by David Nees
“Mark the distance,” Marcus said.
They drove to the parking area and stopped.
“How far back to the pole?” Marcus asked.
Jane looked close at the odometer. “Looks like half a kilometer.”
Marcus looked down the road. “Maybe I better wait until dark, do it just before we go in. After I cut the line, I’ll jog back to the tunnel and we can go.”
Dan nodded and opened the passenger door. “Let’s go outside,” he said to Marcus.
The two men stepped out and walked a few paces from the van. Jane watched as they huddled together. She knew they were going over what details they had to work with and pin down hard objectives in what could develop into a confused mess. It was something they needed to do together. They needed to be on the same page and understand their next steps in the middle of what was going to be a chaotic situation. It also helped to bond them together. They were going to rely on each other to stay alive.
When they returned to the van, Marcus lay down in the back and promptly closed his eyes. Dan got back into the passenger seat and leaned back to do the same.
“Are you going to sleep?” Evangeline asked.
“Resting. Centering. Getting mentally prepared,” Jane said and put her finger to her lips. She touched Dan’s shoulder and gestured for him to come outside with her.
The two of them walked away from the van.
“How do you feel about this?” Jane asked.
“About as good as any other operation.”
“How are you physically? You’ve been shot twice now.”
“My side and chest are sore, but that won’t keep me from functioning. Hell, I had a bullet go through my leg in Mexico and still managed to get into Jorge’s mansion and kill him. I’ll be all right.”
“It worries me. I worry about you.” She put her hand on his arm.
“Don’t. Just make sure Warren jams the signals so no alarms are transmitted. If the ledger is in the safe, I have to get Aebischer to open it.”
“You can do that?”
“I’ll have to be brutal. It won’t be pretty since I won’t have much time. He’ll think he can delay and help will come. I have to make him realize that it won’t and he’ll suffer badly from my hand if he doesn’t open the safe.”
“What about the guards? Are you going to take them out?”
“Marcus and I agree that the best thing to do is to take them out as quietly as we can. We’ll use our hands or knives so we don’t alert Aebischer, but if we have to, we’ll use our M4s. They’re loaded with subsonic rounds since this is close work, and with the suppressors, they won’t make much noise. I’m just worried about whether we’re looking for three or four inside men.”
“And the outside guards?”
“Once we’ve neutralized the ones inside, they shouldn’t be hard to deal with. The guard at the gate may never get involved.”
“Just bring him out, even if you can’t get the ledger. With him gone, the money won’t move and we can get what he knows out of him later. I’ll bet he has most of the ledger in his head.”
Dan nodded. “We’ll get him out. He may not be in good shape, but he’ll be alive.”
Evangeline had leaned forward in the van watching their discussion with great interest.
“Don’t forget,” Dan said, “We’ve got a date after this is over.” He touched her cheek and they turned back to the van.
Jane smiled at him as they walked back.
When they got in the van, Evangeline asked, “What now?”
“We wait, we rest. You should too. We’re going to be up late tonight. You don’t want to be sleepy.”
He looked over his shoulder at Warren who was monitoring his electronic equipment. His four monitors were showing video from both inside and outside the house. He switched through the cameras on a steady basis. “You going to be okay without rest? It’s going to be a late night and we’ll need you giving us advice in real time once we’re inside.”
“I’m all right. I’m trying to find out whether or not there’s a fourth man inside.”
“Maybe give it a rest. After you jam the wireless signal going out, you have to help us navigate around the guards and find Aebischer.”
Warren nodded and leaned back. He stretched his arms out over his head, brushing the roof of the van. “I got it. I’ll be your extra eyes inside.”
Chapter 39
___________________________________
J ust before midnight Marcus stirred and went over his gear. Both he and Dan would be wearing tactical vests. They would carry M4 carbines with suppressors attached. In addition, they both carried 9mm handguns with suppressors. Each man had an MK 3 knife, the one issued to the SEALS, attached to their vests. The M4s were equipped with thirty-round magazines and they carried three extra mags. They both had two extra magazines for their 9mm pistols.
With their black vests, black, tactical pants and boots, they were an intimidating sight. They didn’t bring their night vision goggles. They would rely on the house lighting. They had throat mics and ear pieces to allow them to communicate with Warren back in the van. Warren would let them know where the interior guards were and allow the men to ambush them silently.
Evangeline watched the preparations with wide eyes. The level of tension increased in the van as the men checked their equipment. There was a sharp odor of nervous sweat, mostly coming from Warren who also watched in fascination, turning his attention back and forth between the activity in the van and the monitors.
“Ready?” Marcus asked when he had finished.
Dan nodded. He looked over at Jane who was staring back intently at him. “We’ll be fine. When we’re in, you should take your weapon and stand watch over the exit. Warren can alert you if someone other than us is coming. Put your suppressor on and take out anyone who isn’t us or Aebischer.”
Jane nodded. Dan reached up and patted her cheek. As he turned to go Evangeline reached over the passenger seat and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, her face pressed against his.
“Please don’t get killed. Please come back. I love you,” she whispered in his ear.
“I’ll be fine. You just wait here and do what Jane says. It’s important that you don’t create an issue back here. It will jeopardize our safety, understand?”
She nodded. Dan kissed her cheek and stepped out into the dark.
The two men grabbed the pry bars and sprinted across the road. Once on the other side, Marcus headed off to the utility pole. When he got there, he realized that, while he could see the wires at his level, he could not see which level of line above they connected to.
“Warren, can’t see which level the lines come from. Any way to identify them at my level? I’d like to not have to climb the pole.”
“That’s tricky. The communication lines will be larger, especially if there is cable communication connected to the house. The power line will have a metal insulating cover around it from about 8 feet above the ground. It keeps anyone from getting shocked. With 230-volt systems in Europe, that’s a big deal.”
“This is like playing Russian roulette. Pick a wire and cut. I could be a hero or fried.”
“If you can shine a light for just a moment, you will see where each line comes from. The upper one is power. It will have an insulator at the connecting point.”
“Can’t do that. I’m too close to the gate. Even a quick flash will be seen and someone might investigate.”
“Tell me what you see at your level. Do you see the metal cover around one of the lines?”
There was a pause. “Yeah. There’s definitely a metal cover around one of the lines, going into the ground.”
“The other one just is a cable?”
“Yep. You’re one hundred percent sure the one not covered is the communication line?”
“I’d bet on it,” Warren said.
“Thanks, but I’m the one betting on it…betting my life. Here goes.”
Eve
ryone in the van held their breath.
A moment later Marcus announced, “I’m still alive, so I guess I cut the right one.”
There was a big exhale from everyone.
“On my way back,” Marcus said.
When he rejoined Dan at the tunnel exit, they put the pry bars between the cover and its surrounding ring. “Watch close, Warren, we’re going to lift the cover,” Dan said.
There was a screeching sound as they pried on the lid. It came up. Marcus slid his bar underneath it and the two men grabbed the cover and pivoted it on its hinges. Once it had been lifted above its seat, it made little noise as it was pulled the rest of the way open.
“Cover’s open,” Dan said. “Heads up Warren, we’re going in. Keep us updated on any activity.”
“Let’s take a pry bar with us,” Marcus said. Dan looked at him wondering how it could help. “We may have to pry the door at the end of the tunnel open. It may not unlock from the inside.”
“Good point.”
The two men climbed down the ladder. Once on the bottom, Dan checked in with Warren. “Can you hear me? We’re in the tunnel.”
“Hear you just fine,” came the reply.
The two men walked through the dark tunnel, feeling their way along the walls. At the end, they found a light switch and flipped it on.
“We turned on the lights. You see anything outside?” Dan asked.
Jane shook her head and Warren relayed the message. “No light showing on this end. There’s no one in the basement from my videos, so you’re good to open the door.”
The door was locked and needed a key to open.
“Damn. I was hoping for a latch to turn.” Dan said.
It was a wooden door, stout; made of oak. Marcus studied it for a moment.
“I can dig away at the wood around where the deadbolt slides through, or I can try to dig open the key slot from this side. Then we can make the mechanism work without a key.”
“Let’s do that.”
Marcus began to thrust the pry bar at the lock. The bar had weight to give force to his efforts, but only a dull blade. The blows came over and over with only little progress. Dan kept checking in with Warren; the strikes would obviously be echoing in the basement hallway outside of the door. Finally Marcus was able to break off the bezel and expose the innards of the lock. He slipped his knife inside and shoved the deadbolt back. The door opened.
“We’re inside the basement,” Dan said into his mic.
“Tell them to go to the right,” Evangeline said. “The stairs are at the end of the corridor.”
When they got to the stairs, Dan whispered to Warren. “Where are the guards? We’re about to go onto the main floor.”
Both men had a diagram of the floorplan in their heads. Their first objective was to find and eliminate as many inside guards as possible on their way to Aebischer’s office. Warren had confirmed Aebischer was working there, even at this late hour.
“When you get to the top of the stairs, there’s one in the front foyer of the house. He’s sitting near the front door.”
“Put that camera on a loop, we’re going up.”
“Give me a minute,” Warren replied.
Dan turned out the light in the basement and he and Marcus crept up the stairs. At the top, Dan slowly turned the door knob, then applied a slight pressure to the door. It cracked open an inch without a sound. The door was well used as the basement housed the wine cellar and other rooms used by Aebischer; some that brought terror to Evangeline whenever she thought about them.
He put his eye to the crack but couldn’t see the front door. He would have to open the door further. He pulled his head back and turned to Marcus. They whispered together.
“Got to open wider. If the guard sees me, I’ll rush him. Watch my back for anyone else.”
“How far away is he?” Marcus asked.
“Can’t tell yet. It could take me a couple of seconds to reach him.”
“I’ll follow you out. If he gets ready to fire, stay low and I’ll take him out.”
Dan nodded.
Inch by inch pushed the door open. The guard was sitting at a table, facing the front door. He looked relaxed but not asleep. Dan crept through the opening. Hope the floor doesn’t squeak. He stepped forward, his knife out, not making a sound. He muffled his breathing even as his heart rate accelerated.
When he got within ten feet, the guard, sensing a presence, turned. Dan sprang forward, launching himself over the last few feet. The guard stood up from his chair, turning to face the intruder. Before he could pull up his weapon, an HK M5, Dan was on him. He slammed into his chest, pulling his left arm around the man, trapping the guard’s right hand and weapon against their bodies. At the same time Dan thrust his knife into the left side of the man’s neck. He rocked the blade back and forth, searching for the carotid artery. The knife sliced through the artery and Dan held the man tight against him, muffling his mouth as his life spurted out of him. In seconds his body sagged against Dan and he gently let him collapse to the ground.
Marcus had come up behind Dan. “We should put him someplace in case someone comes looking for him, better to be missing than lying here dead.”
“Basement,” Dan said.
Marcus nodded and they picked up the body and carried it back down the stairs, putting it in a corner at the bottom of the steps.
“We still have the blood all over the floor,” Dan said.
“But not on the table, so it’s not as obvious. It’s the best we can do for now.”
“What’s the guard situation?” Dan asked Warren.
“Outside guards are not alerted. Activity normal. We have one in the kitchen. Looks like he’s taking a break. One moving through the lower halls. He’s back in the library now, opposite side of the house from the kitchen. There’s one outside Aebischer’s office upstairs and one still in the monitor room.”
“Take out the kitchen first?” Marcus asked.
Dan nodded. He spoke into his mic. “Start a loop in the kitchen, we’re going in.”
“Roger,” said Warren.
Both men moved down the side hall towards the kitchen. The door was open. Dan lay down on the floor and peeked around the opening. The man sat eating a sandwich. He was watching television with his back turned to the opening. Dan moved forward while Marcus stepped to one side for a clear shot with his 9mm out. Before Dan could close the man noticed a reflection in the kitchen window and turned towards the door, pulling his side arm out of its holster.
Dan ran forward. As the man raised his pistol, Marcus fired. The round hit him in the chest and he fell back against the large kitchen table. Dan reached him and used his knife to finish him off with a slash to his neck artery.
He pulled the guard off the table and both men dragged him to the wall and stuffed him into a pantry. They put his pistol and M5 machine gun in with him. Except for the blood on the floor there was no evidence of the guard’s demise. Dan went to the sink and wet a dish towel and tried to mop up the blood as best he could. He threw the bloody towel into the pantry closet with the body when he finished.
“Are we still clear?” Dan asked.
“Clear. Outside and inside normal.”
“Are you going to take out the third guard downstairs?” Jane asked.
“Not sure,” replied Dan. “Where is he?” He asked Warren.
“He’s must be moving. Can’t see him right now. He’s in between monitors.”
“Can’t spend time on a cat and mouse when he disappears,” Dan said. He turned to Marcus. “Let’s go get Aebischer.”
“Roger that. We can hold off any attack from the office and we have Aebischer’s own escape route ready and waiting.”
The two headed back down the hall to the front foyer. They moved up the stairs which were covered in a thick, silent carpet.
“Take the hallway to the right. There’s a second corridor halfway down going to the left. Aebischer’s office is at the end. The guard is sitting a
t a desk outside the door. It’s like a receptionist’s station,” Warren said.
“Got it. Keep a watch out for the roving guard.”
Before they got to the top of the stairs Dan and Marcus huddled together.
“We won’t have the element of surprise this time. He’ll see us coming down the hall.”
Marcus nodded.
“You take him out with your 9mm. It’s quieter than the M4. I’ll go straight to the door and keep Aebischer from using the elevator.”
“If it’s locked?”
“I’ll shoot it open and shoot Aebischer if he’s about to leave.” Marcus gave Dan a sharp look. “It’ll be a non-lethal shot.”
Jane along with Warren and Evangeline listened intently as the two men planned the next engagement. Dan had to get into the office quickly enough to keep Aebischer from descending the elevator, or else Jane would have to backstop the banker’s escape.
They padded down the carpeted hall, moving slowly and a quieting their breathing. At the corner, both men stopped. They had their 9mms out and ready.
Dan nodded. Marcus stepped into office hallway and took aim at the guard. His shot hit the man in the chest. Dan ran down the hall and grabbed the office door. Marcus ran up to the man and put another shot into his head.
Chapter 40
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I nside the office, Aebischer heard the shot and with only a moment’s hesitation, pushed the panic button under the center section of his desk. The button was to alert his guards to an intrusion and send a signal to the local polizei. What he didn’t know was that those two signals were not going to get through.
He then got up from his desk and started for the elevator just as Dan burst into the room.
“Halt,” Dan said in German.
Aebischer looked at Dan. His eyes wide with surprise. “Who are you? What do you want?”
Dan didn’t hesitate at the door but continued across the room at a run after shouting to Aebischer. Before the banker could open the elevator door he grabbed him and pulled him back away from the wall. Without a word, he threw the older man to the floor and grabbed his arms, pulling them behind his back. He took a pair of plastic handcuffs and zip-tied them around Aebischer’s wrists. When he stood up, Marcus was in the room.
