Читать книгу A Land Divided - Jack Wills - Страница 12

Chapter 6

Special Assignment

US Army Private Eugene Mallory stood nervously by the crate holding several automatic weapons. He could hear the beating of the Huey rotor blades but couldn’t see it yet. The copter was twenty-three minutes late. The helicopter was approaching with a late afternoon sun behind it, and it was difficult to see what was on the horizon. Mallory shifted his stance, leaning on the Humvee with his right elbow. He was dressed in civilian clothes as was his partner in crime, Corporal Chance White. He glanced at White and gritted his teeth. White was sound asleep, and a slight snore emanated from his open window. It was time to wake him.

“Corporal White! I think they’re here.”

White stirred and looked at Mallory with sleepy, irritated eyes. He slowly emerged from the Humvee, stretching his thin six-foot-three-inch frame, pulling at his pants, and scratching his head.

“’Bout time,” was all he said.

Both men reached for their M4 carbines and felt for their M9 pistols. They knew that the copter coming toward them should be friendly, but they also knew the exchange they were about to make changed the circumstances. Until the exchange was made, neither soldier would breathe easy.

Six hundred feet away and nearly invisible against the brown desert shrubs and rocks, SEAL Shawn Bryant adjusted his hybrid hyperspectral camera. He was on a limited time assignment to gather information and video and photographs of the suspected drug deals by a few rogue US Army soldiers in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan. He carried a Sig Sauer P226 pistol and an HK416 assault rifle, and he also carried a SOG serrated knife. He hoped he didn’t have to use any of them.

For nearly three weeks prior to this moment, Shawn Bryant had gone through training in preparation for his surveillance. He had been given a brief training on how to use the camera, a thorough review of the terrain where he would be, and an overview of what to expect when he was on assignment at the location of the exchange. Just prior to departure, his trainers reiterated that the exchange he was about to observe and record was very dangerous. He was told that it was a drug-for-guns exchange and that the drugs were almost certain to be purified opium. They explained that if he was caught, there was no doubt he would be killed, or tortured then killed if the afghans caught him.

He was thirsty and tired. He hardly moved to avoid detection. When he heard the beating of the rotary blades of the Bell UH-1 helicopter, he drew the tarp he had covered in brown grass and branches from a nearby bush over his head. He moved closer to the trunk of the shrub.

This wasn’t an ordinary assignment. Bryant reflected on the briefing held in Captain Ericson’s office. Ericson, along with Captain Fredericks, told him this was a dangerous assignment and that he would have no backup unless he didn’t make the rendezvous with the returning helicopter. By that time, it would likely be too late. He could see Fredericks leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head telling him he was on his own. He had added that they were confident he would be successful.

At that exact moment, Bryant was not so sure. If he was detected, there would likely be a short firefight, but in the end, if he could not escape, he would be killed. Given the nature of the activity that these men were engaged, he would choose death.

The helicopter came in over the top of Bryant’s hiding spot. He felt the rustle of the tarp, but unless the draft pulled it off completely, he was certain he would not be detected from above. After the copter had passed, Shawn pulled the tarp aside with the caution of a predator stalking his prey. He had trouble seeing the action taking place at first as the helicopter stirred the dust into a small storm. As the rotor blades slowed to a stop, the air settled some, and Shawn could see the exchange.

He placed a dark cloth on the end of the camera to block any sunlight from tipping off the men involved in the exchange. His movements were nearly imperceptible.

He noticed that one of the men stopped moving the bag and looked in Shawn’s general direction. The soldier pulled out a pair of binoculars and started scanning the horizon. Shawn tucked himself back under the shelter of his tarp but kept one end slightly open to assess the actions of the group of men.

He could hear muffled laughter, and the man put away the binoculars. Shawn heard some shuffling sounds coming from his right. He tensed and gripped his weapon tighter. Slowly he opened the tarp a little wider to investigate the noise. Staring into his eyes was some weasel-looking creature. A beech marten had come to check him out. He stood and sat on his haunches when Shawn lifted the tarp, but as soon as Shawn shifted his position, the marten turned and wandered back into the desert.

Shawn noticed a trail of dust coming down the road from his right. He renewed his filming, but kept his tarp over him except for the lens end. He was soon rewarded for his care. Before the caravan of vehicles and armed Afghans arrived, the helicopter restarted and rose into the air above the exchange site. It stayed aloft as the Afghans arrived. There was a brief conversation and greetings between the two groups. As soon as it was clear there would be no problems, the helicopter lowered to ground and a large bag, that Shawn guessed was the purified opium he had been told to expect, was loaded on board the helicopter. Shortly afterward, the helicopter lifted into the air and headed back in the direction it came from.

After the exchange, the US soldiers got into their Humvee and drove off back to the base. The Afghans loaded their weapons on the trucks shouting their excitement as they held up their favorite gun to shoot into the air. Bryant had done his job, but he would have to wait until later to make his exit.

At sunset, he pulled back his tarp, brushed it off and rolled it up. He put the tarp, camera gear, and any leftover trash into his pack. He hefted it onto his back and adjusted his helmet. The setting sun was in his eyes when he walked into the desert. As before, he heard the copter coming before he saw it. Soon he was hoisting his gear behind the cockpit and jumping in behind the pilot. He strapped himself in but waited until he could see the lights of Bagram Airfield before breathing a sigh of relief.