Chapter 10 Marial Asks for Leave to Find His Family

 

 

 

SHORT IN HEIGHT, TALL IN COURAGE

Chapter 10

Marial Asks for Leave to Find His Family

 

     Hosseini, Samuel, Mabior, and I sat in the meeting room at the large round table opening in the center. A report from Mossad on Abubakar Shekau and his Boko Haram gang was the topic of our discussion. We compared that report with info we had previously received from the South Sudanese Army Intel Unit and Hosseini's Christian contact in Central African Republic, CAR. All the pieces were similar. The analogous information gave us some certainty as to its overall accuracy. The nasty side of those reports was that Boko Haram was at the border of CAR and South Sudan. Those evil beasts' nearness to South Sudan's western border meant an attack was most likely near. In anticipation, Samuel and Amani had begun planning a preemptive strike.

     Affirmation of Boko Haram's intentions came from one of our own team members, Marial. He came into the meeting room and just stood there looking at us for a few seconds before speaking, "Chief, I have some personal business to discuss."

     I stood up, motioning toward my office.

     Marial shook his head, "That's not necessary. The Team is family." He pulled out a chair and sat down beside me. "Chief, I would never ask for personal leave unless it was of extreme importance."

     At this point, I and all present were becoming very concerned. This world needed more of Marial's type. He is gracious and loving, yet tough as nails when it comes to God, morals, and battle. Samuel blurted out, "Marial, your word is all we need. Tell us about your needs and how we can help, brother."

     At this moment, Marial's face transformed into the look he wore whenever going into battle. "Chief, they have kidnapped many of my remaining family in the area, along with several Christian leaders! I am leaving to find my family. After that, I cannot promise what I might do to those terrorists. They have already robbed me of my closest family."

     All of us stood in unison as I replied, "Muster The Team, immediately! This is war!"

     Mabior, Samuel, and Hosseini took out their phones, texting 911 at the compound. Never before had that signal gone out.

     It seemed like only seconds before the door was thrown open, and the remaining team members came rushing to us in various states of dress and with weapons at the ready.

     I told everyone that Marial's family had been kidnapped by Boko Haram and that this meant war. Everyone seethed with anger. I was so agitated that I yelled, "Team, your families will never face being kidnapped, assaulted, or threatened in any way and The Team not bring all its assets to bear against that individual or group! Prepare to move out at first light tomorrow morning."

     Mabior ordered Dok to have his men get all the vehicles ready. He grabbed Alek and Diemba, who were on their way out the door, ordering them to "grab the heavies; machine gun, grenades, and mortars."

     Alek and Diemba gave each other a high five, yelling, "Yes!"

     Then, turning to the twins, Ali and Kuol, Mabior instructed them to get with Little Brother and Amani to go over the scouting plans."

     Approaching Marial in the chaos, I asked him to supply us with family pictures and descriptions and separate photos of the village and surrounding terrain. I said, "You know the routine; give us any details about the area that might hinder or help us in a battle or pursuit."

     The Team had specific lists of items that traveled with us. Everyone had their jobs and responsibilities. I ordered everyone back into the meeting room for a few minutes before scattering, "Team, at this point, we are understandably outraged, but let's not let that anger overwhelm our training. Never discount our groundwork and preparation - those are two of the three elements that set us apart from most of our foes. The most important element, of course, is our total dedication to our Lord. Everyone get down. We always have time to talk with our Lord."

     Samuel led the prayer, "Father, You are the only true God. By your grace, You have given all of us spiritual riches which none of us deserve. You have forgiven our many sins so that we may be holy in your eyes. Please, lead us to our enemies and give us victory over them for your glory, not ours. Father, please fill us with your wisdom and strength. Help us rescue Marial's family and their neighbors. We cannot defeat our enemies without your divine power, Father. Give us humility in victory. It is for your glory that we do all these things, Father. All this we pray in Jesus' holy name, Amen."

     Shermake followed Samuel with this, "It may sound strange, but whenever I expressed some childish fear of dying, my Father would recite a famous quote from the American, Mark Twain. 'The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.' I never understood those words until this very moment. I now am living my life fully for God. I am prepared if death comes to my door."

     Samuel put his hand on Shermake's shoulder, saying, "Living for God is the only way one can live their life fully. Look what he has already given to you."

     The following day, before boarding our new Range Rovers, we had a short meeting and prayer. I told The Team, "This is the first time we have been at full strength since Somalia. Let's make Mark and Chan proud of us. Remember, we are to glorify God through our actions - always. For our new team members, if in doubt during battle or finding yourself alone, lean on God as you should always be doing."

     We rolled out of the compound into the darkness of pre-dawn. The streets of Yei were deserted. Rarely a light anywhere. As we rounded a corner near the outskirts of town, Mabior's children lined the road at attention and saluting. All of our windows on the right side came down to allow us to return their salutes. It was a good feeling. Thon remarked, "Someday they will be in these vehicles traveling to some distant battle for our Lord."

     Mabior turned and looked at Thon with an approving smile. We found ways to occupy ourselves as we traveled mile after mile toward the western South Sudan village of Deim Zubeir, just 70 miles from Central African Republic. The men played mind games like Skillz to sharpen their quick recognition skills that are so important in the pandemonium of a battle.

     I sat scrutinizing the game plan developed by Samuel and his team. They were prophetic for seeing the possible future need of a game plan for just the situation we were headed into. Central African Republic's government bordered on impotent in the same manner as South Sudan and other surrounding African states. These corrupted states had no idea or willpower to develop a strategy to deal with Boko Haram and their cohorts in the civilization-hijackers league. Boko Haram thrived on the disorganization of these North African states.

     Turning to Mabior, who was looking at the maps of the area, I asked him, "According to our best intel, Boko Haram appears to be headed for CAR's border with the hostages. How would you handle the pursuit situation?"

     Never looking up, Mabior answered, "I would head straight for the Central African Republic border. That same intel report said they were traveling in vans and pickups, and there is only one road to the border in the area. A large group such as theirs will face many difficulties if pursued. Number one, the area is heavily forested. Off-roading in the rainforest's swamps is out of the question. Attack them just this side of the border, Chief. They will be experiencing some feelings of safety near the border. As untrained militants, their guard will be slackened. Our problem will be catching up to them at that point. The gap between our two groups is concerning. If they cross the border before we catch up, the CAR soldiers may fight with them. We are never sure on that point."

     With a sly smile, I asked him, "What would you really like to do if borders were not a problem?"

     Mabior's answer was, "Go about a mile inside Central African Republic's border, then set up an ambush. They'll think they are safe once over the border. Camouflage the vehicles and cross the border quietly on foot. Marial knows that country. He and his family regularly took cattle through that area when he was growing up. He knows all the shortcuts and backwoods paths."

     I slapped Mabior on the leg, "Exactly what I'd do. Let's do it!"

     "Chief, you know this could get us in big trouble with Central African Republic? It might even cause problems for South Sudan's government for giving us sanctuary?"

     "This isn't the time to play nice guy, Mabior. Marial's family is at great risk. If we let them get away with this, they'll be like the bully on the playground. Besides, we have powerful friends in high places. Let's make them earn their money."

     With a big grin, Mabior answered my conniving with, "Yes, sir! The bully messed with the wrong kids this time."

     Deng and Thon let out an American Indian war-whoop in the back seat. If you guessed Samuel, you guessed correct. He taught them the whoop. His lineage is mainly native American, Cherokee. I don't think they had war whoops like the plain's tribes. I never brought that up with him.

     Mabior put out a conference call to all the men concerning the change on speakerphone. There wasn't a dissenter in the group. In #2 vehicle, Samuel chimed in with, "Chief, I just finished the general plan for crossing the border and ambushing inside Central African Republic. There is an excellent attack point at a clearing beside the road about a mile inside CAR. We'll disable their vehicles at this point. We'll need all the help God will give on that point. The intel reports show their base is just a short distance from this location. They'll have to come by there. Another problem, the intel says the hostages are spread among the vehicles. But Boko Haram did make a big mistake by running home after throwing a rock through someone's window. You know they have a huge head-start on us. As a precaution, I'm working on a plan to attack them in their camp - not the ideal circumstance. Pray!"

     Thon threw out a quote by Napoleon; I remembered it from my West Point days, "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." Thon added, "It's time God showed Napoleon that he wasn't always right. Let interrupt their mistake!"

     Samuel must have had an angel hit him with insight the way he shot back this reply, "Thank you, Thon. Proverbs 3:5-6 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.' Gotta go, bye."

     With words like these flying around, I felt confident.

     Mabior increased that confidence with these words, "Chief, the situation is looking good because we rely on God, not on ourselves."

     20 minutes later, a call came from Mossad. The contact relayed this message that changed the game entirely, "We were finally able to get a drone on the Boko Haram convoy. We're seeing them broken down short of the border. Not going to believe this, they placed the prisoners in a group off to the side of the road with only one guard. The rest are arguing and pointing guns at one another. Appears to be a major breakdown in vehicles and men. You are only two miles from them. Circumstances are favorable for an attack. God, himself, seems to have intervened."

     I had the phone on speaker for all in the vehicle to hear. Mabior shouted, "Roger, attack as soon as in position. We'll close the gap to one klick or a little over a half-mile. The rest of the way will be on foot."

     The contact signed off, saying, "Sounds like you men have work to do. We'll be high above you with visual support constant. God be with you. Out."

     Mabior did a conference call to all the units giving orders to prepare to engage. He ordered Samuel to provide us with a countdown as we neared one klick from our POC. While waiting, Mabior turned to me with, "That's the Boko Haram we've all come to know and love."

     Samuel called back quickly with, "Stop the vehicles in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, stop. Everybody out with gear for assault."

     Everyone clamored out of the vehicles gathering together at my lead vehicle.

     Samuel, with laptop in hands, spoke quietly to The Team, "As you can see, we are just around that corner down there from Boko Haram's convoy. The hostages are about midway down the convoy on the left side. They are gathered in a group about 50 yards from the convoy with one guard. The others are on the road arguing about what to do." He had a feed from the drone going live on his laptop. He continued, "We will straddle the road in the shadows. With our night-vision goggles, we shouldn't have any problems. You will stop at a point we decide is suitable for sniper ops. Deng and I will circle around to disable the guard on the hostages. We will signal "mission accomplished" when the hostage guard is secured. At that point, Deng will fire a flare from our location to distract the BH boys from the direction of your attack. This will also light up BH's convoy and personnel. At the signal, Alek and Diemba will open up a mortar barrage. Four rounds; two off to the right side and two just in front of their convoy. Alek and Diemba are down the road, sighting in the mortars. After the mortar rounds land, we will begin sniping targets as available. You can advance as it becomes safe to do so. Remember, professionalism in your firing and advancement. If any of the vehicles attempt to drive toward the border, Alek and Diemba will be given ranges by the drone team and ordered to place mortar rounds ahead of them as is possible. If they attempt to escape toward us, Amani will take them on with our M240 loaded with armor-piercing rounds. The Chief gave the authorization to use grenades, but only if absolutely necessary. You've all been thoroughly trained on their use and safe areas. God is with us. Let's talk with him."

     After the prayer, I asked if there were any questions. With none offered, we formed a circle and quietly slapped hands together, saying, "For God," then moved out silently down the road. Samuel and Deng had already disappeared into the trees on the left.

     Mabior whispered, "You know we are going to wipe this Boko Haram unit from the face of the earth tonight. The men are filled with anger over Marial's family. I talked with them about self-control. I have no worries about their courage."

     With a smile, I retorted, "To quote Billy Graham, 'Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.' You, my brother, are the chief back stiffener on The Team." Mabior turned his head and cleared his throat. I could tell that he was affected.

     As we stealthily ambled down the left side of the road, with Marial out front about 100 feet, I sent Ali and Kuol to the other side of the road to cover that area. As we came to the corner, Marial came trotting back with his hand up, stopping our advance.

     Softly, Marial told me, "They are in the positions just as the drone team told us. Arguing and shoving one another. I couldn't make out Abubakar Shekau, nor any other real leader."

     I motioned The Team forward, with Amani getting the signal to set up his machine gun just around the corner and to the right side of the road. We slowed our pace as we came round the corner and gained sight of our targets. Finally, I gave the hand signal to lie down and sight in on targets of opportunity. Mabior, crouching low, went along the line of men giving encouragement.

    The post-engagement debriefing told us that the guard on the hostages was focused on the sight of his fellow saps arguing on the road. His AK held loosely at arm's length beside him with the barrel digging into the dirt. He never knew what hit him. Samuel, without intention, broke the man's neck with a violent twist. Deng had quietly shushed the hostages who were totally taken aback by the sight of these camouflaged men wearing those Star-War's night goggles. Once it sunk in that these are people here to rescue them, they were off to the woods with Deng at their head and Samuel ushering them from behind while calling with the hostages-rescued signal. Reaching the trees, Deng paused long enough to fire a flare into the air over the convoy.

     There came the hollow thunk of the mortars firing. Those sounds must have confused them, for they ceased arguing to listen. The explosions only increased their confusion. All took off in various directions, but the majority ran toward us. This was the objective of our plan. Hidden beside the road in the darkness, we opened fire. The result was that they began to fall. Suffering the effects of our deadly accurate fire, they turned back toward their vehicles. I signaled Alek to lay rounds on the road in front of their vehicles. As the hollow thunks of the mortars resumed, I gave Amani and his loader, Chol, the signal to open up on the vehicles with the machine gun. The firing added to the devastation. Large chunks of the vehicles flew into the air. Screams were audible above the cacophony of the now one-sided battle. Battles always feel like forever, just as this one felt, but it was over in under ten minutes. I didn't want any of these terrorists escaping, but it was soon evident that our attack had destroyed their ability to do us or anyone else harm. I ordered a cease-fire and a careful advance on the carnage before us. It is scary just how lethal we have become. 

     We found a survivor in the bed of the lead vehicle. He lay in the fetal position with a painful wound in the stomach. He answered our questions in a hysterical voice, "Abubakar Shekau, while we were in the village, he drove away when one of the hostages told him that their nephew is a member of The Team, and they would be coming for him. He fears the wrath of your God. If you spare my life, I will swear allegiance to your God."

     Mabior told the man, "Christians do not swear. If our word is no good, then no amount of swearing will correct that. Our God does not kill you for not becoming a Christian, but you will lose your life. Our Lord has conquered death. He is the Loving God who commands us to love one another, even our enemies. For merely having faith in him, he offers you eternal life."

     Though in great pain, the man gathered the strength to ask, "But if you love your enemies, how can you call them your enemies?"

     Mabior moistened the man's lips as he told him, "You have answered your own question."

     When the firing ceased, I sent Marial to the hostages to check on their welfare and comfort them. We heard crying and shouting erupt a few minutes later. We all knew it was Marial meeting his relatives. Samuel showed up a short time after with news about the hostages' ordeal. Some of the hostages had been beaten severely, but none killed. Evidently, Marial's Uncle telling Abubakar that his nephew was with The Team had saved everyone's life. Watching Samuel as he reported this, I could tell that he was shaken by something. Later, after hearing the details of his accidentally killing the guard, I understood why. I told him, "Samuel Winston, God will never hold this against you."

     We buried the dead and treated the injured. It was well into the morning hours when we loaded everyone into the vehicles and headed for Deim Zubeir. The Team was joined by the hostages and all united by speakerphone for a sing fest to honor our Lord, who stopped the enemy's vehicles and gave us victory. The lone prisoner died on the way to Deim Zubeir. But Samuel and Shermake converted him as he lay there dying. A day later, in Deim Zubeir, an enormous crowd attended the funeral services in Marial's family church. The man, Jabir Farouq, found paradise at the last minute. A year later, on a mission that took us through that same town, Marial's relatives wanted us to stop at the cemetery to see the beautiful headstone that the town's Christians had erected for Jabir Farouq. Our Lord instructed us to love a one-time enemy as he does us. Our Lord indeed works in mysterious ways, and that is the way I like it.

     People lined the roadway on the way home, passing through the Thatch-hut villages. The crowds rushed our vehicles in an attempt to touch us. With a frown, Mabior told me that the villagers think we are holy men and that touching us will help keep evil spirits from them. Each time this occurred, The Dinkas leaned out the windows shouting, "We are not holy men. You must put your trust not in men but in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Deng wanted to stop and preach to each village, but Mabior convinced him of its futility. He told Deng and the rest of The Team, "We are in unknown territory. Our mission is not to convert everyone but to convert those our Lord identifies as fertile ground. We must keep in the forefront of us our mission to rescue Christians and Jews from danger."

     It is 624 miles from Yei to Deim Zubeir. Typically, it would take 16 hours straight through with no stops. However, stretches of the road had been washed away. We were in the monsoon season, the rainy season. The rivers were overflowing in many areas. In the end, it took us four days to reach home in Yei. Sleeping in the vehicles was our only option. The ground was filled with annoying critters looking for a dry place to sleep during the rainy season, just like us. Lions, elephants, and whatever didn't concern us as much as the critters that get into your body. Dinners were military MREs; meal ready to Eat, freeze-dried foods. I had a particular fondness for MREs. It's military comfort food.

     Thon kept us laughing and our minds off the tedious travel and sleeping arrangements. He told stories of the early days of The Team when he was in recruit training.

      One of Thon's stories went like this, "It was my first time to ever handle much less shoot a rifle. Artie and Giff were sober and in a bad mood - like they ever had good ones. I shot at the target. I was shooting an old heavy M14 that kicked like a zebra. The guy operating the pulling pit radioed Artie that I hit a bullseye. I was elated. But not after Artie told me that I had hit the bullseye on the target of the man two down from me, Chan's. Oh, yeah! Remember the time on one of our long marches in Training that you fell into the ditch beside the road, Chief. While everyone was laughing, you stood up at the bottom of the ditch with a mean look on your face. You said all the people that laughed, get down and give me 20 pushups. Chol, Dok, and I remained standing while everybody else did their 20. After they had finished, you looked at the three of us with that sly grin of yours, saying, 'Those who lied, get down and give me 40!' That's when I understood that this wasn't your first day out of baby diapers."

     After much prodding, I told the men one of my old recruit stories from long ago, "Well, I had been at West Point about two weeks. We were in week two of the six-week CBT, Cadet Basic Training. Our company of Plebes and I thought we were old-timers. We knew everything. Some bright bulb came up with the idea to write "KICK ME"  on a piece of red paper and put a piece of tape on it. We would put it in a chair just before someone sat down. When the guy would stand up, several of us would foolish kick him in the rear. All of us would break out in laughter. This stupidity couldn't be helped, we were just teenagers, and everything stupid amused us. Okay, so, this one afternoon, unknown to the rest of us, one out-of-his-mind recruit slips the sign in the Sergeant's chair just before he sat down. The recruit ran out the back door of the barracks.

    Meanwhile, the Sergeant stands up and walks out his office door, putting his back toward me. I didn't know who it was because I had just walked into the hallway. I'm zeroed in on seeing the red sign and getting the first kick in. Wham, I connected with Sergeant Masterson's rear end with my boot at full force. Everyone sitting around the barracks looked up in total shock. I laughed like a hyena until Sergeant Masterson turned around to face me with a face redder than the devil's outfit. I had never heard many of the curse words he called me that day. By the time he was through cussing me, and it took some time, I felt about one inch tall. Then comes the really foolish part. I told the Sergeant that I only kicked him because he had a red sign on his rear that told me to. Uh, oh. Now, the entire company was in for it. We marched all that night in the freezing rain, with Sergeant Masterson yelling at us as he drove alongside in his warm car."

     Instead of laughing, the men just stared at me with a look of horror in their eyes. Mabior quietly commented, "Chief, I cannot imagine you doing such a horrible thing to your superior. You are always so calm, polite, and professional. I cannot believe that they did not dismiss you from the Army."

     I vowed never to tell another childhood story again. It is clearly seared into their brains that I'm old, and never was I young and full of mischief.

     Samuel took me aside at the first opportunity after the story incident, telling me, "Chief, we are young men. Our horror at you being a young, impetuous person at one time in your life is only due to our enormous respect for you as you are today. No man among us harbors any disrespect or contempt for you. You just showed us an honest and human side of you. We would put our life on the line for you.

     Looking at Samuel, I replied, "Thank you, Samuel, I realize that, but I think that I just got a hard taste of reality. I'm getting on in years. It gets a little scary when one thinks about becoming useless in society."

     Thrusting his hands on my shoulders, Samuel, with a gritty look on his face, said, "Chief, we nor anyone else are putting you out to pasture. You are just beginning to put on that mature look of a real leader. You are not going anywhere. You are the glue that holds The Team together. Useless? Never!"

     Still, those visions entered my thoughts at times - more every day.

     The Team arrived at the compound victorious but tired, stiff, and ready for a long night's rest.

     They were shocked when I called all of them for a special meeting early the following morning.

     At the meeting, running my eyes back and forth to scan everyone, I said quietly, "Team, I realized last night that we had made a huge mistake in our prep and performance of the last mission. We placed our faith in and relied on our anger and weapons instead of relying on God. We could have taken that BH team with minimal casualties if we performed in our normal mode. We had the opportunity to do much better as far as discipleship. Tomorrow, starting at sunrise, we will fast till sundown. Be here before sunrise. We'll spend the day in prayer to ask our Lord for forgiveness and the wisdom to repent."

     All hung their heads low and agreed with the plan. "If we are going to represent our Lord, we will do it as a living-loving example of Him. We will rely on and trust Him fully, " I told them all these things with me sharing fully in the guilt.

 

 

Chapter 9 Leah Throws a Wrench Into Recruitment

 

 

SHORT IN HEIGHT, TALL IN COURAGE

Chapter 9

Leah Throws a Wrench Into Recruitment

 

     Mabior and I pitched the idea of enlarging The Team by one more member. Our missions were increasing in complexity and demands. With Diemba's addition, we added light artillery capabilities to our missions. Too, we needed this extra man to give Samuel a much-needed hand with mission and training planning. WCPN had given us permission and funding to bring in enough men to double our size, but we are a lightweight, fast-strike unit. Doubling our size would mean becoming more top-heavy and sluggish in our planning and reaction time. The Team knows what one another will most likely do in combat situations with very little verbal communication through intensive group training.

     At our meeting on adding a member, The Team voted unanimously for adding a member. Amani has a good head for planning. We voted to accept Samuel's request for Amani, the brain, to become his assistant. Uncharacteristically, Amani showed genuine excitement about the opportunity to use his photographic memory and analytical mind in conjunction with Samuel's unpredictable mind. The recruit, after boot camp, would be assigned to Mar for individual tactical training. After training in that area, he would join Dut to form a much-needed intel unit. Once again, we began the laborious process of recruitment.

     We put out the word through the intelligence grapevine and locally through family contacts. The following day we awoke to the compound open area filled with people wanting to join. The prospects ranged from tall to short, from too fat to skinny, from low IQs to high hate issues. We scratched our heads at the two Muslims that wanted to join. They were lovable old characters, and we fed them before turning them down. In general, we turned most people down due to not meeting our first and primary requirement: one must be an extremely devout Christian.

     This daily routine of rejecting candidates went on for the entire week. Everyone was exhausted. I would stand up to stretch, grab some coffee, and see if the lines had shortened.

     We decided, intelligently, to cease local open recruitment. We would check out more reliable leads from other sources.

     Three weeks later, I received a call from Leah in Tel Aviv asking if she could bring a recruit to me for inspection. Being Leah, I said, "Of course."

     A meeting would be arranged the following week. In closing, Leah said something that concerned me, "JJ, promise me that you'll keep an open mind when interviewing this one."

     My thoughts were removed from Leah's cryptic phone conversation by a call from WCPN. Mabior walked in at that moment. The voice on the other end was filled with excitement, "JJ, last night our China team performed its first strike!"

     I turned to Mabior with the same excitement in my voice, "Get The Team in here. The China team pulled off its first strike last night!" At those words, Mabior shot out of the office. It seemed like under a minute before The Team was around me in the lobby. With my phone on speaker, WCPN's contact kept repeating, "One moment, decrypting." Deng led everyone in a short prayer for the safety of the China team.

     After the agonizing pause for decryption, a familiar voice took over at WCPN's end. "Team, this is General Iverson, here is the first and only dispatch so far, 'Attack made on detention center for Religious Counter-Productive-Peoples Remodification, holding thousands of Christians and Muslims. Virus inserted in computer servers for power systems and security systems. When up and running will show this message, 'Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.' Further updates as safe.'"

     The general resumed, "Team, God has brought new brothers and sisters. Keep up the good work, and welcome to the China Team. Remember to lean on God for everything."

     The cheers erupted immediately upon my disconnecting but soon faded away as Samuel got down on his knees. All followed his action. The China Team needed our prayers and God's strength.

     Several days later, Leah called to arrange a visit. I completely forgot to address her previous cryptic call. She would be here on Thursday this week, so it wasn't a big deal. The visit would address our current equipment and manpower needs, according to her. She likes to keep on top of the situation for up-to-date capabilities of The team concerning missions. In a strangely nonchalant manner, she threw in that she was bringing the recruit. 

     Thursday morning rolled around, and I asked Mabior to pick up Leah at the airport. Without lifting his head from paperwork, he said, "Send Samuel."

     That caught me by surprise, "I just thought you might enjoy getting out of the office."

     Mabior looked up at me, "Chief, send Samuel." He locked eyes with me as a devious grin materialized on his face.

     "Oh, I get it. Am I that dense, or am I getting old? I forgot about their flaming romance. I'll phone Samuel." As I went for my phone, Mabior grabbed my hand.

     "Chief, he left an hour ago in flames," his smile persisted the rest of the morning, along with mine. Then, Samuel and Leah returned with a huge surprise.

     The main door squeaked. In walked Leah, Samuel, and I didn't know who. These things seem to happen often with Samuel around. Mabior nudged me, but I just shrugged.

     We greeted Leah, Samuel, and their guest, introduced as Hosseini Mazandarani. I recognized the name as Persian,  but that was the only recognizable thing.

     Leah just blurted it out, "This is a member of the Iranian killer squad who came after us in the office. He has been under intense investigation and interrogation these past few months. His story is that he and his family are Christian. We vetted him, JJ. He was forced into taking on this suicide mission to save his family. We should have his family out of Iran and danger within 48 hours. We at Mossad think he would make an excellent addition to The Team with his military training and his solid Christian beliefs."

     Mabior inducted himself into the conversation, "Why would The Team wish to acquire an animal as a member?" He looked over at Leah, scolding her, "You walk in here selling us on Iranians as God-fearing men. Never will I accept an Iranian as one of my team members," then he spit on the floor as he walked away.

     Samuel, Leah, and Hosseini were taken aback at Mabior's words. Leah snapped at me, "You need to chastise and punish Mabior for such rude words and actions."

     I shot back at Leah, "I'm in command! You don't know these men like I do. Mabior's family was killed by an Al Qaeda group led by an Iranian, who remains free to this day."

     Hosseini's face lit up at my words, "I understand how Mabior feels. I must talk to him. He is killing himself with this hate."

     Putting my hand up in front of Hosseini's face, I ordered him to stop right there. "Hosseini, it will take time for Mabior to accept you, but our Lord is strong within him."

     Samuel put his arm around Hosseini, saying, "I know Mabior. He is a good man. Give him time and space. Your presence has struck a very damaged nerve that God is in the process of healing."

     Looking down at the floor, I was in deep thought about the situation. I said to Leah and Hosseini, "This is something that needs to be addressed to The Team. We will hold a meeting to consider this tonight. That's the best I can do for now. Give me his papers, and Samuel, take Leah and Hosseini to a hotel for the night. We will meet again in the morning at 10:00 am."

     That night, the meeting was an exception to 99% of our meetings. It was brisk, to say the least. But I loved the meeting's change of pace. I knew the men were taking the matter of accepting a new candidate very seriously, as they should. I gave the floor to Mabior first, "I can never accept a snake as a member of The Team." He sat down, folded his arms across his chest, and lowered his head with chin on his chest. I loved Mabior's obstinance because one shouldn't be wishy-washy with their beliefs. We should demand facts and actions before we change our opinions and ideas.

     Everyone stood and spoke with the resulting opinion that we needed more info and facts as a team. God would send that the next day in a most persuasive manner.

     The morning began with the usual layer of heat and humidity covering us like a weighted blanket. I walked to the coffee shack about 9:30. I needed my large morning high-dose coffee. Mabior was always either there or coming up close behind. Arriving at the shack, I signaled the usual to Fred, the owner. Looking around for Mabior, I thought this was strange. Where is he? I gathered my coffee, took a couple of short and scalding sips, then headed for the office to meet with Leah and Hosseini. Up ahead near the compound entrance, I saw a large crowd gathered. My walk turned to a fast trot.

     Working through the crowd, I came upon Mabior, Leah, Samuel, and Hosseini standing around a man lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious. I asked Mabior to fill me in on the details.

     Mabior had a stunned look on his face like he had seen a ghost. All he could manage was, "Chief, this Iranian just saved my life."

     Samuel grabbed me by the arm, telling me, "Chief, this man lying here pulled an AK from under his macawii and attempted to shoot Mabior. Hosseini recognized the man, grabbed Mabior's 357 out of its holster, and placed three shots in the man's chest. It was some fast action, Chief."

     Hosseini interrupted, "Mr. Jefferson, I know this man. He was a member of my unit in Iran. He could only be here for one reason; spread fear and death."

     What could I say to that? I looked around at everyone, then asked, "Is everyone okay? Anyone hit. Any bystanders hit?"

     Samuel responded, "Everyone, including the crowd, is okay, Chief. What a way to start the morning, huh Leah?"

     Leah smiled, then commented, "Told you, JJ. He's solid."

     Mabior turned to Hosseini, then put his hand on his shoulder, saying, "You don't act like any Iranian I've ever been around." That was it. He walked away toward the coffee shack.

     Samuel elbowed Hosseini, "You impressed him."

     Looking at the fading sight of Mabior, Hosseini remarked, "He was a man whom I looked up to long before I met him. The man leading the Al Qaeda unit that killed his family told me about this young man there. Four men tried to subdue him, but he knocked out every one of them. As he ran away, he shouted in Arabic, 'I will return someday with God's wrath as my weapon.' That is why, in Iran, we call The Team 'The Wrath of God.'

     Leah, Samuel, and I stared at Hosseini in stunned silence at his story.

     Staring at the ground, Hosseini muttered, "I will always be Mabior's servant to try to make amends for my Iranian colleague's actions that day."

     That afternoon, The Team voted unanimously to accept Hosseini into training, with Mabior's blessing.

     After the meeting, Mabior walked into the office, sat down, and exhaled sharply. "Chief, I have done something that I will always be ashamed of."

     "You want to talk about it?" I was very concerned. That was the look he had on his face when I first met him.

      With his head hung low, tears hit the floor. He slowly lifted his head to look at me with those tear-filled eyes that were about to infect my eyes, too. "Chief, I let God down the last two days. I truly hated a man and wished for his death. I did this knowing full well that our Lord commands us to love even our enemies. I have committed a terrible sin against my God. I am writing out my resignation letter tonight. The Team is God's special group of soldiers that prefer to give love over hate. He does not deserve to have someone like me as a member of His team."

     At this point, I noticed Hosseini standing in the doorway. He walked to Mabior and kneeled before him, saying, "Mabior, you have done me no harm. You have just confessed before God that your actions were wrong. Ask for His forgiveness, my brother. I forgive you. What would this team be without you? You are a true man of God by the fact you are feeling such great distress over your actions that go against our Lord's commands. Stand up and take back your words about leaving. Your faith is strong. Jesus Christ did not die on that cross for nothing. Ask Him for forgiveness."

     Samuel and Deng rushed into the office in time to join everyone in prayer. The rest of The Team ran into the building and the office to participate in the prayers. We prayed long and hard with Mabior.

     Mabior and I walked into the compound with our coffees in hand the following day. The men were all standing around talking when Mabior yelled, "All right, it's time to grab your gear. Today's our scheduled 20-mile hike with a full pack and weapons. No excuses to get out of it. Everyone participates. Hosseini, you are not in training yet. However, if you want to be a member of this team someday, you'd better get one of the training packs and weapons - and get a move on. As our Chief likes to say, 'we're burning daylight!'"

     The Team moved out with Mabior calling one of the old army cadences  I had taught him:

"Me and Superman got into a fight

I hit him in the head with some Kryptonite

I hit him so hard I busted his brain

And now I'm dating Lois Lane

 

Well, me and Batman, we had one, too

I hit him in the head with my left shoe

Right in the temple with my left heel

And now I'm driving the Batmobile

     It felt good to be back on the road. Even if it meant marching all day. Townspeople lined the road, cheering the nonsense of the cadences. Samuel carried our unit guidon with the cross embroidered on it during all this. However, a duplicate Team followed today; Mabior's Children's Team. The CTeam, as we referred to them, brought up the rear.

     The CTeam is a unit of homeless boys and girls aged ten to 18. The requirements were strenuous and firm. Church attendance, Bible studies, and memorization are mandatory. We planned this long march with them in mind. The CTeam had been a secret for many months before being introduced to the world. These kids are well-mannered and well-trained. Their backpacks and supplies were purchased by Mabior until WCPN found out about them and took over supply.

     We stopped every five miles or so. Before any water or snacks, Everyone formed a circle around Samuel's guidon that was planted into the ground. The Team set an example of Godliness for these children by praying on their knees like real men.

     These kids loved Samuel. He wasn't any taller than most of them. All The Team, including Mr. Brain, Amani, warmed to the children. Hosseini came to me with this comment, "God transforms these tough soldiers into soft, loving, and caring human beings whenever they are around children. Such a sight warms my heart and assures me that I made the right decision."

     Through the Dinka cattle lands and villages, we marched. The people were astounded by the children's respect and reverence for adults. Many times, I heard, "These are surely the children of the rich who have attended private schools." When they were informed that the children were homeless, the comments were all similar, "These children are surely blessed by God, Himself."

     The march was one of the most pleasing marches I have ever been a part of. One's hope for the world's future must undoubtedly be bolstered by witnessing these children.

     Samuel walked in from the airport with Harry Oldman and Lachlan Eddington three weeks later. New recruit training was just two days away. Samuel publicly complimented Lachlan on his sobriety.

     The rest of the day was spent fine-tuning our training schedule for Hosseini. During our lunch, Lachlan related how he had run into Artie and Giff in Tel Aviv. Lachlan was impressed by their new Christian demeanor. Samuel saw that as his chance to reinforce Lachlan, saying, "And you, Lachlan, right in there with them. Sobriety looks great on you, brother." At that, we all had a good chuckle. When God wants you, give it up.

     The rugged training began the following Monday morning. Hosseini performed very well. He taught Harry, Lachlan, and The Team a few insider tips for recognizing Iranian assassin unit members or observers in a crowd and what to expect in responses once they are identified. The top lesson he taught us was that the assassin units come in sixes with one of the six an explosive belt carrier - usually. Do not attack one till you have identified the others. They are lethal when backing up their unit members. Unit members are trained to work stealthily around, beside, and behind you and your team members. Our villager safety cordon had disorganized the assassin team that I was a member of. That was a good tactic on your part, but you had prior intel that we were coming. Another difference with my unit was that we could not find an explosive man. Our particular incursion was organized hastily because our generals were embarrassed by The Team capturing the plutonium in Somalia. Their minds were full of revenge, not intelligence.

     One afternoon, Samuel, Mabior, and I drove to the training grounds to observe Hosseini in action while in martial arts training. Harry informed us that Hosseini was very well trained in the arts of hand-to-hand combat already. They ran through a series of moves and counter-moves for us. We were impressed.

     About this time, Mabior nonchalantly told Lachlan to give us a demonstration of his skills at disarming someone. Mabior plied at Lachlan's ego by saying, "I've heard so much about your skills in the martial arts, Lachlan. Go against Samuel. You're up for that, aren't you, Little Brother?"

     Samuel's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, answering, "Would love it. I'm always up for learning from the best."

     Lachlan looked Samuel up and down, smirking, "Sammy, I don't want to hurt you, little guy, but I'll go easy on you. Come over here."

     Samuel walked over with excited steps and a severe expression on his face.

     Taking the Scars laying on the training table beside them. Samuel pointed the Scars at Lachlan, and, as he put his finger on the trigger, Lachlan launched at Samuel securing the gun in one smooth motion. Immediately, Samuel lunged back, grabbed the poor man's right forearm, then proceeded to flip Lachlan in the air while securing the Scars rifle. Lachlan landed with a hard thud knocking the air from his lungs. When he managed to catch a breath and open his eyes, Samuel stood looking down at him with the Scars pointed at his nose.

     Keeping the rifle pointed at the bewildered Lachlan's nose, Samuel muttered softly, "Hope I didn't hurt you, Lachlan. I was a little too aggressive."

     Mabior, Harry, and I were rolling with laughter while Hosseini looked at Samuel with a perplexed look. Speaking to nobody in particular, Hosseini said, "I have heard many stories about Mr. Samuel, but I have never seen a man of his size brutalize a man of Lachlan's size and physical prowess. I assumed the stories about him must be inflated, but I now realize why The Team and his opponents have such reverence for him."

     The months of rigorous training ended for Hosseini. Now came the usual period of team assimilation. The period's length depended on the rookie's social skills. Some were digested by The Team quickly, while some, like Amani, Mr. Brain, required more time. In the end, each person slid neatly into the position that served the team best. Hosseini's job came to be as the lead Intelligence Officer. He became one of the most accurate of all the intel officers I had ever been associated with. Fully understanding the importance of his position and the ramifications of being off on minor details complimented his attention to the overall planning portion of missions.

     Just before graduation, Hosseini's family joined him in Yei. This family was a welcome addition to The Team. One of the most touching moments of The Team was when Hosseini and his wife, Haleh, asked Shermake at The Team's annual awards banquet to become their officially adopted son. Shermake was overcome by this invitation. He accepted their kind offer. Haleh told him that they would in no way displace his real family and any of their memories. The purpose of adopting him was to give him a place of refuge. Shermake, who joined Thon to become an ambush specialist, had been thriving since joining The Team, but I and everyone sensed something was missing. Now, he could be whole again in spirit. All the Dinkas on The Team that had lost their families had been adopted by relatives. Family is an integral part of mental health.

     Life had been rolling along smoothly lately. Samuel joined Mabior and me for coffee at Fred's Shack this particular morning. Strange, but all three of us had that uneasy feeling about this smooth road. Samuel's face took on that familiar far-away look as he mused, "We've worked up preliminary plans for many different situations. Maybe we should update our plans for Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram's loathsome leader."

     Mabior looked at Samuel, expressing his agreement, "Little Brother, when you say these things with that look on your face, I think our Lord is speaking directly to you. As soon as we get to the office, we'll pull all of Shekau's files, then request a full update from Mossad and the SDIU (South Sudanese Army Intel Unit). I'll ask our new Intel Officer, Hosseini, to put his nose to the ground to see if he can smell anything cooking.

     I loved to just sit and listen to these two men talk strategy. They are so dangerous to the opposition. Their grasp of the situation was always quick and straightforward. Once they grasped it, they began spitting out a plan of action. They weren't afraid to make bad decisions. They both learned this from Mark Iverson. Mark, God rest his soul, liked to tell people who were fearful of making a wrong decision, "Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions. So, get with it." I miss him and Chan so much. The day Chan, without hesitation, ran toward that Russian, he was making a wrong decision, but he was not afraid to make a decision when the situation demanded it.