SHORT IN HEIGHT, TALL IN COURAGE The Story of God's African Special Forces Unit
Chapter 17
Samuel Walks Into the Fire
The Team was the audience for a play performed by the private school created for The Children's Team and many other local homeless children. The school provided room and board, meals, clothing, and schooling. The children were subject to strict discipline and academic standards, but love and caring were the cornerstones of the institution. The instruction was solid with Christian beliefs and practices, but being Christian was not required. Eventually, most of the children came to Christ voluntarily.
This night's play was about a young Dinka Tribesman who had been totally transformed by the acceptance of Christ during one of the most challenging periods of his life. Locals in attendance were privileged to witness the soft hearts of The Team during the play's somber moments. I'm sure their thoughts were something like, "These tough and battle-hardened soldiers openly weep as if they are soft." And we do have an underlying softness beneath these life-hardened shells. As Christians, we do not look like the world. If we mirror the world, we need to review our lives and lifestyles. We are tough as nails when our Lord commands us but soft as feathers otherwise.
After, The Team walked home together in an untidy formation for military men. Talk, laughter, greeting the locals along the way. I enjoyed these moments in life. It was a peaceful, slow-motion, carefree, and relaxed moment in a life that had held so few of these since my joining the army eons ago.
I had used that word, eons, recently talking to Amani. His computer brain did this, "Chief, an eon in science is equal to a billion years. Are you using one of your exaggerations?"
These men really enjoyed the company of one another. There was a great deal of veneration for one another. I was watching them develop into men capable of operating independently of me. On one level, it was sad yet, such an honor to see them grow and handle situations on their own. I never discussed private thoughts about my reflections and feelings. Samuel alone could scale the walls around my intimate and innermost feelings. He constantly nailed what I was thinking and feeling. His mind-reading was a little on the spooky side. I think Jesus must have had this same effect on his disciples. I often prayed that I could have faith on the level of Samuel.
With that thought, as mentioned earlier running through my mind, Samuel came up from behind saying, "I had a peculiar dream last night that I was riding on a fire engine headed to a fire in of all places, Central African Republic. It was one of those dreams that are so real that you wake up in a sweat."
My phone went off. Answering, "James Jefferson here."
On the other end came, "Mr. Jefferson, General Chuol here. I am very sorry to disturb you, but we have a delicate situation regarding Al Qaeda conducting raids on missionary groups working in Central African Republic. They launch these raids from South Sudanese territory. Central African Republic informed us that they will if we cannot handle the situation. Strange, AQ isn't killing people or taking hostages like normal. I may be way off the mark on this one, but it looks like the purpose of these raids is to set up a situation where Central African Republic would declare war on South Sudan."
"I agree, General. AQ never attacks without violence. That's the signature used to sign incursions."
General Chuol continued, "I ask myself, who would benefit from that situation? My only answer is an alliance has been formed with the old Janjaweed Arab Militia to obtain power in Central African Republic due to their current political problems and the ongoing famine. It wouldn't be beneath those two groups to use Christians and their influence to bring on war. A war that would eventually lead to the deaths of many innocents. The President has ordered me to pursue this while keeping it quiet due to its delicate nature."
Silence was my only answer for the moment. I had been fed a lot to chew. I asked myself, why are we being pulled into these situations lately that appear to be strictly non-Christian matters. Of course, this is Africa, the land of the amateur power alliances and power struggles. It is a daily chess game dealing with all these trivial dictators that steal national wealth while hoodwinking the public with a contrived threat to its national or internal security. I had a good rapport with the General, but it didn't mean that he would hesitate to use The Team and me to advance his fortunes in politics. I had to stall for a bit of time to investigate this further and talk it over with WCPN, General Iverson, and The Team.
The General asked, "Mr. Jefferson, are you still there?"
Clearing my throat, I countered with, "Yes, sure, sorry. Your words just caught me off guard. General, may I have a couple of days to speak with my superiors and The Team to examine our schedule? I'm sure you are aware that we just arrived back from a challenging mission where we suffered the loss of one of our most respected colleagues."
"Mr. Jefferson, of course, you can have those two days, and I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of your colleague, Mr. Aexei Fedorov. The danger to Christians in the area is genuine. Please, give my request a high priority, and contact me in two days."
"Yes, sir. I realize there is a danger and will contact you." All eyes were upon me as I disconnected. Looking but not seeing, deep in thought, I told The Team, "We need to pray. I get the feeling that governments are using our notoriety and power to put forth their personal agendas. We must never forget that we do all of this for the glory of God - only. If we do it for any other reason, we are just another military unit among the countless units throughout the world. Let's meet at 9:00 am in the morning. I need to contact WCPN and the General first to let them know what is going on."
Bolstered with Fred's strong coffee from The Coffee Shack, The Team was quite talkative and in good spirits as the meeting began. The meeting opened with prayers, as is the unwritten rule. Opening with the prayer always puts us into the correct frame of mind pointing us toward God.
I Began, "Gentlemen, WCPN agrees with my assessment that we may be viewed as a vehicle to further political advancement. They ordered General Iverson to contact General Chuol to tactfully let him know that we serve God, not the South Sudanese Government or its military. He will explain to him that we stand by his government against any organization or country that attempts to use The Team to bring down or discredit the sovereign government of South Sudan. He will reiterate the fact that we are not a true military unit. If necessary, we are set up to rescue by force, but primarily still a rescue force. We will begin the planning and prep to take down Al Qaeda in Central African Republic. By the way, the General informed me that Janjaweed Militia is not cooperating with Al Qaeda in the area. In fact, Janjaweed has recently attacked and killed an Al Qaeda unit operating in Chad. That fact could bring pressure from Janjaweed on the South Sudanese Government to protect it against reprisals by AQ. The General reminded me about Janjaweed's past dealings with the South Sudanese Government through weapons sales to promote conflict in Central African Republic. We must always consider 'who gains' by our involvement. Gentlemen, this case is even more muddled than normal, but there are Christians at risk in the area. We will attempt to slap Al Qaeda to let them know we will not sit idly by and let them harm or terrify Christians. Hopefully, a slap rather than a full-out war will suffice."
Planning went on well into the night. Our general plan settled on a team of two men who would attempt to infiltrate the lead element of AQ to trick them into reversing direction. The reverse would push them into our main body, ambushing them at a location with the best tactical advantage. We always prefer to fight on our terms and sites that best suit our abilities. Any prisoners will be handed over to the South Sudanese Military. Travel will be by vehicle to an area near the border of Central African Republic. A meeting with intel at that point will give us an up-to-date idea of where the enemy is currently located. Our plans will be adjusted as necessary by The Team and individually as we get into actual contact with the enemy, as usual. Ideally, we want to stay out of Central African Republic, but, just in case, the General is informing his contacts with Central African Republic of our possible sortie into their country. I have put in a request for Israeli Drone Team coverage. We have yet to receive an answer.
Tapping my pencil on the table, I looked slowly around the room at each member, saying, "We move out day after tomorrow just before daybreak. Tomorrow, check and clean all weapons - again. Ensure we have 20% more ammo, food, and fuel than planned. The usual stock of medical supplies. Samuel and Alek will be our two-man Team to make the swing around the AQ Unit. They will take their keffiyehs and thawbs with a couple extra."
I had a gut feeling the way African politics are that I should get these words out there, "If - we encounter an overwhelming situation, you must all strike back like crazed madmen. We are Christians, but God does not ask us to go down without fighting. Therefore, we will not go down without inflicting appalling damage to the enemy. If a time were to come when we knew that we faced the threat of annihilation, the enemy must know without a doubt that, in their victory, they will suffer an unrecoverable defeat. I tell you this because, as fighters for God, you must always be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice. Our opponents are not built of the loving ingredients that we are."
Mabior stood and announced, "I speak for The Team; we are prepared for death. God is our cause worth dying for! Our God is our Raison d'etre. For God!"
At that, the entire Team jumped up, shouting, "For God! For God! For God!."
The following morning, the air was fresh and relaxing as we began the 836-mile journey to the border of Central African Republic. Along the way, we would check in on various villages to give them some needed medical supplies.
Soon, the dirt sifted in, coating us with God's natural powder. Constantly, we cleaned and changed engine filters, CD players, eyes, and anything else with moving parts. The barrels of our weapons were covered till needed to keep some of the powder out, but daily cleaning was still necessary. Teeth were invariably full of grit while eating and drinking.
We supplied the grateful villages with needed medical supplies. In addition to that critical task, we gathered intel from the villagers whenever possible. The South Sudanese people were not ignorant. They knew Al Qaeda was an evil that would grow like a weed once planted in the area, choking out the good.
We reserved ten days travel time, driving nearly 24 hours a day. South Sudanese Army units met us at pre-planned points to refuel our tanks and reserve tanks. As we neared our striking range, the locals gave us sordid details of Al Qaeda's impact. Their stories sounded like Al Qaeda was settling in to set up a Boko-Haram-model power coup. The situation was very disconcerting, knowing what we do about the aftermath of such coups. The locals ran up to our vehicles as we drove through their villages, begging for our protection. We felt for them. The South Sudanese Army could only chase them into Central African Republic then vice versa back into South Sudan. As an independent non-army unit not associated with a particular government, we could, with permission, go country to country. We traveled with a license to cross the border as needed, albeit temporary and through sometimes shaky channels.
No Drone Team coverage was a kick in the pants. I was forced to send the twins, Ali and Kuol, a mile ahead as advance scouts dressed in their Arab thawbs and keffiyehs. The twins had really come alive after I had given them the scout positions a few months ago. They seemed to take their jobs very seriously and competitively.
After Ali and Kuol had launched themselves ahead of the main convoy, I received a call from Ali, who was riding shotgun at the moment. He informed me of an apparent AQ roadblock just over the hill where they had stopped to make plans for confronting them. There were two of them driving a pickup with a machine gun mounted on the back. Ali said he would call back before the approach if it seemed necessary.
Kuol drove off the road into a farmer's field bordering the road. As he and his teenage son stopped plowing to talk with the Scouts, Kuol climbed out of the vehicle and extended his hand. Kuol told the Farmer that he was the lead scout for The Team.
With eyes wide at that piece of info, The man commented, "Have you come to save us from that merciless scum that has invaded our land?"
Kuol told the Farmer, "Yes, but we really need some help from you and your son. Is there any way you could stir up a bunch of dirt into the air with your cow? Two Al Qaeda men are blocking the road just over the hill there, and we need them to think a large military convoy is chasing us. "
The Farmer and his son fell over themselves as they jumped into action, saying, "We will hook up to that old tree we cut down over there and pull it around the field, stirring up a great deal of dirt. You go, and let us do our work. God Be with you."
Kuol and Ali hopped back into their vehicle and headed for the road. Kuol stopped near the top of the hill, then both got out to peer at the roadblock. Having assessed the enemy and its position, they looked back to see a large plume of dirt rising in the air from the Farmer and his son working their magic.
Ali and Kuol took off for the AQ roadblock. The AQ men jumped to their battle stations as the unknown vehicle came over the hill. The SUV rolled slowly to a stop about 20 feet from the AQ pickup. Ali and Kuol stuck both their arms out the window showing the men they were unarmed. Climbing slowly out, Kuol let Ali do the intro. Ali said in Arabic, "Brothers, we are with you. We are part of the Al Qaeda unit attacked a few weeks ago. Managing to escape, we stole this vehicle."
The two AQ men kept their weapons trained on them as the twins ambled toward them.
Before one of the AQ men could ask questions, Kuol said frantically, "There is a military assault unit close behind us. See the dirt they are stirring up? We must escape quickly. Get in our vehicle. There is no time to waste, my brothers. Get in, now!"
The men were not quick thinkers. At first, they hesitated but were soon in the back seat of the twin's vehicle. Ali ordered them with a voice of authority to turn backward in their seat to shoot at the enemy, if necessary. The men didn't question.
No sooner had the men turned around than Ali had spun around himself facing the two in the back seat with his Scars leveled at them. He ordered in a calm voice, "Put your Aks on safety, lay them down, then turn around to face me with hands behind your backs. Now, you put these zip ties around your friend's hands. Then put this set of zip ties around his ankles."
Meanwhile, Kuol had turned the vehicle around, heading up and over the hill toward the Farmer and his son. Stopping on the road near them, Kuol motioned to them for assistance as he jumped out of the driver's seat and pointed his Scars at the men in the back seat. The Farmer and his son ran over to the vehicle as Kuol handed them both zip ties to bind the other man.
In his excitement at being a part of all this, the son commented, "Wait till I tell everyone that we helped The Team today to capture two Al Qaeda criminals."
Searching the two men, Ali found a large money roll. He gave it to the Farmer and his son for their help. They fell on their knees thanking Ali, but he pulled them up, saying, "Thank God. He is the one who makes all this possible."
Kuol phoned me with, "Mission accomplished. You should be just about on top of us. We are beside a field with a Farmer and his son."
As we pulled up alongside, we saw the two AQ men secured in the back seat. The twins walked up to my vehicle window with details. During the exchange, Kuol asked, "Chief, Ali found some money on them. He gave it to the Farmer and his son. The AQ pickup with the machine gun is on the other side of the hill. Could we give the Farmer the pickup, too?"
I answered, "Why would you even ask? Of course, give them the pickup after we remove the machine gun."
The old Farmer and his son fell to their knees, praising God when told about the windfall. The old man politely asked to meet Little Brother. He almost fainted as I called Samuel over. Samuel put his arms around him as he blessed him for the aid he had given in capturing the AQ boys. The Farmer told Samuel, "Now, I can go to my grave a satisfied man having met the holy man of The Team, and receiving his blessing."
We handed over the prisoners at our next fuel stop with the South Sudanese Military. This time, we could not afford to set them free. Al Qaeda was getting too aggressive, too strong in this area. This was our last fuel stop. According to intel, action was imminent. AQ had become aware of our presence and purpose in the area. Less than an hour ago, they had made an about-face, moving toward Central African Republic. We looked over the maps, loaded weapons, and all knelt down to pray.
As we stood after prayers, my phone went off. It was Leah with good news, "JJ, our Drone Team will be on station within the hour. Sorry for the delay, but Iran and Hezbollah are pressing us hard. The U.S. just informed us they are sending us several more drones, your eyes only. Tell General Iverson that Israel is in his debt. He'll understand. Keep an eye on my Sam. God sends him on such dangerous missions."
Her concern for Samuel mirrored my own. I replied to her, "Leah, you know that granting God permission to rule our lives is a requirement of being a member of The Team. Samuel is like watching a trapeze artist performing high above the ground. He scares you to death, imagining what could happen, but he trusts God to take care of him."
It took some time, but, eventually, we received the Drone intel locating the exact GPS locations of the Al Qaeda Unit. Gathering everyone to me, I unrolled the map on the hood of my SUV. Mabior went over the terrain info, such as slopes, grades, rivers, jungle, etc. Then, he hammered away at the men about each of their duties and locations in the upcoming ambush. He reiterated to Samuel and Alek to ask for help if there was any doubt about the outcome of their situation.
Dressed in their Arab robes and headgear, the two had let their beards and hair grow out for some time. They looked and acted the part. Our Little Brother could take on the look of a taller person when the need arose. What else he could do, we all speculated about. I know one thing, Alek was totally psyched to be Samuel's partner on this Mission. Everyone seemed to enjoy operating with Samuel. He pumped you up to a new high. You had no doubt about his eventual success when he told you whatever crazy plan he was about to initiate.
Alek leaned over to Samuel, sniffing around him and asking, "What's that smell?"
Matter-of-factly, Samuel replied, "Lighter fluid," as he pulled a container of it out from under his thawb, "it's for our fire scene."
Looking at him with a concerned expression, Alek exclaimed, "Do What?"
"Don't worry, Leah and I soaked the thawbs in fire retardant before we left." Then Samuel rubbed both hands against the side of Alek's thawb, asking, "Well, while we're at it, what's that?"
Alek retorted, "It's just that Thompson submachine gun that General Iverson gave me. Wanted to use it in a real-life situation to test it out."
Samuel shot back, "Same here, wanted to try out this fire scene in a real-life situation to test it out."
At that last remark, both men hugged one another and laughed.
Mabior yelled, "Samuel and Alek quit playing and lead the men in prayer."
After a mighty prayer, The Team jumped to their feet, shouting, "For God!"
Samuel and Alek were off on their journey around AQ to front them. With the mere foot-trodden trails in the area, AQ had the advantage of using the main highway. However, there was one significant advantage we had over AQ, helicopters. The South Sudanese army had supplied us with a transport helicopter to fly Samuel and Alek to a good vantage point in front of the fleeing AQ Militia Unit. WCPN had recently asked the U.S. military if they had any old transport helicopters they could supply to South Sudan. It was a request with a two-sided purpose, as you can see. South Sudan needed helicopters, and WCPN needed helicopter transport to upgrade The Team's transportation. You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.
The helicopter landed twelve miles inside Central African Republic borders. The two-man Team had a long and arduous journey ahead of them, whether they were successful or not. Meanwhile, The main body of The Team drove on toward Central African Republic. We would set up a base camp about a mile from the border of Central African Republic.
POC, point-of-contact, came for the two-man Team ten and one-half miles inside Central African Republic. With the Drone Team directing them, Samuel and Alek worked their way within striking distance for a night attack. Their assault would not be a genuine attack. They would do just enough to deceive AQ into thinking there was a sizable squad to their front. Hopefully, that would turn them facing in our direction. Applying just enough force to pressure them toward our ambush point. Our belief was that a light pressure would not cause them to send out scouts ahead of them. In other words, we wanted them in a close-to but not-panicked mode. If we put too much pressure on them, they would scatter to the surrounding jungle in small groups or individually, making it difficult to round them up. Once we had a good sense of their reaction, we would move forward to cut the distance. As usual, it involves a lot of what-ifs. Two well-trained men with good intel can wreak havoc and control a much larger untrained force.
Samuel and Alek crept to a comfortable position in the jungle beside the AQ Unit's path. It was not an arbitrary spot just to catch a view of the passing scoundrels. Israeli engineers had performed a great deal of testing and calculation in choosing this particular spot on the road. According to their testing and analyses, this is where the motors of AQ's vehicles would give out after fueling with a bleach-fuel blend to be inserted into their vehicles. To help out with the fueling, Mossad had conveniently purchased the only petrol station for miles, and you can quickly figure out the rest. This had all been suggested to Mossad's Tech Unit by, you guessed it, Samuel. The Tech Unit had jumped at the extraordinary idea. The exact location for the breakdown was handpicked, also. It had an abandoned cattleman's home beside the road for the AQ Unit to spend the night camped around it. The area around the shack had very recently been cleared of all jungle growth. Yes, Mossad just happened to contract some locals to clear that area.
As our underequipped adversary drove down the highway into the mouth of the alligator, the average person might even begin to feel sorry for these unsophisticated men.
Mabior was the first to notice the lack of ruthlessness compared to past AQ encounters. We discussed the group that the twins had encountered. They never fired a shot nor put up an argument about leaving with them. Top that off with the fact they left their machine gun sitting there. According to the Mossad agents that fueled the main AQ Unit, they were clueless. They left their weapons in the vehicles as they ran around joking and laughing with one another while being fueled. Eyebrows were being raised all up and down the line. We discussed all this with Samuel and Alek. Hopefully, this mystery will be solved by contact.
Thon made a good observation, "AQ is like any army; there are the highly trained squads, then there are the cannon fodder squads."
The AQ vehicles rolled slowly to a stop directly in front of Samuel and Alek. They watched as the AQ boys rolled sleepily out of their vehicles minus their weapons. This group had absolutely no concern for the oddity of all the vehicles stopping at the exact same moment, nor did they secure the area by deploying pickets. Now, Mossad and we were dying to know, "Who are these people?"
The AQ boys or whoever they were ventured blindly into the clearing around the old shack and began prepping for an overnight stay. They set up no watches. Most shockingly, their weapons remained in the vehicles out on the highway. Was this bait to draw Samuel and Alek into an ambush? Mossad was so concerned that they pulled all recent satellite photos of the area. Looking for evidence of hidden AQ Units within striking distance, they put all the imagery through computer trolling software for any anomalies and camouflage separation. There could only be one answer to our mounting suspicions.
After conferring with Mossad, I contacted General Iverson, telling him, "We've got a problem. Nothing adds up here." Next, I called Samuel and Alek, giving them new orders, "Proceed with initial plans, but do not use deadly force on these men unless absolutely necessary."
The AQ group lay snoring away as Samuel and Alek entered the old shack and stood there watching them for several minutes. Finally, Samuel pulled up his thawb and grasped the large container of lighter fluid hidden under there. He squirted it generously overhead and on what remained of the crumbling walls in the shack. Alek located his Thompson machine gun under his thawb, noisily locking a round into the chamber. Samuel took the safety off his Scars. Then, Samuel lit the lighter-fluid-soaked walls. A brilliant light, followed by a whoosh, lit up the night while Alek fired off several rounds into the air from the extremely-loud Thompson. Alek shouted, "Wake up, the boss is here. Get out of bed, you slackers. We ain't gonna waste all this moonlight training-time for a bunch of too-lazy-to-get-out-of-bed jokers like you guys."
Waking up to the sight of the two men standing in the middle of a fire-filled shack, bullets flying, and being yelled at with crazy words was a scene from hell for the AQ boys."
The AQ men stood up, shaking and trembling from fear. Samuel and Alek told me later that they felt so sorry for those men, but they had to be sure of just whom they were dealing with.
Samuel and Alek sauntered out of the burning shack that was becoming a little too warm for comfort. The two walked through the men studying each one for signs of evil. After completing the visual exam, Samuel walked back to the front of the men with Alek at his side, swinging the Thompson side to side. Samuel cleared his throat then asked, "Just who are you, men? Who do you work for? You definitely aren't Al Qaeda. You may want to think you are, but you unquestionably are not. So, tell me, just who are you?
After nobody answered, Alek fired off several more rounds into the air from the terrifying Thompson, then demanded, "Talk - now! Don't make us use these weapons to force it out of you!"
Finally, a man raised his hand and spoke, "Sir, we are just poor men who have been forced to serve a very powerful man in Central African Government. We were to drive into South Sudan and scare people by telling them that we are Al Qaeda. Our intention was never to hurt anyone. After performing those acts, we were to drive back to Central African Republic and wait for further orders. That is all we are guilty of. We are good men that have been forced into these terrible acts."
Samuel ordered all the men to gather around him and Alek and to sit down. While Alek kept a wary eye upon the group, Samuel explained who they were and their orders to destroy their group. The men gasped at the knowledge of the men before them being members of The Team. They all turned onto their stomachs with their heads buried into the dirt and begging for mercy.
Samuel and Alek were a little dumbfounded by the sight around them. Asking a rhetorical question of Alek, Samuel did so with a look of confusion, "Alek, my Brother, what have we done to make people so fearful of us? Have we strayed so far from our Lord Jesus' path, or is it God's will for us to be this feared?"
Alek had an insight different from Samuel's. "Little Brother, I think it is only the enemies of our Lord that fear us, not the good people as we have seen."
Those words were all the encouragement Samuel needed. He told the AQ boys to sit quietly and don't go anywhere. As he walked out of the circle putting his phone to his ear, he assured the men, "We are not going to harm you."
Getting me on the phone, "Chief, we've got a really unexpected situation here. Waste no time in getting here. The fake AQ group is well under control. But here is my assessment: this squad is part of a deception arranged by some CAR official to help him pull off a government coup. Our group needs to get to Ouadda. Right now, we're near Obo. From here, Ouadda is about 745 miles, according to my GPS. Ask General Chuol if we can get choppers to take this whole 28 man group and The Team to Ouadda. We will confront the man I suspect is behind all this, Kashif Mitri. Tell him it's definitely a coup. I have seen some UN intel on the man I suspect of orchestrating all of this."
A lot of info flowed through my ear in a short time, "Samuel, let me digest this, then I'll make the calls. We don't know what we are getting ourselves into here. Do me a favor; let me do some thinking and planning this time. Deep into Central African Republic with no air support and backup. We could get ourselves into a tough situation."
Samuel had been breathing heavily the entire time I spoke. Now, he let me have it, in his kind way, of course, "Chief, I thought that was what this unit was all about: risking our lives to give aid and protection to those serving our Lord? I have the feeling that this man in Quadda is behind much of this Al Qaeda problem locally. I know you are being protective, and we appreciate that. At this very moment, If you asked, each man would agree to this added Mission."
He knows exactly what buttons to push, "Samuel, you stay right there. Do not make any moves till the rest of The Team arrives. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir!"
I asked General Iverson if he knew of a Central African Republic Government Minister named Kashif Mitri?
The General's reply spoke volumes about the man in question. "Don't tell me that Mitri is somehow involved."
I informed him that Samuel believes this man is trying to pull off a government coup in CAR.
General Iverson told me that he would call me back asap with new orders. Asap in this situation meant two hours. In the meantime, we were traveling at breakneck speed on these rutted South-Sudanese roads toward Samuel and Alek. I remained wary of an ambush by Al Qaeda.
At long last, General Iverson phoned, "JJ, the Drone Team gave me your GPS location. I'll text the GPS coordinates after I hang up. Choppers from the South Sudan military will pick up your Team within two hours. CAR choppers will pick up Samuel and Alek's group. This Mitri guy is a very dangerous man. Fortunately, his following in the CAR Army is limited. The CAR Prime Minister sends his gratitude and wants me to tell you that anything CAR has is at The Team's disposal. I'll call you with the game plan as soon as I receive it from South Sudan and CAR."
We arrived at our assigned location and waited. Three and a half hours later, the General called, "JJ, sorry for the long delay, but this is turning out to be a major operation between two countries. CAR Army units are not close enough to render assistance promptly. The choppers should be arriving for you within minutes. The CAR Army is not totally sure where loyalties are with Army officers in the area. On top of all else, CIA tells me he was the officer that requested the Iranians to kill Mabior's family years ago. Evidently, Mabior's Father had refused to pay Mitri a kickback on cattle sales. I'll leave discretion on this up to you. You are on scene and more aware of the situation."
That info hit me like a bullet. With all the strength I could summon to remain calm on the outside, I told the General, "I'll break it as gently as possible to him, Sir. But should he have a lapse in judgment, we won't hold that against him - correct?"
The General instantly spit out, "You read my mind, JJ. Tell Mabior that Mrs. Iverson and I have already been praying for his inner peace and God's wisdom, courage, and strength to handle this moment properly and to make it a spiritually healing event."
The choppers navigated toward a rendevous with one another after collecting both groups. Combined, we continued on toward Ouadda. During our flight, I kept an eye on Mabior. Waiting for the choppers, I had broken the news of who we were on our way to take custody of. On hearing that, Mabior had dropped his head between his hands for several minutes as he tried to process what he had been told. Finally, he raised his head, saying, "I must be alone to pray."
I will never ask Mabior what God told him, but he returned to the vehicle with red eyes.
Mabior spoke as if someone had lifted an enormous weight from him, "Chief, you deserve to know how I will react upon seeing this monster. First, I am not the same person that witnessed the horror of the massacre of my family that night. Since then, my Lord has dressed my spirit in new clothes. To honor God and my family, I will act in a very professional manner. I will not let this Kashif Mitri transform me into a likeness of him. Let's do this."
Struggling to talk, I managed this, "Mabior, I've never been prouder of one of my men than at this moment. God truly guides you and is in control of you in all things."
Landing just outside Quadda at the designated assembly area, We set up a defensive perimeter. Shortly, the other choppers carrying Samuel, Alek, and their men, landed near us.
I informed Samuel and Alek that I had sent the twins to scout the attack point for compound security and large armament. Samuel inquired about the two captives from the roadblock turned over to the South Sudanese Army. He had some genuine concerns for their well-being.
Samuel breathed a sigh of relief with my assurance that they were safe. His next concern was for Mabior's mental welfare. Retelling what Mabior had divulged to me, Samuel gave me a hug. Then, he walked over to Mabior to provide him with a loving brotherly hug. I overheard him tell Samuel, "Little Brother, with all the things you have taught to me, you know that I lean only on God for my strength - just as you do. But that does not mean that we cannot show this man that his horrible crimes against mankind will not go without punishment." Samuel merely replied with his too-big smile and a hug.
Kuol called, telling me, "Chief, strange but no security. This guy is either too cocky or ignorant about who he is dealing with. This man who he is staying with is really wealthy. He lives in a huge compound and mansion. We saw an old man sitting on a stool outside of his home on our way here. He waved and remarked, 'You are with The Team, aren't you? I told everyone that you would come. The man sleeping in that big house over there is a monster. I knew that your God would send his best to take him. Go in peace, my brothers. My mouth is sealed as to your presence.' Chief, Lock onto my GPS. Get The Team over here, and let's give this man a sample of God's power and justice. For Mabior and for God!"
I signaled to The Team to lock onto the twin's GPS signal and move out. Silently, we marched into the night with our night vision goggles lighting the way.
On the way, we saw sights of extreme poverty. Turning our heads side to side, we kept a high degree of vigilance. We have set too many ambushes to not be wary of them. Over time, we came to the old man sitting on the stool, just as Kuol had described him. He waved to us as someone waved to a friend. The men tossed MREs and other needed items to him. In response, he cupped his hands in a silent upward motion of his hands in thankfulness to God."
As we made our way to the east side of the compound, Ali and Kuol stepped out of their camouflaged spot to greet us. I spoke with the Twins and communicated by hand signal as was prudent and possible. Kuol explained that they had found a small gate hidden by years of overgrowth. The gate had no lock. As scouts, the sly duo of Ali and Kuol always carried WD40 to ease squeaking hinges. Clearing enough brush to squeeze through, the pair had examined the house and grounds for any surveillance or personnel detection equipment, but the result was negative.
Kuol remarked with concern, "Chief, this setup gives me the creeps. They are surely waiting for us, and stupid if they're not. This is almost Biblical with the enemy sleeping outside Jerusalem."
We all stood there silent for a moment, deep in thoughts of what lay before us. Close quarter fighting in a dark building has nothing but downsides to it.
Finally, Samuel said, "Let's pray." And we did. Right there, in one of the most dangerous places for us on this earth, we knelt down to the ground on our knees and prayed, trusting firmly in God.
As we finished our prayers, Samuel whispered, "We'll be just fine, now. God's in charge. Let's go."
I shot back at Samuel with, "Go where?"
Samuel took off walking as he turned his head toward me, "The front door. Our God doesn't sneak in the back door. He comes boldly through the front door.
The Team all whispered, "Yes, sir, For God!"
I looked at Mabior and smiled, "Since when did I lose command of The Team?"
Mabior answered, "Since God took over - on the first day."
Samuel, followed by The Team close behind, walked up to the front door and opened it. Shaking his head at the sheer impudence of no security, he had his Scars at the ready. Behind him, The Team pushed and shoved him to get in beside and in front of him. He pointed up the stairs as he took off on tiptoes upward. Carefully, The Team placed their footsteps on the edge of each stair to cut down on any creaking.
At the landing, we spread out to check every room. We found our boy at the very end of the east hallway. All of us had copies of the man's picture. Mabior and I stepped cautiously to the head of the bed. Mar and Deng stationed themselves at the bedroom door. They peered with Scars leveled down the hallway in case of curious onlookers. The rest of The Team formed a half-circle around the massive and intricately carved bed with their Scars pointing at the sleeping man's head. Samuel chuckled quietly. He later commented that he found the sight of this sleeping evil-man, surrounded as he was by good men with weapons, an apt example of God's sense of humor. I agreed.
Having confirmed to our satisfaction that the man lying there was our man, I motioned to Mabior to wake him up. Mabior-like, he stuck his 357 Mag against the man's nose as he shouted, "Wake up, your majesty!"
Startled, the man tried to raise up in bed but was prevented from doing so by his nose meeting Mabior's pistol with a loud snapping sound; the nose bent sideways. Almost immediately, blood poured from that unlucky nose. Evidently, in the process, he defecated himself at the sight that surrounded his bed. Out of his mouth came a nervous, "Who are you?"
I deferred to Mabior. He answered the man with, "Sir, we are Christians, also known as The Team. Now, just who are you?"
At the knowledge of who faced him, he stammered in a whisper, out of great fear, "I am Kareem Faizan, an important government official."
Mabior shoved the barrel of his pistol hard into the poor man's broken nose that bled profusely all over the elegant silk sheets, requesting of him to, "Speak up! Aren't you proud of who you are? And - you have a choice; your real name or your life."
At that, the man repeated his real name louder, though still stammering, "Kashif Mitri." Now, body tremors began.
Removing his gun barrel from Mr. Mitri's nose, he cleaned the blood from the barrel with the white silk sheet. Then he gave the bloody sheet to him, ordering him to clean himself. After the man had wiped the blood from his nose, painfully, Mabior commented, Mr. Mitri, you are a mess. You need to take better care of yourself. You're liable to run out of blood with nose bleeds like that."
Next, Mabior placed his pistol in its holster, then proceeded to tell the man that he would soon be handed over to CAR officials for crimes against his country. While explaining that to the man, He reached down into his boot to pull out his Stiletto. He listened calmly to the man's objections to his being handed over to CAR officials for crimes that, in his opinion, he was not guilty of. The man kept a nervous eye on Mabior's knife. Finally, Mabior put the knife back in his boot while informing the captive, "I have to be careful with knives. Sometimes accidents happen. I'm sure you know all about that, sir." Slowly taking in a breath, Mabior explained, in a calm voice, "Mr. Mitri, we will let your country's government be the judge of your guilt or innocence as to your treasonous behavior. The Team will personally delight in coming to retrieve you when your trial in Central African Republic is finished. That is if they do not execute you, and, I have to admit, Sir, it doesn't look good for you," Mabior's face mocked concern for the pathetic creature before him. He continued with, "Still, if you, by God's grace, live, we will then transport you to South Sudan to stand trial for the murder of many people, including my Father, my Mother, my Brothers, my Sisters, my Grandparents, my cousins. Mr. Mitri, you are an evil man."
Mitri interrupted with, "I don't know who you think I am, but -"
Mabior's expression turned terrifying in an instant as he jumped up, shouting, "Shut up! You don't have the right to talk anymore. You are a non-human, a demon."
Everyone had been transfixed by Mabior's calm manner. The sudden switch was a shocker. A moment later, he switched back to calm Mabior. He was putting Mitri through mental torture. The man didn't know that he was being let off very lightly, but he was about to learn.
"Mr. Mitri, my God is a loving and forgiving God; nevertheless, he is a just God. I must add, Mr. Faizon, that my God teaches us that justice and revenge are His and His alone. I hope you understand just how fortunate that makes you, sir. If we were here in your shoes, Mr. Mitri, judging by your past behaviors, we would have had our lives taken from us long ago. Another beautiful fact about my God is that he allows me to cleanse my soul, not by violence, but by His love and His forgiveness by His Grace through his son, Jesus Christ. Excuse me, Mr. Mitri, while I cleanse my soul. I forgive you, but I do not forgive your vile actions against so many in your life; that is for God to address. I will move forward in my life from here with a clear conscience and a clear soul for having given God my blessing to give to you what only he can give - His grace. However, you must ask him in true faith for His forgiveness, His divine grace. Now, I am finished with you and those horrible memories that brought so much pain over the years. Goodbye, Mr. Mitri."
Mar and Shermake grabbed Mr. Mitri, flipping him onto his stomach and zip-tied his hands and feet. The Team lifted him to cart him out of the house.
Shouting came from the hall as the rest of the home's occupants awoke to discover our presence. Mar and Deng instructed the people, "Obey our instructions, and no one will be hurt. We are Christians known as The Team. We do not harm people without provocation, especially children. Do not be afraid. We have our prisoner. We are removing him from this house to be detained for trial by Central African Republic."
A young man in about his early twenties pulled a pistol from under his sleeping gown. Mar instantly fired a round into the man's arm, which caused him to drop the weapon. Deng rushed over to retrieve the gun and check out the man's wound while Mar kept a watch on the crowd. It was not serious. Deng pulled out a field tourniquet from his medical kit to stop the blood flow. Explaining to the young man that he would send a medic to his assistance. An older man, eventually identified as the Father, brought calm by ordering their cooperation. Mitri was extricated without further incident.
A CAR Army unit met The Team at the front door. The prisoner was handed over. The majority of the Army unit rushed into the home to secure it and take the other occupants into custody for questioning. The sounds of choppers hovering overhead reminded me that we needed to get out of this still-hot LZ, landing zone. I phoned General Chuol, telling him that we were headed toward the transport and that the prisoner was in CAR custody. He thanked The Team, promising justice. Turning to Mabior after disconnecting with the General, I remarked, "God's justice is the only justice we honor." He nodded his assent.
Two weeks after our Mission into Central African Republic, I received an update on the fake AQ unit from General Chuol. He informed me that the men had basically become a group of national heroes for their part in taking down the Traitor, Mitri. The Team was overjoyed with that news. They had really taken the men of the fake-AQ unit into their hearts.
Samuel added, "We all need to keep in mind that God creates good out of evil. It's just difficult to see it happening when you are so close to the situation. Sometimes it takes years to understand it.
