to
clear a path suitable for vehicles."
"Stand by one." Owensford studied the map. The western end of the minefield
ran down toward a valley;
there was a lip to that hill, a traversable slope beyond the mines, and then
broken wooded ground down to the low point.
What was it Ace said about garbage grinders? That gap might as well have a
sign on it, "Please insert male generative organ here." Well, a trap you know
is a trap is no trap.
"Stand by for orders," Peter said.
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No point in having Collins waste troops on mines. Use fuel-aid to blast hell
out of the area and be done with it. The main thing was to stay out of
trouble. Owensford typed orders.
"DIG IN. STAY DUG IN UNTIL MINEFIELDS CLEARED. USE ARTILLERY AND HE TO CLEAR
MINE AREA. DONT RISK TROOPS ON MINES. PREPARE TO PUNISH ENEMY ATTACKERS."
"Andy, put this through the data base and give me the codes. Thanks."
"OK. Attention to orders. Code DECEMBER. Repeat December. Code TRILOGY. Repeat
Trilogy.
Code ELK HILL. Repeat Elk Hill."
"DECEMBER, TRILOGY, ELK HILL. Roger."
"Code TIGER."
"Tiger it is."
"Okey Doke. Out." Peter Owensford reached up and undogged the hatch, climbing
up to stand with head and shoulders in the chill air. Cythera was up, shedding
patchy moonlight through scud clouds. He cycled the facemask until the scene
had a depthless brightness. The main body of Task Force Erwin was moving at
the equivalent of a quick walk, no more. A dozen armored cars were
leapfrogging forward, moving in spurts and then waiting in hull-down positions
while the flanking infantry companies swept through the wooded areas to either
side in skirmish line; behind both the bulk of the expeditionary force marched
in company columns, enclosing their mule-born supply trains.
That changed even as he watched. The APCs halted and spilled their eight-man
crews to begin setting up the heavy weapons. Shovels and the 'dozer blade of
the engineering vehicle began preparing firing positions for the mortars, well
spaced out and downslope from the crest. Still further down, the
Headquarters troops were digging in as well, spider-holes and pits for their
heavy machine guns and perimeter gatlings.
"Sir, Senior Lieutenant Fissop." The commander of the HQ company. "He requests
permission to blow standing timber for entrenchment purposes."
"By all means," Owensford said, studying his map again.
Assume there's a blocking force near that minefield, he thought. Can't be too
large. Now, what avenues of attack are there . . . ahh.
"Message to Third Brotherhood. Close up to two klicks west of us and advance
using this ridge" his light-pencil traced it "having his mortars ready for
support" mule-born l25mms "and begin a probe
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file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruiswijk/Mijn%20d...lle%20-%20%
20Falkenberg%203%20-%20Go%20Tell%20the%20Spartans.txt here." That ought to put
them right behind whoever was waiting for him to swing around the mines.
"Twenty-Second is to maintain distance on the Third's left, ready to move in
support. Eighteenth is to close up to within five klicks to our rear, and
Fifty-first to deploy in place for the moment on the right."
A good well-rounded position, ready to attack, retreat or switch front at
need, and capable of interdicting the low covered ground on all sides.
"Sir, CO Task Force Wingate."
"Patch."
"Slater here," a familiar voice said.
"Copy, George," Owensford said.
"I've run into a spot of trouble."
"Details?"
"Mines, snipers and teams of rocket launchers infiltrating between my columns.
Lost two armored cars and about fifteen casualties; we've counted about five
times that in enemy dead. They're willing to take casualties to hurt us."
"Interesting."
"Isn't it? Also, two of my forward support bases along the route back report [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]