Read Battlecraft (2006) for Free Online

fundamental as pulling ourselves out of some real deep shit."
    Veronica turned and looked up at him. "I fully realize that, sir." She hesitated, "I hope you don't have any misgivings about having a female weapons officer."
    "My wife is in the Navy, Lieutenant," Brannigan said. "She's a pilot stationed at North Island." He walked to the door. "See you later."
    "Later, sir."
    .
    PAKISTAN
    BALUGHISTAN PROVINCE
    12 SEPTEMBER
    MIKAEL Assad was the most popular man in al-Mimkhalif's Camp Talata. His aggressive attitude and good-natured personality made him likable to his comrades in the terrorist organization. He was eager to please, hardworking, and considerate of others. Assad was short but powerfully built, demonstrating extraordinary physical strength. On the other hand, one significant impression he gave was that he was not very bright. However, he seemed to recognize this shortcoming and showed a determination to make the best of things. He always sought the advice and guidance of the older mujahideen, and never argued about misunderstandings that arose from time to time in the demanding camp routine.
    He was also an American.
    Assad could speak only a stumbling brand of Arabic due to his home environment. He was the second generation of his family born in the United States, and he had grown up speaking mostly English. But he tried hard to acquire Arabic in his own bungling way, and he struggled faithfully to learn to read the scrawling written version of the idiom under the tutelage of his camp mates. There were many who considered this latter attempt a lost cause, but he labored so diligently over his lessons that they encouraged him to continue.
    As one older mujahideen said; "Perhaps Allah in his wisdom and mercy will reward our brother Assad with a flash of intelligence and comprehension. If he is not brought deeper into the faith, he will not be martyred when he dies in battle."
    .
    0930 H0URS LOCAL
    WHEN the overloaded Toyota pickup truck arrived at the camp with a load of crates, Mikael Assad dropped his Arabic lesson book and rushed over to help unload the vehicle. It was tough work, since each of the crates weighed in excess of forty-five kilos. Most of the men teamed up with another and made only one trip from the truck to the supply shack. But Assad took a total of three muscle-cramping turns toting the weapons by himself. When he put the final one on the stack, he went back to the truck and spoke to the driver.
    "What in crates?" he asked in his stumbling Arabic.
    "French mortars, Mikael," the driver replied. "Now we'll be able to rain shells down on the infidels and blow them to Hell."
    'That good," Assad commented. "Where you get mortars?"
    "They came by dhow from a ship it met at sea," the driver explained. "This is a new method we have for getting supplies to use here and in Afghanistan."
    "Awa!" Assad exclaimed. "Yes! That very good! Infidels find our old way to bring in guns, and ruin everything, right?"
    "Right," the driver said. "And may Allah punish them for three eternities."
    "Yes. That a long time," Assad said.
    He went back to his lessons, grabbing up his books and notebook to stride out of the camp to his favorite study place.
    This was in the open country on the side of a hill where a lone tree grew in the scrub brush.
    .
    WHAT the other terrorists in Camp Talata didn't know was that Mike Assad was a U. S. Navy SEAL. He had been secretly assigned to a CIA mission called Operation Deep Thrust in which specially chosen operatives were sent to infiltrate various terrorist groups throughout the Middle East.
    His buddies in Brannigan's Brigands wouldn't recognize him now. His hair had grown out and he sported a beard that was well on its way to becoming heavy and full. He also wore the traditional Afghanistan pakol wool cap along with baggy peasant jackets and trousers. With ammunition bandolier and an AK-47 assault rifle, he looked like a typical mujahideen fighter.
    This new adventure started after