Bob looked at the Captain.

"Son, I have to ask two questions. First, what is the name of the one who lead us here? Second, what is your name?"

"Michael lead you here, and us to you, and I'm Captain Ferguson."

"Well, Captain, what is it that you plan to do to help us?"

"Why don't you take a look back here." Captain Ferguson hooked a thumb towards the back of the truck.

Once they had gotten to the back, Captain Ferguson stepped up on the back, and pulled bark the canvas covering. Bob saw a literal truck load of explosives and weapons. Mortars, and their tubes, 'plastic' explosive known as C-4, with detonators and what he knew was called 'det-cord', rifles, machine guns, and ammo for both by the crate load.

"We have all three trucks packed with this. Think we might be able to change the minds of those Chinese?"

"How on earth did you lay your hands on all of this? I would think that your C.O. wouldn't want to turn loose of all of this to save a bunch of Christians, given the situation."

Ferguson got a grim look on his face. "Bob, we didn't exactly ask for it. For that matter, we aren't exactly 'on duty' if you get my drift."

"Sorry, but I don't."

"It is like this. Once being a Christian became a crime, these men and I were given a choice. Give up our faith in God and His Son, our Savior, or give up our positions in the Special Forces, and become civilians."

"Must have been a tough choice."

"Not really. When you boil it all down, it is a simple choice. Heaven or Hell, you get to choose. So we made our choice." Ferguson looked Bob squarely in the eye.

"Truthfully, I'm no longer a Captain. These men no longer hold any rank what so ever. But we are all Christians, Special Forces, and loyal Americans. For the past month or so, we've been hanging around the edge of the fighting, lending a hand, here and there, whenever we felt we could make a difference. We may be persona non grata to most of the nation, but on the line, there have been a few people that were glad to see us, and happy to have our help. So, when Michael told us to come here, ready to do what we do, we knew where to get what was needed."

"Well, I'm not the rest of what is left of this nation, and as far as I'm concerned, you are a Captain, and your men still hold their ranks, whatever they may be. And I'm most grateful for whatever help you can provide, and your skills in the field. Welcome to our midst." Bob held out his hand. Instead of taking Bobs' hand, Captain Ferguson saluted.

Bob looked at him and asked, "Captain, you are the expert in all military matters, so why do you keep deferring to me?"

"Sir. Michael made one thing very clear. There is one man who is in command here, and it isn't me." He held the salute.

Bob, remembering his military training, snapped to attention, and returned the salute.

"Sir. If I may ask, what is your battle plan?"

"Do you remember a bottle-neck you came through about two miles back?"

"Yes Sir."

"There is a steep cliff on one side, and a ridge line on the other. It is my intention to wait for the enemy to pass through that bottle-neck, and then bring down the cliff side on top of them. After that, any survivors will be engaged by small arms fire from the ridge line."

"How are you going to bring the cliff face down on them?"

"Using the best that we have. Black powder charges placed in the cliff face. The major problem we have at the moment is setting them off at the same time. All we have are home made fuses."

"I think we can help out with that, Sir." Ferguson turned and called to one of his men. "Busby. How many radio detonators do we have?"

"About twenty, Sir."

"Think that will do it?"

"I would think that, that will be more than enough."

"Sir? Have you considered flankers?"

"I figure it will more likely be scouts, rather than a platoon or something, in limited radio contact. They wouldn't want to give away their positions with a lot of chatter. What I have in mind is to let them pass, then take them out quietly from behind, once they report in the all clear."

Captain Ferguson looked at Bob, and without smiling, and in all seriousness said. "I'm glad I'm not the one coming after you. You'd make it mighty difficult."

"That's the idea."

---

The Chinese commander wasn't happy. He had started out with over five hundred men, eight tanks, and thirty five trucks. Now, after fighting his way through the pass, he was down to four tanks, and only three of them really fully operational. Man power had been reduced by over fifty percent, only two hundred thirty men in condition to fight, and fifteen trucks. He wasn't allowed to swing south and help with the assault there. He had to take a nothing town in the middle of nowhere. Even the maps showed that the pavement ended at the town. There must be something very important in the town to warrant the lost of men and equipment. Whatever it was, he felt that he would be well compensated for his efforts, even if he had to compensate himself with whatever was in this town. He had wanted to have helicopters also, but had been over ruled, when it was pointed out that he would be operating behind enemy lines, beyond the range of refueling and rearming them.

He looked through the binoculars again. The gap between the cliff, on the left, and the ridge to his right didn't look to imposing. Still no point in taking chances. He might be a little behind the timetable, but resistance had been heavier than expected. He ordered a squad of men to each flank, ahead of the main body. He watched as the two squads moved further away, and climbed the respective slopes.

For both squads it was an easy climb since the ground rose gently on each side of the gap. Soon the men on the right side had gained the top of the ridge, and fanned out to cover a larger area. About the time their heads disappeared from view, the second squad reached it's objective, and did the same thing. He waited for several minutes, until the first squad reported in. They had found no sign of recent activity, and all was clear, as far as they could see, which was at least a half mile. He ordered them to hold their position, and wait for the second squad to report. Moments later, the second squad reported that they could see the first squad, and everything was just as they had said. All clear, as far as the eye could see.

The Commander ordered both squads to make their way down the slopes, and rejoin the main body as they came through the gap. Satisfied, he put down the microphone, and signaled the advance.

The two squads moved to comply with their orders. At a whispered signal from one of the radios Captain Ferguson had brought, men quietly popped up out of holes that had been dug and then hidden, they were called, 'spider holes' after the trap door spider which used the method of catching its' prey.

Bob had chosen these men very carefully. Ever since they had first arrived in the town, Bob had schooled everyone with the bow and arrow. As newcomers arrived, they too were taught how to use the ancient weapon. Most of them could now put a group of ten arrows in an area the size of a baseball. Now the best archers they had were drawing a bead on the backs of the Chinese troops as they moved down the side of the slope. As one, the men on both sides of the valley released their arrows, aiming for the head and necks of their enemy. They shot the ones closest to them first, so the troops in front didn't know what was happening, until they too had died.

The Chinese force, assured that there was nothing to threaten them moved foreword through the gap. At a point where the road came closest to the cliff face, explosions boomed overhead. The commander had a chance to see the avalanche of stone coming towards him, before he died. In his last moments, he realized that the squads he'd sent to scout the hills were dead, and hoped that those men who survived this attack could make it to the ridge to his right, and possibly manage to fight their way back to friendly territory.

The slide that they had set off with the explosives did most of the work it was intended to do. The tanks, being slower than the trucks, never had a chance to escape. They were buried under tons of rock. Two of them were overturned, exposing their thinner undersides, The boulders crashed into them crushing them like a soda can. In the third tank, instead of trying to run away, the tank commander turned towards the cliff. He managed to reah an overhanging portion of the cliff, and took shelter there. The slide buried them as well. With all that debris on top of them, they were trapped, and would never escape.

Two of the trucks managed to avoid the falling rocks, along with about fifty men. Once they had retreated from the danger as far as they could, they hoped that the danger was over. They were wrong. within two minutes, mortar rounds began to drop from the sky among them. The barrage lasted for about twenty seconds, and when it ended, thick clouds of dust and smoke blanketed the area. It took almost fifteen minutes before the cloud had cleared enough for the people of the town to be able to see well enough to enter the area and make sure nothing remained alive.


BW, Vietnam Vet