“Well, the Marines did fine. Shit, the Army scored behind that Canadian fellow,” Dale said, grinning.
“All great shots. Though it really only counts on the battlefield. You know that world. Shooting a paper circle is different than a well placed shot on a human. At any distance, it’s worlds apart from range time.”
“Amen to that,” Dale agreed. “Who’s the best? In your opinion?”
“Bob Lee Swagger is number one. Will always be in my book. Followed closely by Carlos Hathcock, then Vasily Zaytsev.”
“All famous, and two Marines,” Dale chuckled.
“True,” Reynolds chuckled again, “Perhaps I’m biased, but those men, they’re the best. There’s a few more, but it’s not just about how good a shot you are. It’s about concealment, what you’re capable of under pressure and in the field. Shit, those three men alone would work over a full division up in these hills,” Reynolds said.
“The art is becoming lost,” Dale mentioned.
“No, it’s just evolving. Asymmetrical Warfare — what you guys do is becoming what’s necessary to win conflicts.”
77
“Still concerns me, bringing in that Russian gal. War isn’t a pretty sight, as you know. Anything we can do about it?”
“That’s a negative,” Reynolds said. “And trust me, I’ve tried.
“Six Delta, one SEAL, and a woman entering a valley where intruders all get slaughtered. Limited intelligence about what we’re up against, no real rules of engagement except kill everything — no air support, no ground troops or transportation if need be.”
“Sounds fun, eh?” Reynolds said.
“Yeah, real fun. Not the way I like to plan my missions. Do we even know how vast this cave is?”
“Somewhat,” Reynolds said, reaching into his desk, retrieving a map. It looked old, and he opened it on the desk, flipping on the lamp.
“The words are in English,” Dale noticed.
“Yup. That’s cause we built them.”
“Figures,” Dale muttered. He looked at the map, studying it.
“You’ll be provided with copies, but don’t trust ’em too much. Over the years, there’s likely been modifications to the cave. Just remember, these caves are huge. House lots of people. Shit, this one could probably hold a thousand.”
“We have recon in the village from your asset. Supposedly, there will be no resistance. But what about INTEL on this cave? Anything?”
“Only York.”
Dale sighed.
“Sergeant,” Reynolds said, leaning in, “life doesn’t always go the way you want, especially with an operation of such magnitude.”
Dale grinned. He liked the Colonel’s attitude. He was the epitome of a man’s man, rugged and tough and didn’t take no for an answer. Every minute that passed, Sergeant Comstock gained more and more respect for the Marine Colonel. He liked the man, felt comfortable around him. He was different than most of his commanding officers, this man hated red tape, hated bureaucracy, and pissed off Washington quite often. Dale knew he’d do whatever he had to for this team, and it was reassuring.
“All right, it’s one thing bringing a woman into this, but if she’s willing to get killed, so be it. I’ll let Rivers deal with her.”
“Good. I need you focused, Sergeant.”
“I’d like to request something, Colonel.”
“Name it.”
“I’d like to talk to Sergeant York. We watched some of the videos. I’d like to see them all. After, I’d like to speak with him, see whatever other information I might get. It’d be helpful, since he’s been in the cave.”
Reynolds eyed him curiously, saying nothing.
“Is there a problem with that?” Dale asked.
“There’s something else you need to know.”
“What’s that?” Dale asked.
“Sergeant Comstock, your team actually consists of nine, not eight.”
It took a moment, then Dale’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean…”
“I do. Sergeant York is going with you.”
“Hell no!” Dale stated. “That crazy fucker?”
“You acted sentimental while you watched the interrogations,” Reynolds said.
“That’s because he’s one of us. No reason they had to treat him the way it looks.”
“It’s worse, actually.”
“Either way, it’s one thing to feel for a guy, another to think he’s sane. And now you’re suggesting he goes along?”
“I’m not suggesting. He’s going,” Reynolds said.
“Why? Won’t he be a liability?”
“Elizabeth insists he won’t.”
“Look, I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen people snap out here. York, he’s lost it.”
“I agree. From what I’ve seen, he needs help, perhaps a discharge,” Reynolds agreed. “And before you blame it on Elizabeth, she had to.”
“Why?”
“Because they couldn’t get him to budge. Sergeant Comstock, they drugged the man, they beat him, they gave him little sleep — worse, I’m sure. They did everything in the book and yet he won’t give us the vital information we need. He says he will once on the ground. Thing is, York went deep in that cave. He walked the tunnels, he saw them. He killed a few. Elizabeth decided it would be best for the mission.”
“I don’t like this… not one bit,” Dale replied.
“Me either.”
“After what he’s seen, after watching his men die — why does he want to go back, Colonel?”
“Same reason guys like you and I would.”
“And that is. ?”
“Revenge,” Reynolds said bluntly.
“Shit,” Dale exclaimed. He didn’t like the notion, not one bit. It made sense, though. He’d have done the same thing. And though Comstock had no desire to bring York, he knew the man could provide them details that they’d need. He’d know what to look out for, what they were capable of. Dale also knew something else. If York’s story were true, and he’d lost his own men, he sure as hell would want to go back.
Dale thought a moment, then asked, “Why’d he live? Anyone ask that?”
“If you’re suggesting he took the coward’s way out, you’d be wrong,” Reynolds said. “He was found knocked out cold at the base of the mountain. Some of the villagers were daring enough to have dragged him back. When he awoke, he was lost, out of ammo, and began wandering. Thing is, he wasn’t looking for base, though he found a patrol.”
“What was he looking for?”
“The cave.”
“Thought you said he was out of ammo,” Dale said.
“He still had his knife, Sergeant Comstock,” Reynolds replied.
Dale waited, a long silence underway. He tried to figure it out in his head, to think outside the box, to run a risk assessment on something so bizarre.
It was mind-boggling.
Again, it was the Colonel who interrupted the silence. “Listen, I think Sergeant York will do fine. He promises to follow your command. He’ll be enthusiastic, and you might have to keep a leash on him, but I think he’ll do his job,” Reynolds said.
“Guys who’ve suffered such trauma are ticking time bombs. What if he snaps?”
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Once you’re in that valley, in that cave, you might need just that. The man is filled with rage. In normal circumstances, this might prove problematic. But in this scenario, it might work to your favor. Those things… he says they’re not human. Let’s believe him for a moment. He witnessed firsthand as they literally ripped his men in half. He saw some getting eaten. Now imagine that,” Reynolds said, allowing the words to sink in.
“If everything’s true, then yeah, I get it,” Comstock said. “He’s going back to kill as many as he can. Guess that can’t hurt,” Dale admitted.