What if you only had 12 hours left on this earth?

Think about it.

Chapter Two

Lei Chung and Sergeant Kang were in the perfect hiding spot waiting for the Americans. They had originally thought they would come this way, but it was now obvious that they could not. That meant they would attempt to escape through another route. He decided that he and Kang would make their way back up the mountain road and relocate the Americans. Then he would begin his hunt.

Chapter Three

When Jake and the others got back to the Duck, Griff had it in the road and ready to go.

“Griff, you ready?” Jake said as he tapped the front tire.

“You know I am Reb.”

The Captain came up and stood next to the Duck. He looked at the men and at the vehicle. He had a blank look on his face and Jake noticed it.   

“Captain,” said Jake getting his attention. “Before we go can I address the men?”

There was a pause, “You may Sergeant.”   

Jake looked at him and then at the men. “Men,” he said.

The men gathered around, and Griffin stepped outside the Duck.

“Asking how you are holding up is a dumb question so I won’t ask it. But I do want to say that I am proud of every one of you. You’ve had your initiation into combat arena and you survived. You in essence have become Combat Security Police Rangers. However, that doesn’t make you seasoned so don’t get overconfident. We are still deep in enemy territory with 140 plus miles, or there about to reach Kunsan,” he let that sink in, “but we do have an advantage, the enemy doesn’t know we are here. That means we have a better than average chance of making it out of here alive, and staying alive so we can reach friendly lines is our primary objective and as long as we head south southwest, we are bound to find them. From here on out, we have to be nothing more than a shadow and a fleeting one at that. However, if we are found out we must be accurate and deadly. We are now, not fighting for this country or for ours, we are fighting for each other. General Patton once said that you don’t win wars by dying for your country. No Sir! We win wars by making the other guy die for his. Now we are not looking for a fight but if we caught in one, just do what you know to do. Also,” he paused for a moment. “We need to travel fast so I want everyone to be on their toes, we don’t want to be caught off guard. Next – the radio, we have the main one, which the RTO will maintain and I believe we have enough spare batteries, if we have to use them, to get us home. When we have to conduct a recon, the team will carry a handheld. Does everyone understand?”

Every one acknowledged.

“Good. Now make sure that you pack your rucks with enough food, water, and ammo in case we have to ditch the Duck and go it on foot. I want the sixty up top at all times and a man with a 203 covering our rear.  

“Whoo-ah,” Sledge Hammer said smiling.”

“That’s affirm,” George said as he looked at Hammer.

“Alright,” Jake said, “let’s load em up and get outta Dodge.”

Everyone got in the Duck and found a seat. Hammer took his spot up top with the 60 and Pierce, on the 203, opened the rear hatch and stood up through there. The Captain sat in the co-pilots seat while Griffin remained the driver.

“Here we go,” Griffin said and put the Duck in gear and slowly pulled off.

It was 09:30 as the Reapers moved up the road. Jake could sense the electricity of both excitement and the dark shadow that just seemed too wrapped around them. Jake recognized the feeling as anticipation of meeting the enemy which is enough to make any man cringe. He remembered the combat of Vietnam, the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the fear. No one can ever know what it’s like and really can’t describe it until they are in it. But these men can. They can now tell you because they have had their first taste of it and made it out alive. But his biggest question was their Captain. Will he get a grip on his fear, will he get them killed, or will he by some stroke of fate become a hero? Not a chance on the hero, Jake thought.

Griffin, with his head out the drivers hatch, could see a good distance up a head. He was looking for the road that Pete had mentioned and when he saw it, he called back.

“We are approaching our turn into the Valley.”

Pete tapped him on the shoulder. “Hold up, I want to take a quick look on foot.”

Griffin, driving slow and trying to keep the sound of the engine to a minimum, stopped.

 “Captain, with your permission I’m going to take a quick look.”

“Go ahead and as you said, make it quick.”

Pete got up and opened the side hatch. He locked it open and stepped out and down to the ground.

Jake came up to the open door, “hold on, I’ll go with you.” He stepped and they walked off.

Jake and Pete saw the road up a head and walked to it. They turned onto it and a slight wave of gladness went through Jakes mind, he was glad to be going south. The sound of armor moving down the main road continued to echo through the hills and down into the valley – Jake looked at Pete. That is what we are walking into, Jake thought.

They walked on for about 200 meters looking at the hills on both sides.  Trees and plenty of greenery and in some places, looked pretty thick filled the landscape. As Jake looked up through the trees, he could see several small foot trails. Pete saw the same thing on the left.

“Reckon we need to tell the Captain,” Pete said.

“Yes,” Jake said.

“I tell you what, seeing’s how we are out of site I could just slip on up, check it out and be back in line before he ever knew I was gone.”

“Okay, go, but do it fast.”

Pete took off up the hill to his right.

Jake kept walking straight ahead hoping that nothing would cause them to stop. Ten minutes pass, and then fifteen and still no Pete. Jake was getting a little edgy when he finally saw him up front. He smiled as he approached.

“Man I was wondering if those natives captured you or maybe that you were abducted by aliens.”

“Nope, but the way is clear.”

They headed back to the Duck.

Griffin was still sitting in the driver’s seat with his head out of the hatch when he saw Jake and Pete coming back, he told the Captain, “Sir, their coming back in.”

“Okay, get ready to move out.”

When Jake got back in he told the Captain that it was clear.

“Alright Sergeant Griffin, move out.”

“Yes Sir.” He put the Duck in gear and once again slowly drove up the road.

The turn came up quick and Griffin made the turn. When he did, he said to everyone in the Duck, “we are now entering the Valley of the Shadow.”

The atmosphere went suddenly somber as everyone considered the words, “Valley of the Shadow.”

Here is where death is. He is where we meet that death and here where we find out just how fare. Destiny is waiting.

The road or path the Reapers were traveling was a little rough in places, with stones, ruts, and just plain old holes, and the men felt each one, but the Duck was built for this type of rugged terrain, so, despite the conditions, we were making good time and so far, without incident. Earlier, the Captain opened the passenger seat hatch so he could look around and see where we were going.  We were in the enemy’s backyard and, if they decided to take to the hills, the odds of us being discovered are great. We were all hoping that would not be the case, at least not right now.

This is the End of “Rebel Station.” I hope you enjoyed listening to and reading. I have another book coming up very soon that I hope you enjoy.

The captain, looking over the area, seemed to go off into wonderland.
“Captain,” Jake said, “we have got to get out of here.”
“Yes, well, that goes without saying,” Howard said solemnly.
As he stood there, a sudden wave of uncertainty washed over him, and his continence changed. When he asked the next question, Jake noticed he wasn’t his usual steady, no reaction flat line self. He had a kind of doom and gloom to his voice. “What … about the dead?”

Jake looked back at him, then he slowly looked back at the captain. “First of all, I need to get a weapon and ammo. Then, we get out of here. We’ll have to worry about the dead later.”

“Then, Captain,” Jake said urgently, “I suggest we gather what we can of the dead men’s effects, ammo, food, water, and equipment. We can put what we can in the Duck. All the weapons, we will remove the firing pins and do the best we can to destroy the rest. Is that what you think, Sir?”
“Yes, that’s a good idea. Once we get to Osan, I’ll have graves registration come back and retrieve the dead, along with who we left up on the hill.”
“Very good, Sir. Griffin, I need you on that radio. Howard, get everyone else here. I need to talk to them.”
“On my way,” Howard said and stepped off.
“Pete, check out the jeep. See if it’s operational.”
“Okay,” he said.

A few minutes later, Jake briefed the men. “As you know and have heard in the distance, the North Korean Army is advancing and will most probably be across the bridge and into Chuncheon very soon. If that happens before we get off this hill, we will face being surrounded and completely cut off. So, it goes without saying, we must get out of here, and now. It’s not going to be easy because we still have in our way the terrain, the distance, and most probably, the same ones that ambushed us here. Are there any questions?” He waited and looked at each face. No one said anything. “Okay, I want a two-man recon patrol to find us a clear path around that tunnel of trees. It has to be wide enough to get the Duck through. The jeep will follow it. Sledge, you and the Kidd have that job, so get started.”

Captain Beckman stood there for another second or two and then walked over to the Duck. “Howard, I hate to do this, but we need to police the bodies as best we can. Gather everything that you think we can use.”
“Hathaway,” Howard said, “let’s go and get the others.”
After the men departed, Jake walked over to the jeep. Pete had just removed the body of Cannon. “All we have now is the Duck,” Pete said, laying Cannon’s body down on the ground.

“And it looks like the only way out is —”
“Is blocked,” Pete said, finishing the statement. “I looked at that as I came up to the jeep.”

Jake looked at the tunnel where the destroyed deuce was, then turned and looked at the underbrush and trees that went further down the mountain. “It might be possible to work our way around through those trees.” Jake looked back at the Duck and had a thought. He went over to it and looked through the side door. “Griffin,” he said, “reckon this Duck can push its way through the underbrush and maybe plow the way.

“I’m glad you asked,” Griffin said as he turned a knob on the radio. “If the ground isn’t too wet and we don’t have too much of an angle to negotiate, I think we can.”
“How about the radio, is it still working in this valley?”
“It is, but only weak signals. We need a higher elevation and a better line of sight for reception.”
Jake noticed the captain sitting in the driver’s seat, and it looked as if he was in deep thought.
“Wait a minute,” Griffin said, as if an incredible idea struck him. “Before we left the hill, I grabbed some things out of Rebel Base, and I had one of the guys retrieve the antenna that com had put up. That stuff was in the trailer the third deuce was hauling. If it’s all okay, I think I can rig something to give us more range.”
“Well, let’s go see if we can find it,” Jake said, and began running over to where the trailer was. In about five minutes of looking through all the stuff that was scattered around, Jake found something that looked like it might be what Griffin needed. He picked it up and brought it back.
“Is this it?” Jake asked as he showed it to Griffin.
“Yep, that’s it. Kind of bent, but if we can get it rigged up, we might be in business.”
“Well, do whatever you need to do to get a signal. We have got to know what’s happening.”
“You got it.” Griffin jumped out, took the material from Jake, and began working.
“Sergeant Griffin,” the captain said as he turned around.
“Yes, Sir.”
“It just so happens I know something about electronics.”
“Sir, any help would be greatly appreciated.”
It was late in the afternoon when the men finished their unwelcome task of policing the bodies of their dead, including, as unpleasant as it was, the tunnel. No one wanted that one, but it had to be done. The men could still hear the sounds of battle and knew it was just a matter of time before they were surrounded and cut off.

Jake watched them and saw the somber looks on each face, and he was impressed with how well they contained their emotions. But as they brought the ammo and equipment in, he could not find any words of consolation. He just looked at them, nodded, and smiled a sad smile. “Griffin,” he shouted, “any luck on that radio?”

Griffin stuck his head out the door, “Oh, yeah. And you’re not going to like what we’ve been hearing.”
“You mean you got it to pick up something?”
“Yeah, and the captain is the one who did it.”
“Well, sit rep, please.”
“If we don’t get down this hill in the next hour or so, we won’t be getting down it at all.”

Suddenly, echoing throughout the hills was the sound of a single round being fired. Jake instinctively ducked. He looked off in the direction it came from.
“That was no AK-47,” Pete said, as he looked at Jake.
“You better believe it wasn’t.”
“It could have been a hunter,” Griffin said.
“Oh, no, that was no hunter. That, my friend, was a warning shot.”
“A warning shot?” The captain said, with doubt in his voice, now joining the conversation.
“Jennings and Rebhouser were killed by who I believe to be the last two men of the same group who attacked us on the hill. That shot says they want us to know they are still out there.” Jake paused.

It wasn’t long, and the recon team returned. They reported that the slope down the hill was not too steep for the Duck to go down. There was a path down the side of the hill, about twenty meters wide, that went all the way down to a road.

“It looks safe, and we don’t think there will be any problem going down.”
“Okay, Griff, get the men ready. We’re moving outta here, with your permission, of course, Captain.”
“Let’s go,” Captain Beckman said.
“Alright,” Jake shouted, “Hammer. You and the Kidd scout about 100 meters out in front. Pierce, on the 60. The captain has the copilot seat. I’ll take up a position at the rear hatch. Hammer, your call sign is ‘bird dog’, so make sure you monitor that radio. Alright, let’s move.”
Hammer and the Kidd were already moving out in front and got ready to go down the hill. When they heard the engine of the Duck start up, they moved out. Griffin pressed lightly on the gas and turned toward the downslope.
“Alright, here we go,” Griffin shouted back.
The ride down the 100-meter slope to the road was slow, bumpy, and tight, but finally they came out onto the road and turned right. Griffin pulled up to a stop and allowed the two-man scout team to proceed on.
“Why did you stop?” the captain asked.
“I figured we’d give the scouts some room and wait until Hammer calls back,” Griffin said.
“Very good,” the captain said.
Hammer and the Kidd walked slowly down the mountain road. Both were searching for and anticipating contact from the enemy. When their pace count reached 100 meters, Hammer stopped. He pulled out the handset.
“Reaper Main, this is Bird Dog, over.”
“Bird Dog, this is Reaper Main. We read you Lima-Charlie, over.”
“Main, we are one hundred meters down. You can start your descent. How copy?”
“We copy, on our way.” Griffin released the brake and slowly started down the road.

At the same time, Hammer could hear the sounds of gunfire coming from where he thought was the city. Everyone in the back heard the same thing.
“That sounds like the enemy has reached the outskirts of the city and is beginning to fight their way in,” Pete said as he listened.
Hammer and the Kidd started once again walking slowly, Hammer on the left of the road and the Kidd on the right. It was slow going, and every time they came to a turn, they halted and called back, informing the Duck where they were and to stand by while they cleared the area. Once they cleared, they called back, and Griffin proceeded. There was one place where the road forked off to the left. They made note of it and informed the others.
Hammer and the Kidd scanned forward and watched the tree line. As they came to where the road emptied onto the rise overlooking the highway, Hammer began to hear a grumbling sound. He stopped. The Kidd stopped, and both got down on a knee. They could still hear some gunfire, but it was now just sporadic. They both looked at each other.
“Move up and take a look,” Hammer said softly.
The Kidd inched forward until he could see around and beyond the trees. He couldn’t see anything right away, so he moved out a little more. Their position was high enough, so they had a good, clear view of the highway running north and south. As they listened, the grumbling sound started getting louder. Kidd looked in the direction the sound was coming from and waited. It got nearer. Then he saw it, the first tank in the column. Kidd turned around and motioned for Hammer to move up to him. Hammer got up and went over to where he could see what the Kidd was looking at.
“Right there,” the Kidd pointed.
Hammer looked, and sure enough, a column of tanks, accompanied by infantry. But what surprised him was how little opposition there was. There was no one anywhere to defend the place. These guys were rolling in essentially unopposed. Hammer pulled the radio from its pouch and called back to the others.
“Reaper, this is Bird Dog, over.”
Griffin answered. “Go, Bird Dog.”
“Reaper Main, this is Bird Dog. We’ve got an armored column coming out of the city, and they are traveling south down the main highway, and they are supported by infantry. It looks like it could be a point column. So far, they are unopposed,” Hammer said quietly.
“Copy that, Bird Dog. Hold your position and give updates as they happen.”
“Roger that, Bird Dog, out. Okay, let’s stay out of sight.”
Jake listened to the conversation. “So, Captain, what do you want to do?” Jake asked, as he looked down at him.
Without hesitating, the captain said, “First thing, Griffin, Pierce and George will secure the Duck here. The rest of us will go down and have a look. From there, we’ll decide what our options are.”
Jake looked at him. “Okay, gentlemen, let’s get this Duck under cover. Griffin, you, Pierce, and George will secure it. Keep your ears to that radio. If we need you, come running.”
“Copy that, Reb.”

Griffin found a good spot to back the Duck into, then he, Pierce, and George went to work camouflaging it.

When the Duck was all secure, the captain said, “Alright, let’s move out.”
“I’ll take the point,” Steel said as he moved forward.
“Sergeant Steel has the point,” the captain confirmed.
Hammer watched as the infantry stayed with the armor, but for some reason, they didn’t look like they were interested in taking to the hills. Soon, the rest of the team came down the road, and Jake could see the two men on the right of the road as they crouched down behind the trees for concealment.
Steel had already gotten to Hammer and the Kidd. “I think that’s the tail end,” Hammer said as he saw Jake come up.

“It must be a point column,” Steel said, as he watched them.
“I think so,” Jake said. Then he swung his binoculars and looked toward the west. In the distance, he could see movement on the south side of the river, and it was headed in their direction. He focused in, and it was clear that it was another armored column.

“Pete, take a look,” Jake said, and gave the binoculars to Pete and pointed.
Pete put the binoculars up to his eyes and focused in on what Jake had pointed out. He saw it too and confirmed, “Yep, another armored column and they are headed this way. It looks like they intend to link up with this one.”
“That means they have broken through the lines, and the rest of the Army will not be far behind. It also means that if they’ve made it this far that Osan is out of the question.”
“I think so,” Hammer said.
“Well, let’s not hang around too long to find out,” Pete said, still looking through the binoculars.
The captain came up to them.
“Sir,” Jake said, as he continued to watch the road down below. “I think Osan is out of the question.”
“It looks that way,” the captain said with frustration.
“So, what do you want to do?” Pete asked, hoping he wouldn’t be stupid.
Captain Beckman pulled out his map and laid it out on the ground. He found the road they were on and traced it back as far as it would go.

“Sir, we still might have a chance, so if I might make a suggestion,” Pete said, looking over the captain’s shoulder.
The captain hesitated, then said, “What, Sergeant Steel, is your suggestion?”
“Well, seeing as how we are at the point of being cut off and thus becoming trapped in enemy-occupied territory, I think we should do this. On our way down from the ambush, we passed a fork, one leading south, and of course, this one we are on right now. I suggest we go back up to that road and follow it.”
“Is it on the map?” the captain asked.
Pete looked down at the map and found where they were currently, then traced back up to where he thought the road was. “Right here, Sir. And it looks like it follows this valley for about twenty miles, give or take. So, we might be able to outrun them and get to a place where we can contact friendly lines, but we have to do it now and do it quickly.”
Captain Beckman looked at where Pete was pointing. He wasn’t sure about what to do, but he did know he didn’t want to be killed.
“It looks like it’s the only chance we have,” Pete said seriously.
“Opinions,” the captain said.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Jake agreed.
“Sounds like a plan,” Howard said. “Any guesses as to where friendly lines might be?”
No one could answer that question.
“Well, wherever they are, we’ll never find them if we stay here,” Pete said.
No one knew what the captain was thinking or what he had decided, but when they found out, it would not be good. Jake was the first to learn about it.
“We are staying here for another day,” the captain said, asserting his authority.
“Sir,” Jake said, not at all happy and no longer able to contain his frustration, “Are you nuts? We need to get out of here and do it before we have no chance at all.”
“Anderson, I know what I’m doing. And I say we stay here for another day.”
“Sir,” Jake said, trying to contain his anger.
“That’s it, Sergeant,” Captain Beckman shouted. “No more to be said.”
Jake just stood there and looked at him with an icy stare. If he could get away with it, he would cause some sort of bodily harm. He took a deep breath and calmed down. Then he prayed for God to help him.
“Sir,” Jake said, still struggling. “I’ll go inform the men.”
“Is he out of his mind?” Howard said, showing some unexpected signs of frustration.

“Is he crazy?” Griffin joined in.
All Jake could do was practice some self-control, which, in this case, was not at all easy, especially hearing the sounds of battle that were not so distant anymore. But then a thought came to him, fear, the captain is afraid. That has got to be why he is acting the way he is. Jake knew that fear could cause a lot of irrational thinking, resulting in poor judgment. Why not? They had just gone through the devastating attack on the hill, resulting in the loss of half of the men, then the ambush taking out the rest, and now facing death at every step of the way back home with only 9 men. That was enough to cause anybody to panic. Jake himself was feeling fearful.

The Reapers could be heard more distinctly now, the North Korean Army as they pushed deeper into South Korea. From the radio transmissions, they knew that the bases at Suwan, Inchon, Seoul, and Osan had all been overrun. But still, the fighters, they suspected from Kunsan and other airbases further south, could be heard overhead as some engaged in air-to-air combat while others went after the troops on the ground. The Air Force was not going to allow this to be an easy victory for the North. However, the Reapers knew that if they didn’t get ahead of this advancing Army, they would be so deep in enemy-occupied territory that there wouldn’t be any chance of them ever finding friendly lines, that is, if there would be such a place.
All the men looked to Jake for the answers.

“All I know,” Jake said as he talked to the men, “is that we are now on the run and have got to quietly get out of here and now. If we can’t do it quietly and somehow are discovered,” Jake stopped as if contemplating his next words, “then we will have to fight our way out. If that is the case, then the Reaper will be coming out of the box. Griffin, Howard, tell your men to gear up, put their war faces on, because we are going into action.”
“Ready, Eagar, and Prepared Every Recall, WHOOO-AH!”

Psalms 143:1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
(A Psalm of David.) Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Kyung-gu, one step up the next set of stairs off the landing that leads to the second floor, was behind the wall and aiming at the door. Seung-heon was positioned in the room to the right as you enter the main room. Both men had a clear view of the door and were ready. They heard the Americans coming, so they knew what was about to happen. Suddenly, the door burst open, and in rushed an American. Kyung-gu fired. Seung-heon also fired and sent his rounds into the wood of the door, and they penetrated it.

Clancy had no idea what he had just run into, as the 7.62-mm rounds from Kyung-gu’s AK-47 entered his body. He looked like a puppet dancing from the numerous bullets driving him back out the door where he landed in a crumpled, bloodied heap.

Parker stood there, and Jake could see the rage as it built up to the point of exploding. Jake yelled at him.
“Parker, hold it. Let’s do this by the numbers.”
But Parker was deaf to Jake. All he could see was red, and Jake knew that he was about to jump in feet first, totally without thinking. And that’s exactly what he did. He went in shooting.

Seung-heon had gotten down to one knee and was ready. Another soldier rushed in and fired.
Parker was standing just past the edge of the door when the bolt of his M-16 locked back; his weapon was empty. He thumbed the magazine release button, and the empty magazine dropped out. He was reaching into his ammo pouch when he saw movement out of the corner of his right eye. He turned his head, and when he saw the AK-47, he took a last deep breath in surprise. Seung-heon saw the surprised look on the soldier’s face as he realized he was about to die. He pulled the trigger and brought death to reality by sending a hail of bullets into him.
Parker’s right arm was immediately shattered, and he was hit at least a dozen times. He was knocked back up against the far wall on the other side of the room where he stayed upright for a moment, then slid down to the floor, leaving streaks of blood against the wall as he went.
Seung-heon quickly advanced to the door and slammed it shut. Then, instead of him and Kyung-gu escaping out the back, they ran up the stairs and took up positions on the next landing.

Jake got on the radio, “Reaper 3-1, we have two more men down, and believe the enemy may attempt to escape out the back door.”
“Roger that.”
“Howard, Pete, we’re going in. Jennings, you, and Rebhouser watch that side. Hammer, cover the upper windows.”
Pete and Howard got ready with Jake. “Y’all ready?” Jake asked.
“Let’s go,” Pete answered.
Jake moved to the left of the door and Pete to the right. Jake pushed it open. Both cleared the area they could see. Jake motioned for Pete to go in low; Jake would go high. Pete nodded, and both moved in, followed by Howard. Once inside, each kept the muzzle of their weapons pointed down range and swept back and forth. They moved further in and cleared the bottom floor.
Jake keyed the handset, “Reaper 3-1, any contact your way.”
“That’s a negative, Reaper Lead.”
Jake indicated to Howard and Pete, pointing upstairs. Both nodded their understanding. Jake moved up the six steps to the first landing and stopped at the corner of the wall where it turned to his left. He looked back down at Pete. Pete smiled. Jake turned back around and prepared.
Lei Chung and Sergeant Kang, on the other side of the stonewall, observed two men watching the south end of the house. He scanned the back of the house and saw the vehicle on the other side of the stonewall, and it looked like it was positioned to cover the rear. His other two men were trapped inside, and he knew they were probably about to die. All he could do now was hope for the best.

Jake got ready. He took a deep breath and quickly peeked around the corner. He saw the barrel of an AK. Kyung-gu was momentarily distracted, so when the soldier peeked around the corner, he was caught off guard. He pulled the trigger, but the soldier had gotten back behind the corner. AK rounds hit the wall on Jake’s right, but none hit him. He figured he’d probably caught the man on the next landing off guard, so his shots were not aimed. Jake waited for just a second and then stepped out and sent a burst of 5.56-mm killers up and into the wall. The soldier had disappeared. Jake did not know the layout of the upstairs. Wish I had at least one grenade, he thought. He motioned for Pete and Howard to move up to him. “There are at least two upstairs, and I know they are waiting for us. That means we are going to have to be very careful,” Jake said as he looked at Pete. “So, we go around the corner shooting and don’t stop until we get up there. I’ll go first.” He ejected the magazine and inserted a fresh one, flipped the selector lever to auto, and got ready.

“Hold it,” Jake said. “I have an idea.” He stepped back down the steps and went outside. A minute later, he came back in. He smiled and said, “203 incoming.”

Seung-heon and Kyung-gu were positioned to put anyone who ventured up the steps in a crossfire. They had plenty of ammo, so it wouldn’t be a problem holding them off. But they were not expecting what happened next. Two explosions right above their heads brought down a huge amount of dust and debris on top of them.
Jake yelled, “Now!”

Pete turned the corner and opened fire as he went up the first five steps. Howard got ready. When he heard the firing stop, he turned the corner, fired, and moved up three steps. Pete was prone and reloading. When Howard got to Pete’s feet, he stopped firing, and Pete was up again and advancing up the steps, firing as he went. He reached the top, and Howard went up. The dust cleared, but the incoming rounds didn’t.

Seung-heon crawled back slightly and got behind one of the beams used to hold up the ceiling. Kyung-gu moved to the left and took aim. They were not going to make it easy for the Americans. If they decided to come up where they were, they would find a wall of bullets to meet them. Pete reached the top of the last step and waited for Howard. Pete had already cleared the front, so he knew that the two enemy soldiers were waiting to his right. At least that’s what he thought.

Pete edged his way forward, so he could see around the right corner. He figured they would have the entire opening covered, so he dared not poke his head too far around. Then a thought occurred to him. “Jake. Gas,” Pete shouted downstairs.“ Good idea. Work your way back down. I’ll go and see if we can put a round up there.”
Pete and Howard slowly made their way down and around to the bottom landing. Jake was back in second. “Get ready.”
They heard the gas round hit. A few seconds later, coughing and choking could be heard, and then stumbling around. Pete got ready. The two men came stumbling down the steps firing wildly. Pete, Howard, and Jake opened fire.
Jake waited for the smoke and tear gas to clear away. He looked at the two dead men at the bottom of the stairs and then keyed the handset. “Reaper 3-1, the house is secure.” Jake waited a few seconds, just to gather his thoughts and to calm down a bit. With so much adrenaline rushing through your body, and especially during a firefight, it takes time to calm down. He reached into his right-side pant cargo pocket and pulled out his Rebel cap. He shook it out and placed on his head.
Lei Chung heard the exchange of gunfire and knew his two men were dead. But it wasn’t over yet. He still had a man to kill. So, in complete control, he focused his full attention.

Jake left the two bodies and went over to the window on the south end and looked outside. He could see the stonewall across the field.
Chung was not sure what to expect. He scanned the house. To his delight, in the bottom-floor window, he saw movement. He paused just to make sure, and then he saw it, the cap. It was him, the man he was looking for. His mind filled with the anticipation of the kill. He raised his weapon and slowly took aim.

Jennings, securing his position, was looking over the stonewall when he noticed a man behind a section of the stonewall about sixty meters from the south end of the house. The man was standing up and appeared to be looking for something in the direction of the house. He scanned back and forth then he got back down. Jennings knew the enemy soldier was either looking for a target or assessing the situation before he made another attack. Jennings was preparing to engage when he saw the man stand up again and bring a weapon up with him. He was now using the stonewall to steady his aim. Jennings took a quick aim at the figure and pulled the trigger.

Lei Chung was so intent on shooting at the man with the strange cap that he didn’t see Jennings. Chung was about to shoot when bullets started hitting and chipping the top of the wall where he stood. He ducked down quickly. What is it about this man that keeps him from one of my bullets, he thought? Either he is guarded by an angel, or he is exceptionally lucky. He wanted badly to kill this man, but he could not prolong his stay. He and Kang needed to get out of there, so he quickly stood back up, shot wildly at the window, and took off in a crouch. Sergeant Kang saw what the lieutenant was doing and quickly did the same, firing as he went.

Jake heard an M-16 fire a few rounds, but no sooner had they stopped when wood chips and splinters started flying all around him. He ducked back inside the window. The firing stopped, and he looked back toward the front of the house. He quickly stood up and ran to the front door. He stopped for a second before stepping outside.

Jennings was moving around the south portion of the stonewall.
“Pete,” Jake shouted. “You and Howard cover the top floor window on the south end. Jennings and Rebhouser are moving around the stonewall toward the jeep. Captain, it’s safer in the house.”

Jake reentered the house and went back to the window he had just left. The captain stood up from squatting down by the door and followed Jake inside.
Jennings, seeing the man duck down, moved slowly, taking each step with extreme caution. When he had covered twenty meters, he was to the left of the jeep’s front bumper. He took the time to stoop down and tried to see under it. But all he could see was the upper left side. The dirt from the embankment blocked any view beyond that. Rebhouser kept Jennings in his sight and was covering him when Jennings stopped, waited, and then stepped out. Rebhouser watched him as he made his way slowly to the rear of the jeep and got down behind the rear bumper.

Chung and Kang made it up the embankment, across the road, and had gone another thirty or so meters before dropping down quickly into a prone position. Looking back at the jeep, they took aim. Chung could see the men approaching and motioned for Kang to cover the left. They watched and soon saw someone at the front bumper of the jeep.

Jennings kept his weapon pointed at the jeep and counted to three. Then he moved up the embankment toward the front bumper. So far, he hasn’t seen anyone, but that didn’t mean they were not there. He stopped and got down, turned to look at Rebhouser, and gave him a thumbs-up.

Pete was at the upstairs window, looking down and to his right. He scanned the area but could not see across the road beyond the jeep. He looked down and to his right at the wall and saw that Jennings and Rebhouser had made a smart move. They had put the wall between them and the road. He figured that Jennings had guessed that the enemy soldier would not stay in his hiding place for long and had made his way across the road and into cover.
Jennings stopped momentarily and glanced back up at the window. He saw Sergeant Steel standing there, so he knew he was covering them. Rebhouser, about five meters behind Jennings, stopped when he did. Jennings looked back at him and made a hand motion telling him they were going to have to cross the open area, to stay just below the jeep. Rebhouser nodded. Jennings nodded back and moved out. Pete watched as Jennings and Rebhouser
stepped away from the wall and headed for the left side of the Jeep. It was only about fifty meters, but it seemed like a hundred. Finally, they reached the lower side of the road, and Jennings crawled up. He figured on using the jeep as cover as he viewed the other side.
“Rebhouser, you take the right. We’ll go on three, but move slowly,” Jennings whispered.

Rebhouser nodded, and both made their way up. Jennings was at the front left bumper, and Rebhouser on the left rear. Jennings waited and put his hand up, counting down, three, two, one. They got up slowly and moved.
Kang watched from his position while Chung watched from his. They brought their individual targets into their sights and pressed the trigger. In less than a split second, 7.62-mm rounds were tearing through the bodies of both Jennings and Rebhouser, shredding flesh and tearing into bone. They died before they hit the ground.

Pete jumped at the sound of the two AK-47s as they opened fire at close range. He turned his head just in time to see Jennings and Rebhouser thrown back by the multiple impacts of the bullets. But before he could do anything, the two soldiers were up and gone. Jennings and Rebhouser were dead, their bodies riddled. All Pete could do now was look down at their dead bodies. Pete lowered his weapon but scanned the area. After a few minutes, he determined that this was probably the end of this engagement. He got up and went back downstairs. “Howard, let’s go,” Pete said. “I think it’s over.” He went around the corner.

“On your six,” Howard said, as he came up behind him. They both went downstairs and met Jake outside the front door.
“We just lost two more. Jennings and Rebhouser,” Pete said sadly, as he surveyed the area. “We’ve got to get outta here.”
Jake nodded, but remained silent as he stood there looking over all the carnage.
Captain Beckman came up beside him. “How many men do you think there were?” the captain asked.
“I counted four.”
“Four! How could just four men do this much damage?”
Jake wanted to tell the captain just what he thought, but the Duck came around the corner. It continued around until it got to the opening in the stonewall and stopped. The side hatch opened, and Griffin jumped out.
“George,” he yelled back inside, “monitor that radio. Pierce stay on that 60. Hathaway, come with me.” Griffin started walking down to the house.
Steel and Howard had now joined Jake and the captain. Kidd was down on the far corner of the house watching the tree line.
“Well, Captain, what’s our next move?” Griffin asked as he came up.
The sounds of battle drew closer and closer. And with each passing moment, the men of the Reapers knew they could quite possibly be engulfed by it. Desperation began to fill their minds and hearts, giving them a feeling of having no way out. And losing hope was not good.