Tracks

by Niv Kaplan

  Rafik went on to describe his daily routines, his travel routines, the organization’s routines, the activity at the compound, and details of his superiors. He was a fountain of information but Kessler was still searching for an end of a rope that would lead them quickly to any sleeper agents before they were warned.

  “How much time you figure we still have?” Kessler inquired.

  Rafik described the events that followed his interrogation at the farm house.

  He had called ahead to inform Nyla he was on his way with potential contributors. They all drove back to the house, Rafik driving his BMW with Aziz and Jaras, Amar with Elena following in the Subaru.

  Two guards were alerted when the two cars arrived at the house. It was a tense moment but Rafik put them at ease explaining his companions were there to talk business. It was not uncommon for him to bring guests along and the guards relaxed a bit and followed the party into the house. Nyla appeared with the kids to bid them hello, then took them upstairs. At that point, both Aziz and Jaras put pistols to the guards’ heads, relieved them of their weapons, tied and gagged them with heavy masking tape fetched by Rafik, who was closely followed by an armed Amar. The maid who was preparing a meal in the kitchen was dragged in by Jaras and tied up with the guards.

  Minutes later they had all three prisoners in the BMW. Aziz and Amar drove them away. They rest packed some clothes in carry-on bags and drove to the airport, all seven of them crammed in the Subaru.

  Rafik estimated they had until morning at the most. Once he and Nyla failed to show up for work it was only a matter of time before all hell was to break loose.

  When he was done with Rafik, Kessler called Nyla in and questioned her in detail on her role in the organization. She was very uncomfortable and kept looking sideways toward her husband until Kessler had him escorted by Jaras to the adjacent room.

  Nyla was an assistant to the head personnel officer in the organization, Abu Yusuf, who along with a few others, had access to sleeper agents’ names and assignments. The files were kept in a vault in his office but Nyla had never been allowed to see those files. This was critical information and Kessler interrogated her at length on the safe's exact location, making a makeshift drawing on a piece of paper. She also divulged the names assigned to the children who came to the compound for training, as well as their original names, and Kessler made certain the initial information supplied by Rafik regarding Sammy's location and name were accurate. Overall, a trembling Nyla disclosed, there were 12 children in training aged 8 to 14, ten boys and two girls.

  Kessler hustled Nyla back to the room with her husband and children, left an agent in the room together with Jaras and took Elena with him down to the lobby where they followed the second agent to the van parked on the street.

  The van was equipped with a satellite phone and Kessler quickly made contact with the force in Cyprus informing them of the number of children currently being trained and the vault location in the personnel director's office at the compound. He then sent the agent back to guard the Hilton's tenth floor and had Elena drive him to the Israeli Embassy where he would closely monitor the very dangerous and sensitive, soon to be launched operation, in Beirut.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  The Black Hawks flew low over the calm dark Mediterranean Sea. They were loaded with elite military men divided into two groups. A group of Israeli Special Forces commanded by Colonel Amir Dori, who had also been in charge of seizing Abu Salah just weeks earlier, were in the lead chopper on their way to extract the abducted children. A mix of British SAS operatives commanded by Air Commodore Ian Nesbitt and US Navy Seals commanded by Colonel Terry Lennon were heading for the compound in the second Black Hawk.

  IAF Lieutenant Colonel Gershon Shemesh, the lead pilot, navigated his chopper low over the waters, taking off from Larnaca heading for Beirut. The Special Forces troops behind him were all geared up ready to go. Dori sat on the floor reviewing his aerial photos and maps with his troops speaking in hushed voices.

  The rear Black Hawk and two Apache helicopters followed in his wake.

  A final go-ahead for the operation was received just hours earlier from the participants' respective defense ministries with clear instructions not to involve the Israeli force in infiltrating the compound which was assessed to hold an extreme political explosive potential.

  The compound would be infiltrated by the British and US troops through the tunnel Devlin had used to infiltrate the site. He had provided Kessler with exact coordinates where to land and would be waiting at the landing zone to escort the troops.

  The choppers would cover the distance in one and a half hours and split up a few kilometers before crossing the shoreline. The Black Hawk flown by LTC Shemesh would make a southerly arc and come in from the south. The second Black Hawk, flown by Lieutenant Colonel Yaron Lavie, would take a direct approach towards the center of Beirut where the football field lay in darkness. The attack on the compound would begin in sync with Dori as soon as the force made it to the garage. The Israeli troops would storm the three houses as soon as the force entered the tunnel.

  It was just after 2:00 am when the Beirut lights began to shimmer towards them in the dark. Air Commodore Nesbitt gave the order and the troops began to make final preparations. Flight Engineer Doobie Oz flung the chopper’s doors open on both sides allowing Seal Sergeant Boone and SAS Sergeant Crawford to take positions near the openings.

  The Black Hawk banked gently to the left then straightened and began descending over the flat waters of the Mediterranean. It came down in total darkness over the city almost at building level. The two pilots, equipped with night vision goggles, sat rigid at their seats focusing on the target. The chopper almost stopped in mid-air and began descending over a darkened field where they could see three small fires marking the landing zone.

  The troops were lined up on two sides, the Seals to the right and the SAS to the left. The two sergeants were looking through the openings trying to figure out the drop zone and height levels.

  SAS Lieutenant John Murphy was first in line all ready to go, holding a silencer in one hand, a flashlight in the other, his M-16 slung on his back. Lieutenant Steven Gold from the Navy Seals was in an identical position on the other side of the chopper, ready to jump to the ground.

  It took seconds to lower them down. Both officers jumped off the chopper seconds after the helicopter touched ground and took positions in opposite directions, securing the landing zone. The rest jumped down in quick succession, the two sergeants the last out before the Black Hawk disengaged and was back in the air, disappearing into the darkened sky.

  Nesbitt and Lennon led the troop toward the edge of the open field they had landed on. Three silhouettes appeared from the darkness after the fires marking the landing zone had been distinguished. Nesbit and Lennon met them, conferred for a minute with Devlin before Aziz took point, leading the troop among the quiet streets toward their target.

  *****

  Rolston and Mai-Li crouched among a row of boulders on the edge of the empty field designated as the landing zone for the incoming helicopter. They could see the triangle of small fires they had set up further along where the terrain was at its most level.

  Amar, on the other side of the field, could not be distinguished among the boulders he had hidden in.

  Mai-Li shivered in the cool night air. Rolston felt it and put an arm around her shoulders. She did not mind and cuddled against him feeling his warm breath, watching his face as he searched the sky for the incoming chopper.

  It came without warning over a hill without any noise, its shadow growing as it quickly descended toward the triangle of lights. It was a moonless night, cloudless with a soft breeze, and the helicopter had no difficulty finding the spot and swooping down, its noise suddenly becoming evident as its blades cut through the air.

  Within seconds it was on the ground, dark bodies emerging from it on cue, quickly blending into the terrain. Suddenly there was too much noise and gusts of wi
nd from the chopper’s blades and Mai-Li was certain they would be discovered.

  Then it was in the air again and gone beyond a low ridge and it became deathly quiet again.

  Rolston got up, switched on a flash light for a few seconds marking their spot, then squatted next to Mai-Li again, waiting for the rendezvous. The troop was upon them in seconds and Mai-Li caught her breath as several large shadows suddenly emerged beside them, weapons at the ready. Amar was putting out the signal fires as Rolston conferred with their commander.

  “Hello, I’m Dori,” one of the dark shadows said in a heavy accent, emerging into their field of view.

  “Welcome to Beirut,” Rolston said, shaking his hand.

  “Been here before,” the soldier said, flashing a kind smile, then was all business again.

  “The others have landed already, we haven’t much time.”

  “Should take us twenty minutes, if we hurry,” Rolston informed him.

  “Let’s do it then!” the officer said and gave a silent signal to his men who arranged themselves in single file and began following Rolston who had Amar by his side.

  Mai-Li followed Rolston, walking hastily next to the commander who had signaled two men to flank them on both sides with the rest remaining single file behind.

  Rolston set a grueling pace which did not seem to bother the troopers, but had Mai-Li practically running.

  They left the landing area and began climbing through a narrow creek that traversed through low bushes and rough terrain. They reached a rocky saddle and suddenly Beirut became visible in all directions. Mai-Li looked back down towards where they come from and realized that the helicopter had landed in a barren area but in very close proximity to several neighborhoods on the outskirts of town.

  In one of those neighborhoods, she suddenly realized, there was a family that had held Sam’s little boy hostage for over ten years.

  The troop was crouched in place, blending into the rocks. Rolston and Amar motioned for Dori to come forward and began pointing in a certain direction, speaking in hushed voices.

  A minute later they resumed walking, this time slower and more careful until they reached a dirt road that led them to an area of private homes. They converged in back of a small playground with slides and swings and Mai-Li could imagine little Sammy playing there with family and friends.

  Dori conferred with Rolston and Amar again, then crawled back to brief his men.

  Rolston motioned for Mai-Li and informed her they were heading back to the landing area to wait for the helicopter which they would need to bring in once Dori gave them the word.

  She quietly reminded Rolston about Devlin’s instructions to bail out once the assault began.

  “Someone has to mark the LZ,” Rolston explained, whispering. “The force might have to leave in hurry and they won’t have time to bring in the chopper. We need to make sure the LZ is lit and the chopper comes in before we can bail,” Rolston went on. “Devlin will most likely have to do the same for the other force.”

  Dori organized his men into three squads. Amar, who together with Aziz, had locked the Ammad family maid and two body guards in the shelter at the farm where they had interrogated Rafik, verified immediately after, based on Rafik's disclosure, the exact location of the three houses the targeted children lived at. He pointed out to Dori the three houses giving him unique landmarks for each house. Their main target, Sammy’s, or Amir’s house, was closest. It had a parrot cage in the front yard, surrounded by a low fence. The other two houses, which housed Kareem and Zeidan, had a tall Cypress tree and large front windows respectively. Once they nabbed the kids, Dori instructed, they would all converge back at the playground, organize and retreat back to the landing zone.

  Dori led his squad of four from one house to the next, squatting low and using the cover of bushes and trees that were abundant in the area. They reached their intended house and took positions around it. A trooper covered the back of the house in case anyone tried to flee. One covered the front, while Dori and the two remaining took positions near the front door.

  Dori tried the handle, but the door was locked. Without wasting a second he aimed his silencer and shot the lock forcing the door open. He found himself in a darkened foyer that had a staircase leading up and two openings to larger rooms he guessed were the living room and kitchen. He took the stairs two at a time, signaling one man to follow and the other to check the bottom floor.

  As he reached the top of the stairs, a small night lamp spread enough light to reveal a small corridor with three rooms, their doors half open. As he stepped on the landing he saw a man in striped pajamas standing in the farthest doorway, staring at him, a startled look on his face. Then the man woke out of his reverie and backed up trying to shut the door in Dori’s face, but he was too late.

  Dori kicked the door open and hit the man square in the gut. The man doubled up and Dori hit him on the head with the butt of his silencer. The man fell face down on the floor and remained motionless. Dori looked into the room seeing a shadow watching him from underneath the sheets of a double bed. He motioned for the woman to get up, whispering in Arabic which he spoke fluently. She got out from between the sheets and stood shivering in her nightgown.

  “Amir, where is he?” Dori demanded in Arabic.

  The woman moved back toward an open window and stood her ground, not speaking, not willing to cooperate.

  Dori was about to threaten her more, when she turned and flung herself through the window. He ran to the window and looked out seeing her trying to scramble out of a bush. He whistled sharply to get his trooper’s attention but there was no need. The trooper guarding the back was already upon her.

  When Dori turned around, a boy and two smaller girls were standing in the doorway, hustled in by Sergeant Marzel, who had followed him to the second floor.

  “You Amir?” Dori asked.

  The boy nodded, looking down at the man he thought was his father.

  The two girls started to cry and sat down next to their unconscious father.

  “Marzel, you take the boy to the playground and wait there. Don’t let him out of your grip!” Dori ordered. “He’s the reason we are all here.”

  Dori took out a pair of plastic handcuffs and began tying the man’s arms and legs.

  “Tell Yoram to secure the front entrance until I come down. Get Shaul and Gidi to come with you, and bring the woman along too. She could be helpful. Gidi caught her when she jumped out of this window trying to escape.”

  The boy made an attempt to resist, lunging himself toward his sisters but Marzel lifted him with one arm and disappeared down the stairs. Dori finished tying the man. Pasting masking tape he had prepared in advance in his ammunition vest over the man’s mouth, he left him on the floor in his room, took the two girls and locked them in the toilet next to the bedroom, throwing the key out the window.

  He then took three giant leaps down the steps and retreated with Yoram back to the playground.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  The building stood dark and isolated.

  Aziz and Devlin crouched at the end of an alley that overlooked the garage and signaled the two commanders to the front. Nesbitt and Lennon crawled forward and received a quick sketch of the layout from Devlin.

  “The two guards patrol around the building roughly once an hour,” Devlin whispered. “I suggest we wait here until we see them, then we can easily sneak in through the back doors.”

  “That might take too long,” Lennon remarked. “We need to keep in sync with the Israelis. Once they attack, all hell will break loose.”

  “Yes, we need to be in the tunnel before they attack,” Nesbitt agreed.

  Aziz and Devlin looked at one another. It was risky. The garage had open ground all around it.

  But Nesbitt and Lennon were already signaling instructions to the men in back.

  The force split up in two. They moved like ghosts, approaching the building swiftly from two directions, blending in with the ter
rain. Devlin, Aziz, and Natasha tailed from behind crawling on the ground.

  It took only three minutes to cover a bare distance of about fifty meters when the guard appeared around the corner of the building. He hesitated a fraction of a second too long before the large figure of Seal Sergeant Boone emerged from the ground and silently cut his throat, dragging his body behind the corner, out of sight.

  The combination lock was cut once again and the force slid through the metal doors and assembled around the oil bay. Two troopers were left to guard the entrance on either side of the building, anticipating the second guard to arrive shortly looking for his partner. A third trooper was left with Natasha at the bay while the rest, led by Devlin and Aziz, went through the trap door and climbed the metal ladder down to the tunnel.

  The troop huddled as they reached ground and the tunnel was revealed through the round opening which they carefully slipped through one at a time. Once in the tunnel Devlin took the lead having been through there not two weeks before, with Aziz at his side. The bare light bulbs still hung along the ceiling and made it easy for them to see the way. The spacious tunnel made its way on a subtle decline for the first few hundred meters then began to subtly rise again. It was even damper than Devlin remembered.

  The troop was right behind him as they carefully inched their way forward. Devlin no longer worried about surveillance cameras he knew were non-existent, but unexpected obstacles such as guards along the way were always a threat. Just as the first time, he carefully surveyed each section from behind the bend before giving the signal to proceed. The tunnel stretched for almost a kilometer before he reached the final bend that led to the large, dimly lit, hall.

  It was there that Nesbitt and Lennon took over. The guard on the couch had his back to them but was wide awake this time watching television. His AK-47 was leaning on the couch next to him. Nesbitt took aim from behind the bend and shot him in the back of the head with a silencer. The head disappeared behind the couch and both Lennon and Nesbitt leaped forward to cement the kill.