Down to Mexico

At 10:30 am, Mrs. Johnson was given instructions by Buckaroo to page Alpha group to the bunkhouse.

Mrs. Johnson tapped the button on the go phone system that was labeled 'alpha' and called into the head set, "Alpha group - you presence is requested in the bunkhouse on the double."

There were several groups made up of Cavaliers, residents and interns. Alpha was a select group by consisting of Rawhide and Tommy Boy of the Cavaliers, Jack and Lem of the residents and four combat ready interns.

Tommy Boy was in the studio working with a group of interns on basic defense skills when the call came on her go phone. She had her assistant take over and headed for the bunkhouse.

She met up with Lem and one of the interns assigned to Alpha group.

"What's up?" he asked.

"For once, I don't know," she told him.

They went into the bunkhouse and found Jack and the other 3 interns sitting in the sectional pit waiting for them and Buckaroo and Rawhide.

A minute later Buckaroo and Rawhide came in. Tommy could tell by their stance that this was a cause of action meeting.

Buckaroo pulled a stool over to sit in front of them. Rawhide took a seat in the pit.

"We have recorded Xan movement," announced by Buckaroo.

Lem made a comment, "It's about time he made a move." It had been a few
weeks since anything significant had been remotely tied to Xan.

"There have been reports by BBI's in southern Texas of several known Xan operatives. They have tracked them to a small village in Mexico, about 50 miles south of the US border.

"Apparently they are recruiting Mexicans to smuggle drugs across the border.

"DEA doesn't have enough to try to go after them. Interpol wants them."

"That is where we come in then." Tommy Boy said. They usually were asked to come in on international circumstances for Interpol. Since Xan's men were Asian operating in a foreign country that made for an international incident.

"Correct. Get the four known Xan men and turn them over to Interpol. That way we cut the supply before to many lives are ruined because of it.

"Rawhide has the particulars and will brief you on the flight. You will leave today for Houston. Spend the night there and meet up with Lindbergh and Huey in the morning to go over in Huey's."

Rawhide got up and added his part. "Pack desert gear. Full packs and specialities. Be at the bus at noon."

Everyone got up and left the bunkhouse. They had to pack their gear for the trip and check their arms.

Tommy Boy walked with Rawhide down to their rooms. They were located at the end of the hall, opposite each other. Rawhide gave her a reassuring look and went into his room.

Tommy Boy went into hers. First she pulled the gun case out from under her bed. She preferred an Israeli Uzi as her large automatic gun. She checked the case to make sure she had everything. She pulled out her backpack and packed for two days worth of clothes. She would go stow her case and backpack on the bus and go to the munitions building and pack case of the operation.

Tommy Boy realized that she was still hot and sweaty from her training class. She stripped to take a shower. She dressed in camouflage pants, boots, with a t-shirt and sweatshirt over it. She was happy that olive green was starting to be an in color. She liked the comfortable clothes of dungarees. Rawhide and Buckaroo always kidded her about her choice in leisure clothes.. She filled her pockets with the extras; cigarettes, pad and pen, and throwing stars.


Rawhide packed his clothes, M 16 and the communications pack. As team leader he was responsible for communications so he was comm man on the operation. Each member would have a wireless on and keep in contact with him. Tommy Boy as back up leader for the operation.

He was coming out of his room when Tommy Boy was coming out of hers.

"Got everything?" he asked. They started down the hall to the stairs together.

"Dropping this off at the bus and heading to munitions." she answered. She was the munitions person on Alpha operations.

"Need a hand?"

"What extras do you think we'll need?" she questioned him.

"Bring your tricks honey, I have a feeling we are crashing a party in progress."

"Then I'll need help carrying two cases."


They went down stairs and stowed their clothes and large guns on the bus. They went to munitions and pulled plastic explosives, caps, grenades, wall mines and a few of their own inventions that could make nice diversions. They packed their wares into two travel safe cases and headed back to the bus.

All appointed members were at the bus within the allotted time. They pulled out and headed for the airport. It took an hour in mid day traffic to make it to the airport. They deployed to the tarmac and headed for the Boeing 727 that Buckaroo purchased a year before since they traveled extensively. With geared stowed away the 727 took it's place to approach the runway for take off.

After getting to cruising altitude, everyone went to the conference area to see what the plan was. Rawhide was ready to brief them on the plan of the raid of the village.


He opened up a picture of the village in question. It was a small village, approximately 40 homes and businesses. Typical of the area, a plaza or square was the middle of the village flanked to the north by a church. Rawhide pointed that the activity of the smugglers was taking place to the southern end of the village where the road approaches the village. The road redirected to head east towards the U.S. border.

The building in question was a two story adobe. The building had a decking on the second floor that could see as far as the square.

Lem questioned what was known in armaments for the Xan men.

"Don't know, I expect to plan for the worst. Machine guns for sure, maybe something bigger."

As they all knew, Xan always gave his plans the full capability of full arms so the motto involving Xan was 'Expect the unexpected.'

"Tommy Boy packed a few extra munitions, so we can give them something to think about. Plus we have our two grenade launchers.

"Lindbergh will drop us to the north part of town and we will have to work our way around. Lem, you take John and Bill. Jack take Paul and Robin. Lem, you got the west, Jack the east. Tommy Boy and I will work through the middle of town. We'll give them the distraction for you guys to work on the sides. We'll hole up here." Rawhide pointed to several houses that were 5 houses up from the Adobes. Any questions?'

It was a straight forward idea.

The meeting broke and the residents and interns went to their seats to settle into their mental routines. Tommy Boy looked over the pictures of the village. It was sad that a simple living group of people had been subjected to such terms of crime syndicate. She mentally took pictures, searching for hiding places for when they worked their way through the village. The plaza created a problem.

Rawhide and herself would break apart to circle around it.

Rawhide came up next to her. "See anything in particular?"

"No, just getting my mental bearings. Once they start firing back, it's going to be hairy. Just looking for options."

"That is what you are good at." he smiled at her. She had gotten them out of bad situations. Somehow she did it time after time. He gave up on how she did it, it was her forte.

"Yeah." she heard the deep thought of Rawhide. Complements were hard to get out of the big guy in any situation.

Tommy Boy knew that Buckaroo had a hard time letting her and Rawhide serve together on the same group, but Rawhide and herself worked off each other better than any other team. They had a high success rate.

Tommy Boy looked back at the pictures thinking about logistics.


The plane landed at 9 pm in Houston. Rawhide had reserved three rooms at an airport hotel. They were to meet Lindbergh at 7 am. They were shuttled over to the hotel by the hotel van leaving two interns to stay with the plane to guard their weapons. One of the down falls of being a lowly intern.

Room assignments were done by teams: Rawhide and Tommy Boy, Jack and Paul, Lem and Bill. John and Robin were the newbies of the team, so they had the fortune of staying with the plane.

After checking into their rooms, they went to the hotel restaurant for a late dinner. They laughed and conversed over the going on's at the Institute. The going rumors were about their new Cavalier, Perfect Tommy, who Tommy Boy had brought into the fold. Between his one night stands and his wardrobe, Perfect Tommy was making a reputation for himself at the Institute in a short time.


Everyone turned in after dinner. They would meet at six at the restaurant and leave at 6:30 back to the airport. When the van pulled into the airport service area, the two Huey's were coming in.

Lindbergh and Huey had just touched down with their support crews. Everyone unloaded their gear from the plane and loaded the Huey's. Tommy Boy went with Jack's team while Rawhide went with Lem's. Before taking off Rawhide disbursed the communication units and tested their function.

At 7:30 they took off and headed for the Mexican border.


They approached from the south. The Huey's landed as close as they could to the first buildings. Everyone deployed and Lindbergh and Huey backed off and went to where they were going to hold till the all okay sounded.


Teams's broke out into their predestined points. Tommy Boy and Rawhide headed for the square. Halfway to the target sporadic gun fire started. Jack's team took a grenade launcher and tried for the 2nd floor where a machine gun was set up. They missed by a few feet. The drug runners set up a launcher of their own. They started trying for targets between Jack and Lem's positions and their position at the house. Rawhide and Tommy Boy set up points off the main road down from the target house. We could see each other.

Rawhide and Tommy Boy fired periodic shots at them to keep their attention to give time for Jack and Lem to get their teams closer from the sides.

"Jack, Lem circle wide. We'll keep their attention." Rawhide ordered into the com.

Tommy Boy took out a delayed grenade out. She threw it down the street towards a house. It was a minute delay. The explosion rocked the area. Then the houses that Tommy Boy and Rawhide were hiding behind started getting shelled by the runners.

"Rawhide?" Tommy Boy questioned.

"Hold position. Jack, where are you?"

"Almost to target."

The houses were slammed again. Rawhide was hit by falling debris from the adobe house. Tommy Boy saw him fall. "Rawhide." she whispered into the com. She couldn't see any movement with Rawhide.

Tommy Boy heard gun fire go off several times near the target adobe. She took the distraction to get across the street. She knocked off the chunks off Rawhide. He had a deep gash on his forehead. "Come on Rawhide, wake up." No response. She took his wrist and turned on the time clock on the go phone. "Jack, report." Tommy Boy said into her com.

"Captured two, three ran."

"Correction, caught four. One still on the loose. John and Bill are chasing him." Lem added.

She grabbed her gun back up. She didn't want to leave her guard down with a man still loose. Then a sound came to her. Helicopters. Not Huey's.

"Company coming. Jack is their launcher still up?"

"On it." Robin answered.

Tommy Boy looked around for cover. Two hundred yards away was an overhang. Tommy dragged Rawhide's dead weight over to the cover. Just in time to have three helicopters come through, starting to spray bullets.

She heard a shot from the launcher go off. It hit one target. Then she heard the Huey's come in. They passed over, going after the helicopters. "Lindbergh, you
be careful." Tommy Boy told her dare devil friend.

"Always commander." he replied with a laugh.

Tommy Boy turned her attention back to Rawhide. She found his handkerchief and started dabbing at his cut on his forehead. It was still bleeding.

"Captured the last one." she heard from Bill.

"Bring the prisoners to the square. I need some help with Rawhide."

They heard explosions in the distance. Lindbergh was out of distance for the com, they would have to wait a few minutes to know what happened.

Paul and John came to help her. They picked Rawhide up. Tommy Boy followed carrying two back packs and guns.

They could hear in the distance the Huey's returning.

"Lindbergh." Tommy Boy said into the com.

"Two enemy helicopters down." he reported back

"Got two wounded, and five prisoners."

"I'll take the wounded and Huey will take the prisoners." Lindbergh decided. He knew that Rawhide was down. He had already started plotting his course to the closest trauma center

Lindbergh landed first. Beth came out with a back board. They laid Rawhide on it and strapped him to it. She took vitals on him. Beth was a med tech and gunner for Lindbergh on missions. Jack had a bullet graze. They loaded them on.
Lem went over to Tommy Boy. "You go with Rawhide. I can take care of these guys." They had made arrangements to take any prisoners to a meeting with Interpol officers. Lem with Bill and Robin would do mop up of the scene till Lindbergh returned for them.

Tommy Boy got in the Huey. Lindbergh took off.

"ETA?" she asked.

"45 minutes to Galveston trauma center."

Tommy Boy kept her eyes on Rawhide. Still no signs of him coming to.

"Tommy." Lindbergh's voice brought her to look up at him through the hatch.

"The boss knows."

That meant as soon as Lindbergh heard that Rawhide was down, he called home.
Tommy Boy leaned against the wall of the Huey and closed her eyes for a moment. She offered a prayer for Rawhide.


They touched down on the helo pad at the hospital. Two gurneys and teams were waiting. Jack had lost some blood but would be okay. It was Rawhide everyone was worried about. Beth filled in the medical team of vitals and reactions of the patient. She showed them his watch to show how long he had been out. Tommy Boy followed them into the hospital.

The doctor in charge of the case took Tommy Boy aside. "BBI Medico. You have a phone call at the desk. We'll be in room three when you are done."

Tommy Boy headed to the nurses station, knowing who it would be.

Tommy Boy picked up the phone. "How is he?"

"No reactions as of yet. Vitals are good, not standard but okay."

"And Jack?"

"Some blood loss, bullet in and out of the arm. Stitches and night stay for him."

"Lem called in his report. Sounds like you all did good." Buckaroo always tried to make the situation positive. It was falling flat with her however.

"Yeah," Tommy Boy said meekly.

"My flight leaves in two hours. Lindbergh will give me a left from the airport in Houston to the hospital. I'll be in tonight."

"It's not right not to get eye action is it?" she asked. She remembered that Beth was having trouble in getting reactions.

"It can be anything Tommy." he told her. "As you know a head injury is tricky."
"See you tonight." Tommy Boy said. She wanted to get back to Rawhide.

"If any changes..." Buckaroo started to say.

"... I'll be sure to send a message on the go-phone." she finished his sentence.

"See you later Buckaroo."

"Hang in there." Buckaroo told his friend. "I'll get there was soon as I can."


Tommy Boy went to room three. Beth was standing by the doors. Tommy Boy looked through the window. The doctor was checking vitals. "They already deduced that the only problem with him is his head. They are calling to take him to get a cat scan." Beth told her.

The doctor came out into the hall. "Looks like the only trouble is his head. We are taking him to get scanned then setting him up in ICU."

"I better get going, Lindbergh is going back for Lem. I'll be back later." Beth gave a reassuring look to Tommy Boy and left for the helo pad.

BBI Medico looked at Tommy Boy. "Looks like you can freshen up. I can get you some scrubs and take you to the resident room and shower. It'll will be 30 minutes or so till they even get Rawhide up to ICU."

"Thanks."

They walked down the hall to the elevators.

"Never thought I would meet you two under these circumstances." BBI Medico said in an awe.

They went to the third floor. "I'll be attending physician till Buckaroo gets here."
He took here into a room that resembled the bunkhouse. He pulled from a table clean scrubs. He went to a locker and pulled out liquid soap and shampoo. He handed them to her. "There is shower through that door. There are towels and such in there too. I'll be back in half hour once they get Rawhide to this floor."

"Thanks."

"Take the time for yourself. If anything happens I'll let you know."


Showered and dressed in blue scrubs, Tommy combed her wet hair and pulled it back into a pony tail. Medico came back to the room 40 minutes later. "We got him in his room."

"Any change?"

"Afraid not."

He escorted her to ICU. He introduced her to a nurse. "Lisa, Tommy Boy. She will be the attending nurse till eleven." They walked into Rawhide's room. His tanned body among the white sheets. They had him hooked up to several monitors. She noticed that they had attached him to a brain wave machine. There were reactions coming from the attachments. However with her time with Buckaroo, she knew that the readings were not as strong as desired.

"Yes, I'm concerned about them too." Medico knew that Tommy Boy knew what each machine did and how they related to Rawhide. "They are not bad but I would prefer a stronger rhythm." He looked around the room. "I'll go find you a comfortable chair. Talk to him, hold his hand. Let him know that there is a presence here for him."

Medico left the room. Tommy Boy looked down at Rawhide. She took his hand in hers. "Come on Rawhide. You got to come back to us." She leaned over and kissed his hand.

Medico returned with a chair and placed it next to the bed. "I'll be back in about an hour. Lisa will let me know if there are any changes."

After several hours, still no real signs from Rawhide that he was showing any improvements. Medico assured her that at least the signs had not decreased.

At dusk she heard the Huey come in. Lisa came into the room. "I take it company has arrived?"

Tommy Boy nodded. Lisa had been very nice. She tried to keep it light for her.

Several minutes later Medico and Buckaroo came into the room. Tommy Boy stepped out to let them do their medical lingo thing. Beth came in too. She had Tommy Boy's back pack. "Thought you would like to get changed." eyeing Tommy Boy wearing scrubs.

"Thanks." she looked back the door to Rawhide's room.

Beth got her attention, "Rawhide is a fighter."

"I know that, but it depends on the fight." She had come to know the tall bulky red head better than herself. He had a tortured soul like her for his own reasons. Each one had their own story on why it was deemed to be the best choice to join Buckaroo in his crusade.

Tommy Boy feared if the right offer was given to him he would move on. She believed in that part of the higher existence. For she had recently experienced it herself. She had made that choice.

"Have you had anything to eat today?" Beth asked.

"Lisa brought me a sandwich a little awhile ago."

Lisa looked at Beth. "She ate a quarter of it."

"I'll get you something and be right back." Beth told her. Tommy Boy nodded at her and stood by the door waiting for the Doctors to finish consulting.

Buckaroo agreed with Medico. The vitals were not dangerously low. That he was stable and there really wasn't anything for them to do at this point.

"Keep him comfortable and someone to keep him company and pray." was what Medico prescribed for the cowboy.

Buckaroo went out in the nurses station and turned to Tommy Boy.
He took her in his arms and held her. She relaxed into him. She hadn't released any of the tension of the operation. She was too into the situation with Rawhide.

"Seems that we have bed nurse duty." he told Tommy Boy. "As you probably suspected he is stable and time is the only thing that will bring him to us."

Tommy Boy nodded to him.

"We got a room at the hotel next to the hospital. Why don't you have Beth take you over there and get some sleep. I'll take night duty and you com in the morning to baby sit the big guy."

For five days they set up 12 hour vigils at Rawhide's bed. The last day his vitals started getting stronger.

Tommy Boy was holding his hand reading from her romance novel out loud. Lisa had dug up a few books for her to read to pass the time away. Tommy Boy thought to herself that if Rawhide woke up to her reading a romance book that the world had gone crazy.

Tommy Boy was reading a descriptive passage when Rawhide moved a few fingers and said in his gruffly hazy voice, "please, no more."

"Rawhide?" she asked cautiously. She hit the nurses button. Tommy Boy stood up to see that his eyes were open. "You are awake." she confirmed to herself.

Lisa came in and saw that Rawhide was awake. She turned around and went to page Buckaroo and Medico.

"Of course I'm awake."

"Rawhide. You were out for five days. You were hit by debris from the building."

Medico came in the room. He stood behind Tommy Boy. "Nice to see you awake Rawhide."

"BBI Medico, meet your patient Rawhide." Tommy Boy introduced the two men.

"Buckaroo will be in a few minutes. If you don't mind Tommy Boy, I would like to examine the patient."

"Now wait a minute." Rawhide protested.

"Be good patient Rawhide. Maybe if everything goes well we can leave for home tomorrow." she told him. She leaned over and kissed Rawhide. "Please Rawhide. Let him look at you." She was trying to express to him how worried she was for him.

Rawhide nodded and gave into her urging. Tommy Boy kissed him again and said, "Thank you."

Tommy Boy was leaving the room when Buckaroo came into the nurses station. He went into the room to work with Medico.

Tommy Boy offered a thank you up to above

@ 2005 Tommy Boy fan fiction * design and content by Paula C. *