In the midst of a bloody civil war, crawling with the world’s media, a special operations group were about to launch a daring black ops, highly deniable mission to assassinate Eltanin – leader of the Brotherhood and the new face of worldwide terror.
Chapter Twenty One
Assault on Krak des Chevaliers
In the dark and damp room of the mission staging area located deep underground the SAS Para Ops Unit made ready for battle.
Thawbs (traditional Arab dress) lay scattered across the floor and one by one each man revealed the combat gear of the SAS Para-Ops special forces unit: Black combat boots, black cargo pants and tightly fitting under armour entirely made of spider-silk, made from proteins of genetically engineered goats and woven into artificial silk fibres – clothing that is three times more bullet resistant than traditional Kevlar.
Each operator wore a tailor-made and individually crafted battle jacket containing extra ammunition, flash bang and frag grenades, tactical lights, first aid kits, knives, extra ammunition, advanced optics, multi-tools, explosives and even more extra ammunition.
The SAS men had their primary weapon, the C8 SFW Carbine, slung across their chest, with their secondary weapon, the Browning High Power pistol on a leg holster just above the knee. The Israeli configuration was the same but instead of using C8s they held MTAR-21s and their secondary weapon of choice was a CZ 75 nine mill.
The gunfighters’ combat configuration was completely different: Each of the three men only had one weapon, a .40 S&W H&K Compact, holstered on the hip, each man carried 25 extra magazines of ammunition and nothing else.
All weapons were silenced at the muzzle via specially made Israeli sound-out suppressors.
Once radio communication equip was finalised the final mission orders were given. The men stood, necks bent to avoid the low ceiling, waiting to strike.
John Taylor and CIA Tony emerged from an offshoot where they had been hunched over a map having a heated discussion. Executive, war crisis, decisions had been made.
“Gentlemen this is it” said Captain Taylor. “And it’s a real cluster fuck!”
None of the SAS troopers had ever heard their commander curse before and never had they seen him look so angry.
“The primary point of attack stays the same but because our cover has effectively been blown and shortly we may have the entire Syrian army descend upon us we have had to tweak our exit strategy. But we’ll get to that bridge when we fly over it. Tony please continue.”
“All right ladies, it’s show time. You will be split into three attack elements - The Assassins, The Demolishers and The Guards.
The Guards: The SAS troopers
“Nick, you’ll be TL and will lead Shaun, Vincent, Scotty and Danny down Tunnel Two which will take you to the royal courtyard. At first you will find very little resistance as it is thought to be impenetrable from above but as the battle ensues you should expect to become increasingly under attack from enemy units. Your job will be to hold the courtyard from the minute you hear the first shot fired until every Para-Ops boot has left the ground. Got it, good.”
Nick and his element moved across to Captain Taylor where they began examining detailed blueprints and satellite imagery of their area of combat.
The Demolishers: The Israelis
“Jonathan, I know your man David is a demo expert. So you’ll lead your team, minus Avi, to the armoury via Tunnel One and you’ll make a very big boom, you’ll need to do this via remote detonation. Captain Taylor will give you the details and the high explosives.”
The Israeli element moved off to join Captain Taylor.
The five remaining Para-Ops operators stood before CIA Tony looking intrigued and a little amused.
“Yep, you’ve guessed it fellas, you’re on big dawg kill detail, via Tunnel Three. You’re gonna kill that bastard Eltanin! Brian, you’ll have oversight of the assassination. But, I want Avi to take command. Understand? Good. Gunfighters you’ll do what I know you do best, your pistols will provide poor medium to long range combat effectiveness against the enemies AKs, so Brian, Avi, get them up close and personal with Eltanin and his bodyguards as quickly as possible. Go straight for the kill, don’t mop and clear as you move forward, just move forward. An offshoot of The Guards’ tunnel takes them past Eltanin’s chambers first, so we are going to time it so that they are just in front of you, they’ll clear the way for you as much as possible. Then you arrive, kill any remaining outer force and get into his chambers, once inside the confined space of his private living quarters the gunfighters will be able to clean up and kill. If possible Avi, you must cut the head off the snake. Understood. Good.”
The three elements that made up the fifteen SF Men stood in their designated teams five by five by five in front of the entrances to tunnels one, two and three respectively.
Captain John Taylor, CIA Tony and the “bodyguard” stood in front of them.
“I’m supposed to be coming with you, my friends. But plans have changed and Tony and I need to ‘arrange’ our exit strategy so the next time I’ll see you is in the courtyard of the Krak des Chevaliers.”
Chapter Twenty One
Attack Element: The Guards
The elite SAS Troopers: Shaun, Scott, Vincent, and Danny led into battle by Nicholas Tough were deep into Tunnel Two. They had travelled hunched forward for approximately 500 metres transiting through the highest point of the network of tunnels, passing on the way a duo of Syrian rebel fighters keeping watch over the tunnels every 150 metres – they all looked weak, sick, dehydrated and malnourished.
The environment was harsh - oxygen levels low and it was hot, extremely hot with the mercury rising past the 40 degree Celsius level. The environment suited the ultra-fit troopers just fine with each man barely breaking a sweat. Fitness is perhaps the most important aspect of any special forces operation anywhere on the planet.
At the 600 metre point they came across one last rebel who gave them all one final dose of hydration and warned them that from this point out the tunnel was not secure and that it narrowed to just above waist high, so the rest of the journey would have to be achieved by crawling on all fours.
Nick thanked the fighting Syrian patriot and they watched him turn and leave, he and his men were withdrawing from the warren.
“Lads, this is it. We’re on all fours from here. About 150 metres further up the tunnel we should come across the outer cavities of Eltanin’s residence. We’ll eliminate anything we find breathing, make it a little easier for the assassins, then head back into the tunnel for a further 100 metres and straight into the courtyard via a disused drinking well. From there we let loose the hounds of hell. Make ready, let’s move.”
The unit moved on. They crept on all fours, leopard crawling deeper and deeper into the dark, deeper to death. To destruction, theirs or the enemies, or both. They moved, assassins in the earth, in black into the blackness.
Scotty broke the silence with a barely audible chuckle to himself.
Nick was furious and stopped the movement forward, he turned around and glared at where he perceived Scotty to be. “What’s so bloody funny!”
Scotty contained his laugh long enough to share the joke. “This just reminds me of a movie is all. Remember, fighting in the dark!”
After a few moments all the men laughed. Seconds later and the joke was long forgotten and they were at the entrance to their first target.
TL Nick crept forward and removed some earth with his tactical knife from behind where an ID beacon had been placed to identify the exit.
As the earth crumbled and fell it revealed a walk-in pantry that was lit by three large, naked bulbs. Nick’s eyes struggled to take in the bright light and he was left temporarily blind while they adjusted. The room contained three rows of eight foot high food shelves. The tunnel was concealed by the last.
Once his eyes had adjusted SAS Trooper Nick Tough cleared enough dirt to create a man-sized hole and he climbed through. He had underestimated
the height and distance to the floor and he fell a few feet to the ground, making rather more noise than he had intended.
He quickly rolled to his feet and stood up. A split second later and a large Arab Brotherhood fighter stepped out from behind the second food shelf and stood directly in front of Sgt Tough. He towered over him and lunged forward with a large butcher’s knife that he had been using moments before to cut some meat.
The knife zeroed in on Tough’s throat. An instant later and the blade was protruding through the back of Sergeant Nick Tough’s head. The decorated SAS trooper was dead, instantly. Blood trickled from the edge of the blade’s point and fell to the earth. The extremist grinned in delight.
Phwoop, phwoop, phwoop,
phwoop, phwoop.
A volley of 5.56 rounds landed forcefully into the chest and head of the giant terrorist, mortally wounding him as he was jolted backwards violently, knocking over two of the shelves.
SAS Trooper Daniel Johnson who had delivered the killing payload of C8 ammunition quickly scrambled through the entrance and on to his feet, his eyes down the weapon’s sights at the high ready, scanning the room and the closed door for more enemy, none immediately appeared. Moments later and the rest of the black-ops fighting element had joined him.
After barely seconds within the walls of the great fortress, Krak des Chevaliers, the Para-Ops team had taken a casualty.
A friend, a father, a son and above all a warrior brother lay departed on the floor.
Chapter Twenty Two
Attack Element : The Demolishers
Happening simultaneously.
The Israeli Special Forces component led by Sgt Jonathan Levy had just arrived at the end of Tunnel One. In front of Levy was a heavy wooden plank. He removed it very carefully to reveal a wall of brick and mortar held together loosely by crumbling soil.
Their journey to the wall had been a quick and easy one. Tunnel One was the first built by invading forces, leading directly to the old treasury which had now been converted to store Eltanin’s weapons of war.
Meticulously Sgt Levy used his ISAK, IDF Army knife, to remove the mortar that kept the bricks together and slowly he was able to see what lay beyond it. Brick by brick he revealed a heavily armoured safe room with a high ceiling stacked wall to wall with rocket launchers, RPGs, assault rifles, handguns, grenades, tons of ammunition and at the centre of the room a large heavy duty box that read: High Explosives.
From his vantage point he could see the heavy door that blocked the entrance to the vault. It was sealed and obviously locked. The room was clear and the team moved in.
Once the men had completely cleared and made safe the area of engagement and each operator had his own sphere of defence, their explosives expert, Corporal David Bercow, stepped forward and set his operations bag on the floor. He carefully placed it within reach to extract the detonation device and moved up to the Explosives Box.
Before his foot hit the floor as he moved forward he recoiled and cursed loudly.
“What? What is it?” demanded Jonathan.
David shook his head and laughed to himself. “It’s only a dead rat. Sorry about that, I’ve always hated the damn things, and this one’s huge!”
Still shaking his head and chuckling to himself the Corporal bent forwards and grabbed the rat by its long and ugly tail. He lifted it into the air.
As David lifted the vermin into the air his worst nightmare became a reality. He shouted in a low, calm and commanding voice for the rest of his unit to hit the deck. They did. But for Corporal David Bercow it was too late.
The rat’s whiskers had been carefully attached to a trip wire that detonated an S-mine. The deadly Bouncing Betty shot into the air and time slowed for David as he stood fixed on the spot, staring at the explosive charge soaring four foot into the air. Inside the main charge were about 350 steel balls and pieces of scrap metal.
David knew he was a dead man but he also knew that his actions could save his brothers. Selflessly Bercow opened his arms and dived forward onto the bomb to contain the explosion as much as he could.
His heroic act succeeded. His body took the main impact and his team mates were mainly unharmed. David’s body however was severed in two, between his waist and legs he was cut in half. Various other parts of his body had holes blown in them and his face was ripped up and away from his jawline. Bits of brain, blood, skin, hair, tooth and bone painted the walls red, white and grey. Corporal David Bercow had perished. He had been blown to kingdom come.
A second Para-Ops man was dead.
Chapter Twenty Three
Attack Element : The Assassins
Avi, Brian and the three gunfighters were out of Tunnel Three and currently lay flat atop an inner wall that overlooked a small garden that led to the castle keep and the quarters of Eltanin. Outside of the door two men sat playing cards and drinking tea. Their AKs lay carelessly on the floor at their sides.
The journey through Tunnel Three had been difficult and almost ended in disaster when one of the supporting walls collapsed on them. The men barely made it out alive. Inexplicably though, once out of the tunnel and above ground within the castle walls everything was quiet and the citadel appeared largely deserted. The Assassins element had met no resistance up to this point but Avi’s gut screamed that something was very, very wrong.
Brian had wanted to attack and kill the two militants seated beneath them minutes earlier but only on the command of the veteran Avi had they held back.
Avi was trying desperately to raise any of the other attack elements on his radio throat mike. Once more, though, the airwaves were dead.
“Stop wasting your time, Avi. The radio network is obviously down, faulty and out. We need to follow our mission orders and kill these men and get to Eltanin!” whispered Brian in a deep, controlled but fuming voice.
“I don’t think the net is down, Brian. I think it’s being jammed. Don’t you think it’s strange that we have made it to this point so easily. And only two guards are posted outside of the Leader of the Brotherhood’s room? Something is very wrong. We need more information before we can act!”
“Nonsense man, we need to follow orders. This isn’t a bloody democracy, I’m assuming command. Kenzo, we need to neutralise those men and move in for the kill. I’m moving in and I need you. Let’s move.”
“Wait, young man. Avi is in command and he is right, something is going on here. And it would be stupid to act without more information.”
“Absolute bullshit! What did you expect, this is what we do, it’s dangerous! So we met little resistance, good for us. This isn’t some Hollywood shoot-em up. Sometimes it’s easier than we anticipate. Good for us. Now we need to move, we need to act before we lose the element of surprise. I’m going down and I’m going to kill the enemy, you can either join me or watch from where it’s safe.”
“Wait, Brian. I’ll come with you. Kenzo, you stay here with one of your men. And three of us will kill the two below. I think we are going to be ambushed once we send these two to hell, so watch for an attack from up high or from below.”
Kenzo barely nodded in agreement and he sent Kanta to join Brian and Avi.
Seconds later and the three men were on top of the two tea-drinking terrorists – they were dead within an instant. Avi cut the throat of the first and Brian executed the second with a round to the head from above. The gunfighter stood silently behind the killing duo providing rear guard cover, scanning grounds for danger in front of him.
Nothing. No movement. No sound. No ambush.
Now the old hand warrior Avi was very suspicious. But then Brian’s words echoed in his mind
“What did you expect, this is what we do, it’s dangerous! So we met little resistance, good for us. This isn’t some Hollywood shoot-em up. Sometimes it’s easier than we anticipate. Good for us.”
A dull explosion could be heard from a distance and Brian estimated having looked at the castle blueprints earlier that the muffled small explosion had
come from the armoury.
Kenzo and Keita jumped down from the wall to join their comrades. As they did so, the large door to the main keep swung open to reveal a GPMG, General Purpose Machine Gun, mounted on a tripod with a single terrorist manning it. He opened fire and the rounds tore into the back of Kanta who had been keeping a rear guard watch. He was killed instantly.
Brian and Avi quickly raised their weapons and fired a volley of shots at Kanta’s killer. The rounds made impact and killed the terrorist with ease.
Behind the GPMG and the dead terrorist, the hall and room were completely empty. There was no sign of Eltanin. There was no sign of any life at all.
The SAS Para-Ops mission was going horribly wrong.
They were once 16, they now numbered 13.
Chapter Twenty Four
The Courtyard- The Doomed
The courtyard, Krak des Chevaliers.
The Assassins Team now only consisted of Brian, Avi, Kenzo and Keita. The Demolitions Team now only consisted of Jonathan, Alon, Aaron and Daniel. And The Guards Team was now down to just Shaun, Danny, Vincent and Scotty, standing in the centre of the courtyard. After the final ambush of Kanta the radio network had come to life and the operators radioed in and decided to meet at the designated extraction point, the courtyard. The fortress was abandoned and the mission was in tatters, a complete failure.
And the team had not heard from their Commander, Captain John Taylor, since they last saw him at the entrance to the tunnels.
Sergeant Brian Nightingale of the British SAS, Kenzo Kobayashi of the Katsu Gunfighters and Sergeant Avi Berman of the IDF Special Forces unit unknown, held a brief command meeting under the shelter of the courtyard’s drinking well, while the rest of the now dispirited and dejected men set up a defence perimeter.
SAS Para-Ops: MEGA SET - SAS Para-Ops Books #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 & #6 Page 15
