Chapter One
Guest Take Away
Ramadi
Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq
September 2, 2004
2303 Hours
Adjacent a lightly guarded one floor square compound surrounded by mud and soil low walls on a quiet street of Ramadi, no civilian around. An Iraqi man in tan keffiyeh and thawb is standing at an alley end not far from the compound. A cigarette in his mouth, smoke occassionaly blown, he anxiously and quietly watches over the guarded compound gate. His eyes sweeps right to left to scan all views in his sight. Three sentries in jeans, thawds, balaclava and keffiyeh slung as mask carries AKM's and RPG-7 stand near the compound gate. Suddenly, a motorcade of two machine gun armed technicals boarded by armed masked men in civilian clothes with a Chevrolet Caprice in the middle appears in another side of the street and stop in front of the compound. The peeping Iraqi man watches closely. The car's doors open. A tall and stocky man with beard in black tidy turban and thawd emerges followed by his bodyguards in mixed civilian apparels. His right hand holds his sturdy AK74SU. On his body, a woodland camouflaged four storage assault vest worn. He looks around. A man who has been on the compound comes out and greets him. He is accompanied by two AK-47 armed men. The new-coming guest smiles and greets while his right hand shakes the host's right one ,"Peace be with you, Khaled." The host replies,"And peace be with you, Omar. The host then points his hand at the gate and escort the guest and his body guards inside. The motorcade immediately leaves the compound. Hearing and seeing that, the Iraqi man now is assured that the person he is looking at is Omar Saif Hussaini, a number one hunted local insurgent leader who gives US Forces a hard time in Ramadi. Then he blows smoke, drops his cigarette then stomps it. He reaches his HT Radio, encloses it on his mouth then sings in low and tone voice in Arabic while watches the compound, ".. The guest has come to the house and welcomed. Now it's the time to greet him.." He then turns back and walks through the alley and disappears in darkness. Within a second, after the man plunges into darkness, four figures of men and a woman in black battledress and balaclava with swords slung on their backs and waist reveal themselves along both alley walls and openings. The men are totally in black either in their basic army uniform, balaclava and their assault vest. Their hands brandish various automatic firearms with silencers on their muzzles. Three silenced micro Uzi and a Steyr TMP are seen. On their thighs, P229 and P228 are strapped in holsters. There are no knives, since they carry something larger than them on their back. An ancient weapon used by ancient Japanese warriors called 'Ninja'. It is called ninjato, a 24 inches shorter and straight version of Japanese sword with wide square handguard near its' black hand grip. The female personnel, a kunoichi, a call for female ninja, from the party carries a different form of sword. An even shorter than her companions' with a smaller round handguard, a wakizashi strapped behind on her back waist. Inside their black assault vests there are ammunition magazines, various grenades and shurikens. An ancient flat thrown ninja weapon comprised of metal and shaped variably, from four pointed stars to six ones to harass enemy from distance. These people are ninjas. In the past, their target were ruling warlords, not different from now.
The leading ninja, followed by a female one, strides forward then stops in ducking position. He peers on the gate surrounding looking for loopholes to make a way to enter the building. The three guards are casually strolling around. The ninja leader then reaches an empty bottle nearby to throw it to create distraction. Unexpectedly, a guard of the three, walks toward the alley. The ninjas soon flat themselves at any dark corner around, their hands are ready to grapple the unsuspecting guard. The leading ninja ducks down near the guard. Just as when the guard was about to reach the ninja's whereabout, he turns and stops. The ninja peeps the compound gate and finds the other guards are not looking at the alley. Seeing this chance, The ninja kicks the guard's left knee behind that prompts him to fall behind and breaks his neck. Then he drags the guard body and hides it in the darkness. The ninja then leads the other tree to walk low behind a car on the alley end's right under darkness. The other quickly spreads on the car and watch around for threats. Their leader then reaches a shuriken and throws to a guard who stands in front of the gate. The flying knife hits his neck vertically near his voice chamber. The wounded guard shrieks, then falls to his back, leans the ground and struggles for his life while holdings his neck. The other guard rushes at him to assist him. By doing this, he lowers his defense. Now the four ninjas slings their main firearms and draw their sword. The leading ninja whispers,"Go!" The party advance with two wing formation, right and left, with two ninjas each toward the guards from their unguarded behind. The ninja leader shifts his sword position into thrusting one, grabs the insurgent's shoulder with left hand and plunges his sword tip at the insurgent's back swiftly, impaling him. The female ninja quickly finishes the dying guard with a vertical underhanded thrust at the guard's belly. The leader then drops the dead guard and takes peeping position on the door gate. On the other side of the door, the kunoichi does the same. The other two ninjas takes guarding position by aiming their rifles and viewing the street around. The leader open the gate door slowly and peeps inside. There is no one at the narrow yard. The leader whispers at the kunoichi, "Shiori, cover me!" which is followed by the kunoichi draws his silenced P229 and aims it around the yard perimeter. The leader then breaches the gate with a P228 at his right hand put above his left hand that wields the sword horizontally. He is followed by the kunoichi. The other ninjas gets inside while drags the dead guards and their weapons then lay them on the inside wall bank. Traces of blood forms a trail throught the main gate. Now they are near the compound's main house. The house is typical middle eastern square mud one. This one is small. Both of the windows are dark and covered with planks from inside hindering access for the ninjas. The ninja and the kunoichi now crouch at the main door. He reaches something like a tube with wire and insert it through a slight opening between the door and the floor. From the camera of the gadget, he sees four heavily armed sober guards sitting on the table and having conversation. Deciding that the main door won't be entry point, they now moves to the another side of the house. They find an opened window. Before jump inside, the leading ninja reaches his micro camera again and slips it on the window like the one used in submarine to look around. He sees an fat insurgent with his chin covered with beard sleeps on a bed. On the right of his bed, there is a brown door. His AKM is lent on the wall, while his knife is put on the table beside him. Unfortunately, the light on the room is on. Seeing that the window can be their only access to the house, the leader orders the kunoichi to slip inside and clear the room. The small statured and slim kunoichi jumps the windows and lands silently. She crouches, draws her wakizashi and strides noiseless insurgent in slumber. The medium height and bulky insurgent is more than match for the petite and small kunoichi, but in unexpected melee attack and her ninjutsu skill, the balance is shifted to the kunoichi's side. When she reaches the insurgent, she rises, puts her left palm close with the insurgent's mouth in mid air and wields her wakizashi underhanded with her sword tip pointed at the insurgent's belly. Then she covers the insurgent's mouth with her palm and thrusts her sword deeply at the startled insurgent. The insurgent's life is ended in silence. The kunoichi gives gestures to the peeping leader and switches off the light. One of the ninja breaks the light's button on the wall on the door's left. He and his men then climb the window and get inside the dark room and closes the window.
Again, the tube and wire micro camera device is used under the door. On the corridor outside, the leader can see two guards sitting on near the main entrance, while the two others are walking on toward the occupied room's door. The ninjas soon gather themselves over the bed brandishing their weapon to prepare for fight. The first insurgent knocks the door three times " Bam, bam, bam." He shouts in Arabic, "Tariq, enough with your slumber! It's your time now." He pauses and jokes, "Tariq, this is not funny! If my voice is not enough to wake you up, perhaps my rifle's is!" The insurgent looks at his friend and enters the room. The door is opened and covered the crowding ninjas crouching over the bed on its another side. When the first insurgent tries to switches on the light, he finds it has been broken. They then stroll the room not realizing the ninjas are ready to put them to sleep. Suddenly, from the darkness, they are grabbed from their front on their shoulders and stabbed on belly and chest. Again, two more lives are ended in silence. The leading ninja now peeks from the corner of the opened door while the kunoichi, points her sidearm at the door in front of them. Now the assault party are faced with a problem, how to reach the door believed to be an access to the insurgents' meeting room without alerting the two guarding guards. The leader thinks quickly and decides the two sentries must be eliminated but without shooting any firearm, since the 'silent sound' still can be heard in very close proximity. The shuriken is not a choice since to throw it means that one have to reveal themselves from their peeking point to give space for arm movement when throwing something. What is more with something that has to be thrown accurately such as a shuriken. The leader then orders one of his men, "Sam, give me the crossbow.." The ninja called Sam then passes a loaded pistol crossbow to the leader. The crossbow is initially for the purpose to subdue a resisting target that has to be captured alive. The crosbow bolt tip contains anesthetic substances. The leader then aims and shoots a standing sentry near the table. The bolt sticks at his neck. He pauses his moves a while then collapses. The same thing happens with his friend who rushes at him. Perimeter threats eliminated. The ninjas immediately crowd the allegedly meeting room door. They wield their swords and sidearms. From his telescopic micro camera, he sees two men conversing while sitting on the floor with plates of food and cups of tea between them. One of them is Omar Saif Hussaini. An imposing tall guard stands behind the host watching the door. He wields an AK74SU. The leader now is thinking quickly about a plan to storm the room.
On the inside, a heated meeting is held. "Omar, my brother." says the host, " I will fulfill anything you ask. But this time, your demand is more than I can fulfill. I have no manpower to give to overrun that base." Omar insists, "Many of my men have died here in Battle of Ramadi while yours only walk around on their turf!" The host calmly replies, "But, my brother.. Many of yours have fallen, you can have mine as your own. But listening your tactic and strategy, I fear we won't have much left.. If it happens, we won't even have power to guard our area." Omar then bursts in fury and anger appears on his eyes, " Are you with me or not!?" The conversation is interrupted by knocks from outside. A voice calls in Arabic, "Omar, are you there? I have an urgent news to tell!" It is the ninja named Sam who is fluent in Arabic who calls. Omar replies, " We are on an important meeting. Save it for later!" Sam then shakes his head as a gesture to tell the ninja leader. The ninja leader then whispers, " Shout at him that American troops are on their way to surround this house.." Sam then shouts, " Americans are on their way to surround this house!" The host and Omar are startled and orders the guard, " "Moustafa! Quick! Open the door!"
Moustafa the guard approaches the door and opens it. When the wooden door is drawn from its frame, a blade suddenly thrusted through the door and stabs Moustafa. The blade plunges about 4.7 inches on his belly. Moustafa shrieks. It is the ninja leader, he immediately withdraws his sword and bash the door slamming the dying Moustafa to wall. The ninja then storms the room. The leader delivers a right hook that wields sword at Omar's face twisting him to the wall. The surprised host tries to reach his combat knife but quickly slashed diagonally and impaled on belly and chest by Shiori, the kunoichi before he manages to draw the knife. The host collapses. Now, Omar shivers on ground under pointing by swords and submachineguns. His left cheek has a bruise. Sam then takes a portrait from his pocket and shows him to the leader, "Nate, look! He is the person." Nate the ninja leader glances the portrait and compares it with the prisoner and says," Sam, interpret me, quickly! Omar saif Hussaini, you are under arrest! You are to follow us. Any act interpreted as resistance will result in severe punishment.. Cuff him!" Omar is silent. After interpreting, Sam turns behind the prisoner, grab his hands and handcuff him tightly with a special light plastic handcuff. "Sam, guard the prisoner! Shiori, cover me! Hector, Guard our rear!" orders Nate. Hector is the fourth ninja who is a member of the manhunt party. His rank is Genin, a field operator, the lowest in ninja rank structure.
The ninjas then ready themselves for extraction. Nates orders Shiori, Sam and Hector, " Take an enemy jacket, balaclavas, keffiyeh and their rifles for each of you and wear them!" Finally, Nate does the same with himself. Hector now guards the prisoner by laying him on ground in prostate position and point his gun at his back. Near them, there are two bloody dead bodies of the gate guards. While Sam holds his uniform sleeves and speaks to it, "Taxi! I repeat. Taxi!" He speaks to a radio device strapped on his uniform. The ninjas then emerges from the room with the prisoner with Sam. They are on a line of four. With Sam leads the group with a silenced Micro Uzi wielded, followed by Shiori with her silenced Steyr TMP then Sam with his Micro Uzi and the rear guard, Hector, wields the same with Sam. AKM and AK74SU slung on their backs. They reach the main gate interior then take a defensive position in which two Nate and Shiori put themselves on the right and left opening of the gate to get view on the street. Shiori takes the left, while Nate takes the right. After a while, a red - white Volkswagen Type 2 appears stops in front of the main gate. Its' middle door on the right opens. Nate, Shiori and Hector point their guns at the car. Nate asks to identify, " Is this my Taxi?" The driver, while raises his hands, replies in english to identify himself to the ninjas, "Where to go, sir?" Those are their passwords. When asked, 'is this my taxi?" The true informant must say, "Where to go, sir?" otherwise, shot. He is Salim, the ninjas' informant who disappeared in the alley. Salim now wears typical civilian insurgent uniform. His face is half covered by white keffiyeh. A woodland camouflaged jacket and horizontal ammunition webbing to store ammunition. He is armed with an AK47, an Uzi for drive by shooting, and a Tokarev pistol.
Then the ninjas who disguises themselves as local militias and Omar board the vehicle. Omar is laid prostrate on floor at backseat with both hands tied on his back and blindfolded, covered with a black cloth except his head and guarded under sword point by Hector who sits on the main horizontal seat of the backseat room. Beside Hector, Nate and Shiori sit down in silence. Sam sits with Ali on the front in case of facing militia checkpoint due to Sam's fluency in Arabic. The progress runs smoothly till they reach a checkpoint at the city border. They are stopped by a group of guarding militia. A militia walks at Salim's window and asks, " Who are you? What is your purpose of leaving this city?" The three passengers behind now put their hands on their rifles and fingers on their triggers. Around the car they see nothing as a sign of they are on a checkpoint like a guard post only some of militiamen armed with heavier weapons such as RPK and RPG-7, the biggest threat so far. Hector presses his sword blunt side at Omar's neck to tell him not to do anything that may blow their cover. Salim replies, " We want to infiltrate three militiamen to harass Americans." The militia answers, "At this time? Do you not know about American curfews?" Salim cleverly says, "That's why I send them now. The Americans won't expect this." The militia back down and swings his hand to his left and shakes his head as a gesture of giving permission to leave. Ali then drives the car leaving the checkpoint. The holding breath passengers now release their held air. The car then proceeds to a barren field near Ramadi. Nate breaks silence by calling Sam, "Sam, adjust the radio's frequency with our airbase and give it to me." Sam then pulls his AN/PRC-148 radio and does what Nate orders. Nate then speaks on the radio, " Hornet One to Hornet Nest, Hornet One to Hornet Nest, over." The radio suddenly omits voice, " This is Hornet Nest. Come in, Hornet One." Nate speaks, " Hornet Nest, the package is with us and tightly wrapped, send the Queen at the extraction point ASAP, over." The airbase replies, "Understood, The Queen will be dispatched to the extraction point ASAP." After a while, the VW, stops at a barren field. The vehicle occupants disembark with Omar dragged. The ninjas, Omar and Salim, quickly throw themselves at a shallow ditch nearby and form a defensive position by crouching firing stance with guns aimed at all direction according to assigned position with Hector in their middle again prostrates Omar. They are waiting for the summoned Queen to show up. The sky is cloudless and dark without moon to lit way. The weather is freezing. The extraction point is quiet, barren field with only some grassed soil on its bank without existence of significant solid cover such as buildings or walls. The site is on suburban area with civilian houses are scattered around. Suddenly, a thump - thump - thump sound is heard. From the sky, out of darkness, a large Mi-8T transport helicopter appears and slowly descends to the middle of the barren field till it stands on ground with its main and tail rotor still spinning. Sam's radio omits sound," Hornet One, this is Queen, we are on the site. Negative sight of you, over." Nate takes the radio and answers, "Copy, Queen. We will approach you from your left. Don't shoot." The helicopter crew replies, " Understood, we will provide you covering fire if needed." The ninjas then emerges from the ditch and perform a four man escort formation with Omar in the middle pulled by Nate who is on the right in front of Omar, Shiori on the left, Sam on the right behind Omar and Hector on the left. Each ninja points their rifles that become their firing view on each direction: north west, north east, south west, south east, east, west, south and north where the helicopter is. to provide reaction fire in case of being attacked. The helicopter's left door opens by sliding to the right. A dim red light from inside illuminates. Nate gets inside first then he and a helicopter crew pulls Omar, followed by Shiori. Sam and Hector take crouching stance and aim their rifle toward the vast area with their back facing the helicopter to provide a covering fire. Seeing the Nate, Shiori and Omar have boarded the helicopter, Sam comes aboard followed by Hector. The helicopter then ascents to the air slowly while its door is being closed. When it reaches 27 feet from soil, it turns away and flies toward Fallujah. Salim watches all of the procession and discards all of his militia attire and breaks his weapons then slips away from the site. The place now return to its previous quietness and darkness as if nothing had happened there before.
To be continued
License: Personal use and read only. Further usage requiring permission from author.
Disclaimer: All contents are fiction.
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