Weapons were something we never went anywhere without. But in our unit we learned weapons most of the military didn't use and those we carries as well. One of the first things I learned when I got to special forces training was crossbow and archery. The crossbow over all was more accurate and could shoot farther, but there were times the bow could be useful as well and was a whole lot easier to make if you didn't have anything other than your knife.
I had a feeling the targets we had been given would know to expect us, but wouldn't know from what direction to expect us.
On the flight to the drop point I went over the map with everyone letting them know to complete this mission it would take all of us working together. Just before we reached the drop point I rolled the map putting it again in my pack and sat apart from the rest of my unit for some quiet time to think. The sound of the aircraft faded into the back ground as did the sound of the men talking and I heard words that made little or no sense to me, but couldn't help repeating them in preparation for what lay ahead.
“Praying for our safety sir?” Mac asked.
“I don't believe in prayer Sargent,” I said.
“So the words you were saying just now, they weren't some kind of prayer?” Mac asked.
“None I'm aware of. Just before I go into something I'm not sure of I like a little time alone and these words just pop into my head along with the need to say them out loud, if that's a problem Sargent you can always just give me the time I need without intruding,” I said.
“I wasn't trying to intrude sir, it's just those words sounded like some a neighbor lady use to say whenever her kids were going out to play with my brother and me. I was just wondering if maybe you knew what them meant.” Mac asked.
“I don't have any idea, only that they help me think better and come up with safer ways of doing something. We're at our drop point let the others know to get ready,” I said.
No sooner did Mac give my orders and the speaker came on with the pilot telling us we would be at our drop point in three minutes.
Each of the men looked at me and smiled as if knowing no matter what else might happen if I could call this that close we would finish this exercise on time with everyone together.
When the cargo doors opened each of the men hooked their tether and waited for the order. I was the last one off and I watched where each of the men landed so I knew where to go looking if for any reason one of them didn't show up at the rendezvous point.
Once on the ground each of the men were to head for the designated clearing where we would be able to get everything together and start mapping out our strategy for accomplishing the objective. I saw the men all holding back from the clearing and started laughing when I saw the reason. I walked out into the clearing and met the problem feeling confident if I explained we weren't there to hurt anyone they would understand and allow the others to come out into the clearing as well.
When I signaled the rest of the unit to come out and join me they did so making sure to move slow so as not to cause a panic.
“You know you're all a bunch of wimps letting something like that stop you from your objective,” I said.
“I'm sorry sir, but we don't all have that magic touch that lets us speak with animals,” Tony said.
“So you're saying I'm a witch or something because I was able to talk to that bear and let her know we weren't here to give her or her cubs any problems?” I asked.
“I didn't say that sir, but...” Tony stuttered.
“Seaman I know what you said and I was just trying to get your goat. Now we're pressed for time so we need to get our strategy worked out. I feel we need to come up with a couple plans for taking out the target at stop one. Stop two will need to be something different since one of the biggest problems is repetition. I would prefer we be completely unpredictable, about the time they think they know what we'll do and commit to it, we hit with something so different they fall into their own trap,” I said.
We went over my ideas for an attack on stop one and I gave each member of the unit to chance to voice their ideas and add any insights, or concerns they might have. In the end there were a few modifications to my ideas, but they remained the link to the plan for accomplishing our mission.
Rather than setting up a camp for the night we all agreed we would have cold camps at least the first few nights and work on getting to each target as quickly as possible during the hours we could all see well enough to travel. Mac became my right hand through the mission as the second highest ranking person in the unit. At first I got the feeling each of the men in the unit were sure I was going to be one of those officers who always thought their ideas were right, but after I had allowed each of them the chance of having input into the plan they stopped showing resentment to my orders.
I couldn't accomplish this mission without them and if I had to ride them at ever move, we would never meet the time limit and we would all wash out. Now that I knew I could count on them to be more understanding of my position as commander I felt certain that not only could we meet the time we had been given, but possibly even do so in the time we had been given to reach and take out our first target.
We set a hard pace to our first target reaching it mid afternoon and rather than moving in when we were all tired I ordered camp set up so we had a base of operations while we scouted the situation. For the remainder of that day and night the objective was simply to gather information to further refine our strategy for the greatest chance of success.
“Sam I'm not sure these other men will be able to keep the pace to the next target,” Mac said.
“Are you telling me I'm asking to much of them?” I asked.
“I'm saying you set a pace even I was struggling with when we got here,” Mac answered.
“Mac you and I entered this training at the same time. These other men have been going through this training for almost twice as long as we have, they should be able to hold and even harder pace. If the pace I've set is to tough for you I'm willing to slow it down a little, but I would rather pick it up. I want to set a record and I think I have the right men to do just that,” I said.
“They aren't special like we are Sam. If you want to pick up the pace I have no doubt they would be willing to try, but at what cost? These men are only human,” Mac said.
“Oh and you and I are more? Come on Mac you're talking as though you believe in Fairy creatures. I'm the smallest person in our unit for size and I don't see one person in this unit who isn't at the peak of physical fitness,” I said.
An hour before day light we got our break as the guard for the target was changed and we made our move taking the target and alerting the base that the first target had been neutralized and secured. As soon as we got verification that we had met the first part of the test we were given the go to move onto the next part.