The Fear That Haunts Me

CHAPTER 20

Rules Of Engagement

• Inherent Right of Self-Defense. A commander has the authority and obligation to use all necessary means available and to take all appropriate action to defend that commander's unit and other US forces in the vicinity from a hostile act or a demonstration of hostile intent. The SROE do not limit a commander's inherent authority and obligation to use all necessary means available and to take all appropriate action in self-defense of the commander's unit and other US forces in the vicinity. At all times, the requirements of necessity and proportionality as amplified in the SROE, will form the basis for the commander's judgment as to what constitutes an appropriate response to a particular hostile act or demonstration of hostile intent.

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The Price

We sat on the ground near the Humvee, all of us exhausted. Viking had his back against the tire as Chief sat in the driver's seat. I sat on the ground facing both of them. With my feet outstretched and my arms propping my body, I yawned.

"Gotcha breakfast, assholes," said Red. He sat down next to me. "Compliments of H and S Company." He held a box of MREs in his arms. Then, tearing through the packing tape and cardboard flaps, he tossed them at us one at a time.

"Fucking Country Captain Chicken, hah!" I said. I held it out to Viking to tease him. I rummaged through the plastic pouch and found what I was looking for. "Skittles, baby. Jackpot!"

"Screw that, dude," said Chief. He reached down and tried to grab them. I pulled away quickly, leaving my opened pouch between my legs.

"Get some, brother," I said. Viking banged the back of his head repeatedly against the tire, rolled his eyes, sighed, and screamed.

"I even got marble pound cake."

I waved the brown package at him, grinning.

"Jesus!" He stomped both of his feet and kicked up the dust. "Beef Teriyaki... sucks ass, man?"

We all laughed out loud as Viking ripped through the cardboard container to reveal the green foil package, his entrée. "Not even freaking Charms candy, bro. How am I going to survive the day?" Then, he let loose a high-pitched scream.

Red, whose laugh was full, hearty, and contagious, huffed. "Charms?" he said. He wiped the tears from his eyes. "You're freaking killing me, dude. I mean—"

I heard the thrumming of the Sea Knight propellers, the casevac for Aaina and the boy.

"Here comes the helo," I said. "Exfil is oscar mike." I stuffed my mouth full of Skittles, took a bite of my pound cake, and stood to my feet.

The Sea Knight's dull, metallic gray body and dual three-blade rotors hummed. Its sponsons touched down just before the front landing gear, sending the moondust into a whirlwind.

"Lost Boy six-one to Echo-4-Kilo. How copy?" Theo used my designation on comms.

"Lost Boy six-one, this is Echo-4-Kilo. Send it," I said. I wiped the cake crumbs from my mouth.

"Echo-4-Kilo, there is a change in our tasking. Our team will exfil with the casevac in thirty mikes from staging. Break—recon is showing an embedded Taliban presence in the mountain—expect further intel on assignment. How copy?"

"Solid copy, affirm on all."

I took a deep breath, then sighed. This can't be good. I roused Chief, then Red and Viking, and we headed to staging.