The Lure of the Pack (9 page)

“GO AHEAD, CONTROL!” Piper shouted, the thumping of the
rotor blades making everyone’s bodies shake.

“We are patching you through to Captain Estelle Rinise of
the GIGN. She has worked with Team Echo before. As per our previous
conversation, you will liase this operation with Captain Rinise from now on, do
you understand?”

“COPY CONTROL, PUT ME THROUGH!” Piper turned and waved to
the pilot, who gave the traditional thumbs up sign. It was time for the massive
helicopter to leave. Everyone bent low as the Chinook’s twin rotors gathered
speed, bringing Victor Nine to a hover then away it flew, furiously beating the
air and vanishing into the distance. There was a loud crackling of static
through Piper’s Com-link as his colleagues knelt down, their weapons at the
ready. With the thumping of the Chinook’s rotors quickly fading away, the Team
Echo combatants looked at their team leader, waiting for instructions.

“Sergeant Piper, this is Captain Rinise, it is a pleasure to
work with you.”

The Anglo French female voice was clear and resonant as
Piper replied, “likewise Captain. I take it Colonel Mann has already briefed
you regarding Team Echo’s plan?”

“Affirmative Sergeant, we are ready to move when you are.”

“Very well Captain, we are now advancing toward the close
proximity of the farmhouse. Stand by for further instructions.” Piper took a
firm grip on his MP5, “ALRIGHT EVERYONE, WE SPLIT AS USUAL! TWO TEAMS, KEEP TO
YOUR ECHELON POSITIONS! USE THE TREES AS COVER AND REMEMBER…” Piper paused, he
had a headache, “DO NOT FIRE UNLESS FIRED UPON. LET’S MOVE OUT!”

Otto Von Kurst put his hand into his inside jacket pocket
and pulled out a small oblong box. “Helga, stay calm,” he whispered, “just stay
calm.” Somewhat nervously, he glanced behind him. Sonia was busy in the galley.
Good he thought, quickly opening the oblong box and pulling out a hypodermic
syringe and a vial of yellow liquid. Hurriedly, he plunged the needle into the
vial and drained a small amount of the liquid into the syringe, tapping its
side with his index finger, removing any unwanted, dangerous air pockets. “Your
arm Helga, quickly,” he whispered.

Helga Zeist tried her best not to cry, but the pain in her
head was unbearable and so too, the visions of the man, the lone wolf…hunting!
Calmly, Von Kurst rolled up Helga’s sleeve, rubbed a small sterile wipe around
a tiny part of her skin and inserted the needle into one of her veins. He
looked around again. Thankfully, there was still no sign of Sonia. “I had hoped
not to use this Helga, but I fear I must, as of now.” With the injection
complete, Von Kurst returned the syringe and vial to the small box and deftly
returned it to his inside jacket pocket. He turned again to Helga and rolled
her sleeve back down her arm. “There my love, the wolf will recede for some
time now. The injection I have given you is a serum developed by my father,” he
paused as Helga vomited into yet another sick bag, her sweat dripping off her
brow and down her pain racked face. “The injection will arrest the shifting of
your body into wolf form for over twenty four hours. Only I know of its
formula.”

Helga looked into her lover’s eyes and smiled. “Thank you
Otto,” she whispered weakly, “thank you.”

Von Kurst held Helga’s hand once more, kissed her gently on
the cheek and whispered again into her ear. “Now Helga, tell me what you have
seen…quickly!”

“I tell you Herr Standartenfuhrer, it was a fucking Chinook,
I’d recognise that sound anywhere.” The grenadier named Josef knew trouble was
coming.

“Yes I know, I heard it in the distance too. I think it has
landed near the apple grove,” replied Claude Bescann.

“So what do we do Herr Standartenfuhrer?” There was a look
of tension on Josef’s hardened face as he and three other grenadiers waited for
their orders.

“We stay calm Josef, and out of sight!”

“Very well, I will arm the men. We still have several MP44s
in one of the bedrooms.”

Claude Bescann nodded his head, “yes, do that!” Josef and
the other grenadiers bowed their heads, clicked their heels and swiftly left
Bescann’s office. So, what now, thought The New Totenkopf’s Colonel as he
opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a Glock 17. Sitting back in his
chair with his thoughts racing, he put the handgun gently on his desk and gazed
at the clock.

“Team Echo, hold position,” Ash Piper’s voice was calm yet
authorative. Both he and the rest of the Team Echo detachment had moved
stealthily but quickly, and were now just several hundred metres from the
southeast section of the farmhouse.

“Just like Kosovo, hey Ash?” Tim Winters had the same look
in his eyes as Piper. It was a look telling of imminent combat, with only one
simple rule. Kill or be killed!

“Yes Tim.” Piper scanned the farmhouse with his high-powered
binoculars. “Red Haze to Control.”

“Reading loud and clear Red Haze,” Colonel Mann stood
watching the events at Claude Bescann’s farmhouse unfold with great
trepidation, so too, were his CEATA colleagues.

“Team Echo are now in position. I am about to liase with
Captain Rinise then we move in. Can you reconfirm the expected number of combatants
in the target area, over!”

“Thermal satellite recon suggests eleven combatants total,
one will be Claude Bescann. All are inside the main farmhouse building, most
probably forming defensive positions. They obviously know you are coming Red
Haze, good luck!”

“Affirmative Control, Red Haze out!” Piper glanced at his
watch then at Tim Winters. “Well,” he whispered, “here we go. Captain Rinise,
Team Echo are go, you may move into position!”

“Affirmative Sergeant,” the pleasant, but business-like
female GIGN Captain’s voice had a certain aura of charm about it, thought
Piper.

“I don’t like this Ash, she’s taking one hell of a shitty
chance,” whispered Winters.

“I know, but it’s the Captain’s decision Tim, if she wants
to knock on Bescann’s front door, then it’s up to her. Personally, I think we
should just go in and storm the place.”

“I can’t understand why she is taking such a risk!”

“Apparently Rinise knows Bescann well! He used to be her
boss and they often have dinner together. She thinks he has nothing to hide, or
at least if he has, she can talk him into giving himself up!”

As Tim Winters shook his head, he noticed the sweat pouring
down Piper’s face, “Ash,” he asked, “are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m okay! I’ve just got a headache, that’s all!” 

Slowly but surely, the white, bullet proof Gendarme Van
drove down the driveway to Claude Bescann’s farmhouse courtyard. Inside were
three GIGN team members including Captain Estelle Rinise, all armed with FA-MAS
Assault Rifles and like Team Echo, well protected with body armour.

Or so they thought!

“He is cunning, his power grows day by day,” sobbed Helga
Zeist, Von Kurst’s hand gripping hers, tightly. “He is ready to strike again! I
see men and women, surrounding a building…a farmhouse!”

“Bescann!” Otto Von Kurst reached for his mobile phone and
switched it on. Fuck the in flight rules, he thought. With his heart racing he
dialled Bescann’s number and waited for the reply. Answer the phone Claude,
answer the fucking phone! Von Kurst cursed aloud, “shit,” a look of
helplessness racing across his face. The voice over the airwaves was his
friend’s answering machine service. Shaking his head in anger, he switched the
phone off and put it back into his pocket as Helga closed her eyes, her
breathing erratic, guttural. “Helga, do you see anything else, you must
concentrate my love. I need to know!” Suddenly, Sonia dropped the cutlery in
the galley as she heard Helga Zeist’s scream. “Helga,” said Von Kurst, “what is
it? SPEAK TO ME!”

“Mister Von Kurst, Ms Zeist, what’s…” Sonia didn’t finish
her question as she walked briskly towards her passengers.

“NOT NOW SONIA,” yelled Von Kurst, “NOT NOW!”

“I see bloodshed,” sobbed Helga, “and death!”

Von Kurst clenched his fists together and in a fit of
unbridled rage cursed at the top of his voice, “FUUUUCK!”

“They know we are here, and they know we are armed!” Claude
Bescann sat at his desk, flipping the Glock around on his index finger like a
cowboy showing off his latest six-shooter.

“How do you know, Herr Standartenfuhrer?” asked Josef,
standing in a corner of Bescann’s office, out of view.

“It’s very simple, the van approaching us will have members
of the GIGN inside and the helicopter we have heard is a back up team. The
bastards have a fucking satellite above us, of that I’m certain, and…” Bescann
paused, looking down the iron-sight of the Glock, as if picturing his target,
“they will be using thermal imaging!”

“Then we fight?”

“Yes Josef, we fight, for our loyalty to our Fuhrer and our
own honour. We fight to the death, and Josef…”

The stocky, tough Scharfuhrer of the New Totenkopf’s
training detachment grinned wickedly, “yes, Herr Standartenfuhrer!”

“Pass the word around…I take the first shot!”

“Sergeant, I am leaving the vehicle and walking to the front
door.” Captain Rinise relayed her movements carefully to Piper as she opened
the van door and, with one of her GIGN colleagues close by, walked across the
cobbled courtyard.

She rang the front door bell.

“We’re watching you closely Captain.” Piper peered through
his binoculars as Rinise waited for the door to open, her FA-MAS gripped
tightly in her gloved hands.

“There is movement,” she whispered, carefully noticing the
brown leather jacketed figure through the door’s ornately patterned stained
glass windows.

Within a few seconds Claude Bescann, with a beaming,
welcoming smile on his face opened the door, holding his hands up as if in a
gesture of surrender. He laughed joyously, “well, well, well, my dear Estelle,
and armed to the teeth as well! Please, whatever I have done… I’m innocent!”
The large, broad smile stayed on Bescann’s face.

“Claude, I am sorry, but I need you to accompany me to
headquarters.” There was no hint of a smile on Estelle Rinise’s face.

“Estelle,” Bescann shook his head in mock disbelief,
“please, tell me…on what charge?”

“Suspected terrorism Claude. I must warn you, we have the
place surrounded and you and your men are easily outnumbered.”

“Oh Estelle, this is preposterous, I mean…”

“IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE CLAUDE,” Rinise shouted, “YOU
WILL NOT MIND ACCOMPANYING ME. I AM TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE!”

The smile vanished as Bescann slowly lowered his arms. Any
second now he thought, just lure the bitch in!

At the same time, the hairs on the back of Ash Piper’s neck
became rigid, “she’s in danger,” he said.

“Alright Estelle, I appreciate what you are saying,
please…come on in.”

With his smile returning somewhat, his voice welcoming,
genial, Bescann offered another open gesture of friendship as Captain Rinise,
without thinking, dropped her guard and walked slowly into the hallway.

“Please come with us immediately Claude.”

“Of course Estelle, let me find my shoes!” As Claude Bescann
turned around, he quietly muttered to himself, “welcome to my parlour, said the
spider to the fly.”

“I’m sorry Claude, what did you say?”

“CONTROL TO RED HAZE!” It was Colonel Mann’s voice and Piper
instantly knew what was coming.

“Go ahead Control!”

“MOVE NOW, MOVE NOW, COMBATANTS ARE PREPARING TO ENGAGE, GET
IN, NOW!”

“AFFIRMATIVE CONTROL! TEAM ECHO MOVE TO ASSAULT, REPEAT,
MOVE TO ASSAULT!”

It all happened so quickly.

Estelle Rinise noticed Claude Bescann was already wearing
his shoes. She watched him turn around, having put his hand into his inside
jacket pocket. The last thing she saw was the Glock pointing straight at her
face as Bescann shouted, “BITCH!”

Then her helmeted face exploded.

Immediately, the windows of the farmhouse splintered into
fragments, Bescann’s grenadiers opening fire with their MP44s. Viciously cut
down in a hail of scything hot lead, the GIGN officer by the van screamed in
agony as a torrent of modified 9mm bullets tore into his body. He fell
instantly, his bullet ridden, shattered form convulsing as his colleague threw
the van into reverse gear and sped backwards.

Then the explosions began! Team Echo were hastily moving
into combat.

It was a fight to the death and everyone knew it! “WE NEED
BESCANN ALIVE, SUPPRESS THE BASTARDS,” yelled Piper.

“USE FLASHBANGS,” shouted Winters, quickly throwing a stun
grenade towards one of the windows, the small metallic object soaring through
the air, straight through a smashed window into the farmhouse living room. A
massive crumping sound and bright, dazzling light followed. There were screams
and further sounds of shattering glass as a pair of curtains caught fire.

“FIRE IN THE HOLD!” Another Team Echo trooper gave the
classic military warning, her voice reverberating through various Com-links as
she hurled a flashbang grenade through a bedroom window. There was movement
everywhere, fast and furious. To the left, added gunfire, to the right, further
explosions and all around, the yelling and screams of men and women entwined in
vicious, bloody combat.

Quickly, two Team Echo troopers made a dash for the kitchen
door, their bodies being caught in a rapid crossfire.

“YOU FUCKING SHITS!” A strong voice in German, from the
kitchen! A grenadier!

“YOU TWO,” Piper pointed at two other colleagues, “MOVE TO
THE LEFT! WE’LL TAKE THE RIGHT, FLANK THE SODS!” Piper and Winters, their
adrenaline racing, ran to the side of the farmhouse as another grenade flashed
by them through the kitchen window. They dropped down as the flashbang exploded
in a torrent of white searing light, its concussive effect taking the kitchen’s
occupants by surprise. Savagely, Piper kicked the door in and rolled across the
floor, firing on full automatic as Winters opened up with his own MP5. It was a
classic manoeuvre, catching a grenadier off guard, his body spinning around in
its death throes, cut to pieces by the unbridled ferocity of the crossfire.