Ghosts of War (9 page)

H
is statement was belied a mere five minutes later, as they took a wrong turn and ended up on the main post, with Belarusian airmen working the midnight shift looking at the lorry curiously. They drove around a traffic circle and back out, headed the way they had come. Kirill cursed and said, “Where the hell is the airfield? We need to find the Russians.”

Dmitri said, “We'll have to stop and ask.”

“Are you fucking crazy?
Ask
where our squadron is? At two in the morning?”

Dmitri saw a vehicle coming toward them and said, “Yes. We're drunk Russians. Nothing new.”

He leaned out, and acting like he was inebriated, asked directions to the cantonment area for the Su-27 squadron. The man in the car laughed at the predicament and gave them instructions. In short order, they were driving parallel to the flight line, the runway to the right and a distant glow in front. As it got closer, they saw open-bay hangars with the dual-fin Su-27s inside, sleek killers posted to Belarus as a hedge against the West.

Kirill said, “There you go. That's the target.”

Dmitri said, “We got another checkpoint.”

Kirill refocused to the front of the vehicle and saw a barricade of orange cones manned by a single Russian.

Kirill said, “Shit. Get ready. We might not bluff our way through this one.”

They pulled up, and a Russian airman came forward, clearly
confused at the Belarusian truck. He saw Dmitri's uniform, and, in a semi-joking manner, said, “Why is a lieutenant driving a truck?”

Kirill wasted no time, leaning over and shooting the man in the face with a Makarov PM pistol, the gunshot shattering the night. He watched the body drop, then shouted, “Let's go!”

The lorry jumped forward, flattening the cones and racing down the sliver of blacktop to the hangars. The men in the back began shouting questions, wondering what had happened. Kirill separated the canvas behind the cab and said, “Get the RPGs ready. We're attacking now.”

Dmitri pulled onto a pad adjacent to the hangars and killed the engine. Nobody from the Russian side of the base reacted. Time slowed back down. Kirill opened the door and jumped out, saying, “Misha, Alik, Oleg, let's go.”

He heard them scrambling over the gate at the back, then saw them run around, two holding RPGs and AKMs and one with the bags of AK-74s. Alik tossed Kirill an AKM, then readied his RPG, looking at him for instructions. Dmitri came around the cab, taking another AKM and waiting on Kirill for a command.

Kirill was astounded that nobody had reacted. He'd expected to have to fight his way in and then blast his way out. The silence was deafening. He said, “Dmitri, take the far side security. I'll hold the near. Misha and Alik, shoot the first aircraft, then the second. Destroy them both. Oleg, scatter the weapons next to the maintenance bay.”

Dmitri scampered to the other side of the hangar, disappearing into the darkness. Misha and Alik looked at Kirill, and he said, “Well? Do it.”

They took a knee, aimed their RPGs, and let them fly. It was surreal, like a practice range, the men kneeling just outside the lights of the hangar, the bird sitting stoically waiting for the punishment. The rockets sputtered out, streaking toward the twin tail fins of the jet, then impacted in an explosion of metal, followed by the ignition of the fuel, turning the hangar into an inferno.

The men whooped and yelled like kids at a fireworks display, then reloaded. Kirill said, “The next. Hit the next.”

He noticed Oleg and said, “What are you waiting for? Get rid of those weapons. Be sure not to touch any metal.”

Oleg turned to go and they heard Dmitri's weapon fire on full automatic. He shouted something and Kirill said, “Go, go!”

To the two grenadiers he said, “Shoot! Blow up the next one!”

They slid the rod of the grenade home, then took a knee. Kirill saw Dmitri bouncing back, still firing on full automatic. The grenadiers released their deadly missiles, and the second aircraft was engulfed in flames. Kirill said, “Shoot it again,” then raced over to Dmitri, crouched behind an aircraft tractor, seeing three shadows in the distance firing at them, none appearing too intent on pressing the assault.

Kirill slid in next to Dmitri and grabbed his shoulder, saying, “Come on. Let's go!”

“They saw me. I was in the light.”

Kirill paused, then said, “You sure?”

“Yes, I know it. They were shouting at me in Russian, calling me by my rank.”

Kirill turned and shouted, “Alik! Over here.”

Alik scuttled over to them, the RPG launcher awkwardly banging against his knees. Kirill said, “I need a grenade on them. Before others come and they can tell them what they've seen.”

Alik glanced across the tarmac, seeing the three Russians crouched behind a row of barrels, occasionally cracking rounds their way, none coming close to them. He said, “They aren't hitting anything. We got the aircraft.”

“They've seen Dmitri and his uniform.”

Alik started to say something, then closed his mouth. Kirill said, “Kill them.”

“They're Russian.”

“Yeah? So?”

Alik said nothing more, simply loaded another rocket. He sighted, then let it fly. The rocket-propelled grenade struck the center of the stack of barrels, the explosion shredding the three soldiers.

Dmitri shouted, “Yeah!”

Kirill said, “Let's get the fuck out of here.”

They sprinted back to the lorry, Oleg and Misha on the outside, nervously holding AKMs. Kirill said, “Did you drop the weapons?”

“Yes. Near the maintenance bay.”

Kirill nodded and said, “Everyone load up. Dmitri, you drive.”

They started to move when a truck with an open bed came flying around the corner, bouncing into the light of the flames, revealing it was loaded with Russian and Belarusian security. Oleg shouted, “Shit!” and turned to fire. Kirill knocked the gun down and shouted in Russian, “There! They're getting away! Across the tarmac!”

The vehicle skidded to a stop next to them, and a captain jumped out, waving a pistol. He saw the flaming inferno, then took in the uniforms. He said, “What the hell happened?”

“Chechens. Chechens blew the shit out of everything. They killed the man at the gate and then started shooting rockets. They escaped that way. They're on foot. You can catch them.”

The captain shouted at his men, then said, “Sir, can you secure this area? Make sure none of them are still here?”

Kirill nodded, and the vehicle raced off, men hanging on with gun barrels bristling. Looking for an enemy that didn't exist.

Ten minutes later, the lorry was at the front gate. There was double the manpower from before, but no cohesive control. The men ran back and forth as if the movement alone were progress. Kirill grabbed one and talked to him, spreading more rumors, and then they were through, gaining their freedom simply by speaking Russian.

I
felt someone lightly tap my thigh, then heard Shoshana whisper, “It's time.”

I shook the sleep out of my head and saw Jennifer slipping a backpack over her shoulders, now wearing skintight black Lycra leggings and an Under Armour top, courtesy of the Israelis. Surprisingly, it fit her perfectly. As if they knew who would be wearing it.

I stood up and saw rain running down the window. I said, “That's not a good omen.”

Aaron, wearing jeans and running shoes, handed me a tiny headlamp and a leather sap filled with small lead shot. He said, “It was threatening to come down since we drove up, but it's just a drizzle.”

The sky had been overcast on the nighttime return, making the narrow blacktop leading to the castle bitterly dark. This time we'd traveled in a single vehicle, Shoshana behind the wheel, Aaron in the passenger seat. Jennifer and I were in the back, now part of their team. Which made me wonder when I'd crossed the border into lunacy.

Through the trees, I'd seen the glow of lights and said, “You sure it's not going to look strange for a car to pull up this late at night?”

Aaron showed me the parking pass we both received earlier in the day. “Not when we have a room. We park, go upstairs, and act like we're simply going to bed.”

“You didn't check out?”

Shoshana said, “Why would we do that when we fully intended to come back?”

I shook my head at the subterfuge, and Jennifer grinned.

The parking area for the hotel was a little cramped shelf overlooking the valley the castle protected, requiring us to wind down a steep, potholed road running parallel to a stone wall. After bouncing around hard enough to cause the headlights to jostle like a drunken man waving a flashlight, we'd pulled off the road to the left, entering a small courtyard packed with about seven cars, all parked without any semblance of order.

Aaron said, “Another reason to come in later. We won't get blocked in by someone.”

I said, “Yeah, that would suck for the getaway.”

We'd exited the car and Aaron had led us to the stone wall. As I crossed the road, I saw it ran low around the side of the mountain, ending at what looked like an arched tunnel under the castle, a single lightbulb over the top illuminating the entrance.

Aaron leaned over the wall and said, “That's our access path.”

He'd told us earlier that we'd be walking to the castle, and I could see a footpath paralleling the road, but lower on the slope, with benches every hundred feet or so for a walker to take a rest and gaze out into the valley.

I followed it as far as I could in the darkness, but couldn't see where it came out next to the bottom of the castle.

Aaron pointed and said, “That's why we need you, Jennifer. The office is on the first floor—ground level where we came in, but we'll start the climb two floors below that, and you'll have to go one floor higher, because there aren't any external windows to access on that floor.”

The castle was vaguely illuminated with a scattering of outdoor lights, and I could make out the ancient stone of the walls. Jennifer studied her potential path in the dim light and said, “I can do that.”

Shoshana smiled and said, “That was never a question.”

I said, “Let's get some sleep. We might need it.”

We'd returned to the room and I'd tried to nap, but it seemed we'd only been in the room for about fifteen minutes before Shoshana had tapped my thigh.

I looked at the window again and said, “Koko, you sure you can make that climb freehand with the rain?”

She cinched the pack down and pointed to a window on the other side of the room. She said, “It looks like it's coming south to north, and it's only a drizzle. I'll bet the walls on the north are dry.”

Aaron said, “She's only going about four floors.”

“And what if the window's locked? She'll have to go higher.”

“It's not. I told you. The window was built centuries ago. Nobody thought it needed a lock. At any rate, if it is, she comes down, because that window height is the length of the ladder we had made.”

I said, “You had the ladder made for that window?”

He looked embarrassed and said, “Well, yes, when we first started studying how to access the castle. We didn't know where the Torah was located, but that didn't mean we couldn't plan entry.”

Shoshana handed me some thin gloves and a black balaclava and said, “Now we know where it's located.”

I took the items and she said, “No fingerprints, no pictures.”

I said, “I thought there weren't any cameras. You said they used roving guards.”

Aaron said, “That's true, but remember, we can't terminate anyone. You meet someone, they'd better be able to remember it tomorrow.”

I muttered, “Just great,” and Shoshana said, “Don't worry. I've got a good feeling about this. You're my lucky charm.”

I said, “That instills
so
much confidence in me.”

Aaron turned out the lights, then opened the door. Jennifer grinned and said, “Showtime.”

I have to admit, her confidence was infectious, making me smile as well. Aaron said, “I do appreciate this. We'll most definitely owe you one.”

I exited onto the wooden balcony and said, “Believe me, I plan on collecting.”

We slipped down the walkway to a narrow stairwell, keeping to the shadows and circling away from the bar in front. It was close to two in the morning, but no way did we want to run into some inebriated patron coming back to his room.

We went through the parking lot, and I saw that none of the cars had moved, all still jammed together like a drunk valet had parked them. We reached the road and sprinted over it one by one. As I crossed, I glanced toward the castle and saw a black van, nose out, illuminated at the edge of the tunnel.

Aaron was already lowering Shoshana over the side, letting her drop the seven feet to the path. I crouched against the wall and said, “There's a new vehicle. Someone's shown up since we arrived.”

Jennifer came across, crouching next to me. Aaron glanced toward the castle and said, “Did you see movement?”

“No. Headlights are off, but it's definitely there.”

Shoshana hissed from the far side, wanting to know what the holdup was. I looked at Aaron, then tapped Jennifer, getting her up on the wall. I leaned over, holding her hands, and she walked down three feet, looked up at me and nodded. I let her go.

I turned back to Aaron to find him staring intently down the road. He came back to me and said, “What is your gut saying?”

“It's trouble.”

“You want to abort?”

I flashed my teeth and said, “And spend another night with your sociopath? No. We can handle trouble. I think it means we'll have more active patrolling than we thought, even if it's a cleaning crew. We just need to be on our toes.”

Aaron took that in, then slowly nodded. He said, “I appreciate the honest answer. This was your chance to quit.”

I hoisted myself on the wall, looked down to determine the drop,
then said, “I've never quit anything in my entire life. And lord knows I would rather face some Stormtroopers who can't shoot than your damn wife.”

Before he could answer, I let go.

Aaron landed softly five seconds later. He said, “Okay, everyone knows their positions. Jennifer first, get the anchor in, me next, then Shoshana, Pike last.”

We'd all talked about this endlessly, but I understood he was reaffirming the fact that it was his Op. He was in charge. I nodded, and we took up a slow jog down the path, the drizzle settling on us until we broke past the castle itself. True to Jennifer's prediction, it was dry, the stone blocking the weather.

We ran by the tunnel, the van right above us, then reached the back of the castle, with Aaron stopping at a modern drainage pipe running from the face of stone and down into the valley. We took a knee and Jennifer tested the pipe. Shoshana said, “Told you. This will be a cakewalk. You have your own ladder for the first two floors.”

Jennifer glanced up at the pipe and the ensuing climb, then looked at me. I said, “Too late now. Unless you can't do it.”

She grinned and said, “You know I can do it. Last chance to back out.”

I fist-bumped her and said, “Then let's go.”

Before I could stop her, she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, saying, “See you at the top.”

She leapt up on the pipe, scrambling like a monkey in a zoo. In seconds, she was two floors up, and began climbing using the rock of the castle. Satisfied, I returned my eyes to the team, seeing Shoshana staring intently at me. I said, “What?”

“You never would have let her show affection like that before.”

“So? What's your point?”

“I'm just studying. Trying to decide what part of the relationship I want to be.”

I looked at Aaron and he rolled his eyes, the patient uncle with the kid who wouldn't quit annoying him. I said, “The husband-and-wife mission is over. Nobody cares what your marital status is anymore.”

The nylon ladder rolled down, slapping on the stone right between us. Shoshana said, “I'm not talking about the mission. I'm talking about life.”

I looked at Aaron again, and he pretended to be engrossed in testing the strength of the ladder, studiously ignoring the conversation. He found it strong and began climbing. I took the bottom rung and pulled it taut, giving him a solid platform instead of a swinging mess. And getting me away from the conversation with Shoshana, just like he'd done.

The ladder quit shaking and I glanced up, seeing it empty. I said, “Your turn, Carrie.”

She grinned and said, “You have no idea what to do with Koko. You're just like Aaron.”

She said it like she'd discovered something profound about the human condition. I said, “Get on the fucking ladder. Why do you always do this right before a firefight?”

She pulled herself up on the rungs and said, “I appreciate you helping. It means a lot to me and Aaron. I just wanted to say that in case this goes bad.”

Incredulous, I looked up at her and said, “I thought you said this was going to be easy?”

She started climbing after I drew the ladder taut and said, “No. I said you brought luck. I'm not sure this is going to be easy, but I'm positive it will be worth it.”

In seconds, she was out of earshot, climbing past the floors. I felt the ladder go slack and looked up. She was gone. I began the climb myself, wondering what the hell she was talking about.