A Bad Day at Fort Bragg

A Bad Day at Fort Bragg is a short story written by Matthew Reilly, released online and available to read on his website.

Synopsis

Australian author Mitchell Raleigh, having released his latest geo-political novel Detacthment-5 to mixed reception because of of his portrayal of the U.S.'s Delta Detatchment, is surprised to find himself invited to visit the Fort Bragg military base by an apparent fan, Captain Dwight Daniels. At Daniels' request, Raleigh ventures to the U.S. under a false name and not to inform anyone of his destination.

Upon arrival and meeting Daniels, Raleigh is driven around the base by the Captain to see the sights. Daniels stops at the base of a rocky hill near a tunnel entrance, informing Raleigh that it is used to train the Delta soldiers in cave-environment combat, complete with sections of walls capable of hinging out to change the tunnel layout. Handing Raleigh a pair of night-vision goggles, Daniels leaves him in the tunnel to view a exercise set to commence shortly.

When the Delta Detachment enter the tunnels and open fire on cardboard cutouts of terrorists, Raleigh is initially elated to be watching a live-ammunition exercise. That elation quickly evaporates when one soldier starts firing at Raleigh. As he ducks, Daniels' voice comes in over the PA system; having being offended by his portrayal of their portrayal in Detatchment-5, the unit intends to teach the author a lesson.

Knowing that the exit is most likely being guarded, Raleigh briefly turns the lights in the tunnel on, temporarily blinding the Delta squad and affording Raleigh the chance to escape into the tunnel system.

Raleigh manages to ambush a soldier with a heavy box and takes his weapon before using the soldier to catch the bullets fired by more Delta troopers before fleeing into another tunnel. While surprised that the Delta Detachment haven't already finished him, Raleigh manages to reach the viewing balcony and its wall-phone. Upon using it, Raleigh tries to complain, but the person on the other end has no idea who he is, and says that there is no Captain Daniels in the Delta Detachment before announcing that he is sending military police to his position.

Raleigh is confused, but upon reflecting on something Daniels said over the PA system, a basic manoeuvre known as Echelon Left, Raleigh realises that real Delta soldiers would be too good to use it in exercise. Raleigh concludes that his assailants are in fact a junior Army Ranger group, who took offence to the depiction of their Branch in his book.

Exiting the tunnels and taking the Light Strike Vehicle Daniels had driven him around in earlier, Raleigh begins fleeing back to the main base, only to come under fire from a Black Hawk controlled by the Army Rangers. Realising he won't make it to the base, Raleigh instead drives into the river, sending himself flying into the water.

Raleigh is picked up by a pair of real Delta operators from the river-side barracks, who realise he is a civilian and ask who he is. When Raleigh gives his name, one of the Delta Captains looks over the river and sees the Rangers, and so takes the author into the barracks while his comrade calls for the MPs. Raleigh's rescuer, Rick Coltin, notes the Rangers will be punished and admits to being a fan of Detatchment-5. However, Coltin suggests that in the future Raleigh do more research into real-life warfare, since real combat is not the same as it happens in books.

Characters

• Mitchell Raleigh
• Captain Dwight Daniels
• Captain Rick Coltin

Trivia

• The character of Mitchell Raleigh is a play on Matthew Reilly.