You're Under Arrest Fan Fiction ❯ The Siege ❯ Small Beginnings ( Chapter 4 )

The Siege

Chapter 4: Small Beginnings

By JagdPanther

`Okay, so maybe it wasn't just ten minutes.' Arleigh looked at his watch. `My luck, they're stuck in traffic or something and I'll be defending this place all by myself.' He looked at three patrolmen wielding recently-captured Type-89 rifles taking cover near the main entrance. `Almost by myself. Not that these guys are going to be much help when the firefight breaks out. We're all so screwed if those reinforcements don't get here soon.'

The intercom came alive at the front desk. It was Kinoshita. "Arleigh! Power is going out all over the Ward! One grid-square at a time! Phone service is…………………."

`Out. Yeah, I figured this would happen.' The lights flickered and went out. `Yippy.'

"Rivera!" Arizuka rumbled over. "I'm going have you arrested for this. Starting a damn mutiny in this station! And ordering my officers around! They should be instilling order in the streets and you have them running away! You'll be spending the rest of your life in prison! You're finished!"

A deep banging noise erupted outside the station. The sound confused the police, but to the trained ears of Arleigh it meant death was about a kilometer away, and closing fast. "You hear that, Superintendent? Hmm? That's the sound of a .51 Calibre machine gun cutting down some poor sap in the street right now. And I guess this massive power outage, as well as communications failing, are all just a wonderful coincidence. As for your officers, guess what? I care about them so much that I have them running away. Why? Because if they stick around when the real shooting starts, they will be slaughtered by the droves. I suggest that you shut up and get back to the operations center if you don't want to meet your maker in the next few minutes. And find someone who can spin up the station's generators. We're going to need power." He flipped the fire selector over to full automatic. "Boys, rifles at the ready." Just then, the firing stopped. "That's odd. I thought they'd come in here shooting wild." A green camouflaged American HMMWV came into view from the direction of the firing, followed by two more. "Hold your fire! Hoo-ah! Reinforcements have arrived!" Jumping to his feet, Arleigh told the men to stay put and rushed out to greet the vehicles.

Master Sergeant Anderson jumped out of the lead HMMWV and saluted his commanding officer. "Sorry we're late, Lieutenant. Got caught in traffic. Took em' out with the fifties." He motioned to the .50-Calibre machine guns on top of the trucks. "Pickup trucks with ChiCom .51-Cal machine guns."

"Not surprising. Well, they've met with resistance. Now they're going to start throwing more gas on the fire. My gear, please."

"Right away. McMichael, get the L-T's stuff!"

The dark-haired man from Arkansas ducked into the second HMMWV from his post on the .50-cal and produced a large rucksack and rifle case. Arleigh ran over and retrieved the items.

"Thanks! Okay, Anderson, set up two of the Hummers flanking the entrance. Bring the third one with the trailer around back to the motor pool area. That will be our supply dump for when the Marines arrive. If they ever get here, of course. After that, bring the truck back around and support the left flank with the .50-Cal. The rest of the station is walled in." The station and the surroundings were simple, which made defense much easier. Windowed with large panes on all sides, the station provided excellent visibility. Walls surrounded the station except for the main entrance and a gated service entrance at the rear, now being covered by several officers with the captured weapons. The garages for the squad cars formed part of the easterly and northeasterly walls. Pavement ran all around the station, inside the wall and out. In front, there was a large turnaround for vehicles and a two-lane exit that opened directly onto the street. The walls themselves were 22cm thick concrete. Arleigh knew that in the fight to come, that 22cm would not be enough to stop even a tiny 4-cylinder car at high speed. And 60-ton tanks would eventually enter the fight once the terrorists realized that the station was being defended.

"My guess is they won't be expecting too much resistance so they'll come the easiest route, which is right through here. Understand? Good, now move it!" With that, he rushed back inside and jumped behind the front desk, stripping out of his webbing, his shorts, and his shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?" yelled one of the officers.

Arleigh flipped a bird. "Shut up and watch the damn road, you moron!" He opened the rucksack and took out a light-gray city-camouflage uniform. Rolling his lower body into the air and supporting himself on his upper back, he jammed his legs into the pants and zipped them up. After putting on and buttoning up his shirt, he put his webbing back on. Next came his combat boots and helmet. Grabbing the personal radio next, he donned the headset and dropped the radio inside his collar and down his back inside the shirt. He grabbed the set before it fell out and onto the floor, strapping it to his utility belt. Then he tucked his shirt in and refastened his hip holster. From the sack he also took another fragmentation grenade, another smoke grenade, two flash-bang disorientation devices, and another ammo pouch with two more magazines for his rifle. There was also a canteen full of water, a K-Bar combat knife in a sheath, and his M4A1's silencer, 4x scope, Harris Bi-pod, M203 grenade launcher with three 40-mm grenades, and a Remington 570 "Master-Key" 12-guage shotgun inside the sack. Currently, his rifle was stripped down with only a Reflex sight mounted. He took out the canteen, and clipped it to his belt. The knife got strapped to his ankle. Out came the scope, which he attached after ditching the Reflex sight. Lashing open the rifle case, he extracted a Heckler & Koch MSG-90A1 Designated Marksman Rifle, which he shouldered, with the strap running upper-left to lower-right across his front to keep the rifle from jostling around too much. All told, the entire process from start to finish took a little over two minutes, twenty seconds.

Anderson came inside after setting up the three HMMWVs at the entrance to cover the entire front area with their heavy machine guns. "All ready, sir. We've got twelve guys including you and me. Three on the fifties, and three assistant gunners. That leaves me, you, and Ryker, with the extra radio, free."

"That'll have to do for now. Okay, you and Ryker go up to the operations center and set up the radio. Take the rest of the guys and have them cover the rear, right, and left of the building with the M240 medium machine guns. The fifties have the front. Find out how long those Marines are going to be. Then take up over-watch positions on the fourth floor, same floor I want the gunners on. Break the windows. You can reach me on the com-set if you need me. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now move your asses. And take my rucksack and the rifle case up there, too. I'm going to need to put the grenade launcher on later when I have time." Arleigh ran out to the first HMMWV as more firing erupted from down the street. "Stevens, make sure you identify your targets before you shoot. We've got a lot of civilians in the area." The firing got closer and closer. Quickly Arleigh told the other gunners the same thing.

Just as Arleigh began running back to the entrance, he heard Stevens yell over the com-set, "Incoming Technicals!"

They were ungainly things, pickup trucks of various makes with large machine guns fitted on stands welded to the truck bed. The first one power-slide in the street until it was perpendicular to the walls. That doomed the gunner. Struggling against Newton's laws of motion, the gunner clung to the spade handles on the machine gun. Before the gunner could stand up again, Stevens bracketed the vehicle and laced it with fire from his own heavy machine gun. Rounds slashed through the windshield, instantly killing the driver. John Browning's almost century-old design still packed a massive punch. The gun's rounds had once been considered cannon-fire when dealing with World War I tanks. Modern automobiles were no different. Shells ripped the truck apart. An explosion sent it hurtling back into a parking lot on the other side of the street. McMichael joined in the firing as two more technicals attempted to enter the station. They met similar fates to the first truck. Fourth, fifth, and sixth trucks were destroyed, forming a barrier of rapidly burning rubble. A seventh rammed into a car in the parking lot after rifle fire from Anderson, Ryker, and two policemen up above eliminated the driver and gunner. Firing was still heard around the station, but it wasn't getting closer. Civilians on the streets who witnessed the assault ran for their lives. Some people ran to cars and began driving away. Hopefully they'd make it across the bridges before more enemy forces arrived and they were trapped in the Ward. Still others moved indoors to escape the fighting. All over the Sumida Ward people were finding that they were under attack by armed savages. Anyone who didn't take cover was shot. Arleigh watched from the fourth floor of the station as the chaos began, wondering when the next attack would come.

"This is going to be a slaughter." He spun on his heels and entered the operations room.

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Miyuki was at a radio when the electricity went out. Immediately the AC-powered unit died. "Inspector! We've lost communications!"

The taller woman grimaced. "Damnit! The phones are out, too. Everyone, try your cell phones." Following her own order, she turned hers on to find that service was out. "Wonderful."

Natsumi burst in the door. "There's shooting going on out there! Coming down the road!" The three, accompanied by two other officers, ran to the windows out in the hall and watched as three trucks raced down the road, the last one firing back at a ball of flame, which crashed into a tree in the sidewalk. Making their way into the station, the trucks were greeted by Arleigh. Arizuka arrived and asked if anyone knew how to turn on the generators for the building.

"Yes, I know how to."

"Good. Take whoever you need and get them on."

Miyuki selected Natsumi and Aoi and quickly left.

Within a few minutes two men arrived at the operations center. Ryker spoke while Anderson took out some windows. "People, we're American soldiers. We're here to help defend this place. I need a place to set up this radio equipment." He jiggled the large set he was carrying.

"Right in here." Kinoshita led the man into the ops center. Ryker has begun tuning in the set just as Anderson called him out to deal with the attackers.

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The three female officers emerged from the stairwell in the basement. Using some flashlights they picked up along the way, they quickly moved towards the generator room. Inside were two large generators capable of powering vital station systems, such as phones, lights, radio and satellite transmitters and receivers, and ventilation. The control panels to operate the generators had large deep-cycle marine batteries to power them.

"Okay, Aoi, when I give you the go, flick the first six switches by your left hand to the `on' position. Natsumi, the same for you." Miyuki made sure the pumps, working on battery, were supplying enough fuel to start the generators. Then she checked all the valves for leaks. After a few minutes of preparation, she went over to the primary control board and turned on the starters for both generators. "Now!"

The switches were flicked on. Immediately the generators thrummed to life. Lights came on all over the station. They shut off their flashlights and began to trek back upstairs, grabbing some weapons left behind in room next to the boilers by officers hastily gathering arms. Passing the armory on the third floor, they grabbed ammunition and several flak-vests for themselves and others. Next they went around the building to the temporary sleeping quarters for officers. Inside they found extra clothes. Quickly, they ditched their uniforms and put on pants and shirts they used for running in the mornings before patrol. The uniforms would hamper them if fighting broke out.

"Do you two think it's going to be as bad as he says it will be?" Aoi was tucking in her shit as the group exited the quarters area.

Miyuki's shoulders sank as she responded, "I hope not. There's not much we can do except wait and see what happens. And I think if any of us believed that if it wouldn't be bad that we'd be down here preparing for the worst."

"I guess so." She pushed her long hair back behind her shoulders and picked up the gear they had left on the floor beside the door.

Grabbing several submachine guns, Miyuki said "Hey, Natsumi?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe Arleigh? I mean, do you think he's crazy or something? I've never seen him so flustered before. Maybe he's lost it."

"I honestly don't know. I'd like to think that I know him, but I've never seen him this way, either. Maybe that's because the situations before haven't been so ominous."

They returned to the operations room and were astonished to see burning wreckage outside. That made them believe the former detective real fast.

"What happened?"

"Just a little fight to kick off, ma'am," responded Ryker, who was listening intently to the radio he had set up.

Arleigh came in a couple minutes after the officers. "SITREP, now. What's going on?"

Kinoshita looked up from the laptop she was at. "The phones are still down, so are the cell-phones. Radio contact was reestablished with most units. Some ran into trouble while reporting in. They tried to take on some of those terrorists. Most units made it across the bridges. There's mass chaos. Civilians are fleeing across the bridges. A lot of them are getting shot at by the enemy. Headquarters is aware of the situation and it mobilizing every SWAT team in the entire police force. One of the units just passed a convoy of trucks flying American flags while moving out of the Ward. More of your people?"

"Should be." Arleigh shifted to English. "Ryker, any word from the Marines?"

"Yes, sir. They are encountering light resistance. Men with AKs, machine guns, and RPGs. No casualties yet. Captain Surai suggests ETA about 20 minutes. They picked up a police officer and two civilians being attacked by some aggressors."

"Ah, hell. Is that all? How about those boys from the 25th ID?"

"Still working on it, sir. We notified Pacific Command on the way in. They weren't too pleased that were deploying without authorization and that we've hijacked several units for our own use, but they are aware of the situation. They are contacting the Japanese government right now to negotiate terms on which we can use air support and naval gunfire support. Wait, hold on, sir, message coming through."

"What?"

"Sir, JGSDF reports that they have lost contact with the train transporting the 2nd Brigade, 1st Japanese Army Division."

"Damnit! All right, this is our new Tactical Operations Center. Ryker, plug into that laptop for information purposes. I want satellite images downloaded, pronto. Especially of that damn train! I want to know how long before I've got them bearing down on me." Now he was back to Japanese. "Okay, new order of business. Kinoshita, there are civilians flocking into the station as a result of the fighting. I need you to get as many people as possible and start taking care of them, especially any who are wounded.

"Right away!"

"Anderson! Come with me. We're going to get some heavier weapons from the trailer. We're going to need `em when the terrorists show up with goddamn tanks and APCs."

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"Please! Don't let them hurt me! Please!" The woman was flipping out. A bullet from a passing technical had grazed her leg. It was very hard for her to walk. And she was making it very hard for Natsumi to deal with the wound.

"You have to calm down, ma'am. I can't help you if you don't." She pressed hard on the wound with some gauze. "You're going to be fine. Just calm down. Deep breaths."

Sobbing, the woman spat back, "I can't! Oh, I can't!"

"Yes, you can! Please, calm down."

"Not so tight! Not so tight!" the woman wailed.

"If I let up, you'll bleed too much!" Natsumi quickly realized that she shouldn't have said that because the woman became even more inconsolable. `Wonderful.'

They had taken the civilians into several different parts of the station, but most were in the cafeteria. Now about fifteen officers were attending to them. Most were just plain shocked at what they had seen and heard. One woman described it as a war zone. She was right.

Shortly after 11:30 AM, two Navy Corpsman entered the cafeteria. They had just arrived in the Marine convoy. Both knew rather good Japanese. Natsumi entertained the same thought that Miyuki had had over a week before when wondering if all American soldiers knew Japanese. These Corpsman were from Camp Fuji, about 30 kilometers west of Tokyo. Likewise, they needed to know at least rudimentary Japanese to interact with the local population. One man took over for Natsumi in helping the wounded woman. "I'll take care of her, now, ma'am. You can go."

"Thank you."

"Natsumi!" Yoriko ran across the room. She was obviously a little distraught. This sort of situation wasn't something anyone expected her to handle well. "Those Americans just brought in Ken!"

"What? Oh my, I completely forgot he wasn't here! Is he all right?"

"Yes, yes, he's fine. He's got a couple small bruises. Miyuki's bringing him down now."

"Why? If he isn't hurt, then why is he coming here with the civilians?"

Miyuki approached from across the room with Ken by her side. "More soldiers just arrived. Well, I guess you already saw. Arleigh wants most of us to stay here with the civilians. There's about a hundred and fifty Marines up there now taking over for the police guarding the entrances. He said that this is something we shouldn't get involved with."

Natsumi fumed "To hell with that! Those jerks are shooting at innocent people! Arleigh can't stop me from helping fight them!"

Miyuki tried to calm her down. "Please, don't do that. These aren't simple criminals. They're trained killers."

Nakajima rubbed at a bruise on his left forearm. His jacket arm had been torn away by something. "She's right, Natsumi. Those guys are vicious. I couldn't just let them hurt that couple, but, they almost killed me. Thankfully those Marines picked me up."

The part about almost getting killed made Miyuki cringe. "Arleigh is letting me help out in the operations room, but that's about it. He says if things get too bad he's putting me down here."

"I'm coming too. I won't just sit around doing nothing!" Natsumi followed her.

"Wait for me, Miyuki! Natsumi!" Ken chased after them.

Yoriko sat down at a table and quietly contemplated what she was going to do. She could help or she could stay down here with the civilians. `I'm a policewoman. I can't just sit here and do nothing! There's got to be something I can do!' And with that, she walked out of the cafeteria.

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"Sir, Captain Surai reports that he is two minutes from the station according to the map he has."

"Very well. I'm going down to meet them."

In the time since Arleigh had ordered the police to begin helping the civilians, another technical had attempted to attack the station. It came at the service entrance, but the police officers held it off rather easily from their perches a few stories above the ground. Tokuno and the Chief each shot the driver and gunner before the truck reached the gate, preventing it from collapsing the only barrier protecting the service entrance. Arleigh thought, `Well, they've done well so far. I wonder how they'll react when the troops and tanks arrive.'

Just as he reached the main entrance, a sixteen-truck convoy pulled into the station, the lead truck battering the burned-out hulks of the pickups aside. A Marine Captain jumped out of the first truck and greeted him.

"Captain Vincent Surai, United States Marine Corps, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. Where do you want my guys, Lieutenant?"

"First Lieutenant Arleigh Rivera, U.S. Army, Delta Force. Sir, just disembark them all here and put the trucks wherever they fit, preferably in front of the motor pool along the eastern wall. I hear you have some civilians and an officer for me?"

"Yes." Surai motioned to the first truck's driver, who banged his fist on the divider between the cab and the cargo compartment. Out from the back came a tall police officer in a blue jacket, which was missing a left sleeve, and a young couple. All three were obviously shaken, but not wounded.

Arleigh winced. "Crap! Nakajima, are you alright? Miyuki's going to break down when she finds out you're here, with, damn! What the hell happened to you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little banged up, that's all. I tried to save these two but the terrorists tried to kill me. They knocked me down and were going to execute me, but the Marines shot them before they could get me." His eyes darted around. Arleigh had never seen him nervous or shaken anytime except when he talked to Kobayakowa.

"Okay, go inside. Go down to the cafeteria. I'm sending all civilians and police down there. Now that I've got Marines I can do without putting your lives at risk."

"But, I'm fine, I can help……"

Arleigh raised his hand. "No. No buts. Just do it. I've got things to attend to. He turned back to Surai who was walking back from ordering his Marines out of their trucks. "Okay, sir. Your men can take up positions inside the building along the corridors. Sorry, but there's no cover outside the building unless you want to put snipers up in those trees along the perimeter. Anyway, what did you bring?"

"I've got a hundred sixty-five Marines. A hundred forty-three are my company and the remaining twenty-two are an extra combat platoon we brought along from Camp Fuji when you requested us the other day. As you requested, we brought our HMMWVs. I've got four with .50-Cals and two with Mk.19 Auto-Grenade-Launchers."

Arleigh's eyes widened at that. "Oh, that's a huge help, Sir."

"I thought they would be. Okay, I've got four 81-mm mortar tubes and about twenty-five AT4 Anti-Tank Rockets. Your Master Sergeant said to expect armor so I brought them along. I've got water, rations, clothes, and other necessities in the list you sent me yesterday afternoon." Surai watched the last truck pull into the station, troops unloading sandbags as it stopped. Behind the truck, four Marines began stacking the sandbags to use as cover. The enemy hadn't attacked again. But that would change with time.

"This is all a huge help, Sir. Glad to have you with us. Now all we need is the armor support from the damn 25th Infantry and we'll be set!" He laughed and led the Captain and his aides into the station.

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Inside, Aoi helped Marines stow food. The station didn't have an unlimited supply so Arleigh had been sure to request that the Marine response force had some. Though water was still running, that wasn't sure to continue for long thanks to the terrorists, so Arleigh also had them bring large water containers used to store water in small base camps. Aoi hefted a box full of America Meal-Ready-to-Eat bags. `I've heard these things can either taste really good, or really bad,' she thought.

Upstairs, Nakajima was setting up machine guns on small tables to be able to fire out the windows, which at lowest were at his waist. `Simple enough.'

Natsumi was back in the operations room, working the radio while Miyuki used the bathroom. "Confirmed, Headquarters. We came under attack by several vehicles armed with heavy machine guns. No casualties to the police or Americans. About sixty civilians came in and we're taking care of them. A few are wounded, but none seriously. Yes, Americans, you heard me right. Detective Arleigh Rivera has organized a defense of the station with many other Americans. I don't think I should talk about it over an open line. Yes, understood. Superintendent Arizuka requests an update on the status of all units from Bokuto and on the status of all bridges into the Sumida Ward."

Over the radio came the reply. "Bokuto Station, Headquarters. All bridges into the Ward have been blockaded. The local governing authority has mobilized JGSDF troops to aid the police in the blockade. Harbor patrol is already circling the Ward. Civilians continue to make their way to our lines. SWAT teams are positioned at all bridges. Two small engagements have occurred resulting in the deaths of two police officers and several civilians. Almost all Bokuto Station officers who were out at the commencement of hostilities have made it to friendly sectors. We are still receiving reports, so we are unsure of the whereabouts of the final groups of officers. Wait, hold on, Bokuto." There was an eerie silence for over a minute. "Be advised, Bokuto. A train carrying equipment for the JGSDF was hijacked some time ago en-route to training grounds south of the city. The JGSDF commander has just confirmed that it is carrying tanks, explosives, APCs, and other dangerous military equipment. It has just overrun two squad cars guarding the Tokyo Rail Line Bridge and entered the Sumida Ward. The JGSDF commander has told us to advise you that any Japanese units that near you are to be treated as hostile. All Self-Defense forces that are friendly are not yet authorized to enter the Sumida Ward."

Natsumi paled and replied, "Yes, Headquarters." She gulped hard and called Arleigh over. "Headquarters is talking with the JGSDF commander and he has confirmed that a train of military equipment was hijacked and has entered the Sumida Ward."

He solemnly shook his head. "I know. I just saw the satellite pictures of it." Arleigh sighed and took his canteen off of his belt, unscrewing the cap. He took a sip and then offered some to Natsumi. "Want some? You might not get a chance to drink for a long time."

She swallowed the cool water and returned it to Arleigh. "Thanks."

"Not a problem." He sighed again. "I can't get rid of you, can I? You people don't get it. This is going to be one big friggin' battle. A lot of people are going to get hurt. A lot of people are going to die. And you still want to help? Hell, you all have nice lives to live after all this crap is over! Me, I'm a life-time soldier. I've got nothing to return to but more fighting, more bloodshed. Why are you adding to your risks? It's confusing me."

"Because we all care, Arleigh." She managed a weak smile.

"I know you do. But what about me? I care about all of you. We're strapped for manpower bad. And with the attacks that will come soon, I need everyone I can. But I'm offering to keep you, Miyuki, Ken, Aoi, Yoriko, everyone out of the danger. I know you care. And it's going to get you hurt."

"Arleigh, listen to me. You do need help. And we're offering it to you. We'll all have a better chance of surviving if we all pitch in. You know that's true. Don't shoot yourself to protect us. Miyuki, Ken, Aoi, Yoriko, everyone else, and me. We can help. Let us help. Just let us do our part so you can do yours and we'll all make it through to our `lives to live.'" Natsumi took Arleigh's left hand and squeezed. "You're an American. We're all Japanese. And these morons are attacking, hurting, and killing our people. Whether you like it or not, we're still going to everything we can. Do you understand me, Lieutenant?"

Arleigh shifted his eyes back and forth above Natsumi's head before settling them back straight down at her, and said with a smile, "You're all crazy." He turned around and headed back to the map of the Sumida Ward that the Marines had secured to the wall.

Returning to the radio, she continued to monitor the radio, listening to police all over the city trying to coordinate defense to keep the terrorists from flowing into other areas. It was unfortunate that any area had to be sacrificed, but right now there was no way to hold back the terrorists, who numbered far greater than Arleigh had thought. It was not one and a half-thousand, but more like several thousand. How this attack had been so well coordinated and planned, no one knew quite yet. Now the most deadly piece was falling into place. The terrorists had obtained complex military equipment by hijacking the train. At least that would soak up some of the terrorist's man-power. It took a lot of people to operate and maintain military-equipment. If the objectives weren't met quick enough, the terrorists would run out of supplies and their attack would flounder. But how long would that take and at what cost in life? There was yet one more twist to unfold.

"Bokuto, this is Headquarters. Come in Bokuto." The voice from HQ sounded scared.

Natsumi looked at the handset questioningly. "This is Bokuto, go ahead."

"Bokuto, the JGSDF commander has just confirmed that the train was carrying not only the unit's vehicles, but all the unit's troops. It is now known that the Brigade's commander has gone rogue with the entire three and a half thousand-man brigade."

Natsumi's handset clattered to the floor. "Um, Arleigh."

He turned to see her expression, which caused him to raise his eyebrow. `Something's not right.' "What now? What's wrong?"

She told him the news.

"Well. I guess that pretty much means we're screwed."

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