Chapter 108

Twenty miles north of the Daganian capital

The Genii troops advancing down the road were not frontline troops. Instead of being highly motivated combat troops these men were support troops detailed to keep roadways clear. Thinking they were far from danger the men not so much marched as they strolled, while talking amongst themselves. Jokes were told, cigarettes were smoked, and laughter carried in the breeze. The singular lack of military discipline would be their undoing, but they did not yet know that.

"These late night patrols grow tiresome" said Lanin.

"It's better than being sent home as a tava bean farmer" joked Idim.

"When we are done for the night I'm going to take an attractive woman out of the internment camp and burn off my boredom on her" sneered Lanin.

"The commander has encouraged us all to make use of the local women. I may have one of my own also" smiled Idim.

"Just once I would love for something to happen. We're at war yet we see no action. I just want something, anything, to happen" exclaimed Lanin.

In the wood line Point could was near enough to hear the conversation the men he followed were having. Hearing the Genii casually discuss their plans for the female captives of this word the Ranger's blood boiled. You want something to happen he thought, well guess what buddy you're gonna get that very thing. On his NVG's Point noted the infrared chem.-light fifty meters to his front. Continuing another twenty meters the Ranger stopped, and readied his M-4.

"Six this is Point. In position" he whispered over into the earpiece.

Without NVG's of their own the Genii troops had no clue of the trap they were walking into. As the first three men passed the concealed claymore mines the Ranger's slipped fingers into trigger guards. Seconds later springing the trap the squad leader clicked the firing clacker sending an electrical charge down the wire leading to the daisy chained mines. Reaching the blasting caps in the two mines the electrical pulse started the process of detonation. Each claymore contained one pound of C-4 explosive, with seven hundred one eighth of an inch steel balls embedded in the explosive towards the front of the mine. As the mine's exploded these steel balls traveling at almost four thousand feet per second deformed from the force of the blast into a shape similar to a small rifle round. In a sixty degree arc this lethal swarm of projectiles fanned out. Impacting men, equipment, and tree's, everything in the swarm's path was shredded.

With the element of surprise on their side the Ranger's opened up with their M-4's quickly followed by the SAW gunner. A hail of 5.56 rounds filled their air. Men stunned by the ear splitting explosion soon found themselves cut down by weapons fire from unseen attackers. In the rear of the Genii column of men the very last man in line attempted to make his escape into the wood line, only to be cut down by the well concealed point man.

From their positions in the foliage shouts of "Clear" rang out. Laying on the ground bleeding from several well placed shots to his torso the last Genii soldier to be cut down looked around. Unable to move, he was overwhelmed with terror at the sight of the camouflaged figure that suddenly appeared before him. Seeing the Ranger's painted camouflage face the Genii soldier wasn't sure if he was hallucinating some forest demon come to life or a man. The last thing he saw was the Ranger withdrawing a SIG P226 pistol and aiming it at the wounded man's head.

Acting quickly and methodically the Ranger's broke cover and advanced on the dead men before them. With trained precision the men quickly searched the fallen enemy troops for anything of intelligence value. Letters from home along with any and all paperwork were collected.

"Not much intel here Sergeant" called out a Corporal.

"These guy's were just leg infantry, didn't really expect them to have anything of value. We're just here sending a message is all" replied the squad leader.

"Rig them like last time" asked the Corporal.

"Yeah, each body get's booby trapped. Gotta make the bad guys earn their danger pay" replied the Sergeant.

For those Genii unlucky enough to have been nearest the two claymore mines little was left. Instead the Ranger's focused their efforts on the bodies that had been taken down by weapons fire. Under each body a single grenade was place with the pin pulled but the spoon in place. Once the bodies were found and picked up the grenades would detonate, wounding and or killing further enemy troops.

"Point, we've got ground to cover. Let's move out towards the rally point" said the squad leader.

"Airborne" came the point man's reply.