Targets

By Bobby Tyler

One of the Military Police (MP) said “Nothing doing. You two are going in one way or another.” He walked towards Garland with the gun in his hand, and like a flash, Garland had him on the ground and was going after the other one. The other one chambered a round in his .45 pistol but it was too late. Garland had both men down and took their guns. Garland moved like lightning. I stood there shocked. What was going on? Garland emptied the bullets from the pistols and gave them back to the MP’s. He told them to leave and come back in thirty minutes to get their bullets. He showed them where the bullets would be. He made them promise that they would not mention this episode to anyone. He reminded them that they had stumbled into a classified mission and were not to mention this.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781640969438

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Targets

Bobby Tyler

Copyright © 2019 Bobby Tyler

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2019

ISBN 978-1-64096-942-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64096-943-8 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

To Nancy C. Tyler

Chapter 1

Retirement sucks. I thought things would be better than this. All my friends I used to hang out with are working. I see them after work. I was thinking I could party quite a bit after retirement, but I now see that that thought was wrong. My thoughts were also to go fishing and hunting with my buddies during the week. My wife works, and my daughter goes to school. I have been sitting at home for a while, thinking how much I miss the military when I hear a knock at the door. This was not the knock of a neighbor or friend. This knock sounded like someone with authority. I got up and opened the door. I saw a man standing there in a suit. He showed me his government identification and said, There is a man from TR-8 who would like to talk to you. Please give him this opportunity.

Let me write a note to my wife and daughter. I will then get my coat and follow you.

He said, No, you need to ride with me.

After a short drive, we entered an army post and came to a stop at a big, tall warehouse. I was thinking, What is this? Is this where TR-8 would be? What does TR-8 stand for? It must be a section in a larger organization. Is it part of the military? Is it part of the CIA? Is it some type of contractor program sponsored by the military? Maybe I will find out eventually. We went inside and walked over to a room at the side of this big building. The building looked like a hangar that a large plane would fit in.

We walked inside, and I was introduced to a man by the name of Hooker who was a large man. He was a little overweight. He had a dark tan that looked like he had been in the sun for a long time. Hooker talked to me about my feelings toward helping the United States of America solve some of its problems. I told him I would help in any way I could. Hooker said, Great. The United States needs people like you.

He informed me that they were sending me on a mission that would take me out of the country for a short time and that he had a team picked out to help me do this mission. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He told me he had reviewed many personnel, and I rose to the top of what was needed to most help the United States. This made me a little concerned because he was throwing out The United States a lot.

I was waiting for that other shoe to drop. He said, "This is a top-secret, critical, sensitive mission. Are you in?"

I knew this was coming. I sat in the chair, squirming a little bit before asking, What is the mission?

Not answering, he said, "I need an answer now. If it is a go with you, then I will get you started for the mission."

I asked, Will I be trained?

He said, Training will be extensive, and you will not go on your mission until you are ready.

I sat in that chair, wondering if I should I do this, not having enough information to know what I was getting into. I asked him how long I had to decide, and he said, Two minutes.

I said, "Wow! This doesn’t give me very long to make up my mind on a possible life change (what will my wife and daughter think if I do this?)." I took the whole two minutes.

He said, Are you in or out?

I said, I am in.

Hooker said, From today on, your name will be Adam. Tomorrow you report here in blue jeans and T-shirt.

What have I gotten myself into? I know nothing about this organization. I do not know if it is military connected or some other government organization. If it is on a military base, it can’t be all bad. I was taken home by the same person who picked me up.

I have a farm with some cattle. The hay is getting ready to be baled. I have chickens and a few hogs. My daughter needs to be taken care of. I need to get home immediately. I arrived home and made some calls to my neighbors. They were all willing to help out until I came back. I told them I didn’t know how long it would be, but I hoped only a few weeks. I had to tell my wife that I would be away for a few weeks, and she would need to take care of our daughter. She is in private school and needs transportation to and from school. That is my job when I am home. My wife asked me what I will be doing and where I will be. I gave her an honest answer. I don’t know. I will be home as soon as I can. Everything is classified. That is all I can tell you. All loose ends are tied up, so I can leave in the morning for whatever they have in store for me.

I showed up at the building and had no idea what I was doing or what to expect. I was met by a man called Cutter who looked to be in his thirties (he kind of reminded me of a geek). He asked me how much I knew about the mission, and I told him that I knew nothing. He just nodded his head. I don’t know why I am here.

The big doors opened at the other end of the building, and people were pulling a helicopter in. I have never seen a helicopter like this. It had to be one of the newest out there. This chopper was dark black and dull in color. They parked it in the center of the building. Now why would they pull a chopper into a building? I cannot fly a chopper. This looks bad. I believe they have the wrong man.

This chopper was a new design. The top blades were different. The back rotor was a lot different from the one that I was used to seeing. It also looked like it had jets on the side that could be rotated. Cutter told me to hop in the chopper and then get back out. Getting in and out was a little more different and a little harder than other choppers. I want you to do this ten times.

I am thinking to myself, What a crazy thing to do. I know how to get in and out of a chopper. I looked at him. Are you kidding?

Once I had completed this and was standing by, waiting to see what was next, out came a person with a cardboard box. I thought, Now what? This fellow opened the box and took out a throbe. This is a robe-type garment. I said to myself, Oh no. Cutter told me to put this on to include the black band for the head. It looked like a black round rubber hose. I looked in the box and said to Hooker, Can I wear the yellow one? It was four small yellow ropes with some black, tying it in (this is a white robe that goes from the head to the ankles with the yellow circle to go on the head to keep that white robe, or sheet as I call it that I will be wearing, from coming off). In some countries, they call it an agal. What have I gotten myself into! Is this a joke? Am I being played here? I will go along with them.

There was another fellow there who was dressed like me. He had the black rope on his head. I was not introduced to him. Cutter told me to get in and out of the chopper with this type of dress on. Twenty times, I entered and exited the chopper. As I was standing by resting, here comes another person with some type of extra dress for me. This was a cloth strap that wrapped around my waist with pockets located close to the front. They helped me put this around my waist under the garment. Another person came out with a box. He opened it up, and there was a rifle including a scope and silencer. They showed me how to break the rifle down into two pieces. I stored each piece in the pockets. Cutter said it was time for twenty more times in and out of the chopper.

By now, I was getting a little tired of jumping in and out of this chopper. The two pieces of the rifle did not work well as I entered and exited. They were banging against the chopper. Cutter called a man over and told him to fix it. I stood there as he took measurements. Cutter called it a day. He told me to report at 0800 hours tomorrow.

The next day, I tried on the rifle hangars. I jumped in and out of the chopper with ease. No rubbing or banging (I was a little sore from this activity).

Cutter wanted me to walk around the building close to the wall to double-check the feel of the rifle hangars. They felt good, and there were no rubbings. Hooker told me and the man dressed like me to get in his car. This was a little hard to do. We traveled about two miles, and he stopped. He said, Now walk back to the building.

I said, You have got to be kidding. He said to walk as he drove away, so we headed back to the building on foot. As we walked, I introduced myself to Garland. He was taller and looked like he could handle himself very well. He was strong and was built. We walked for a while just chitchatting about nothing in particular.

Garland said, Do you hear something?

I said, Yes, it sounds like a Jeep. Sure enough, two military police (MP) in a Jeep were heading toward us. Garland told me that he would handle them. The Jeep stopped about fifteen feet from us. The MPs got out with guns drawn (what would you expect if you saw two people walking around dressed like we were?).

One MP asked, Where do you ladies think you are going? They then laughed. They asked, What are you doing out here?

Garland said, Just taking a walk. They asked for identification. Garland said, We have none. They asked about weapons. Garland told them, We have a long gun. One MP said to put it on the ground, but Garland refused. This is getting serious. Garland took about three steps away from me. I knew something might happen soon. One MP told both of us to lie down and place our hands behind our backs. Garland tried to explain that we were on a classified mission and could not comply with their directions. The MPs were getting upset. One chambered a round in his .45 pistol. Garland asked the MPs to call their boss and have him call the post commander.

One MP said, Nothing doing. You two are going in one way or another. He walked toward Garland with the gun in his hand and like a flash, Garland had him on the ground and was going after the other one. The other MP chambered a round in his .45 but was too late. Garland had both men down and took their pistols. Garland moved like lightning. I stood there shocked. What was going on? Garland emptied the bullets from the pistols and magazines and gave the empty pistols and magazines back to the MPs. He told them to leave and come back in thirty minutes and get the bullets. He made them promise that they would not mention this episode to anyone. He showed them where the bullets would be. He reminded them again that they had stumbled into a classified mission and were not to mention this to anyone.

Again we started walking. Was this a plan by Hooker to see how we would react under pressure? We finally arrived with rifle intact. The walking was not as bad as I had thought it was going to be. We talked to Hooker about the incident. Hooker said, We will see you tomorrow. He gave no indication if the MP episode was or was not planned.

The next day, Hooker called me to his office. There was the rifle in front of him. It was a long rifle with a scope on it. It also had a silencer attached. It was the same type of rifle that I carried in my pouches earlier. Hooker told me that the side pouch on the rifle was to catch the brass after ejection. The rifle was wrapped with some type of cellophane. I asked him about the cellophane wrapping, and he said he would explain in due time. This is the rifle that you will practice with.

I started to walk out of the trailer, and Hooker called me back. He said, I forgot to tell you the most important part of this rifle. See this small lever close to the barrel? If you pull this pin out, then the lever flies up and causes the fuse to burn. This is a five-second fuse. The rifle will melt within thirty seconds. It has thermite properties. Once this happens, it will render the rifle useless, Hooker said. This rifle must not be captured. If the mission is compromised, pull the pin. What have I gotten myself into? Why would they want the rifle destroyed? I was confused.

Cutter told me to report to the same place tomorrow morning as we would be going to a MOUT site (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) on a military post for training. The next morning, we left the building and went to the MOUT site that is a city built for training purposes. There was a trailer parked outside of the MOUT site. This is where the team would meet. I guess it was the headquarters. I was introduced officially to Garland. I was told that he was a retired army ranger who is a karate expert and an all-around fighter. He was handpicked to be with me at all times. I had already seen him in action. Cutter said, Once the mission starts, you are to go nowhere without Garland who would be there to protect you. He knows the terrain that you will be going into. If you get into trouble, follow Garland’s instructions." (I am glad someone knows what is going on).

The trailer and the MOUT site were surrounded by guards. Hooker said that it was time to talk about the mission. I said to myself, Finally. I am tired of jumping in and out of that chopper.

Cutter said, There is a rich man in this certain country who is supplying money and plans for spreading terror through other countries and the United States. He is the target. Garland will brief you on the details. He has been on the ground over there for quite a while. Garland had pictures that covered every angle and corner of where the attack will take place. He explained exactly how it was to be done. The briefing was in great detail, and I was wondering what part I would be playing in this. I think I know what it will be.

We walked out to the MOUT Site and saw that it was set up exactly like the pictures. The place was a round, three-story complex. There was an opening about thirty yards wide for people to come and go. There were shops on the bottom floors with a cafe on the left side and one on the right side as you come in. Cutter and Garland were ready to start the practice with me. I was told to dress in the garb. They gave me the rifle. I broke it down in two parts and put it in the carriers. They walked me into a building, and we went to the third floor. Garland said, This is where you will be taking the shots. Stand two feet back where the barrel will not show out of the window. This is where you will leave the rifle. Now I know what my mission is.

We walked through the scenario quite a few times. I was to leave the rifle in the back corner of the room. The room had sheetrock on the outside but no sheetrock on the inside. You could see the studs from the inside. On the wall facing the stairs, there were two-by-fours nailed to the floor between each stud. Garland had taken the last two-by-four up and there was a four-inch hole all the way across with a bag attached where the gun would drop. He told me how I was to do this: the gun would be broken into two pieces and dropped into the hole. I practiced it a few times just to be sure I could do it under pressure. There was another thing we needed to practice just in case. Garland said, Adam, do you know how to rappel?

I do.

He said, Where you drop the rifle there are two ropes at the bottom of the pouch. If we need them, we will rappel through the back window and then join the crowd leaving the compound.

There were two hook-like pieces of wood built into the window, looking like they belonged there. I grabbed the ropes, gave Garland one, and we rappelled down the wall to the ground. We went back up and did it again. We both were good at this. Garland said we were good to go on the rappelling. This would be plan B if needed.

I couldn’t wait to get back to that trailer and talk to Hooker. When I got to the trailer, he was waiting for me. He said, What do you think?

I said, This is a sniper’s job. You have plenty of snipers who would love to do this job. I fired expert with a rifle while in the military but have no training as a sniper. Why me?

You were one of the few who had all ten skill sets that we needed for this mission, plus one which involves your fingerprints. The lack of fingerprints put you over the top. This could be very important to us on missions down the road. You were also trained in Virginia. This is a civilian-to-civilian mission. No soldiers will be involved. This country is not friendly to the United States. We can’t afford for a military person to get captured. Also, I have studied your background, and it shows that you speak up when needed. We have some bosses in the CIA who are a little pushy. Most of the people below the bosses are yes men. After studying your background, I have found that you are not. You will tell it like it is but give a solution to the problem most of the time. Do you get the picture?

Roger.

Hooker said, Now you know who your target is and what you may be facing. Tomorrow we will go into the training in more detail. I am still wondering, Why so much detail for one target? There has got to be more to this. I can’t wait until tomorrow.

Hooker said, Tonight you will practice getting on and off the chopper. You must do it faster. Every second could be critical. I am getting tired of this chopper. I had cut two seconds off my time. Everything went well. If it was too dark when I was leaving, there would be two of Garland’s men by the door with dim flashlights to help me see the door more plainly. Everyone but me had a night-vision-apparatus on. Go figure. Looks like I will be the only one running for the chopper (I wondered where Garland would be).

The next morning, we practiced for real. Garland and I walked into in the area at 1445 hours and went to the first cafe and ordered tea. The target normally arrives at 1500 hours. At 1455 hours, we left and slowly walked over to the building and to the third floor. I put my rifle together and chambered a round. I had five rounds (so much for a firefight if it comes to that). I asked Hooker if I could have more ammo when we are on the real mission. He said that five rounds would be enough. He advised me to watch the run-through as this is the way the switch is made. In walked the target. He was on time. He walked over to the right side cafe and sat down in his usual place which is on the outside of the cafe. He was wearing a light brown cap. It looked like a billed cap that an airline pilot would wear. He put his briefcase by his right leg. It looked like a very small metal suitcase. The messenger will come from the right side of the complex and join him for tea. He had a briefcase just like the targets. They will drink tea together and carry on a conversation. When the messenger leaves, he takes the target’s briefcase and leaves his. What a simple switch. The United States needed both briefcases or the mission will fail. We needed the money and all papers intact. I was told to make sure both cases were in sight before I fired.

Cutter has put the dummies in place. He has a string on the dummy messenger. When I shoot the target, he will pull the string toward the target, and I will shoot the messenger. Cutter believes the messenger will try to help the target. Because of the tree, I can’t see the messenger clearly where he sits. They have placed a tree at the exact location where I will be shooting from in real time. When he tries to help the target, I will be able to see the messenger plainly. Once this is done, Garland’s men will be close by and grab both cases. We will have the plans and the money. It looks like a simple mission.

All is set. It was time for me to do my part. I took the rifle and fired. Once I fired, Cutter pulled the string, and the messenger came in view, and I shot him. Now I have fifteen seconds to break the rifle down and get it in the two-by-four hole, cover it up, and get out of there. Garland was waiting at the top of the stairs to run interference in case something went wrong. After taking the target and messenger out, it was up to Garland’s men to do their part.

We went back to the trailer to see what Hooker had to say. He said, This will be a live practice. We go tonight with the chopper and tomorrow with the action at 1445 hours. This is the last practice. In four days, this is planned to go down. We will do the chopper practice in reverse tonight. I will run and jump into the chopper after dark. It will take off and then land as if we were coming in the first time. If it is really dark, one of Garland’s men will have dim lights shining for me to find the door.

In came the chopper. I jumped in and it took off. I came back in on the chopper, and all went well. I met up with Garland. This part was over. The afternoon practice went perfectly also. We went back to the trailer. I asked Hooker about the target’s bodyguards. He said, Garland’s men will take care of that detail.

I asked Hooker about the police. He said, "Garland’s men will create a diversion