Open Season by Cameron Curtis (great novels TXT) 📕

laser pointer. “This is the theatre of operations. The mountains of the Hindu Kush, in the far north of Afghanistan. Turkmenistan here, Pakistan to the east. Here, the Wakhan Corridor, like a finger of Afghanistan, pokes into China.”

Horrible terrain. It looks like a child crumpled a sheet of paper, opened it, and threw it onto a table. The surface is a disorganized mass of mountains and valleys, anywhere from seven thousand to twenty thousand feet. Most of the country there runs between ten and eighteen thousand feet.

Koenig clicks the remote. The image zooms in on a detail of four mountains. The peaks straddle a narrow river valley.

“This is our target area. Four mountains, but only three concern us.” He flicks the remote and names are superimposed on the image.

Three mountains. One in the southwest, lower left corner of the group, one immediately to the east, and one at the northeast, upper right corner.

“The mountain at the lower left is Shafkat. The one to its right is Kagur-Ghar. The river and the valley are named after it. The one north of Kagur-Ghar is Lanat. Meteorology forecasts favorable weather for at least the next seventy-two hours. We have three helos, including gunship support, dedicated to the mission.

“The target is in the village of Kagur at the base of Kagur-Ghar. The plan is simple. Our main force, consisting of myself, Lopez, Breed, and Takigawa will be inserted at the western slope of Shafkat. Hubble and Ballard will be inserted on the eastern slope of Kagur-Ghar.

“The main force will make its way around Shafkat and observe the village by day. Early the next morning, that force will assault the village and rescue Colonel Grissom and Sergeant Trainor. They will use this trail to ascend Kagur-Ghar and make their way to Landing Zone One. LZ One is on the southeast face of Kagur-Ghar. Hubble and Ballard will man a blocking position from which they will ambush any pursuers. They will then fall back on LZ One where the whole team will be exfil’d.”

Koenig takes a sip from a glass of water. Clicks the remote control. The screen is filled with a satellite image of a Pashtun village. Terraced eight levels high, set against the west face of Kagur-Ghar. A rocky escarpment leads to the river. Goatherds are leading a small flock across a wooden bridge to graze them on Shafkat’s slopes.

“This is the village of Kagur,” Koenig continues. “In Badakhshan, north of the Nuristan provincial boundary. Satellite imagery suggests our principals are being held in this house. This is the largest of three bridges joining the east and west banks. There are two smaller ones. One a mile south, another a mile north. Goatherds use the bridges to graze both sides of the river.”

Click.

The screen shows a magnified photograph of a house on the lowermost level. Two men standing outside have been circled. The image shows their AK47s, turbans, and chest rigs.

“These sentries stand outside the house at night. Sometimes during the day. There are other sentries at higher levels, but they move around. The ones at the ground level always cover this house.”

“How old is that photograph?” I ask.

“No more than twenty-four hours.”

“Any photographs of the principals themselves?”

“Two days ago, they were spotted on the march, heading toward this village. Satellite photographs showed they were forced into the house. Nothing since.”

“Enemy strength?”

“There is the local population. They are sympathetic to Taliban. We are certain this group belongs to Abdul-Ali Shahzad. Twenty or thirty were spotted on the trail. Shahzad has two hundred this side of the border.”

“Where are they?”

“Up to two days ago, they were at Kagur village. Yesterday they moved out, headed north. We lost contact.”

“Why did they move out?”

“Not sure. Intel suggests Zarek Najibullah is approaching from the north. Najibullah and Shahzad are at war.”

I lean back in my chair, process the information. Search for weakness.

“Go over the assault plan,” Anthony says.

“Yes, Sir.” Koenig thumbs the remote and the image on screen is replaced by the image of the village. “The assault team will observe the village from the east slope of Shafkat the first night. It will then descend and approach the village at 0400 hours. Two snipers, Breed and Takigawa, will shoot from this phase line on the west bank of the river. A range of two hundred yards. They will take out the sentries with suppressed M110s and subsonic loads.

“Lopez and myself will cross the bridge and assault the house. When we have freed Grissom and Trainor, we will all climb the steps to the second terrace. We will then follow this goat trail to the tree line. Koenig traces a path on the mountainside with the laser pointer. Once there, we will navigate Kagur-Ghar and pass through Hubble and Ballard to LZ One for exfil.”

General Anthony surveys the room. “Challenge?”

I say, “This plan has us infilling tomorrow morning, attacking the morning after. Shahzad’s main body could return in that time.”

“Unlikely,” Koenig says, “if Shahzad is looking to take on Najibullah.”

“That’s a guess.”

“If he returns, we abort. Try something else.”

“I don’t know,” Takigawa says. “It seems inefficient for the captain and Lopez to attack through us. Breed and I will be closer. We should go right in. The captain and Lopez can provide cover.”

“You’re not equipped for CQB,” Koenig says. “Those M110s are too big for the job.”

Close Quarters Battle is shorthand for old-fashioned door-kicking.

“What are you carrying?” I ask.

“HK416s.”

“Good CQB weapon,” I observe. “But there’s no way to suppress five-five-six. It’s a supersonic round.”

“What do you suggest,” Anthony asks.

“Captain Koenig is correct,” I say. “The M110 is not suitable for CQB. Takigawa and I will go in with silenced Mark 23s. Pistols are much more effective indoors. The captain and Lopez should cover us. HK416s are tailor-made for suppressive fire.”

“I agree,” Takigawa says.

“We will maintain IR light discipline,” I tell Takigawa. “At close quarters, our NODs should be sufficient.”

Infrared technology is commercially available. It is possible the enemy will have the ability to detect IR radiation projected by