Amber looked up from a piece of paper and noticed that he and Martin had entered the situation room. She placed the paper on the table and cleared her throat.
“Shall we begin, ladies and gentlemen?” she asked, silencing the room.
* * *
Lincolnand his team had boots on the ground in Iraq less than twenty-four hours after leaving the Pentagon. The TOC, Tactical Operations Center had been set up just four miles from the small private airstrip connected to Mosul International Airport.
While the soldiers prepped their gear and conducted equipment checks, Lincoln briefed the detachment commanders. The plan was to dispatch two platoons of twelve to breach the aircraft, rescue the CIA Operative and/or secure the classified documents. Saving the other hostages would be a bonus, but not the objective. It was clear the Pentagon wasn’t concerned in the least about preserving the lives onboard or they wouldn’t have sent the Rangers.
In light of his meticulous nature, he went over the mission again and again until he felt that his commanders fully understood the objective. Lincoln planned to coordinate from the Command Center. Leading one platoon was combat pilot, Major Keisha Stonebridge, a tough as nails Brooklyn native who behaved as if combat was her calling. The second platoon leader was Major Colby York, a daredevil combat pilot who had previously completed two tours in Iraq. They didn’t have much manpower for the mission, but Lincoln was confident in his Rangers.
“Get ‘em together, Key,” he instructed the Major.
“Yes, sir,” she acquiesced before leaving of the room.
Lincoln glanced over at General Gray, the J-SOC—Joint Special Operations Commander. Maybe he wanted the task of briefing the soldiers.
“You got it, Colonel,” General Gray deferred in a gruff voice before returning his attention to whatever he was reading.
Lincoln gave the detachment commanders a few minutes to prep the soldiers before entering the area of operation.
“Attention!” Major York shouted upon his entry.
The small group of soldiers jumped to their feet and stood at attention.
“At ease,” he urged as he made his way to the front of the room.
The soldiers returned to their seats, giving Lincoln their full attention.
“At 0430 hours, the incursion team, led by Major York, is gonna take the lead. His platoon will rope in and get the perimeter on lock, nobody in or out. They’ll also provide additional security for the Extraction Team, led by Major Keystone, as they breach the plane.”
He scanned the room for his team. His eyes landed on Lieutenant Colonel, LTC Al Wright.
“Relax, Ranger,” he told him. “Your team will stay behind and secure the command post.”
Lincoln looked out at the men and women chosen for the mission. They seemed laser-focused on the task at hand.
He turned to his commanders and nodded toward the map on the wall. “Take it from here, Major York.”
He stood back and listened as Major York went over the mission template. When he was done, the Major turned to Lincoln to see if he had anything to add. He stepped forward, satisfied that the Major had covered the plan thoroughly.
“Swift and stealth, Rangers. We gotta get in, and get out,” Lincoln reminded before shouting,“Rangers lead the way!”
“All the way!”the Rangers shouted in unison.
“Good luck, Rangers!”
Lincoln nodded at his soldiers and left the Area of Operation or AO. He returned to the Command Center, grabbed his phone from a table, and did what he always did before any mission. Whether he was coordinating from the TOC or fighting with his belly on the ground, before his boots hit dirt or sand, he always called his mom.
* * *
At 0410 hours,the soldiers were already loaded into two PR52 stealth helicopters. Since they were technologically designed to avoid detection, they were chosen for the mission. Lincoln left them to it and returned to the TOC. LTC Wright was standing behind a soldier sitting in front of several computers. Lincoln walked over and stood next to him.
The LTC looked over at him and grinned. “What’s good, Colonel? How was your leave?”
“Leave?” Lincoln snorted. “Brother, I’ll tell you…when I go home to my family, it’s never a vacation. Between my brothers and their danger magnet women, there is always some kind of crisis.”
Al laughed.
