You're Under Arrest Fan Fiction ❯ The Siege ❯ Journey to the Line ( Chapter 9 )

The Siege

Chapter 9: Journey to the Line

By JagdPanther

While the station prepared to release three groups of soldiers to set up outposts, the terrorists were planning their next move. They finally had what they needed to involve the Japanese Self-Defense Force troops. The charred remains of the overturned helicopter and the bloody American flag patch on the ground were the catalyst that set things in motion.

Not far from the Sumida River, a terrorist lieutenant arrived at a compound with a piece of the chopper with a distinct marking still on it and the flag patch. Inside the room he entered sat the terrorist leader and the commander of the rogue JSDF forces.

"You see, Colonel, the Americans are here. Just look. You see this wreckage with those damn red and white stripes, the blue box, and those white stars. You see what these letters say, don't you? 160th SOAR. That's right, the Americans elite helicopter pilots."

The Japanese officer thought for several minutes, turning over the flag patch in his fingers, feeling the dried American blood. "My grandfather died fighting the Americans on Saipan. My grandmother was brutally murdered by their atomic bomb in Hiroshima. My mother was killed by a drunk American driver in Tokyo. And my sister. My dear sister. She was killed while on business in America. How can one nation cause me so much pain and agony? It is unforgivable. Now I have my chance to avenge my relatives. I only gave you my armored support until you showed me proof that it was the Americans who have chosen to operate here. Now you have given it to me. Your wish has been granted. My troops will attack as soon as they are ready. I will make sure you and your men are transported safely out of the country when you have what you want. My troops will secure the buildings you have asked for. The Americans will not bother you, you can count on that."

"Thank you, Colonel. Japan will be returned to its days of victory over the dirty American devils with your help. You will also be greatly rewarded when our task is complete. The American Empire will fall." The terrorist leader stood and saluted. "For a world free from American oppression."

The Colonel nodded and saluted. "And for my family." He spun on his heels, motioning for an aide to follow. "Come, Tanaka. Combat Regiment 1 will be the first to act. Prepare the 1st Battalion at once. They will attack tonight. 2nd Battalion and will secure the list of buildings provided to us. Have 3rd Battalion prepare to move. I will see how 1st Battalion's first attack goes before I commit 3rd. Have them move into a staging position that forms a small arc about 5 kilometers behind the station.. Coordinate with the officers of the insurgents. Remember that we must not harm the police station itself. Attack until the defenders are all killed, but do not destroy the building with explosives. A key part of the plan lies within that building. Without one part, nothing will work. We must have every part of the plan."

"Yes, sir."

Colonel Nakatani walked with confidence. In his mind, the Japanese people still felt the sting of an embarrassing surrender to the Americans at the end of the Second World War. The people then never fought back. If they did, the American nation would not have risen to its imperialist high chair. It was unfortunate that he had to aid an illegal organization, but it was the only way to successfully attack America. He would be hailed as a hero around the world for helping take her down. No one would dare harm him. No one would dare harm Japan, which would soon enough be the world's one and only superpower.

The plan known as B-1, developed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, was originally developed as an urban assault plan on the Bokuto Station. After complete success was achieved, the plan was increased to a plan that would be able to ruin the world economically and militarily. Nakatani was only concerned with destroying America, but the plan was designed to lift Japan into the height of supremacy. That was an added bonus, he thought, as he made his way to his command post across the road. When the country became the world's only superpower thanks to his men, the organization, and himself, the government would not take any action against him. Maybe they would even give him a medal. But everything was for his honor. Decades after the Americans had soiled his country and slain his loved ones, he would lead Japan to ultimate victory.

"The time has come, Japan."

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"All right, you've got your orders, you know what you're going to do. We're doing this LRSU-style, guys. Pack claymores, food, water, two radios per LP, and, most importantly, lots of ammo. For support gunners, a thousand rounds of ammo is the minimum. For rifleman, twenty magazines of ammo is the preferable. Bring your rucksacks. Load everything up. Everyone understand?" Arleigh got affirmatives from the LP leaders. "Jones, stay here for a second." The rest of the Deltas left. "Jones, why didn't you tell me you got hit?"

"Ah, come one, L-T. I'm fine. I didn't think it mattered. It's just a scratch. Yes, I can still do my job."

"Bull. You're staying here. Go get Williams. Tell him everything he needs to know and send him down with Morris. I can't have you out there with a wound to start with. Things might get hairy tonight and I need everyone at 100%. Do you get me, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir," Jones said dejectedly and walked out of the TOC to find the Delta Operator who would replace him at LP Two.

Arleigh grabbed all of his gear and left the TOC, Surai staring holes in his back, wondering if the Lieutenant would be alive the next morning. Along the way, Rivera picked up his three volunteers. Simply, he just shouted his intentions and asked anyone ready, willing, able, and crazy enough to come. Two Marine Lance Corporals and an Army Specialist, Fourth Class volunteered. "Well, it seems you three are mine for the next twelve hours. We're doing this LRSU-style. Fill up your rucks with water, food, grenades, and above all, ammo."

One of the Marines asked, "LRSU?"

"Long-Range-Surveillance-Unit, Corporal. This is what they do for a living. Sit and wait with tons of ammo deep in hostile territory waiting for some dumb schmuck to wander by."

Down at the Delta ammo trailer, Arleigh began filling his rucksack, or his `ruck,' with everything he'd need for the night. "Ah. My good old ruck. Makes me miss being an Infantry commander instead of a Spec Ops guy." He grabbed twenty-five magazines of ammo for his M4A1; a twenty-sixth was already locked-and-loaded into the rifle. About fifteen magazines for his MSG-90A1 went into the sack. Next came eight grenades for the M203A1 launcher and ten magazines for his Beretta M9 pistol, with an eleventh in the gun already. Seven fragmentation grenades, three smoke grenades, two flash-bang non-lethal disorientation grenades, two incendiary grenades, three infra-red strobes, one claymore anti-personnel mine, night-vision goggles, two 200-round belts of ammo for the M249 S.A.W. one of the Marines was taking, one 200-rd belt for the M240 one of the Army soldiers was carrying, two Meals-Ready-To-Eat, a dehydrated LRSU food ration, three 1-quart canteens of water, field dressings and bandages, a spare battery for the radio, two pen-flares, and other various pieces of equipment he needed. Ryker filled his ruck with the same items, as did the Marines and Army personnel. Ryker had grabbed a Marine radio operator and an Army medic as per Rivera's orders.

"Christ, L-T. We're gonna die of exhaustion before we even get there carrying all this stuff. Look at this! This has got to be well over a hundred pounds!"

"Yeah, well, it may save our lives tonight so quit your complaining, soldier. Once we get there we can dump this stuff on the floor."

The American Lieutenant led the group back into the building. Police, Marines, Army, and civilians alike shouted encouragement to the seven soldiers. Their home for the night was far away from the station and relative safety, and everyone had found out quickly about the "Magnificent and Damn Stupid Seven." Arleigh sent the troops to the front entrance, where they would stage. Already LPs One and Two had left on his order. They both arrived with no problems. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the enemy. Arleigh had to settle one last matter, though, before he and his men left for LP Three, over a kilometer away.

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Natsumi sat in the cafeteria drinking coffee with Aoi and Yoriko. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was just past 5:38 PM. "When I look back on my life, this is the first day that I'm going to remember."

"Why?" asked Yoriko.

Swirling her coffee around, Natsumi responded, "Well, this is the first time I've ever seen people… die." She downed the rest of the cup. "This will probably have more impact on my life than anything I've ever have or ever will experience. Sure, I mean, criminals have pulled guns on me before. My life's been threatened before. But this, this is beyond all that. Hordes of people with guns, tanks, rockets, and the kitchen sink trying to kill my friends, everyone around me, and me. For what? We still don't know exactly what they're after."

"Well, what that man told Miyuki and myself about the JGSDF soldiers and the terrorists working together seemed pretty bad. Arleigh and the rest of the Americans didn't seem to know what to make of the whole thing, but they're taking everything that they can get. Arleigh hopes we can capture a terrorist or a Japanese soldier alive so they can be interrogated. Maybe they can shed some light on the whole thing." Aoi never looked so down before, as she sulked in the chair.

Civilians milled around. Some tried to sleep. Others talked incessantly. Anything to pass the time. Every now and then a soldier or two would come down to get some coffee to bring back up to the defenders. It was time to live out the U.S. military motto: Let's hurry up and wait.

Miyuki and Ken were off in some part of the building doing a random task for the defenders. It was the first time the two had seen each other since that morning. Both were glad to see the other all right.

In the cafeteria, the three female officers continued their conversation.

"I hope this doesn't drag to the point where we start running out of supplies."

"Well, the Americans keep flying in things we need so that shouldn't be a problem, Yoriko."

"But Natsumi, what if the terrorists start paying more attention to the helicopters? If they do, and the pilots won't risk flying in to the fire, we're on our own."

Aoi cut in. "Well, Arleigh said that a Marine ground convoy with tanks is getting ready to move in tomorrow morning. If they succeed, we should have a land route out of the Ward. Then supplies can be trucked in. With heavier ground forces, we'll probably be able to force the terrorists and rouge troops out easier, since we only have light troops right now."

Natsumi leaned back in her chair, propping it against the wall for stability. "If the enemy figures that out before tomorrow, we're in big trouble. They could throw everything that they have at this place to cut it off and destroy it. Then the only group, us, within the city mounting resistance will cease to be. Not a nice thought, but true."

"Yes, that is true. But we've dealt with the attacks so far pretty well, even with the tanks."

"Aoi, they weren't really making a concerted effort to use the armor up to now. If they had, we'd probably all be dead. The APCs last time only kept the snipers on the roof down. The tanks and APCs haven't really been used to their full capability yet. Hopefully the American attack helicopters and naval guns can hold them back if they decide to use them as they were designed, I.E. to kill."

Yoriko visibly shuddered at that. "Why do that have to do this? It's insane. I don't want to die."

"None of us are going to die. I'll make sure of that. Arleigh will make sure of that. Every soldier here will make sure all of us Japanese citizens survive." Aoi tried to comfort her friend. "It's going to take a lot of work, but we'll all make it through this."

"I hope you're right, Aoi, I hope you're right." Natsumi downed the last of her coffee just as Miyuki and Ken arrived. "Where were you two?"

"The Marine Captain had us distribute copies of marked maps to the rest of the officers so they know where the three Listening Posts are going to be," responded Ken, walking past the table to get some food and drink.

"The three what?" questioned Yoriko.

Miyuki pursed her lips before replying. "They're a small group of soldiers who deploy away from the main group to, I guess, listen and watch for enemy soldiers trying to move up on the main group. Arleigh has three groups out along the three main routes to the station. He hopes that they'll give good warning and possibly even slow down any enemy groups moving up to attack the station."

Natsumi raised an eyebrow. "Can't they just do that from the air?"

"Sort of, but according to Captain Surai there are certain circumstances which prevent that from happening right now." Miyuki accepted a small sandwich from Ken as he returned. "Thanks."

"It's going to be very interesting to see what happens tonight." Ken gulped down some water and took a bite out of his sandwich. "We're at a major disadvantage during the night since we're static and the enemy is mobile. Things could get ugly."

"Nakajima's right," added Miyuki. "We still have civilians trickling in and we have to keep them safe."

"To Protect and Serve. Well, today that's taken on a whole new meaning." Natsumi grinned and got up to get more coffee.

The group continued talking for a few minutes when Arleigh walked in, decked from head to toe in supplies for the LP he was heading out too. Ken stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the American. "What the hell is all that, Rivera?" The rest of the officers turned to look. Everyone but Miyuki was stunned, since she knew already.

"Well, I guess Surai didn't tell you, Nakajima, but I'm taking out Listening Post Three." He glanced at his feet and leaned forward slightly to offset the extremely heavy load on his back. "Natsumi, can I speak with you for a second? Privately?"

The young Bokuto officer looked at her friend inquisitively. "Um, sure." She followed him out into the hallway. "What's going on?"

He sighed before answering. "Well, I just wanted to talk. Are you all right? I mean, since earlier this afternoon?"

"Yes, I'm dealing with it. I've had things to do to get my mind off of it. My question is, are YOU all right? You're going out there?"

"Uh, yeah."

"But, that's crazy!" Natsumi was beginning to get distraught. She felt sorry for the soldiers going out when Miyuki had explained the Listening Posts, but knowing Arleigh was going out made it far worse.

Arleigh rapped his fingers against the stock of his rifle before proceeding. "I know. But it has to be done. We need people out there tonight waiting for the enemy and to throw them off balance when their attacks come."

"Sure, I agree! But why you!?"

"At the risk of sounding full of myself, Natsumi, because I'm the best. This is what I, as a special ops soldier, as an Army Ranger, and as a Long-Range-Surveillance soldier, am trained to do. These other guys here aren't. So someone has to guide them. I could just have my Delta guys do everything, but I'm not that way. I like to lead from the front, because that is the best way to win. I'm doing this to help ensure that everyone here right now will live to see the end of all this crap." His thought process ceased to function in the moments preceding his next words. "I'm doing this to protect you. Natsumi, I couldn't bring myself to just say it earlier, but, damnit, I love you." As best he could, with the amazing large amount of gear on him, Arleigh wrapped his arms around Natsumi and kissed her.

Breaking away, he pressed on, not letting her respond. "I don't want to see anything bad happen to you. Ever. And, so help me God, I'm not going to let anything happen to you tonight. If that means going out, far away from help, and smiting the enemy attacks before they have a chance to get to the station, so be it. That's a risk I'm willing to take." It was only then that Arleigh realized what he had just done. `Oh, shit,' was the first thought that came to his mind. `Um, wow… Now that was pretty stupid. Um… Arleigh… It would be best if you ran like hell right now. Like, as in, before you say one more stupid thing.' And then thought ceased to exist once more.

"Natsumi, I love you. I've wanted to say those three words to you for the longest time, but I never had the chance. Now I've said them and there's a strong possibility that I may not make it through the night, but at least I'll know that you know how I feel." It was time to go, and it pained him to leave, but he had a job to do. "Stay strong, Natsumi." With that, he turned and headed upstairs to his waiting troops.

A stunned Natsumi Tsujimoto was left standing there in the hallway. She hadn't even had the chance to say that she loved him. At Arleigh's retreating form going up the stairs, she whispered, "I love you, too."

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Outside the main entrance to the station, the seven men of Listening Post Three stood. Arleigh made a quick check of his weapons before looking around the group. "Well, this is it, guys. Once we pass that gate we're on our own, for the most part. No mama, no papa. Just the seven of us." He sighed deeply. "Y'all ready to do this?"

Six heads nodded in silent confirmation.

"All right, let's move out."

Three Marines, two Army grunts, and two Delta Force operators slipped out the main gate, past the troops standing guard, past the sandbag barriers, past the stationary HMMWVs with their turret guns pointing out towards Indian country, where the enemy roamed. There were no cheers, no whoops of encouragement, no claps, just the sounds of seven pairs of boots clattering against the pavement as they moved towards their objective. Everyone who could watched from the station as the soldiers moved out of sight and down the road.

"Ryker, you and Miller cover our right flank. Johnson and Chavez, you've got left flank. Adams, rear-guard. Antonelli, you and me have point. Watch every window, every door, and every shadow very carefully. They could be anywhere. I don't want to buy the farm before we even get to the LP."

As silently as seven soldiers with over a hundred pounds of gear each could move, they made their way down the avenue, their weapons at the ready, waiting to defend against ambush. Within fifteen minutes, they were halfway there. Using standard urban combat-patrol tactics, they moved from cover to cover. The road from the station ended in an inverted-Y intersection. They were on the left prong. The right prong moved back towards the station, but stopped short. That avenue of attack wasn't a worry to Arleigh as much, since the only way to get to the prongs was by way of passing his LP. The troops picked up the pace, wanting to make it to the LP before twilight, or false dusk, set it. About two kilometers from the station, the buildings to the right completely ended, opening up into wide fields that were the future sight of an office complex near the canal. Nothing was up at the current moment. The land had not even been graded, so the ground was rough with small knolls dotting the massive field, surprisingly existing in the center of the heavily populated Ward. It had been government property for years, the former site of a World War II arms factory dismantled by American forces after the war.

To the left, the buildings thinned out, with gaps now between them as opposed to being pancaked against each other. Arleigh selected a four-story shop. On one side was a small alleyway and on the other side was a wide, empty parking lot that would be filled on most days. Arleigh, Ryker, and Chavez left the other troops out front for security while they cleared the building. No one was there. The shop was closed for the day, as it was Sunday.

At this point, the road curved, and the building was at the apex of the curve. From the fourth floor, the soldiers would be able to see down the road all the way to its end, another two kilometers away. After clearing the building, the troops set to work. They barricaded the rear entrance in a way that would prevent anyone from coming in, but also allow them to quickly remove it if they had to escape. Next, Lance Corporal Javier Chavez and Private, First Class Mark Miller began setting up a laser-designator they had carried to the LP. With this, the troops could laze targets for the U.S. Navy destroyers floating off the coast to guide in their 125mm ER-Guided-Munition rounds. Using his map and the designator, Arleigh began pre-plotting coordinates for the ships' gunners. With the coordinates locked in, the crew could automatically fire the round to the right spot instead of blindly firing it and letting the guidance package take over.

Darkness set in over the Sumida Ward and the troops of LP Three who had night-vision-goggles donned them, turning the dark evening into twelve noon.

Arleigh took the radio handset from Ryker. They were up on the third floor looking out the windows. It was about 7 o'clock. "Custer's Commandos reporting in. Delta Five-One reports no movement around the LP at this time. We're fully settled in for the night. Over."

"Five-One, Alpha Six. Roger that. You've got the radio freaks (slang for "frequency") for artillery and air support. But it gets too much and you need us, you call us, all right? Over."

"Affirmative, Six. Remember, we're a lot farther out than I originally told you. I'm not sure in the message got to you before we left, but I reviewed my options and I decided to push the LP out several hundred meters farther to better cover. Over."

"Delta, yeah, I heard. Can't do anything about it now. You're already there. What's your new positon? Over." After Arleigh updated the Marine officer, the conversation continued. "By the way, I like the Custer's Commandos bit. You guys think that's what you are? Over."

"Yeah, pretty much, Captain. If there's nothing else, I'm signing off. Next SITREP (situation-report) at 2130 Hours (9:30 PM). Delta Five-One and Custer's Listening-Post, Out." Arleigh handed the commo set back to Ryker and made his way downstairs. Chavez and Antonelli were on the fourth floor. Spec-Four Antonelli manned an FN M240 medium machine gun, while Chavez sported a standard M-16A2 rifle. This would be the group's main firepower against infantry. On the third floor would be Ryker and Miller, both with rifles. No one manned the second floor. Rivera, Adams, and Johnson would occupy the first floor. Johnson manned an FN M249 light machine gun, the group's second primary weapon. Rivera and Adams both had M4A1 compact assault rifles, and Adams carried the team's other radio. These three would actually be working out in the street, using a few cars as cover, but for now they were inside.

"All right, I've put everyone on 50% alert. That means the three of us are off for two and a half hours. So, eat, catch a few winks, whatever. In two and a half, the other four guys will be off and we'll pick up their stations for two and a half hours. Then it's 100% alert until seven tomorrow morning, when we'll fall back to the station. I don't know about y'all, but I'm starving."

The Lieutenant stood from his crouched position by the front display windows, which the team had removed. Inside it was completely dark, so they had to use touch to move around, not wanting to waste the batteries in their goggles. In back they had found a sink in a bathroom, so Arleigh went back, ripped open an MRE from his ruck, and filled the chemical containers with water.

Ten minutes later, the chemical reaction finished and Arleigh had a piping hot meal of beef teriyaki. Sitting down next to Adams, he quipped, "This stuff is pretty good. Look at this, there's a bag of Fritos in here, hot apple-cider mix, hot chocolate mix, a mini Tabasco sauce bottle. Great stuff. At least it's not one of old MREs, like that `escalloped potatoes with ham' shit they gave me during the Malden conflict. I figured if I could convince the Russians to eat it, they'd die and the war would come to a speedy end. `Russian Offensive Thwarted by Shitty American Food Ration.' Yeah, that'd be the day." The soldiers talked and joked while they downed their meals, and then each took the opportunity to sleep, a luxury they would not get for a while.

Arleigh used his ruck as a substitute for a pillow and tried to fall asleep. The small office was quite dark, with no moonlight reaching it. Lying there, he began thinking about his short speech to Natsumi before leaving for the LP. `Well, that was pretty stupid. You couldn't have just let it at what you let slip out earlier, could you? Noooooooo… You had to go and tell her flat out right before you go get yourself killed. Boy, you're smart. I wonder how you ever friggin' made it through Malden without dying. You know what? You're going to get killed tonight and you are going to break her friggin' heart. Good job, moron, good job. Hey, maybe you should marry her first next time before pulling another stunt like this. Oh, wait, that's right. There won't be another next time. Idiot.'

Arleigh was face down in his rucksack at this point having a literal war between the right and left sides of his brain. Logic v.s. emotion. An epic battle.

`Oh, so there was supposed to be no communication of feelings at all? What, like when you consoled her and let `it' slip out, she knew exactly what it meant? It wasn't just a tactic to make her feel better? You did what you had to do. Don't try and deny it. And you're not going to die here tonight. You made it through Malden, and you didn't have someone to come back to then. Now you do, which means you have even more at stake. You're not going down without a fight. Remember, these soldiers here at your side are depending on you. So are the soldiers and people held up back at the station, and the person depending on you the most, is that extremely beautiful young woman back there who loves you. There is no time for logic right now.'

`No time for logic? What the hell does that mean? And what's with the `who loves you' thing? What information are you privy too that I'm not? Look, you screwed up. Deal with it. Not saying that you shouldn't tell her, but, damnit, it could've come at a better time. You've got way more important shit to think about right now, like, for example, that little battle going on right now within the Ward? As in, the one getting people killed? The one you need to freakin' stop? Besides, after this is all over you'll never see her again. Deltas get reassigned far, far away from their last area of operations. You'll probably get shipped to South America to hit the drug cartels. Idiot.'

`It's better that she knows than not know. You can't just bottle up your feelings for her forever. You will never meet another girl like her. Ever. She's one of a kind. Take your chances. She deserves to know. You've told you already. If you hadn't told her, think of how it would have eventually affected you.' His mind continued arguing with itself, with no end in site.

Arleigh pushed himself up off of the floor. Looking at his watch as he rubbed his eyes, he realized that the debate in his mind had lasted for well over an hour. There were now only about 45 minutes left until his watch started. "Shit. Might as well make the most of that. Not going to get any for a while." He promptly returned to his sleeping position and drifted off to sleep within a minute.

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Back at the station, things were mostly quiet. There were some problems, though. Apparently the Japanese government had decided to reverse its allowance of American helicopters and naval artillery. Several officials did not want either forms of support being used during the night for fear of the soldiers not being able to positively identify targets as civilian or terrorist before engaging them in the dark. The LPs were informed of the change in plans. They were now completely on their own. They would either have to fall back to the station then to increase their odds of surviving the night, or wait until the American ground convoy arrived the next day. American soldiers were livid. Bokuto and the three Listening Posts were in for an interesting night.

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At his headquarters, Colonel Nakatani was reading the newspaper from that morning. He was thinking about what would be in the papers the following morning about the small insurrection. "Most interesting, indeed."

Lieutenant Tanaka entered the room to give his commander an update on the situation. "Colonel, 2nd Battalion of CR-1 reports that most of the objective buildings have been taken, including the television and radio station near the Yokojokken. The objectives were taken without any problems. It appears as though American aircraft are now gone from the air over the Ward. No units, ours or insurgent, report any activity over them." The station he referred to was an old station set to be dismantled within the next week. However, the insurrection was timed to make use of the buildings while they were still operational. Parts of the updated B-1 Assault plan were hidden there. It was only a matter of time before the hidden parts were discovered by the terrorists scouring for them. Also, the radio and television transmitters were too be put to use.

"Also, 1st Battalion reports that it is moving towards the Bokuto Police Station. It is picking up members of the Japanese Martyrs Brigade (the terrorist group) as they move forward. Reports indicate the primary force now consists 800 of our soldiers with tanks and APCs and 500 of the Martyrs with their technicals. They have turned over all remaining pieces of our equipment. We lost several armored units to their misuse of them. Continuing, the Battalion has lead elements out in front clearing the path for the main group. They are still waiting for some of their heavy equipment to be repaired from damage sustained in the insurgent's attack. The commander believes he will be completely ready in another hour to hour and a half to attack. Third Battalion has moved into position as you asked. They are awaiting further orders."

Nakatani pondered the situation for a moment, his eyes closed. "Hmm. The insurgents are using civilians as cover for their movements, though I do not approve. So I understand that aircraft were hesitant before to engage them. However, the complete lack of aircraft confuses me. I am glad that no air can get in our way now, however, I do not understand the lack. It is possible that they have been ordered off due to night and the government's wishes. We must use this to our advantage. Our victory must be swift. We cannot give them a chance to realize their mistake and correct it. There will be no second chances." He opened his eyes and glanced out the window at the moon. "I have changed my mind. I want Third Battalion to coordinate with the Martyrs. The Martyrs are still criminals, but they are the enemy of my enemy, which makes them my friend. Try to arrange that the lead elements of the two battalions hold large quantities of the Martyrs. I do want their transportation to be my responsibility for any time longer than necessary once they have the entire plan. I have a duty to keep my men alive. Let the insurgents do most of the work and only use our services when absolutely necessary. Also, hold off on the attack for two hours. I want both battalions to be 100% functional and ready. Remember that we only get one chance at this attack before they realize that revoking air cover was a mistake. Very good, Kenji. Go to the operations room. I will be there momentarily to oversee the battle."

After the Lieutenant left, Nakatani removed a picture of his family from his breast pocket. "I do this for you, dear ones." Nakatani returned the picture and straightened his jacket. He donned his pistol belt and placed his hat atop his head. Two minutes later, at he was in his operations room. The Brigade officers were gathered around a map table, updating position markers of all their forces.

"Gentlemen," the Colonel announced, "Let the battle begin. Death to our enemies."

The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers cheered. This would be the first time Japanese troops would engage in offensive military operations since World War II. It was bitterly ironic that it would be against the same enemy that had fought against so long ago in the world's most savage and violent armed conflict ever.

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Natsumi was still awake. She rolled over to look at the clock on the wall across from her bunk in the station's quarters. It read 9:38 P.M. "Damn. It's been around twelve hours since all this started."

Down below her, Miyuki was asleep. Across from her in the other bunk system was Aoi and Yoriko. Ken, the Chief, and several other officers were down the tiny hallway. Captain Surai had suggested that they all get as much sleep as possible while they could get it. No attacks had come recently, but with the revoking of air and artillery support, it was imperative that well-rested people man the defenses. Some of the American soldiers were taking their chances and getting sleep on the floors around the station. Each person kept their weapon nearby, so that when the attacks came, they could immediately arm themselves and move to a position to fight.

It was inherently obvious to Natsumi that she wasn't going to get any sleep, no matter how hard she tried. So she crawled out of the small sleeping space, grabbed her Type-89 rifle, and silently left the quarters, trying not to disturb any of her sleeping compatriots. She found an out-of-the way room down the main corridor. There was power still in this section, thanks to the generators. Using a thin rag she had picked up along the way, she began cleaning the rifle. The brunette officer stripped the rifle down into its major parts and wiped them down. It would not be very good if the weapon failed during a firefight.

While she worked, she thought about what Arleigh had said to her, a few short hours before. `Well, he loves me. I think. I hope that just wasn't adrenaline or fear talking. If it was, well, damn. But there've been two instances today where he has said it. Once outright and the other he just alluded to it. He's not a dishonest person. So I can't see it as a lie to make me feel better. Can't be. Not him. Not in that way. Crap, why am I thinking about this now? I've got other things to worry about.' She picked up the body of the rifle and began clearing the breech. `Still, he's one of my friends. I have to worry about him, just like I have to worry for Miyuki's safety, Aoi's safety, Ken's safety, Yoriko's safety, and everyone's safety. Ah, what the hell am I doing. The bolt disassembles the other way around, dummy. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah, that's right. Arleigh. If anything happens to him, I have no idea how I'm going to react. I mean, I understand he has a job to do like me. His job involves risks and dangers, same as mine. But he's someone who, to me, is beyond special. Damnit, he's the man I love. I've only been dreaming about him since I met him. If he gets hurt or dies, well, that's it for Natsumi Tsujimoto's sanity.' Natsumi peered down the barrel of the stripped rifle to see if there was any dirt left in it. `Miyuki has Ken right here with her. So she knows what's going on with him. But Arleigh is out there. Alone, basically. I don't envy those guys out there.' She sighed heavily. `Why couldn't this have all happened in a more peaceful time and setting? Like a normal day? I guess a special circumstance triggered a special happening. Oh, well. If I make it through tonight and so does Arleigh, I'm going to tell him right out how I feel. I've never thought myself a coward, but I never brought myself to tell him in almost two years of knowing him. That has to end. I know how he feels, now it's time that he knows how I feel. But…' That's when she remembered something from a week ago. `But he's in special operations. I'm probably never going to see him again… He said so himself after he rescued us… To hell with that. It'd be better for me if he knew that he never knew. Even if I can't be with him, I want him to know.'

Just like Arleigh two klicks away at LP Three, Natsumi had her own mental debate for a while. Soon, she finished cleaning the Type-89 rifle and had it reassembled. The female officer made her way back to the sleep quarters. Maybe if she tried one more time, she could get some much needed rest that wouldn't be available all too soon.

As she climbed up into her bunk, Miyuki reached out and tapped her on the shin. Natsumi immediately dropped back down and looked at her best friend. She whispered, "What?"

Miyuki propped herself up on her elbow and quietly answered. "I know what you're thinking, Natsumi. You're thinking about Arleigh. Don't worry about him. He can take care of himself. I am fully confident that he'll survive. He's a fighter, just like you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were related. Just focus on what we have to do here tonight and the rest will take care of itself. Now get some sleep. I need a fully functional Home-Run Girl backing me up."

"Miyuki, if you ever call me that again…"

Before Natsumi could finish, the black-haired officer rolled over onto her other side and covered her head with a pillow to forestall a response.

"Damn." Natsumi once again climbed back up, and promptly fell asleep.

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Arleigh awoke with a sudden jolt. He found himself sweating heavily, breathing hard, and shaking. Glancing at his watch, he discovered it was only a couple minutes until he was due to go on watch. The Army officer gathered up his weapon and headed upstairs to Ryker's position.

"You all right, L-T? You look like hell."

"Quiet, you." He donned a set of night-vision goggles and began observing the roadway. "Anything happen while I was off-alert?"

"Yeah. But not here." Ryker looked down at his feet and managed to spit out, "They revoked our air and naval gunfire support."

Arleigh quickly removed the goggles and looked up at his fellow Delta. "You're shitting me."

"No, sir. The Japanese don't want us misidentifying targets in the darkness and killing civilians. We've got nothing."

The American punched the wall. "That's friggin' great. Absolutely wonderful. We're screwed. We didn't bring any AT4s because we were under the assumption that we'd have goddamn support! But no! We don't! So we're royally screwed." He thought for a moment. "Give me the radio. I'm going to see what the hell's going on."

"I already called in the next SITREP."

"I don't care. I'm still going to have a little chat." Taking the handset, he dialed in the frequency for the station's TOC. "This is Delta 5-1 hailing Alpha Six. What the hell is going on with our support, Six? Over."

"Five-One, Six. I have no clue. They're pansies. They think civilian casualties are avoidable. Obviously no one has informed them that the jackasses are executing civilians and using them as human shields, already resulting in many deaths. Like this is going to help. Christ, we need that support. You guys don't have any freaking anti-tank rockets. Over."

"Really? I had no idea, Six. Thanks for reminding me how screwed I am. Bloody hell. All right, I'm going up the chain of command with this. This shit needs to be reversed, immediately. Five-One out."

Rivera quickly dialed in another radio freq. "Zama-Six, this is Delta Five-One. Do you copy? Over."

"Five-One, Zama Six. This is General Walker, son. I'm assuming you want to know about your support. Over."

"Damn right, General. Over."

"Listen here, Delta. We're doing everything we can to get the Japanese government let us support you. Even so, if things get so bad that you won't survive without support, I'll personally authorize the use of support over their wishes. I'm not going to let good young soldiers die at the expense of political incompetence. You sit tight, Lieutenant. You'll get your support back, legally or not. Six out."

Returning the handset to its holder, Arleigh sighed. "Well, typical general. Didn't even let me say my piece." He sighed. "Ryker, you're off for a while. Go eat and get some rest with Antonelli, Miller, and Chavez. If the others aren't already awake, get them up here."

"Roger that, sir." Ryker and Miller left the room and headed downstairs. That left Rivera alone on the third floor. He put his goggles back on and continued scanning the road.

As he sat there, he thought about the dream that had so suddenly awoken him just a few minutes before. When the dream ended, he and only five of the six soldiers at the LP were hunkered down along on the reverse slope of a small knoll with Japanese troops advancing on them. They were low on ammo and picking their targets are explosions of tank shells went off around them and small arms fire saturated the air above them. Artillery shells landed, knocking out the tanks, but not before a 120-mm tank shell exploded directly in front of them, showering the troops with debris and removing a large portion of their cover. Helicopters zoomed overhead, lighting up the advancing Japanese with rockets and bursts from their miniguns.

"Well, there's no way that dream can be true. I had friggin' air and artillery support there." He unscrewed the cap to one of his canteens and took a sip of water. "This sucks. This is going to be one hell of a long night. "

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