“Out front mostly. Come in here just to bring us food, what there is of it.”
Now all nine of the SEALs and friends were inside. Two ran to the front door. One guarded the rear.
Murdock estimated the number of people on bunks and standing around.
“This can’t be all of you. Where are the rest?”
“They loaded up two trucks early this morning and took them away,” Philpot said. “Told us they wanted to split us up. We still have thirty-one here, and there are eighteen at another camp. Don’t know where it is.”
The sound of gunfire came from outside, and Murdock recognized the blast of the 20mm rounds. Then the small arms. Ching and Lampedusa edged the front door open and looked outside.
“Skipper, okay to fire out of here? We’ve got some targets.”
“Go,” Murdock said.
Lam fired from the ground level, and Ching used his Colt carbine over the top. They found six rebel guards slipping out a back door of their sleeping area and moving into firing positions to contest those weapons still in the jungle.
Lam and Ching reduced their number to two, who fled in back of the building and to the other side. A man came out of the rock house and charged toward an ancient jeep that was parked behind it. Lam punctured his back with four 5.56 slugs and jolted him into the Philippine dirt. He rolled over once, tried to get up, then fell and didn’t move again.
“How many guards?” Murdock asked the Englishman.
“Fifteen, maybe twenty. Some went with the other hostages.”
“Have they hurt any of you?”
“Not so far, but they’re getting impatient.”
“Who’s in the big house?”
“The guard officers. Just three of them.”
“Murdock, we aren’t taking any return fire. Time we charge up and clear the guards’ place?” It was DeWitt.
“Move when you’re ready. Only about ten to fifteen guards, did you copy that?”
“Yes, copied.”
Murdock looked back at the Englishman. “How do we get to the main house?”
“Front door, then to a side door about thirty feet over to the right.”
“Ching, back door cover, Bradford, stay at the front door for protection. The rest of you on me. We’re out the front door and thirty feet to the right. We go in a rush. Ready?”
Murdock looked out the front door, saw no green-clad rebels, burst out, and sprinted for the house to the right. He heard some firing out an upstairs window; then he was at the door and pulled it open. No shots came through. Lam was beside him.
“I’m right,” Murdock said as he pushed the panel fully open and charged inside, diving to the right. Behind him came Lam, who dove to the left. They took no fire.
Murdock saw they were in a utility room, with closets and a small table. One door led off and it was closed. Both SEALs came to their feet as the other members of Alpha charged into the room.
Murdock and Lam did the diving entry again through the second door, and took some rounds from across the room. Lam lifted up over a small chair and cut down the shooter with a bust of three rounds.
There was no more firing from the room. The living room was furnished part Western and part Filipino. The SEALs ran down a short hall, clearing two rooms, then looked at the stairway. It was open on one side of the living room with a landing on top and an open door.
Lam held up a fragger. Murdock nodded. Lam threw the grenade, and 4.2 seconds later it exploded on the top stairs landing. Lam, Domingo, and Van Dyke charged up the stairs. Murdock was behind them. Two rooms. Two SEALs charged into each room. Murdock and Domingo took the one on the left. Domingo went first and dove right. Before Murdock made it out of his dive, Domingo had rattled off two three-round bursts. Two guerrillas had brought up rifles, but didn’t have time to fire them before they died.
“Clear left,” Murdock said.
“Clear right,” Domingo said. They looked out the windows. The high ground gave them a different view. Beyond the jeep and the guards’ quarters, they saw a narrow roadway heading downhill. Near it was a sedan, maybe a Honda or Toyota. Near the sedan lay three rebels in a bunker designed to protect them from down the hill. Murdock punched out the small window, aimed the Bull Pup out it, and put a 20mm round in the center of the bunker. When the smoke and dust settled, the three rebels sprawled lifeless.
“DeWitt, how are you doing over there?”
“We’ve cleared one building and have a wounded prisoner. He should be able to talk. We think the next building is empty. We’re going in there now.”
“Second building clear,” Mahanani said on the net.
“Check the rest of the grounds. We took out the guards at the far back aiming downhill. One jeep and one sedan should be operational. Juan, get to that prisoner. We need to know where they’ve taken the rest of the hostages.”
“Roger,” Juan said, and ran out of the house and across to the rebel guards’ quarters.
“Check out all these second-story windows and see what else we can find,” Murdock told the rest of his squad.
He motioned to Domingo. “Glad you’re aboard. Those two rebels with guns up might have nailed me before I could get to them. Thanks.”
Domingo grinned. “I haven’t had this much fun for six years. Damn, I forgot the surge of emotion that comes in combat. We still need to get to Lebak, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“That sedan might be our best bet. I could take it, a driver, and another gunner and get to that town in an hour or so, depending on this dirt road along the coast over there.”
“Go check it out, Domingo. Take Franklin for your driver. You hear that, Franklin? Go check out the sedan at the front of the place.”
“Will do, Skipper.”
Murdock and the rest of Alpha looked out the windows, but could spot no more rebels. Murdock went down to the hostages.
He got their attention, then talked to the Englishman. “How many of these people speak or understand English?”
“Half. We have interpreters for the others.”
“Listen up, people. We’re with the United States Navy and we’re here to get you back into circulation. We hope to have helicopters here before dark and take you back to Davao. There you will able to get air transport.”
Half the people cheered; the others were told of the news and they wept and then cheered.
“We’re not sure how long it will be. We’re driving a car to the nearest town, where one of our men will contact the Philippine Air Force and they will be sending helicopters here. Once loaded up, it’s only a forty-five-minute flight to Davao.”
He waited until all the translations were made. Then he looked at them again.
“Any questions?”
“Did some of the rebels outside die?” one woman asked.
“Yes,” Murdock said, and looked around. There were no more questions.
“Have you been fed enough lately?” Murdock asked.
There were a chorus of boos and nos.
“I’ll have some men look over the kitchen and see what we can serve you.” He turned and used the Motorola. “Mahanani, Howard, and Jaybird. You guys are on KP. See what kind of a meal you can get up for these people out of the supplies. Must be some here. Do it now.”
“Sedan looks workable,” Franklin said on the net. “Low on gas, but we siphoned all that was in the jeep and found a five-gallon can in the shed. Should be plenty.”
“Good. General, your ears on?”
“Yes, sir, Commander.”
“Let me know when you’re ready to move out. Sooner the better. You have your shooter and driver?”
“Roger that, Commander. If Canzoneri wants to take a ride.”
“I’m running for the sedan, Skipper,” Canzoneri said.
“Take one of the Bull Pups and a sniper rifle. Get the right tools, men.”
Juan called on the radio. “Murdock, you better come over to the rebel quarters. Our rebel doesn’t want to talk.”