We had plenty of conversation on the flight back to Kampala about today’s trip. We tried to make plans for them to continue receiving whatever assistance I could put together after I went home.

I thought some things would work with the expanded JBG security team at the Kampala. There would be flights and freight flights, but that was something that we could work out later.

Back at the embassy, I had a late supper and a long VCATS with the girls. I then worked on all the emails, and there were plenty.

Frank sent me the preliminary report from the investigation, “for my eyes only”; it was already 300 pages long. Reading all those pages was for later, for sure.

An email from Victor informed me that the Senate and House investigative hearings into the attack were to start the day after I was scheduled to return home. “Oh boy, let the fun begin,” I thought.

The House Sergeant at Arms sent me 2 electronic subpoenas to appear for testimony in the Kampala Embassy Attack; one for the intelligence committee and the other from the State Department Oversight committee.

The Senate Sergeant at Arms did the same thing; I had four days straight of hearings on the Hill; another ‘Oh joy’ moment. I wondered if delivering subpoenas that way was legal, even though I had to sign an electronic receipt for the email to open it.

I went on to open the first email from Robert; there were several. I opened them by date to get the encryption codes.

The terrorist leaders were scrambling to find a way to get on the good side of Anton. They were even trying to find enough new recruits for a second revenge attack.

They were counting on our reduced numbers as a tactical advantage; the media had showed our people leaving but not the replacements coming in.

They were trying to make amends with their financiers and quick.

The next message had more of the same, with updates, and the third message was filled with desperation when their calls for recruits and followers were not being answered.

I called Cory to hear that my order had been completed and delivered to Morton Field. Then I called Robbie to find out about the ball bearings. Only a partial order had come in.

I knew there was plenty of C4 and batteries in the armory.

I called Frank next, “Do you have any aircraft coming this way?”

“Not scheduled right now, why?” he replied.

“Looks like they are planning another attack and I might need my replacement devices sooner than I thought,” was my reply.

“Pack up, get out.”

“I don’t run. It is not my nature, Frank; you know that.”

“They are only in the planning stages and having recruiting problems. I might have an ace in the hole to play tomorrow night. I will keep you posted.”

“What kind of ace?”

“I can’t tell you yet, it hasn’t all come together,” I replied.

It was 11 PM when I showered and slipped into bed with Linda. She was sound asleep, breathing heavy and in the middle of the bed again. I snuggled up close and moved her enough that her breathing changed to something more at ease. Oh, how I wished she was one on my mates; I needed someone to hold and talk to who I could trust.

With that thought I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

With the morning light I headed to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast. Andy was seated with the Kampala morning paper reading about our exploits of yesterday and looking at the pictures. There were two pages of pictures with brief explanations and a half page article.

“If anyone goes out today, pick me up several papers; I want one for a souvenir,” I said.

“Speaking of going out; no one goes out alone for the next few days. There might be more trouble brewing,” I said.

After breakfast I gave him all the intel that Robert had sent last night, while I looked at my email for anything new.

I pulled up the department’s expensive version of Google Earth and looked at 515 Nubulagla Road. As customary in this part of the world, the house was a single story with a roof that had very little slope and looked to be terracotta of some sort.

The house was off the street a ways and there was no driveway to the house; the cars were parked on the street if one owned one.

Two blocks away there was an abandoned business of some kind. Andy decided the best thing to do was call a taxi to do a field trip to get a good look at 515, the abandoned building and anything else interesting on that street.

Andy wrote down several streets that he would have the taxi take as not to draw any suspicion. Not only that; but the streets he chose to sight-see was a complete box around 515.

Last night after I went to bed there were lengthy emails sent from the girls and my clerks. All of it was updates. Vicky and Cindy along with Jason and Roseanne had started the interviewing process to fill all the new security positions.

They had come up with the idea to get as many on board and trained as soon as possible. By doing so they were going to be able to get the recertification training back on schedule by using them.

I had two thoughts on that. One was could the training be expanded to bring the embassy people back on the schedule? The new hires could be sent to the remaining embassies that needed to go through the training. That would give the new hires some on the job training.

The second thing would be to leverage the State department to allow JBG to take over the embassies in the worst locations as we got people trained.

Marcy had the updates on the expansion of both the Horsey House and the Crash Pad. The Crash Pad expansion was closed in and weather proofed. It was the larger of the two. With it closed in the plumbers and electricians and then the drywall crews could make some time regardless of the weather.

On the Horsey House, the shafts for the elevators were in and the first floor framed; two floors to go on each wing. Richard Bozman – who had been the inspector on the college dorms and had retired when they were completed – agreed to be the inspector for our insurance company on the construction.

By the time I had finished emails and several VCATS with a couple of the other embassies that JBG was taking over; Andy was back and had pictures. He also came back with two cars. Cars were for sale everywhere around here. With gas doubling in price in the last few months and inflation running at 300 percent, every penny was going for the necessities of life; the local public transportation system was very popular now.

“Having something that looks normal will let us move around without drawing attention. We need to be able to watch both ends of the street,” Andy said.

Andy and I had a good look at the pictures, talked about the scenarios and made a plan; we had four hours to put it together.

Andy put Howie to work on modifying one of the two remaining devices; both that we had left were the concussion types. We were taking three drones; two with devices attached and one to place high on station for the camera.

It took two hours to get the materials together to make the mod Andy and I had talked about. With an hour left one Suburban with the three drones left to get into position behind the abandoned building. The two cars also left to stake out the ends of the street.

I sent Frank an email, “Have the satellites monitor 515 Nubulagla Road ASAP for at least an hour starting at 5:30 here.”

By five minutes of six over a dozen men had entered the house; some with weapons.

At six on the nose Anton came in from the west and parked on the street on the opposite side of house 515. He and two men walked to the house and then inside. James parked the Suburban 15 spots back and we waited.

Twenty minutes later Anton and his men came out. James then pulled the Suburban directly in front of Anton’s car. I got out of the Suburban holding my 900 MHz radio, walked to the passenger side of Anton’s car and waited for him to get to me; the radio would work for a mile or so without the repeating towers.

While I waited I exchanged greetings with the driver and the one guard left at the car in Russian.

Anton hesitated and then walked around to me.

“Anton, you had a meeting with friends and I was not invited; I am deeply hurt,” I said in my best Russian.

“They are not friends of mine; some in my country may think they could be friendly but they are wrong,” he replied in Russian.

“No skin of yours then?”

“No,” he replied.

I keyed the radio mike, “Viking 1, this is Wildcat; status?” I said into the radio.

“Viking 1 standing by three miles out.”

“Viking 1, launch number 1.”

“One away,” Viking 1 replied.

“Wildcat, target acquired,” Viking 1 replied

“Viking 1; verify target,” I replied.

“Target is verified,” Viking 1replied.

“Authorization is Go, I repeat Go, Launch 2,” I replied.

“2 away,” Viking 1 replied.

Just then the house exploded into a fireball. All of us ducked beside the vehicles.

“Target acquired,” Viking 1 replied.

“Authorization is Go, repeat Go,” I said.

Another explosion rocked the house; this one with all kinds of colors. Number two included magnesium and other goodies to make things burn very hot.

Anton’s face was full of shock at first, and then back to normal.

“Viking 1 mission complete, return to base is authorized, Wildcat out,” I replied.

“Roger Wildcat, pleasure working with you today, Viking out.”

“But, but there were no planes, no jet engines or missile noise,” Anton replied.

“New things from the skunk works; stealth and quiet,” I replied. Let them chase a ghost; I thought and almost laughed out loud. That will keep them busy for a while.

I could hear sirens coming, “Anton, I think we need to leave right now; I have a couple different brands of cold American beer if you want to follow me to the embassy. We can have one of those famous beer summits if you like.”

At first he looked startled, “OK, lead the way,” he replied.

While we were traveling with Anton in tow, the Suburban with the drones was already backing into the car garage.

I called Frank, “I don’t have much time again, monitor all the embassy cameras and record them.”

“515 Nubulagla Road doesn’t exist any more; infrared satellite says the site is hot as hell. What the hell did you do?”

“Later, Frank.”

Edit by Alfmeister

Proof read by Bob W.