Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

It's Just Training. It's Just Training.

Decomissioned Urban Warfare Center
North Fort Hood, Texas
CONUS
17 February, 1992
0600 Hours

Major Grumann was waiting for us as Donovan parked Five, standing outside in his wet weather gear as the rain came down. Behind us the five-ton trucks with the rest of Charlie and most of Alpha were pulling in. They were loaded with our field gear, the trucks packed and racked after a 0400 alert that everyone had known was coming. I'd let everyone know we were going to the field again, but the training schedules had been blank for the entire week. I imagined a lot of people at HHC were seriously upset when they got their own alert at zero-five.

Donovan grabbed the radio from behind his seat as I got out, heading toward Major Grumann, my hand automatically seeking out my M-3. It had a blank adapter already screwed onto the end of the barrel, and I put the key into the MILES and turned it on. Cherry was switching from the back seat to the driver's seat, and I knew that Peel was climbing into the ring-mount and locking her SAW into place. I heard the rattle of ammunition and knew she was loading a box of 5.56mm blanks into the weapon.

"Cromwell," Grumann said, thunder rumbling in the distance.

"Major," I said, slotting a magazine of .45 blanks into my M-3. "My OP4 get here?"

He nodded. "They tied a red flag to a stake coming in. They're in there," He waved at the condemned Urban Warfare Center behind him. "Somewhere."

I nodded. Colonel Krait had assigned the OP4, and nobody was really sure who was OP4, since Charlie and Alpha both had 'taken casualties' at the roll-out site. It could be someone who had been deemed 'mission essential' for Rear-D, someone who was an initial casualty, or if they'd been taken from another unit. I personally suspected that OP4 had left on Friday and had spent the last three days scouting the entire center and learning its ins and outs.

It made me nervous. Colonel Krait had a twisty and complicated mind that he deliberately hid from others.

Major Grumann handed me a map of the Urban Warfare Center. It was a major site, as sections had been condemned and new sections opened. I'd gained permission to access the entire thing, had scouted it several times over the last week with Major Grumann escorting me.

The site was dangerous. Some of the buildings were dangerous. Normally, it would be an issue, but I'd made an excellent argument for 15th FSB and elements of several other units being the last units to use it.

I had permission to destroy buildings.

"Good luck, Cromwell," Grumann said. "See you in ten days."

"See you in ten days," I said, nodding. My QRF gathered up around me and I took that single step across the metaphysical line and into the Urban Warfare Center.

"Fire it all up," Grumann said into his handset.

Three steps down the trash strewn and muddy 'street' the sounds started. Automatic weapon fire in the distance, people shouting in foreign languages, vehicle engines, rotors.

Everything we might hear in an urban environment.

"November six six eight," Donovan started saying into the mic of the SINGARDS on his back. "November six six eight, this is November six six two, do you read, over?"

He was trying to contact HHC back at battalion headquarters.

"November six six eight, this is November six six two, do you read, over?" He tried again.

Something rattled in the building next to us as we passed. I jerked my hand, fading to the right, pressing against the wall.

We were less than a hundred yards in and already my combat antenna was screaming.