North Weald Epping Essex
Lat = 51 degrees, 43.1 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 9.2 minutes East
Wednesday 23rd March 1988
Max walked into a hanger at North Weald and saw sixteen men seated around some tables, at that moment another door opened across the hanger and Roy Smith walked in.
Roy recognized Max and walked over to him.
“What’s going on Max? I received a call at my unit and was air lifted here.”
“Remember when we last met you asked what I was up to, let me introduce you to some of the team,”
After the introductions Max walked over to a nearby white board, and drew Shakira’s base camp out.
Three buildings on the south side in a semi-arc, two heavy machine guns on either side East and West, and Shakira’s hut on the North side.
Max began his briefing. “Gentlemen we are going into a hot LZ, we are going up against approximately thirty five mercenaries at this camp just inside Zimbabwe, as you can see there are three fixed buildings, and the one in the Northeasterly corner of the group of three is believed to be a laboratory, where some deadly devices have been manufactured, there is a high risk that this room will contain a Bio-chemical agent.” Max paused.
“The building on the Northwesterly corner is the supply room combined with the corm’s room and generator, on the easterly side there is a large single tent structure where the men sleep.” He paused for a few seconds.
Max continued, “Here we have two heavy machine gun emplacements, this singular building on the western side is the abode of Shakira Umbobo, their leader. Our objectives are to gather samples from the laboratory and then destroy it, knock out the communications room and kill their leader.”
Max looked around at the group of men; these men had been on missions like this before as part of their old units, this would be their first big strike as Strayker’s unit; he then looked over at Roy.
“Roy I want you to come up with an immediate action plan; you have one hour, we will be going in an hour before sunrise tomorrow local time.”
“Leave it with me Max,” replied Roy.
Max walked over to a nearby room and used the phone to speak to Strayker. “We have been tracking the helicopter Max and it would appear to be heading on a steady course West, It looks like Angola is the destination.”
“I would put money on it that he has a ship in Luanda, ready to transport the devices out of Africa,” Replied Max.
“That makes sense Max; I’ll get onto the Royal Navy and have them in the area just in case, I’ll keep you posted.”
Max replaced the phone.
He stretched his legs out and propped them on the table leaned back in the chair against the wall, time for a nap he thought.
Strayker phoned the Admiralty. “Admiralty, Leading Seaman Morris how can I help you.”
“Major General Strayker here put me through to Commander Chris Sherrington there was a moments pause whilst the connection was made, “hello Strayker, I have been expecting your call, the P.M’s office phoned, asked me to give you all the help I can.”
“We have a situation developing on the continent of Africa, and it looks like the port of Luanda in Angola is going to be one of the areas concerned, can you have something in the area ASAP.”
“We have a ship 200 hundred miles east of Saint Helena it can be in the area in six hours.”
“I will update you as the situation develops,” replied Strayker
“Max!” Roy called; Max came around out of his sleep. “In here Roy,” he stood up and stretched his body, looking at his watch he had been asleep fifty minutes.
Roy stepped through the door, “I need you to okay the IAP, Max.”
They both left the room and walked over to the white board that had notes on it. Max observed the platoon of men doing weapons check and assembling kit.
“Okay Roy I’m all ears.”
Max listened intently; trying to find any weak points in Roy’s immediate action plan, Roy pointed out the emergency rendezvous points ERV’s along with the close target recon areas CTR’s.
Five minutes later Roy finished his briefing. “You have my approval on the plan,” Max said.
The plan was simple but effective, the group would approach the camp from the South side having landed five miles away. Team One had the job of gathering the samples and destroying the Laboratory, designated the Red zone.
Team Two would knock out the communications designated Blue zone. Roy and Team Three would take out any guards, secure the gun emplacements and provide a sustained firing line SF designated Black zone.
Team Four was tasked with neutralizing the sleeping enemy in the tents, using a non-lethal gas, and designated green zone. Max was going after Shakira.
“Your kit bag and weapon is on the table over there,” Roy pointed to a table in the corner. Max walked over and picked up the weapon, a Heckler and Koch MP5 SD3 9mm, a silenced version with integral silencer one of the favored sub-machine guns of Special Forces.
He looked at his watch eleven-hundred hours, a Royal Air force VC10 would be arriving within the hour, taking Max and the armed group to Nairobi airport in Kenya.
They would then board a Hercules aircraft for the final part of the journey to the strike zone.
Strayker picked up his ringing phone. “Sir its Vince, I can confirm that the helicopter has just touched down in the port of Luanda.”
“Right Vince, can you keep the area under surveillance long enough to see which ship, the cargo is loaded onto.”
“I’ve re programmed two more satellites to pass over the area, which should give us adequate time coverage.”
“As soon as the ship is loaded and leaves port contact me Vince.”
“Will do sir.”