Chapter 5
Nate and Forty Ninjas
Nate and Forty Ninjas
Fallujah Downtown
Al - Anbar Province, Iraq
Abdul - Salam Grocery
November 7, 2004
23: 48 hour
23: 48 hour
After taking a rest a while, Nate now decides to open contact with his ninjas who are already inside the city. Nate turns to Shiori, " Shiori, adjust the radio frequency with Sam's then give it to me." Shiori replies, " Yes, sir." She immediately takes an AN/ PRC-148 radio from her assault vest and adjusts the frequency numbers. After seeing the numbers to be correct, she hands passes it to Nate. He speaks at the radio while being looked by Salim, " Mother Lion to Cub Leader, Mother Lion to Cub Leader, over." Seconds later, a voice speaks from the radio, " Come in, Mother Lion. Over." Nate replies, " Cub Leader, prepares your men to enter the stronghold. Wait until my command, over." Sam replies, " Understood, Mother Lion. Waiting for your order." Suddenly, thirty six pairs of eyes looking from buildings and dark alleys surrounding the compound are fixed on the complex, waiting for their time to reveal themselves.
Nate's target is a fortified plain complex comprised of a four stories rectangle main building surrounded with 13 feet tan stone wall with four lookout tower each on its four sides. On the outside of the building, a wide motorpool for officer and fighting vehicles is spread out guarded by a small guard post for four sentries. While on the inside, a war room, a barrack, a meeting room, administration offices, armory and a prison row are provided. Following the city's vacuum of military presence, when Iraqi army abandoned the garrison complex in US - led Coalition invasion in 2003, Al Zarqawi's foreign fighters and his Death Squad Brigade took over the complex as their foothold to gain the city's total control. It is believed that the building under insurgents' hand also serves as a beheading site and a prison for missing coalition personnel.
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The raid is now about to be commenced. Nate orders all sniper team to take positions. While he and his team is preparing to move to streets, he orders Salim who wants to join the ninjas' raid to scout the area, " Salim, you're here. Your task is to scout around and send me warning if you see any threat. Keep your presence low. Is that clear? We'll get you during extraction" Salim confirms, " Yes, sir." Nate again replies, " Okay, see you later. Don't let your guard down and keep watching." Salim turns off the light then sees off the ninjas when they evacuate the building and closes its door. He returns to his position and watches at the compound with hands holding a green nightvision binocular from a window.
Nate, Shiori and the two ninjas approaches the main gate and stops behind an empty stall. From there he, using a nightvision device, is able to see six insurgents in black balaclava and thawd in and walking around a guard post behind the entrance gate. It would be difficult to shoot several of them from afar without startling the other. What is more, the entrance is illuminated by light and guards on the watch towers will spot anyone crosses the streets around the building. He then takes the radio and orders his hidden men to fire anyone at the guard post and the four watchtowers, " Cub leader, this is Mother Lion, commence sniper fires at watchtowers and entrance gate guardpost. Over." Sam replies through the radio, " Understood, Mother Lion. Commencing fire. Over" Multiple silenced sniper and submachineguns fires erupts from second floor in buildings and alleys around the compound. Eight insurgents on watchtowers, nine on streets around the compound, two on the main building main door and five on the guardposts collapse, a survived insurgent inside the checkpoint runs to warn other at the front yard but eventually seen and shot on the back by a ninja. Nate orders all of his ninjas, " This is Mother Lion, storm the complex!" Nate and his ninjas charge at the main gate entrance. Men in black suddenly appear from buildings and alleys darkness that surrounds the complex then cross streets. Numerous ninjas appear and run to follow Nate from his right and left side. The now joint forces breach the main entrance passing the dead insurgents. Four of them stops and hides the insurgents bodies inside the checkpoint guard post. The ninjas on the east, north and west side of the compound scale the three walls en masse using individual grappling hooks and jumps inside then take out any sentry they see. Four unsuspecting sentries guarding four BTR 60PB armored vehicles and a T-55 tank in the yard are quickly swarmed. Now the outer yard is practically under the ninjas' control. Guards at the rooftop is busy watching the sky fearing American helicopters assault. No one looks below. Nate and his ninjas is now clinging at the building's four walls. He orders his men through the radio to breach the door and clear the first floor and basement. " Calling to all cubs, breach the building and clear the first floor and basement on my command. Over." Nate pauses then pass orders, " Breach the building!" All ninjas bashes doors and windows nearby and break into wielding Uzi and their ninjato. Nate, his team and several other ninja teams break through the main door and attack startled guarding insurgents at a reception with swords, sickles, bayonets and knives. Other ninjas enter the building from windows, a kitchen, and a barrack. They quickly swarm all rooms and kill all unprepared defenders using bladed weapons. They eventually run into their teammates that come from different rooms. Now the ninjas are spread in all rooms with dead insurgents strewn on floor. Blood is over walls, floor and the ninjas' clothes and swords. All of them are Zarqawi's Death Squad soldiers, seen from their black attire and balaclava. Nate immediately orders ten of his ninjas to guard the first floor while the rest to move to upper floors. The ninjas with Nate leading storm upper floors like flood, they kill all guards they see using swords and silenced SMG fires. Again, bodies of Death Squad members strewn on hallway floors. They sweep offices and a meeting room at the second floor from guarding insurgents clean. Then they proceed to the third floor. On the stairway between the second and third floor, Nate and Shiori slashes an insurgent going downstairs. The ninjas secures the third floor hallway from surprised guarding sentries silently. The group is now waiting in front of a single door. Nate gives gestures at his men to order them to be silent, " Shh.. stop, I hear something." Sure about what he hears, he orders Sam to break the door. Sam then bashes the door. Nate, Shiori, Sam and other ten ninjas storm the room. They stop when look a surprising scenery, a tied American kneeling in front of five masked men armed with AK rifles and a scimitar. In front of the man and insurgents a video camera stands on a tripod. The five insurgents and the tied American freeze and glare at the assailants. The insurgents, due to their similarity with the assailants in mask and attire, for a moment think they are from the same unit. Till the insurgent wielding a scimitar realizes that they are wrong alarmed by the ninjas's distinctive bloody blade. But its too late. The ninjas rushes at the five insurgents, swinging their swords at them. The tied man instinctively drops himself to ground. An unbalanced melee inside a small room ensues. Several insurgents tried to block swords swung using their AK rifles and some manage to draw their knives but most of them are eventually killed except one surrounded on the wall by the ninjas. The wounded insurgent is cornered and pointed by several ninjato swords tips. His left hand holds his wounded right arm that suffers from a cut wound. His AK47 lies near his feet. An ammunition bandolier is worn across his chest. Nate unties the American captive, " Sir, you are free. Are you Nicholas Bergmann?" The man gasps then answers, " Yes, I am Nicholas Bergmann from Illinois Security.. (Gasp) Thank you, pal. (Gasp) They were about to cut my head off." " Do you see any prisoner beside you?" Asks Nate. "Yes, I think I heard some men on the same room with me in basement. I didn't see clearly, I was tied and blindfolded all time." Answers him. Nate continues by instructing the American man while gives him a captured AK47, " Sir, this is for you, scrap any ammo and weapon you can find. Go to my men, lead them to prison and follow their instructions." The man strips a chest ammunition bandolier, a knife and a sidearm from a dead insurgent. Then he rises toward waiting ninjas and herded outside. Nate and Shiori strides forward. He pulls the insurgent man's balaclava and sees a terrified 19 years old youth. Sam asks, " What should we do to him?" Nate answers, ' He is still young. Carry and blinfold him as a prisoner with us." Sam then turns the youth's body to wall, ties his hand with a plastic handcuff tightly and blindfold him using a black cloth found nearby. The man is forced to kneel and guarded with two ninjas while the rest and Nate proceeds to the fourth floor where Al - Saleh is supposed to be. Four sentries guarding a door leading to the war room are shot dead by twenty charging ninjas. Meanwhile, two sentries inside hears suspicious sound and walks to the door to check it. Unbeknownst to him, twenty ninjas are waiting outside. When he is opening the door, a sword is thrust through the door stabbing the sentry's belly surprising his fellow guard. Nate and Sam throws two flashbang grenades inside through the door's opening. Two Iranian personnel and three standing guards are blinded by their blinding and deafening explosions. In the confusion, the ninjas storm the room and involved in savage handicapped melee and hand to hand fighting resulting in three ninjas wounded and death of the Iranians and the guards. Nate shouts at Al - Saleh, " Al - Saleh! Hands in the air!!" Al - Saleh bursts his AK74SU rifle at Nate and the attacking ninjas wounding three ninjas. The Ninjas and Nate return fire at Al - Saleh using their Uzi SMG's but he manages to escape unscathed to to the rooftop through a stairways.
Meanwhile, in the first floor, Nicholas leads the ninjas the way to a basement prison, . The prison row is immediately stormed and all guards in corridor and interrogation chamber are overpowered. The Four cell doors are bashed. Inside the dirty dimly lit narrow chambers resembling solitary confinement in US prisons, nine tied and blindfolded men are found. Divided into two in a chamber, three in two chambers and one in another chamber. Bruises and cutting wounds with blood splashes on their clothes are seen on their bodies. Signs of torture. Eight of them are captured local Iraqi policeman and soldiers as seen from their uniform. Another one is an Ugandan in security personnel uniform. The prisoners are startled when they hear the doors are bashed altogether and struggle fearing of imminent execution or torture. But are even more surprised seeing many black masked men crowd the corridors and the cells, untying them and removing their eyes' cover. While being untied, the Ugandan man is questioned by Hector, " Are you George Museveni?" The Ugandan man replies in pants, " I am. I am.. Thank you for saving me." All prisoners are gathered on the prison corridor now. They embrace each other and several ninjas, saying their thanks and weep. " Gentlemen, I understand your feeling but now you all must follow us upstairs. Arm yourself and follow our instructions." Says Hector translated by Nicholas. The prisoners scavenge all weapons and ammunition from dead insurgents and herded by the ninjas upstair to the first floor.
Al Saleh orders his sentries on the RPG post to run downstair to hold the ninjas which are soon mauled by the ninjas' fire while they are going downstair in confusion. Nate and his ninjas exchange fire with cornered Al - Saleh but slowly able to swarm one fourth of the rooftop and occupy the concealed RPG and machinegun post. Al-Saleh resorts to his Makarov sidearm but soon run out of ammo. Nate and Shiori surges forward and walk toward a crate where Al - Saleh is taking cover behind. His ninjas is on firing positions behind. He addresses Al - Saleh, " Hassan Fakhir Al - Saleh! You are surrounded! Surrender now!" Hassan Fakhir Al - Saleh replies behind the crates, " Al - Tous!! I will not surrender to you." The desperate Al - Saleh then reaches his scimitar. The old fat bald militant suddenly springs from his cover and swings his scimitar at Nate diagonally, which Nate immediately blocks. Shiori is waiting behind Nate to attack Al - Saleh in case Nate is perceived as in danger. Al - Saleh frantically delivers several swings which is easily blocked by Nate till his sword is thrown away by one strike from Nate. Al Saleh falls to the rear. In front of him, Nate aims his sword tip at Al - Saleh's neck, " It is futile, Al - Saleh, surrender and folow us." Al-Saleh suddenly reaches a grenade in his belt, draws its pin and tries to leap at Nate. Nate immediately slashes Al-Saleh diagonally from his right underbelly to his upper left chest, stopping him and leaving a deep cutting wound. Al - Saleh pauses. His eyes are opened wide. Nate then delivers a thrust at Nate's belly, impaling him then delivers a right tornado kick to Al - Saleh rendering him falls to the rear behind the crates. The ninjas, Shiori and Nate throw themselves to the ground behind. An explosion occurs behind the crates. The ninjas' quickly recovers and checks around the crates area. Nothing is found except splashes of blood and scattered flesh as well several charred body parts. The lord of the castle has been killed in his keep.
The explosion draws attention from returning Abdullah's armed technical and infantry patrol nearby. Nate then turns and passes orders, " Shiori, make a radio contact with General Natonski. Use the satellite phone. Sam, order your men to plant explosive charges at the RPG post, war room and armory." Nate then speaks at a compact handset strapped within his collar, " Crane, This is Mother Lion. Over." Hector replies from the personal handset radio, " Come in, Mother Lion. Over." Nate orders Hector. " Gather all hostages and prisoner in kitchen, seprate them and find keys for the BTR outside. Over." Hector replies again, "Understood. Over." Nate points at three ninja fireteam leaders, " You, take your men to take all intelligence information. Either in papers, harddisk, CPU or even ones inside faults." Three ninja fireteam immediately run downstairs to administration offices and the war room. Shiori reports to Nate that she has successfully make a contact with General Natonski's headquarter. " Chunin, a contact has been successfully made with General Natonski's base." Nate takes the satellite phone and reports to General Natonski, " Lion's pride, this is Mother Lion, The lord is down, I repeat, the lord is down." When Nate's voice is heard from the General's communication device inside his war room, the General's staff leap for joy. The General calls Nate, " Mother Lion, this is Lion's pride, what's your status? Over." " Lion's pride, we are on the way to extraction." Says Nate while walking downstairs. The General replies, " Mother Lion, send your request if you need air support. Over." Nate confirms, " Understood." The ninjas evacuate from the third and fourth floor. The wounded are carried. On the second floor, rooms are turned upside down in search of intelligence documents. Computer CPU, CD's, Harddisks and locked filing cabinets are taken away. Vaults are blown. On the armory at the first floor, the assailants haul large numbers of various assault rifles, PK machineguns, grenades and RPG-7 rocket launchers. While explosive devices and mortars are left alone. An explosive charge has been set inside. The armed hostages, wounded ninjas and the young insurgent are gathered in the kitchen under supervision of four ninjas. When Nate is supervising at the second floor, his AN/PRC Radio calls. A voice reports in, " Sir! A patrol of four armed technical jeeps and thirty insurgents are heading to the compound." It was Salim. Nate replies, " Understood, Salim. Keep yourself down." Nate then issues orders, " All cubs, we got a company. Get yourself in the second and first floors windows facing the frontyard then wait until my command." " Shiori, Kim, Maeda, follow me!" orders Nate. He continues, " Cub leader, lead the man on first floor. Hold your position and start firing on my command." Sam replies through the radio, " Understood." Ninjas on second and first floor carrying captured PK machineguns, AK rifles, RPG-7 and their own Mini Uzi and silenced SR-16 sniper rifle rush and position themselves at any windows and doors facing the compound's front yard.
Abdullah's forces carefully proceeds to the compound's main gate. They stop in front of the closed gate. The insurgents are suspicious seeing no one is around the post. Two insurgents in black move forward and runs at the gate's guardpost. They are surprised to find six in insurgents bodies inside. One of them runs outside to report at Abdullah while another lifts the yellow barrier plank. " Commander, six guards are found dead inside the post." Abdullah are surprised and orders his vice, " Jabir, order the men to storm the compound." Jabir then orders his men and the jeeps to storm the compound. All insurgents except jeep gunners, drivers and Abdullah in the second car disembark and position themselves at the cars' right and left. The attacking forces now moves slowly toward the building main entrance. Seeing that through his binocular, Nate orders all his men, " Cubs, this is Mother Lion, fire on my command." Nate waits until all of the cars and the insurgents personnel have entered the compound yard deeply. When Nate sees the first car has passed two parked BTR 60 fronts, he orders his men, " Cubs, fire at will!" Suddenly, four RPG rockets and hail of bullets rain the convoy. The RPG rockets destroy the first and the fourth jeep. Insurgents around and inside the blasting jeeps are burned or blasted. Their gunners are thrown away and incinerated. Several insurgents around the second car are shot. Some try to return fire but given no chance by the mercilless storm and ends up lying on road. Abdullah evacuate from the car and take cover behind it. Some of the ones around the third jeep try to escape from the main gate but stopped by sniper fires while the other run for cover behind the parked BTR 60. A burning insurgent screaming in pain is struggling around trying to liberate himself from the fire. Abdullah returns peeks and returns fire. The fires are very intense as when a surrendering insurgent unnoticed by the defending ninjas standing without cover in the middle of field of fire, he is quickly struck down by bullets and falls to the rear. When Abdullah is about to run away from the second car, an RPG-7 rocket blows the second jeep throwing him.
No signs of life are seen around the burning convoy jeeps and the yard. Insurgent bodies lie on ground. " Enemies Cleared." voices are heard from Nate's radio. Nate replies, " Confirmed." Then he pass orders to all his men, " Cub Leader, lead your men to secure the four BTR and the yard and plant charges on the T-55." Sam replies, " Understood, sir!" He then continues passing order to Hector's team, " Crane Leader, take hostages and prisoner to the reception room and wait until my command." Hector answers, " Understood, sir!" Finally he passes orders to retrieval team on second floor, " You, take all Intelligence materials to the reception at first floor and wait for my command." The ninja answers, " Yes, sir!" then he orders his men, " You hear what chunin says, go! Go! Go!"
In the front yard, Sam's men storm the yard area near the parked BTR and T-55. A surviving insurgent appears from behind a parked BTR and start firing but immediately put down by the advancing ninjas. The other two are killed while running to escape from the BTR right side toward the main gate after ignoring the ninjas warning to stop and turn themselves in. " All clear!", " Clear!" Reports the ninjas simultaneously. Nate receives a report from Sam that the yard has been cleared. He then orders the ninjas from to proceed to the yard in groups, first the ones with hostages and a prisoner followed by the ones carrying Intelligence materials. Nate, Shiori and his two ninjas emerge from the main entrance. Followed by Hector's group escorting hostages and prisoners. Two of Sam's men are planting charges on the T-55, while several Hector's men are opening the BTR's ramp doors and crew hatches. The hostages and a prisoner gather near the vehicles guarded by the ninjas. One of Sam's men reports from the driver hatch of a BTR, " Good news, sir! This one is in full tank." " This one is too." Reports another. All BTR tanks are full. Nate then passes orders, " Alright! Sam, you and your men take that BTR and guard our rear." " Yes, sir!" Replies Sam. Nate continues, " Hector, you and the hostages are on that BTR." The ordered team soon fill the two BTR's. Nate calls the retrieval team, " Badger Leader, take your men outside to the parked BTR." Badger Leader, the retrieval team leader, answers, " Yes, sir!" Ninjas carrying harddisks, CPU's, wooden cabinets and papers emerge from the main door. Nate orders them, " You and your men take those Intelligence things to the BTR and board them, you'll be our lead." The leader answers, " Yes, sir!" He turns at his men and shouts, " Come on, men!" He and his ninjas board a BTR. Nate then orders, "The rest of you and the prisoner, follow me in this BTR. I'll be the second!" Nate, Shiori, the young insurgent and other eleven ninjas, including the wounded five cramp a BTR. Two ninjas named Maeda and Kim board the driver and crew seats.
The BTR's macines are turned on. One by one moves forward, led by the retrieval ninjas, to leave the compound. Inside the cramped second BTR, Nate orders Sam through a radio, " Cub Leader, this is Mother Lion, set off all charges on the building." On the compound's front yard asphalt ground, Abdullah awakes from his unconsciousness and groans in pain. A large second degree burn is on his back and left hand. He turns his head and stares at the compound main building. Suddenly, explosions take place in the rooftop, the forth and first floor.
Meanwhile, the escaping column is speeding through the streets toward northern city border. In first moments, the insurgents on rooftops and buildings don't shoot at the armored vehicles thinking they are reinforcement for city defenses. But the situation changes when an insurgent at a makeshift checkpoint orders the vehicles to stop. The vehicles keep speeding breaking through the checkpoint and fire at the guarding insurgents. A surviving insurgent then calls all insurgent units in the city through radio and notify them about the armored vehicles. The quiet street around the vehicles now are turned into a battlefield between ninjas inside the vehicles and insurgents on streets in buildings. The speeding armored convoy is rained by small arms fire and rockets from above and streets. The ninjas return fire from fire ports and heavy machine gun turrets in the vehicles. The convoy takes straight streets and turns frantically. They are chased by two technical jeeps boarded by five insurgents each. Suddenly, Sam's BTR is hit by an RPG rocket from behind and burns. The BTR slower their run and ditched in diagonal position in the middle of street. The ninjas emerge from hatches then take cover behind the burning vehicle and concretes on pavements on right and left side of the street. The technical pursuers arrive and the insurgents on board dismount the cars. The ten dismounted ninjas exchange fire with the insurgents for a moment and retreat to street and building behind after throw two smoke screen grenades. The insurgents advance after the smoke starts subsiding to the burning vehicles and pavements surrounding it and overrun them. No ninjas are seen. One of them climbs the vehicle and throws two grenade inside the crew and troop compartment to clear them.
Seeing from the GPS map, the convoy is closing by the city northern border. Nate then contacts General Natonski, " General, four armored vehicles are going to your staging area. They are my troops. Order your men not to shoot and provide us covering fire." The General replies, " Understood, Nate. We'll be waiting for you." The general passes the order to his subordinates. Now the convoy is running toward an insurgent defensive position. Again, the vehicles exchange fire with enemies within all directions. Nate comes into a tactic, he orders all of his men to throw smoke screen grenades around the vehicles when they are on the enemy outer checkpoint. The first vehicle now reaches the enemy's bivouac. They receive more intense small arms and grenade launcher fires. the enemy hesitates to use RPG due to proximity. Smoke grenades are thrown from windows and fire ports from all vehicles. Pitched smokes appear from ground. Inside the vehicles, all fire ports and steel covers over windshields are closed including the driver's switching their view to periscopes. Nate orders his men to just move forward. The smoke is watched by US marines and Iraqi soldiers behind berms. They watch anxiously, knowing there are escaping friendly troops but hesitate to fire fearing friendly fire. Out of the smoke, a BTR appear under gun point of the coalition soldiers, its windows are opened. The second vehicle emerge from the smoke then the third. The bullet ridden vehicles cross a plain field and keep driving passing through a coalition checkpoint. When the vehicles stopped, US marines and Iraqi soldiers surround them and point rifles at their hatches and ramp doors. The hatches and doors are opened from inside. Masked Men in black carrying things and weapons followed by men in civilian and Iraqi security uniforms as well a tied one leap outside one by one and raise their arms when they see they are under coalition soldiers gun point. Lieutenant Sanders move forward and orders his men to lower their guns, " Low your rifles, they are on our side!" Lieutenant Sanders comes at the tired Nate, " Are you alright? We'll give you medical assistant." Medical personnel arrive and carry the joyful hostages who embrace each other. An intelligence officer and his subordinates surrounds and questions the captured insurgent then take him away to the rear. " Welcome back, buddy." A man speaks to Nate from behind. General Natonski smiles, shake Nate's right hand and pats him on back. Nate looks at Shiori, " Are you alright?" Shiori nods, " Uhuh.. I mean, yes, sir." " You'll get a vacation." Replies Nate. General Natonski speaks to Nate, " Mr. Kato, you said about four armored vehicles, but so far I only see three." Nate replies, " What do you mean?" The general answers, " Only three vehicles reached this base." Nate excuses himself from the general, moves away and asks around checking his men, he then finds that the missing vehicle is Sam's. The general, after knowing what is happening, comforts Nate " I'll order my men to search yours. How many are missing?" Nate answers sadly, " Ten, including my trusted officer, Samuel Nakajima."
Several hours later, Marines' from 1st Battalion 3rd Marines launch an attack at Jurf Kas Sukr Bridge on western Fallujah. They succesfully secures it but finds no resistance. When marines are securing an insurgent defense point inside two fortified houses facing the bridge, a surprising finding is found. A private reports his sergeant about the finding, " Sir, I think you have to see this." Inside the houses, dead insurgents with cutting and stabbing wounds sitting and lying around. Blood splashes on walls. Within the next two days , the ten missing ninjas make it safely to Coalition lines unscathed.
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The raid is now about to be commenced. Nate orders all sniper team to take positions. While he and his team is preparing to move to streets, he orders Salim who wants to join the ninjas' raid to scout the area, " Salim, you're here. Your task is to scout around and send me warning if you see any threat. Keep your presence low. Is that clear? We'll get you during extraction" Salim confirms, " Yes, sir." Nate again replies, " Okay, see you later. Don't let your guard down and keep watching." Salim turns off the light then sees off the ninjas when they evacuate the building and closes its door. He returns to his position and watches at the compound with hands holding a green nightvision binocular from a window.
Nate, Shiori and the two ninjas approaches the main gate and stops behind an empty stall. From there he, using a nightvision device, is able to see six insurgents in black balaclava and thawd in and walking around a guard post behind the entrance gate. It would be difficult to shoot several of them from afar without startling the other. What is more, the entrance is illuminated by light and guards on the watch towers will spot anyone crosses the streets around the building. He then takes the radio and orders his hidden men to fire anyone at the guard post and the four watchtowers, " Cub leader, this is Mother Lion, commence sniper fires at watchtowers and entrance gate guardpost. Over." Sam replies through the radio, " Understood, Mother Lion. Commencing fire. Over" Multiple silenced sniper and submachineguns fires erupts from second floor in buildings and alleys around the compound. Eight insurgents on watchtowers, nine on streets around the compound, two on the main building main door and five on the guardposts collapse, a survived insurgent inside the checkpoint runs to warn other at the front yard but eventually seen and shot on the back by a ninja. Nate orders all of his ninjas, " This is Mother Lion, storm the complex!" Nate and his ninjas charge at the main gate entrance. Men in black suddenly appear from buildings and alleys darkness that surrounds the complex then cross streets. Numerous ninjas appear and run to follow Nate from his right and left side. The now joint forces breach the main entrance passing the dead insurgents. Four of them stops and hides the insurgents bodies inside the checkpoint guard post. The ninjas on the east, north and west side of the compound scale the three walls en masse using individual grappling hooks and jumps inside then take out any sentry they see. Four unsuspecting sentries guarding four BTR 60PB armored vehicles and a T-55 tank in the yard are quickly swarmed. Now the outer yard is practically under the ninjas' control. Guards at the rooftop is busy watching the sky fearing American helicopters assault. No one looks below. Nate and his ninjas is now clinging at the building's four walls. He orders his men through the radio to breach the door and clear the first floor and basement. " Calling to all cubs, breach the building and clear the first floor and basement on my command. Over." Nate pauses then pass orders, " Breach the building!" All ninjas bashes doors and windows nearby and break into wielding Uzi and their ninjato. Nate, his team and several other ninja teams break through the main door and attack startled guarding insurgents at a reception with swords, sickles, bayonets and knives. Other ninjas enter the building from windows, a kitchen, and a barrack. They quickly swarm all rooms and kill all unprepared defenders using bladed weapons. They eventually run into their teammates that come from different rooms. Now the ninjas are spread in all rooms with dead insurgents strewn on floor. Blood is over walls, floor and the ninjas' clothes and swords. All of them are Zarqawi's Death Squad soldiers, seen from their black attire and balaclava. Nate immediately orders ten of his ninjas to guard the first floor while the rest to move to upper floors. The ninjas with Nate leading storm upper floors like flood, they kill all guards they see using swords and silenced SMG fires. Again, bodies of Death Squad members strewn on hallway floors. They sweep offices and a meeting room at the second floor from guarding insurgents clean. Then they proceed to the third floor. On the stairway between the second and third floor, Nate and Shiori slashes an insurgent going downstairs. The ninjas secures the third floor hallway from surprised guarding sentries silently. The group is now waiting in front of a single door. Nate gives gestures at his men to order them to be silent, " Shh.. stop, I hear something." Sure about what he hears, he orders Sam to break the door. Sam then bashes the door. Nate, Shiori, Sam and other ten ninjas storm the room. They stop when look a surprising scenery, a tied American kneeling in front of five masked men armed with AK rifles and a scimitar. In front of the man and insurgents a video camera stands on a tripod. The five insurgents and the tied American freeze and glare at the assailants. The insurgents, due to their similarity with the assailants in mask and attire, for a moment think they are from the same unit. Till the insurgent wielding a scimitar realizes that they are wrong alarmed by the ninjas's distinctive bloody blade. But its too late. The ninjas rushes at the five insurgents, swinging their swords at them. The tied man instinctively drops himself to ground. An unbalanced melee inside a small room ensues. Several insurgents tried to block swords swung using their AK rifles and some manage to draw their knives but most of them are eventually killed except one surrounded on the wall by the ninjas. The wounded insurgent is cornered and pointed by several ninjato swords tips. His left hand holds his wounded right arm that suffers from a cut wound. His AK47 lies near his feet. An ammunition bandolier is worn across his chest. Nate unties the American captive, " Sir, you are free. Are you Nicholas Bergmann?" The man gasps then answers, " Yes, I am Nicholas Bergmann from Illinois Security.. (Gasp) Thank you, pal. (Gasp) They were about to cut my head off." " Do you see any prisoner beside you?" Asks Nate. "Yes, I think I heard some men on the same room with me in basement. I didn't see clearly, I was tied and blindfolded all time." Answers him. Nate continues by instructing the American man while gives him a captured AK47, " Sir, this is for you, scrap any ammo and weapon you can find. Go to my men, lead them to prison and follow their instructions." The man strips a chest ammunition bandolier, a knife and a sidearm from a dead insurgent. Then he rises toward waiting ninjas and herded outside. Nate and Shiori strides forward. He pulls the insurgent man's balaclava and sees a terrified 19 years old youth. Sam asks, " What should we do to him?" Nate answers, ' He is still young. Carry and blinfold him as a prisoner with us." Sam then turns the youth's body to wall, ties his hand with a plastic handcuff tightly and blindfold him using a black cloth found nearby. The man is forced to kneel and guarded with two ninjas while the rest and Nate proceeds to the fourth floor where Al - Saleh is supposed to be. Four sentries guarding a door leading to the war room are shot dead by twenty charging ninjas. Meanwhile, two sentries inside hears suspicious sound and walks to the door to check it. Unbeknownst to him, twenty ninjas are waiting outside. When he is opening the door, a sword is thrust through the door stabbing the sentry's belly surprising his fellow guard. Nate and Sam throws two flashbang grenades inside through the door's opening. Two Iranian personnel and three standing guards are blinded by their blinding and deafening explosions. In the confusion, the ninjas storm the room and involved in savage handicapped melee and hand to hand fighting resulting in three ninjas wounded and death of the Iranians and the guards. Nate shouts at Al - Saleh, " Al - Saleh! Hands in the air!!" Al - Saleh bursts his AK74SU rifle at Nate and the attacking ninjas wounding three ninjas. The Ninjas and Nate return fire at Al - Saleh using their Uzi SMG's but he manages to escape unscathed to to the rooftop through a stairways.
Meanwhile, in the first floor, Nicholas leads the ninjas the way to a basement prison, . The prison row is immediately stormed and all guards in corridor and interrogation chamber are overpowered. The Four cell doors are bashed. Inside the dirty dimly lit narrow chambers resembling solitary confinement in US prisons, nine tied and blindfolded men are found. Divided into two in a chamber, three in two chambers and one in another chamber. Bruises and cutting wounds with blood splashes on their clothes are seen on their bodies. Signs of torture. Eight of them are captured local Iraqi policeman and soldiers as seen from their uniform. Another one is an Ugandan in security personnel uniform. The prisoners are startled when they hear the doors are bashed altogether and struggle fearing of imminent execution or torture. But are even more surprised seeing many black masked men crowd the corridors and the cells, untying them and removing their eyes' cover. While being untied, the Ugandan man is questioned by Hector, " Are you George Museveni?" The Ugandan man replies in pants, " I am. I am.. Thank you for saving me." All prisoners are gathered on the prison corridor now. They embrace each other and several ninjas, saying their thanks and weep. " Gentlemen, I understand your feeling but now you all must follow us upstairs. Arm yourself and follow our instructions." Says Hector translated by Nicholas. The prisoners scavenge all weapons and ammunition from dead insurgents and herded by the ninjas upstair to the first floor.
Al Saleh orders his sentries on the RPG post to run downstair to hold the ninjas which are soon mauled by the ninjas' fire while they are going downstair in confusion. Nate and his ninjas exchange fire with cornered Al - Saleh but slowly able to swarm one fourth of the rooftop and occupy the concealed RPG and machinegun post. Al-Saleh resorts to his Makarov sidearm but soon run out of ammo. Nate and Shiori surges forward and walk toward a crate where Al - Saleh is taking cover behind. His ninjas is on firing positions behind. He addresses Al - Saleh, " Hassan Fakhir Al - Saleh! You are surrounded! Surrender now!" Hassan Fakhir Al - Saleh replies behind the crates, " Al - Tous!! I will not surrender to you." The desperate Al - Saleh then reaches his scimitar. The old fat bald militant suddenly springs from his cover and swings his scimitar at Nate diagonally, which Nate immediately blocks. Shiori is waiting behind Nate to attack Al - Saleh in case Nate is perceived as in danger. Al - Saleh frantically delivers several swings which is easily blocked by Nate till his sword is thrown away by one strike from Nate. Al Saleh falls to the rear. In front of him, Nate aims his sword tip at Al - Saleh's neck, " It is futile, Al - Saleh, surrender and folow us." Al-Saleh suddenly reaches a grenade in his belt, draws its pin and tries to leap at Nate. Nate immediately slashes Al-Saleh diagonally from his right underbelly to his upper left chest, stopping him and leaving a deep cutting wound. Al - Saleh pauses. His eyes are opened wide. Nate then delivers a thrust at Nate's belly, impaling him then delivers a right tornado kick to Al - Saleh rendering him falls to the rear behind the crates. The ninjas, Shiori and Nate throw themselves to the ground behind. An explosion occurs behind the crates. The ninjas' quickly recovers and checks around the crates area. Nothing is found except splashes of blood and scattered flesh as well several charred body parts. The lord of the castle has been killed in his keep.
The explosion draws attention from returning Abdullah's armed technical and infantry patrol nearby. Nate then turns and passes orders, " Shiori, make a radio contact with General Natonski. Use the satellite phone. Sam, order your men to plant explosive charges at the RPG post, war room and armory." Nate then speaks at a compact handset strapped within his collar, " Crane, This is Mother Lion. Over." Hector replies from the personal handset radio, " Come in, Mother Lion. Over." Nate orders Hector. " Gather all hostages and prisoner in kitchen, seprate them and find keys for the BTR outside. Over." Hector replies again, "Understood. Over." Nate points at three ninja fireteam leaders, " You, take your men to take all intelligence information. Either in papers, harddisk, CPU or even ones inside faults." Three ninja fireteam immediately run downstairs to administration offices and the war room. Shiori reports to Nate that she has successfully make a contact with General Natonski's headquarter. " Chunin, a contact has been successfully made with General Natonski's base." Nate takes the satellite phone and reports to General Natonski, " Lion's pride, this is Mother Lion, The lord is down, I repeat, the lord is down." When Nate's voice is heard from the General's communication device inside his war room, the General's staff leap for joy. The General calls Nate, " Mother Lion, this is Lion's pride, what's your status? Over." " Lion's pride, we are on the way to extraction." Says Nate while walking downstairs. The General replies, " Mother Lion, send your request if you need air support. Over." Nate confirms, " Understood." The ninjas evacuate from the third and fourth floor. The wounded are carried. On the second floor, rooms are turned upside down in search of intelligence documents. Computer CPU, CD's, Harddisks and locked filing cabinets are taken away. Vaults are blown. On the armory at the first floor, the assailants haul large numbers of various assault rifles, PK machineguns, grenades and RPG-7 rocket launchers. While explosive devices and mortars are left alone. An explosive charge has been set inside. The armed hostages, wounded ninjas and the young insurgent are gathered in the kitchen under supervision of four ninjas. When Nate is supervising at the second floor, his AN/PRC Radio calls. A voice reports in, " Sir! A patrol of four armed technical jeeps and thirty insurgents are heading to the compound." It was Salim. Nate replies, " Understood, Salim. Keep yourself down." Nate then issues orders, " All cubs, we got a company. Get yourself in the second and first floors windows facing the frontyard then wait until my command." " Shiori, Kim, Maeda, follow me!" orders Nate. He continues, " Cub leader, lead the man on first floor. Hold your position and start firing on my command." Sam replies through the radio, " Understood." Ninjas on second and first floor carrying captured PK machineguns, AK rifles, RPG-7 and their own Mini Uzi and silenced SR-16 sniper rifle rush and position themselves at any windows and doors facing the compound's front yard.
Abdullah's forces carefully proceeds to the compound's main gate. They stop in front of the closed gate. The insurgents are suspicious seeing no one is around the post. Two insurgents in black move forward and runs at the gate's guardpost. They are surprised to find six in insurgents bodies inside. One of them runs outside to report at Abdullah while another lifts the yellow barrier plank. " Commander, six guards are found dead inside the post." Abdullah are surprised and orders his vice, " Jabir, order the men to storm the compound." Jabir then orders his men and the jeeps to storm the compound. All insurgents except jeep gunners, drivers and Abdullah in the second car disembark and position themselves at the cars' right and left. The attacking forces now moves slowly toward the building main entrance. Seeing that through his binocular, Nate orders all his men, " Cubs, this is Mother Lion, fire on my command." Nate waits until all of the cars and the insurgents personnel have entered the compound yard deeply. When Nate sees the first car has passed two parked BTR 60 fronts, he orders his men, " Cubs, fire at will!" Suddenly, four RPG rockets and hail of bullets rain the convoy. The RPG rockets destroy the first and the fourth jeep. Insurgents around and inside the blasting jeeps are burned or blasted. Their gunners are thrown away and incinerated. Several insurgents around the second car are shot. Some try to return fire but given no chance by the mercilless storm and ends up lying on road. Abdullah evacuate from the car and take cover behind it. Some of the ones around the third jeep try to escape from the main gate but stopped by sniper fires while the other run for cover behind the parked BTR 60. A burning insurgent screaming in pain is struggling around trying to liberate himself from the fire. Abdullah returns peeks and returns fire. The fires are very intense as when a surrendering insurgent unnoticed by the defending ninjas standing without cover in the middle of field of fire, he is quickly struck down by bullets and falls to the rear. When Abdullah is about to run away from the second car, an RPG-7 rocket blows the second jeep throwing him.
No signs of life are seen around the burning convoy jeeps and the yard. Insurgent bodies lie on ground. " Enemies Cleared." voices are heard from Nate's radio. Nate replies, " Confirmed." Then he pass orders to all his men, " Cub Leader, lead your men to secure the four BTR and the yard and plant charges on the T-55." Sam replies, " Understood, sir!" He then continues passing order to Hector's team, " Crane Leader, take hostages and prisoner to the reception room and wait until my command." Hector answers, " Understood, sir!" Finally he passes orders to retrieval team on second floor, " You, take all Intelligence materials to the reception at first floor and wait for my command." The ninja answers, " Yes, sir!" then he orders his men, " You hear what chunin says, go! Go! Go!"
In the front yard, Sam's men storm the yard area near the parked BTR and T-55. A surviving insurgent appears from behind a parked BTR and start firing but immediately put down by the advancing ninjas. The other two are killed while running to escape from the BTR right side toward the main gate after ignoring the ninjas warning to stop and turn themselves in. " All clear!", " Clear!" Reports the ninjas simultaneously. Nate receives a report from Sam that the yard has been cleared. He then orders the ninjas from to proceed to the yard in groups, first the ones with hostages and a prisoner followed by the ones carrying Intelligence materials. Nate, Shiori and his two ninjas emerge from the main entrance. Followed by Hector's group escorting hostages and prisoners. Two of Sam's men are planting charges on the T-55, while several Hector's men are opening the BTR's ramp doors and crew hatches. The hostages and a prisoner gather near the vehicles guarded by the ninjas. One of Sam's men reports from the driver hatch of a BTR, " Good news, sir! This one is in full tank." " This one is too." Reports another. All BTR tanks are full. Nate then passes orders, " Alright! Sam, you and your men take that BTR and guard our rear." " Yes, sir!" Replies Sam. Nate continues, " Hector, you and the hostages are on that BTR." The ordered team soon fill the two BTR's. Nate calls the retrieval team, " Badger Leader, take your men outside to the parked BTR." Badger Leader, the retrieval team leader, answers, " Yes, sir!" Ninjas carrying harddisks, CPU's, wooden cabinets and papers emerge from the main door. Nate orders them, " You and your men take those Intelligence things to the BTR and board them, you'll be our lead." The leader answers, " Yes, sir!" He turns at his men and shouts, " Come on, men!" He and his ninjas board a BTR. Nate then orders, "The rest of you and the prisoner, follow me in this BTR. I'll be the second!" Nate, Shiori, the young insurgent and other eleven ninjas, including the wounded five cramp a BTR. Two ninjas named Maeda and Kim board the driver and crew seats.
The BTR's macines are turned on. One by one moves forward, led by the retrieval ninjas, to leave the compound. Inside the cramped second BTR, Nate orders Sam through a radio, " Cub Leader, this is Mother Lion, set off all charges on the building." On the compound's front yard asphalt ground, Abdullah awakes from his unconsciousness and groans in pain. A large second degree burn is on his back and left hand. He turns his head and stares at the compound main building. Suddenly, explosions take place in the rooftop, the forth and first floor.
Meanwhile, the escaping column is speeding through the streets toward northern city border. In first moments, the insurgents on rooftops and buildings don't shoot at the armored vehicles thinking they are reinforcement for city defenses. But the situation changes when an insurgent at a makeshift checkpoint orders the vehicles to stop. The vehicles keep speeding breaking through the checkpoint and fire at the guarding insurgents. A surviving insurgent then calls all insurgent units in the city through radio and notify them about the armored vehicles. The quiet street around the vehicles now are turned into a battlefield between ninjas inside the vehicles and insurgents on streets in buildings. The speeding armored convoy is rained by small arms fire and rockets from above and streets. The ninjas return fire from fire ports and heavy machine gun turrets in the vehicles. The convoy takes straight streets and turns frantically. They are chased by two technical jeeps boarded by five insurgents each. Suddenly, Sam's BTR is hit by an RPG rocket from behind and burns. The BTR slower their run and ditched in diagonal position in the middle of street. The ninjas emerge from hatches then take cover behind the burning vehicle and concretes on pavements on right and left side of the street. The technical pursuers arrive and the insurgents on board dismount the cars. The ten dismounted ninjas exchange fire with the insurgents for a moment and retreat to street and building behind after throw two smoke screen grenades. The insurgents advance after the smoke starts subsiding to the burning vehicles and pavements surrounding it and overrun them. No ninjas are seen. One of them climbs the vehicle and throws two grenade inside the crew and troop compartment to clear them.
Seeing from the GPS map, the convoy is closing by the city northern border. Nate then contacts General Natonski, " General, four armored vehicles are going to your staging area. They are my troops. Order your men not to shoot and provide us covering fire." The General replies, " Understood, Nate. We'll be waiting for you." The general passes the order to his subordinates. Now the convoy is running toward an insurgent defensive position. Again, the vehicles exchange fire with enemies within all directions. Nate comes into a tactic, he orders all of his men to throw smoke screen grenades around the vehicles when they are on the enemy outer checkpoint. The first vehicle now reaches the enemy's bivouac. They receive more intense small arms and grenade launcher fires. the enemy hesitates to use RPG due to proximity. Smoke grenades are thrown from windows and fire ports from all vehicles. Pitched smokes appear from ground. Inside the vehicles, all fire ports and steel covers over windshields are closed including the driver's switching their view to periscopes. Nate orders his men to just move forward. The smoke is watched by US marines and Iraqi soldiers behind berms. They watch anxiously, knowing there are escaping friendly troops but hesitate to fire fearing friendly fire. Out of the smoke, a BTR appear under gun point of the coalition soldiers, its windows are opened. The second vehicle emerge from the smoke then the third. The bullet ridden vehicles cross a plain field and keep driving passing through a coalition checkpoint. When the vehicles stopped, US marines and Iraqi soldiers surround them and point rifles at their hatches and ramp doors. The hatches and doors are opened from inside. Masked Men in black carrying things and weapons followed by men in civilian and Iraqi security uniforms as well a tied one leap outside one by one and raise their arms when they see they are under coalition soldiers gun point. Lieutenant Sanders move forward and orders his men to lower their guns, " Low your rifles, they are on our side!" Lieutenant Sanders comes at the tired Nate, " Are you alright? We'll give you medical assistant." Medical personnel arrive and carry the joyful hostages who embrace each other. An intelligence officer and his subordinates surrounds and questions the captured insurgent then take him away to the rear. " Welcome back, buddy." A man speaks to Nate from behind. General Natonski smiles, shake Nate's right hand and pats him on back. Nate looks at Shiori, " Are you alright?" Shiori nods, " Uhuh.. I mean, yes, sir." " You'll get a vacation." Replies Nate. General Natonski speaks to Nate, " Mr. Kato, you said about four armored vehicles, but so far I only see three." Nate replies, " What do you mean?" The general answers, " Only three vehicles reached this base." Nate excuses himself from the general, moves away and asks around checking his men, he then finds that the missing vehicle is Sam's. The general, after knowing what is happening, comforts Nate " I'll order my men to search yours. How many are missing?" Nate answers sadly, " Ten, including my trusted officer, Samuel Nakajima."
Several hours later, Marines' from 1st Battalion 3rd Marines launch an attack at Jurf Kas Sukr Bridge on western Fallujah. They succesfully secures it but finds no resistance. When marines are securing an insurgent defense point inside two fortified houses facing the bridge, a surprising finding is found. A private reports his sergeant about the finding, " Sir, I think you have to see this." Inside the houses, dead insurgents with cutting and stabbing wounds sitting and lying around. Blood splashes on walls. Within the next two days , the ten missing ninjas make it safely to Coalition lines unscathed.
To be continued
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Disclaimer: All contents are fiction.
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