Interlopers

By David Ware and Randy Rogers

Zachary Elias, a former Navy Seal, and proven modern warrior, looked forward to a peaceful and quiet life. He built a home and strived to have a small ranch in North Louisiana. Living alone with his cat and dog, he was content. His days of combat were over, and he was no longer an “Operator.”
And then he met Gabriella Carrasco, a beautiful damsel in distress. And then the interlopers found her and Zach had to dust off some of his old SEAL tactics in order to take the fight to the bad guys.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781312806702

David Ware

From the Author David Maurice Ware Sr. was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1968. He is currently residing in the Atlanta Metro Area. He grew up in and overcame the mean ghetto streets of Detroit and now writes entertaining Urban fictional tales, (With a message to the maddness). His first book titled A True Thug Willsin Shot up the charts from #4000 to the top 10 in under three months, setting a record and receiving very high praises. View some of the comments for yourself. http://authonomy.com/books/40607/a-true-thug-willsin/ contact me at [e-mail]

Book preview

THE INTERLOPERS

THE INTERLOPERS

by

David Ware

EDITOR AND PUBLICIST

RANDY ROGERS

FOREWORD

When I read the manuscript for David Ware’s first book, Breath of a Tigress, I couldn’t believe that someone’s first effort could be that good. 

As I read along, I kept asking myself, How in the world can anybody write dialog like this – this good - the first time out of the chute? 

I asked him to come clean with me and confess that he had some help – a gifted ghost writer - perhaps.  No, David promised me - for better or worse - that the words written were all his.

The Interlopers is David’s third book – and his writing just keeps getting better and better. The way he introduces characters and brings them into the storyline is downright uncanny. 

David Ware served in Vietnam.  And there is no doubt that he drew upon his experiences there to give profound realism to the lead character - Navy Seal Zachary Elias.

Over time, Dave and his lovely wife Sandy have become very good friends of ours.  And I’m proud to again play a small role in bringing his latest masterpiece: The Interlopers to America’s bookshelf.

Randy Rogers

PROLOGUE

Zachary Elias, a former Navy Seal, and proven modern warrior, looked forward to a peaceful and quiet life. He built a home and strived to have a small ranch in North Louisiana. Living alone with his cat and dog, he was content. His days of combat were over, and he was no longer an Operator.

And then he met Gabriella Carrasco, a beautiful damsel in distress. And then the interlopers found her and Zach had to dust off some of his old SEAL tactics in order to take the fight to the bad guys.

Zachary Elias floated above the operating table. Looking down he saw chaos and near panic. A Navy Doctor was bent over his ravaged body pulling against torn flesh.

The Corpsman exclaimed, Sir, flat line. No pulse.

Dammit, Paddles, Stand clear!

The doctor fired the paddles against Zack’s chest. Zach watched in bewilderment and wondered what was going on; he was not dead. He could see everything that was going on. He felt great. Then everything went black.

Moments later he was once again watching the Navy doctor and the two corpsmen. And then everything went black again.

The Doctor said, Okay, he is back. Scalpel. I need to do a cutdown, damn bleeder, he has lost too much blood. Come on son, stay with me.

Zach opened his eyes as he felt a cool liquid on his eyelids. It was hard to focus. A nurse was dropping something into his eyes.

Stay still, sailor. Your eyes are dry. Glad you decided to join us.

Zach could hear a humming noise. As his eyes focused, he realized he was in an Air Force C-17.

He tried to speak, but the nurse put her finger to her lips and said, Sssshhh, don’t talk. You are on the way to Ramstein Air Base in Germany; should be there in about 3 hours. You are doing well, but we need you to close your eyes and chill out. You are not ready to get your dance card yet, the Docs have some work to do on you. Night, night, sweet dreams. The Air Force Nurse increased the morphine drip.

Zach remembered his Seal team creeping up the snowy incline of the Afghan mountain when the Taliban ambushed them. He immediately took down two of them, was reloading, and then felt as if he had been kicked in the chest by a mule. Then darkness overcame him.

He felt pressure on his body as the thrust reversers on the big transport were deployed. Blankets were gathered around him, and he felt the cold as he was wheeled down the ramp to an ambulance. There were hallways and people in scrubs as he watched the ceiling lights pass him by.

A female bent over him smiled and said, Well, Good Morning, Lieutenant. Welcome to Walter Reed.

He was confused, he thought he was going to Germany. He had been to Germany for two days but was in an induced coma and then sent back to the states.

The following morning, he awakened to find a Navy doctor standing at the foot of his bed.

Good morning, Frogman. How are we feeling this morning?

Zach’s throat was dry and hoarse, but he managed a smile and said, Well, Sir. I do not know how you feel, but I feel like crap.

The Doc smiled and said, Actually, I feel great. There was some doubt if you were going to stay with us, but it seems we jumped that hurdle. I intend to take good care of you and before you know it, you will be back to kicking in doors. Rest easy and let us do our thing.

Sir, do you have a time frame as to how long I am going to be occupying your time?

I would not make any near plans. You will be with us for a few weeks if all goes well. Your insides resembled a pan of scrambled eggs, but the docs in Afghanistan and Germany got some great on-the-job training with you. You are lucky, damn lucky. So, don’t get all froggy on me and we will do our best to get you back to your team. We had to do a resection on your upper intestine, so I hope you like oatmeal and Jell-O for a while.

Copy that, Sir. So, no chance of a cold beer, cheeseburger, and fries?

Probably not. Welcome home, Lieutenant.

Forty-three days later, Zach was on a Navy chopper to Dam Neck, VA, and his team. The team members visited often and had given him a hard time for being a wuss and lying around on his butt, but they did bring him a set of fatigues and it felt good to be back to some semblance of normal. He had lost weight and strength and tired easily, but he was determined to get back to his fighting weight and back in the game.

In the team room, checking his gear in his birdcage, he was glad to see his weapon had made it back to Dam Neck.

Lt. Commander Rogers walked in and said, Zach, time for a sit-down. Follow me.

Zach sat down but had a sense of foreboding; Rogers did not look happy.

Zach, you have been operational for almost six years, and you know how things work around here. The teams operate at 100 percent, or they do not operate.

Your medical profile is shutting you down as an operator on Bravo. The puzzle palace, way above my pay grade, has determined you shall have the option of reassignment to training here in Dam Neck or Coronado. The Navy has spent a lot of time and money honing your skills and they think you would best serve their needs at a training command.

I know you see yourself as an operator, but those days are over. I do not have to tell you, but you are lucky to be alive. I hope you realize that.

Sir, are there any other options?

Not any that would appeal to you. Personally, I think you would make an excellent trainer of new tadpoles. I would be remiss if I did not tell you that you can seek discharge and would be eligible for 100 percent disability. If you are not looking for your 20, then that may be something you may consider.

You know as well as I, a team member is always on borrowed time. Everything comes to an end. In your mind, you may have convinced yourself that you can get back operational status, but your body may have a different opinion.

The Navy is looking at the long term and their needs and their opinions carry all the weight. I know this is a kick in the ass but be thankful you are still vertical and have options. Many before you would love to be in your shoes, so think of it that way. Let me know within 24 hours and we can get the ball rolling on your decision. Bravo will miss you and you were one of our best operators. Let it go and move on.

Zach stood and said, Thank you, Sir, but I think I can work through this.

I am sure you do, and knowing you, you likely could, but it is not an option. Turn in your gear.

Zach went back to his apartment, and since it smelled musty, he opened some windows and let the cold, crisp air flow in. He fell back into his recliner, pulled a blanket over himself, and fell asleep.

Later he got up, made a cup of coffee in his Keurig, and made a decision. He had no idea if it was the right one, but he was an operator, and being a trainer of new SEAL applicants did not appeal to him.

He was hanging up his spurs and going back to Louisiana. He had 26 acres in the sandhills, hardwoods, and pine forests of North Louisiana in Claiborne Parish.

The old home place where he grew up was destroyed in an accidental fire that took the lives of his mom and dad.  The source of the fire was never determined, but it was believed some squirrels had gotten into the attic and chewed into some electrical wires. His parents were overcome by smoke, and they never made it out of the bedroom. The old farmhouse was made of clapboard and went up like a tinderbox as there were no smoke detectors.

Zach was 20 at the time, a student at Louisiana Tech, and in his junior year. He had no other family aside for a few cousins who were scattered to the wind. The fire accident and the life insurance left him nearly $475 thousand saved in a local bank. He was alone, had no direction, and no girlfriend that he envisioned as a long-term relationship. He joined the Navy with the intent of becoming a SEAL with big ideas and dreams.

All that was left was the land and the bank account. It was time to open a new chapter in his life.

The old home place had grown up in weeds and as he stood and looked a sense of sadness overcame him. There was nothing to do but get to work. Staying at a small motel in Homer, he realized he had to get a residence of some type on the property and get out of the motel.

He bought a Tundra pickup and found a used house trailer in Bossier City. It was in good shape, and he had it located on the property after having a local guy bush-hog the weeds and briars.

A water well service came and swabbed the old well and installed a new pump and pump house. A septic tank was dug, and sewage and plumbing were hooked up. There was so much to do, hooking up electrical and getting a butane tank buried. He filed for homestead exemption at the Homer courthouse and while there met the Sheriff who knew of him and his family.

His days were long, but he could feel himself getting stronger. He was working like a mule and planning. There was no trouble sleeping at night.

The old home place sat about 75 yards off the road. A road grader came and scrapped out the ruts, spread fresh gravel, and rip-rapped the ditches on both sides.

There was internet service, so he bought a computer, a printer, and a cell phone. He also bought a big screen TV and had a satellite dish set on a pole where he planned to build a future home.

He learned how to grocery shop and cook reasonably well and tried to eat sensibly. He soon found out that his stomach would not tolerate very spicy foods due to his injury. He did make a trek to the VA hospital in Alexandria to get a good check-up and the docs gave him a clean bill of health but did not mess with his disability claim. He felt he had earned the money twice over; he had paid his dues.

After hours of searching on the internet, he found a house plan he liked. It had a wrap-around porch with a half basement. He figured the basement with a concrete foundation would make a good tornado hutch. Rather than brick, he went with Hardi-Plank and a metal roof. He would have a stone fireplace to sit by. For house strength, he went with 2 by 6 stud walls and a garage attachment connected by a covered walkway.

A local builder gave him an estimate of 156 dollars per square foot, the square footage of living space was 2500 sq ft., not counting the garage. The cost would run him about 450 thousand. He applied for a VA loan and was approved. He paid 250 thousand out of pocket which left him with a manageable house note.

If his team members thought being a skilled operator was stressful, they should all build a home. Fortunately, he had a good builder.  He researched appliances and his builder had some good contractors who guided him on cabinets and the décor.

He was pleased as he got his certificate of occupancy; it was a very nice home. If he had a wife, she would be very pleased.

There was furniture to be bought, but the resale of the house trailer gave him another $7,000 to play with, yet he still managed to go over budget.

He went from a warrior to a gentleman farmer or rancher. It was all beginning to fall into place. He realized that he needed to get some farm animals to take advantage of taxes. If he could claim the property as a farm or ranch, he would save tremendously.

Zach had an agenda to build a barn, work shed, pens, fencing, and clear-cut much of the land to make it pasture. All of this would be a work in progress and a lot of sweat. He found himself accumulating a lot of equipment, chain saws, a used John Deere tractor with a bush hog, front end loader, and plow attachment.

With hired help, he built a half-pole barn with walled stalls at one end, keeping the roof low with a shallow loft to store hay. Due to potential storms; hopefully, it would not turn into a kite during high winds. A small work shed also acted as a garage for the tractor and implements.

Eighteen months later he looked around and realized how far he had come. He had met a few of the surrounding neighbors including the town folks in Homer and Haynesville. He had befriended a couple of deputies who often came by to visit and keep an eye on things when he was not home. Jimmy Meyers was one.

As Zach looked around, he was amazed at what he had been able to accomplish, but there was much more to do. He still had a lot of fencing to put in and hired some Latino guys that worked on a nearby dairy farm. They were very adept at stringing barbwire once he showed them. He put an auger on his tractor to dig post holes which saved a lot of back-breaking work.

Six months before he moved into the new home he bought an AR-15 and Glock 40 cal. from Michaels Sporting Goods in Homer. He had a night scope on the rifle as he had seen some scat from some coyotes and heard them howling at night. It was time to go Special Forces on them before they presented a problem.

It was time to get some critters on the farm, he needed the company. His first task was to go to the animal shelter in Minden and find a good dog and cat. When he walked in and went back to the kennels and the big cat room, he wanted to take them all home with him. He was not all that fond of many people but had a place in his heart for animals.

The cat room was full of little furball kittens and adult cats. A big Ginger Tomcat kept bumping his head against Zach’s leg and reaching out with his paws to be petted. The attendant said his name was Mike and was about a year old, neutered, and had all his shots. Mike was the one.

The dog kennels were loud as many of them were barking and wagging their tails. There was one dog who just stared and showed no emotion. He had odd markings, somewhat like a leopard with striking blue eyes. He did not look mean, just observant.

Asking about the dog, the attendant said the dog was a Catahoula hound. Excellent hunters and great guard dogs and ferocious fighters if provoked. Zach noticed the big shoulders and haunches on the dog which made Zach think that this dog was a warrior.

He asked the attendant if he thought the dog would do well with the cat and he said, Sure. Put them together in a room, feed them, pet and talk to them, and within a few days, they would likely be compatible.

He said Zach would need to spend as much time as possible with the two of them in the room to make both feel safe around him and each other. He said Catahoula’s are very loyal and generally passive, but they are not the dog for everyone. He said