Cloudancer: Preview 1

March 25, 1991. Kuwait

When Task Force Grizzly was transported by truck to Al Jabar Air Base, the suspected command post for enemy forces, Jack was right there with them. The raid was intended to take place under cover of night but a nearby oilfield had been set ablaze by enemy forces. The black smoke emitting from the burning oil made maneuvering at night impossible, even with the aid of night vision goggles.

The battalion waited for daybreak. When it came it was barely better than it had been at night. The toxic black clouds permeating the stratosphere around the air base not only impeded visibility but invaded the Marine’s lungs with putrid fumes. Grizzly advanced on Al Jabar entering from the southern perimeter. The Marines fanned out ready to take prisoners or leave bodies whichever was necessary.

A hundred yards from where Jack was positioned along the rear of a T72 tank, gunfire erupted. The Iraqi forces surged into action. Orders were barked out in Arabic. The first Iraqi scud missile barreled past, dangerously close to the tank and Jack in route to its intended target. The Allied Forces Humvee was hurled skyward flipping end over end in a blazing ball of fire.

“Welcome back to Hell, Cloudancer” Jack told himself raising his M16 and emerging from behind the tank ready to do battle once more.